Help with Grundig TK27 - Recording - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

wpwright · 17th May 2020, 8:04 pm

Greetings! I am a new member living in Philadelphia USA. During the quarantine here I have been working on a Grundig TK27. So far I have been able to sort out the mechanical issues - cleaned, lubricated, new belts. It plays well. When I try to record, the magic eye looks like it is recording. But, the actual recording sounds scratchy and garbled. I have cleaned the erase & recording/playback heads, the record volume control, and the input connector pins. This is the first time I have tried to repair a reel to reel recorder. Your thoughts/suggestions on what to do next will be appreciated. Thanks, Wayne

8 Tracker · 17th May 2020, 8:35 pm

Welcome along. This is a 4-track stereo machine, but it's only got a mono amplifier, so if you want stereo out of it you have to connect it to a suitable amplifier. You don't say if you've tried recording on both tracks. If you haven't give it a try and see if both tracks sound the same.

The track selector switch can give problems. A spray of Deoxit can work well on it.

This recorder is a little different than the rest in the range as the record / playback switches are not on the circuit board and they are quite fiddly to get to. If you remove the bottom cover and drop down the circuit board you can just see them hidden behind a metal box cover at the very right of the machine. Two screws hold the cover on and you can just loosen them to slide the cover off. You can then see the contacts. If you put the track selector switch to 1-2 and press the record button you can see the lever operate the contacts. Same for track switch position 3-4 except it operates the other set of contacts. These are the ones that are difficult to get to as they are against the side of the machine. You can try cleaning the contacts that are easiest to get to and see if that brings results first. If it does, then you can think about removing the contacts to get to the other side. If you get this far, you need to be careful as the wires to the contacts are not very long and don't allow much room for movement.

Hope you can follow all this and that it helps. Let us know how you get on,
Mark.

wpwright · 18th May 2020, 3:46 am

Mark: Thanks so much for your reply. I will take the steps you suggest and let you know how it goes. The help is much appreciated. Wayne

wpwright · 21st May 2020, 12:19 am

This afternoon using Deoxit I cleaned the track selector switch and the record/playback contact switches on my Grundig TK27. Happily, I was able a make clear five minute stereo recording and play it back through my console. Sounds nice. But, when I tried to do it a second time, the Grundig went back to sounding garbled and scratchy. Seems like I am on the right path. I will give it another go when I have a bit more free time. Thanks, Wayne

17th May 2020, 8:04 pm	#1
wpwright Diode Join Date: May 2020 Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Posts: 6	Help with Grundig TK27 - Recording Greetings! I am a new member living in Philadelphia USA. During the quarantine here I have been working on a Grundig TK27. So far I have been able to sort out the mechanical issues - cleaned, lubricated, new belts. It plays well. When I try to record, the magic eye looks like it is recording. But, the actual recording sounds scratchy and garbled. I have cleaned the erase & recording/playback heads, the record volume control, and the input connector pins. This is the first time I have tried to repair a reel to reel recorder. Your thoughts/suggestions on what to do next will be appreciated. Thanks, Wayne

17th May 2020, 8:35 pm	#2
8 Tracker Hexode Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, UK. Posts: 286	Re: Help with Grundig TK27 - Recording Welcome along. This is a 4-track stereo machine, but it's only got a mono amplifier, so if you want stereo out of it you have to connect it to a suitable amplifier. You don't say if you've tried recording on both tracks. If you haven't give it a try and see if both tracks sound the same. The track selector switch can give problems. A spray of Deoxit can work well on it. This recorder is a little different than the rest in the range as the record / playback switches are not on the circuit board and they are quite fiddly to get to. If you remove the bottom cover and drop down the circuit board you can just see them hidden behind a metal box cover at the very right of the machine. Two screws hold the cover on and you can just loosen them to slide the cover off. You can then see the contacts. If you put the track selector switch to 1-2 and press the record button you can see the lever operate the contacts. Same for track switch position 3-4 except it operates the other set of contacts. These are the ones that are difficult to get to as they are against the side of the machine. You can try cleaning the contacts that are easiest to get to and see if that brings results first. If it does, then you can think about removing the contacts to get to the other side. If you get this far, you need to be careful as the wires to the contacts are not very long and don't allow much room for movement. Hope you can follow all this and that it helps. Let us know how you get on, Mark.

18th May 2020, 3:46 am	#3
wpwright Diode Join Date: May 2020 Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Posts: 6	Re: Help with Grundig TK27 - Recording Mark: Thanks so much for your reply. I will take the steps you suggest and let you know how it goes. The help is much appreciated. Wayne

21st May 2020, 12:19 am	#4
wpwright Diode Join Date: May 2020 Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Posts: 6	Re: Help with Grundig TK27 - Recording This afternoon using Deoxit I cleaned the track selector switch and the record/playback contact switches on my Grundig TK27. Happily, I was able a make clear five minute stereo recording and play it back through my console. Sounds nice. But, when I tried to do it a second time, the Grundig went back to sounding garbled and scratchy. Seems like I am on the right path. I will give it another go when I have a bit more free time. Thanks, Wayne