Grundig TK5 found for free - Page 2 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

TonyDuell · 26th Jun 2017, 8:38 pm

As others have said, the problem is often the shipping. It is for me, anyway. I paid rather more that a fiver for a TK5 at a local sale, but then I could take the machine, get on a bus and end up 2 minutes walk from my front door. It's rather different when the machine is 100 miles away and you have no car (I don't drive).

If you use a delivery company then (a) it's expensive (although that may no be the 'killer' several times I've paid 5 times as much for the shipping as for the unit to have something sent from the Startes), (b) sometimes the seller is unable to pack and send the item and (c) I have discovered that 'handle with care' is postal-speak for 'please play American Football with this parcel'

slidertogrid · 26th Jun 2017, 10:14 pm

A very nice save! I agree its the cost of courier or distance that puts me off buying some things I would otherwise like.
I had a nice working Bush reel to reel a while back with tapes. I had some stuff to put in a local auction so I thought I would take the tape recorder.. It eventually sold for £5. less £2 auction fee, £2 PAT test, the balance then had 17% commission deducted. all fees plus vat. It didn't sell the first time so that incurred another £2.35 fee to auction it the following week..
I would have been a few quid better off skipping it! I Never thought about robbing the valves and chucking it.

I know what to do with the next one...

Rich.

Refugee · 26th Jun 2017, 11:08 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyDuell

I have discovered that 'handle with care' is postal-speak for 'please play American Football with this parcel'

Having traveled to college by train for a couple of years in the 1970s I have seen with my own eyes what happens to parcels.
The post bags were thrown from the mail car to the platform to create a heap against the office wall and then from by the wall into the mail car of another train.
In modern times all you do is to substitute a 30 foot trailer for the station platform and mail car.
There has been little change over the years apart from the loading and unloading being carried out behind locked doors.

julie_m · 26th Jun 2017, 11:21 pm

If you're scrapping a tape recorder, hang onto the valves and the transformers. There is usually an ECC83 and an EL84, ECL82 or 86 -- they could be the makings of a nice little introduction to valve amplification.

Refugee · 26th Jun 2017, 11:50 pm

It takes very little modification to make a tape recorder playback amplifier into a magnetic pick up stage for a record player.
I did it with a pair of boards out of an old language school and it worked well.

TonyDuell · 27th Jun 2017, 5:15 am

I actually collect old tape recorders (I am sure others here do as well). My justifications for this include :

There is a vast range of quality from cheap home machines up to the likes of Revox, Brennell, etc.

There's a vast range of designs, rim drive pocket machines, rather better portables/pocket machines, the typical 1960s home machines (often in the UK with a BSR deck), ones with multiple motors, electronic control using discrete transistors or simple ICs, various special facilities, etc. Much wider than the typical radios.

They don't depend on external signals so will still work when AM or FM transmissions finish

They are more complex than most home radios (and thus more interesting to me) but the highest voltage is mains or a couple of hundred volts HT, not the 10kV or so in a vintage TV (Yes, the former can still kill you!). And there's no scary CRT that could implode.

But do I have to justify it?

stevehertz · 27th Jun 2017, 7:40 am

Regarding shipping, I always put items in boxes that are much larger than the item itself. Ask yourself, "If this package is thrown the length of a lorry (which it may be), will it survive?". The only way to be assured that the answer to that question is "yes" is to fit stiff padding that's (depending on the size/weight of the item) about four to six inches all around the item in that large box. I once received a video machine from abroad that the sender had meticulously packed using finely cut pieces and slithers of expanded foam to perfectly fit the gap all around the machine. It was a work of art. Trouble was, this 'gap' was about 15mm. The result? the corner of the machine was completely smashed having clearly been thrown or dropped at some point. The guy couldn't believe it. I think he thought that these people handle packages with kid gloves! Er no..

So when shipping, to avoid damage the 'answer' is easy; use a much larger box than the item being packed with good, strong padding - bubble wrap, foam - all around the item. However, not always so easy to do in practise when you have to locate a suitable box and packing material (I buy my bubble wrap by 50m rolls) and not always what you want to 'be bothered' doing when the item is worth a fiver. Including taking it to the shipper etc you're maybe looking at up two hours work. I know, I've done it many times!

newlite4 · 27th Jun 2017, 9:23 am

Does the clover leaf symbol on the deck signify that this is one of the Belfast made machines?
Neil

Refugee · 27th Jun 2017, 10:06 am

I have seen that logo on Grundig kit quite often. It may well have been a period thing as opposed to the location the unit was made in.

Ted Kendall · 27th Jun 2017, 10:41 am

Dunmurry opened in 1960 - the TK5 was out of production by then.

