Schober Organ Notes No. 60
OVERTURE
Disclaimer: We accept no responsibility for any unfavorable consequences
resulting from following our advice.
With the help of Chris Feiereisen the Schober "Archives" are now in
my possession. There is a lot of material there that may interest our members.
If you have ever wondered about the specifications of a part, send me an
e-mail or a SASE and I will see if I can find them. Transformers, transistors,
mechanical parts, I'll do a search. A list of Service Bulletins is shown
below. If you want a copy of any of them, please send me a SASE. If you
happen to have one that is not listed, please make a copy for our "archives"
and send it to me.
I respond to all communications, however if I ever forget or may have
forgotten to answer a request or an e-mail it is because I am back and
forth between New York and Vermont and may have misplaced a note or forgotten
an e-mail. If you ever feel that I have neglected to respond properly,
PLEASE remind me. Also, if you don't get ON during the first week and a
half of every other month, let me know. AK
PRO GOLD SPRAY
From what I hear Caigs Pro Gold Spray works quite well. Our member Larry
Blyly writes however that the price when purchased from MCM Electronics
(800-543-4330) is quite high. The spray costs $18.95, plus $2.95 additional
charges, plus $7.28 shipping! (Looking in their catalog, I see this is
listed as 6 oz. and I take it is the 5% G5 spray). Looking in the Parts
Express catalog (800-338-0531) I see 5 oz. for $15.95 of the same G5 spray,
and $22.95 for 2 oz of the 100% Pro Gold Concentrate G100. Parts Express
charges $2.50 for handling, plus UPS charges by weight. Wally Caddell writes
that Progold Spray is available from Techni-Tool, inc. (800-832-4866) for
$24.95 plus tax and shipping, minimum order $30 however. Willard Briggs
writes "...I received my Pro Gold a couple of weeks ago...from Radio Shack.com.
They sell it for $14.95 plus a $3.00 shipping charge...I have already sprayed
the contacts of my Schober Consolette and it worked just as it was claimed
to do by other members. Now my organ sounds just like new and I am so far
well satisfied...it is not available in Radio Shack stores." I asked Willard
for a little more information and he immediately replied. Here is the e-mail
he sent: "This is in reply to your e-mail about ProGold. It is listed in
Radio Shack's Commercial Catalog. The phone number is 1-800-442-7221 or
it can be ordered on line on the internet at Radio Shack.com. There is
no minimum order so you can order one can of Caig ProGold if you wish at
$14.95 for one to twelve 5 oz. cans (200ml). The order number is G5S-6.
There was also a $3.00 shipping charge attached to the $14.95 price. The
ProGold is definitely NOT available in Radio Shack stores.
Thanks for writing, glad to help. Willard Briggs
SALE
"The Organ: A Concise Illustrated Guide" a set of two CD's and a small
book is on sale at Daedalus Music. Usually $37, on sale for $17.95. On
the first CD, 40 short pieces demonstrate the tones made by the stops.
On the second CD an overview of musical forms used specifically for organ
music is given. These 25 selections are explained fully in the book, which
also has a dictionary of terms and illustrations of how organs work etc.
Phone 800-395-2665 (http://www.daedalus-music.com)
INFORMATION BULLETINS AVAILABLE
The following Information Bulletins are available for a SASE. If you have
any that are not listed, PLEASE make a copy and send it to me so that it
will be available to all members.
BN-004 Reverbatape (tube)RV-1 Incomplete erase
SN-010 (Service Note) Reverbatape (tube) RV-1 Replacement of TC-1 with
TL-1
BN-011 Recital PRR-3 Ticking Vibrato
BN-013 Speakers Systems for Schober Organs
BN-020 Recital Generator Whistles Pickup
BN-027 Key Switch Resistor values
BN-027A Intermodulation in High-Pitched Organ Tones (tube Schobers)
BN-030 Optional Recital Organ Theatre Stops
BN-031 Theatre TG (1120 boards) Unreliable 16' Pedal Tones
BN-032 Theatre Organ Anti-Noise Modification
BN-035 Finding Noisy Transistors in Theatre Organ
BN-036 Recital Distortion and Loss of Volume in Pedal Stops
BN-037 Recital Tone Leakage Reduction
BN-038 Update Concert-Consolette I Keyboards
BN-039 Recital Pedal Clavier Modification
BN-041 Noise in Theatre Organ
BN-043 Cleaning Keyboard Busses
BN-043A Cleaning Keyboard Contacts
BN-045 Recital or Consolette II Loss of Volume
BN-046 SOC-11 Multiple Channel Theatre Organ
BN-052 Reducing Hiss in Rezounder RZ-4
BN-157 How to Destroy your Organ If Dissatisfied
PUFF OF AIR SYSTEM
There is interest in the "puff of air" preset system for the Theatre. Amongst
the replies I got were two that are of particular help. The first from
David Bruce. He sent the name of a manufacturer who might be able to make
the little pneumatic pouches. I am in contact with Vinyltech Co. to see
if they would make a small run and what the cost would be. This probably
would be a vinyl and it should not be biodegradable. I'll report to you
in ON 61.
