UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > General Vintage Technology > Success Stories

Notices

Success Stories If you have successfully repaired or restored a piece of equipment, why not write up what you did and post details here. Particularly if it was interesting, unusual or challenging. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE!

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 7th Nov 2007, 4:43 pm   #1
howard
Nonode
 
howard's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK.
Posts: 2,593
Default 1960 Sobell S303BT 7 transistor MW/LW pocket radio

Hello again,

These little Sobell radios turn up on eBay from time to time and I've always wanted one, but they do tend to look scruffy and are usually missing their strap(s). I've seen a few at BVWS meets too and none had survived well. Last week a fairly good one complete with strap but not working at last turned up on eBay and I won it for £15.50 including postage, quite expensive as it attracted 5 bidders. There's a pic of it here as it was on arrival, with over 45 years of grime on it but generally pretty good with no damage, just minor cracks in the leather cover due to old age on the top rear corners ...

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...2&d=1194434424

I took it apart .... the dial cap unscrews and the dial, small washer and large washer underneath then lift off, undo the three screws underneath and out comes the chassis complete. I very carefully cleaned the grime and paint specks off the case and handle with upholstery cleaner taking care not to wear away any of the gold lettering. I then stripped and repolished / revarnished all the brass fittings and then polished the case with a little Kiwi Select light tan polish.

I attached a PP3 battery and it was totally dead. So I cleaned the waveband switch and the off/on/volume pot with switch cleaner and away it went !! Not only did it work, it worked remarkably well picking up everything on both bands, considering that it still had 3 or 4 wax capacitors in it and the surface of the PCB looked poor. I then reassembled the set.

This is a nice little set and I am amazed how well it works ! And considering the state I've seen some of these sets in, it's in excellent condition too.

Howard
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Sobell_S303BT_front 001.jpg
Views:	531
Size:	59.7 KB
ID:	13291   Click image for larger version

Name:	Sobell_S303BT_rear_side 001.jpg
Views:	291
Size:	22.6 KB
ID:	13292   Click image for larger version

Name:	Sobell_S303BT_inside 001.jpg
Views:	312
Size:	47.0 KB
ID:	13293   Click image for larger version

Name:	Sobell_S303BT_wip.jpg
Views:	377
Size:	32.0 KB
ID:	13294  
howard is offline  
Old 7th Nov 2007, 4:59 pm   #2
Steve_P
Dekatron
 
Steve_P's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 6,644
Default Re: 1960 Sobell S303BT 7 transistor MW/LW pocket radio

Nice set. They are good those. Had one in for repair ages ago.

Going back in my forgettory, as Mike Phelan would say, this unit ran off 4 1.5v cells in a holder, which clipped onto the set via the PP3 Connector. They are always missing.

If I've got one I'll bring it to the next Harpenden Meeting.

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...?
Steve_P is offline  
Old 7th Nov 2007, 5:51 pm   #3
howard
Nonode
 
howard's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK.
Posts: 2,593
Default Re: 1960 Sobell S303BT 7 transistor MW/LW pocket radio

Hello Steve,

It did originally take a PP6 6 volt battery but the service data reckonned up to 9 volts was OK. I have a taiwanese Maplins 4 x AA battery holder and I've put that in it now and it works fine, but if you do have a spare original Sobell holder for it that would be brill.

Howard
howard is offline  
Old 7th Nov 2007, 6:27 pm   #4
Paul_RK
Dekatron
 
Paul_RK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 4,246
Default Re: 1960 Sobell S303BT 7 transistor MW/LW pocket radio

Hello Howard,

You're right about the PP6 battery, which is 9 volts anyway. The set's doing very well if performance from 6 volts doesn't leave a little to be desired. I think there was a Ferguson model of very similar appearance - possibly that's the one Steve is remembering, though I couldn't say what its battery requirement was.

Regards,
Paul
Paul_RK is offline  
Old 7th Nov 2007, 6:50 pm   #5
Robert Darwent
Heptode
 
Robert Darwent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK
Posts: 990
Default Re: 1960 Sobell S303BT 7 transistor MW/LW pocket radio

Quote:
Originally Posted by howard View Post
It did originally take a PP6 6 volt battery...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul_RK View Post
You're right about the PP6 battery, which is 9 volts anyway.
Hello Howard

Just checked in the manufacturers service manual for you and they specified a PP6 for powering the set, not 4 x 1.5v cells in an holder.

Paul's also correct there about the PP6 being a 9 volt battery. More so, its dimensions were roughly H 2 3/4 x W 1 1/2 x D 1 1/2 inches, which looks just about right to fit in the space where you've got the PP3 in your third photograph.

What a super little set though! Very nice, I like it a lot! As always you've done the business in the restoration department, well done!
__________________

Robert G0UHF
www.wavesintheair.co.uk

Last edited by Robert Darwent; 7th Nov 2007 at 6:59 pm.
Robert Darwent is offline  
Old 7th Nov 2007, 7:16 pm   #6
howard
Nonode
 
howard's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK.
Posts: 2,593
Default Re: 1960 Sobell S303BT 7 transistor MW/LW pocket radio

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul_RK View Post
Hello Howard,
You're right about the PP6 battery, which is 9 volts anyway. The set's doing very well if performance from 6 volts doesn't leave a little to be desired. Regards, Paul
Hello Paul,

I works well on 6 volts but does sounds a little more confident with the 9 volts PP3 battery in it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rrdmpb View Post
Hello Howard .............Paul's also correct there about the PP6 being a 9 volt battery.
Hell Robert,

The PP6 is a battery I know little about, initally I assumed it was 9 volts ..........

I'm wondering now whether I should have replaced those radial wax capacitors ...

Howard
howard is offline  
Old 7th Nov 2007, 7:38 pm   #7
Robert Darwent
Heptode
 
Robert Darwent's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK
Posts: 990
Default Re: 1960 Sobell S303BT 7 transistor MW/LW pocket radio

Quote:
Originally Posted by howard View Post
I'm wondering now whether I should have replaced those radial wax capacitors ...
If it was mine Howard, first I'd definitely power the set from 9 volts, as the manufacturer's intended, and not 6 volts.

Second, if the audio and performance is up to what you would expect from such a pocket transistor portable, then I would leave the wax capacitors alone. I'd only consider replacing them if the set just didn't sound right. After all in a transistor circuit such as this, they won't have been stressed anywhere near as much as they would have in a valve set, and are most likely still fine.
__________________

Robert G0UHF
www.wavesintheair.co.uk

Last edited by Robert Darwent; 7th Nov 2007 at 7:58 pm.
Robert Darwent is offline  
Old 7th Nov 2007, 7:51 pm   #8
howard
Nonode
 
howard's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK.
Posts: 2,593
Default Re: 1960 Sobell S303BT 7 transistor MW/LW pocket radio

Thanks Robert,

I have put the PP3 back in now.

I gather that wax capacitors in transistor sets don't give as much trouble as those in valve sets so I will leave them in place as the radio does work fine.
Besides the PCB looks a bit fragile and I don't want to risk breaking any tracks unless absolutely necessary.

Howard
howard is offline  
Old 28th Apr 2008, 10:53 am   #9
5Nooboy8
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, UK.
Posts: 1
Default Re: 1960 Sobell S303BT 7 transistor MW/LW pocket radio

Hi, I have one of these in mint condition. My gran gave it to me in 1980. It had the box, the original receipt and even the brown paper bag from Lewis's store where she bought it. Unfortunately I lost the box somewhere betweemn moving houses over rhe years, but I still have the radio and it still works fine.
5Nooboy8 is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:46 pm.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.