Ekco 9 Octave - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Ekco-Scott · 15th Jun 2018, 10:28 pm

Hello everyone.

I've been working on my Ekco 9 Octave but have hit a snag. A stupid amiter one probably.

But I have found Some Hunts Mouldseal capacitors on the input matching switch that have 220 printed on them

Is this 220uf ? They are the extremely small brown hunts caps.

Thanks for your help.

Nuvistor · 15th Jun 2018, 10:37 pm

If this is a RP341 the manual is here, perhaps the easiest way to find its value.
https://www.service-data.com/product...93/2142/m11493

It’s a long time since I fixed them but they were good players.

ms660 · 15th Jun 2018, 10:42 pm

There's some 220pF's in the schematic, it might be them, definitely not 220uF.

Lawrence.

Ekco-Scott · 15th Jun 2018, 10:44 pm

That's why I was confused

220uf seemed a miss but I wanted to be sure.

crackle · 15th Jun 2018, 10:46 pm

A small mouldseal cap would not be 220uF.
C1, C8, & C20 are 220pF.

crossed with Lawrence
Mike

dave walsh · 15th Jun 2018, 10:55 pm

Does it have the stereo unit as well E-Scott?

Dave

Ekco-Scott · 15th Jun 2018, 10:58 pm

No unfortunately not I only have the main record player unit.

S

Nuvistor · 15th Jun 2018, 11:23 pm

Hi Dave,
I found a post from 2008 that a Dave Walsh had or still has both units, is that you?

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=29338

dave walsh · 15th Jun 2018, 11:29 pm

Ok thanks for that Scott. I have seen the occasional SU offered but I was fortunate enough to get both from a Forum Member a few years back. I've never seen the two offered together anywhere else though

They are quite a high quality build and well spoken off. I've tried to find out how many were actually sold in the past. There should be a few threads if you search on here!

PS.
Yes that's me Frank. Despite what the OP said, I had to learn the hard way,
I fired up the main unit and got a very muffled sound before realising that [a] it need to be on its legs and [b] you had to open the baffle ports underneath [he said laughing]. If anyone has any literature or other info re these [apparently rare ] items please let me know?

You can see from that thread I was in Rammy and Bexhill as usual. If I hadn't had relatives in Bicester who could collect, I wouldn't have got involved. Serendipity I suppose but as Scott will know, these are
fairly heavy and not really so portable!

Dave

peter_sol · 16th Jun 2018, 7:04 am

Those 220PF caps are unlikely to need replacing.

Nuvistor · 16th Jun 2018, 7:49 am

Ok Dave, I had forgotten about the baffle port myself. The last time I saw these was in the 1960’s and not many then. We were the Ekco agent in Wigan so sold perhaps two or three, they were expensive, I don’t think they would have made many of them.
I do remember they sounded good though.

paulsherwin · 16th Jun 2018, 10:51 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter_sol

Those 220PF caps are unlikely to need replacing.

Not so sure about that. The one in the photo appears to be disintegrating in typical Mouldseal fashion. I didn't realise Mouldseals were made in such low values.

Ekco-Scott · 16th Jun 2018, 1:55 pm

Unfortunately they are all in about the same Shape. Crumbling to pieces. And at any rate they are always leaky.

The thing dose indeed weigh a ton.

I have had this machine since I was 17 and played about with it then it sounded great back then though on its original caps etc.

But after a while of use on those caps it started to audibly distort. By that point I was 20 odd and I had been running it on the original caps. I had to much to do at the time (mostly studying) so so unfortunately I couldn't devote the time to restore it. With that it ended up in the storage cupboard up stairs till now.

At the time I was reluctant too replace parts when it was working so well. If it wasn't for the fact that after those years of use it started to fail I would have probably continued using it.

It's extremely well made and appears indeed to have been an expensive machine. There is not a single wax cap in the thing. They are all the large Mouldseal caps or aluminium visconal type caps.

I wouldn't even hazard a guess to the price! Ekco really didn't cut corners when it came to build quality.

