CED Digest Vol. 8 No. 7

CED Digest Vol. 8 No. 7 • 2/15/2003
20 Years Ago In CED History:

February 16, 1983:
* President Reagan reveals that the United States has sent Air Force AWACS
reconnaissance planes and the Navy aircraft carrier "Nimitz" to Egypt
for training exercises in light of reported tensions along the Libyan-Sudanese
border.

February 17, 1983:
* Senator Gary Hart of Colorado declares himself a candidate for the 1984
Democratic presidential nomination.
* GM and Toyota sign an agreement to jointly produce a car in the United
States.

February 18, 1983:
* Edwin P. Wilson, an agent of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency from 1954
to 1970, is sentenced to 17 years in prison for illegally exporting explosives
to Libya.
* Future CED title in widespread theatrical release: The King of Comedy.

February 19, 1983:
* A freight train crashes into a stalled passenger train near Empalme, Mexico
resulting in more than 70 deaths.
* In a break with OPEC, Nigeria cuts crude oil prices $5.50 per barrel.
* "Baby, Come to Me" By Patti Austin and James Ingram becomes the No.
1 U.S. single.

February 20, 1983:
* Cale Yarborough of Timmonsville, South Carolina wins the Daytona 500 stock
car race by four car lengths in his backup Pontiac after crashing a Chevrolet
during practice the previous week.

February 21, 1983:
* Walter Mondale, former Vice President of the United States, announces his
candidacy for the 1984 Democratic presidential nomination.
* Soviet Premier Nikolai A. Tikhonov arrives in Athens to discuss a wide range
of topics with Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. The meeting occurs at a
time when Greece and the U.S. are negotiating the future of U.S. military bases
in Greece.

February 22, 1983:
* At a joint news conference with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Sudan's
President Mohammed al-Nemery confirms U.S. reports of a plot by Libya to
overthrow his government.
* EPA Administrator Anne Gorsuch announces a U.S. government offer to purchase
all homes and businesses in Times Beach, a Missouri town recently afflicted by
flooding and dioxin contamination. The cost of the purchase and subsequent
demolition is estimated at $33 million.
* Harold Washington scores an upset victory in the Democratic mayoral primary
in Chicago, Illinois.

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From: Vertigo514
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 13:54:42 EST
Subject: help!!!!
To: digest@cedmagic.com

I have an sjt-100 that wont eject. It loads fine spins up plays and all the
other functions work except eject. Can anyone tell me what i would have to
replace on the board to get it ejecting again. 
thanks
Vertigo514@aol.com

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Subject: Video Disk
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 15:02:10 -0800
From: "Alan C. Ramey" <aramey>
To: <digest@cedmagic.com>

Hi, I would like to know if you were intrested in selling some of your video
disks or know where I could get some. I know that these are not "laser
disks" and I'm pretty sure that they pre-date beta or vcr. I'd apperciate
any help.

Alan

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From: "Don Borowski" <donb>
To: "Tom Howe" <tom@cedmagic.com>
Subject: Re: CED Digest Vol. 8 No. 6
Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2003 10:38:46 -0800

I like technologies that are unique, take a particular aspect of design to
the limit, or have unusual combinations of technologies. CED has all three -
the capacitive pick-up system is unique, the mechanical grooves are audio
records taken to the limit, and the these two things along with digital
frame tracking and the FM modulation on FM modulation for some signals are
an unusual combination. To me it is amazing that it works at all.

DVD is not one of these, since digital information in an optical format is
not unique. In a sense it is an extension of the CD.

BTW, I also like mechanical timepieces. They take the art of mechanics to
the limit to obtain good accuracy. Plus it takes real craftmanship to build
a good one.

Don Borowski

"James M. Long" <jmlong wrote:

 Subject: CED

 While I do agree with Allen that there is a certain quality about the
 CED system that cannot be had with other consumer playback formats, I
 have to note that it is nothing short of a miracle that the system
 made it to the market at all - never mind surviving for five years.
 "Winner" is not quite the word I would pick to describe the project.
 I won't get into the details here, but I just a few weeks ago
 finished Margaret Graham's book _The Business of Research: RCA and
 the Videodisc_.  Bibliographic details can be found on Tom's site, or
 just do a Barnes & Noble search (down with Amazon!).  It is a
 fantastic read, not too dense or tedious, and details just how
 precarious the whole project was from the word "go".

 Don't get me wrong: I labor over my SJT300s like they were precious,
 delicate jewels.  I built up a collection of discs that I am quite
 happy about.  I exasperatedly try to deal with some associates'
 questions and remarks like "Why would you purposely own something so
 obsolete?" and "They have this stuff on DVD, you know."  You
would
 never catch me trading by CED collection or players for the fanciest
 DVD setup on the block.  But after reading Graham's book, the most
 fantastic detail of the CED system is the fact that it ever appeared
 at all.  A topic for a healthy debate, I believe.

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Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2003 13:21:30 -0600
From: Michael Thomas <mmthomas>
To:  digest@cedmagic.com
Subject: found 149000 stylus -  SJT200 motherboard problem

I found a 149000 Stylus in original RCA box at a surplus store.  The box was
open but the red  cover is on the stylus.

I have a SJT200 that just today started smoking.  I found several componets on
the motherboard power supply area (labeled 2000) burned. Some circuit lands
have also lifted.  I will not try to fix it.  But what could have caused this?
Player is used by 2 yro toddler to watch cartoons on CED.  She can change the
discs easily herself; and sees the big pictures on the CED cover to know what
she will watch.

I would be willing to trade the stylus for any help in getting a working
player.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2003 21:46:49 -0800 (PST)
From: darkvulcan <darkvulcan>
Subject: The world of CED!
To: digest@cedmagic.com

Hello Tom!

I have been a reader of your weekly emails for many
years but I have never really posted anything. Well,
here goes:

I have been a fan and user of the CED system for
almost as long as I can remember.  It was December
1981 when my father brought home our first RCA video
Disc player.  It was one of the early models with the
up/down lever on the side.  (He got the demo model
because I recall 'demo model' being on the door that
you open to get to the needle.)  Anyway, used to rent
them all the time here in AL.  Then the format
dissappered from this area.  Me being a child of 8-9
when this happened, I was a little confused (luckily
dear old dad bought a RCA VHS VCR at the same time as
the CED player).

Well, after a few years, I guess I was about 13-14 at
the time, I got bit by the CED BUG!  I dragged the old
Video Disc Player out of storage and my father and I
started hitting up all the old RCA dealers in North
AL.
Got up a pretty good collection as well.

Thanks to your site, I NEVER let folks get me down
with there questions and confusion as to why I had the
old piece of equipment next to my 5 disk DVD player
with Bose 6.1 Surround Sound.  And I would always
simply tell them, 'This is what started my love for
collecting moives!'

Of course I love any type of GOOD old electronics
anyway, which my Video Disc Player falls into that
area along with my Commodore 64 computer.  (Even have
a Commodore Bulletin Board still up and running and
actually get callers!! Give me a call sometime if you
are Commodore compatable!  Deep Space Nine BBS, 24
hours a day at 256-760-0349 )

Anywhoo, enough of now, but I would like to say that I
have always enjoyed your emails and look forward to
getting them each week!

Dark Vulcan
AKA Grady Glover
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