The Radio Glen EMI BTR/3 General Information Page

Here we have some general information, the odd picture, and some of the fun fixes that were needed to get the Radio Glen EMI BTR/3 up and running, way back then in 1990, before that, and after that as well. 

Here we go then, with a picture of the BTR/3 Stereo around 1999.  At 473KB, I think that I took this picture myself with an ancient Kodak DC120 digital camera, rather than nicking it from the SURGE website later.  Anyway, there it is in the New Terraces studio in 1999.  It's not looking especially 'lost' at this stage, and is only about 20 feet away from the N.T. record library at Glen Eyre, where it finally rested for some years before being *miraculously* rediscovered supposedly at random, after I told the SURGE committee about it and berated them on Facebook for three whole years, suggesting that it's worth keeping and being told to go away, as, "No equipment was ever left at Glen Eyre."  See BTR3 Stereo Rescue for details.  It was not actually being used at this stage, as by this time you could easily do proper recordings on computers.  Even Minidisc was starting to look a bit passé:  Gosh!  This was just as well really, as the wiper on the spool control was damaged, it had lost its springiness, and could go open circuit at any moment while spooling tapes at high speed.  This would result in lack of drive and back tension on the spool motors, followed by what I believe is known in the old cinema projectionist trade as ALS.  "Autumn Leaf Syndrome."



Later I shall go into the pre-1990 era of the machine, where for me, things get /very murky indeed./  I will need some help from old Radio Glen 1602 chums or even 312 metres alumni there, and RP will have to get the variac out.

October 1990 Onwards:

I've just landed, and the home-brew isn't ready yet.  "Gosh, what lovely machines." I said.  Do they actually work?  "Of course they do!"  Said Bill. (Or was it Ben?)  "Yes they work, and they're even connected up to the studio, kind of..."

Stay tuned for the next tediously technical episode of, "The Radio Glen EMI BTR/3 Stereo Tape Machines Of Doom."  Or, "Of Death," if you're Colin Hanslip and open up the front to change the speed and equalisation and touch the wrong bit.  What bit?  Well, almost any bit really.  Including the front panel when it's not screwed closed.  Or is :)

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