Hacker sovereign prices

[Mike. Watterson]

Some mysterious high prices or high value items are actually part of money laundering schemes. The item doesn't even have to exist.

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by stitch1

Have a look on Gumtree, someone in Gateshead is selling Sovereign, Sovereign II and an RP37A for £50 each...

I'm in contact with Martin by PM, as the impending move to Norfolk finds me with probably about 80 Hacker sets surplus to requirements (out of around 120-130). Funny how they build up...

Paul

[Argus25]

The Hacker Sovereign is undoubtedly the world's best transistor radio. The Audio output quality is unmatched. I have about 20 or more types of radio, none will beat it, plus it has FM.

So the question is, how much $ should you pay for the world's best ever transistor radio ?

It is a supply and demand thing. No more will ever be made.

My view is currently, I think a a good Hacker Sovereign (in good condition) should be worth about $300 to $400 AU (you would need to convert that to GBP)

Much more than that I would seriously wonder. Of course if the unit was in poor condition perhaps 25% of that.

If I saw one NOS in its original box I would pay $600 AU for it. But more than that I would think, hmmm the seller is asking too much.

[Mike. Watterson]

£15 unknown condition, £50 working, £100 with two year repair, shipping paid.
The RP 18 and RP25A are good (I have them as well as two Roberts). There are maybe 10 different Sovereign models, not including cassette.
I'd seriously doubt they are best ever. Also depends on definition of best.
There are MANY equally good transistor models. I do think better than equivalent Roberts models of the same year.
I might have about six different brands decent AM/FM transistor sets (i.e. large enough speaker on a decent baffle). I've others that are better overall sets, lacking a large enough built in speaker, such as ICF2001D.
My four working battery valve AM/FM portable sets are as good as the Hacker Sovereign RP18, the Philips Colette is better! While expensive to run on batteries compared to either Hacker I have, the Vidor battery valve LW / MW / VHF set is better audio, more stations, easier to use and cheaper on batteries that either of my DAB/FM models (both of which are poorer on FM than FM radio in either phone and too few FM presets).
I have some Transistor HiFis, superb AM/FM tuners, though the LW & MW needs an external loop.

[Studio263]

Originally Posted by Argus25

The Hacker Sovereign is undoubtedly the world's best transistor radio.

I think there is plenty of doubt about that! The B&O Beolit 1000 and the Braun T1000 are both better sets, higher valued and in greater demand. These may not have been availalbe where you are, but having seen (and heard) all three I'd put the Hacker a distant third, nice though it is. There was also a Tandberg one that people seem to go nuts over (TP41?), but I've never seen one of those. Would love to though.

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by Studio263

I think there is plenty of doubt about that! The B&O Beolit 1000 and the Braun T1000 are both better sets, higher valued and in greater demand. These may not have been availalbe where you are, but having seen (and heard) all three I'd put the Hacker a distant third, nice though it is. There was also a Tandberg one that people seem to go nuts over (TP41?), but I've never seen one of those. Would love to though.

Well, yes: the Panasonic RF-9000 must be in with a shout too, with its 174 transistors, 21 FETs and 41 ICs, though it cost an arm and a leg and a portable weighing in at 45 lbs isn't everyone's cup of tea. Particularly since the manual recommends rotating it for best MW/LW reception and it's not on a turntable.

The TP41 and its mains/battery successor the TP43 are the best performing sets I've come across for their size, a little smaller than a Hacker Hunter. Unlike the T1000, Grundig Satellits etc., it cost roughly the same as a Sovereign back in the day and is a fair competitor for any Hacker model.

Originally Posted by Mike. Watterson

£100 with two year repair, shipping paid.

That sounds like a very public-spirited offer, but I don't think I've seen anyone making it in recent years - restored and fully working Sovereigns do seem to be more in the £150-£200 bracket without much of a guarantee beyond that they don't turn up DOA.

Paul

[Nuvistor]

Has Mike states, there are a lot of different Sovereign models, some better than others. I worked for a Hacker agency in the middle 1970’s and could have bought any of the models at trade price. I chose the RP38A, for myself I thought it was the best of the range.

Can’t comment on the B&O, Braun or Tanberg.

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by Nuvistor

Has Mike states, there are a lot of different Sovereign models...

Basically just four, but with numerous cosmetic variants to the Sovereign III, also a change to incorporating a mains p.s.u. and an extension of the set's tuning range, and significant changes to the Sov. II's circuitry and loudspeaker in the course of production. Not much happened by way of production changes to the original RP18, or to the RP77MB Sovereign IV aside from the move from Maidenhead to Bournemouth.

