UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > General Vintage Technology > Success Stories

Notices

Success Stories If you have successfully repaired or restored a piece of equipment, why not write up what you did and post details here. Particularly if it was interesting, unusual or challenging. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE!

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 4th Nov 2021, 9:35 pm   #1
stevehertz
Dekatron
 
stevehertz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,809
Default Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

To sit alongside my mainly high power, high end, 70s and 80s hifi receivers collection I acquired this Amstrad 5050 because I love its looks and I feel it creates a balance to my collection that is mainly Japanese and as I say, high end. I have other British receivers too FWIW.

Now, as we all know, Amstrad gets a bad name for pretty much everything apart from price. So, I switched it on and apart from a bit of switch cleaner here and there it worked perfectly! All bulbs working and 'perfect' sound. I mean, the construction is almost laughable in places with bits of cardboard glued in place to shield lamps, thin strips of folded steel screwed in place as mounting points for the chipboard cover, a mains transformer held in place with pop rivets the heads of which are barely wider than the trannie’s mounting holes, PCB components lying at all angles, a PCB like baked cardboard, wiring like a rat’s nest... pause for breath… but! as I say, it works and it worked first time. There’s not too many of my big bucks receivers that I can say that about!

As can be seen from the photos, the faux wood plastic covering had shrunk and was literally falling off so I used a similarly shaded and figured roll of Fablon that'd I'd kept for decades just waiting for such a purpose, to replace it. It now looks like new and it works a treat on FM, MW and LW. So, not a long and interesting restoration story to tell I’m afraid, but more of a surprise given Amstrad's reputation. In fact, I bought two sets from the same person and the second one also works straight off. I’ll be offering that for sale in due course.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	20211102_161627.jpg
Views:	320
Size:	58.0 KB
ID:	245049   Click image for larger version

Name:	20211102_161636.jpg
Views:	287
Size:	53.5 KB
ID:	245050   Click image for larger version

Name:	20211102_161716.jpg
Views:	752
Size:	115.8 KB
ID:	245051  
__________________
A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..
stevehertz is online now  
Old 4th Nov 2021, 9:40 pm   #2
stevehertz
Dekatron
 
stevehertz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,809
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

Photos of the 're-veneered' set.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	20211104_154940.jpg
Views:	196
Size:	89.6 KB
ID:	245052   Click image for larger version

Name:	20211104_155005.jpg
Views:	781
Size:	57.7 KB
ID:	245053   Click image for larger version

Name:	20211104_155030.jpg
Views:	182
Size:	86.6 KB
ID:	245054  
__________________
A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..
stevehertz is online now  
Old 4th Nov 2021, 9:41 pm   #3
Radio Wrangler
Moderator
 
Radio Wrangler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Fife, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 22,798
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

What a marketing slogan:

Amstrad - not as bad as you expected!

Actually it's quite reasonable for a cheapie. They weren't ripping anybody off and those with a limited budget could get on with enjoying the music. THere was worse electronics perpetrated inside radiogram cabinets by lots of household names - some once great names but they did have queen anne legs.

David
__________________
Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done
Radio Wrangler is online now  
Old 4th Nov 2021, 9:52 pm   #4
stevehertz
Dekatron
 
stevehertz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,809
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

Quote:
Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler View Post
What a marketing slogan:

Amstrad - not as bad as you expected!

Actually it's quite reasonable for a cheapie. They weren't ripping anybody off and those with a limited budget could get on with enjoying the music. THere was worse electronics perpetrated inside radiogram cabinets by lots of household names - some once great names but they did have queen anne legs.

David
Nice slogan! Saying that, I don't think it would have got past AMS!
__________________
A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..
stevehertz is online now  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 6:11 am   #5
electronicskip
Nonode
 
electronicskip's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK.
Posts: 2,149
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

Nice to see an Amstrad unit being restored or loved.
I have an Amstrad 8000 amplifier which was Lord Sugars first home built product which i found at a carboot years back that works just fine (as much as it can) .
Always had a soft spot for his products and as David says they were quite reasonable for the money.
__________________
Oh I've had that for years dear!!
electronicskip is offline  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 8:22 am   #6
stevehertz
Dekatron
 
stevehertz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,809
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

Quote:
Originally Posted by electronicskip View Post
Nice to see an Amstrad unit being restored or loved.
I have an Amstrad 8000 amplifier which was Lord Sugars first home built product which i found at a carboot years back that works just fine (as much as it can) .
Always had a soft spot for his products and as David says they were quite reasonable for the money.
Yes, in the early 70s a friend of mine bought a 'hifi system' (amp, record deck, speakers) and the amp was an Amstrad IC2000 which he raved about. Probably wasn't the best but it did its job and it didn't break the bank.
__________________
A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..
stevehertz is online now  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 12:02 pm   #7
paulsherwin
Moderator
 
paulsherwin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,783
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

That 5050 isn't bad at all and was one of the better Amstrad audio products. It was well reviewed and sold in large numbers. Lots of students had them balanced on top of study bedroom wardrobes when I was at university in the 70s.

I seem to remember they had a pretty fearsome switchon thump.
paulsherwin is offline  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 12:06 pm   #8
stevehertz
Dekatron
 
stevehertz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,809
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

Quote:
Originally Posted by paulsherwin View Post
That 5050 isn't bad at all and was one of the better Amstrad audio products. It was well reviewed and sold in large numbers. Lots of students had them balanced on top of study bedroom wardrobes when I was at university in the 70s.