The second reply was from Chris Feiereisen. Chris works with pipe organs
and is quite knowledgeable. He wrote: "You probably know that the first
Perflex (the material used in the original Schober pouches) was NOT biodegradable
and is still working to the best of my knowledge. It was only after the
manufacturer changed the formula and it became biodegradable that our troubles
began. I believe that Polylon will be a suitable replacement. I'll make
you a pouch and you can test it..." Make one he did indeed. Not only one,
but he actually replaced the pouches on a stop switch I sent him and returned
it to me. It works, at lease when I tested it even though I do not have
a Schober in NY. I tested it just by blowing into the little tube. I am
sure that the pneumatic cylinder used in the preset system has more umpf
to it than my lungs. Chris also provided a pattern [see figure below] and
instructions. "Keep shiny side of material to the outside. Overlapped edges
are placed to the sides (not top or bottom)[of the stop switch]. [Then]
remove spring and pivot, clean off old material and glue in top pouch (near
magnet). Replace pivot. Glue in bottom pouch." In a previous e-mail Chris
had informed me that American Piano Supply Co., 242 South Parkway, Box
1066, Clifton NJ 07014 sells Polyon. Their stock # is 451354B Nylon Pneumatic
Cloth. The recommended glue for Polyon is PVC-E, sold by Organ Supply Industries,
PO Box 8325, Erie PA 16505.
David & Lis Bruce's FABULOUS ORGAN
David and Lis Bruce are building a fabulous organ. They will do a write
up at some time in the future. Here is just a bit of 
information.
They bought a beautiful three manual theatre organ console, and are rebuilding/restoring
and upgrading it. They are adding second touch on the lower two keyboards.
From what they wrote, quite a time consuming and complex process, and hopefully
it will be described in their article. They are putting in a digital tone
generation system and are looking at the Artisan "Ranks-in-a Box" Quite
something. You can read about it on the web: http://www.artisan-instruments.com/rnksbox.htm.
Their long term plans are to replace some of the digital electronics with
pipes!
KEYER FOR PERCUSSION
William C. Hughes writes: "I had found after installing the percussion
circuitry, that the gold contact springs operated by the keys made a scratchy
sound in operation. To alleviate this, I decided to interpose digital electronic
switching between the contacts and the percussion PC boards and found it
was possible to do this without adding any extra wiring. It should be possible
to do this with pedal switching also.
I used a piece of perf board 13.5" by 2.5" and fitted 12 CD4066 units
(each of which has 4 switches which can be used for digital or analogue
use - a total of 48 switches. This board was mounted on the right inner
side of the organ under the lid and just over the bundle of wires which
are routed from the gold spring contacts to the percussion boards, thus
making it possible to use the slack in the wires to cut and connect them
to terminal pins on the perf board. The IC's are supplied with 12v from
a AC transformer adapter plug from a supply socket in the organ base. A
more filtered and regulated supply might be better, but I found no hum
or ripple by using the simple adapter transformer with its internal rectifier.
This DC voltage is also switched by the gold contact wires to pins 5, 6,
12 & 13 on each IC. These pins should also have a 3 to 5 megohm resistor
to ground (to fall-back to ground with no signal, value not critical).
The power supply wire that originally went to the metal keyboard frame
now goes to IC pins 1, 3, 8 & 10 and the wires to the percussion circuit
boards are IC pins 2, 4, 9, and 11.
