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Monthly Archives: February 2014

“Instructograph” Morse Code Training Device

Posted on by by Posted in DIY, Restorations, Vintage
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Instructograph in Operation With A Railroad Telegraph Sounder

A Little History

The Instructograph is an early electromechanical playback device used for learning Continental or American Morse code. Several different models were manufactured by the Chicago-based Instructograph Co. from the 1920s all the way into the 1980s. Learning to receive code is generally a more difficult task than learning to send, and this portable device would allow the student to practice code recognition without the aid of an instructor or fellow student.

Tape Perforations Can be Seen Where Tape Loops Around Post

Tape Perforations Can be Seen Where Tape Loops Around Post

Reels of oil-impregnated paper tape perforated with dots and dashes were used to actuate a set of electrical contacts that would in turn operate an external railroad-type sounder, a buzzer or oscillator (for tone), or a light for optical communication. The earliest versions of the Instructograph used a wind-up phonograph motor with a variable speed governor to power the rotation of the tape reels.

Other than the mechanical motor, the only other elements in the device consisted of a set of contacts, a battery, and a rheostat to control the current to the sounder or buzzer.

Later versions used a variable speed electric motor for the tape drive, and some actually included an on-board electronic oscillator that would produce an adjustable audio tone.… Read the rest

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Alexandre Pouchkine by François Junod

Posted on by by Posted in Automata & Kinetic Art

A Superb Contemporary Handwriting Automaton

This is not a new video, but this piece by François Junod is probably the most stunningly beautiful and complex automaton mechanism I have ever seen, contemporary or antique. In the context of what can be seen in this video it appears that there were no shortcuts, no compromises, and no cost-reductions – this is mechanical design done right.

But functionality was clearly not the only goal. The level of workmanship and finish detail on every piece part is unsurpassed and elevate this to a true work of art. I have been impressed by both the automaton and the video presentation since I first viewed it a couple of years ago, and I see a little more every time I watch it.

I thought it might be of interest to make some notes about how the mechanism appears to operate. I am no expert on anything, and I will make a disclaimer here by saying everything written below is my opinion or best guess and may not be accurate.

Points of Interest – Timeline

NOTE: Some sections of the video are only a fraction of a second in length. It may be helpful to open the video in a second browser if you are trying to follow along with the text.… Read the rest

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Building a Working “Zoltar Speaks” Fortune Teller

Posted on by by Posted in Automata & Kinetic Art, Coin-Op Machines, DIY, Movies, Sculpture, Molds, & Casting, Vintage

Full-Size Replica of the Fortune Teller in the Film BIG (1988)

Sometime in the late 1970s I became fascinated with researching and collecting antique game machines, candy vending machines, and other amusement devices. My interests were at first focused on those machines that I vaguely remembered from rare visits to a penny arcade as a youth in the ’60s, and even then I was drawn to the artistic design and mechanics of the earlier designs with their art deco lines or ornate castings and wood cabinets. It wasn’t until I started locating information and pictures of these early amusement devices that I became more consciously aware that I had personally encountered many of them at fairs, in drug and dime stores, and in the local movie theater lobby.

Even in the ’60s, the penny arcade that traveled with the amusement show for the annual county fair was loaded with machines that dated back into the early ’30s, and possibly even earlier. By the time I developed the bug to start seeking out and collecting items from this era the market for coin-operated collectibles was hot and getting hotter, due in part to west-coast publications and shows that were fueling speculation and driving prices upward.… Read the rest

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Unauthorized Streaming of Your TV Subscription Service?

Posted on by by Posted in Home Theater, Video Equipment, Videography

Devices No Longer In Your Possession May Still Access Your Accounts

Reset or Deauthorize Any Streaming Accounts Before Selling or Returning Network TVs or Streaming Media Players

Reset or Deauthorize Any Streaming Accounts Before Selling or Returning Network TVs or Streaming Media Players

Okay, maybe the rest of the world knows about this, but I didn’t until a few days ago. And at least a couple initial levels of Amazon tech support didn’t recognize the source of the problem either…

To be more specific, the unauthorized streaming discussed here refers to a situation where your legitimate streaming account is being accessed and used by a party not known to you, the streaming account holder. This party can view your watchlist and your list of recently viewed movies, and you can view theirs. It’s an unwillingly shared account where you are the only one paying the subscription fee. The freeloading party almost certainly knows that they are tapped into someone else’s account; however it is possible that you may be unaware that anything is wrong if you don’t access your viewing history.

We subscribe to both Amazon Prime and Netflix streaming accounts, both of which have a recently watched category that displays any past movie or TV program that was played long enough to register. Netflix gets used the most in our house and has this list on its main movie page (at least on my Roku XS – other devices may differ), so it is visible every time you browse the movie lists.… Read the rest

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