|
Here it is - the "Tecnico Aristocrat Radio" we purchased during July 2004 Looks great!! You can use the link at the top of this page to read all the details and see lots more photos |
|
As you may have noticed, in the auction details
on the previous page, the seller says this is a Model #751 This photo below shows it to be a Model #651 This means that the sales brochure, also on the previous page, is not quite accurate even though the two models look very similar We didn't say anything about this to the seller, as we bought it on it's looks and not the actual radio details or specifications - which we really don't know much about or understand!! Plus it means the radio is just that little bit older, having been made in 1946 and not 1948!! |
|
There are two main stations still broadcasting
using the 'AM' band in the Cairns area These are:- -------------4CA - Easy Listening - Frequency 846 AM, and -------------4QY - ABC Local Radio - Frequency 801 AM The ABC is the one we wanted, and according to the chart below, we should be able to receive it okay Trinity Beach is between Smithfield Heights and Palm Cove in the "Adequate Coverage" area The chart is interesting - it shows the transmitter is located south of Cairns with the best coverage in that area whereas it is not so good on the Northern Beaches side where we live |
|
We were really looking forward to setting it
up!! A spot was found for it on top of a buffet in the lounge room We set it up!!! --- and plugged it in!!! --- and switched it on!! WHAT A HORRIBLE NOISE!! Just a continual buzzing!! We could tune in to the two stations mentioned above, but the buzzing was so bad you couldn't listen to them for too long What a disappointment!! We tried everything we could think off - putting the radio in different positions, drapping the aerial cord over curtain pelmets - everything!! But nothing got rid of the noise I rang a number of radio shops, but not many of them could give me advice on the 'AM' band - everything is now 'FM' Those that could suggested a longer aerial cable - so the next day I went out and bought fifty metres of it!! Attached it to the radio, and then took the rest of it along the passage, out the back door, and drapped in the the trees in the backyard It was also suggested that we earth it to a piece of copper tubing buried in damp ground Everyting was tried - but there was no improvement!! Made more phone calls - and the general feeling was that the 'AM' reception in this area was just not good enough So the radio was put aside for a while |
|
Even though the Ebay Seller had mentioned that
the unit was working perfectly, we thought there might be a few
'hidden' problems During August 2004, we found out about Brophy's TV Service, and the guy there was a keen radio collector and restorer We gave him a ring and he said he would have a look at it to see if there was anything wrong with the unit The radio was dropped in to him - and he had it from August to November 2004 - three months!!! He made the repairs and alterations as shown in the invoice below The radio was going perfectly in his shop, so delivery to our place was organised Just a note here - Bentley Park, where his shop is, is south of Cairns and falls right into the "Main Coverage" area as shown in the frequency chart above So his shop was in a much better reception area than our suburb of Trinity Beach |
|
We asked the guy from Brophy's TV Service to
deliver and install it for us So the day came!! He set it up!! - plugged it in!! - and as before, a horrible noise!! The same continuous buzzing!! And we had just paid him $300.00 for the repairs!! BUT Then he noticed Sharon's PC computer sitting not far from the radio - and he said that these older computers tend to interfere with other electrical appliances He told us to shut the computer down - which we did And the buzzing stopped!! We could tune in to 4CA quite well but 4QY, the station we wanted to set the radio to, was still a bit faint and hard to hear Just an interesting note - maybe we didn't need to spend the three-hundred dollars for repairs in the first place!! - maybe it was just interference from Sharon's PC all the time!! Just one-of-those-things I suppose - at least we have a radio that is now in perfect working order, and has just been serviced and tuned up!! And another interesting note - my computer, which is a more recent model than Sharon's, did not affect the radio at all |
|
So the radio works - but as it was, it wasn't
really suitable for two reasons The first of these is that to use the radio, Sharon had to turn off her computer - and the main reason for buying the radio was so that she could listen to the ABC while answering her emails and looking around the internet And at this point we couldn't afford a new computer for Sharon The second, and main problem, seems to be that we are on the fringes of the reception area for listening to ABC Radio on the 'AM' band So at this stage, it was a complete waste of time and money - and by now the dollars involved had risen to ... $325.00 for the radio + $73.00 for postage + $20.00 for aerial cable + $300.00 for repairs A total of $718.00 !! So the Tecnico Aristocrat Radio became a decorative piece, and continued to sit on the buffet Looked nice, but it really used to annoy me each time I walked past it and remembered all the time and money it had cost!! |
|
The reason we originally bought the Tecnico Aristocrat
was because we both liked the models from around the 1940's and
