Sony TC-50
This is the Sony TC-50 cassette recorder. This unit came out in 1968, and was the smallest cassette machine produced at the time.
This model is famous as it was the model chosen by NASA to be taken aboard the command module of the Apollo moon missions.
There is a strong possibility this unit has actually been used by NASA, but not apparent in the pictures. The units used by the Apollo program (there was more than one) had a metal sticker on the front with operating instructions, as well as a special serial number stamped. The jacks were taped to make then unuseable. Velcro was affixed to the rear of the unit to facilitate the machine being stuck to the wall in the microgravity environment.
I have acquired two TC-50's. One was found at an estate sale back in 2007 or so. It was in very good cosmetic condition, but the motor had a problem that I made worse when trying to fix (it was my first attempt at a TC-50 repair). Later in 2013, I went to a now out-of-business place called "The Black Hole" in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Ricky's Web Pages
"Once you label me, you negate me." --Søren Kierkegaard
This is a Soviet Russian cassette tape recorder from 1991 (the year I was born!). The cassette recorder has a nice feature that I wish was more prevalent on more cassette recorders--dual speeds--standard speed and half-speed.
This unit is AC bias and AC erase, with excellent sound quality and frequency response.
Norwood 1012 XLP
This is a very interesting model of tape recorder. At first glance, it looks rather typical for a 1970s-era recorder. But this has a special feature--two speeds--standard speed and QUARTER speed. On top of that, it is a 4-track mono recorder, recording discretely on all four tracks normally found on two-sided stereo cassettes. This therefore can use four times the tape's length for LONG record time.
"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind"
This unit came out in 1968 and has had greatly use in space-age history.
Click to read more.
"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind"
This unit came out in 1968 and has had greatly use in space-age history.
Click to read more.
Norwood 1012 XLP
This is a very interesting model of tape recorder. At first glance, it looks rather typical for a 1970s-era recorder. But this has a special feature--two speeds--standard speed and QUARTER speed. On top of that, it is a 4-track mono recorder, recording discretely on all four tracks normally found on two-sided stereo cassettes. This therefore can use four times the tape's length for LONG record time.
"That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind"
This unit came out in 1968 and has had greatly use in space-age history.
Click to read more.
This is a classic early-1980s or so vintage desktop style "shoebox" cassette recorder, which would fit right in in an office for recording notes and so-forth. It is a very good quality recorder.
