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LETTERS (Cont.)
Hello Mike,
Some interesting reading in the latest editions of “Reel Deals”.
The photo of the Raycophone portable – ex Point Lonsdale may be correct, but pre 1960.
In 1967 I purchased from Harry Davidson the Point Lonsdale plant of Raycophone J3’s which I
installed at Gisborne.
I well remember my late brother and I driving down to Point Lonsdale in his ute and he helping
me dismantle and lower the machines down the ladder on the southern side of the hall. When I
got them home I stripped, cleaned and painted the machines.
Harry then installed the plant of Kalee 7’s on Raycophone sound – ex Coburg Town Hall. I
operated this equipment when at different times I helped Harry out over the holiday seasons.
This was the plant that was destroyed in the fire. Following the fire Harry told me the machines
were all buckled from the heat and could not be salvaged.
This was also the first Raycophone installation in Victoria. I have an advert somewhere from
Raycophone proclaiming its installation at Coburg.
When I closed Gisborne, Jim Ness bought the plant from me and one machine was installed at the
Astrojet, Tullamarine as they had started to run feature films and only had a Bauer U3 projector
(the first one imported) with six thousand feet spool capacity, not enough to run a feature. Jim
installed the J3 so as to run continuous, by changing over to a single 2000 ft spool giving time to
thread up another 6000 ft reel on the Bauer. Although the Bauer was a Xenon lamp and the J3 a
carbon arc I don’t think the audience noticed the slightly different light as it was only about a 15
ft CinemaScope screen. I did much of the relief for Jim at Astrojet and ran this quite often.
When Ken Hill took over Astrojet in the mid 1970s I believe the J3 ended its days in one of his
skin flick shows – the Barrel or the Shaft??.
After Jim passed away about 20 years ago I was helping his widow sort out his stuff and came
across the other J3 in bits and pieces. I have since re-assembled the head and have it in my
collection and can vouch it as being from Point Lonsdale.
Ross King
Melbourne

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