Ultra TR100 - genuine 'barn find'! - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Techman · 28th May 2022, 8:50 pm

This is a truly rough example of this early transistor portable from the late 50s and yes, that really is bird droppings on the top!

I picked this up last Thursday, along with other radio related bits, including a nice little AVO Multiminor, which I've already had apart and sorted. Apparently this came from the loft of an old barn that was being cleared after the owner died. I'm the last (and at least the third) person in line for job lots that get picked up and cherry picked, then passed on to be picked over again and I have an agreement to then pick up and take away everything that's left over with no picking it over, and what I don't want I agree to dump or otherwise dispose of. I've had a lot of good stuff from this person, so no complaints. There's apparently a valve radio from the same place that's still on its way to that last person with my name on it, although the make and model is as yet unknown.

This radio is really scrap, but I thought it might be fun to see if it's actually capable of working. It still had the original batteries fitted from when it was last used and you may be surprised to learn that they were as dead as a doornail! It's so corroded that as can be seen in the fourth picture below, that even the lead from one of the Plessey capacitors has actually corroded off - and that's just what we can see and it could be worse on closer inspection.

It's a centre tapped nine volt supply arrangement on this set, so I supplied it with two 4.5 volt power sources from batteries and there was absolutely no response whatsoever. This set has a (relatively) high impedance speaker of 25 ohms, so I next checked this for continuity (with the newly fixed AVO minor on its low resistance range) and there was a reassuring crackle from it. My next suspicion fell on the on/off switch and sure enough one of the poles was open circuit. Having re-connected the batteries and croc clipped a test lead across the O/C switch contacts I could hear a low hiss from the speaker and a crackle from adjusting the volume control. Operating the wave change switch made no such crackle, so it looks like it's probably dead from the IFs back to the front end. It'll need a thorough blow out of all the muck and dead creatures before doing any more to it, so we'll have to see - it might end up as a partial restoration, you never know...or maybe not!

mark pirate · 29th May 2022, 9:19 am

My set needed several of the plessey caps replaced before it burst into life.
These are a rather nice attractive set, certainly worth the effort, even with such a neglected example, I have restored worse!

Mark

Lloyd 1985 · 29th May 2022, 10:05 am

Nice! It doesn’t look too bad inside! Basket cases are always the most fun, good luck!

Regards
Lloyd

Techman · 30th May 2022, 4:13 pm

Yes, the board will have to come out to get to the back of the print for replacement of the suspects. One thing is that it doesn't look like it'd ever been particularly 'got-at', although I have a suspicion that the reason that the volume on/off knob is broken off is because someone in the very distant past has tried to remove it, it's an old break and after busting it they probably gave up. They're well and truly rusted on and have now been well soaked in diesel, which should eventually free them off. It's had a good 'blow-out' outside away from the house and looks much better inside now. There's evidence of some woodworm in the bottom of the case, which has now been treated. It stinks of Cuprinol and Diesel, so it's out of the house for a few days to fumigate!

And yes, basket cases can be the most fun, as there's not a lot of loss if it all goes wrong...you can always trust me to turn up a real relic!

Someone will correct me, but I think that this may have been one of the first UK all transistor portables.

mark pirate · 30th May 2022, 6:46 pm

Quote:

Someone will correct me, but I think that this may have been one of the first UK all transistor portables.

They date to 1958, Pye launched the first transistor set under it's Pam brand a couple of years earlier.

I reckon the hardest part will be repairing the wooden cabinet, the chassis should be reasonably easy, once you manage to remove it!

Mark

28th May 2022, 8:50 pm	#1
Techman Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Lincolnshire, UK. Posts: 5,000	Ultra TR100 - genuine 'barn find'! This is a truly rough example of this early transistor portable from the late 50s and yes, that really is bird droppings on the top! I picked this up last Thursday, along with other radio related bits, including a nice little AVO Multiminor, which I've already had apart and sorted. Apparently this came from the loft of an old barn that was being cleared after the owner died. I'm the last (and at least the third) person in line for job lots that get picked up and cherry picked, then passed on to be picked over again and I have an agreement to then pick up and take away everything that's left over with no picking it over, and what I don't want I agree to dump or otherwise dispose of. I've had a lot of good stuff from this person, so no complaints. There's apparently a valve radio from the same place that's still on its way to that last person with my name on it, although the make and model is as yet unknown. This radio is really scrap, but I thought it might be fun to see if it's actually capable of working. It still had the original batteries fitted from when it was last used and you may be surprised to learn that they were as dead as a doornail! It's so corroded that as can be seen in the fourth picture below, that even the lead from one of the Plessey capacitors has actually corroded off - and that's just what we can see and it could be worse on closer inspection. It's a centre tapped nine volt supply arrangement on this set, so I supplied it with two 4.5 volt power sources from batteries and there was absolutely no response whatsoever. This set has a (relatively) high impedance speaker of 25 ohms, so I next checked this for continuity (with the newly fixed AVO minor on its low resistance range) and there was a reassuring crackle from it. My next suspicion fell on the on/off switch and sure enough one of the poles was open circuit. Having re-connected the batteries and croc clipped a test lead across the O/C switch contacts I could hear a low hiss from the speaker and a crackle from adjusting the volume control. Operating the wave change switch made no such crackle, so it looks like it's probably dead from the IFs back to the front end. It'll need a thorough blow out of all the muck and dead creatures before doing any more to it, so we'll have to see - it might end up as a partial restoration, you never know...or maybe not! Attached Thumbnails

29th May 2022, 9:19 am	#2
mark pirate Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK Posts: 5,185	Re: Ultra TR100 - genuine 'barn find'! My set needed several of the plessey caps replaced before it burst into life. These are a rather nice attractive set, certainly worth the effort, even with such a neglected example, I have restored worse! Mark

29th May 2022, 10:05 am	#3
Lloyd 1985 Nonode Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, UK. Posts: 2,820	Re: Ultra TR100 - genuine 'barn find'! Nice! It doesn’t look too bad inside! Basket cases are always the most fun, good luck! Regards Lloyd

30th May 2022, 4:13 pm	#4
Techman Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Lincolnshire, UK. Posts: 5,000	Re: Ultra TR100 - genuine 'barn find'! Yes, the board will have to come out to get to the back of the print for replacement of the suspects. One thing is that it doesn't look like it'd ever been particularly 'got-at', although I have a suspicion that the reason that the volume on/off knob is broken off is because someone in the very distant past has tried to remove it, it's an old break and after busting it they probably gave up. They're well and truly rusted on and have now been well soaked in diesel, which should eventually free them off. It's had a good 'blow-out' outside away from the house and looks much better inside now. There's evidence of some woodworm in the bottom of the case, which has now been treated. It stinks of Cuprinol and Diesel, so it's out of the house for a few days to fumigate! And yes, basket cases can be the most fun, as there's not a lot of loss if it all goes wrong...you can always trust me to turn up a real relic! Someone will correct me, but I think that this may have been one of the first UK all transistor portables. Attached Thumbnails