A circuit diagram & the ability to understand it, are essential - also to understand the dangers these old bits of gear have. I noted that this old "Philips" had just a 2 core mains lead - no earth connection, to something with a lot of exposed metal! Not good.
Ah the TK20 - I remember as a young lad of about 10, being quite envious of a doctor's son of a similar age, who had a similar Grundig to that - he played to me a recording of Radio Luxemburg's top 20 - no mike in front of the speaker, but a direct connection - this must have been around 1960, We lived in a village called Symonds Green at the time - now overrun with Stevenage's expansion!
Oh happy days.
I am a serial hoarder and I have still got a Grundig TK20 Reel to Reel tape recorder. I purchased it around 1959 and it was 50 guineas if I remember correctly and I paid for it on higher purchase. It went "quiet" some time ago with a smell and like Freddie I suspect it is condensor/capacitor problems, it has belt/clutch problems to. I wish the Retro Electro Workshop in Norfolk that featured Caroline a while ago was near here, it is about 150 miles away I also purchased a Philips Stereo Disc Jockey Record Player around 1960 and I still have got that I have looked for that on the internet but can't find the exact one. It has a hinged pair of stereo speakers that detach from the player and is red and light greyish. I have still got an Emerson 888 Transistor Radio that I used to listen to Radio Caroline on in the 60's and that stopped working years ago, old transistors I suspect. All got old like me!
Thanks Kevin & STx - yes, I agree there is something really nice with seeing the rotating reels
If I had the money & the room, I would love an Ampex 2 inch quad video recorder in my front room
I think I will need to win a big prize on the Lottery first - & have a much bigger front room !
Sadly, my first R-R purchased in 1967, was later confiscated by the home office, as it was connected to a "Hot" MW TX at the time - a much converted Army 19 set (you could get them really cheap in those days from Tottenham court road)
After that, I moved on to much more convenient Cassettes -though a later (nicer) R-R was used in my RCSW studio. You can just make it out in the pic, near the bottom via this link:
https://bobmeades-ivil.tripod.com/id5.html
Message Thread
« Back to index