Roberts R600 Restoration - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

mark pirate · 26th Oct 2011, 12:51 am

I was given a very battered, but working R600 by a friend who thought I might like it for parts, or it was off to the tip, needless to say I had it!

I used it a fair bit while decorating my previous house, as I was not too bothered about getting it covered in paint. I bodged an old rod aerial on it as the original was missing, as were three of the pushbuttons, when I moved house it was chucked in a box and left in the garage until today.

A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a very tidy R600 from a car boot for £3, I was told it was untested......

On fitting a battery, the audio section worked, but otherwise dead, due no doubt to duff AF11x transistors, on these sets they are fitted in to metal clad modules, which are a real pain to work on, I then remembered the tatty one in the garage

I set about dismantling both sets, the tatty one had certainly seen some bodgery over the years, someone had 'repaired' the tuning cord together and fitted it so the pointer went backwards!
The headphone socket had been bypassed, and the wires wrapped in Sellotape.

I replaced the tuning cord, pushbuttons, headphone socket, tuning dial and knobs with those from the other set, gave the wavechange switches a squirt of Servisol, and reassembled it in to the good cabinet.

Cosmetically, the cabinet from the dead set cleaned up very well indeed, it even had its original FM aerial, which is mint, as is the leather handle, the perspex tuning scale was cleaned and polished with T-cut, the wood sides also came up a treat with some furniture polish.

The finishing touch was to replace the 'Roberts' badge, both sets had just the 's' left of the badge, a quick rummage turned up a complete one from a scrap set, this was carefully fitted, completing the restoration.

The set works very well on all bands, and looks almost as good as the day it was bought, back in 1968.

Mark

mark pirate · 26th Oct 2011, 12:54 am

And the after photos...

Jonster · 26th Oct 2011, 8:20 am

Nice one! My R600 was made from two sets married together as well - one that was cosmetically challenged but working and a nice one that didn't! It's odd how the battered ones keep going, maybe the pristine ones die due to lack of use!

mhennessy · 26th Oct 2011, 4:45 pm

Very good! I prefer the grill and badges on these earlier models... The badges can be re-sprayed - but silver rather than chrome. Not perfect, but better than yellow.

howard · 26th Oct 2011, 6:12 pm

Well done Mark, good work

Nice sets these with 88-108 MHz on FM.

Howard

26th Oct 2011, 12:51 am	#1
mark pirate Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK Posts: 5,185	Roberts R600 Restoration I was given a very battered, but working R600 by a friend who thought I might like it for parts, or it was off to the tip, needless to say I had it! I used it a fair bit while decorating my previous house, as I was not too bothered about getting it covered in paint. I bodged an old rod aerial on it as the original was missing, as were three of the pushbuttons, when I moved house it was chucked in a box and left in the garage until today. A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a very tidy R600 from a car boot for £3, I was told it was untested...... On fitting a battery, the audio section worked, but otherwise dead, due no doubt to duff AF11x transistors, on these sets they are fitted in to metal clad modules, which are a real pain to work on, I then remembered the tatty one in the garage I set about dismantling both sets, the tatty one had certainly seen some bodgery over the years, someone had 'repaired' the tuning cord together and fitted it so the pointer went backwards! The headphone socket had been bypassed, and the wires wrapped in Sellotape. I replaced the tuning cord, pushbuttons, headphone socket, tuning dial and knobs with those from the other set, gave the wavechange switches a squirt of Servisol, and reassembled it in to the good cabinet. Cosmetically, the cabinet from the dead set cleaned up very well indeed, it even had its original FM aerial, which is mint, as is the leather handle, the perspex tuning scale was cleaned and polished with T-cut, the wood sides also came up a treat with some furniture polish. The finishing touch was to replace the 'Roberts' badge, both sets had just the 's' left of the badge, a quick rummage turned up a complete one from a scrap set, this was carefully fitted, completing the restoration. The set works very well on all bands, and looks almost as good as the day it was bought, back in 1968. Mark Attached Thumbnails

26th Oct 2011, 12:54 am	#2
mark pirate Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK Posts: 5,185	Re: Roberts R600 Restoration And the after photos... Attached Thumbnails

26th Oct 2011, 8:20 am	#3
Jonster Heptode Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 671	Re: Roberts R600 Restoration Nice one! My R600 was made from two sets married together as well - one that was cosmetically challenged but working and a nice one that didn't! It's odd how the battered ones keep going, maybe the pristine ones die due to lack of use!

26th Oct 2011, 4:45 pm	#4
mhennessy Dekatron Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Evesham, Worcestershire, UK. Posts: 4,244	Re: Roberts R600 Restoration Very good! I prefer the grill and badges on these earlier models... The badges can be re-sprayed - but silver rather than chrome. Not perfect, but better than yellow.

26th Oct 2011, 6:12 pm	#5
howard Nonode Join Date: May 2005 Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK. Posts: 2,593	Re: Roberts R600 Restoration Well done Mark, good work Nice sets these with 88-108 MHz on FM. Howard