Ekco U29 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Count Moriarty · 27th Apr 2010, 6:25 pm

I was given this set by the handyman at the office where I work, some years ago. To my taste it's a beautiful little set. Work on it commenced all that time ago, and was finally finished this week. Considerably more off than on!

The gent who donated it said it worked but kept on blowing fuses; not a happy situation, and it didn't take long to establish why!

Removal of the chassis for examination proved very difficult. When all the necessary screws had been removed, it still wouldn't budge. Almost as if it were stuck down... In fact, this was exactly what had happened. The fuse-blowing was diagnosed as the result of almost dead short mains RF filter capacitors, the wax from which had boiled out and stuck the chassis to the cabinet base!

Naturally these were replaced, along with other suspect looking wax-paper caps. The cabinet and knobs were de-nicotined and polished.

On went the power. First thing to note was the interminably long warm-up time! With everything up to temperature, there were many stations and good sound. All too easy - or so I thought!

After about five minutes, a tremendous rustling started from the speaker, and all the high frequencies disappeared from the audio. Percussive intervention would make it disappear, but it would quickly return.

After much head-scratching and looking for dry joints, the only thing left to check was the screened cable carrying audio to the output valve grid. Having entirely removed this cable, I decided to pull out the core from the screen and was rewarded with a bare wire and a shower of bits of hardened rubber to confirm my suspicions. Fitting a new length of wire inside the screen got rid of the irritating symptoms.

On reassembly I put one of the destroyed capacitors to good use by using the wax to fill the screw holes in the knobs and cabinet base.

HamishBoxer · 27th Apr 2010, 6:29 pm

Looks superb and must get mine on the bench soon.What did you get the Nicotine off with?

Thanks David

benjamin77 · 27th Apr 2010, 6:33 pm

Nice looking short superhet is the Ekco U29. Descent reception and is fairly sensitive. Mine is missing the on/off/volume knob as well as the badge but apart form that its in good shape.

Be mindfull that because the chassis is a bit of a squeeze, the case does get

warm. Oh and the woefully long warm up time I think adds to the aniticipation of the sound that is to follow

Well done

Count Moriarty · 27th Apr 2010, 6:36 pm

Nicotine shifted with tepid water and Fairy Liquid! Thank goodness there's no speaker cloth in this one... David, does yours have any stress cracks in the top of the cream speaker escutcheon? Wondering if they all do. Cheers, Jim

Boom · 27th Apr 2010, 6:51 pm

I have one of these lovely little sets and had the same problem with the audio lead which on reflection it is entitled to suffer from with all of that heat. Mine also takes an age to warm up.

Dave

Count Moriarty · 27th Apr 2010, 7:07 pm

Yes, there is a tremendous amount of heat in a small space - this set certainly won't be used on the shelf on which I display it, there's only about an inch of clearance at the back and up top! I neglected to mention that screened wire was the only one so affected, but it does run up the side of the output bottle after all.

HamishBoxer · 27th Apr 2010, 7:17 pm

Thanks for that Jim re Nicotine,yes mine has a small mark possibly a crack top right.Do understand they suffer from stress cracks.

Regards David

PS mine came from non smoker home and hope not gone OT,its a transciever i need cleaning up

neil29 · 27th Apr 2010, 7:22 pm

Ive also had one of these. and it too had a crack. nice little set though. cheers neil.

JoshWard · 27th Apr 2010, 8:04 pm

What a lovely pretty little set

Well done

Steve_P · 29th Apr 2010, 2:49 pm

Very nice set, well done. Another 50 years trouble free working...

Cheers,

Steve P.

newlite4 · 29th Apr 2010, 3:30 pm

These are lovely little sets, I would never part with mine, every collector should have one.
Neil

