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Success Stories If you have successfully repaired or restored a piece of equipment, why not write up what you did and post details here. Particularly if it was interesting, unusual or challenging. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE! |
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6th May 2010, 4:42 pm | #1 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 2,543
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R1155 receiver
I won this R1155 receiver, on ebay, in November last year, for the bargain price of £46. Lack of internal pictures, and my knowledge of these sets meant it was a unknown quantity, but you can imagine my joy when I found out I’d purchased a completely original, untouched example .
Electrical restoration involved changing a considerable amount of crumbling, rubber wiring, which apparently is a common problem with these sets. Ordinary cardboard, tubular waxies were re-stuffed with modern caps, on sight. I checked two of the multi-sectioned capacitors and found they leaked terribly. I therefore decided to remove, gut and re-stuff all the tubular, aluminium capacitors with modern parts. Two out of the three rectangular, steel cased caps were open circuit, so again I had to gut and re-stuff them. Unfortunately it was considerably more difficult to open up these steel cases, but I got there in the end. All potentiometers were removed, dismantled, cleaned, lubricated and then replaced. Contacts and switches were cleaned with Servisol. All valves were checked on my 2 panel AVO and were in great shape. Cosmetically my biggest concern was the opaque looking dial, but I was over the moon when it cleaned up with soapy water and a good polish with Brasso. The pencil scale was made using laminate card. All bolts and fixings were very rusty, so I soaked them overnight in phosphoric acid and the cleaned them up with a drill and sandpaper. They were then lacquered to prevent rusting. I made a mistake putting the dome nuts (used as control stops) into the acid, as they turned out to be plated brass rather than steel. I therefore had the fun of trying to zinc plate them, using zinc taken from a battery and vinegar as an electrolyte. Control labels looked awful. I thought they were aluminium, but again they turned out to be plated brass. As I tried to clean them, I broke through the plating and they ended up looking brass rather than silver. The depth of the stamping wasn’t enough either and the black background was often removed as well. My solution was to make up some images and print them onto the reverse of some transparent film. Aluminium tape was then stuck over the print and the replicas were glued onto the original labels. The identification plate was missing so I made a replacement using a similar method. The front panel was washed, masked and sprayed over with satin black paint. The case was stripped and I did my best to hammer out the numerous dents. It was then spray painted with satin black. Anyhow, that’s about it. It seems to work really well. Even on a piece of 12” flex, used as an aerial, it pulls in loads of stations. It’s powered and amplified from the homebrew contraption that it’s sitting on. I had a bit of fun making it and I made up some R1155 style labels, for the sake of continuity Regards David |
6th May 2010, 4:49 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK.
Posts: 8,932
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Re: R1155 receiver
Thats one hell of a transformation,and love that power supply/output stage.
Regards David GM8JET |
6th May 2010, 5:12 pm | #3 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex.
Posts: 5,817
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Re: R1155 receiver
Well, of course, that's excellent David-starting with the e-bay price! You must have benefited from that alarming photo. Did you think the the insides might be worse or missing. What a great outcome. It looks so good. I was expecting more of the story on your PSU/Output stage thread but you have clearly been cracking on at an advanced pace. Mine still sits on the shelf. It was all of £50 but via a private seller who appreciated my interest and didn't want to auction it. It's a bit rough but nothing like the image you have benefited from. Thanks for letting us take a look.
Dave W |
6th May 2010, 6:00 pm | #4 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 2,543
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Re: R1155 receiver
Thanks for the replies and thumbs up.
I believe its poor condition, together with no pictures of the innards and a very uninformative description led to it's cheap price. I really struggle with making things from scratch, so I'm pleased with the way my PSU/amp turned out. It's only a MDF box with seperate transformers for HT and LT. HT is bridge rectified with a Si diodes and the amplifier is based on a simple LM386 design. David |
6th May 2010, 6:12 pm | #5 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 51
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Re: R1155 receiver
Hi Dave,
That restoration is a credit to you. Well done. How did the below chasis re-wiring go, any pix ? Anyway congrats on this one, cheers, John. |
6th May 2010, 6:42 pm | #6 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 2,543
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Re: R1155 receiver
I was very lucky that most of the single strand wire in the tuning heart was okay, but the wires surrounding and leading into it were in bad shape and therefore replaced.
