Comments on: Fifty-Cent Phonograph May Pierce Iron Curtain http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/10/14/fifty-cent-phonograph-may-pierce-iron-curtain/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:15:36 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: George http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/10/14/fifty-cent-phonograph-may-pierce-iron-curtain/comment-page-1/#comment-1061634 George Sat, 18 Oct 2008 23:40:26 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=5744#comment-1061634 http://www.shellac.org/wams/wctalk.html (not the one I described, but even simpler. That RCA unit is starting to look as complex as a Linotype. http://www.shellac.org/wams/wctalk.html (not the one I described, but even simpler. That RCA unit is starting to look as complex as a Linotype.

]]> By: Rick http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/10/14/fifty-cent-phonograph-may-pierce-iron-curtain/comment-page-1/#comment-1061622 Rick Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:58:23 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=5744#comment-1061622 Hi George, Wow, a cardboard phonoraph! That must have been neat! It would be even neater if some of them survived and are still out there, preferably somewhere like in an industrial design museum. Hi George,

Wow, a cardboard phonoraph! That must have been neat! It would be even neater if some of them survived and are still out there, preferably somewhere like in an industrial design museum.

]]> By: George http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/10/14/fifty-cent-phonograph-may-pierce-iron-curtain/comment-page-1/#comment-1061617 George Fri, 17 Oct 2008 23:30:52 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=5744#comment-1061617 Leave it to a big company like RCA to make something that complex: In the mid-fifties, my father had a folding cardboard phonograph. It was an industrial advertising gimmick that was mailed to his office in a flat envelope. It was one piece, there was a small metal stud for the spindle, and the record had a drive hole in it that you stuck a pen into and were instructed to "turn it like stirring a cup of coffee." The arm was flat cardboard that swung mostly by bending, no pivot bearing, but was not really a problem because the record's diameter was only about 3 inches. The needle was attached to the cardboard which also was the diaphragm. It was clearly audible and understandable, and if I ever need industrial machine tools, I'll be sure to use Bullard. Leave it to a big company like RCA to make something that complex:

In the mid-fifties, my father had a folding cardboard phonograph. It was an industrial advertising gimmick that was mailed to his office in a flat envelope.

It was one piece, there was a small metal stud for the spindle, and the record had a drive hole in it that you stuck a pen into and were instructed to “turn it like stirring a cup of coffee.” The arm was flat cardboard that swung mostly by bending, no pivot bearing, but was not really a problem because the record’s diameter was only about 3 inches. The needle was attached to the cardboard which also was the diaphragm.

It was clearly audible and understandable, and if I ever need industrial machine tools, I’ll be sure to use Bullard.

]]> By: Rick http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2008/10/14/fifty-cent-phonograph-may-pierce-iron-curtain/comment-page-1/#comment-1061480 Rick Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:31:16 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/?p=5744#comment-1061480 I lived through that era and I doubt seriously that anything like this was ever used. If we were going to take the chances to fly over Soviet controlled airspace to distribute messages it would be far cheaper and more effective to drop leaflets than these things. I lived through that era and I doubt seriously that anything like this was ever used. If we were going to take the chances to fly over Soviet controlled airspace to distribute messages it would be far cheaper and more effective to drop leaflets than these things.

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