S

15th Jun 2018, 10:28 pm	#1
Ekco-Scott Pentode Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. Posts: 132	Ekco 9 Octave Hello everyone. I've been working on my Ekco 9 Octave but have hit a snag. A stupid amiter one probably. But I have found Some Hunts Mouldseal capacitors on the input matching switch that have 220 printed on them Is this 220uf ? They are the extremely small brown hunts caps. Thanks for your help. Attached Thumbnails

15th Jun 2018, 10:37 pm	#2
Nuvistor Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 9,433	Re: Ekco 9 Octave If this is a RP341 the manual is here, perhaps the easiest way to find its value. https://www.service-data.com/product...93/2142/m11493 It’s a long time since I fixed them but they were good players. __________________ Frank

15th Jun 2018, 10:42 pm	#3
ms660 Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Cornwall, UK. Posts: 13,454	Re: Ekco 9 Octave There's some 220pF's in the schematic, it might be them, definitely not 220uF. Lawrence.

15th Jun 2018, 10:44 pm	#4
Ekco-Scott Pentode Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. Posts: 132	Re: Ekco 9 Octave That's why I was confused 220uf seemed a miss but I wanted to be sure.

15th Jun 2018, 10:46 pm	#5
crackle Rest in Peace Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Basildon, Essex, UK. Posts: 4,100	Re: Ekco 9 Octave A small mouldseal cap would not be 220uF. C1, C8, & C20 are 220pF. crossed with Lawrence Mike

15th Jun 2018, 10:55 pm	#6
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Ekco 9 Octave Does it have the stereo unit as well E-Scott? Dave

15th Jun 2018, 10:58 pm	#7
Ekco-Scott Pentode Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. Posts: 132	Re: Ekco 9 Octave No unfortunately not I only have the main record player unit. S

15th Jun 2018, 11:23 pm	#8
Nuvistor Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 9,433	Re: Ekco 9 Octave Hi Dave, I found a post from 2008 that a Dave Walsh had or still has both units, is that you? https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=29338 __________________ Frank

15th Jun 2018, 11:29 pm	#9
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Ekco 9 Octave Ok thanks for that Scott. I have seen the occasional SU offered but I was fortunate enough to get both from a Forum Member a few years back. I've never seen the two offered together anywhere else though They are quite a high quality build and well spoken off. I've tried to find out how many were actually sold in the past. There should be a few threads if you search on here! PS. Yes that's me Frank. Despite what the OP said, I had to learn the hard way, I fired up the main unit and got a very muffled sound before realising that [a] it need to be on its legs and [b] you had to open the baffle ports underneath [he said laughing]. If anyone has any literature or other info re these [apparently rare ] items please let me know? You can see from that thread I was in Rammy and Bexhill as usual. If I hadn't had relatives in Bicester who could collect, I wouldn't have got involved. Serendipity I suppose but as Scott will know, these are fairly heavy and not really so portable! Dave Last edited by dave walsh; 15th Jun 2018 at 11:52 pm.

16th Jun 2018, 7:04 am	#10
peter_sol Octode Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Welwyn Garden City, Herts. UK. Posts: 1,906	Re: Ekco 9 Octave Those 220PF caps are unlikely to need replacing.

16th Jun 2018, 7:49 am	#11
Nuvistor Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 9,433	Re: Ekco 9 Octave Ok Dave, I had forgotten about the baffle port myself. The last time I saw these was in the 1960’s and not many then. We were the Ekco agent in Wigan so sold perhaps two or three, they were expensive, I don’t think they would have made many of them. I do remember they sounded good though. __________________ Frank

16th Jun 2018, 1:55 pm	#13
Ekco-Scott Pentode Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. Posts: 132	Re: Ekco 9 Octave Unfortunately they are all in about the same Shape. Crumbling to pieces. And at any rate they are always leaky. The thing dose indeed weigh a ton. I have had this machine since I was 17 and played about with it then it sounded great back then though on its original caps etc. But after a while of use on those caps it started to audibly distort. By that point I was 20 odd and I had been running it on the original caps. I had to much to do at the time (mostly studying) so so unfortunately I couldn't devote the time to restore it. With that it ended up in the storage cupboard up stairs till now. At the time I was reluctant too replace parts when it was working so well. If it wasn't for the fact that after those years of use it started to fail I would have probably continued using it. It's extremely well made and appears indeed to have been an expensive machine. There is not a single wax cap in the thing. They are all the large Mouldseal caps or aluminium visconal type caps. I wouldn't even hazard a guess to the price! Ekco really didn't cut corners when it came to build quality. S