[Boatanchors] Interesting Microphone on eBay

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Knoppow" <1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com>
To: "Todd, KA1KAQ" <ka1kaq at gmail.com>; 
<oldradio at comcast.net>
Cc: "BOATANCHORS" <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2010 11:43 AM

     Well, I was WRONG! A second version of the Astatic 
Conneaut was made featuring the grill shown in the eBay ad. 
Its shown in the catalogue section of the ARRL Radio 
Amateur's Handbook for 1949, catalogue p.71. The grill is 
nearly identical to the one on the "Velvet Voice" model 
shown right below it. In the 1947 edition of Radio's Master, 
a compilation of various catalogues, the Astatic pages show 
the Conneaut as having an art-deco swirled pattern grill 
which is described in the text as being of "light blond 
plastic" (sound like some girls I've known). Now, I suspect 
the earlier, fancier, grill was not very durable and may 
have interfered with the acoustical properties of the mic, 
in any case, it was evidently changed between 1946 and 1948, 
the actual dates of the catalogue sections. So, I wrongly 
accused this guy of fraud when it was actually no such 
thing. Who knows about the stand. It still doesn't look like 
anything I've seen, however, Shure made a stand to fit a 
couple of their mics with a hole to clear the connector so 
the mic could sit flush on the base. This may well be the 
same sort of arrangement and be genuine. I've glad now I 
didn't write eBay.


--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
dickburk at ix.netcom.com