26th Jun 2017, 8:38 pm	#21
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 5,208	Re: Grundig TK5 found for free As others have said, the problem is often the shipping. It is for me, anyway. I paid rather more that a fiver for a TK5 at a local sale, but then I could take the machine, get on a bus and end up 2 minutes walk from my front door. It's rather different when the machine is 100 miles away and you have no car (I don't drive). If you use a delivery company then (a) it's expensive (although that may no be the 'killer' several times I've paid 5 times as much for the shipping as for the unit to have something sent from the Startes), (b) sometimes the seller is unable to pack and send the item and (c) I have discovered that 'handle with care' is postal-speak for 'please play American Football with this parcel'

26th Jun 2017, 10:14 pm	#22
slidertogrid Octode Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK. Posts: 1,898	Re: Grundig TK5 found for free A very nice save! I agree its the cost of courier or distance that puts me off buying some things I would otherwise like. I had a nice working Bush reel to reel a while back with tapes. I had some stuff to put in a local auction so I thought I would take the tape recorder.. It eventually sold for £5. less £2 auction fee, £2 PAT test, the balance then had 17% commission deducted. all fees plus vat. It didn't sell the first time so that incurred another £2.35 fee to auction it the following week.. I would have been a few quid better off skipping it! I Never thought about robbing the valves and chucking it. I know what to do with the next one... Rich. __________________ The rotation of the earth really makes my day...

26th Jun 2017, 11:21 pm	#24
julie_m Dekatron Join Date: May 2008 Location: Derby, UK. Posts: 7,735	Re: Grundig TK5 found for free If you're scrapping a tape recorder, hang onto the valves and the transformers. There is usually an ECC83 and an EL84, ECL82 or 86 -- they could be the makings of a nice little introduction to valve amplification. __________________ If I have seen further than others, it is because I was standing on a pile of failed experiments.

26th Jun 2017, 11:50 pm	#25
Refugee Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK. Posts: 5,553	Re: Grundig TK5 found for free It takes very little modification to make a tape recorder playback amplifier into a magnetic pick up stage for a record player. I did it with a pair of boards out of an old language school and it worked well.

27th Jun 2017, 5:15 am	#26
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 5,208	Re: Grundig TK5 found for free I actually collect old tape recorders (I am sure others here do as well). My justifications for this include : There is a vast range of quality from cheap home machines up to the likes of Revox, Brennell, etc. There's a vast range of designs, rim drive pocket machines, rather better portables/pocket machines, the typical 1960s home machines (often in the UK with a BSR deck), ones with multiple motors, electronic control using discrete transistors or simple ICs, various special facilities, etc. Much wider than the typical radios. They don't depend on external signals so will still work when AM or FM transmissions finish They are more complex than most home radios (and thus more interesting to me) but the highest voltage is mains or a couple of hundred volts HT, not the 10kV or so in a vintage TV (Yes, the former can still kill you!). And there's no scary CRT that could implode. But do I have to justify it?

27th Jun 2017, 7:40 am	#27
stevehertz Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Rugeley, Staffordshire, UK. Posts: 8,831	Re: Grundig TK5 found for free Regarding shipping, I always put items in boxes that are much larger than the item itself. Ask yourself, "If this package is thrown the length of a lorry (which it may be), will it survive?". The only way to be assured that the answer to that question is "yes" is to fit stiff padding that's (depending on the size/weight of the item) about four to six inches all around the item in that large box. I once received a video machine from abroad that the sender had meticulously packed using finely cut pieces and slithers of expanded foam to perfectly fit the gap all around the machine. It was a work of art. Trouble was, this 'gap' was about 15mm. The result? the corner of the machine was completely smashed having clearly been thrown or dropped at some point. The guy couldn't believe it. I think he thought that these people handle packages with kid gloves! Er no.. So when shipping, to avoid damage the 'answer' is easy; use a much larger box than the item being packed with good, strong padding - bubble wrap, foam - all around the item. However, not always so easy to do in practise when you have to locate a suitable box and packing material (I buy my bubble wrap by 50m rolls) and not always what you want to 'be bothered' doing when the item is worth a fiver. Including taking it to the shipper etc you're maybe looking at up two hours work. I know, I've done it many times! __________________ A digital radio is the latest thing, but a vintage wireless is forever..

27th Jun 2017, 9:23 am	#28
newlite4 Octode Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Bath, Somerset, UK. Posts: 1,805	Re: Grundig TK5 found for free Does the clover leaf symbol on the deck signify that this is one of the Belfast made machines? Neil __________________ preserving the recent past, for the distant future.

27th Jun 2017, 10:06 am	#29
Refugee Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK. Posts: 5,553	Re: Grundig TK5 found for free I have seen that logo on Grundig kit quite often. It may well have been a period thing as opposed to the location the unit was made in.

27th Jun 2017, 10:41 am	#30
Ted Kendall Dekatron Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Kington, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 3,670	Re: Grundig TK5 found for free Dunmurry opened in 1960 - the TK5 was out of production by then.