AN: More photographies

They were shot two days ago.

VID: Grundig TS-1000

Here is another video of the Grundig TS-1000 available in high quality playing back "Galactica OST" at 19 cms / 7.5 ips. The tape is a AGFA 468 and the reels are metal Scotch painted in blue. They look really cool.

This unit is modified, you can read more about it clicking here.

VID: Grundig TK-146

I have recently fixed this beauty. It looks like new has more than 40 years. This one was the first Grundig machine made with transistors instead of tubes. It's a 4 tracks 1 channel mono, single speed (9.5 cm/s - 3.75 ips) and single motor. Has built-in amp and speaker. It can handle up to 5" 3/4 - 15 cms. reels. Although is a mono machine, can reproduce two channels at a time.

I recorded a stereo tape in a Pioneer RT-909 and here is the result:

REP: Grundig TK-146 belts

The Grundig TK-146 was the first solid state machine that this german manufacturer made.

It's a 4 track 1 channel mono machine with one motor. Can handle up to 5 3/4" (15 cms.) reels and has only one speed: 3.75 ips (9.5 cm/s).

It has a built-in amp with an oval speaker. The machine is suitcase type and is one of the most elegants I've ever seen.

The unit uses three belts. One from the motor to the capstan flying wheel, other from the capstan to the right reel table and the last one from the right reel table to the counter.

I'll show how to change the belts pass by pass.

1- Remove the upper cover. In the upper face there're five screws and two more under the handle. Also all knobs must be removed.

2- Remove the bottom cover that is holded by four screws.

3- In the bottom part there's a small deck that holds the flying wheel. It has two screws that must me removed.

4- Now there's space to make the belts go round the flying wheel.

5- Put the machine sit in her left side and put the bigger belt in the motor and pass the belt down the flying wheel. To make space enough to pass the belt, the flying wheel axis must be pressed from the back side to the front side.

6- From the back side, the belt is now near. Using any tool the goal is to pass the belt over that axis. In the image the belt must be put thru the bottom line of the inner wheel.

7- Once the belt has been passed, moving by hand the flying wheel in the front side, using the fingers to maintain the belt in the outer side of the flying wheel, carefully it will go to its correct place.

8- The second belt must be put first in the bottom and inner part of the right reel table.

9-Pass the right belt down the flying wheel. It must go under the bigger belt. The correct place in the flying wheel is the inner part, so it's very easy to put. Imagine that the second belt looks now like the image in the point 6. The belt will go around the inner wheel and can be put there by hand or using any appropiated tool.

10- To put the third and final belt, the one that goes from the right reel table to the counter, the procedure is direct and must be down from the back going between the two rounded guides. This is the easiest one to replace.

11- The deck removed in the 3 point must be now placed back to its original place.

12- Mount the back side using the four screws

13- Mount the front side using the five screws and careful with the meter.

14- Put the knobs and handle back to its original place and... job done!.

MOV: Un franco, 14 pesetas

Release date: May 2006


Grundig TK-145 deluxe

Internet Movie Database Link

VID: Grundig TS-1000 with new leds

The Grundig TS-1000 was the top of the line of the Grundig brand and was his last reel to reel made. Was fabricated about 1976 and has three speeds, 7.5, 3.75 and 1.875 ips plus a varispeed that goes from lower than 1.875 ips to higher than 7.5 ips.

The tension is electronic controled by optical sensors in tension arms. How lower is the position of the tension arm, higher is the voltage of that motor and vice versa.

All transport functions are sensi-touch buttons, you don't need to press the button, just touch it with a finger. These buttons has a 5mm. led on top of them to mark which function is enabled at any moment, event the STOP mode. The original ones were all red and I've recently changed all them with new ones in different colors. Red for RECORD, bluw for FF and RWD, orange for PAUSE, green for PLAY and flashing yellow for STOP.

I made a video where is showed how does it look like now:

In the video the leds seem to light too much, but is an effect fue that the camera was just in front of the deck. Next pics shows how much light you can see if you don't watch them just in the axis of their light: