>Generally speaking, how hard is it to modify a domestic (north >american) 440 model for foreign voltage, 50 / 230?
If it's a regular 440B, it's very difficult because you need to replace the capstan motor (it's synchronous).
If it's a 440C or one of the 440B machines retrofitted with the servomotor capstan (which you can identify because the capstan is much larger in diameter), it's not too bad. --scott
-- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
> >Generally speaking, how hard is it to modify a domestic (north > >american) 440 model for foreign voltage, 50 / 230?
> If it's a regular 440B, it's very difficult because you need to replace the > capstan motor (it's synchronous).
> If it's a 440C or one of the 440B machines retrofitted with the servomotor > capstan (which you can identify because the capstan is much larger in > diameter), it's not too bad.
It's actually a B version with the servo motor. When you say it's not too bad, voltage wise, what do you mean? As an alternative, would it be perhaps less of a hassle just to get one of those step up / down transformers? Thanks Scott.
>It's actually a B version with the servo motor. When you say it's not >too bad, voltage wise, what do you mean? As an alternative, would it >be perhaps less of a hassle just to get one of those step up / down >transformers? Thanks Scott.
Right. If you have the servo motor, you CAN just get a step-down transformer, and be done with it. Get a proper one that has an isolated secondary and not one of the crappy construction site autotransformer types. You will need to go through the tension alignment procedures in the manual because the reel motor tensions will change with 50 Hz power.
If you have the synchronous motor, you cannot run it off of 50 Hz at all without changing the motor out. Period. --scott
-- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
>>It's actually a B version with the servo motor. When you say >>it's not >>too bad, voltage wise, what do you mean? As an alternative, >>would it >>be perhaps less of a hassle just to get one of those step up >>/ down >>transformers? Thanks Scott.
> Right. If you have the servo motor, you CAN just get a > step-down > transformer, and be done with it. Get a proper one that has > an isolated > secondary and not one of the crappy construction site > autotransformer > types. You will need to go through the tension alignment > procedures in > the manual because the reel motor tensions will change with > 50 Hz power.
> If you have the synchronous motor, you cannot run it off of > 50 Hz at > all without changing the motor out. Period. > --scott
> -- > "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
Scott:
If everything he recorded with the 60 hz synchro at 50 hz was played back on the same synchro motor machine would that work? So long as he had no plans of exchanging tapes with someone else of course.
>If everything he recorded with the 60 hz synchro at 50 hz was >played back on the same synchro motor machine would that work? >So long as he had no plans of exchanging tapes with someone >else of course.
Sort of, but the flutter is going to be much higher because that motor is really designed for 60 Hz. It will run slower 50 Hz but it will also run much rougher.
Also, of course, not being able to interchange tapes kills most of the benefit of having a tape machine in the first place. --scott
-- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
> >It's actually a B version with the servo motor. When you say it's not > >too bad, voltage wise, what do you mean? As an alternative, would it > >be perhaps less of a hassle just to get one of those step up / down > >transformers? Thanks Scott.
> Right. If you have the servo motor, you CAN just get a step-down > transformer, and be done with it. Get a proper one that has an isolated > secondary and not one of the crappy construction site autotransformer > types. You will need to go through the tension alignment procedures in > the manual because the reel motor tensions will change with 50 Hz power.
> If you have the synchronous motor, you cannot run it off of 50 Hz at > all without changing the motor out. Period.
Dan <dskgall...@yahoo.com> wrote: >On Nov 3, 7:11=A0pm, klu...@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote: >> Dan =A0<dskgall...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> >It's actually a B version with the servo motor. When you say it's not >> >too bad, voltage wise, what do you mean? As an alternative, would it >> >be perhaps less of a hassle just to get one of those step up / down >> >transformers? Thanks Scott.
>> Right. =A0If you have the servo motor, you CAN just get a step-down >> transformer, and be done with it. =A0Get a proper one that has an isolate= >d >> secondary and not one of the crappy construction site autotransformer >> types. =A0You will need to go through the tension alignment procedures in >> the manual because the reel motor tensions will change with 50 Hz power.
>> If you have the synchronous motor, you cannot run it off of 50 Hz at >> all without changing the motor out. =A0Period.
