Triumph stereo cassette deck - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

kipperdog · 13th Apr 2017, 9:05 pm

Hi, been given this Triumph TC400 for repair. All of the mechanism drive belts have turned to liquid so the deck need to be stripped completely and cleaned. does anyone know where I can get some service information? Have looked on the internet but had no luck. tia

Records · 13th Apr 2017, 10:00 pm

Looks like a Hitachi rebrand, i had a Hitachi amp and tapedeck that looked very similar

paulsherwin · 13th Apr 2017, 10:15 pm

I think Triumph was the 70s Currys house brand for low end hifi. It will have been OEMd by one of the Japanese big boys, possibly Hitachi indeed, but there is unlikely to have been an identical Hitachi model, at least in the UK market.

Tom_I · 13th Apr 2017, 10:38 pm

Found one for sale online, and it has this on the back - as Paul says.

It doesn't help with the manufacturer, though.

julie_m · 13th Apr 2017, 10:49 pm

Indeed. Such "upermarket specials", all sourced from the same factory, would have been sold under a variety of names in different countries.

Post some interior shots, and somebody might recognise the mechanism or the PCB as being similar to something for which a manual is available.

paulsherwin · 13th Apr 2017, 11:35 pm

With a simple deck like this there is usually a main flat capstan belt running from the motor pulley to the capstan flywheel, and a thin belt driving the tape counter and autostop sensor. The rest of the drive will use idler wheels or occasionally gears. You can work out what belts are required by experimenting with one of the eBay 'bag of belts' available for about a fiver.

You do need to consider how much effort is sensible to rescue a low end deck like this though. Quite good decks are usually available from eBay for little money. You even find them on Freecycle/Freegle.

kipperdog · 15th Apr 2017, 12:30 pm

OK, thanks for the input everyone

ben · 1st May 2017, 9:23 pm

I picked one of these up at a boot sale years ago. Unfortunately someone had been hacking at it with a screwdriver to remove a jammed cassette (there was still tape wrapped around the pinch roller!). In fact it was so hamfisted an attempt that they'd scratched a gouge into the head! The head itself seemed of very good quality, F&F or similar. The mech is a soft touch powered type which was good.
I'd say it is similar to a Nikko deck I now own, but don't quote me on that!

I ended up scrapping it after the motor driver IC packed up, but I'd probably buy another one if I saw it. For the sake of a couple of belts, worth getting going I'd say.

13th Apr 2017, 9:05 pm	#1
kipperdog Tetrode Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Andalusia, Spain Posts: 74	Triumph stereo cassette deck Hi, been given this Triumph TC400 for repair. All of the mechanism drive belts have turned to liquid so the deck need to be stripped completely and cleaned. does anyone know where I can get some service information? Have looked on the internet but had no luck. tia Attached Thumbnails

13th Apr 2017, 10:00 pm	#2
Records Hexode Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Harwich, Essex, UK. Posts: 429	Re: Triumph stereo cassette deck Looks like a Hitachi rebrand, i had a Hitachi amp and tapedeck that looked very similar

13th Apr 2017, 10:15 pm	#3
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,934	Re: Triumph stereo cassette deck I think Triumph was the 70s Currys house brand for low end hifi. It will have been OEMd by one of the Japanese big boys, possibly Hitachi indeed, but there is unlikely to have been an identical Hitachi model, at least in the UK market.

13th Apr 2017, 10:38 pm	#4
Tom_I Heptode Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: North Herts. UK. Posts: 549	Re: Triumph stereo cassette deck Found one for sale online, and it has this on the back - as Paul says. It doesn't help with the manufacturer, though. Attached Thumbnails

13th Apr 2017, 10:49 pm	#5
julie_m Dekatron Join Date: May 2008 Location: Derby, UK. Posts: 7,735	Re: Triumph stereo cassette deck Indeed. Such "upermarket specials", all sourced from the same factory, would have been sold under a variety of names in different countries. Post some interior shots, and somebody might recognise the mechanism or the PCB as being similar to something for which a manual is available. __________________ If I have seen further than others, it is because I was standing on a pile of failed experiments.

13th Apr 2017, 11:35 pm	#6
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,934	Re: Triumph stereo cassette deck With a simple deck like this there is usually a main flat capstan belt running from the motor pulley to the capstan flywheel, and a thin belt driving the tape counter and autostop sensor. The rest of the drive will use idler wheels or occasionally gears. You can work out what belts are required by experimenting with one of the eBay 'bag of belts' available for about a fiver. You do need to consider how much effort is sensible to rescue a low end deck like this though. Quite good decks are usually available from eBay for little money. You even find them on Freecycle/Freegle.

15th Apr 2017, 12:30 pm	#7
kipperdog Tetrode Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Andalusia, Spain Posts: 74	Re: Triumph stereo cassette deck OK, thanks for the input everyone

1st May 2017, 9:23 pm	#8
ben Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK Posts: 7,498	Re: Triumph stereo cassette deck I picked one of these up at a boot sale years ago. Unfortunately someone had been hacking at it with a screwdriver to remove a jammed cassette (there was still tape wrapped around the pinch roller!). In fact it was so hamfisted an attempt that they'd scratched a gouge into the head! The head itself seemed of very good quality, F&F or similar. The mech is a soft touch powered type which was good. I'd say it is similar to a Nikko deck I now own, but don't quote me on that! I ended up scrapping it after the motor driver IC packed up, but I'd probably buy another one if I saw it. For the sake of a couple of belts, worth getting going I'd say. __________________ Regards, Ben.