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Old 25th Jan 2020, 10:44 pm   #1
Robsradio
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Default Fidelity Rad 15

Evening
Having bought and restored a couple of radios lately from charity shops I felt ashamed that I had left my late grand parents Fidelity Rad 15 deteriorating in the various lofts for the last 36 years!
I fetched it out and was very disappointed to find the aluminium had become very pitted and corroded. The case was still ok luckily, but not sound from it other than a quiet click when switched on.
Applied switch cleaner to band change switches and worked them many times, then got some hiss etc. Had to strip and clean the volume and tone pots as they wouldn’t respond to cleaner.
Now sounds great from FM, the AM works but is not so lively?
Not too worried as FM is all I really use these days.
It will never be abandoned again, I had a real sense of guilt when I saw it.
Just thought I would share
Out of interest does anybody know the years these were produced, the internet seems to indicate early 70s.
Rob
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Old 25th Jan 2020, 10:52 pm   #2
stitch1
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Default Re: Fidelity Rad 15

Well done for saving it. I had RAD15 as a teenager and have fond memories listening to it in my room I’ll have to look out for one.

John
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Old 25th Jan 2020, 11:04 pm   #3
Robsradio
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Default Re: Fidelity Rad 15

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Originally Posted by stitch1 View Post
Well done for saving it. I had RAD15 as a teenager and have fond memories listening to it in my room I’ll have to look out for one.

John
Funnily enough, my grand parents gave me the radio that this Fidelity replaced, it was a Ferguson mains set with piano keys and magic eye, and I listened to it in my bedroom as a nipper for many years

Just found a photo on the net of it, a ‘384U’ but it maybe nice to get another for nostalgia one day.
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Old 26th Jan 2020, 12:20 am   #4
AJSmith625
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Default Re: Fidelity Rad 15

Hello Rob, Currys were selling these when I started there in 1971 but I think they may have been out in 1970. Even when new the most common faults with loss of or reduced signals were the BF194/195 lockfit type transistors in the RF/IF stages. Also the Sufflex polystyrene capacitors around the AM local osc/ mixer stage would give trouble. Often gently tapping these with a plastic trimming tool would show up the faulty one. Also the tiny hexagonal nuts on each corner of the tuning gang could work loose (don't over tighten). I use to just check them by applying gentle pressure to the edges with a small screwdriver as there is no room to get in with pointed pliers. These radios together with the similar looking RAD16 (SW instead of VHF/FM) were the first radios I worked on. They were very popular.

Alan.
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Old 26th Jan 2020, 12:25 am   #5
Robsradio
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Default Re: Fidelity Rad 15

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Originally Posted by AJSmith625 View Post
Hello Rob, Currys were selling these when I started there in 1971 but I think they may have been out in 1970. Even when new the most common faults with loss of or reduced signals were the BF194/195 lockfit type transistors in the RF/IF stages. Also the Sufflex polystyrene capacitors around the AM local osc/ mixer stage would give trouble. Often gently tapping these with a plastic trimming tool would show up the faulty one. Also the tiny hexagonal nuts on each corner of the tuning gang could work loose (don't over tighten). I use to just check them by applying gentle pressure to the edges with a small screwdriver as there is no room to get in with pointed pliers. These radios together with the similar looking RAD16 (SW instead of VHF/FM) were the first radios I worked on. They were very popular.

Alan.
Many thanks Alan for the advice, I may take the back off and take a look tomorrow if I get time.

Rob
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