greg928gts Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 I found this in a bunch of junk I had up in my garage and I don't know what it is. The round part spins. It only says RoBINS on it. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 A tiny RoULETTE wheel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 Does the wheel move side to side or top to bottom? Do the markings function like the strobe markings on a turntable? Will knowing these things help figure out what this is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 It is a tach whel for something, that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 anything to do with motors? http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FZX/is_n3_v64/ai_21201352 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 It measures tape speed. It's probably calibrated for 7-1/2" per second, and maybe 3-3/4" or 15" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg928gts Posted September 23, 2008 Author Share Posted September 23, 2008 It measures tape speed. It's probably calibrated for 7-1/2" per second, and maybe 3-3/4" or 15" That makes sense. I forgot to, but I could have told you all that it came from a major score a few years ago when I bought out an entire mobile home's worth of gear from the wife of an electronics repair man who had recently died. It looks like it might measure two speeds, because it has two different sets of markings on the wheel. But how do you tell if the speed is correct, fast, slow? I've turned the wheel at various speeds and the markings just disappear into a blur. Do you just hold against the tape, like on a reel to reel player? Or does the tape get wrapped around it somehow? Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Do you need some type of strobe to see it work maybe? Maybe there's another weird piece somewhere in the piles of stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Maybe this has something to do with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Me Loves Khorns Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 I bet if you put it on your cd player, it might sound better.... Looks cooler than magic pebbles. Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Robins made a lot of accessories for reel to reel, including that tach for tape speed verification. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 so would you attach that to a tape drive capstan somehow and aim a strobe at it to test drive speed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 I don't see how it could be attached to a capstan, but I suppose it could be placed against a capstan if the RTR deck is horizontal, or could sit on a TT plinth to verify platter accuracy. A strobe disc would be simpler. Many RTRs probably don't have much space around a capstan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WS65711 Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 ........................... But how do you tell if the speed is correct, fast, slow? I've turned the wheel at various speeds and the markings just disappear into a blur............. When it turns at the correct speed (under the proper lighting) the corresponding set of markings will appear to stand still. I always found that a neon lamp worked well with turntable strobe markings. LarryC, there is nowhere on an open reel deck to use a disc. You couldn't use a disc on the reels, since they turn at varying speeds depending on how much tape has been used thusfar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtkinney Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 so would you attach that to a tape drive capstan somehow and aim a strobe at it to test drive speed? Yes and no. The strobe is probably just 60 Hz light flicker. We can't see it, until you compare it with something else. When one of the dials stops spinning it is at whatever speed you want to check for. Speed up and it will appear to slowly spin one way, slow down and it goes the other way. It's lilke the wagon wheels in old western movies looking like they were spinning backwards in the race to town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 That one is 3.75 and 7.5 ips, I believe. The shaft is to account for various capstan heights. You just hold it against faceplate and move the wheel until it contacts the idler and shine a neon light on it. I still have one of the lights in my stuff. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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