Radio Retro

Don't throw it away!

Homebrew 1970s Hifi Stereo 25w Amplifier and FM Tuner

Teak cased gold panelled FM tuner with touch controls for 6 preset stations and manual tuning. A Nixie tube indicates the selected channel and a red led indicates a stereo programme. Below a matching gold panelled hifi amplifier has an upper row of controls for speaker headphone selection along with volume, treble, bass, balance and input functions. Lower row provides power indication, headphone socket, high / low volume level, 2 stage low pass and high pass filters along with a tape monitor. Perspex overlay protects the Letraset Eurostyle lettering used on tuner and amplifier. Both use contrasting silver spun aluminium control knobs.

Reading Simon Reynolds Retromania – Pop culture’s addiction to its own past – nearly stopped me from writing this post. However, well into Retromania Part 1 I realised nostalgia can inspire as well as expire. So I hope others are… Continue Reading →

29/08/2024 0

Sony Earth-Orbiter CRF-5090

Front side view showing top handle, telescopic aerial and channel selection switch on the right side.

Back in the 1970s I remember a school friend boasting how his father had the best radio ever. The family had been living in the US and brought the radio with them on return to the UK. At the time… Continue Reading →

13/08/2024 0

Pioneer SX-850 Common Faults and Fixes

Front panel with dial and illuminated

Pioneer produced arguably some of the best stereo hifi receivers during the 1970s and you can still find useful examples today. After fifty plus years many need some attention to restore their former glory. This post runs through several ways… Continue Reading →

05/08/2024 0

Uher 4000 Report S Portable Tape Recorder

Uher 4000 Report S tape recorder showing the rotary controls to adjust recording and playback levels along with piano keys for tape operation.

Rescued from the scrap heap this Uher 4000 Report – S portable reel to reel tape recorder was manufactured between 1963 and 1965, superseding the original Uher Report 4000 introduced in 1961. The 4000 S uses a 12 transistor design… Continue Reading →

18/05/2024 0

Pye Piccadilly 6000 transistor radio

Shows the front of a Pye 6000 transistor radio with SW, MW and LW tuning dials. FM is on the top and can't be seen.

No collection of Pye transistor radios would be complete without a Piccadilly 6000. Its sheer size commands attention! Produced in 1966, Pye’s version of the Philips L6X38T is a rare model that I managed to buy at a local boot… Continue Reading →

02/01/2024 2

Sony CVM90UB 9-90UB portable television TV

Shows size comparison with ginger cat

Here’s an nice example of a small portable black and white TV made in Japan by the Sony Corporation in the 1960s. I picked up this one at Ardingly Antiques and Collectables fair a couple of years ago for £5… Continue Reading →

30/12/2023 1

Ever Ready Sky Master Upcycle

Front view of dark blue Ever Ready Sky Master radio showing front speaker grille with its name with wave change pushbuttons set in gold colour surround and rotary volume and tuning controls.

You may wonder how a sixty year old transistor radio, manufactured in Britain, can be of interest today? Back in the 1960s Ever Ready batteries, along with rival Vidor, powered the majority of torches, cycle lamps and portable radios. Their… Continue Reading →

09/12/2023 0

Siemens Bosch Washer Dryer Faults and Repairs

New and old iQ500 heater elements showing black corrosion.

Do you have a Siemens / Bosch iQ series washing machine or washer dryer like the iQ500 WD15G421GB that’s faulty? If so you may be able to repair it yourself without the high cost of BSH service engineers. Warning: Disconnect… Continue Reading →

19/10/2023 0

Roberts R900 transistor radio no sound fault

Has your Roberts R900 radio stopped working? If you radio has no sound from either battery or mains power there may be a simple way you can repair it. Warning: Disconnect the radio from mains power before attempting to disassemble… Continue Reading →

21/05/2023 0

Instant Pot Vortex Plus Close Basket Fault

Instant Brands Vortex Plus air fryer showing Close Basket warning message

Do you have a faulty Instant Pot Vortex plus air fryer that just displays Close Basket and won’t start? Or maybe the air fryer just stops after a short time and shows Close Basket? If so here’s one way to… Continue Reading →

15/04/2023 23
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