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Old 26th Oct 2008, 6:58 pm   #1
mark pirate
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Thumbs up Hacker sovereign II restored

Hi all, today I finally finished the restoration of a very sick tatty set
Luckily I had a couple of donor sets to help me complete this set.

I bought this set for a quid at my local car boot sale, it was in a right state. The batteries had leaked and had badly rusted the hinge on the back and the set was filthy and covered with paint spots and the VHF aerial was but a memory .

But on powering up it worked very well on VHF, but no AM (see this thread on solving this problem) https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=33228

After restoring the AM side, I then discovered that the volume pot was faulty. I replaced this with a known good one from a scrap Herald, this finished the set electrically, so now to the cabinet, as the chassis was already removed.

All I had to do was remove the speaker and the rusty back hinge.
As this set was so filthy, I used a mixture of washing powder and dishwashing liquid, this was helped by using a nailbrush, this bought the case up a treat!

Most of the paint spots came off easily, the tuning scale was even worse
(see pics) but responded well to cleaning & then polished most of the scratches out using T-cut, the speaker grille also came up like new.

After re-assembly I gave the set a good polish with Mr Sheen and fitted a new back hinge, the set now looks good and sounds brilliant, just needs a new VHF aerial to complete.

Mark
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Last edited by Darren-UK; 27th Oct 2008 at 2:31 pm. Reason: FSK problem fixed.
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Old 26th Oct 2008, 7:00 pm   #2
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Default Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

And the 'After' pics......
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Old 26th Oct 2008, 8:21 pm   #3
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Default Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

Hello Mark,

Lovely sets these - well worth the effort.

It's come up a treat hasn't it - congratulations.

TTFN,

Andy
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Old 26th Oct 2008, 8:51 pm   #4
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Default Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

Well done Mark!

Another tip to make it look even better... re-do the white lines on the knobs. Just scrape out any dirt and loose paint with a cocktail stick, clean with IPA, carefully mask the edges with Sellotape pressed firmly down, then fill the recess with a small amount of Tippex. Remove the Sellotape, allow to dry, then polish off any excess

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Old 26th Oct 2008, 9:20 pm   #5
mark pirate
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Thumbs up Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

Hi Nick, thanks for the tip, i was going to use some white enamel paint.
Job now done

Mark
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Old 26th Oct 2008, 9:36 pm   #6
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Nice one, Mark
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Old 26th Oct 2008, 11:00 pm   #7
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Default Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

Hi Mark

Thats come up very smart indeed!
Good tip from Nick as well
Great job well done

Regards
Stu
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Old 27th Oct 2008, 2:35 am   #8
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Default Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

Hi Mark,

You've done a really first-class job with the set, top marks!

I've had a RP25 for quite a while now with the same problem, good VHF but no MW/LW. Its quite common to find these sets in such a condition electrically, and as you are aware its most likely due to the same few suspect electrolytics or poor/non-existent ground connections on the AM board.

I'll have to definitely bump my set up the 'to-do' list, these sets are such good performers that they are well worth the time and effort to put right again!

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Old 27th Oct 2008, 9:22 am   #9
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Default Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

Nice one, Mark - well done! Says he, listening to his office radio (which is an RP25B)!
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Old 27th Oct 2008, 1:28 pm   #10
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Default Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

Wow, that's been resurrected, not just restored.
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Old 27th Oct 2008, 1:28 pm   #11
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Default Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

Great job Mark

I found a similarly filthy and neglected Sovereign II. Unfortunately however, mine doesn't work at all. It's in the to-do pile. Reading your report has inspired me to have a go at mine. Must find my round-tuit.

TimR
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Old 27th Oct 2008, 7:23 pm   #12
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Thumbs up Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

Hi all, many thanks for all the kind comments,
Quote:
Wow, that's been resurrected, not just restored.
Well it did take a bit more time than i thought it would but it was well worth it!
These sets do sound fantastic when working properly, and to think, i only bought it for the amp board!
Quote:
Reading your report has inspired me to have a go at mine. Must find my round-tuit.
Quote:
I'll have to definitely bump my set up the 'to-do' list, these sets are such good performers that they are well worth the time and effort to put right again!
I am glad my restoration has inspired you to bring your hackers back to life I am now just about to start on my grundig yacht boy which i liberated from the tip.... but that will be another thread!