SCHOBER RELATED ITEMS
Wanted
Tube Reverbatape unit. Contact Jon at z-man1@worldnet.att.net Information
Wanted
A cheap replacement for the generic 2N2147 and 2N2148 transistors. Parts
Express still lists them but no longer has them. They ran around $2.50
each. There is a NTE replacement, but that costs around $16! Alexander
Kruedener
Wanted
Recital Registration Boards. Pedal #11232, Great #11233 and Swell #11234
or a complete stop board assembly. Will pay for shipping and if the parts
work, a reasonable purchase fee. The organ is to be donated to a charity
when fixed. Contact Bill McClenahan, 2600 Heritage Woods Drive, Appleton,
WI 54915. Phone 920-739-5073. E-mail Wmcclen205@aol.com
Wanted
Recital stop tabs and voice boards (11231). Contact Harold M. Whipps, Sr.,
8551 Imperial Circle, Palmetto, FL 34221, Tel. 914-722-3091 or e-mail hmwsr@gte.net
Wanted
Recital preamp board 11407A. Contact Doug Steeves, 11 Heather Drive, Moncton,
N.B. E1E 1C6 Canada. Phone 506-382-7463 or e-mail steevda@nbnet.nb.ca
Wanted
Blade switches, such as used in the Schober Theatre Organ pedals. Contact
Bill Hughes, ontadian@hotmail.com, or get in touch with me if you don't
have e-mail. AK
Free
A complete Schober Consolette II Organ. Will donate to a good home. Organ
currently located 6 miles west of Philadelphia. You must pick it up. Contact
Paul McIlvaine by phone 703-971-9589 or email pjmcilva@erols.com
For Sale
Several Reverbatape units and parts (motors, rollers etc.) very reasonable.
Contact Doug Steeves, 11 Heather Drive, Moncton, N.B. E1E 1C6 Canada. Phone
506-382-7463 or e-mail steevda@nbnet.nb.ca
For Sale
Chris Feiereisen has several complete Klann tripper presets such as used
in the Schober Recital. Contact him at 920-684-1444, 7:30 AM to 9 AM or
PM. E-mail chris@lakefield.net
Needed
Assembly instructions for the Consolette. (The tube Consolette), also pages
13 to 16 of "The Schober Recital Organ Console and Bench Kit" instructions.
(CRT-6 copyright 1970) and the instructions for the Schober Volt Meter
TM-1. If you have any of these, please make photocopies for our "archives"
and send them to me, I will pay for postage and copy costs (see address
at end of ON). A.K.
NON SCHOBER RELATED ADS (mostly)
Sell, Trade Or Give Away
Fred Henn writes: "Id like to swap for computer items, Electronic Organ
items, Electronic items or sell. 1) A Universal Model V-9002 TV/VCR audio
signal to STEREO adapter with built in amplifier. 2) A Videoking Model
MPS-700 SWITCHING BOX for TVs, VCRs, VIDEO GAMES, etc. 3) A Realistic Model
42-2108 STEREO REVERB System. 4) A Heathkit Model IT-27 TRANSISTOR/DIODE
tester. 5) A Telex AMPLITWIN set of amplified earphones. 6) A BISSEL POWER
STEAMER DELUXE Model 1631-1 7) A BACKSWING/INVERTER. 8) A Shure Model M61
transistorized Stereo Preamp. (For Tape, Phono, or Mike. 9) 4 Powered SPEAKERS
for computers 10) A Leslie speaker, With cables, etc. Make an offer. I
am especially interested in 25 pin bi-directional cables and bi-directional
printer cables. If you have any questions regarding the above, please contact
me via mail, or Email: oranur@juno.com or Telephone: (716) 691-9495 Fred
Henn 230 N. French Rd. Amherst, NY 14228-2033
For Sale
Frank Vanaman is selling most of the electronics for a Devtronix Organ.
Asking $250. Contact him at: fvanaman@speakeasy.org. If you don't have
e-mail, phone me. A.K.
Please Address All Correspondence And SASE DONATIONS TO ALEX KRUEDENER
Winter Address: 161 East 89th Street, Apt. 4E New York, N. Y. 10128 (212)
831-0662 E-mail: Kruedener@juno.com
There are photos and graphics in this issue. If you want them, send
a SASE to Alex Kruedener or contact Jack Gildar via e-mail. For your information,
the photo/diagram is 563712 bytes and the picture of David Bruce's organ
console (if you appreciate theatre organ consoles, this one very impressive)
is 135292 bytes, and both are in .jpg format.