Hitachi TRQ-291 Cassette recorder - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

technotel · 6th Aug 2019, 1:38 pm

Hi all
Anyone familiar with these old Hitachi cassette recorders? We had one when I was a kid in the early 70's that the whole family used. I recently picked one up in good condition at a car booty but the play key will not stay down. It uses some weird mechanism that I can only describe like a worm gear and spinning fan type thing? any ideas what the problem might be and where I can source belts/pulleys etc ?
thanks all

Nickthedentist · 6th Aug 2019, 3:14 pm

Could you post some pictures of this bit of the mechanism please?

gramophone1 · 16th Aug 2019, 9:09 pm

eBay - have a large supply of different belts for many different Cassette Decks.

Hopefully you will find on eBay - what you need . . . .

Try Google to see if their any specialists who fix, service cassette decks you could contact.

nickdoofah · 25th Aug 2019, 11:27 pm

A friend at boarding school had one of these in the late 70's! They are unusual decks for sure & at first I wondered does it have Full Auto Stop? However there's a nagging doubt that these had the usual stop tab between the 2 heads.......It's so long ago now - I remember the really good quality playback from a large speaker, a very pleasing mellow sound! Similar but upgraded models followed soon after this range, but by then the birth of the stereo radio recorders quickly left this type of quality mono machines behind! Can you post an image of the deck & belts? & if possible, the latching mech for the function keys?

6th Aug 2019, 1:38 pm	#1
technotel Pentode Join Date: May 2018 Location: High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK. Posts: 135	Hitachi TRQ-291 Cassette recorder Hi all Anyone familiar with these old Hitachi cassette recorders? We had one when I was a kid in the early 70's that the whole family used. I recently picked one up in good condition at a car booty but the play key will not stay down. It uses some weird mechanism that I can only describe like a worm gear and spinning fan type thing? any ideas what the problem might be and where I can source belts/pulleys etc ? thanks all

6th Aug 2019, 3:14 pm	#2
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,844	Re: Hitachi TRQ-291 Cassette recorder Could you post some pictures of this bit of the mechanism please?

16th Aug 2019, 9:09 pm	#3
gramophone1 Pentode Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 168	Re: Hitachi TRQ-291 Cassette recorder eBay - have a large supply of different belts for many different Cassette Decks. Hopefully you will find on eBay - what you need . . . . Try Google to see if their any specialists who fix, service cassette decks you could contact.

25th Aug 2019, 11:27 pm	#4
nickdoofah Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Littlehampton, West Sussex, UK. Posts: 142	Re: Hitachi TRQ-291 Cassette recorder A friend at boarding school had one of these in the late 70's! They are unusual decks for sure & at first I wondered does it have Full Auto Stop? However there's a nagging doubt that these had the usual stop tab between the 2 heads.......It's so long ago now - I remember the really good quality playback from a large speaker, a very pleasing mellow sound! Similar but upgraded models followed soon after this range, but by then the birth of the stereo radio recorders quickly left this type of quality mono machines behind! Can you post an image of the deck & belts? & if possible, the latching mech for the function keys?