I recently picked up 2 new-in-box Penn 6's with some peculiarities. The gear ratio is the most perplexing, both have a 3.5:1 gear ratio, while one box has a sticker covering the 4:1 notation on he original and the other doesn't have this sticker. Both reels are October 1980 production.
Does anyone have any Penn 6's that can be turned to see if theres are also 3.5:1 or if they are 4:1 as the box states?
Thanks in advance!
I had no information on the 6, 12, 12W gear ratio other than the 4:1.
Obviously it was a change to 3.5:1 or they wouldn't have needed the sticker?
Was it an option or a design change with other changes involved, I wonder.
We always find these things as we go and this is an oldie.
All my 6's are 4:1, as well as, the later ones. Cal can make them 5:1.
We need some catalog info. Anybody with catalogs care to chime in?
I have the International booklets that came in the box (though, oddly, the later serial number reel's manual is the 1981 manual that no longer shows the Penn 6) and it says it should be a 4:1 ratio.
Does this sticker look like something Penn would have put on or is it probably aftermarket? I've seen an International 12 box on ORCA that has an identical sticker.
That's definitely a penn sticker. I have the sane type sticker on my 130H box
Here's something interesting. Even though my 6 box says 4 to 1 ratio, the reel is actually 3.5 to 1. Now Im stumped.
For further stumping, I reached out to two sellers on ebay of these reels. One has two (a September 1979 and an October 1980) and they claim both of them are also 3.5:1. The other seller has a single example (October 1980) which they say is also 3.5:1 and their box also has the sticker.
I have a 1979 (6 International) box says 4 to 1 but reel is 3.5 to 1 interesting though it looks like it once had a sticker over the 4 to 1 ratio marking ?? picture of box below. Then I have a NIB 6 that is 1980 and box says 4 to 1 but again reel is 3.5 to 1 ???
Now the first catalog I have found the 6-12-12W Internationals in is the 1977 International catalog I am posting 3 pics below. That catalog lists all 3 reels as 4 to 1 ratio. This Catalog was copyright in 77 so could be 1978 production ?
I am going to post once more with pics. Click on pics to enlarge. Thanks John Taylor
Here is a 1980 catalog copyright in 79 it lists all three reels the 6-12-12W all as 3.5 to 1 ratios. John Taylor
John, thank you for sharing the catalog pages interesting to see the change. It seems like there are all actually 3.5:1 reels, unless someone has other evidence, but the boxes were probably all ordered back in 1977 when the plan was to make them with a 4:1 ratio. The stickers were probably used on the boxes when the assembly line workers remembered, and plenty fell off over the years.
Small sample size (~10 reels) but across a range of manufacturing dates they all seem to be 3.5:1 and this isn't exactly a reel with high production numbers. I was a bit worried that I had reels with aftermarket parts after I made the purchase, but good to hear more evidence that they're typical of what's out there.
The plot thickens....LOL
This really has my curiosity up. Im going to post a running survey thread on the matter, where everyone can post their reels actual gear ratio, stated box gear ratio, and serial number. Maybe it can be pinned by a moderator
Quote from: 1badf350 on September 25, 2018, 11:52:38 AM
The plot thickens....LOL
This really has my curiosity up. Im going to post a running survey thread on the matter, where everyone can post their reels actual gear ratio, stated box gear ratio, and serial number. Maybe it can be pinned by a moderator
Chris, did you ever get this survey up and running ? I have a 6 myself.
Greg
Quote from: Navidad Nutcase on October 20, 2019, 08:53:12 PM
Quote from: 1badf350 on September 25, 2018, 11:52:38 AM
The plot thickens....LOL
This really has my curiosity up. Im going to post a running survey thread on the matter, where everyone can post their reels actual gear ratio, stated box gear ratio, and serial number. Maybe it can be pinned by a moderator
Chris, did you ever get this survey up and running ? I have a 6 myself.
Greg
I found it.