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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!

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Old 3rd Apr 2020, 6:46 pm   #1
kestrelmusic
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Default Cossor 523

I've just finished the first of my "lockdown" projects - restoring a Cossor 583. It came to me some years ago as part of a job lot of valve sets. It was in very poor state. The first challenge was to get the one knob off - it was firmly rusted in place. In the end I had to use an angle grinder to cut it back to the end of the shaft, and then use a home-made puller to get the rest off. The case was in a shocking state, and the interior was filthy.
However, a good clean revealed that most of the original was there. Caps replaced where needed, of course, and the dial drive cord had to be replaced (the usual infuriating task!). I had some initial problems with the tuning indicator - a Mullard EM80 didn't seem to do much, but curiously a Russian equivalent worked well. A couple of other valves were dead, including the ECC85, and were replaced from stock.
I stripped the case, painted the front surround black as per the original and French polished the rest of it. The speaker 'cloth' turned out to be plastic mesh, so a gentle scrub with weak detergent solution get lots of muck out of it.
I couldn't find any knobs to match the originals, so I made up the outer knobs using MDF and fitted a couple from stock for the inners. Sooner or later I will find a set of authentic ones...
Anyway, here are "before" and "after" pics. I'm quite chuffed with the result!
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Old 3rd Apr 2020, 7:31 pm   #2
ajgriff
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Default Re: Cossor 583

Very pleasing. Are you sure about the model number? I'm not a Cossor expert but I thought that the 583 was a pre-war battery set.

Alan
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Old 3rd Apr 2020, 7:35 pm   #3
Cobaltblue
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Default Re: Cossor 583

Think that's a typo a it's a 523

Cheers

Mike T
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Old 3rd Apr 2020, 9:00 pm   #4
kestrelmusic
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Default Re: Cossor 583

Sorry, you are quite correct, it is a 523. It's a lovely sound, though - I was listening to it earlier.
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Old 4th Apr 2020, 12:47 am   #5
AC/HL
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Default Re: Cossor 523

Thread title updated.
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Old 4th Apr 2020, 8:10 am   #6
Cobaltblue
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Default Re: Cossor 523

That's a very nice job on what I think is very underestimated set.

They sound good and usually dont need much to get going.
The knobs are a bit of a problem although not usually the outers. Normally it's the wavechage (right inner) that breaks and goes walkabout.

The 522 gram uses an almost identical chassis (different output transformer) and with it's two 8 inch speakers in a big cabinet it sounds pretty good I have one here in the flat.

I may have some spare outers but I know for sure no wave change knob.

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Old 4th Apr 2020, 8:46 pm   #7
kestrelmusic
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Default Re: Cossor 523

If you have some spare outers that you would be willing to part with I'd be very interested. The inners will be much easier to replace.
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Old 14th Apr 2020, 7:33 pm   #8
PaulR
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Default Re: Cossor 523

A great restoration, particularly the speaker "cloth". Could we have a photo of the French polished case please?

I bought the bakelite cased version which arrived with a smashed dial glass and, sadly, knobs. The sender wasn't interested in having it returned as he claimed through the courier's insurance. I subsequently bought the woody version, the wood of which was in very poor condition so I decided to use the bakelite case which came up well with a little attention. I restored the woody chassis as this has a magic eye and carefully cut out the speaker baffle in the bakelite case to take the magic eye escutcheon.

It now works very well as these sets do and we listen to the Radio 4 PM programme and 6 o'clock news on it every day. I think that these are one of the best FM sets.

The wavechange knobs are a problem but can be much improved if not too far gone by thoroughly cleaning the inside and filling it with Araldite. I have rescued a couple of them like that.
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