73-Note Rohrflote Compass

The console I have from Reuter opus 638 was oringinally designed to control an organ smaller than the one I am now building.  I am using the wiring originally intended for a Dulciana to play my new Rohrflote.  I realized early on that the original Dulciana was missing the bottom 7 notes.  However, when I began working in the console, I realized that the top octave (notes 62-73) was also missing.  At 4' pitch the top octave broke back an octave.  I was disappointed to figure out that I would only be able to use 54 of the 73 Rohrflote pipes I bought.

As I was removing the old pedal contact assembly I decided to use it for parts.  I carefully removed fourteen the silver contact wires and cleaned them up (seven contacts for each of two manuals).  Careful inspection of the console revealed that holes were already drilled for the contacts when it was built and there was space in the wire channel for the extra wires.  There were even holes drilled in the slider that shifts all the contact wires into position.  All I had to do was carefully insert the contact wires through both holes, and then run some wire down to the new junction boards.  Click on the link below the picture and go to the complete album.

From 73-Note Rohrflote

Next, I turned to the top octave.  All I had to do there was cut the wires that connected the top octave to the octave just below it.  I found enough left-over wire to use the proper color code for notes 62-73 and ran that down to the new junction boards as well.  Note the original cotton-covered wire bundled with the new PVC-covered wire that I added.

When I went to test everything, my heart sank.  I use a spare Direct Electric pallet magnet to test my circuits, rather than bother with winding a chest and getting out pipes.  I hooked it up, played the lowest note, nothing.  I played the second note, nothing.  Third note, nothing.  In frustration, I played the third note three or four more times and sure enough, the magnet fired.  I went back to the first note, played it a few times, eventually it fired too.  Then I remembered some advice I read on the Organ Forum:  Notes that play intermittently, or after repeatedly pressing the key usually indicate dirty or corroded contacts.  Repeated playing got each an every circuit to fire!  Fortunately, the contact cleaner arrived in the mail today. 

This Rohrflote expansion is very exciting for me because I can now draw the 4' Rohrflote and play it down an octave to contrast with the 8' Gedeckt on the other manual.  Also, the 2' Rohrflote is the only 2' stop on the Great and I will be very glad to have the top octave up there!