Interesting how they scaled up radio horns for 'Hi Fi' commercial sound in the 1920s.

Thanks for the clip. First time I've seen or heard one like that.

(Love the period 'dust bug' on the turntable beneath it.)

Pictures uploaded.

"Pictures uploaded." - thanks Brad

Racon Ad/image very rare as I found it in an archived trade journal and these didn't hardly sell
due to RCA/Western Electric [WE] duopoly.

W.E. horn found by me and workmate in sealed off room at Park Theatre (Washington & 12th, Racine,WI) in late 80's .
So it was just 100km north of the factory in Hawthorne (now Cicero,IL) where workers pose with similar horn in 1929 on lawn at AT&T/WE manufacturing campus (from cover of company magazine)

There were many of these in Australia (so Power House museum could have an interactive display?)
I saw two of these horns behind screen in Capri Theatre, Stanley St, East Brisbane in 1981. They were installed between original silent screen on back wall & perforated Talkie screen added in 1931 along with amplifier/horns.

In theory the horn aperture could be almost as large as the screen. The efficient angle of accoustic projection for mid-range frequencies would extend from the mouth of the horn to the width and height of the audience seating, as seen from the direction of the screen. In practice, the bass frequencies would disperse widely from the mouth of the horn, as experienced with those annoying "sub-woofers" lifting the roofs off hotted-up cars.

Would be interesting to know what power was in the amplifiers driving those huge horns. They were probably more energy-efficient than modern enclosure systems that work by muffling and damping a good proportion of the accoustic energy.

Maven

"..what power was in the amplifiers driving those huge horns"

Would be 1/2 power rating of driver, that is 5 watts per driver (10w total)
(dual drivers used for larger movie palaces like Park Theatre)

Would really like to hear that huge Racon unit (and their driver) but probably extinct product.
Like German electrostatic cinema system from same era - no surviving speaker exists

Or Western Electric 18" coaxial (late 1930s) (world's first) AFAIK no one's found a surviving unit!

"(Love the period 'dust bug' on the turntable beneath it.)"

I hadn't noticed that! (under 15A Horn)
It's on a Fairchild record lathe - probably for making 16" transcription radio programmes.

I once had a 16" Fairchild playback turntable console - had large motor for instant roll going to "gearbox" transmission for speed change shifting, then direct drive to turntable via vibration isolating coupler.
Also had a Commonwealth Electronics 16" Transcription turntable in Aust - as I recall these were more conventional idler drive.

Also had a Commonwealth Electronics 16" Transcription turntable in Aust - as I recall these were more conventional idler drive.

I was given one of those in the 1970s. Was too big and heavy for any use I had for it, so I gave it away. Yes, idler wheel drive.

I made a nice base for my Comm. Elect. 16" [large & heavy] and mounted a 16" Euphonics Miniconic Strain Gauge phono arm on it (I really like professional gear) (I would beg radio stations for these things - working for AWA helped).

It worked okay but some rumble issues - really need a rumble filter with these.

Never listened to the Fairchild (had a Rek-o-Kut 16" arm & Shure with special order 78rpm stylus).

London exhibit plays hi fi audio through 27ft horn speaker using Western Electric 555W driver (1926)

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/exponential_horn.aspx.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01zcr6d.

Edit:
This link actually works!
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-27483035