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Old 2nd Sep 2021, 11:39 am   #1
MurphyNut
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Default Radio Rentals model 62 (1948)

I spotted this at my local car boot and I couldn’t say no at the asking price of a fiver. There was some damage with a little bit of Bakelite missing on the back of one of the sides, but it actually doesn’t notice too much.
I have to say this is by far the easiest radio I’ve come across in removing the chassis. Just two large screws on the back and everything slides out including the loudspeaker, I didn’t even have to take the knobs off.
The whole assembly can be turned upside-down and sits perfectly to service.
Very little had been done to it, just a couple of electrolytic capacitors and these looked as if they were done a very long time ago, they read ok, so I left them.
I replaced all the wax caps and the two remaining electrolytic capacitors that were housed in unusual “cardboard” type boxes, these were leaking wax. There’re rather nice so I’ve kept one for interest value.
It doesn’t have a wired-in mains lead but takes exactly the same plug use on Bush Dac 90.
I powered it up and it worked really well, good volume and picking loads of stations on all 3 wave bands and no annoying hum. But I was getting buzzing from the speaker with anything with some bass. The outer rim of the cone had become detached from the speaker frame. This was easily sorted out with impact adhesive, good job the speaker didn’t need replacing as its spot welded to a bracket that is riveted to the chassis, a near on impossible job to remove it.
A spray of servisol contact cleaner sorted out the crackle from the volume and tone controls.
I gave the cabinet a good polish and repainted the gold line that was flaking off. This immediately improved the sets appearance considerably.
It’s a nice radio with a lovely tone, no doubt helped by its decent sized speaker. The only thing I’m a little disappointed in, is the tuning scale doesn’t light up. This version is designed that way, there is a bulb, but it’s only function it so illuminate a red spot at the top of the scale to show the set is on! So not a radio to sit in a dark corner. Though saying that, I have seen photos of the same model were the scale is illuminated!
I've been playing music via my ipod through "gram" socket and very nice sounds comes out.
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Old 2nd Sep 2021, 12:43 pm   #2
stevehertz
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Default Re: Radio Rentals model 62 (1948)

Lovely job. Glad to see that you didn't waste time re-stuffing those nasty wax caps and boxed electrolytics. Each to their own of course. The under chassis looks very neat and a superb job on the cabinet.
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Old 2nd Sep 2021, 7:51 pm   #3
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Default Re: Radio Rentals model 62 (1948)

.....each to their own, as you say, but as those boxed electrolytics are so unique, I would have been very tempted to re stuff these and put them back.

A lovely set, and well done for saving it!


Cheers.

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Old 2nd Sep 2021, 7:56 pm   #4
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Default Re: Radio Rentals model 62 (1948)

A handsome unit - it looks as tho' it 'should' sound good .... well worth a fiver !!
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Old 4th Sep 2021, 2:46 am   #5
G8UWM-MildMartin
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Default Re: Radio Rentals model 62 (1948)

In the 4th picture, the brown wire on the mains input pin looks as though it is pointing towards the metal bracket (with flux or a blast mark between the two) rather than going through the hole in the tag, though that may be a photograhic artefact.

Last edited by G8UWM-MildMartin; 4th Sep 2021 at 2:49 am. Reason: bracket, not chassis
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Old 5th Sep 2021, 9:12 am   #6
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Default Re: Radio Rentals model 62 (1948)

Nice one, un cluttered layout polished up well , Mick.
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Old 6th Sep 2021, 4:02 pm   #7
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Default Re: Radio Rentals model 62 (1948)

Quote:
Originally Posted by thermionic View Post
those boxed electrolytics are so unique,
Absolutely - very rare and unusual with the RR branding on them too!

I would have left them in place and, if definitely faulty, I would have disconnected them from the circuit electrically and used external replacements - like they would have probably done in an 'old time' radio repair workshop where they wouldn't have bothered to remove the originals. Wax will always be leaking out of those types due to warming over time and isn't necessarily a sign of any electrical leakage, although I would suspect that those particular capacitors were probably not in a good state and may have been generating their own warming and replacement was likely needed anyway.

