Triumph Solid State multi-band radio

[SarahLou]

Hi everyone, I’m hoping you can help.
I have a Triumph Solid state multi-band world time radio. It belonged to my late father.
It currently does not turn on. I would also like it restored/upgraded so that it can work as a modern digital radio, possibly with Bluetooth as well. The external casing does not require any work. It has not been used for about 30 years.
I have contacted multiple places and been met with a short ‘No’ or never receive a reply.
I’m wondering if anyone knows anywhere who can do this work please?
The radio has sentimental value and I would really like to use it. Any help is much appreciated.

[paulsherwin]

This sounds like one of the no-brand Hong Kong multiband radios made in the 70s.

There is no realistic way of turning it into a DAB radio, as the principles of operation are completely different. It would be possible to add a BT module though.

However, why spend money butchering an old radio which must have sentimental value to you? You can buy tiny FM transmitters intended for use in cars for only a couple of quid, and these could be used with anything with a line level or headphone output such as a phone, computer or cheap modern DAB radio. Search eBay or AliExpress for examples.

[dazzlevision]

Triumph was a brand name used on Curry's "own brand" products in their shops - before they dropped it in favour of Matsui.

A good photograph of your radio might help identify who actually made it. Details of how to upload photos is here: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=77650

[Paul_RK]

Is it one of these?

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/citizen_triumph_solid_state_multi_band_world_time_radio.html#

[paulsherwin]

Originally Posted by Paul_RK

Is it one of these?

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/citizen_triumph_solid_state_multi_band_world_time_radio.html#

Yes, that's very much the sort of thing I was thinking of. If that's the OP's model then it appears to be made in Japan rather than HK, which would imply a superior quality product.

[Nickthedentist]

And not necessarily the same "Triumph" brand as we were thinking of.

[SarahLou]

Originally Posted by Paul_RK

Is it one of these?

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/citizen_triumph_solid_state_multi_band_world_time_radio.html#

Yes, it’s one of those. Apologies, I thought I had uploaded a photo.

[SarahLou]

Thank you. If I purchase a transmitter for use in the headphone output I still need to address the issue of it not turning on. Is it possible for that to be done?

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by SarahLou

Thank you. If I purchase a transmitter for use in the headphone output I still need to address the issue of it not turning on. Is it possible for that to be done?

It happens I have this model, albeit a scruffy example missing the hinged front cover and with tuning currently stuck in one position: but I plugged it in just now and it seems it would probably work reasonably well if only the tuning drive would move.

How have you tried powering it, with mains or with batteries? Do you know about the small slide switch on the right hand side - it needs to be set to AC for mains operation, DC for batteries (apologies if you're already fully aware of it). The on/off switch, which is combined with the volume control, should click gently: can you hear and feel this when it's turned fully anticlockwise? Or, if the set seems to switch on but nothing happens, do the scale lamps come on when the red button is pressed?

(Just a few questions to try to determine just what is, or isn't, happening. Radios like this are usually quite reliable - often more so than their better built British counterparts - so if you can just get power to the set it may well work acceptably.

Paul

[simpsons]

From an earlier thread on this site, this is a restyled Binatone 01/4451 Worldstar. The User Manual includes the schematic. See:https://www.petervis.com/manuals/binatone-worldstar/binatone-worldstar.html

Also shown is the technical specification which looks very impressive for a radio of this vintage. The detail would show many set manufacturers' spec wanting!!

Chris

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by simpsons

From an earlier thread on this site, this is a restyled Binatone 01/4451 Worldstar.

They're comparable, but I can't find anything more than that: very different control layouts, the Binatone is a Hong Kong-made set with five wavebands and a squelch control, the Citizen is Japanese, and doesn't have the squelch control but has seven switched wavebands including two SW which the Worldstar doesn't cover at all...

Paul

[paulsherwin]

The 70s HK multiband radios were copied from earlier Japanese models like this. The styling was very similar, but the internal electronics were greatly simplified. This is starting to sound like an unusual high quality radio which deserves to be sorted out properly.

If this radio has been out of use for 30 years, then it's highly likely that all the switch contacts have become oxidised. The first thing to do is apply contact cleaner (not ordinary WD40) to the innards of all the switches and other controls, and exercise them vigorously. Do the same for the earphone socket, which may be to blame if the speaker is completely silent (no pops, clicks or crackles).

It's not clear from your posts if you're looking for a professional to repair and restore the radio for you, or if you're asking for guidance to do this work yourself.

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

This is starting to sound like an unusual high quality radio which deserves to be sorted out properly.

It's a little better put together than most Hong Kong models, but doesn't seem a world away in overall quality. As often, there's a tiny (55x45mm) schematic pasted inside the back cover, but RM.org has the user manual which includes a more readable one. The model seems more common in a 120V mains version for the US market, which omits the Citizen branding.

[Graham G3ZVT]

These radios usually have a crude battery charger built in, yet they come from a time when ni-cad cells were both an expensive and specialist item. You certainly wouldn't find them in Woolworths.
The RM imagery shows a charging switch next to the AC/DC switch but it is not present on the schematic.
I was wondering if the intention was to charge normal zinc-carbon cells with "dirty DC" which was a bit of a craze at the time.

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by Graham G3ZVT

The RM imagery shows a charging switch next to the AC/DC switch but it is not present on the schematic.

I think the little panel there is the same as on my set, where the upper switch is for AFC.

[Graham G3ZVT]

Yes you are right Paul, the switch says ON OFF with AFC above, obscured by the radiomuseum.org watermark, but have you encountered the battery charging feature on the fibreboard cased sets with similar FM/Weather band/Airband coverage and a
red charge indicator?

[Paul_RK]

Yes I've seen it, not sure whether I've ever owned any of the sets. I take it something similar was used in some of the first Fidelity-branded sets to come from Hong Kong, the "battery saver" models -

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/fidelity_battery_saver_transistor_portable.html -

though the RM.org page says that this was the "[f]irst model to recharge a dry cell battery", in 1981, and I'd be surprised if such radios as you mention weren't around before then.

[TonyDuell]

The Sanyo 'Briefcase' music centres -- G2605, G2615, etc float the battery (6 D cells in series) across the output of the bridge rectifier with no battery/mains switching. With the unit turned off (and mains connected) the battery will get full-wave rectified, unsmoothed, DC applied to it, with the unit turned on there is a smoothing capacitor connected

I am pretty sure some of these are earlier than 1981.

The charging is not an 'advertised feature' but they seem to do it.

[paulsherwin]

Some sort of battery charging arrangement was quite common with the HK sets - I have less experience with the Japanese models. Recharging zinc carbon batteries does work to a limited extent, though there are diminishing returns and there can be leakage problems.

Let's get back on topic and try to help the OP though.