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Re: [IRCA] QSLs
> Thanks. Is there a name for the kind of cart then? Would the broadcast
> cart play in a 4 track machine?
> No matter how old you get, you still learn things. hi.
>
> 73,
>
> Patrick
The trade name of the cart packaging we used was
Fidelipac. It was possible to take the top off, remove
the rotating holder from the base, unthread the
tape from the pressure pad area, and repair the
tape, if needed. You could splice the tape in an
edit-all splicing block, but it was very thin mylar,
and difficult to work with as the backing was
a lot slicker than standard tape like Scotch 111 etc.
We had a case at WCBS in the 1970's when one of
the radio net commentary shows we carried ran about
6 minutes, so the maint shop hand-wound a few
carts to hold this custom pgm length. On one of the
carts, the splice opened up during on-air playback.
They tried to claim that the board tech "hit the cart
with his chair" but that did not last long. (I have
first person knowledge of this incident). The
gentleman supervisor making the "chair" claim
was the same one who applied the splice that failed.
The tape in carts needed somewhat more pressure
than regular tape did, to make the splice hold.
Once in my life I saw a Mackenzie Tape Repeater.
This ingenious device had six trays stacked
vertically and hinged at one corner, so they could
be swung out and a metal tape pack loaded into
them. The tape packs were a clamshell box about
the size of a P. Lorillard cigarette pack. You would
record the spot on an Ampex 601 on regular tape,
wind the tape onto a bobbin, take the inside tape
end from the bobbin, flip it and splice to the outside
end, in the same way that the Fidelipacs were
wound. This makes a repeating loop. Then the
bobbin is placed in the clamshell, with the tape
loop (3 inches) appearing outside the clamshell,
coming in and out of two corners.
Cue was provided by using metal foil tape at the
right spot, which was picked up with a photocell
arrangement. The MTR had a single vertical
capstan about 10 inches tall, and when the play
button was hit, a solenoid pulled the tray in
slightly so that the pinch roller (part of the tray)
engaged the capstan and drove the tape, you
could get very tight production by marking the
tape with a grease pencil to identify the start
of audio to know where to apply the sensor foil.
The tape packs had a little loop of tape that
came out of the clamshell and had to be threaded
around the roller when loading the trays.
There was one at WSSB in 1962 when I spent
some time there. I'll bet there are very few that
survive today, if any. It certainly took up a lot less
room than six cart machines would take.
- Bob sent 0857 edt
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