Help! Reel to Reel Recorder from the 50's, info needed..

DeathStar1 · 07-14-2006, 12:22 PM

I don't have much information other than what was on the tape cover... But my uncle brought over a tape from the 60's, with voice, that has a whole bunch of family recordings on it, including video of my grandmother from my fathers side that I never got the chance to know since she passed.

THe only information I have, again, is what was on the tape cover.
Tartan Series,
Scotch Brand,
Reel to Reel Tape recorder,
Open Reel.

If anyone knows of something that can copy this tape, since it isn't in the best of condition, most appreciated.

Thanks!
Neil

Edit, http://cgi.ebay.com/Scotch-7-Reel-Ta...QQcmdZViewItem WE have the one in the upper left corner, if that helps any..

Peter Apruzzese · 07-14-2006, 12:48 PM

You would need a reel-to-reel deck to play/copy it. Since you don't have one, your best bet is to use a service to transfer it for you. I found these on Google:

http://lp2cd.com/prices_reel.htm
http://www.familymemoriesvideo.com/audio_transfer.htm
http://avconvert.com/audio/price_list_reel.html
http://www.wholarts.com/syNThony/ssl/prod03.htm
http://www.ajvideo.com/audiotransfers.htm

You might also post on the Audio forums, someone here might have one and could transfer it. I have a R-t-R deck and would do it for you, but it's not working.

DeathStar1 · 07-14-2006, 01:36 PM

This one apparently has Video on it, if memory serves. OR at least that's the impression I got from it. Would that work with an audio version?

Steve...O · 07-14-2006, 01:46 PM

Many cities have a local business that specialize in this kind of work. You might check your yellow pages for video transfer services. Depending on what you want done, it might be a little pricey, but considering the material you're trying to preserve, it would be worth it.

Peter Apruzzese · 07-14-2006, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil V

This one apparently has Video on it, if memory serves. OR at least that's the impression I got from it. Would that work with an audio version?

If it's 1/4" tape, their shouldn't be any video on it. I don't know of any systems that used 1/4" tape, portable-sized reel-to-reel video systems used 1/2" tape.

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ChristopherDAC · 07-14-2006, 02:05 PM

I've got quite a bit of this stuff, and a deck I'm trying to recondition. Most likely, this is intended for the Sony half-inch open-reel "videocorder" of the CV or AV series. You'll be better off if it's AV, because CV dropped fields and looked like junk, and because the AV machines were actually built to an EIAJ standard and there are more decks [including of other brands] which can play the tapes. I think quite a few of the tapes I've played have been from CV machines.

You can get more information at this Web site, and I actually started a thread here at HTF about my AV3600 unit, which was by far the most common model. If you can't find anyone with the equipment, I'd be more than happy to play them back for you and dub them to some usable format once I get my machine running again.

If it's 1/4 inch tape, things will be harder, because there were very few video decks which used that [Akai made one] and I've no idea if there's a working one in North America.

DeathStar1 · 07-14-2006, 02:19 PM

Aww Crap, I stand corrected. A second look on the box does indeed show it is 1/4 inch. I was led to beleive that there was Video AND sound on it.

ChristopherDAC · 07-14-2006, 02:49 PM

There's one easy test. Play it on a quarter-inch reel-to-reel audio deck, and if one track has recognisable audio, and the other has just an incredible hideous noise, then it's a video tape.

EDIT: I should mention that 1/4-inch audio decks, in working order, are quite easy to get if you know where to look. In my city I know of a surplus dealer who has quite a few for sale.