It's a good looking set - any pictures of the underside of the chassis with those square capacitors still in place?
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Old 6th Sep 2021, 8:28 pm   #8
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Default Re: Radio Rentals model 62 (1948)

Quote:
Originally Posted by G8UWM-MildMartin View Post
In the 4th picture, the brown wire on the mains input pin looks as though it is pointing towards the metal bracket (with flux or a blast mark between the two) rather than going through the hole in the tag, though that may be a photograhic artefact.
Not to worry, it's just flux, the soldering/wire is in fact well away from the metal bracket. I see what you mean from the photo but it's safe, well, as safe as a vintage radio can be!
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Old 6th Sep 2021, 8:34 pm   #9
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Default Re: Radio Rentals model 62 (1948)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Techman View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by thermionic View Post
those boxed electrolytics are so unique,
Absolutely - very rare and unusual with the RR branding on them too!

I would have left them in place and, if definitely faulty, I would have disconnected them from the circuit electrically and used external replacements - like they would have probably done in an 'old time' radio repair workshop where they wouldn't have bothered to remove the originals. Wax will always be leaking out of those types due to warming over time and isn't necessarily a sign of any electrical leakage, although I would suspect that those particular capacitors were probably not in a good state and may have been generating their own warming and replacement was likely needed anyway.

It's a good looking set - any pictures of the underside of the chassis with those square capacitors still in place?
I decided to put one of those boxed electrolytic,s back in the chassis, disconnected, they were reading really bad and had to be replaced. I didn't do a before pic, perhaps I should have!
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Old 17th Sep 2021, 8:15 am   #10
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Default Re: Radio Rentals model 62 (1948)

Quote:
Originally Posted by thermionic View Post
.....each to their own, as you say, but as those boxed electrolytics are so unique, I would have been very tempted to re stuff these and put them back.

A lovely set, and well done for saving it!


Cheers.

SimonT.
Me too !

The fact that they were specially marked for "Radio Rentals", makes them special.... The "TCC" and "Hunts" 'waxies', much less so.
Unfortunately both my RR number 58 and number 60 receivers which have similar H.T. filtering arrangements, have had their 'cardboard' cased capacitors removed and replaced by modern axial type electrolytic's by a previous owner. Such a shame !
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Old 23rd Sep 2021, 3:52 pm   #11
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Default Re: Radio Rentals model 62 (1948)

I have a couple of Radio Rentals sets, they were designed to be easy to service, and they certainly are

They are competent performers, if a little plain in appearance.
It seems strange today to think of people actually renting a radio back then.
TV sets were expensive, so renting made sense, especially the early colour sets.

Another business now consigned to history.....


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Old 25th Sep 2021, 2:04 pm   #12
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Default Re: Radio Rentals model 62 (1948)

They are competent performers, if a little plain in appearance.
It seems strange today to think of people actually renting a radio back then.
TV sets were expensive, so renting made sense, especially the early colour sets.[/QUOTE]

My Aunt used to rent a radio from "Radio Rentals" and a television from "Top Rank", because as she used to say, "When they go wrong, they come out and mend them". The television always seemed to go wrong, especially after watching the then, newly introduced BBC2 channel which was on 625 line UHF system. BBC1 & ITV were still only on the 405 line VHF system. It must have been a design fault somewhere.

In Eastbourne where my Aunt lived, you used to be able to rent Kettles from the Corporation ! Which had a plate with the words "Property of Eastbourne Corporation" attached under the lid knob. When the Corporation stopped renting kettles, they just let you keep the kettle.
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Old 25th Sep 2021, 2:45 pm   #13
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Default Re: Radio Rentals model 62 (1948)

I think my Granparents rented a radio at one time.

Michael Caine's Dad rented the same set for years, probably paying for it a few times over before his son bought him one to replace it.
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