Ekco Electron CR946 1969 Car radio.

[nickheer]

Hi guys new here.

I have an Ekco Electron CR946 car radio which was in a classic car I have just bought. It does not work, it only makes a sound upon when I switch it on and then is blank, it is correctly wired up.

I was wondering if any one could suggest how I could get it to work, it is in really good condition. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Regards, Nick.

['LIVEWIRE?']

There could be several reasons why your CR946 doesn't work, Nick. I vaguely remember the model, but am not sure if it uses valves or transistors. If the latter, at least two AF117s are likely to be present, and these suffer from the 'tin whisker' problem. Ideally you need to check if sound can be heard when connecting an external source across the volume control. This will prove whether the fault is in the AF or RF/IF stages.

[Nuvistor]

From radio museum.
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/ekco_cr946.html
It does use the AF series of transistors.
I don't know if it affects this model but there was one radio they made that if the wrong length screws were used to mount the radio they cut through coils in the radio. It would be about the right age for that model.

Frank

[nickheer]

This is the radio.

Regards, Nick.

[paulsherwin]

There is no magic trick you can perform that will make this radio work.

As has been said, it contains AF11x transistors which are likely to need replacement, and also contains a BC148 Lockfit transistor which may also be faulty - in fact, all the transistors are potentially faulty. It is repairable, but I don't think it's a job for a complete beginner.

[nickheer]

How do I do the volume test LIVEWIRE? with an external source?

Would anyone be able to do this for me and repair it? I could post it and reimburse for any parts needed. I don't think I would be able to do it myself.

Regards, Nick.

[Biggles]

Looking at the back of your radio, the two transistors (marked AD161/AD162) will have to be kept away from other metalwork and exposed cables as I think they may be "live" with respect to the car bodywork and you could cause damage to the radio if something touches them. Just a point to watch when installing the set in your car. I not familiar with that particular type of radio but some are designed to work with positive earth cars, and others may be for negative earth cars. It may be worth checking up on this before you go any further. Also it is important to use a correctly fused supply to the set, in case something goes wrong.
Alan.

[Station X]

Originally Posted by nickheer

Would anyone be able to do this for me and repair it? I could post it and reimburse for any parts needed. I don't think I would be able to do it myself.

Regards, Nick.

If you want someone to repair the radio for you, you'd do better posting in The Repair and Restoration Services Wanted section.

[nickheer]

Alan my car is neg earth. I am assuming that it must be correct as it was fitted,the car has been in storage since 1981.

Regards, Nick.

['LIVEWIRE?']

To answer your question about testing the AF stages, Nick, you have to open the radio, and, with it powered up and switched on, connect another audio signal across the volume control. Ideally an AF (audio) signal generator would be used, but something such as an MP3 player or Ipod can be used instead. Doing this will, as i mentioned earlier, prove whether the output stages are working or not. As Alan (Biggles) points , the case of one of the two output transistors, the AD161 in a Negative Earth Radio, will be at +12 to 14 volts above chassis(which is earthed) so it mustn't come into contact with any metalwork in the car. I could possibly undertake the repair for you, but I have about a dozen items in my repair queue already, so would not be able to do so for several weeks at least.

[AC/HL]

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=139115