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Old 5th Jun 2011, 9:58 pm   #1
yestertech
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Default Abracadabra - a new Roberts R707

OK , I cheated.
I've been staring at my forlorn looking R707 for a while now and thinking I really should spruce it up a bit especially after the strap broke
In the nick of time, along came a second set, in really nice condition, but totally dead on all bands.
At first I thought about swapping the strap, or getting the new one working BUT then the obvious hit me - DOH !

******Transplant the innards into the new case*******

and I felt like I'd done some useful work at the bench for a change

The only unsoldering is the external audio( ? ) connection, everything else just comes out of the case after removing just 5 screws and 4 x 4BA nuts.
A quick polish and some leather balm on the strap and it looks nearly new
( OK, one of the socket surrounds topside is rusty, but changing that would probably have destroyed the dial print.)
At least I now have a straight aerial.....
As I switched it back on, there was a mild panic as I thought all had gone quiet, but it was only that all the band selector buttons were 'out' - phew
Listening as I polished some more, I remembered why this is my favourite "tranny"
It sounds like a set 3 times the size. And takes up very little space ( dear ! )

Andy
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Old 6th Jun 2011, 9:29 am   #2
Jonster
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Default Re: Abracadabra - a new Roberts R707

Lovely set, mine too is the combination of the best parts of two radios. I really must get the other one working though! Are you going to try and recussitate you other one?
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Old 6th Jun 2011, 11:09 am   #3
yestertech
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Default Re: Abracadabra - a new Roberts R707

Jonster, I fear not - as it will be on the ROUNTUIT pile forever, there to join the 2 x R600s which are completely dead ( and a real pain to work on )

Andy
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Old 27th Jun 2011, 11:28 am   #4
GJR 11L
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Default Re: Abracadabra - a new Roberts R707

Well done for preserving another of Roberts' flagship set, I love these things to bits and my most regularly used large portable is a near-mint late version with the striped grille and AF12*s instead of the AF11*s that most were born with. That set also has an original Roberts PSU and runs from that without a trace of mains hum.

The main reason, of the many explaining why I'm so fond of mine - and of the three earlier, working examples I seem to have accumulated somehow - is that there's no background "mush" from the speaker, even at very low listening levels. OK, so it could be argued, in a different thread obviously, that there are Hacker sets of the period which sound "better" - a fiercely subjective statement I know - but even the best of the rest fails to satisfy as a bedside set when used at very low volume.
Not that a 707 doesn't satisfy when the need arises for loud music, they do that too. Beautifully.

Again; well done.
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Old 1st Jul 2011, 12:12 pm   #5
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Default Re: Abracadabra - a new Roberts R707

Its great to see one in such good condition. I can easily imagine how good it sounds.
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Old 6th Jul 2011, 1:30 pm   #6
mhennessy
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Default Re: Abracadabra - a new Roberts R707

Quote:
Originally Posted by GJR 11L View Post
The main reason, of the many explaining why I'm so fond of mine - and of the three earlier, working examples I seem to have accumulated somehow - is that there's no background "mush" from the speaker, even at very low listening levels. OK, so it could be argued, in a different thread obviously, that there are Hacker sets of the period which sound "better" - a fiercely subjective statement I know - but even the best of the rest fails to satisfy as a bedside set when used at very low volume.
The dual volume control is the reason for this; the noise from the preamp is attenuated as well as the wanted audio. It's a trick that has been used in a few hi-fi amplifiers over the years, although it's really not needed with good low-noise design...

(Hacker sets can be just as quiet, normally it's just a case of changing the first Lockfit transistor on the audio board)

Really must get on with mine. I have several scrappers, and reckon I could get one really nice example from them, and perhaps a second, not so nice one too. Would be a major effort though - they all have IF module problems...

Cheers,

Mark
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