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SEL
01-27-2015, 12:04 AM
I won this Centuri EFC-66 Launch Controller on Ebay a couple of weeks ago. I'll need to re-wire it, but, considering its age (it was available between '65 and '68) I probably would have had to replace it anyway. I won the EFC-44 Controller( photo #3, available in 1964 )7 or 8 years ago and the wiring fell apart in my hands as I unraveled it.

S.

Edit: I meant to include a pic of the Controller from the '65 Centuri catalogue:

JohnNGA
01-27-2015, 06:56 PM
Nice find, neat little bit of Centuri history.

mojo1986
01-27-2015, 07:23 PM
Sean, I saw that on Ebay recently, but not knowing much about Centuri, I thought it was a home-built job and I ignored it. Nice find indeed! What did it cost you?

Joe

snaquin
01-27-2015, 07:26 PM
I won this Centuri EFC-66 Launch Controller on Ebay a couple of weeks ago. I'll need to re-wire it, but, considering its age (it was available between '65 and '68) I probably would have had to replace it anyway. I won the EFC-44 Controller( photo #3, available in 1964 )7 or 8 years ago and the wiring fell apart in my hands as I unraveled it.

S.

Edit: I meant to include a pic of the Controller from the '65 Centuri catalogue:

Nice find, I never had a Centiri controller like that. Reminds me of the FSI EC 102 that I have except for the absence of a continuity check light.

.

SEL
01-27-2015, 07:44 PM
Sean, I saw that on Ebay recently, but not knowing much about Centuri, I thought it was a home-built job and I ignored it. Nice find indeed! What did it cost you?

Joe


Joe,

Much less than I expected - $5 and change. The shipping cost more. Included in the lot were 2 of the pre-assembled Centuri 'chutes, a pack of Sure Shots and a pack of #20 anchor Rings.
I think the Chutes are pretty rare - they don't show up on Ebay very often, anyway.

S.

SEL
01-27-2015, 07:51 PM
Nice find, I never had a Centiri controller like that. Reminds me of the FSI EC 102 that I have except for the absence of a continuity check light.

.

Hey Steve,

Reminded me of the FSI controller too, though I think the FSI is a bit bigger. I'll have to pick up some lamp cord and a jack this weekend and get it back into working order.

S.

SEL
01-31-2015, 06:01 PM
I won this Centuri EFC-66 Launch Controller on Ebay a couple of weeks ago. I'll need to re-wire it, but, considering its age (it was available between '65 and '68) I probably would have had to replace it anyway. I won the EFC-44 Controller( photo #3, available in 1964 )7 or 8 years ago and the wiring fell apart in my hands as I unraveled it.

S.

Edit: I meant to include a pic of the Controller from the '65 Centuri catalogue:


I ventured out to a Radio Shack this morning for some zip cord and a jack to re-wire the ECF-66 launch Controller:

RS Employee: "Can I help you?"

Me: "Yeah, I need some 18 gauge zip cord. Do you sell it in bulk?"

RS Employee: "What"?

Me: "I need to buy some zip cord - zip wire. You might call it 'Lamp Cord'."

RS Employee: (Scratching his head) "......... uh..."

Me: (Trying to ease his distress - this really seemed to make his head hurt.) "Lamp Cord. You know, the cord that comes out of the base of a lamp, and plugs into the wall socket? I need about 35'."

RS Employee: "Umm, jeeze,... no, we don't carry anything like that. We just have Speaker Wire."

I didn't bother to ask about Nichrome Wire.

S.

Bill
01-31-2015, 06:33 PM
Home Depot and Lowes still sell lamp cord.

Or just go to Wal-Mart for an extension cord and cut off the ends.


Bill

stefanj
01-31-2015, 11:38 PM
My go-to place for electrical parts these days is Ace Hardware. We're not talking McMaster-Carr, but they're pretty well equipped.

I went to Ace a few weeks ago to buy parts to A) rewire a lamp, and B) replace the receptacle of a heavy duty extension cord which fried dealing with the short circuited lamp. There was a bundle of measured, priced zip cord by the reels; I thought I'd do a good deed and buy it. Longer than what I needed, but spares are always good. The guy at the counter gave it to me for the price of only what I intended to buy!

Tru-Value outlets might have the same sort of inventory.

Good auto parts stores are a source for lamp housings and switches.

bernomatic
02-01-2015, 02:30 AM
Please do not get me started about Radio Shack employees. :mad:

I guess we are supposed to feel good that they don't show any bias by having employees who are not techno nerds. :rolleyes:

hcmbanjo
02-01-2015, 09:26 AM
Very nice find!
Always fun to see pictures if the real thing.
The airbrushed catalog pictures never looked as good.

luke strawwalker
02-02-2015, 12:32 AM
I ventured out to a Radio Shack this morning for some zip cord and a jack to re-wire the ECF-66 launch Controller:

RS Employee: "Can I help you?"

Me: "Yeah, I need some 18 gauge zip cord. Do you sell it in bulk?"

RS Employee: "What"?

Me: "I need to buy some zip cord - zip wire. You might call it 'Lamp Cord'."

RS Employee: (Scratching his head) "......... uh..."

Me: (Trying to ease his distress - this really seemed to make his head hurt.) "Lamp Cord. You know, the cord that comes out of the base of a lamp, and plugs into the wall socket? I need about 35'."

RS Employee: "Umm, jeeze,... no, we don't carry anything like that. We just have Speaker Wire."

I didn't bother to ask about Nichrome Wire.

S.

Not surprising... big thread over on TRF about Radio Shack going broke... they're about to go under-- their stock has plummeted into "penny stock" range... closing stores left and right and selling stuff at deep discounts...

Later! OL JR :)

PS. I get rolls of lamp cord cheap at the dollar store... but I usually just wire in a cheapy male/female "cord end repair plug" just outside whatever controller I'm wiring up, and then use a regular extension cord to run the power out to the pad...

An old cord end cut off an old VCR or junk TV or toaster or whatever then plugs into that, with some nice copper-clad microclips I bought at Radio Shack a decade ago soldered on the ends of the wire (once I split them apart for about the last foot of the wire) serves to hook up to the ignitors...

Works great! OL JR:)