November 11, 2004
Veteran's Day
In honor of Veteran's Day here's a page dedicated to BBC war correspondents and their equipment. Just imagine hauling one of these 35—40lbs "Midget Disc Recorders" around a battlefield. These suckers cut 3 minute recordings into double sided, ten inch discs. Here's a sample from the Mark 1A instructional manual:
- The sequence of operations to make a recording will be as follows.
- 1. Place case in a reasonably horizontal position and remove winding handle from its folded position.
- 2. Release clasps and open lid to its vertical position.
- 3. Clear wire off machine.
- 4. Place and clamp disc on turntable. (Clamp shown right)
- 5. Check that the spring motor is fully wound.
- 6. Release cutter arm and set cutter point about ¼" in from edge of disc.
- 7. Set the attenuator switch to "normal" or "distant" as required (see note below).
- 8. Remove microphone from its holder in lid.
- 9. Turn knob slowly clockwise; the first part of the rotation will switch on the amplifier, & continued rotation will release the motor brake & lower the cutter head on to the disc. This operation should be done carefully to avoid bringing the sapphire down on the disc too violently, which will chip the point.
- 10. The duration of the cut is approximately 3 minutes, & a warning light shows in the front of the equipment fifteen to twenty seconds before the mechanism is tripped by the cutter head reaching the innermost limit of its traverse. The auto trip switches off the amplifier and stops the motor as well as raising the cutter head and releasing the traverse.
- 11. If desired a series of bands may be cut on the disc by pressing the trip button on the front panel when a band is finished. The next band can be commenced by repeating operation (9).
- 12. Re-wind motor ready for next disc.