Sony TC800

[Dorian27]

Can any one please tell me if the above model had a built in power supply or external adapter type supply. I have bough one on ebay and it says the power cable missing so i dont realy know what it needs to use on mains whether i just need a cable or external transformer. If any one can help please.

[Ted Kendall]

It uses a peculiar four pin lead, but has a built-in transformer.

[Dorian27]

Does any one know please where i could get a mains cabl for this please

[DMcMahon]

Reading other Threads on this Forum, evidently there are 2 versions of this Sony 4 pin power cable:-

1. Cable with 2 contact pins fitted in top 2 pin positions for AC mains use.

2. Cable with 2 contact pins fitted in the bottom (pins further apart) 2 pin positions for external 12 volt DC (car battery) use - Sony # DCC-2AW.

The unit can also be used for portable use using 8 internal D size 1.5 volt batteries.

[Dorian27]

Thank you for your help

[TIMTAPE]

On mine I removed the strange 4 pin socket and replaced it with a standard figure 8 two pin mains socket. I couldnt imagine ever using the machine off for example a 12 volt car battery.

[Dorian27]

Hi TIMETAPE
Can you tell me which of the four pins did you use to cinvert to 2 pin as you have 2top pins and 2 bottom pins if you could help pleas as i dont want to muck it up andblow the rrcorder as it wirks well your help would be much appreciated

[DMcMahon]

They will be the 2 pins at the top of the mains plug that are closest together, below the rectangular cut out, as per attached photo in this link.

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...2&d=1591184484

The attached PDF schematic (USA 117 volt version) section shows the mains connector, you will see that the top 2 pins connect to the mains transformer primary winding.

Note - that the internal batteries are disconnected by switch S7 when the Sony mains cable is plugged in, I assume the switching mechanism must be in the body of the 4 pin mains plug.

David

[Dorian27]

So does it mean that i will not be able to cut off bstteries by using 2pin cable. Or do i just take batteries out while on mains

[TonyDuell]

The battery switch is a pair of contacts on the side of the chassis-mounted plug that are opened by a plastic ridge on either type of power lead socket.

Personally I dislike replacing these connectors with figure-of-8 types (or whatever). The 12V DC input was part of the machine's specification and should be kept. OK I was lucky, I found the 12V car cable on E-bay for not too much and then the mains cable at a radio rally for 50p (!). They are rare but they do turn up.

I wonder if there's any other socket that can mate with the 2 closer-together pins for testing. If so, use that, and just take the batteries out.

[DMcMahon]

If the S7 switch mechanism is part of the 4 pin mains plug then when that plug is removed (for the 2 pin figure 8 conversion) the internal batteries will be switched off.

If you inspect the rear side of the 4 pin mains plug I guess in addition to the 2 wires for the AC and 2 wires for the DC there will be another 2 small wires for the S7 switch, if so you could connect a toggle switch to the wires to manually switch the internal batteries on/off.

[TonyDuell]

There are of course figure-of-8 chassis plugs with a built-in switch for exactly this purpose. I've not seen them in the catalogues (but I've not looked that hard), but you can possibly get one from a battery/mains radio or cassette recorder.

[Dorian27]

I am running it on 8 D batteries i just want mains what do i do to get this will it go just by connecting the 2 top tomains or fo i need to do more. I dont want 12v at the moment or possibly not at all

[Dorian27]

Originally Posted by TIMTAPE

On mine I removed the strange 4 pin socket and replaced it with a standard figure 8 two pin mains socket. I couldnt imagine ever using the machine off for example a 12 volt car battery.

Can you tell me exactly what you had to do please

[TIMTAPE]

If you want to make such a mod. but don't have the skills I'd suggest you pay someone with the skills to do the work for you. There are mains voltages involved and the risk of injury to people and damage to the recorder if the work is not done properly.

[Dorian27]

I was an electrician but not radio so i know the dangers i just need help on how to modify please

[TonyDuell]

There was a smaller (than the figure-of-8) 2 pin mains connector used on some radios/cassette recorders. The cable-mounted socket was rectangular in cross-section, I think CPC sold rewireable sockets quite recently (and might still do so)

Anyway, that socket will push over the top 2 pins (mains input) of the Sony 4 pin chassis plug. It does not open the battery switch, and there are dangerous ways to connect it to the '12V' pins of the Sony plug so I would not do this for anything but my own use. But given that, it does work, and is safe as I've described it.

[DMcMahon]

Dorian, the figure of 8 (also called Shogen/Infinity connector) cable connector is an IEC type C7 (2 female pins) with spacing between the pin centres of 8.6mm. The corresponding chassis IEC connector is an IEC type C8 (2 male pins).

Electric shavers use an IEC type C1 cable connector (not figure of 8) with pin spacing of 6.6mm, these have a much lower current capability.

I do not know the size of the pins for the C1 and C7 connectors.

David

[Dorian27]

So what happens if i plug mains in the top 2 pins and battery swich does not open but i take the 8 D batteries out before turning on mains or does the swich need to go off for it to work on mains. 7yh

[DMcMahon]

If the switch does not open (i.e. does not disconnect the internal batteries) which might well be the outcome, if an alternative 2 pin cable connector is used with existing 4 pin chassis connector, then the DC output of the D4/D5 rectifier circuit would connect to the +12 volt batteries supply, which is not a desirable.

So yes if the batteries are first removed then the mains cable connected, there will be no problem if the switch is not actuated.