Ugly to lovely Regentone - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

ekcopyephilips · 24th Jul 2022, 5:22 pm

Hi everyone

I’ve had this little Regentone DP3 since I was a teen so getting on for 30 years. Gosh time speeds up as I get older. Seems like only yesterday when I found it.

Stupidly I stored it in a damp outbuilding and when HWMBO told me to clear out my ‘junk’ from it last week I found it looking in a terrible state. It wasn’t that bad when I last saw it.

I stripped all the paint off with yellow nitromoors. Lots of polishing gave a good finish, I prefer the brown and gold trim look so that’s a bonus.

Electrically not much needed doing, the on off switch wasn’t operating correctly so that’s been removed from the cct as it never switched off. The waveband selector was very crackly so I gave it a clean and a polish with some silvo.

There is another fault the ECH xx valve produces tons of crackles if lightly touched. Cleaning the valve pins hasn’t done anything so I need to clean the socket somehow and check the soldering, but that’s for another day. Only two caps needed replacing, I’ve not checked the smoother but it’s not getting hot but there is a bit of hum, again that can be done another time.

Cheers

Mike

McMurdo · 24th Jul 2022, 5:41 pm

quite a nice little thing, no doubt bought for someone's bedroom or kitchen.

Hartley118 · 24th Jul 2022, 6:11 pm

I’d check out the valveholder of the ECH**. If it’s a McMurdo with bifurcated contacts, you may find that one of the contacts has done a bifurcate too far and broken, resulting in intermittent contact. McMurdo used to have the top reputation, but, unanticipated at the time, they don’t age well: the brass alloy used in their valveholder contacts crystallises and goes brittle over time.

I’ve just replaced a B8A valveholder with that problem in a Regentone record player (badged RGD). A right pain!

Martin

McMurdo · 24th Jul 2022, 8:29 pm

+1 what martin says if it uses McMurdo.

I had a DAC90 suffering damp storage, with the McMurdo sockets and literally every one had a few fractured forks - there's been a recent thread on this problem.

I ended up buying a full set of NOS sockets (I think from electrojumble) which were a different design and cured that sort of problem.

telstar · 18th Aug 2022, 3:01 pm

Hi. I have a Regentone DP3 but my cabinet is in green
Cheers
Mike

24th Jul 2022, 5:22 pm	#1
ekcopyephilips Hexode Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 440	Ugly to lovely Regentone Hi everyone I’ve had this little Regentone DP3 since I was a teen so getting on for 30 years. Gosh time speeds up as I get older. Seems like only yesterday when I found it. Stupidly I stored it in a damp outbuilding and when HWMBO told me to clear out my ‘junk’ from it last week I found it looking in a terrible state. It wasn’t that bad when I last saw it. I stripped all the paint off with yellow nitromoors. Lots of polishing gave a good finish, I prefer the brown and gold trim look so that’s a bonus. Electrically not much needed doing, the on off switch wasn’t operating correctly so that’s been removed from the cct as it never switched off. The waveband selector was very crackly so I gave it a clean and a polish with some silvo. There is another fault the ECH xx valve produces tons of crackles if lightly touched. Cleaning the valve pins hasn’t done anything so I need to clean the socket somehow and check the soldering, but that’s for another day. Only two caps needed replacing, I’ve not checked the smoother but it’s not getting hot but there is a bit of hum, again that can be done another time. Cheers Mike Attached Thumbnails

24th Jul 2022, 5:41 pm	#2
McMurdo Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 5,271	Re: Ugly to lovely Regentone quite a nice little thing, no doubt bought for someone's bedroom or kitchen. __________________ Kevin

24th Jul 2022, 6:11 pm	#3
Hartley118 Nonode Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK. Posts: 2,198	Re: Ugly to lovely Regentone I’d check out the valveholder of the ECH**. If it’s a McMurdo with bifurcated contacts, you may find that one of the contacts has done a bifurcate too far and broken, resulting in intermittent contact. McMurdo used to have the top reputation, but, unanticipated at the time, they don’t age well: the brass alloy used in their valveholder contacts crystallises and goes brittle over time. I’ve just replaced a B8A valveholder with that problem in a Regentone record player (badged RGD). A right pain! Martin __________________ BVWS Member

24th Jul 2022, 8:29 pm	#4
McMurdo Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 5,271	Re: Ugly to lovely Regentone +1 what martin says if it uses McMurdo. I had a DAC90 suffering damp storage, with the McMurdo sockets and literally every one had a few fractured forks - there's been a recent thread on this problem. I ended up buying a full set of NOS sockets (I think from electrojumble) which were a different design and cured that sort of problem. __________________ Kevin

18th Aug 2022, 3:01 pm	#5
telstar Octode Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 1,592	Re: Ugly to lovely Regentone Hi. I have a Regentone DP3 but my cabinet is in green Cheers Mike