•One possible source of solar panels would be a decommissioned road warning sign -- those big flashing arrows are powered by solar and battery on the more recent models. In the States, you might be able to scrounge a damaged one from the local Highway Department. I'm not sure what your equivalent ag...

•[ Tom Lear wrote in 050126 MMDigest: >> What a cool idea about recycling the carbon rod from a C cell >> battery! I always have a can of used batteries I'm saving for the >> recycling center, so that may be a good source for a carbon rod in >> a pinch. I'm afraid that flashlight batteries are now c...

The sound meter that I used to measure how loud my Steinway plays is a hand held unit, battery operated, with the microphone mounted on the top of it. Made by Quest Electronics, Model 211A, which is ANSI S1.4 Type S2A compatible. The specification sheet which came with the meter has been lost, but I...

•There is a company called Rapid Electroplating in Chicago that sells small hobby-style electroplating kits for nickel and gold. Their kits are simple to use and effective for small lots. Typically, the power supply is a battery or two.

•Mike, The symptoms you describe suggest that electrical noise is corrupting the MIDI signals, most likely generated in the PianoDisc unit and conducted via the power lines. The UPS unit isolates the PC, just as the battery-operated laptop is isolated. A possible cause of the problem is that either ...

•Hello there, Frank Himpsl and the MMD readers -- from our campsite on Penobscot Bay, Maine, and via cellular 'phone E-Mail transmitted from my battery-powered laptop! There will be _plenty of ragtime_ for Ampico when Artcraft gets going on new arrangements this Winter. I purchased a '26 Brewster up...

•In MMDigest 990319 Don Elbers wrote: > Unfortunately, the gain at the microphone input is a little too low Don, you may want to first consider purchasing a better-quality, battery-powered condenser microphone. Semi-pro condenser mics typically have a higher output level as well as improved frequenc...

•> It was mostly plastic, of course, played only 45 RPM records, was > battery powered, and was operated by pushing the record into a slot. > There was no visible tone arm and the record had to play all the way > through before it could be started over. These came out a bit later, actually. I'm fair...

•I'd like to add a motor to my street organ. I'm told the Dutch organs use 24-volt battery-powered DC motors, the battery being charged by a small generator, I believe. The DC motor sounds good as it would be nice to have a speed control. I wish to drive the 27-inch flywheel via a thin polyester fla...

•Sometime in the 70's AMICAn Sally Lawrence picked up several 20-note music boxes at a close-out sale, and we bought one from her. It is a German-made Steinbach, powered by a 3-volt battery. It stands about 10 inches tall, 7 inches wide and 4 inches deep, with a wooden case decorated with "organ pip...

•A few weeks ago there was some discussion about mechanisms that used punched paper. These were often associated with Christmas items and were hard to find in the U.S. as I recall. Some were wound and some were battery operated, I think. Someone then said they have the mechanism for sale in the U.S...

•This is similar to a device called the "E-Bow" which was developed in the 1970's. It was a battery powered hand-held electromagnet that was used to magnetically excite the strings of an electric guitar. It produced a sustained "bowed" tone from the strings. The device is still in production and has...

•Another extremely effective product I have found is Caig Laboratories' DeoxIT spray. Not only does it clean but it also somehow helps conductivity. I've used it on everything from key contacts to drawbars on Hammond organs, to even the battery contact points inside flashlights. (Brighter light is t...

•Continuing the thread about moving heavy player pianos (05.05.17 MMD): my technician uses a small tracked dolly called a "Piano-plan." He moves concert grands by himself using this contraption. I believe it is manufactured in Germany. It is battery driven and can maneuver up slopes and steps, but I...

•I've had lots of fun doing plating with copper, but I've never tried it with real machine parts. It might prove useful for some applications in the restoration of mechanical music instruments. I use a solution of battery acid (from the auto parts store, four bucks) copper sulfate (from the garden s...

•I've posted a small gallery of pictures from this year's Great Dorset Steam Fair, taken before my camera battery died, on my web site at http://www.band-organ.com/GDSF_2006/index.html As always, it was a completely overwhelming event. Staying on site in a caravan for the whole five days was definit...

•I have a Pell 20-pipe busker organ that has an electrical problem. I originally thought that the battery had gone bad (and that still may be the case), so I purchased a new battery. It sounds loud and clear but with only intermittent notes. I wrote to Alan Pell but received no response (not good fo...

•Hi Linda, Non-functioning musical mechanisms are very much like a car that won't start. The lights won't come on so you install a new battery. Now the lights come on but the car still won't start. However, now that the electrical system has been restored you see that the gas gauge reads empty, so y...

•Harald Mueller said, 'Singing is, arguably, the quintessential music. Even if the singer sings a trivial melody, shouts against a battery of drums, croaks into a microphone, she or he will transport emotions in a way that is much easier to understand by "all".' Well put, Harald. In my opinion, more...

•Hi, I have a German cuckoo clock that has a musical movement as well as a bird tweeter movement powered by a size "C" battery. The movements are both about the same physical size. I need the black rubber boot (plunger) for the tweeting bird movement. It is about 1-1/8 in diameter and fits over a pl...