I've attached some pictures of the underside and a box holding some of the left over bits and pieces David |
6th May 2010, 6:49 pm | #7 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Near Wrecsam, North Wales
Posts: 356
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Re: R1155 receiver
A superb restoration, most impressive. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Regards, |
6th May 2010, 7:53 pm | #8 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Croydon, Surrey, UK.
Posts: 7,572
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Re: R1155 receiver
Definately enters you for the Hall Of Fame restoration award!
Well done Dave. SB
__________________
There are lots of brilliant keyboard players and then there is Rick Wakeman..... |
6th May 2010, 10:13 pm | #9 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, UK.
Posts: 749
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Re: R1155 receiver
Well done! What an outstanding restoration!! I have a R1155 in storage that is fairly complete and clean, i would love to think of it looking like your superb example one day.
Thanks for sharing this with us. |
7th May 2010, 12:56 pm | #10 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bristol, UK.
Posts: 837
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Re: R1155 receiver
That's a beautiful job Dave.
Pete. |
7th May 2010, 2:14 pm | #11 |
Hexode
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Naples, Florida, USA
Posts: 255
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Re: R1155 receiver
museum quality.
__________________
Jim Mac |
9th May 2010, 12:21 pm | #12 |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,587
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Re: R1155 receiver
Well done Dave, how does the set perform from the reception pointof view, are you pleased ?
Regards Mike |
9th May 2010, 3:35 pm | #13 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 2,543
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Re: R1155 receiver
Hi Mike,
Yes I'm very pleased with it, in every respect. I was a little worried at first because it sounded distorted, but this turned out be be a problem with my amplifier rather than the receiver. As I mentioned earlier, I've only used it on a short piece of wire, as an aerial, but the reception is really good, it's certainly far better than any of the domestic sets that I have |
11th May 2010, 8:59 pm | #14 |
Hexode
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Perigord Noir, France
Posts: 352
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Re: R1155 receiver
Is it really the same one!
It looks fantastic. Well done! I know you have just restored it but have you come across the following? - http://r1155.blogspot.com/ I just came across it a short while ago whilst looking for something else. Andy |
12th May 2010, 10:43 am | #15 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Burghfield, Reading, Berkshire, UK,
Posts: 1,055
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Re: R1155 receiver
That's what I call a real RESTORATION rather than a restoration. It looks fantastic - well done Dave. One question - was there much cleaning to do on the internals? The fact that it was untouched probably meant that the case was never removed. If it was dirty, how did you clean it so immaculately?
Again, a fantastic job. Although I'm a TV man now, I would quite like an R1155 project........ Cheers Brian |
12th May 2010, 1:59 pm | #16 | ||
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 2,543
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Re: R1155 receiver
Quote:
Quote:
Regards David |
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12th May 2010, 3:20 pm | #17 | |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Burghfield, Reading, Berkshire, UK,
Posts: 1,055
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Re: R1155 receiver
Quote:
Cheers Brian |
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12th May 2010, 3:42 pm | #18 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 2,543
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Re: R1155 receiver
Hi Brian,
Capacitors, valve covers, and any other removable parts were washed in soapy water as and when they were removed. The chassis, as it became visible, was brushed with white spirit and, immediately, wiped clean.... That's about it David |
12th May 2010, 5:07 pm | #19 |
Heptode
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Hockley, Essex, UK.
Posts: 575
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Re: R1155 receiver
What a great restoration job.
Truly well done. Regards Rob |
12th May 2010, 10:26 pm | #20 | |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Burghfield, Reading, Berkshire, UK,
Posts: 1,055
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Re: R1155 receiver
Quote:
Cheers Brian |
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