The BGR (Bruette's Goofy Railroad)

[Kusojiji]

Ah, it may need some sanding at that point then. The problem I'm having with turntables is that they are sensitive to the power frequency. This part of Japan runs on 50hz. Wish they would change it to 60 like the rest of the country. My coffee maker was always late making coffee haha.

 

[Iron Horseman]

...to MP3, but I'm not happy with the sound playing through the Pioneer receiver/amp.

Which input are you using for the MP3? If a tape input switch to the AUX. It might work better. Of course if you are comparing it to playing from the LP you will never be happy. Impossible to beat "real" music with digital imitations.

 

[Bruette]

Impossible to beat "real" music with digital imitations.

Exactly my thoughts!

My wife wants to buy me a "real" turntable for my birthday, and I am more than content to wait.

I don't know why I ever bought this crappy thing in the first place! I still have the original box, but I would be ashamed to sell it on eBay. Off to Goodwill it will go!

 

[Iron Horseman]

Ah, it may need some sanding at that point then. The problem I'm having with turntables is that they are sensitive to the power frequency. This part of Japan runs on 50hz. Wish they would change it to 60 like the rest of the country. My coffee maker was always late making coffee haha.

Oh. I have a Sony reel-to-reel that someone brought home after being stationed over seas. I recorded all sorts of stuff with it. Then I upgraded to a top of the line AKAI. OOOps. Turned out the Sony was set for 50hz and all the recordings were the wrong speed. Some of the best dungeons and dragons games (10-18 hours worth each), sound like chipmunks playing. So I have to hook up both units and do the copy one from another. Takes forever and massive amounts of tape, and I've never finished doing that conversion. Probably will never find that time, Sigh......

 

[Iron Horseman]

My wife wants to buy me a "real" turntable for my birthday, and I am more than content to wait.

Thorens TD-166, Music Hall, or are you off the charts with a Pro-Ject type? What's your dream turn table. Mine has always been the Optonica RP-3636. I should have purchased one about 10 years ago for $200 or so before vinal became a thing again. Now they are $$$ out of my league.

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[Kusojiji]

Oh. I have a Sony reel-to-reel that someone brought home after being stationed over seas. I recorded all sorts of stuff with it. Then I upgraded to a top of the line AKAI. OOOps. Turned out the Sony was set for 50hz and all the recordings were the wrong speed. Some of the best dungeons and dragons games (10-18 hours worth each), sound like chipmunks playing. So I have to hook up both units and do the copy one from another. Takes forever and massive amounts of tape, and I've never finished doing that conversion. Probably will never find that time, Sigh......

Reel to reel, wow! Yeah that's hours and hours. I still have my Nakamichi Dragon tape deck. It hasn't been turned on in a few decades so I doubt the belts and rubber are any good.

 

[Bruette]

What's your dream turn table.

No clue, being legally deaf I will probably buy a mid-range Audio-Technica. Something that will make it easy to get decent replacement needles. I can't hear too good, but the Pioneer and Sony speaker system will make sure I can feel it.

Audio‑Technica has been producing high‑quality cartridges and diamond styli since the 1960s, and they offer multiple stylus shapes that are excellent for record longevity, something that is high on my list. Many of their designs focus on accurate tracking and low wear.

My grandson can go top of the line if he wants to hear everything. It will all be his one day.

 

[Kusojiji]

This is all that's left over from my turntable. I like AT as well.

 

[Bruette]

I like AT as well.

Check Amazon, they have many to choose from.

 

[Iron Horseman]

This is all that's left over from my turntable. I like AT as well.
View attachment 258744

Is the AT440MLa also a Shibata tip like the AT440MLb to do the 50Hz quadraphonic stuff? I see 4 leads out of it.

 

[Kusojiji]

I don't know. I figured the 4 wires were for the dual magnet connections. Looking it up, I don't see any mention of quadrophonic. But, I see that the replacement is the Shibata AT-VMN50SH.

 

[Bruette]

Despite the trials and tribulations of life work has continued in the attic. It has been tedious going through and sorting box after box, but their numbers are steadily dwindling. And I have found lots of cool stuff I had forgotten I had.

I found a pair of Creative Labs amplified stereo speakers for my PC at my desk in the family room, that sound great!

I found a Rockville RHB70 Home Theater Compact Powered Speaker System, Bluetooth/USB/SD/FM, 4" Subwoofer, 2.1 Channel, 100W Peak. I paired it with my crappy turntable and listened to Black Sabbath's "Master of Reality" LP, and it sound fairly good! It will have many uses.

Those are just two of the many things I am finding.

I do get sidetracked with my transformer obsession. I added several more, some are future projects. More on that later.

This one was too good to pass up; I had to buy it! It is new in the box, layout ready! I picked it up from my new go to spot East Main Trains in Thurmont, MD https://www.eastmaintrains.com/

Bottom line progress continues, thank God!

 

[Bruette]

Progress continues!

A not so good day of testing old electronics in the attic. Many things i found today are in need of work and most are not worth the effort. My junk pile is growing. I am not looking forward to going to the City's electronics recycling center. Thank God our Equinox has plenty of cargo space.

I found a nice surprise on the attic; my old Brother HL‑2140 laser printer. I plugged it in, connected it to my Windows 11 attic PC and it was instantly setup without a single click from me. When I checked the printers in the settings there it was. Best of all when I clicked print a test page it came to life and printed beautifully. It not only had paper, but it also still had toner in it. I'm ready to print inventory check lists when I finally do a physical inventory.

The Brother HL-2100 series of laser printers was introduced in 2008; they were discontinued in 2011. I have no idea exactly how old mine is, but i will check the serial number for a date code, now I'm curious.

