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Hints, Tips and Solutions (Do NOT post requests for help here) If you have any useful general hints and tips for vintage technology repair and restoration, please share them here. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE!

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Old 5th Jan 2004, 6:15 pm   #1
sven
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Default Improving the sound on transistor radios

Replace the electrolytic capacitors. All of them. They're pretty much all shot to hell.

I did that on a couple of transistor radios from the 1970s -- granted these are table-top AC sets (with transformer). But the sound quality was improved noticeably. They don't sound as tinny and nasty as they did before.

Paul, since you're starting to collect these pocket sets, you might want to try this out with one that's basically working but sounds shrill, just to see what happens. Electrolytics are dirt cheap (especially if you're paying with pounds as opposed to our devalued dollars . )
 
Old 24th Jan 2004, 7:59 pm   #2
mahzic
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Default Re: Improving the sound on transistor radios

You are right about dried out electrolytics. I find that vintage transistor radios often need capacitor replacements as a matter of course. Modern day caps are much improved and the original styles can't be found, thankfully, anymore (around here). I replace the old 2 and 3 combo filter capacitors, for instance, with individual caps that are less than 1/4 in size.

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Old 26th Dec 2004, 11:23 pm   #3
Paul Stenning
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Default Re: Improving the sound on transistor radios

You can often buy suitable electrolytics on eBay for next-to-nothing. A bag of 100 of a single useful value will probably cost less than a fiver.
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