New Product Idea/Wish

[Alonzo]

Hi Doc,
Happy Thanksgiving!  Have you had any new thoughts on a Bottlehead Tube FM tuner?  The question was asked many years ago but FM radio has not died away even though streaming has come out and the market for good tuners (thinking Scott or Mc 74, 77, 78. etc.) is still there to be challenged. It is a niche market but so is SET amps and look how well you did that...
Alonzo

[Doc B.]

I would like to do one, and also a table radio like the awesome multiband European table radios of the 60s. However I fear the demand would be so small that we would have to charge very high prices to recoup our development time. We have to be careful with our time allotment as we move forward since we have had a few special projects and products that made us aware of this issue in the past. Basically what I am saying is anything is possible - with enough money being thrown at it.

I do have a very interesting FM tuner that I might be willing to part with. It is a Dynaco FM-3 that was reworked by my mentor John "Buddha" Camille. He did some pretty slick tweaks to it that really make it perform, in fact I sold my Fisher FM-200B and my Kenwood L-07T and kept this one. Some of the mods were covered in an article he wrote for VALVE magazine not long before he passed away many years ago. It's in va011999.pdf which can be downloaded at this link:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/VALVE_Archive/VALVE_1999.zip

And IIRC he and I worked up some mods for the RF stage that were never implemented but were published in another issue.

I've kept it out of a sense of sentimentality, but truth is we stream radio stations these days and it sits on the shelf in the basement and collects dust. Anyone who might be interested can email me at docb at bottlehead dot com.

[Alonzo]

I can understand limiting the growth of one off or wild hare projects.  And I would expect the customer service on this as a kit could be hellacious.  I think your customer base would support the expense since it wouldn't cannibalize from any of your other projects.  But you know your business better than I.  There are some kits available on the web for me to try my hand at, I think my request is because I want something else to build and your quality/service/sound hasn't been met by any other vendor.

And thanks for the PDF's!!!

[Zimmer64]

In Europe the first countries have started to shut down FM radio altogether. There might be enough demand in the US, however, on my side of the pond it will be low. A DAB radio with a tube output stage might be fun though.

Michael

[Deluk]

A modestly priced chip DAC with a valve buffer/sweetener might be sellable and fun.

[ToneDeaf]

 A modestly Priced R2R Ladder DAC?

[NightPhotographer]

idler drive turntable please.

[Deke609]

Live broadcast, modestly-priced courses on analog audio design/construction would be amazing - e.g., with monthly weekend seminars.