Mark
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Old 27th Oct 2008, 11:24 pm   #13
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Default Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

Nice job! I have a mostly working Blue one of these, but is very tatty. I don't think it'll ever look that good.
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Old 28th Oct 2008, 3:32 pm   #14
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Default Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

That has come up lovely Mark. I had the same rusted hinge problem on my Hacker "short wave" Herald. It took a few days of soaking before I could get inside to do the electricals. Of course, to be really fussy, it is a nice touch to replace the metal-bodied 3.5mm jack plug that Hacker always taped onto the aerial stem (so that the user could connect his/her tape machine to the panel socket) .
Neil
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Old 30th Oct 2008, 4:32 pm   #15
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Default Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

That's a point; the first time I met one of these, it had a bit of masking tape on the aerial and I foolishly removed it as I could see no purpose to it.
Remedied that though, and I have a few with the plug still attached, albeit I've removed them, polished up the inevitable black tips and put them back with masking tape of the same width, in the original position!

I also have a couple of leads with one of the original 1/8" plugs at one end (for the set) and a more recent 3.5mm plug at the other end (for computer sound).

Great radios they are, and that one has certainly been improved beyond recognition.
Aerials are available from Roberts, buy the one intended for their R707, the hole in the dial and the chassis beneath will need to be opened out by roughly 0.040" to accommodate this, but they look right on there and only a fellow restorer would ever know it wasn't the same aerial fitted at Maidenhead (in 1972/3 in the case of a 25B). Very nice. Great job.
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Old 3rd Nov 2008, 12:25 am   #16
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Thumbs up Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

Hi all, thanks again for the compliments
Quote:
Of course, to be really fussy, it is a nice touch to replace the metal-bodied 3.5mm jack plug that Hacker always taped onto the aerial stem (so that the user could connect his/her tape machine to the panel socket) .
Neil
I
Quote:
have a few with the plug still attached, albeit I've removed them, polished up the inevitable black tips and put them back with masking tape of the same width, in the original position!
You will be pleased to hear my jack plug is still in situ, & will be re-fitted when
i fit the replacement aerial, my vhf herald (on the to-do pile) also retains it's
jack plug, did anyone use these? or did not realise what they were for

Mark

Last edited by mark pirate; 3rd Nov 2008 at 12:26 am. Reason: Added quotes
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Old 6th Nov 2008, 10:50 am   #17
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Interesting! I've yet to meet a VHF Herald with the plug but will now scuttle off and attach one to my RP37's aerial with the period-correct masking tape.

But on the topic of the Sovereign here; may I ask what you used to get the piping that lives between the panels and the cabinet's central core so white? I have found that on some sets, this doesn't respond to the usual soaking in bleach. Yours has come up a treat. Was it simply that it wasn't as bad to start with as some of the dog-rough old nails I've had here to restore I wonder?
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Old 6th Nov 2008, 4:41 pm   #18
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Default Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

I've always found that they tend to be yellowish-brown and thought it was the result of sunlight; like John, I've tried bleach, but not with that much success.
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Old 6th Nov 2008, 8:32 pm   #19
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Wink Re: Hacker sovereign II restored

Hi all,
Quote:
may I ask what you used to get the piping that lives between the panels and the cabinet's central core so white? I have found that on some sets, this doesn't respond to the usual soaking in bleach.
I used a cotton bud soaked in T-cut I find this the best stuff to bring up a shine on all plastics (& remove scratches) including bakelite & even metal trim!

Mark
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Old 7th Nov 2008, 10:25 am   #20
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Wow! So you didn't have to remove the piping then? I'll remember that one, itc ould save Days of labour!

Nice work.
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