Hello from Alex

[Alex]

I've just joined this group following a mention on the OrganMatters.com forum of ElectroKinetica by Lucien. It was only about a year ago that I was searching the internet to try and work out what type of organ I used when I was at secondary school in the 70s and 80s. I remember a huge cabinet associated with the organ and was there once when the engineer was working on it, and remember all the wheels going round. It was a Compton, and I discovered the website about the http://www.bbc.rochford-compton.com/ organ, which answered all my questions!

One of my main hobbies is telecoms. I have no background in telecommunications, but I am a member of thg.org.uk and have a couple of PAXes (2-motion and uniselector) as an example.

I also have a few old computers, and other older type equipment, such as reel-to-reel tape recorders and ciné projectors. I have an Apple II+, and an RM Nimbus set-up of the BBC Domesday disc project (although the graphics card seems to have gone). Perhaps I might find a solution here!

The EK open day in 2013 sounds really exciting. I'll keep my diary clear!

[Lucien Nunes]

Hi Alex and welcome!

More than a little overlap here it seems. We also have a Domesday system, for example, although our Laservision player is faulty. Please do tell which school you are referring to regarding the Electrone - Compton included a list of installations in the back of various brochures and it would be interesting to see whether it's mentioned. If the generator cabinet was of the grey metal pillarbox type then it was probably a model 347, which is the subject of an in-depth analysis in the forthcoming website update. If you would like to try playing a 347 again, you know where to come!

Lucien

[Alex]

Thanks LucIen. It was King Edward VI, Lichfield - it would be great to know if it was that one. I know it was replaced by a Rogers in about 1983.

[Lucien Nunes]

That organ is listed in Compton's catalogue folder entitled 'World Renowned Organs' issued in the late 60's - see below - although no model numbers are shown. I don't know what merits an installation had to possess in order to be included but it was obviously a 'proper' one. I've attached a couple of pics of a 347 - is this anywhere close?

Lucien

PS when you get some time, post pics of your Strowger setups or whatever takes your fancy.

[Alex]

Wow! Thanks for all that. I do believe this is the one. We actually had two (as we had two halls). One of them had a voltmeter next to the switch. Sometimes that one wouldn't switch on, so the piano came in handy! I think when one was replaced, it was used to fix the other.

I'll get some photos of various things I have up soon.

[Lucien Nunes]

Two on one site - probably unique. Was that because of the merger with Kingshill? Interesting if so, you can imagine the governors from one school being impressed by the instrument next door and choosing one the same. We think about 200 were made so you had 1% of them.

One of them had a voltmeter

That was probably the earlier of the two, the voltmeter was dropped around halfway through the model's production run (1947 - late 1950s.) It was a hangover from pipe organ console practice when electric actions were supplied from a dynamo - The 347 action current was supplied from a metal rectifier inside the console so the meter was a bit superfluous.
If my guess is right about the merger, I'll venture that the console in Johnson Hall had the meter, as Bader Hall would have had one of the very last 347s if it was new when built in 1959.
Pure guesswork though.
Lucien

[Alex]

Absolutely right though! It was Johnson Hall that had the older of the two, and still had the Compton when I left in '85. The one in Bader Hall was replaced. I'm almost certain that the console was re-used and connected to a pipe organ at Lichfield Methodist.

The old cabinet in Bader Hall was housed in a room off the stage that also had the lighting controls. These were great big rheostat-type sliders that you only wanted to operate with a thick cloth and wellies on! Around the same time as the organ being replaced, a more modern lighting system was installed.

The best bit was that, being the highest point in the area, the police radio antenna was on top of the building and their equipment was also in there. A flick of the switch, and a number of police cars zoomed up the hill to restore communications!

[Lucien Nunes]

This was presumably a surprise, as whoever flicked the switch clearly didn't know what is was for. No-one would have turned it off otherwise.
We can play the guessing game with lighting dimmers too, but wait until I've uploaded some new material to the site over the next few days, lots of direct-acting resistance boards here to choose from.

Lucien

[vark]

And I spotted the reference to the Nimbus way back there, which was always more likely to catch my attention than the organ stuff

Haven't you fixed our laserdisc player yet?

Just thought I'd point that out