[Mike. Watterson]

Originally Posted by Paul_RK

That sounds like a very public-spirited offer, but I don't think I've seen anyone making it in recent years - restored and fully working Sovereigns do seem to be more in the £150-£200 bracket without much of a guarantee beyond that they don't turn up DOA.

Only a suggestion, not my offer!
I agree, but £100 to £200 and a claim of Restored/Working is a lot when essentially there is no assurance of anything.
Which is why I don't sell anything like that to the random public, but only friends that know what they are buying into. I think I sold an FT101ZD MkII for about €200 once (worked OK, but not WARC), an FRG7700 (looks posh,but not great) for maybe €150 (both localish, no shipping) and a VX1R (pointless thing).
I had no complaints.But I'd not sell again to people I don't know.
I won't do restores for strangers now either. The money for time isn't worth it and one sat here for nearly three years waiting to be picked up.

I now only buy stuff I either know is half wrecked, or cheap enough that the risk is worth it if used. If new, only if very cheap or if new + expensive easy to return to bone fide shop/dealer likely to honour SOGA.
I won't buy another Lenovo, as they won't honour their warranty, nor will the actual merchant honour the SOGA. I'd have to take them to the small claims court.
It's fine to spend £150 to £200 on a collectable for a hobby, if you can afford it. It hardly makes sense to spend that on a 30+ year old portable for every day listening when you are not a collector or not technical when there is no warranty at all.

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by Mike. Watterson

It's fine to spend £150 to £200 on a collectable for a hobby, if you can afford it. It hardly makes sense to spend that on a 30+ year old portable for every day listening when you are not a collector or not technical when there is no warranty at all.

Agreed if there's a better option for anyone in that position, but is there? A Sovereign that's working well today is very likely still to be working well in another five or ten years: rather more likely, in my experience and from what I've heard from others, than a DAB/FM set bought new for a similar price. Meanwhile, at the cost of missing out on extra stations the Sovereign will give far better audio performance.

What I meant to say was that, even given the reliability of most Hacker sets, acquiring and restoring Sovereigns and offering them for £100 with a two year guarantee would make for ever so little financial compensation for the work and the bother: so traders and repairers on and off eBay tend to ask higher prices for a lesser service, and it seems they find a reasonable few customers at the rates they ask.

Paul

[martin.m]

I am now the proud owner of a very nice Hacker Hunter RP38A (thank you Paul). I must say that the sound quality is very good for a transistor radio. While listening to Radio 4 with the volume turned up, our dogs started barking. They thought someone had come into the house! I took the liberty of fitting two battery holders so that I can run on 12 AA Alkaline cells. Home bargains sell them in 10 packs for £2 (JCB brand). Thats £2.40 for a set of batteries rather than a tenner for two PP9s bought from the Internet. So that the holders don't rattle around inside, they have been firmly stuck down with Blu Tack.

The telescopic aerial was broken above the swivel joint. Normally I would have just changed the top section but there doesn't seem to be any way of getting it apart. Is there a trick of the trade? The only aerial I had was from a Sony portable TV and it wasn't too challenging to fit. There is no swivel joint and it's a little too long, but it doesn't foul the carrying handle. I am quite happy with the result.

I am enjoying repairing transistor radios. They take up less space than the post-war "woodies" and I can sneak them into the house without my wife seeing them! Thank you all for your advice and comments.

Regards
Martin

[crackle]

If that photo of the aerial knuckle is the broken one where is the break?

Mike

[mhennessy]

The pin holding the two sections together at the knuckle should push out. I've found that aerials used by Fidelity (RAD15, etc) are a reasonable match for the original - see here: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=55113

[martin.m]

Originally Posted by crackle

If that photo of the aerial knuckle is the broken one where is the break?

There is only a short stump of the aerial above the swivel joint. It's not visible in the picture. If I could get the pin out then it would be easy to just change the top section.

[mhennessy]

As I say, the pin just pushes out. You might need to tap it, naturally, but it's just a push fit

[martin.m]

Thank you, I will try that. It's much more convenient to have a swivel joint on the aerial as the radio is often used in the kitchen below cupboards. The new one would need to be a suitable diameter to slide into the bottom part and not too long or it will foul the carrying handle. There are lots of inexpensive ones on Ebay.

Regards
Martin

[tealandsilver]

I was lucky enough to pick up a Sovereign II for the princely sum of £10 and postage at cost on ebay! Was delighted to find that, although very grubby and missing it's aerial all parts are complete. Could have kicked myself when I managed to drop it and bust the ferrite rod.... Still to start work on it though!