I just came across a Collin 116 F equalizer. I'm trying to figure out the manufacturing date of the unit but there's hardly any information about it.
I found it featured in a Collins catalog I downloaded from americanradiohistory.com but the website does not give a specific date for the catalog and just says "50s". There is also no specific date ont he pages of the catalog.
found here: http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Catalogs/Collins/Collins-Catalog-Collection-50s.pdf
I also took a picture of one of the components - a Daven Company Rheostat/Attenuator.
While it says SPEC 1979, I believe this is only the product number. Similar Daven labels do not have dates listed in this field.
Any help would be appreciated!
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
I found it featured in a Collins catalog I downloaded from americanradiohistory.com but the website does not give a specific date for the catalog and just says "50s". There is also no specific date ont he pages of the catalog.
found here: http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Catalogs/Collins/Collins-Catalog-Collection-50s.pdf
I also took a picture of one of the components - a Daven Company Rheostat/Attenuator.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
While it says SPEC 1979, I believe this is only the product number. Similar Daven labels do not have dates listed in this field.
Any help would be appreciated!
The seat of my pants tells me this was a somewhat uncommon piece of studio gear so you won't find much information about it in general circulation. For the manufacturing date, you may not do much better than "1950's". Collins expected their products' manufacturing runs to extend over many years, or decades and there were very few changes inside the case (at least changes that we on the outside might recognize) between a product's introduction and its discontinuation. In one sense that's admirable - the very first purchaser got a product that was identical to the last one shipped, and every one in between performed identically to each other.
I don't think the practice of marking components with date codes became common before the 1960's, so you're unlikely to guess a date of manufacture based on component markings. The Daven pots and attenuators were pretty much standard for professional studio equipment in the 50's thru 70's - I can't tell you how much beyond that era it was used. There's an infinitesimal chance you'll find a date of manufacture, or date of calibration, stamped on the INSIDE of the aluminum shield cans. (I think you removed 2 screws on the back side, then rotated the can by 10 or 20 degrees and pulled it off. The removable shields allowed for cleaning of the wiper contacts, though I don't recall a Daven pot or attenuator that ever needed it.)
This isn't a piece of test gear, so you can't look for calibration stickers. The "Ohio University" property tag on the lower right front panel might indicate an inventory date, either directly or buried in some code number.
Your best clues may come from the front panel appearance. Look carefully at the decorative style of the panel (e.g., the 3 horizontal stripes), the paint color, the size and shape of the knobs, and the form of the "Collins" logo badge. These features were typically identical for ALL equipment produced by the company within a particular time span. If you compare your unit's features to dated close-up photos in catalogs or other sources you may narrow it down to a span of a year or two. It wouldn't necessarily have to be broadcast studio equipment - amateur radio and even military equipment from the same time period probably had the same knobs, front panel design, etc. Old copies of "QST" or "Wireless World" magazines may have ad photos usable for this purpose.
Dale
I don't think the practice of marking components with date codes became common before the 1960's, so you're unlikely to guess a date of manufacture based on component markings. The Daven pots and attenuators were pretty much standard for professional studio equipment in the 50's thru 70's - I can't tell you how much beyond that era it was used. There's an infinitesimal chance you'll find a date of manufacture, or date of calibration, stamped on the INSIDE of the aluminum shield cans. (I think you removed 2 screws on the back side, then rotated the can by 10 or 20 degrees and pulled it off. The removable shields allowed for cleaning of the wiper contacts, though I don't recall a Daven pot or attenuator that ever needed it.)
This isn't a piece of test gear, so you can't look for calibration stickers. The "Ohio University" property tag on the lower right front panel might indicate an inventory date, either directly or buried in some code number.
Your best clues may come from the front panel appearance. Look carefully at the decorative style of the panel (e.g., the 3 horizontal stripes), the paint color, the size and shape of the knobs, and the form of the "Collins" logo badge. These features were typically identical for ALL equipment produced by the company within a particular time span. If you compare your unit's features to dated close-up photos in catalogs or other sources you may narrow it down to a span of a year or two. It wouldn't necessarily have to be broadcast studio equipment - amateur radio and even military equipment from the same time period probably had the same knobs, front panel design, etc. Old copies of "QST" or "Wireless World" magazines may have ad photos usable for this purpose.
