Saturday, October 23, 2021

Cataloging My Radio Equipment: Sony TCS-300 Portable Stereo Cassette Recorder

Cataloging My Radio Equipment: Sony TCS-300 Portable Stereo Cassette Recorder, aka Dictophone or Dictation Machine!


Note that it has variable speed for both recording and playback.

Which allows you to get up to 180 minutes of recording time out of a 90 min cassette, say! 

Isn't it wonderful!

It can also be used as just a walkman for playing cassettes - but even better - it has a quality speaker which makes it for listening without headphones!

It has an in-built microphone too.



An external mic can also be used.




And here is a look at the magic wheel that makes playback and recording speed control possible!





Sunday, May 9, 2021

My Radio Related Equipment: Sony ICD-PX440 Digital Dictation Machine

In my radio related equipment series, here is my Sony ICD-PX440 Digital Dictation Machine, aka a Dictophone.

 

It may not be immediately obvious in this day and age, but it is a very useful thing, however not for its original stated purpose as I have never used to record in a dictation mode.


I have other uses in mind for it.


First, for a radio hobbyist as myself, it would be useful to record radio reception which in theory can be done both using an audio in and a dictophone function via inbuilt microphone.

Again I have not yet used it for that particular purpose to date as it appears more expedient now to use your mobile phone in a video recording mode and you can also record the radio display indication.


Where it comes very useful indeed and has been used by myself exclusively and extensively, is to digitize past radio reception recordings that I have on a number of cassette tapes dating back to the 1990s.

It works great for this purpose but you to have to purchase separately a double ended audio in jack cable (or something) and I have a Belkin, shown on some of the pictures.

All my past radio reception recordings mentioned on this blog have been digitized using this little Sony device, and I general have been happy with it. 

Similarly, it solves the problem of digitizing your cassette tapes archives, including music, of course, and/or other programs.


Last but not least, you could use this machine to borrower songs off the internet that you like. 

But remember to do it strictly for personal use, of course.

For example, if you hear something nice and have the song name and title you can typically find it on Youtube for example, or on other sites that play the composition

Then you or whoever just plug this thing in an Audio out on the laptop and the record the culprit, the quality is usually pretty good, it records at 192 kbps (or something) which is CD quality I believe; and it's a lot safer than using various illegal downloaders.



 

Then you would use the USB connection on the device to transfer the sound file to the computer and then on to your mp3 player device.

And still another application I can think of and have actually used it for is to record my occasional Karaoke attempts, it's a bit cumbersome when used for that purpose but still works well.

 

Friday, April 30, 2021

April 30 is International Jazz Day

April 30 is International Jazz Day and here is something from own archive of radio recordings, a some time 1990s BBC World Service Jazz for the Asking program.

 

 

 

 

 

VreMax: April 30 is International Jazz Day: April 30 is International Jazz Day and here is something from own archive of radio recordings, a some time 1990s BBC World Service Jazz for ...

Monday, April 26, 2021

Sunday, April 11, 2021

1995 Sharp VC-MA31 VHS Recorder Player and TV Tuner

In my catalog of own radio equipment, although this one is not a radio but still a tuner - a TV tuner, here is my 1995 Sharp VC-MA31 VHS unit which is a VHS recorder / player and CATV tuner that is still operable and in some occasional use.

Here it is... at its rather dusty slot at night.

Note that it is a multi-system unit - Pal / Secam / NTSC so plays every cassette which was important at the time when video programs were recorded in different system which made some VHS tape unwatchable on non-compliant units.

No such problem with this one though.

Control knob.


And here is a part of my VHS tapes collection.






















Saturday, April 10, 2021

Transition into Prince Philip News on BBC R1 Dance Anthems

transition into the Prince Philip News on BBC R1 Dance

Monday, January 25, 2021

The Icom IC-705 is about to achieve 'Holy Grail' status

The Icom IC-705 is about to achieve 'Holy Grail' status

Cataloging My Radios: Kvarts 309 MW (AM), SW

 Cataloging My Radios: Kvarts 309 MW (AM), SW.


Kvarts (Quartz) 309, MW (AM), SW.

Has a very solid antenna set up, the most solid of what I have seen so far on portables.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work having been dropped some many years ago.

So, it's just an exhibition piece at my place in the country.

Featuring two bands: MW (AM) and SW.




Monday, January 4, 2021

Fip Radio @fipradio - best Internet radio stream in world ?

 Fip Radio @fipradio - best internet radio stream in world ?

 

Plugged by @Jack, he of Twitter fame (aka notoriety), surely it must be?

 

 



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