I seem to remember they had a pretty fearsome switchon thump.
They do indeed Paul, just like my Goodmans Module 90 did back in the day. Saves money an a 'delay on' relay. Does it hurt the speakers? I don't think so in reality.
__________________
A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..
stevehertz is online now  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 4:25 pm   #9
Edward Huggins
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Southwold, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 8,302
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

FABLONOUS!
Leave it as is and enjoy. it's when the PCBs start to crack you'll start tutting......
__________________
Edward.
Edward Huggins is offline  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 7:41 pm   #10
Ted Kendall
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kington, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 3,657
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

Quote:
Originally Posted by stevehertz View Post
bits of cardboard glued in place to shield lamps, thin strips of folded steel screwed in place as mounting points for the chipboard cover, a mains transformer held in place with pop rivets the heads of which are barely wider than the trannie’s mounting holes, PCB components lying at all angles, a PCB like baked cardboard, wiring like a rat’s nest...
With the exception of the pop-riveted transformer, I've seen every one of those on Japanese kit of higher pretensions. Not all on the same type, mark you, but still...
Ted Kendall is online now  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 8:00 pm   #11
paulsherwin
Moderator
 
paulsherwin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,783
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

AMS never really understood the hifi market, but the 5050 is arguably the nearest he came to getting it right. Lots of corners were cut, but in the right places - 'value engineering' as it should be done. They gave genuine low end hifi performance at music centre prices, and didn't look embarrassing when your friends came round.
paulsherwin is offline  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 8:01 pm   #12
Whaam68
Hexode
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Luton, Bedfordshire, UK.
Posts: 454
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

I really like the look of it….very 70’s Goodmans styling. Great job on the restoration. My recollection of Amstrad “hifi” as a teen in the very early 80’s was those silver all in one units gracing Dixon’s stores that were designed to look like separates in a cabinet with a smoked glass door but were Just a big plastic box with a chip board back.
Whaam68 is offline  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 8:18 pm   #13
electronicskip
Nonode
 
electronicskip's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK.
Posts: 2,149
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

Quote:
Originally Posted by paulsherwin View Post
AMS never really understood the hifi market, but the 5050 is arguably the nearest he came to getting it right. Lots of corners were cut, but in the right places - 'value engineering' as it should be done. They gave genuine low end hifi performance at music centre prices, and didn't look embarrassing when your friends came round.
Lord Sugars words were , he aimed his hi fi at the "truck driver and his wife"market.

When i worked for Rumbelows back in the 70s/80s his products dominated our shelves and to be fair , made me a lot of commission selling them!
__________________
Oh I've had that for years dear!!
electronicskip is offline  
Old 5th Nov 2021, 8:29 pm   #14
stevehertz
Dekatron
 
stevehertz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,809
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

For those interested, the 5050 is on page 7 of this issue of the Amstrad Times. The 'paper' is quite an interesting read actually with some anecdotal stuff about Alan.

https://www.amshold.com/social_media...trad_Times.pdf
__________________
A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..
stevehertz is online now  
Old 6th Nov 2021, 3:14 am   #15
unitaudio
Heptode
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Manchester, UK.
Posts: 860
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

Earlier Amstrad stuff was ok, just that, ok. I had an IC8000 amp when I was about 13 and it was tolerable. And it had a magnetic phono input which the Linear 505 which preceded it sadly lacked so it was a step up, all things being relative I suppose...

Regards,
Paul
__________________
...No, it's not supposed to pick up the World Service, it's not a radio!
unitaudio is offline  
Old 6th Nov 2021, 9:05 am   #16
stevehertz
Dekatron
 
stevehertz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,809
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

Quote:
Originally Posted by unitaudio View Post
Earlier Amstrad stuff was ok, just that, ok. I had an IC8000 amp when I was about 13 and it was tolerable. And it had a magnetic phono input which the Linear 505 which preceded it sadly lacked so it was a step up, all things being relative I suppose...

Regards,
Paul
Not quite sure what you're saying there? The presceding (Amstrad?) Linear 505 didn't have a phono input? - strange for a hifi amp. Or, are you referring to a Linear (brand) amp?
__________________
A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..
stevehertz is online now  
Old 6th Nov 2021, 4:18 pm   #17
unitaudio
Heptode
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Manchester, UK.
Posts: 860
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

It was a Linear brand amp, it had a ceramic phono input but no magnetic option. It was a dinky little thing I paid a fiver for. 5 watts peak per channel. Not hi-fi by any means but slightly better than what preceded it.

Regards,
Paul
__________________
...No, it's not supposed to pick up the World Service, it's not a radio!
unitaudio is offline  
Old 6th Nov 2021, 4:23 pm   #18
stevehertz
Dekatron
 
stevehertz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK.
Posts: 8,809
Default Re: Amstrad 5050 hifi receiver 'restoration'

Quote:
Originally Posted by unitaudio View Post
It was a Linear brand amp, it had a ceramic phono input but no magnetic option. It was a dinky little thing I paid a fiver for. 5 watts peak per channel. Not hi-fi by any means but slightly better than what preceded it.

Regards,
Paul
Gotcha thanks. I was/am aware of Linear and I think I owned one a few years ago. Many musicians with not much money to spare often used Linear amps.
__________________
A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..
stevehertz is online now  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:04 am.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.