The PHILCO Phorum

Full Version: Radio-Phonos with Home Recording
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I don't think I have ever seen a Philco (or any other brand) of radio-phonograph with home recording. Are those relatively rare? Have you ever seen blank disks and cutting styli sold at meets or online? I do not own any radio-phonographs but owning one that records might be interesting. I can imagine demonstrating one for a friend by putting on a 78 which plays, say, "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio" by Joni Mitchell or "Caravan" by Van Morrison.
I own an RCA RE-57 radio/phonograph with recording capabilities from about 1930.
I haven't restored it, so I don't know how well it worked.
There was a record recorded by the original owner with it, but it wouldn't play on my other phonographs.
https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/rca_re_57_victor.html
Carl Travis Wrote:There was a record recorded by the original owner with it, but it wouldn't play on my other phonographs.

Will your other phonographs play commercially released 78s?
Yes, one phono would play 33, 45 or 78's and the other would play 78's only.
I would suspect a problem in the home recording that you have. As a rule those have to use the correct stylus, and that stylus has to be set for the correct cutting pressure. Those are probably the two most like causes of it not being playable on a turntable. I haven't dealt with home recording turntables in more than 50 years, and they weren't actually for home recording - they were for cutting 16" transcription discs at my college radio station.
Hello Carl Travis
Could you please provide me with documentation of the RCA RE-57 recorder?
I only see data from the radio.
Thank you.
I don't have any other documentation on this radio/phono, but heres a link to an old discussion about it:
https://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/vie...hp?t=44066
There is more documentation on the Radiomuseum website cited in my original response.
Thank you Carl
I have been looking at the link and it seems that the system is somewhat obsolete for our days.
Another question, the engraving head, what system does it have, glass, ceramic, magnetic?
Thanks again for your attention, and forgive my lack of knowledge.