Roberts Radio - tech question

[Trevor Wilson]

I have a Roberts Radio RCS80 on the bench.

Buggered if I can figure out how to pull the thing apart. Naturally, I
emailed Roberts Radio for assistance. NO dice. Apparently all their
documentation was lost in a flood 10 years ago. Really? Anyway, no one
at Roberts Radio can assist. They referred me to a repairer, but the
reference disappears into an internet black hole.

I am hoping that someone here has some experience with the RCS80 and can
advise.

TIA

--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

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[Adam Sampson]

Trevor Wilson <tre...@rageaudio.com.au> writes:

> I have a Roberts Radio RCS80 on the bench. Buggered if I can figure
> out how to pull the thing apart.

I managed to find the first page of the service manual through a Google
Images search, which has the start of the "Dismantling" instructions:

| 1. Remove base, disconnect loudspeaker, telescopic aerial and lead to
| external aerial socket.
|
| 2. Remove handle (push down and spring handle ends off fixing studs),
| unscrew studs.
|
| 3. Ease chassis out from top of case to extent of leads. Unplug leads
| to battery container, DIN socket and mains transformer, chassis may
| now be removed.
|
| 4. Remove two c/s screws securing escutcheon, mains transformer is
| retained by one flange hd screw in case end and one nut in case back.

There are a few people who've fixed (or, more often, failed to fix)
RCS80s on the vintage-radio.net forums, so it might be worth asking
there too.

--
Adam Sampson <a...@offog.org> <http://offog.org/>

[Trevor Wilson]

**Thanks a bunch for the info.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

I'm assuming this is a very old one then? I guess you tried the obvious
under the feet, and remove knobs approach? I did have a decca radio cassette
once that was made by Tatung, it was welded shut. Bah humbug.
Brian

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"Trevor Wilson" <tre...@rageaudio.com.au> wrote in message
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[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

So is the fault no reception or low gain? I do not know the set, but do know
that many sets that used Mullard tin can type transistors tended to have
issues when the resin inside either expanded and broke the connections, or
went conductive and that meant it simply did not do anything at all. The fix
normally is to find replacement transistors, but they were Germanium, and
although you might get by with silicon, remember most were pnp.

Brian

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"Trevor Wilson" <tre...@rageaudio.com.au> wrote in message

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[Trevor Wilson]

On 7/10/2020 10:20 pm, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
> So is the fault no reception or low gain?

**Just a dodgy microswitch.

I do not know the set, but do know
> that many sets that used Mullard tin can type transistors tended to have
> issues when the resin inside either expanded and broke the connections, or
> went conductive and that meant it simply did not do anything at all. The fix
> normally is to find replacement transistors, but they were Germanium, and
> although you might get by with silicon, remember most were pnp.
> Brian

**First, I have to strip the thing down.

[Trevor Wilson]

On 7/10/2020 10:15 pm, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
> I'm assuming this is a very old one then? I guess you tried the obvious
> under the feet, and remove knobs approach? I did have a decca radio cassette
> once that was made by Tatung, it was welded shut. Bah humbug.
> Brian
>

**Yes, to all the above.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

Micros in a radio? I used to have an old Akai cassette deck, one of the
first Dolby machines, its one main issue was the autostop relied on a
rotating changeover switch, driven by a pulley from the tape counter belt,
thus it would sometimes slip and trip the autostop when the rotation
stopped. Having got fed up with all the belts, I decided to use a hall
effect device and a small relay, on later models they used a reed switch,
but the thing worked the same. The annoying thing of course was that when
the sound was quiet, you could hear the tiny relay clicking.

Brian

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"Trevor Wilson" <tre...@rageaudio.com.au> wrote in message

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[Andrew]

On 07/10/2020 04:59, Trevor Wilson wrote:
> On 7/10/2020 10:18 am, Adam Sampson wrote:
>> Trevor Wilson <tre...@rageaudio.com.au> writes:
>>
>>> I have a Roberts Radio RCS80 on the bench. Buggered if I can figure
>>> out how to pull the thing apart.
>>
>> I managed to find the first page of the service manual through a Google
>> Images search, which has the start of the "Dismantling" instructions:
>>
>> | 1. Remove base, disconnect loudspeaker, telescopic aerial and lead to
>> | external aerial socket.
>> |
>> | 2. Remove handle (push down and spring handle ends off fixing studs),
>> | unscrew studs.
>> |
>> | 3. Ease chassis out from top of case to extent of leads. Unplug leads
>> | to battery container, DIN socket and mains transformer, chassis may
>> | now be removed.
>> |
>> | 4. Remove two c/s screws securing escutcheon, mains transformer is
>> | retained by one flange hd screw in case end and one nut in case back.
>>
>> There are a few people who've fixed (or, more often, failed to fix)
>> RCS80s on the vintage-radio.net forums, so it might be worth asking
>> there too.
>>
>
> **Thanks a bunch for the info.
>

Someone here seems to have a manual -

https://vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=6375