RARE VINTAGE AUDIONICS OF OREGON SPACE & IMAGE COMPOSER QUAD DECODER UNIT

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Akaiquadster2 said:
Yes - I have one of these units - as previously mentioned- and I’m not sure I’ll ever get around to using it- I’m based in Australia though.

The unit is 12154 - so extra disco wire required 😀 - have original box and instructions and it’s in very good cosmetic and - as far as I can tell, LED outage aside- operational condition.
Along with two tate units - one pictured- and the decoders spectrum analysis units and other bits and pieces I have, I’m just not sure what to do?
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I did offer them for historical interest to my compatriots at SM but probably not worth distracting them from completing V3 of their unit - which I probably will get if I move into this century. (Will it have the disco feature?)
Is there any merit keeping these units?
 
Akaiquadster2 said:
Yes - I have one of these units - as previously mentioned- and I’m not sure I’ll ever get around to using it- I’m based in Australia though.

The unit is 12154 - so extra disco wire required 😀 - have original box and instructions and it’s in very good cosmetic and - as far as I can tell, LED outage aside- operational condition.
Along with two tate units - one pictured- and the decoders spectrum analysis units and other bits and pieces I have, I’m just not sure what to do?
Click to expand...

All I can say is why wouldn't you use it. IMHO it's the best way to listen to SQ and does an excellent job with stereo.
 
Akaiquadster2 said:
I did offer them for historical interest to my compatriots at SM but probably not worth distracting them from completing V3 of their unit - which I probably will get if I move into this century. (Will it have the disco feature?)
Is there any merit keeping these units?
Click to expand...
It's unlikely that the SM will ever have the disco feature but you would have to ask Chucky. Of course there is merit in keeping those units, if not I'm sure that you could get a very good price for them.
 
Another Composer sold this morning(maybe to someone here?), my lowball offer last night was declined, but alas I already have one of these and an SM so I don't really need another one lol.
RARE VINTAGE AUDIONICS OF OREGON SPACE & IMAGE COMPOSER | eBay
saicebay.jpg
 
furui_suterioo said:
Yes, I made a low offer on that one aswell but they are looking for at least $500 even in the condition it's in, does have the Exar chips.
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Well if I ever get allowed to go back to my home (it’s in lockdown and I’m in another part of the country) I’ll take some more shots of mine and see if you are interested.
 
Akaiquadster2 said:
Well if I ever get allowed to go back to my home (it’s in lockdown and I’m in another part of the country) I’ll take some more shots of mine and see if you are interested.
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Thanks, Ide love to see photos when you get to it, I have lots of photos of these decoders on my computer just out of curiosity, but me being on the opposite side of the globe, shipping would probably be costly. This recent one was close enough for me to pickup in person if I wanted, otherwise I wasn't really considering getting a second one unless it was a really sweet deal.
 
I have one of these, too, but it's not working. Not looking to get rid ofit, though. I looked on the eBay at the one being advertised; I paid that for it new. (Helped to have a friend who owned the store!) There was also a Sansui DS-77 surround processor with rear amp; it even had a QS Surround button. Newsflash... no resemblance to the real QS! Looked pretty flimsy, too.
 
Yikes. This thing looks a bit like it was thrown from a moving car in the desert. It does have the later buttons suggesting the later chip. But does the chip still live? $600? That's almost what I paid for mine new. And now 42 years later and recapped, mine works perfectly! Happily!
 
Marcsten said:
Yikes. This thing looks a bit like it was thrown from a moving car in the desert. It does have the later buttons suggesting the later chip. But does the chip still live? $600? That's almost what I paid for mine new. And now 42 years later and recapped, mine works perfectly! Happily!
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Yes I made a couple of offers on that one, but he doesn't seem to want to budge on the price. You would think that having it listed for over a year with no takers that his price is out of line. And who knows if the Tate chips are all OK? In that condition he should be happy with even $100.
 
furui_suterioo said:
Another Composer sold this morning(maybe to someone here?), my lowball offer last night was declined, but alas I already have one of these and an SM so I don't really need another one lol.
RARE VINTAGE AUDIONICS OF OREGON SPACE & IMAGE COMPOSER | eBay
View attachment 69602
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I bought it. I saw it as soon as the seller posted it and almost bought it then. But then I reminded myself that I already have one that looks & works fine (and a SM), so I held off. I told myself, "If the seller makes ME an offer I will buy it, otherwise I will resist and I'm sure one of the other 7 watchers will snatch it up." The next morning, there was an offer for $50 off from the seller in my mailbox. Damn - he got me! But a promise is a promise (even if it is to yourself). It is due to arrive tomorrow. In the pics, it looks to be in good shape. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it works properly. From the display in the pics, I am optimistic - that's what they normally look like when there is no signal being passed. He says it came from 'working environment'. Hope so. I'll let you know ....
 
I swear I held my mouse over the "accept offer" button for 20 minutes before finally clicking. It was a "angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other" experience. The angel looked and sounded like my wife saying "Why?? You have one!". The devil looked and sound like the 15 year old me that read Radio Shack/Lafayette/Olson catalogs and Stereo Review magazines cover to cover.
Sometimes I hate this addicti... I mean hobby, hobby, hobby, doctor....ohhh....
 
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Good news - The AS&IC seems to be working fine. A few of the controls were scratchy but some contact cleaner cleared that up. It is clean inside and the transformer is tightly secured with a zip-tie. (Having them come loose is a common problem.) The serial number is only 36 units above the one I already have, both in the low 12,000s below 12225. Anyone want to venture a guess as to which chips these two have? (I don't know how to tell.)
 
Wagonmaster_91 said:
Good news - The AS&IC seems to be working fine. A few of the controls were scratchy but some contact cleaner cleared that up. It is clean inside and the transformer is tightly secured with a zip-tie. (Having them come loose is a common problem.) The serial number is only 36 units above the one I already have, both in the low 12,000s below 12225. Anyone want to venture a guess as to which chips these two have? (I don't know how to tell.)
Click to expand...
Good to hear it shipped safely, mine is on the way to be overhauled in Clackamas right now.
If the detector chip has 9 pins it is the older National set. The detector is the vertical facing one between the green caps.
20210809_134658.jpg
 
Wagonmaster_91 said:
Good news - The AS&IC seems to be working fine. A few of the controls were scratchy but some contact cleaner cleared that up. It is clean inside and the transformer is tightly secured with a zip-tie. (Having them come loose is a common problem.) The serial number is only 36 units above the one I already have, both in the low 12,000s below 12225. Anyone want to venture a guess as to which chips these two have? (I don't know how to tell.)
Click to expand...
Its really a credit to the tiny company that produced these things that so many survive in good order after so many years! Congrats on getting another one running. As to the numbers, Steve Kennedy said they produced 300 Composers all numbered in order from 12,001 through 12,300. Mine is 12,116, and Steve confirmed that meant it was number 116 produced. Mine has the earlier chips from National semiconductor, which had the flaw requiring the workaround. Assuming its in good order you should not have any issues with that, and I have a really hard time telling the difference between mine and the later chips. The earlier ones like mine seem to 'work' more than the later ones, but its very subtle. I have always loved mine and have always been more than satisfied. Given that yours are both in the first half of the 300, I believe yours are both National Semiconductors with the workaround, although I have never been 100% clear on where the line was drawn, so take it for what its worth. I think its 50/50 but again, I didn't work for Audionics so I am not able to say for certain. Steve could tell you, probably, although her told me there is a lot of confusion as the company was not good about keeping records. He said there has even been some confusion about how many units were produced, although he said with confidence it is 300.
 
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