I've found a total of 8 flat screen TVs. My mom's 55" is already setup in the attic, I gave away a 50", two 32" and a 27". I still have two 32" and another 27" as spares in storage in the basement.

I must have close to a dozen old PCs. I have put them all into the attic's large storage closet. That project will have to wait. It will be time consuming going through them all to salvage what I can use. One is an IBM desktop I rebuilt years ago as a backup and never used. What am I to do with a new Windows XP PC? Buying more than I need has always been a problem for me. Especially now that I sell so little.

Now I am worrying my transformer obsession has taken a similar path. At least these old Lionel transformers increase in value as they age. Another one arrived yesterday, with another five on the way. I'm still on the lookout for a KW model R with original box. I don't care if it works, just so long as I have something that looks good to rebuild. The KW is a must have for any Lionel postwar transformer collection.

My problem is once I learn to do something I become obsessed with gaining hands on experience. I don't know of another way to continue learning and to become experienced. On the bright side, the transformers have motivated me to keep going in the attic. Despite the distraction they can be, I am making progress in the attic every day.

I'm grateful my hands are still good enough to work on these old transformers. I struggle with the tight spaces often found in cars, PCs and other modern electronics. The technician in me feels productive again. God's blessings are as infinite as they are mysterious. All glory belongs to God.

The advantage of transformers over computers is that the technology of Iron-Core transformers does not become outdated. The future PC salvage project will likely yield a $10,000+ pile of outdated junk and another trip to the recycling center. My grandsons will find real treasure when they inherit my Lionel transformers, not a pile of useless junk.

Have a blessed Sunday!

 

[Iron Horseman]

A not so good day of testing old electronics in the attic. Many things i found today are in need of work and most are not worth the effort. My junk pile is growing. I am not looking forward to going to the City's electronics recycling center. Thank God our Equinox has plenty of cargo space.

I have the same issue. Some are not hard to send to their "end" (printers and the like), but others are harder. I have 2 1970s ish Pioneer receiver/amplifiers. Got the second one for parts, but low and behold the same parts have failed in both. Seems every system I plug into test has some new issue. sigh.

The Brother HL-2100 series of laser printers was introduced in 2008; they were discontinued in 2011. I have no idea exactly how old mine is, but i will check the serial number for a date code, now I'm curious.

I have the MFC-9340CDW very nice printer. Almost nice enough for photos.

I've found a total of 8 flat screen TVs. My mom's 55" is already setup in the attic, I gave away a 50", two 32" and a 27". I still have two 32" and another 27" as spares in storage in the basement.

That is another problem I have 3 projector TVs (one 55" and two 65"), and at least 3 of the CRT type 32" (remember when that was considered huge?), and can't count how many CRT computer monitors I have sitting about. That is about $30K of equipment when it was new. Now worth only the copper in the coils.

I must have close to a dozen old PCs. I have put them all into the attic's large storage closet. That project will have to wait. It will be time consuming going through them all to salvage what I can use. One is an IBM desktop I rebuilt years ago as a backup and never used. What am I to do with a new Windows XP PC? Buying more than I need has always been a problem for me. Especially now that I sell so little.

So much easier to buy than to sell. I am hoping one of my old windows XP computers is still working as I have this game called "Rails Across America" that won't run in any compatibility mode I can find in the new Windows OS.

Mow I am worrying my transformer obsession has taken a similar path. At least these old Lionel transformers increase in value as they age. Another one arrived yesterday, with another five on the way. I'm still on the lookout for a KW model R with original box. I don't care if it works, just so long as I have something that looks good to rebuild. The KW is a must have for any Lionel postwar transformer collection.

Yes, You might want to put the brakes on that one. Unless of course you are actually planning on "collecting" old transformers. Not really that interesting of a collection though. I mean if you were to put it into a display case next to one with model trains in it, I don't think visitors would pay the transformer one more than a glance.

I've now already overdone it. I already had the two Atlas, the Lionel CW-80, CW-180, and added the ZW-Multiwatt. That was enough for the Christmas forest for the foreseeable future, but went ahead and ordered the ZW-L so I'm over powered by 4 throttle instances!

 

[Bruette]

at least 3 of the CRT type 32" (remember when that was considered huge?

Huge... almost unheard of! I doubt I ever saw more than one.

You might want to put the brakes on that one.

Too late!

Unless of course you are actually planning on "collecting" old transformers.

I didn't set out to be a collector, but these things are fascinating. The quality of manufacturing of transformers in the late 1940s is amazing! Now I am on the lookout for prewar transformers.

I don't think visitors would pay the transformer one more than a glance.

I’m not pretending to do this for my grandsons or anyone else. My trains are purely for my own satisfaction and enjoyment.

I've now already overdone it. I already had the two Atlas, the Lionel CW-80, CW-180, and added the ZW-Multiwatt. That was enough for the Christmas forest for the foreseeable future, but went ahead and ordered the ZW-L so I'm over powered by 4 throttle instances!

You could have worse problems. Maybe consider adding some lighted accessories under the trees. With all the new LED lighted accessories you could make your forest glow like Las Vegas with all the power you will have on hand.

I love my GW-180, it is a beast! But it has a known flaw. The iron-core transformer is all but bullet proof, but the controller can die if you try to adjust the accessory voltage, rendering the unit useless. I’ve learned that firsthand and about the known flaw afterwards. The good news is Lionel will back it up but dealing with that is another thing to do. I doubt you have any more free time than I do. Now I just leave it at the default 12 volts. I rigged a controller from a 77-watt unit to bring it down to 10 volts. It puts out a chopped wave, but with the accessories I’m using it doesn't matter. I prefer to under power things to make them last longer.

God knows I have plenty of controllers and transformers to work with.