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Thread: What the Hay is this? "JBL Sound Motor?"

  1. #1
    Senior Member 4343's Avatar
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    Cool What the Hay is this? "JBL Sound Motor?"

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/165704145150

    Can't read the model number, but the label seems authentic to me for the Los Angeles era. It's old enough to have a genuine Cannon socket on it, and what looks like a Jim Lansing logo.

    What is it?

    <EDIT> Sorry, I no longer know how to capture the pics from the bay.
    Mike Scott in SJ, CA
    Drive 'em to the Xmax!

  2. #2
    Senior Member RMC's Avatar
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    Nothing more than a guess. Could this be a motor for a siren or similar?

    BSS was originaly known as Brooke Siren Systems...
    POWERED BY: QSC, Ashly, Tascam, Rolls Mosfet, NAD, and Crest Audio

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    Senior Member DerekTheGreat's Avatar
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    Reminds me, some huge sirens employed Chrysler engines to drive them, 440's if my memory serves correct. Very cool, imagine firing those things up before engaging the siren. But also pretty nuts to think that a siren required that much torque to generate the sound.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Doctor_Electron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DerekTheGreat View Post
    Reminds me, some huge sirens employed Chrysler engines to drive them, 440's if my memory serves correct. Very cool, imagine firing those things up before engaging the siren. But also pretty nuts to think that a siren required that much torque to generate the sound.
    Around 1989 I saw one of those in a small building on city property in Clairmont, Ca. The engine was a 392 cu. in., possibly an industrial variant.
    "Why don't you Mine your own Bismuth, so you won't be mining mine?"

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    Senior Member rdgrimes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 4343 View Post
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/165704145150

    <EDIT> Sorry, I no longer know how to capture the pics from the bay.
    Here's a few.

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  6. #6
    Senior Member 1audiohack's Avatar
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    That looks like an “armature” speaker motor. A linear motor that drives a cone via linkage or lever.

    Barry.
    If we knew what the hell we were doing, we wouldn't call it research would we.

  7. #7
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1audiohack View Post
    That looks like an “armature” speaker motor. A linear motor that drives a cone via linkage or lever.

    Barry.

    Looks like a field coil. It's really odd. What's the little knurled knob for at the end of the shaft?? It's kind of small?? Have no clue!

    Rob
    "I could be arguing in my spare time"

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    Senior Member DerekTheGreat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Doctor_Electron View Post
    Around 1989 I saw one of those in a small building on city property in Clairmont, Ca. The engine was a 392 cu. in., possibly an industrial variant.

    That was probably it. So cool, do you happen to have photos?

  9. #9
    Senior Member 1audiohack's Avatar
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    I admit I don’t know for sure but if it is an armature speaker driver:

    It would be field coil as it would predate permanent magnet motors.

    It is not a rotational device, strictly linear and voltage/current modulated for magnitude.

    The small “fixing” on the end of the shaft would connect to a lever or linkage that moves the speaker cone.

    After work I will look to see if I can find a pic example.

    And yeah those Hemi powered air raid sirens are AWESOME!!!

    Barry.
    If we knew what the hell we were doing, we wouldn't call it research would we.

  10. #10
    Senior Member DerekTheGreat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 1audiohack View Post
    I admit I don’t know for sure but if it is an armature speaker driver:

    It would be field coil as it would predate permanent magnet motors.

    It is not a rotational device, strictly linear and voltage/current modulated for magnitude.

    The small “fixing” on the end of the shaft would connect to a lever or linkage that moves the speaker cone.

    After work I will look to see if I can find a pic example.

    And yeah those Hemi powered air raid sirens are AWESOME!!!

    Barry.
    If it helps anyone, I was reading through The History and Legacy of JBL. And after looking at the tag on that motor, "James B. Lansing Sound, Inc." came about in 1946, so that motor was most likely made between 1946 - 1947. Does that help us figure out what it was for?


    Hemi air raid sirens are indeed awesome. Need to see if there's YouTube footage of any of them.

  11. #11
    Senior Member 1audiohack's Avatar
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    There was just no way I couldn’t buy this. It is a linear motor. The “audio” coil is terminated to pins two and three and measures right at 8 Ohms. The field coil is terminated to pin three and the case, measures 500 Ohms and has a diode in series. I tickled it with a signal generator driving a Crown D45 with no drive to the field coil and it moves. Now to find out just what the hell this thing was really designed and used for. Barry.
    If we knew what the hell we were doing, we wouldn't call it research would we.

  12. #12
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Coil winding??Rob
    "I could be arguing in my spare time"

  13. #13
    Senior Member 1audiohack's Avatar
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    Hello Rob; It does not turn. It strokes in and out. I have seen similar but much smaller motors on “armature speaker”. I will post a link to something if that ever becomes possible again. Barry.
    If we knew what the hell we were doing, we wouldn't call it research would we.

  14. #14
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Hello BarryI was thinking of it as a vertical wire guide leading to a winding head to keep the coil stack tight. Sort of servo controlled to move up/down as the winding head turns?? I have no idea just popped into my head. Rob
    "I could be arguing in my spare time"

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    Senior Member 1audiohack's Avatar
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    Hi Rob; I see what you mean. It has spring to center like a speaker and when manipulated gently by hand feels like is doesn’t have much travel. I am in hopes of discovering some literature before I experiment much further with it. I am dying to open it up but don’t want to damage it should there be short fragile wires or delicate springs. Curiosity will win eventually and I will be cautious of course. If anyone finds anything about this thing please share it here. Thank you. Barry.
    If we knew what the hell we were doing, we wouldn't call it research would we.

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