UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post

DMcMahon · 14th Jan 2020, 11:57 pm

Thank you for your inputs, its always good to get other peoples thoughts.

In the short term I am just going to hard wire a 3 core mains cable connection directly in. Then later if the rest of the unit looks hopeful, I will think about what I will do with the mains connector, as you say space is restricted.

I am not worried about changing the type of plug, i.e. I am not one of those people who for good reasons want to keep everything original & authentic.

I really would like to go 3 pin so that there is a safety earth connection, I am a bit maybe over the top when it comes to safety earthing. As soon as I get a 2 wire mains cable R2R (loads of them) I very soon convert to a decent 3 core UK cable + UK mains plug, normally leaving them hardwired if that is how they come.

If they come with a UK 3 pin plug, I remove the 13 amp fuse (it is nearly always a 13 amp) and replace with a 1 amp fuse for better protection, Very few R2Rs rarely get close to drawing anywhere near 1 amp in my experience. For ones that are borderline or above, I then would fit a 2 amp or higher if required.

One thing I am thinking about is to remove the Remote Control connector (which I would not use anyway) and fit a 3 pin mini Bulgin mains connector in its place. I think the mounting hole for the Remote Control connector is just about the right size for the Bulgin and there is maybe enough space behind to take the Bulgin.

I have the mini Bulgin on a couple of my TK 23s and before I brought the TK 819 I brought a couple of mini Bulgin connector mains cable assemblies for possible future upgrades of some of my other Grundigs and/or other makes.

The mini Bulgin is a bit Micky Mouse but is more than adequate electrically. I know nowadays with more recent electric specs that the mini Bulgin is not supposed to be used with voltages higher than 60 volts when the connector is accessible (and likely to be removed/replaced), but for my personal use, this is not an issue.

Note - I am not recommending mini Bulgin mains connector upgrade to anybody.

14th Jan 2020, 11:57 pm	#32
DMcMahon Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK. Posts: 6,600	Re: Grundig TK 819 Any Useful Info Thank you for your inputs, its always good to get other peoples thoughts. In the short term I am just going to hard wire a 3 core mains cable connection directly in. Then later if the rest of the unit looks hopeful, I will think about what I will do with the mains connector, as you say space is restricted. I am not worried about changing the type of plug, i.e. I am not one of those people who for good reasons want to keep everything original & authentic. I really would like to go 3 pin so that there is a safety earth connection, I am a bit maybe over the top when it comes to safety earthing. As soon as I get a 2 wire mains cable R2R (loads of them) I very soon convert to a decent 3 core UK cable + UK mains plug, normally leaving them hardwired if that is how they come. If they come with a UK 3 pin plug, I remove the 13 amp fuse (it is nearly always a 13 amp) and replace with a 1 amp fuse for better protection, Very few R2Rs rarely get close to drawing anywhere near 1 amp in my experience. For ones that are borderline or above, I then would fit a 2 amp or higher if required. One thing I am thinking about is to remove the Remote Control connector (which I would not use anyway) and fit a 3 pin mini Bulgin mains connector in its place. I think the mounting hole for the Remote Control connector is just about the right size for the Bulgin and there is maybe enough space behind to take the Bulgin. I have the mini Bulgin on a couple of my TK 23s and before I brought the TK 819 I brought a couple of mini Bulgin connector mains cable assemblies for possible future upgrades of some of my other Grundigs and/or other makes. The mini Bulgin is a bit Micky Mouse but is more than adequate electrically. I know nowadays with more recent electric specs that the mini Bulgin is not supposed to be used with voltages higher than 60 volts when the connector is accessible (and likely to be removed/replaced), but for my personal use, this is not an issue. Note - I am not recommending mini Bulgin mains connector upgrade to anybody.