R707 ditch or spend?

[Radiotheradio]

I'm a non tech who splashed out 15 quids on an R707 at the boot. Of course it doesn't work. Came with batteries that register only 5.9v each, so am guessing they are pretty dead. Radio itself is ok condition, buttons all present and work, ariel extends etc. Inside looks clean. Found a 12v cigarette lighter that fitted and tried plugging in on the car- mistake, smoke from the lighter plug-in. There's continuity across red/black wire terminals at the back of the socket on the radio when turned on, not when off, so somethings working, and no obvious short there either. I've read some postings, clearly the R707 isn't thought of highly, but I would like to get it working, or should I just pass it on as spares/repair? Thanks

[newlite4]

The R707 uses PJ996 batteries which are 6 volts so 5.9 volts should be OK. Was the car adapter connected correctly to the external socket on the rear of the radio - check polarity. If still not working then the fault may well lie in the Mullard IF module which contains AF117 transistors that are prone to failure. These are difficult to replace in these radios, but all is not lost. There are some good spares on these sets such as the aerial, knobs, speaker etc. You have only spent £15 so if it is irreparable, then it is a good source of parts, just don't buy another one.
Neil

[paulsherwin]

I don't think you're going to fix this given your level of expertise. The battery voltages were a bit low but would have worked. Smoke is never a good sign but there's no knowing exactly what you've done - just because a connector 'fits' doesn't mean it's correct. There are many reasons why the radio may not be working and you need to pursue a systematic process of diagnosis, and you may not have the skills needed to do that yourself.

These are actually fine radios when working, though the restricted FM coverage is a drawback. There's a lot to go wrong with them - they're the only radios I know that contain both AF11x and Lockfit transistors, both of which are notorious for unrelated reasons.

[Radiotheradio]

Yes thanks for that. Indeed, I only just know how to navigate a multimeter, so it'll just be an interesting curio till I pass it on to someone who knows what they are doing...