• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

ITC triple Stack

S

SFM-Ptgal

Hi,

I've just received a former CBC-CA cart machine with the companion record amplifier for the bottom deck. Here in Europe the mains is 230/50hz. In the US/CA is 110V/60hz. I know that the Delta III can handle both 50 or 60hz but what about the voltage? I have seen the tech manual and from what I understand I can make a 110 machine run on 230 by changing a few resistances and transformer wires. Am i correct?

Thanks!
 
It's been a long time, but as I remember, there are two primary windings on the power transformer. They are in parallel for 110-120 and in series for 220-240. Follow the mains cord to the transformer. You should be able to figure it out from there with an ohmmeter (with the cord disconnected!) Make sure the motor isn't a 60 Hz. only motor, or everything will turn slower. Of course, if all your machines are that way, then a 70 sec. cart becomes an 84 sec. cart.
 
As for changing tranformer voltages, yes, you can usually connect the leads in SERIES to get 230V. I would measure the resistance to verify a series configuration before you power up. Of course, check the secondary for 230V as well.

On other transformers, you usually just move around the secondary taps...

Good luck!
 
ChiefOperator said:
As for changing tranformer voltages, yes, you can usually connect the leads in SERIES to get 230V. I would measure the resistance to verify a series configuration before you power up. Of course, check the secondary for 230V as well.

On other transformers, you usually just move around the secondary taps...

Good luck!
Click to expand...
ChiefOperator said:
As for changing tranformer voltages, yes, you can usually connect the leads in SERIES to get 230V. I would measure the resistance to verify a series configuration before you power up. Of course, check the secondary for 230V as well.

On other transformers, you usually just move around the secondary taps...

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thank you both for your precious help. I've bee giving a general cleaning on the machines and I see that it is a highly dense components device. To reach the power transformer and perform the switch what should I remove?

As you might notice I'm not an engineer... just a freak about vintage broadcast machines, cart ones... ;)
 
SFM-Ptgal said:
As you might notice I'm not an engineer... just a freak about vintage broadcast machines, cart ones... ;)
Click to expand...

Welcome to the club! Over the weekend I fixed a problem I was having with an Audi Cord mono playback deck. I did this without a service manual and training. Pretty gratifying!

Good luck!

R
 
Robert Bass said:
SFM-Ptgal said:
As you might notice I'm not an engineer... just a freak about vintage broadcast machines, cart ones... ;)
Click to expand...

Welcome to the club! Over the weekend I fixed a problem I was having with an Audi Cord mono playback deck. I did this without a service manual and training. Pretty gratifying!

Good luck!

R
Click to expand...

I wish I could be so comfortable as you. I could "jump to the pool" right away and start working but I don't feel confident because that cart machine was hard to get and it's becoming hard to find... and if things go wrong I won't forgive myself.

Can one of the previous posters send me a generic scheme of a "how to" perform the parallel/series switching? I'll be grateful!!!

My email is [email protected]

Thanks in advance!!!
 
Wooops! I didn't mean to suggest jumping in the pool! I was just trying to say it's nice to see there is still enthusiasm for cart machines. :)

R
 
Robert Bass said:
Wooops! I didn't mean to suggest jumping in the pool! I was just trying to say it's nice to see there is still enthusiasm for cart machines. :)

R
Click to expand...

;D Don't worry ;D Yes, I have a great enthusiasm for them. Makes part of my radio imaginary. It's sad to see a radiostation nowadays withou them. I remember when I started working to help the jock opening the studio door because he had a huge pile of LPS on his arms.
I remember when school visits came to the station the kids were delighted to see all that "wierd equipement"... Now they come and say "So I can make radio at home... all I need is a pc" And I say: Yeah Yeah... keep dreaming...

Just for the record... I enjoy radio like it is made these days. So damn perfect... so damn boring... ::)
 
I'm always looking for Cart Decks, especially ITC/DELTA. I can refurbish, repair, and restore them, and give them the TLC they have earned in all their hard years of use. I used to do it all the time at the four stations I used to work for waaaay back in the mid 90's. The CE couldn't be bothered with basic maintenence unless it was a total failure.

Now, I've been looking for the ones that have been relegated to doorstop duty, but nobody seems to want to come through. I've had many offers, some for free and some for what I considered a reasonable price. I always offer to pay shipping. They give me a phone number, but calls are never returned.

There also seems to be a trend lately, of people asking exhorbitant amounts of money for them on the order of $3-400 for an ITC single deck machine with record amp and heads. It seems like engineers these days would prefer to send them to the crusher rather than give them a good loving home.

Same goes for the old OTARI MX50x series of open reel decks. SMASH instead of CASH. What the hell people?

-A
 
Alan Fletcher said:
There also seems to be a trend lately, of people asking exhorbitant amounts of money for them on the order of $3-400 for an ITC single deck machine with record amp and heads.
Click to expand...

Good lord! :eek: You can buy a brand new Stereo Rec/Play unit for about $1,000 less, from the Cart Guys.

Incidently, I informed my boss today, that I wished we still had some cart decks. The computer automation system we use, was reporting errors on the hard drive (not the one w/ all the audio files). Windows was reporting the drive needed to be scanned. We were able to pull it off during a sports remote, but I would have loved to have had station promos on carts to use during the remote, instead of a solitary DAT machine.

R
 
then get another computer in the studio and keep a backup of your audio once a quarter, or SOMETHING....winamp, baby!
 
Sgeirk said:
then get another computer in the studio and keep a backup of your audio once a quarter, or SOMETHING....winamp, baby!
Click to expand...

Uhhh yeah, I wonder how that would work, considering the studio has little room for additional computers.

By the way, I was joking about my wish for cart machines in the studio :)

R
 
I am an analog junkie from way back.

Like many of you, I started in radio when on-air studios had racks of cart machines, a couple of turntables and a couple of Otari MX5050BII tape machines.

Actually, the Otaris came later. When I first started, they were using ROLA tape machines!

The same thing has happened here in New Zealand with the old gear - much of it has ended up in landfills or sent to the scrap man. These days I spend a lot of time hunting down the old gear that has managed to survive and is often sitting gathering dust in some storeroom.

If anyone has an interest, I have a number of Sonifex cart machines - all in good condition, some with the record electronics unit (separate).

These are surplus to me now as I have managed to acquire an Otari CTM-10.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom