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Old 13th Feb 2023, 8:44 am   #181
David G4EBT
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Default The Repair Shop Weds 15 Feb - Home Made Radio

I don't normally watch The Repair Shop but I know it has a 'fan base' on the forum, so I thought it might be of interest to mention that I spotted that this Weds at 8pm, one of the items to be repaired is described as a 'Home-Made Radio'. What the radio consists of isn't mentioned nor from what era.

The programme is a repeat, so Repair Shop fans may have seen it before, but anyone who hasn't seen it might wish to watch it, if like me, only out of curiosity.

Not an invitation to spark off yet another debate about the merits or otherwise of the programme - it's all been said many times over.
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Old 13th Feb 2023, 9:21 am   #182
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Default Re: The Repair Shop Weds 15 Feb - Home Made Radio

I love the programme and watch it when ever I can....

I always like it when they have a radio or gramophone in for restoration, so I'm grateful you have mentioned the "Home made radio" on Wednesday. I'll make a point of watching it.

Many thanks David.
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Old 13th Feb 2023, 9:24 am   #183
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Default Re: The Repair Shop Weds 15 Feb - Home Made Radio

Thanks David. Include me in.
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Old 15th Feb 2023, 9:16 pm   #184
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Default Re: The Repair Shop. BBC TV programme.

Just got home and watching it. On the tuner amp, being restored, I don't like the method of soldering the new capacitor to the short wire stubs. Just a parallel joint held together with a blob of solder. The new leads were long enough to form a loop to go over the original, squeeze together for mechanical stability and only then apply solder.
Not the way I would have done it.
Rob
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Old 15th Feb 2023, 10:19 pm   #185
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Default Re: The Repair Shop. BBC TV programme.

Looked like a 5-10 amp and I think there was also a Mullard app note that had the voltage tuned FM tuner details as well

Ed
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Old 15th Feb 2023, 10:31 pm   #186
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Default Re: The Repair Shop. BBC TV programme.

It was a repeat from 2020.

Aub
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Old 15th Feb 2023, 11:40 pm   #187
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Default Re: The Repair Shop. BBC TV programme.

I can't remember if I've mentioned this before, it might have been on another board, but in the telly mag description for one programme a few years ago a pre-WW2, "transistor radio" was going to be one of the repair jobs. I thought, "this'll be good,"
It turned out to be, of course, a battery valve set.

It was given to a relative of the guy who brought it in, by an officer on the beaches of Dunkirk and told to take it with him when he was evacuated. So he carried it, I guess, as well as his own equipment onto a rescue boat. When he got to Dover and found the officer, he decided he didn't want it, so he could have it. (I'd have left it on the beach).

Anyway, this, "historic bit of kit" was repaired, but there was a problem, it took a 90v
battery and Ever-Ready didn't make them any more.

Now I know a lot of care and attention is spent on most repairs, some costing a lot of money.
But this one was of the "quick fix" variety, as long as it looks OK at the reveal.

The repairer solved the battery problem by soldering 10 (I still call 'em PP33s) together and fitting them in the battery box and showed it repaired and working to the present owner.

It wasn't made clear at the "reveal," whether the recipient was also given a soldering iron and a reel of solder, to lash together more batteries when those ran down, or whether he was just told, "When the batteries run down, don't even think of bringing it back here!"

Digressing a bit, but on the subject of gramaphones, I love the one in this clip from one of my favourite Christmas films.

This one plays Lps, presumably at 78rpm, with a tone arm with a mica diaphragm and a steel needle, it also has extension speakers on the patio.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGaZM1smU3M

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Old 15th Feb 2023, 11:49 pm   #188
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Default Re: The Repair Shop. BBC TV programme.

I am "not a fan" of this programme. Nobody (apparently) ever takes any pictures or makes any drawings of what they are working on. It is extremely rare that they share any info from which the viewer can learn anything. It reminds me of Jess Yates on Sunday night TV in the 60's; something so sickly, I still recall it after all this time.

B
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Old 16th Feb 2023, 7:51 am   #189
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Default Re: The Repair Shop. BBC TV programme.

I saw one of the episodes at Christmas when I was up at my brother's. Can't remember the item but it had a broken belt on a little motor. Chap made a new belt from some strip of pink plastic that he heat welded with his soldering iron to form a loop. Presumably his cupboard was lacking one of the widely available rubber belts. My sister in law commented 'there are a lot of very clever people on that programme'. I had to keep quiet.

It has its good days but often spoiled with little things like this.

Dave
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Old 16th Feb 2023, 8:42 am   #190
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Default Re: The Repair Shop. BBC TV programme.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bazz4CQJ View Post
I am "not a fan" of this programme. Nobody (apparently) ever takes any pictures or makes any drawings of what they are working on. It is extremely rare that they share any info from which the viewer can learn anything. It reminds me of Jess Yates on Sunday night TV in the 60's; something so sickly, I still recall it after all this time.

