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Old 20th Jan 2020, 9:34 pm   #1
mattpounder
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Default Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

Hi, I’ve recently fitted a Radiomobile 1085X in to my 73 MGB GT. The mp3 works through the radio but I can’t seem to pick up any radio stations. The aerial is fully extended. The car is in the garage and there’s a little area with trees at the rear of our house. I was wondering if this could be the issue or is there anything I should check? Thanks.
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Old 20th Jan 2020, 10:00 pm   #2
Mr 1936
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

Hi. Has this set been modified at some stage to add an audio input for a MP3 player ? Just wondering if whoever did this simply disabled the radio part. Whatever the AM radio reception conditions where you live, you ought to be able to hear something even if its only noise.
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Old 20th Jan 2020, 10:01 pm   #3
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

Hi, from your description we can conclude that the audio amplifier side of things is working. When not in MP3 mode do you get anything at all? any noise, interference etc or is it totally silent?
Not 100% certain but these may contain Lokfit type transistors which have been known to fail (Lokfits have an angular D shaped body)
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Old 20th Jan 2020, 10:02 pm   #4
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

Crossed with Mr1936. As he says it's also possible the radio section has been disabled
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Old 20th Jan 2020, 10:39 pm   #5
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

Whenever I've modified older Car Radios to accept auxillary inputs, I've fitted, either by way of a switched socket or a 'radio/aux' changeover switch, a means to allow the radio to be used, but it's possible, as others have said, that the radio section has been disabled. The usual way to do this is to remove the connection - a short length of screened wire - between the detector and volume control. If this is the case, following the procedure I've outlined would restore radio operation. As to the 'lockfit' transistors, Radiomobile did indeed use them, but they also used other plastic or metal cased transistors such as BF194, 195, etc.
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Old 21st Jan 2020, 1:56 pm   #6
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

Is it possible you could extend the aerial wire to a point outside the garage such as clothes line or tree.?
I know that these older car radios used to shut off any signal when pulling into fuel stations with large awnings. Might be worth checking before you go any deeper.
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Old 21st Jan 2020, 4:04 pm   #7
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

Hi thanks for the replies so far. It has been converted to use mp3 but should (according to the seller) be able to pick up radio. There is no interference sound apart from two areas across the frequency range. I could hook up some copper wire to the aerial and check by taking it outside the garage, good idea. How would I check if the transistor has had it? This model seems to have two of them.
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Old 21st Jan 2020, 4:07 pm   #8
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

It wont be the aerial, you should hear some static with weak signals.
It is quite likely the Radio circuits were disabled when the audio feed was connected.
This model has BF194/BF195 Lockfit type transistors in the RF circuits, they were not the most reliable types.

Mike
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Old 23rd Jan 2020, 12:07 pm   #9
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

There is a thread in the 'stickies' in which I, along woth contributions from other members, explain how to fit 'aux-in' facilities to older mono car radios. The 1085X may not be specifically mentioned, but reading that thread may help the OP to solve his 'no radio reception' problem
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Old 23rd Jan 2020, 4:16 pm   #10
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

It would be better to test outside, and check the aerial trimmer screw behind the tuning knob by tuning to a station near the top end of the medium wave band and adjusting the screw for maximum output. If still not working try a long wire in the aerial socket to see (hear) if anything is picked up to eliminate the aerial as a fault.
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Old 23rd Jan 2020, 5:55 pm   #11
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

When I worked as ICE (Service Engineer) years ago, I often used to check if a car's aerial or extension lead was faulty by temporarily plugging in a known good aerial directly to the suspected faulty radio. OK, because the temporary test aerial's coaxial screening wasn't earthed, interference would be picked up, but if the then available usual stations ( in those days almost always on MW or LW) could be received, it proved that the radio was working.
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Old 2nd Feb 2020, 10:09 pm   #12
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

A bit of an update. Today I attached a piece of singles cable to the aerial and took it outside of the garage. The Radiomobile 1085X has 5 preset buttons on the front. The button on the left is set for when mp3 is being used but the button I can only get radio on is the last button on the right. The middle 3 buttons I don’t get anything. What could this be?
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Old 3rd Feb 2020, 1:56 pm   #13
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

You usually have to pull the button out slightly, manually tune to the station you want on that button, then push it back in to preset it. The one that works probably just happens to be tuned to a local (to you) station.
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Old 3rd Feb 2020, 6:56 pm   #14
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

That was the standard way of pre-setting stations before digitally tuned radios became readily available. Cyldon made most of the push-button tuners used in UK made Car radios in the 60s, 70s & early 80s. They were known as 'Prestolock', IIRC. An alternative tuner, used in the main by PYE, Philips and Ekco, was the 'presstotune' model, in which, as the name implies, a button was first pressed, then tuned to the desired station. Cyldon, incidentally was a brand name of Sydney Bird, and the less said about their later push-button mechanisms, the better!
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 10:29 pm   #15
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

Often it’s possible to silence the radio part of car radios of this era by “ fiddling” the buttons, ie. arranging for none of the wavechange or station buttons to be pressed in. Then the audio part still works but the RF can’t get through.
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Old 4th Feb 2020, 11:41 pm   #16
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

True enough. If all the buttons are pulled out, in theory there should be no sound from the radio, although it should be remembered that in order to pre-set a station, you manually tune to one, pull out and press fully in one of the buttons. No doubt in many areas now, it would be possible to set all the buttons to unused frequencies, so only RF noise was audible.
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Old 22nd Feb 2020, 2:59 pm   #17
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

Try a squirt of switch cleaner on the MW/LW changeover switch - they can play up. Could be the issue as the OP states reception is Ok on the far right pushbutton - which is LW, but clearly nothing on the other four MW buttons.
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Old 22nd Feb 2020, 4:50 pm   #18
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

How is Cyldon pronounced? "Sill-don" perhaps? Often wondered.

Steve
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Old 22nd Feb 2020, 4:56 pm   #19
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

Without the circuit diagram in front of me, I cannot think of anything, other than a faulty waveband change switch, which would prevent MW reception, whilst allowing LW to work. From memory, the w/c switch switches in extra pre=set coils, and may switch in added capacitor(s) for LW. The basic colpitts oscillator circuit is common to both wave bands, as is/are the permeability tuned coils for RF, mixer and oscillator, so, in theory, if it works on LW, it should work on MW, too, though faulty switch contacts would prevent this.
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Old 22nd Feb 2020, 4:58 pm   #20
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Default Re: Radiomobile 1085x no radio reception

Steve, I always pronounced 'Cyldon' as 'sildon' Can't speak for anyone else!
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