Dale
Thanks for the reply! The aesthetic of the unit does seem to be consistent with other Collins gear from the 40's and 50's. I may have to investigate the inventory tag.
Aside from figuring out the manufacture date, I build some cables for it today and tested it out in some projects that I've mixed recently. It actually sounds very clean, I was expecting quite a bit of distortion and crackle in the signal but it there really wasn't. I can see myself using this to add some color and boost bass in certain things.
Aside from figuring out the manufacture date, I build some cables for it today and tested it out in some projects that I've mixed recently. It actually sounds very clean, I was expecting quite a bit of distortion and crackle in the signal but it there really wasn't. I can see myself using this to add some color and boost bass in certain things.
From what I can tell, it's a passive device - so your biggest challenge may be providing the proper source and load impedance. It almost certainly wants to be driven from, and work into, 600 ohms. (The other choices would be 150 ohms and 900 ohms.)
Collins always built everything with high-grade components - so it may perform as well, or very close to, its performance on the day it left the factory. It could be the only electrical maintenance or restoration that's required is to remove dirt and oxide build-up from switch contacts and socket pins.
(And now that I re-read that statement . . . be careful with the insulation on the hookup wires. Due to age alone it may have deteriorated to the point where the slightest impact or flexing will cause the insulation to crack and fall off the wires.)
The catalog document you linked from your first post ( http://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Catalogs/Collins/Collins-Catalog-Collection-50s.pdf , especially page 133 of 144) contains several price lists - all dated in 1954.
The "Collins Collectors Association" mentions the 116F at < http://www.collinsradio.org/collins-eq3/ >.
Another page with photos is < http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/collins_audio_equalizer_116f_1.html >. The author of that page estimates his unit was built in 1945 - and one photo shows serial number "35".
Dale
Can you take some more pictures of this showing the inside of the chassis and top views? I believe I have seen one of these at a recent ham fest.
If nothing else it is certainly an interesting piece. Collins made very good gear, some of it quite obscure.. (Competing with Gen Rad and Krohn-Hite?)
Edit: It's passive and I found the data sheet and attached it to my post.
If nothing else it is certainly an interesting piece. Collins made very good gear, some of it quite obscure.. (Competing with Gen Rad and Krohn-Hite?)
Edit: It's passive and I found the data sheet and attached it to my post.
Attachments
Figure out what "Ohio Univ." it is from. Call their Inventory or Surplus Property office.
The university where I worked used the exact same inventory sticker system, and the folks who dealt with surplus inventory knew pretty-near when a number was issued. (Specifically: the surplus folks knew "when" (what number) was 3 or 5 or 7 years back, because there were different rules based on time-in-service.)
When I left, my school was up to 6 or 7 digit numbers, so a 4-digit must be VERY old. My vague guess is that this sticker system started late-1950s.
Also: groupdiy.com has some old-old Collins-heads.
However it may be hard to narrow-down closer than a decade.
And what does it matter? It is from Another Time.
> property tag ...might indicate an inventory date, either directly or buried in some code number.
Can't speak for Ohio. My school apparently bought stickers in boxes of 1,000 or 10,000, as-needed, and used them semi-sequentially, noting the date on their papers when they verified the item existed and stickered it.
The university where I worked used the exact same inventory sticker system, and the folks who dealt with surplus inventory knew pretty-near when a number was issued. (Specifically: the surplus folks knew "when" (what number) was 3 or 5 or 7 years back, because there were different rules based on time-in-service.)
When I left, my school was up to 6 or 7 digit numbers, so a 4-digit must be VERY old. My vague guess is that this sticker system started late-1950s.
Also: groupdiy.com has some old-old Collins-heads.
However it may be hard to narrow-down closer than a decade.
And what does it matter? It is from Another Time.
> property tag ...might indicate an inventory date, either directly or buried in some code number.
Can't speak for Ohio. My school apparently bought stickers in boxes of 1,000 or 10,000, as-needed, and used them semi-sequentially, noting the date on their papers when they verified the item existed and stickered it.
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