No, that's exactly the sort of autotransformer cheapie that is a problem. Go to an electrical supply house and get a real 240-120 stepdown transformer, not an autotransformer. You're going to want something with a much larger iron core than these things have. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
> In article <d4769f0a-e6ad-4973-a4c9-c0c38ea48...@u13g2000vbb.googlegroups.com>,
> Dan <dskgall...@yahoo.com> wrote: > >On Nov 3, 7:11=A0pm, klu...@panix.com (Scott Dorsey) wrote: > >> Dan =A0<dskgall...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >> >It's actually a B version with the servo motor. When you say it's not > >> >too bad, voltage wise, what do you mean? As an alternative, would it > >> >be perhaps less of a hassle just to get one of those step up / down > >> >transformers? Thanks Scott.
> >> Right. =A0If you have the servo motor, you CAN just get a step-down > >> transformer, and be done with it. =A0Get a proper one that has an isolate= > >d > >> secondary and not one of the crappy construction site autotransformer > >> types. =A0You will need to go through the tension alignment procedures in > >> the manual because the reel motor tensions will change with 50 Hz power.
> >> If you have the synchronous motor, you cannot run it off of 50 Hz at > >> all without changing the motor out. =A0Period.
> No, that's exactly the sort of autotransformer cheapie that is a problem. > Go to an electrical supply house and get a real 240-120 stepdown transformer, > not an autotransformer. You're going to want something with a much larger > iron core than these things have.
I'm not sure what you mean exactly.... or which specific product you're talking about. Do you mean a transformer that ONLY does step down, only one way? How do I tell which one is the quality you're talking about? Can you point me to an example? Most of the stuff available seems to be those step up / down transformers. The one that I have is 2000W and 35 lbs. Is it really a problem? Thanks.
>I'm not sure what you mean exactly.... or which specific product >you're talking about. Do you mean a transformer that ONLY does step >down, only one way? How do I tell which one is the quality you're >talking about? Can you point me to an example? Most of the stuff >available seems to be those step up / down transformers. The one that >I have is 2000W and 35 lbs. Is it really a problem? Thanks.
The autotransformers have just one winding... they apply 240V across the winding, then pull 120V from a center tap. This means you have no isolation from the line.
What you want is a transformer that has a primary and a secondary, and hopefully an electrostatic shield between them. Ask a real electrical supply house for a step-down transformer that is an actual isolation transformer and not an autotransformer.
You can probably find something cheaper if you look around, but you want a regular transformer, not an autotransformer. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
> >I'm not sure what you mean exactly.... or which specific product > >you're talking about. Do you mean a transformer that ONLY does step > >down, only one way? How do I tell which one is the quality you're > >talking about? Can you point me to an example? Most of the stuff > >available seems to be those step up / down transformers. The one that > >I have is 2000W and 35 lbs. Is it really a problem? Thanks.
> The autotransformers have just one winding... they apply 240V across the > winding, then pull 120V from a center tap. This means you have no isolation > from the line.
> What you want is a transformer that has a primary and a secondary, and > hopefully an electrostatic shield between them. Ask a real electrical > supply house for a step-down transformer that is an actual isolation > transformer and not an autotransformer.
Scott Dorsey wrote: > The autotransformers have just one winding... they apply 240V across > the winding, then pull 120V from a center tap. This means you have > no isolation from the line.
Peter Larsen <digi...@hotmail.com> wrote: >Scott Dorsey wrote:
>> The autotransformers have just one winding... they apply 240V across >> the winding, then pull 120V from a center tap. This means you have >> no isolation from the line.
>Q: why would that be a problem?
A: It may not be, but it's MUCH better to be safe than sorry. In a perfect world, we'd have everything on an isolated circuit anyway. Think of it as free line filtering.
The major advantage is better regulation, though. The cheapie autotransformer types aren't so good about that. And if you're going for an industrial transformer that's actually rated for voltage change with load, you should go with a full secondary instead of the autotransformer since the benefit of the isolation is substantial and the price isn't much greater than that of the industrial-grade autoformer. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
Scott Dorsey wrote: > Peter Larsen <digi...@hotmail.com> wrote: >> Scott Dorsey wrote: >>> The autotransformers have just one winding... they apply 240V across >>> the winding, then pull 120V from a center tap. This means you have >>> no isolation from the line. >> Q: why would that be a problem? > A: It may not be, but it's MUCH better to be safe than sorry. In a > perfect world, we'd have everything on an isolated circuit anyway. > Think of it as free line filtering.
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