howard · 30th Apr 2010, 6:46 pm

That's a nice little radio

Howard

27th Apr 2010, 6:25 pm	#1
Count Moriarty Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Kingston-upon-Hull, UK Posts: 30	Ekco U29 I was given this set by the handyman at the office where I work, some years ago. To my taste it's a beautiful little set. Work on it commenced all that time ago, and was finally finished this week. Considerably more off than on! The gent who donated it said it worked but kept on blowing fuses; not a happy situation, and it didn't take long to establish why! Removal of the chassis for examination proved very difficult. When all the necessary screws had been removed, it still wouldn't budge. Almost as if it were stuck down... In fact, this was exactly what had happened. The fuse-blowing was diagnosed as the result of almost dead short mains RF filter capacitors, the wax from which had boiled out and stuck the chassis to the cabinet base! Naturally these were replaced, along with other suspect looking wax-paper caps. The cabinet and knobs were de-nicotined and polished. On went the power. First thing to note was the interminably long warm-up time! With everything up to temperature, there were many stations and good sound. All too easy - or so I thought! After about five minutes, a tremendous rustling started from the speaker, and all the high frequencies disappeared from the audio. Percussive intervention would make it disappear, but it would quickly return. After much head-scratching and looking for dry joints, the only thing left to check was the screened cable carrying audio to the output valve grid. Having entirely removed this cable, I decided to pull out the core from the screen and was rewarded with a bare wire and a shower of bits of hardened rubber to confirm my suspicions. Fitting a new length of wire inside the screen got rid of the irritating symptoms. On reassembly I put one of the destroyed capacitors to good use by using the wax to fill the screw holes in the knobs and cabinet base. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Count Moriarty; 27th Apr 2010 at 6:25 pm. Reason: Noticed a couple of typos!

27th Apr 2010, 6:29 pm	#2
HamishBoxer Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK. Posts: 8,935	Re: Ekco U29 Looks superb and must get mine on the bench soon.What did you get the Nicotine off with? Thanks David

27th Apr 2010, 6:33 pm	#3
benjamin77 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK. Posts: 326	Re: Ekco U29 Nice looking short superhet is the Ekco U29. Descent reception and is fairly sensitive. Mine is missing the on/off/volume knob as well as the badge but apart form that its in good shape. Be mindfull that because the chassis is a bit of a squeeze, the case does get warm. Oh and the woefully long warm up time I think adds to the aniticipation of the sound that is to follow Well done

27th Apr 2010, 6:36 pm	#4
Count Moriarty Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Kingston-upon-Hull, UK Posts: 30	Re: Ekco U29 Nicotine shifted with tepid water and Fairy Liquid! Thank goodness there's no speaker cloth in this one... David, does yours have any stress cracks in the top of the cream speaker escutcheon? Wondering if they all do. Cheers, Jim

27th Apr 2010, 6:51 pm	#5
Boom Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Westbury, Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 2,451	Re: Ekco U29 I have one of these lovely little sets and had the same problem with the audio lead which on reflection it is entitled to suffer from with all of that heat. Mine also takes an age to warm up. Dave

27th Apr 2010, 7:07 pm	#6
Count Moriarty Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Kingston-upon-Hull, UK Posts: 30	Re: Ekco U29 Yes, there is a tremendous amount of heat in a small space - this set certainly won't be used on the shelf on which I display it, there's only about an inch of clearance at the back and up top! I neglected to mention that screened wire was the only one so affected, but it does run up the side of the output bottle after all.

27th Apr 2010, 7:17 pm	#7
HamishBoxer Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK. Posts: 8,935	Re: Ekco U29 Thanks for that Jim re Nicotine,yes mine has a small mark possibly a crack top right.Do understand they suffer from stress cracks. Regards David PS mine came from non smoker home and hope not gone OT,its a transciever i need cleaning up

27th Apr 2010, 7:22 pm	#8
neil29 Heptode Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Newport, Gwent, UK. Posts: 962	Re: Ekco U29 Ive also had one of these. and it too had a crack. nice little set though. cheers neil.

27th Apr 2010, 8:04 pm	#9
JoshWard Octode Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Near Stowmarket, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 1,962	Re: Ekco U29 What a lovely pretty little set Well done

29th Apr 2010, 2:49 pm	#10
Steve_P Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 6,644	Re: Ekco U29 Very nice set, well done. Another 50 years trouble free working... Cheers, Steve P. __________________ If we've always had it, why is the Car Boot open? You're not sneaking another Old TV in are you...?

29th Apr 2010, 3:30 pm	#11
newlite4 Octode Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Bath, Somerset, UK. Posts: 1,805	Re: Ekco U29 These are lovely little sets, I would never part with mine, every collector should have one. Neil __________________ preserving the recent past, for the distant future.

30th Apr 2010, 6:46 pm	#12
howard Nonode Join Date: May 2005 Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK. Posts: 2,593	Re: Ekco U29 That's a nice little radio Howard