1972 Panasonic RS-296US 20 cassette tape player - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2016, 03:38:04 am
content: I watched it quite a while ago. It is a very interesting and amazing piece of equipment, especially for the time period, when it was released.His channel has a lot of amazing gear like that, from yesteryear.

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 16, 2016, 04:12:21 am
content: Quote from: wilfred on December 16, 2016, 04:01:03 amI'm jealous of his wallpaper, with the stones (I think), when the "muppets" are showing.I'm surprised that all or almost all of the things he showed (in the videos he has done which I have watched. I've seen many of them, but maybe not all of them), I know nothing about and had never seen or heard of their existence. Even though I was well into gadgets and similar at the time period, that these things were made/available (usually).His video about a Panasonic "Radio!" is also rathersurprising. If you watch it, you will see what I mean.

author: Homer J Simpson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2016, 01:22:21 am
content: Another good one.Auto-Reverse: The Hard Way

author: steve30
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2016, 12:28:18 pm
content: I loved the videos of the Invert-O-Matic and the Panasonic cassette doodad.I also found the 3M Cantarta video to be quite enjoyable.Could someone tell me please, what is the name of the music that Techmoan used in his 'Mechanical Montages'?

author: strangersound
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2016, 02:02:56 pm
content: Quote from: wilfred on December 16, 2016, 04:01:03 amThis. He's the leader at what he does. If there's somebody else that does what he does as well as he does, please let me know.

author: Alex Nikitin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2016, 04:07:10 pm
content: Quote from: MK14 on December 16, 2016, 03:38:04 amYes, theRS-296USis a very impressive machine. I have one in my collection. As this is EE forum, here is the schematics for this beast.CheersAlex

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2016, 06:38:41 pm
content: Mechanical parts layout please, that will be a little more than one page though.If you really want a bookshelf try the service manuals for a mechanical navigation computer. Electronic one was another shelf of manuals, as the inputs were the same.

author: Alex Nikitin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2016, 06:53:40 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on December 18, 2016, 06:38:41 pmSorry - all I have for the RS-296US is a 4-pages user manual which (as it was customary at the time) does include the circuit diagram. The full user manual is on my website in the Manuals section. I have some internal photos though, one is below.CheersAlex

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2016, 08:34:34 pm
content: Quote from: Alex Nikitin on December 18, 2016, 04:07:10 pmThese days, to make a machine like that. You would not dream of doing it without at least one microcontroller (if not many), and some quite complicated programming. Along with a lot of electronics, stepper motor(s) (maybe other motor types), and optical/hall-effect/smart sensors, etc etc.Doing it in that era, was so much more clever/neat, complicated and yet sort of simple (in a straight forward kind of way) as well. Is rather amazing and interesting.I bet many modern day Electronics/Software/Mechanical engineers would struggle to do something like that. If they were limited to only use the relatively old technology, which was used to make that.The old (1960's) electro/mechanical pinball machines were a bit like that. Which were also amazing in their own right, as they were a bit computer like, even though there wasn't even a single transistor/valve(tube) or integrated circuit, in the entire thing.E.g. You hit a target that gives +5,000 points, the mechanical digits then count 5 pulses of 1,000 each, to give the new score total.I guess those skill sets, have been lost over the years, these days. So if for some reason we wanted to make a purely electro/mechanical machine and/or a machine like the Panasonic Tape machine, using at most transistors, switches and motors. There would be very few people left to design it and sort it out.

author: Alex Nikitin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2016, 08:58:11 pm
content: Quote from: MK14 on December 18, 2016, 08:34:34 pmI am from that generation. Makes me feel quite ancient (OK, I am a grandfather for over a year now). That is one of the reasons I collect and restore tape recorders, I suppose. At the time I did make stuff with a relay only logic. In about 1983 I've designed a cassette deck electronics doing all kind of automated routines, including auto tape tuning, using 4000 series chips only, no microprocessors. On the other hand, I can not do any computer programming even now.CheersAlex

author: MK14
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2016, 09:32:49 pm
content: Quote from: Alex Nikitin on December 18, 2016, 08:58:11 pmI use to be fascinated with how "clever", the early cassette tape recorders became, a bit later. Even though they seemed to be entirely mechanical (ignoring the amp playback electronics), they could keep the tape speed constant (but may have been done by small transistors, built into the motor casing), perform auto-reverse at the end of the tape, and autostop when the end of the tape is reached (RR (Reverse) or FF (fast-forward) modes).Some even had mechanical tape position counters, which were useful for knowing where your favorite music song positions were.All those operations, just from one motor, and a number of mechanical push levers.The earlier, "metal" construction cassette tape recorders, seemed to be the best. They were usually reliable, robust and very durable. Later on they seemed to be replaced by, cheaper mostly plastic mechanisms. Those tended to be relatively weak (easily broken), not durable or reliable. They were also semi-unrepairable, in my opinion.I'm still amazed at the phenomenal pace of technological progress, that I've experienced.So many things, have come and gone in my lifetime.E.g. Home Video Recorders, going from virtually non-existent, up to very popular, going to obsolete, and becoming rarer by the day.CD's/DVD's going from being non-existent to being popular, to being partly replaced by online/download sources.Computers, going from being almost entirely non-existent (in peoples homes), to being popular, to being partly replaced by handheld devices. (I.e. the desktop PC is less popular these days).Microwave ovens, going from being extremely rare in homes (in the UK), to being quite common place, these days.We might need to get some of those engineering skills back, depending on how the future pans out.The current situation, where other countries (especially China), make nearly everything for us. Is not necessarily going to be a successful long term strategy. As the history books have shown, time and time again.

author: Alex Nikitin
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 18, 2016, 10:37:32 pm
content: Quote from: MK14 on December 18, 2016, 09:32:49 pmHmm, how easily a discussion about tape recorders gets almost political. In the last 25 years here in the UK I've worked for several companies and all of them were manufacturing decent equipment and exporting it all over the world (including China). The skills are still here though I wouldn't mind a bright student working next to me for a couple of years, while I am able yet to teach some old school electronics.CheersAlex