B
I constantly learn stuff from the programme, not that that's its prime intention, it's nostalgic entertainment for people who love old things especially when there's a strong link to a human element, a much loved but lost person from the past. What's so wrong with that? It's a lovely thought I think. As for anyone taking pictures or making sketches, they probably do, but it's not seen as being an important part of the show given its raison d'etre that I outline above. It's no good watching Love Island if you want it to be like Question Time. The programme is what it is, it is aimed at a particular albeit very large group of people, and it's not designed or produced to be super hot on restoration techniques and procedures. But saying that, many people, including myself learn tremendously from it. The radio restoration side I take with a pinch of salt because I understand the purpose of the programme and the way it's presented, that's where people are falling down, expecting an accurate, blow by blow account of a restoration. It's never gonna happen, if anyone is expecting that, they're watching the wrong programme, Youtube may be more appropriate. If it's so painful to watch, there's hundreds more channels.
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Old 16th Feb 2023, 8:59 am   #191
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Default Re: The Repair Shop. BBC TV programme.

I agree with Stevehertz. I have learned a fair bit from The Repair Shop, my other half (into vintage soft toys) has found out even more. We can all be critical of others work, be it the way the job is executed or the techniques involved, at the end of the day the result is, to someone, a very meaningful item returned to its former glory. I remember one episode in which a little battery Ever Ready radio was entrusted by an army officer to one of his men to take back home with him. That man kept it & used it until the day it stopped working, but he still kept it. One could question the reasons why but that's neither here nor there. The man's son then held onto it until it was sent to The Repair Shop. The back story was, for me, far more interesting than the radio itself. Needless to say, the reuniting of owner with the now working radio was quite emotional. I think most of the experts had a hand in the restoration in one way or other. For me the program is purely entertainment with the odd nugget of useful information thrown in!
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Old 16th Feb 2023, 10:11 am   #192
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Default Re: The Repair Shop. BBC TV programme.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dsergeant View Post
I saw one of the episodes at Christmas when I was up at my brother's. Can't remember the item but it had a broken belt on a little motor. Chap made a new belt from some strip of pink plastic that he heat welded with his soldering iron to form a loop. Presumably his cupboard was lacking one of the widely available rubber belts. My sister in law commented 'there are a lot of very clever people on that programme'. I had to keep quiet.

It has its good days but often spoiled with little things like this.

Dave
The item in question was a 16mm film projector. Given that the picture quality was never going to be 8K Ultra HD with 11.2 channels of Dolby Surround, I would say that the solution for the belt was absolutely fine. No, it wouldn't be a very good solution for a turntable but that's not the point.

I also agree with Stevehertz .It's an entertainment show, not a blow-by-blow account of how to restore items to factory condition which, let's be honest would be pretty dull for anyone unless they had a specific interest in the specific item being re-created. Ultimately, the main aim is to not really to restore items; it's to restore memories.

That said, I have several pairs of loudspeakers awaiting restoration and I'd love to get Will to work his magic on their cabinets!
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Old 16th Feb 2023, 10:34 am   #193
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Default Re: The Repair Shop. BBC TV programme.

Hello,

I said about 6 months ago I stopped watching the Repair Shop; however, I’ve started watching it again all be it on Sunday night on Quest with the sound off and subtitles on whist I’m listening to the radio!

Thinking back, and concurring with Aub, it sounds like a repeat from 2020. No doubt it will surface on Quest on Sunday night!

Terry.
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Old 16th Feb 2023, 10:57 am   #194
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Smile Re: The Repair Shop. BBC TV programme.

Hi,
I remember seeing the home made radio during a trailer months before it appeared on the programme. I was really puzzled as to what it might be, certainly not a commercially made unit anyway.
I was a bit surprised that the original builder used a PP3 to power the tuner instead of making a PSU fed from the heater circuit.
At first glance I thought it had three EL84s but, of course, one was an EZ81. Silly me!
Cheers, Pete.
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Old 16th Feb 2023, 11:48 am   #195
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Default Re: The Repair Shop. BBC TV programme.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed_Dinning View Post
Looked like a 5-10 amp and I think there was also a Mullard app note that had the voltage tuned FM tuner details as well

Ed
I thought the same thing !
Clearly two EL84's and an ECC83. Didn't see an EF86, but I'm sure there was one, and, of course, an EZ81 rect.

Did I notice Mullard FM tuner & I.F. modules ? I built a stereo FM Tuner back in the 1970's using two pre-aligned modules and an MC1310 stereo decoder IC. If my memory serves me right, the modules were numbered "LPxx86" & LPxx87" I can't remember the full numbers on each module, but it had the then state-of-the-art "Vari-cap Tuning".
I don't have it now, I gave it away !
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Old 16th Feb 2023, 12:02 pm   #196
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Default Re: The Repair Shop. BBC TV programme.

It may be called the repair shop, but here on the forum I think we're watching "Groundhog Day". It's all been said before.

David
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