Vintage Audio Activities...

This is the place for posts that don't fit into any other category.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
User avatar
mickthemaverick
Donor 2024
Posts: 13523
Joined: 11 May 2019, 17:56
Location: Hertford
My Cars: 70+ former cars (list available) including 11 Citroens, 3 Renaults
Current cars: 2004 Subaru Legacy 2.5 SEn, 1994 Mazda MX3
x 6011

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by mickthemaverick »

CitroJim wrote: 11 Feb 2021, 05:43
I'll install it in Daffodil once the weather warms up a bit... Garage is currently like a deep-freeze 🥶
Beware the wrath of the lady scorned. You may find Daffodil finds an E for her model name and wields it toward your numb digits!! :-D
I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!
I used to ride on two wheels, but now I need all four!
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49526
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6160
Contact:

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by CitroJim »

mickthemaverick wrote: 11 Feb 2021, 08:41
CitroJim wrote: 11 Feb 2021, 05:43
I'll install it in Daffodil once the weather warms up a bit... Garage is currently like a deep-freeze 🥶
Beware the wrath of the lady scorned. You may find Daffodil finds an E for her model name and wields it toward your numb digits!! :-D
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: I will give her lots of warning an TLC before I do Mick, and soften her up a bit ;)
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
User avatar
mickthemaverick
Donor 2024
Posts: 13523
Joined: 11 May 2019, 17:56
Location: Hertford
My Cars: 70+ former cars (list available) including 11 Citroens, 3 Renaults
Current cars: 2004 Subaru Legacy 2.5 SEn, 1994 Mazda MX3
x 6011

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by mickthemaverick »

I believe there may be some interest in this item !! :)

Also towards the end of page 4 of this catalogue there are a number of audio equipment lots which may be of interest.
Last edited by mickthemaverick on 17 Feb 2021, 19:47, edited 1 time in total.
I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!
I used to ride on two wheels, but now I need all four!
Peter.N.
Moderating Team
Posts: 11563
Joined: 02 Apr 2005, 16:11
Location: Charmouth,Dorset
My Cars: Currently:

C5 X7 VTR + Satnav Hdi estate Silver
C5 X7 VTR + Hdi Estate 2008 Red

In the past: 3, CX td Safaris and about 7, XM td estates. Lovely cars.
x 1199

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by Peter.N. »

I've not gone back to vinyl yet and probably won't but I'm sure someone will want them. I remember the first 45 rpm record I saw, it was when I worked in London in 1954.

The Avo and other meter have gone apparently, they used to cost fortune but very few people want them now, you can slip a digital meter in your pocket but not so an Avo - unless you are a poacher. :wink: I only use mine for the car as the Fluke meter doesn't have an amps range.

Peter
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49526
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6160
Contact:

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by CitroJim »

Peter.N. wrote: 17 Feb 2021, 16:42 The Avo and other meter have gone apparently, they used to cost fortune but very few people want them now,
Give me an AVO any day! I've finally reassembled mine and it's back in service now :)
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Online
Hell Razor5543
Donor 2023
Posts: 13727
Joined: 01 Apr 2012, 09:47
Location: Reading
My Cars: C5 Mk2 VTX+ estate.
x 2993

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Just done an ebay search for AVO meter, and found a nice selection;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from ... r&_sacat=0
James
ex BX 1.9
ex Xantia 2.0HDi SX
ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
Ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
Ex C5 2.0HDi VTR

C5 2.2HDi VTX+
Yes, I am paranoid, but am I paranoid ENOUGH?
Out amongst the stars, looking for a world of my own!
Peter.N.
Moderating Team
Posts: 11563
Joined: 02 Apr 2005, 16:11
Location: Charmouth,Dorset
My Cars: Currently:

C5 X7 VTR + Satnav Hdi estate Silver
C5 X7 VTR + Hdi Estate 2008 Red

In the past: 3, CX td Safaris and about 7, XM td estates. Lovely cars.
x 1199

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by Peter.N. »

I have a couple of them Jim but space and weight are a penalty compared with digital. My old Fluke 11, bought for a lot of money about 40 years ago is almost indestructible, although the display is loosing some of its surface but not obliterating anything yet.

I had a dreadful time trying to adapt to a digi meter when I first had one - but I'm used to it now. :wink:

Peter
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49526
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6160
Contact:

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by CitroJim »

A bit of amp. work today :) One of my Leak Stereo 30s died on its right channel...
leaks30.jpg
It's rarely used as it lives in my bedroom and partners a Leak stereo Troughline tuner... It only sees any use if I'm ill and confined to bed and that's (thankfully) very rare indeed nowadays :D

I do like to run both it and the tuner up on occasion to keep it in good condition. Something I do with all my vintage kit...

The fault was very quickly traced to a 'tin whisker' in T5R, an AF118. The AF11x transistor family are notorious for growing 'tin whiskers' and the quick and dirty bodge is to lift the screen wire. The whiskers grow and short either emitter, base or collector - or indeed all three - to the can which is grounded via the screen wire...
leaks30inside.jpg
In this case I was able to successfully 'blow' the whisker using my AVO on high ohms range :) This is only a stop-gap until I source a replacement... The AF118 is a bit of a rare beast and has no direct equivalent. It's an RF transistor was an odd choice for Leak to use it as a pre-driver in the power amplifier section... Nobody can shed any light on why they did... Maybe Harold Leak got hold of a job lot that fell off the back of a lorry...

