Plate and film Cameras
Plate and film Cameras
Battersea Power Station 1955
Battersea Power Station 1955
Battersea Power Station 1955
Cars
Cars
Battersea Power Station 1955
3D Printing
3D Printing
3D Printing
Geological Museum 1975
Geological Museum 1975
Adrian's Memories
Connevans 1964
I left Redifon and was self employed as a photographer for a year, and then joined Connevans in 1964. Language laboratories were all the rage and real money was being spent on education. Meurig Evans had started the company on his own using subcontractors. He asked me to join him as chief engineer and we set up a workshop in Dorking. Within a year we had around 10 staff. My job was to keep production going and update the circuitry as needed. I developed printed circuit boards and later redesigned the whole system to run on integrated circuits.
I also developed what became known as 'auditory trainers' in conjunction with Mike Martin of the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID). Using a super efficient earphone capsule from STC I first developed a headset that could produce sound levels of over 130db undistorted, and then a battery powered amplifier to drive them. The headsets were also used in the language laboratories as the audio quality was so good. We even sold them to the BBC and were used on 'Top of the Pops'.
Language laboratories went out of favour and Connevans concentrated on the deaf teaching market from then on (1975)
I was there 9 years with a year out to work at Tetronics
Meurig Evans, founder of Connevans testing a language lab
Connevans first workshop in Dorking. We only had the ground floor with very little head room
About 1971 From right Meurig, Bill, David, Me, unknown, Frank, Roger. Front Maggie
Bill Hoare with glass, backrow from left- unknown, Madelaine, Shirly, Alf,Elizabeth, Connie, Roger, Frank
Console contains Control unit, record player, FM tuner and master recorder
An early control unit C1960
Another view of the console
Plays the lesson and records the student's attempts
Testing by the customer before being shipped abroad
The students need a soundproofed environment so only their voice is recorded
We made a battery powered version for portable use
Connevans were agents for General Radio and this is their van being loaded for a trip to Zurich- No drive on ferries then
Part of the new unit we moved to in Reigate 1966
One of the first hand wired student amplifiers. Later they were on printed circuit boards
The transistors were mounted in plug in connectors
Newmarket PC3 3W audio amplifier so the teacher can talk to 32 students headsets at once
Our wireman Bill Hoare took a delight in neat wiring
Modular unit for up to 6 students
Showing amplifier modules and headphone transformers
I developed them in 1968. Produced sound level of over 130db, perfect for deaf teaching
Ron and I installed a lab in Wigton and had a visit to Windscale