Magnetophon 97 Preamp Build

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Fnord

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Jun 7, 2018
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I posted this in a different section earlier, but got no responses.  Hope crossposting is ok.

I have an old Telefunken Magnetophon 97 Tape machine.  The wheels dont turn, but the tubes have been testing fine.  I'm trying to salvage the mic pres out of it, make something rack mountable.  Any documentation i've been able to find has been in German
https://www.doctsf.com/documents/afficher_document.php?num_doc=55140&num_fic=1&PHPSESSID=55f3b852aa6b97f97642db94468775b5

Is this dumb? Should I just steal the tubes and build something from scratch?  Theres a pair each of EF86, ECC81, and EL95.  And one busted EM84 catseye tube.  It would be really rad to use that as a level meter, if i can find a working one.

I can recognize most of the stuff on the circuit diagram, except for what looks like a dotted circle with a T coming out of it.  Maybe a ground? You can see em around K or M.
 
a tape Maschine is a tape Maschine.
I can't find a real preamp section in the schematic.
So I would say, you repair the Magnetophon or take the tubes out and build a preamp with the tubes.

The first sentence in the documentation is funny :D "...the Magnetophon fulfils all the wishes of the amateurs for a stereo tape maschine."

EDIT: changed the word demands to fulfill
 
TillM said:
a tape Maschine is a tape Maschine.
I can't find a real preamp section in the schematic.
So I would say, you repair the Magnetophon or take the tubes out and build a preamp with the tubes.

The first sentence in the documentation is funny :D "...the Magnetophon demands all the wishes of the amateurs for a stereo tape maschine."

I think they meant fulfils.

Cheers

Ian
 
Fnord said:
Is this dumb?
no. 
Fnord said:
Should I just steal the tubes and build something from scratch?  Theres a pair each of EF86, ECC81, and EL95.  And one busted EM84 catseye tube.  It would be really rad to use that as a level meter, if i can find a working one.
the basics of a stereo preamp are there, all except a suitable input transformer
(anything from 1:8 to 1:14 should be adequate if not ideal).

lets look at the positives:
chassis,
power supplies,
DIN connectors are perfectly adequate  with adapters,
output stage that can feed any converter,
and 600 ohm devices.
the EM84 would not only be useful (fast) but look good.

plenty of smart contributors on this forum can help.

 
I have a few em84's flying around somewhere. Em84 is not called a catseye b.t.w. That name is used for the Dm71 only.
In case you get to the point of needing them just give a shout.

Personally, i would dissasemble it in subunits en drop them in a new housing. Leaving more room for alteration.  Can caps in magnetphon are very toxic ! Beware!

Although these units fetch pretty high prices if in good working order...the demand for them is small. Think before you gut it.
 
I would restore the tape machine.

These old Telfunken recorders are quite capable and sound nice. A bit like the Revox G36.

And it's not as if these tubes have any serious value. You can still buy those for a couple of bucks. At least, around here, NOS still seems to surface in numbers.
 

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