On this day in 1911, a dispatcher in the New York Times office sends the first telegram around the world via commercial service. Exactly 66 years later, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sends a different kind of message--a phonograph record containing information about Earth for extraterrestrial beings--shooting into space aboard the unmanned spacecraft Voyager II.

Wassa Phonograph?

A phonograph plays records. Discs made of vinyl plastic.

meemoon wrote:A phonograph plays records. Discs made of vinyl plastic.

Hi Meemoon

Thank you for the answer

of course we have moved on to metal disc now.

Your welcome but discs are still made of plastic. They use tiny little holes that pass a laser beam instead of grooves that vibrate a needle.

Brian just told me you can't burn data into metal...

OH! MY I did not realize that. lol

Your right they are plastic....because of the silver colour on one side I assumed wrong.

They use tiny little holes that pass a laser beam instead of grooves that vibrate a needle.

very good explanation above....Thanks Meemoon

I forgot to point out that the "phonograph" record on the space vehicle was actually gold plated titanium.

meemoon wrote:I forgot to point out that the "phonograph" record on the space vehicle was actually gold plated titanium.

Nope, copper.

I used many brands of turnouts. The Horseware is excellent yet the price is a little bit high. I tried Harrison Howard turnouts, Weatherbeeta turnout later. They are cheaper and the quality is acceptable.