Reel-to-Reel Wire Recorder
date: label: date made
content: ca 1962
name: label: maker
content: Geiss-America
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This small, portable wire recorder is an interesting example of transistorized miniaturization. The user can carry the recorder in a coat pocket while wearing the wrist-watch microphone with a connecting wire running up the sleeve. The watch does not keep time but serves solely as an unobtrusive microphone. The recorder does not use transistors but rather uses vacuum tubes. It thus requires three batteries: one for the motor drive, one for the tube filaments and one for the tube anodes.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Accessories include the wristwatch microphone, a power supply, an automobile adapter, a headset, and three patch cords. It is unclear how much noise the motor assembly made and so how useful this recorder may have been in making secret recordings. Since the tubes would have generated heat it’s also probable that the device might have been uncomfortably warm if worn. The donor’s father owned a business equipment store in Washington, D.C., and may have acquired this piece through the store. A handwritten evaluation was critical and did not recommend acquiring the product.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
label: See more items in
content: Magnetic Recording
label: See more items in
content: Communications
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: from Steven Lett
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2011.0101.02
label: accession number
content: 2011.0101
label: catalog number
content: 2011.0101.02
objectType: label: Object Name
content: recording device
label: Object Name
content: wire recorder
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: felt (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: recorder: 1 3/4 in x 4 in x 7 1/4 in; 4.445 cm x 10.16 cm x 18.415 cm
label: Measurements
content: wristwatch: 5 in x 2 in x 9 in; 12.7 cm x 5.08 cm x 22.86 cm
label: Measurements
content: microphone: 3 in x 1 3/4 in x 1 in; 7.62 cm x 4.445 cm x 2.54 cm
label: Measurements
content: power supply: 3 in x 2 in x 1 3/4 in; 7.62 cm x 5.08 cm x 4.445 cm
label: Measurements
content: auto adapter: 3 in x 3/4 in; 7.62 cm x 1.905 cm
label: Measurements
content: headset: 7 1/2 in x 4 in x 3/4 in; 19.05 cm x 10.16 cm x 1.905 cm
label: Measurements
content: patch cord: 2 1/2 in x 1 1/4 in x 1 in; 6.35 cm x 3.175 cm x 2.54 cm
label: Measurements
content: patch cord: 2 1/2 in x 1 1/4 in x 1 in; 6.35 cm x 3.175 cm x 2.54 cm
label: Measurements
content: patch cord: 2 1/2 in x 1 1/4 in x 1 in; 6.35 cm x 3.175 cm x 2.54 cm
label: Measurements
content: tape reel: 1/2 in x 1 3/4 in; 1.27 cm x 4.445 cm
label: Measurements
content: tape reel: 1/2 in x 1 3/4 in; 1.27 cm x 4.445 cm