Vacuum Tube Valley Magazines online, Fisher article in issue 6

Hello all,

Not sure if everyone knows about Vacuum Tube Valley magazine or has had a chance to read the issue covering Fisher gear so I thought I would post the link for anyone not having read them. The owner past away in 2009 so their now available.

http://www.jumpjet.info/Pioneering-Wireless/eMagazines/VTV/vtv.htm

Enjoy:thmbsp:

Excellent!!! :thmbsp:

Charlie Kittleson did an outstanding job putting together those VTV articles on Fisher's receivers. The only point I would quibble with is his assertion that the TA-500 was Fisher's first all-in-one high fidelity receiver. Fisher's 'R' series came out in 1949 with the R-1. It was advertised as a stand-alone unit as well as the heart of most Fisher radio-phono combos of that era.

The only thing different about the TA-500 is the way it was marketed. The 'R' series receivers did every thing the 500 did and were packaged in a similar-sized, elegant, single chassis - just like the 500. The 500 wasn't a case of Fisher catching up to others in the developing hi-fi craze - it was just Avery Fisher making a marketing adjustment to take advantage of a new trend.

If you eliminate the single-chassis qualifier, Fisher had been advertising high fidelity receivers - sans cabinet - since 1937.

Deleted - Duplicate Post. How did I do that?

Outstanding, Thomas! Thank you.

Anyone notice the little blurb on the TRANSFORMERS in the Article???????????????

The output transformers on the 500B and most other FISHER Intrgrated amps and receivers were made by TODD ELECTRIC, Bronx, New York

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This may help with blown output's if HEYBOER has specs from Todd.

Larry

sipuser said:

Hello all,

Not sure if everyone knows about Vacuum Tube Valley magazine or has had a chance to read the issue covering Fisher gear so I thought I would post the link for anyone not having read them. The owner past away in 2009 so their now available.

http://www.jumpjet.info/Pioneering-Wireless/eMagazines/VTV/vtv.htm

Enjoy:thmbsp:

Click to expand...

That is the article that I read back in the day that started me on the FisherQuest. I already had McIntosh, Marantz, etc. but Fisher was something I hadn't thought about for a long time. So glad I read it!

Just finished the Fisher writeup in VTV issue #6. Very informative and interesting reading. The part that really caught my attention was this...

"In 1963, after spending millions of dollars and eight years of research on receiver development, using the best audio engineers available, the culmination of Fisher FM stereo receivers, the 500C ($389.50) was unveiled".

Call me what you like, but I got goosebumps reading this. This gives me a whole new appreciation for my 500C. I assume that Avery Fisher spent millions on development of all of his receivers...he must have, as we are enjoying the many fruits of his labor 50+ years later, and IMHO, any one of Fisher's top models can and DO stand up to or even surpass the sound of current production high end solid state receivers. A lot of this, I'm sure is because of the tubes. I know it's all subjective...blah blah blah, but just for the record my opinion is that TUBES RULE!!! I'm quite certain that many if not all of us in this great group would agree, since I've seen the amount of labor and love that all of you Fisher folks put into your console units, amplifiers, tuners, and receivers. I'm just a new guy here, but hope to learn and have a top performing 500C with the help of all of you with years of experience. I'm really glad that sipuser posted this link...this is really good reading!!

larryderouin said:

Anyone notice the little blurb on the TRANSFORMERS in the Article???????????????



This may help with blown output's if HEYBOER has specs from Todd.

Larry

Click to expand...

Larry,
Yeah, I noticed this and wondered right away if they're still in business. It appears that they are. Their website is down for upgrades. Wouldn't that be cool if we could still get any model tranny that we needed? Even if you had to special order it, it would be an original!

