John Ledwon wrote in 011226 MMDigest: "Anyone know if this is a similar
system as was used on the Aeolian Hammond BA player organs?  I have one
of these beasts and the tracking mechanism is less than satisfactory!
I chews up the left side of the roll on reroll."

I don't know if this is used in the BA player organs but the fishing
pole tracker should do a great job when cleaned and adjusted properly.

Tearing up the rolls on the left side sounds like the fishing pole line
is being released when the roll is being rewound.  It can be confusing
to understand the principle of operation of one of these contraptions.

Look at the position of the fishing pole just before you throw the roll
into rewind.  It should have some of the string wound around the bottom
spindle.  When you put the transmission into re-roll, the tracking ears
should pull away from the paper and the position of the fishing pole
should lock and not change.  If the line is being let out when being
rewound, you have a problem.

It could be that the right tracker ear has its spring removed or one of
2 springs having the wrong tension.  It might even be that the right
tracker ear is not being pulled away from the paper properly when being
put into rewind.

It is easy for a person to takes one of these things apart and loss
track as to where the springs go. All of the springs are necessary and
should not be removed or changed unless you understand why that spring
is there.

Pete Knobloch (Tempe AZ)