For a while I'd noted a bit 'crunch' noise when it was first turned on from cold... This problem was traced to leaky coupling electrolytics putting a bit of DC on the volume control tracks... A couple of new capacitors and all is now good...
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Peter.N.
Moderating Team
Posts: 11563
Joined: 02 Apr 2005, 16:11
Location: Charmouth,Dorset
My Cars: Currently:

C5 X7 VTR + Satnav Hdi estate Silver
C5 X7 VTR + Hdi Estate 2008 Red

In the past: 3, CX td Safaris and about 7, XM td estates. Lovely cars.
x 1199

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by Peter.N. »

Well done Jim - didn't used to get that problem with valves. :-D

Peter
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49526
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6160
Contact:

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by CitroJim »

A bit of radio work yesterday :)

A Bush VHF80 with a bad case of modulation hum and rough audio on VHF...
bush3.jpg
A couple of capacitors sorted it :)
bush1.jpg
And a bit of extra HF decoupling on the VHF tuner HT supply went a bit further to reduce the modulation hum to nothing...
bush2.jpg
It is now preforms well and sounds very nice indeed :)

Even if it looks a bit rough!
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
User avatar
white exec
Moderating Team
Posts: 7445
Joined: 21 Dec 2015, 12:46
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by white exec »

Cetainly untidy, Jim!
Remember working with several of Sony's first Umatic VCRs back in the '70s. The pcb's in their 1810 recorders looked as if a troop of boy scouts had marched across them - stand-up/loop-down discrete components all leaning at crazy angles - a real eyesore. One day, we had a Panasonic equivalent on the bench, and the difference was striking: everything tidy and vertical.
Not knocking the Sonys through: terrific and acclaimed machines. We eventually ran three 1810 (and later Type 5) recorders and almost a dozen Type 5 playback units in the school, all still operating when I moved on in '88. 27" Trinitrons on Unicol stands were our choice for classrooms. Oh for the compactness and cheapness of later DVDs!!
Chris
Peter.N.
Moderating Team
Posts: 11563
Joined: 02 Apr 2005, 16:11
Location: Charmouth,Dorset
My Cars: Currently:

C5 X7 VTR + Satnav Hdi estate Silver
C5 X7 VTR + Hdi Estate 2008 Red

In the past: 3, CX td Safaris and about 7, XM td estates. Lovely cars.
x 1199

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by Peter.N. »

I recognise that Jim, we used to sell those when they were new - I was much newer too.

Peter
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49526
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6160
Contact:

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by CitroJim »

white exec wrote: 12 Mar 2021, 06:56 Cetainly untidy, Jim!
Remember working with several of Sony's first Umatic VCRs back in the '70s. The pcb's in their 1810 recorders looked as if a troop of boy scouts had marched across them - stand-up/loop-down discrete components all leaning at crazy angles - a real eyesore.

I know exactly what you mean Chris, I found very little to please the eye in most Japanese domestic stuff of the era... Looked great on the outside and horrid internally! The Japs really knew how to make things look elegant, stylish and classy on the outside...

Sony were bloody good and despite the internal rats nests not too difficult to repair on the rare occasions their stuff failed... Unlike some other Japanese stuff!

You can see why the Jap stuff completely eclipsed the British stuff - on looks alone... The British stuff worked well but did not have the sharp looks...
Peter.N. wrote: 12 Mar 2021, 10:06 I recognise that Jim, we used to sell those when they were new - I was much newer too.
They were always good sets Peter. I would think they must have sold well, both the VHF80 and it's wooden cased sister, the VHF81... I have three VHF81s in my collection :)

I've been fixing a product of a famous (and classy) old British radio maker today... A Hacker portable with a very noisy tuning capacitor leading to very unstable tuning...
rp78-1.jpg
It was necessary to open up the metal screening box around the tuner module to fix it...
rp78-2.jpg
rp78-3.jpg
And to do so I needed to unlace the tuning drive cord... Not a job I relish...

I took a load of photos so that I could re-lace it at the end ;)
rp78-4.jpg
The repair was a complete success :D
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
User avatar
white exec
Moderating Team
Posts: 7445
Joined: 21 Dec 2015, 12:46
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by white exec »

This pic (Guardian, today) caught my eye...
Audio Gold, Muswell Hill, pic.jpg
...the caption underneath crediting the photo as shot at the specialist Audio Gold shop (Muswell Hill).

A splendid wall of speakers, not least the KEF Concerto (on the right) with its B139, B110 and T27, and its SP... crossover oddly mounted out front!

But there the fun started.
Go to Audio Gold's website https://audiogold.co.uk/, and click on Hi-Fi for a feast of classic stuff.
Jim will need to be sitting down for this one, not least the asking prices. Even a Leak!
Interesting that a good few items are now being re-manufactured - eg a pair of LS3/5a BBC-Rogers, a snip at £2,899!
Chris
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49526
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6160
Contact:

Re: Lockdown Vintage Audio Activities...

Post by CitroJim »

Lovely :D

The speakers are nice too :)
white exec wrote: 20 Mar 2021, 17:08
Go to Audio Gold's website https://audiogold.co.uk/, and click on Hi-Fi for a feast of classic stuff.
Jim will need to be sitting down for this one, not least the asking prices. Even a Leak!
Gosh, those prices :shock: Good job I'd taken my vital signs readings before looking at that site!

Otherwise my blood pressure would have been through the roof :lol:
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
Post Reply