Great write up of the greatness of Avery Fisher and his company. A statement in the article that clearly got my attention was the Fisher receiver will never be built again. And, here we are immensely enjoying Avery's products 50 years later thanks to high production so carefully guided by Avery Fisher

Another thank you a great article, made my morning

Now have to start on all the other back issues...what the internet is all about...sharing knowledge.

sipuser said:

Hello all,

Not sure if everyone knows about Vacuum Tube Valley magazine or has had a chance to read the issue covering Fisher gear so I thought I would post the link for anyone not having read them. The owner past away in 2009 so their now available.

http://www.jumpjet.info/Pioneering-Wireless/eMagazines/VTV/vtv.htm

Enjoy:thmbsp:

Click to expand...

Hi!
Thank you for that! :yes:
You know, my Daddy wondered why they stopped having any new issues at Tower Records after #20. I just checked, that was the last one he bought. Now I know, Charlie Kittleson had passed.
Daddy wasn't far behind.
That was just before Tower closed it's doors so he figured they just might not have been able to pay their bills!
The VTV website stopped being updated around that time too so he couldn't order a current one. Now it all makes sense, there wasn't one.
Tower was the only store within driving distance to us that carried it.
The serial number part in that article isn't quite right though, Daddy's was well beyond where the article says they ended?
Thank you!
Phyllis

larryderouin said:

Anyone notice the little blurb on the TRANSFORMERS in the Article???????????????



This may help with blown output's if HEYBOER has specs from Todd.

Larry

Click to expand...

a little bit offtopic but todd apparently made the transformers for fairchild also. it would be nice if they had those specs also:scratch2:

larryderouin said:

Anyone notice the little blurb on the TRANSFORMERS in the Article???????????????



This may help with blown output's if HEYBOER has specs from Todd.

Larry

Click to expand...

Might it be these folks? Todd Systems - they still list an impressive range of transformative and choking products. I even spotted their sign on the door in Google street-view...

I seem to remember looking up the code on my Fisher 30-a transformers and seeing they were made in Yonkers NY, just north of the Bronx....

here is the 'whois" info for ToddElectric.com:

Registrant: Make this info private
Todd Electric, Inc.
P.O. Box 1110
Prairieville, LA 70769
US

Domain Name: TODDELECTRIC.COM

The old TODD ELECTRIC is now indeed TODDSYSTEMS. www.toddsystems.com. I sent them an email inquireing if they were actually the old Todd Electric and if the original prints were available for use in rewinding.

Here is the reply.

Larry,

Thank you for your email.

You are correct, Todd Systems was formerly Todd Electric, and did make
output transformers for many Fisher Radio products as well as output
transformers for many other brands as well.

Unfortunately, we no longer make these transformers; the production
prints have been archived many years ago, and would be quite time
consuming to "exhume". With that being said, we do not offer a
rewinding service.

I am sorry we cannot be of any service to you.

Best regards,
Kevin Howard
Operations Manager



On 8/7/2013 3:30 PM, Todd Systems Sales wrote:

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I'm just wondering if we as a group "requested" them to make the prints available they might acquiese and "exhume" the prints.

Larry

Is the production prints like a electronic schematic?

Thus allowing the transformer to be built from scatch and sound the same?

larryderouin said:

The old TODD ELECTRIC is now indeed TODDSYSTEMS. www.toddsystems.com. I sent them an email inquireing if they were actually the old Todd Electric and if the original prints were available for use in rewinding.

Here is the reply.


I'm just wondering if we as a group "requested" them to make the prints available they might acquiese and "exhume" the prints.

Larry

Click to expand...

Larry,
If you need any support such as signing my name to a list or whatever I'll do it to help the group.

Phyllis

Good Luck!
Phyllis

PShuff said:

Hi again!
I was rude, not 100% certain about what it is you are trying to accomplish!
But I wrote that windy post because of a situation almost the same, my Daddy needed some sort of information about an old Bogen? thing he had and tried to communicate with the powers that be there at Bogen? now (today, like this Todd Systems thing).
That bunch of folks were like "screw you" about it all!
(the "contact us", toll free flunkies)
Don't know for certain if he ever found what it was he was looking for.
Phyllis

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What was he looking for ?or did he ever find it?