Page 10 - RD_Dec2012.pdf

AUSTRALIAN MADE – A continuing series

This edition’s article is submitted by Steve Cutting, and relates to his 35mm home cinema set up.
I have a pair of Raycophone 35mm projectors that I bought through Reel
Deals some years ago from Queensland. When I saw the Australian Made
column I couldn’t resist submitting details of my set up.
As far as I know, my projectors were made in the late 1940s. I have
also restored a matching 1949 valve amplifier that I got from a friend and
Reel Deals subscriber in Newcastle.
Raycophone was established by electronics engineer, Ray Alsop and
operated from premises in the Sydney suburb of Annandale. Raycophone
was also known for quality radios and sound equipment back in the 1930s
and 1940s.
The sound heads and the bases were made by
Raycophone. I’ve read that the castings were made in a
factory at Lithgow in the Blue Mountains; that same
factory also made Enfield 303 rifles for the war.
The Picture Heads are branded "Standard", and were
made in Adelaide by R.C. Fitton. My machines are Junior
Standard models
My machines have had stereo solar cells fitted and run
through a Dolby CP50 sound processor. The sound and
picture is amazing, even though the machines are over
60 years old.
Apparently Raycophone wouldn't reduce the quality of
their equipment to compete on price with imported
products and as a result went out of business.
Not much info seems to be available on the Fitton side of
things, the company that made the Standard picture
heads.

Above: Steve’s 35mm projector with 6000ft reels fitted

Above: Raycophone sound head. Above: Standard motion head