1950's, and we had looked at both the console and mantle models We were definately not the least bit interested in "boom-boxes-or-surround-sound"!! We liked the look and sound of the old style radios, but because of our location we needed a unit with both the 'AM' and 'FM' bands Looking around the internet, we saw this reproduction of a 1940 radio As it was back in the fourties, the exterior case of this radio is made from the material called Bakelite, and they are an exact copy of the older units The difference was inside, as these reproductions had all the modern electronics which naturally included the 'FM' band So in January 2006, we bought one and here it is ... |
|
So we now had our radio - but the Tecnico
Aristocrat was not forgotten about!! Every now and again I would browse through the internet looking for solutions to the reception problem I came across the above web site, and on Wednesday 1st February 2006, I sent them an email setting out all the problems mentioned above Below is their reply:- Hi Geoff There's not too much I can suggest to make your Tecnico Radio work better When it was made there was not the level of "electronic noise" and random signals in the air that the poor old thing is confronting now!! If you've had someone work on it for you, then they've probably replaced all the faulty capacitors or resistors that were out of spec All I could suggest is get someone up there to make you a thing called a "Wave Trap" perhaps They were a device used on old 1920's era sets and apparently "trapped" more of the signal of the station you were trying to listen to I wouldn't invest too many $'s in getting one made though, as I don't know if it would be very effective Also, Brian Smith in Rockhampton may be able to help you out Here's his web site - click here Cheers Paul Ledger Visit my Vintage Radio Site at - click here We did not have a "Wave Trap" built Paul mentioned it may not be effective - and we had already spent 'heaps-of-dollars' on trying to get it going properly The chart below is from this web site, and shows that Model #651 was made in 1946 so the date of manufacture has been confirmed |
|
I mentioned above in 'Note #06" that Sharon's
old PC computer was interferring badly with the radio Well, during February 2006 it blew up!! - the motherboard packed it in!! It was a secondhand machine that had cost a couple of hundred dollars and had given around three years of service - but it wasn't worth repairing So she got a new laptop Just to satisfy my curiosity, I plugged in the Tecnico Aristocrat - no more buzzing!! Perfect reception on 4CA - but our preferred ABC Radio still had a very weak signal So that is one problem solved!! - the buzzing has stopped!! |
|
The Tecnico Aristocrat radio has now been packed
away very carefully It works perfectly - but because we are on the fringes of the reception area, it will not clearly receive the station we like But one day our situation may change - a new address!! We may just move into a suburb or city that is right in the middle of a "Main Coverage" area for the 'AM' radio band!! Then it will be unpacked and set up once again!! And while it is packed away and protected, it may slowly but surely increase in value!! |
|
As mentioned above in 'Note #08', we bought a
reproduction radio It is an exact copy of a "Tasma Model #1005" which was originally made in 1947 A Wedding Anniversary gift for Sharon!! For all the details and lots of photos, simply click on the picture below |
|
Well, it is now Tuesday 22nd September 2009
- and we have just had another "false alarm" in respect
to the Tecnico Aristocrat Radio!! During one of our recent trips to the Atherton Tablelands, we visited Atherton Antiques and during a conversation with the owner, we mentioned this radio and he replied - "My Dad fixes those!!" He gave us the name and details (Mr Nick Watling - phone 40381731) and mentioned that he lives in Smithfield which can be seen in the ABC Radio coverage chart detailed in 'Note #03 above' - perfect!! Mr Watling took the radio and was very confident that everything would be okay When the unit was checked out during November 2004, there was quite a lot of work done and all this is detailed in 'Note #05' and 'Note #06' above Mr Watling, an expert on this type, said that a few things "were not quite right" and needed either replacing or adjusting and here is the invoice detailing the work done ... |
|
After completing the work, Mr Watling used the
radio in his home for a few days and he had perfect reception
on all the stations on the 'AM' band and was even picking up
a couple of short wave stations!! The radio had now cost ... $325.00 for the radio + $73.00 for postage + $20.00 for aerial cable + $300.00 for the repairs in November 2004 + $100.00 for these repairs and that is a total of $818.00 !! We did not really mind though, because it seemed like we were going to finally have a working 1946 Tecnico Aristocrat radio!! Mr Watling brought it to our place on Sunday 20th September - plugged it in - and absolutely perfect reception on 4CA 846AM - but only a very faint reception on the station we wanted, 4QY ABC 801AM!! What a disappointment - and I am sure Mr Watling felt the same - as mentioned, he had been using it every day and where he lives is only a few kilometres from our suburb of Trinity Beach!! - in fact, I think he was completely dumbfounded!! He suggested extending the aerial which I will do, and also said to ring ABC Radio to check to see if their 'AM' transmitter was working correctly I rang The ABC and all their equipment was okay, and they could not offer any further help - they do not have a technician for this type of reception problem You can look at their web site by clicking HERE and entering postcode "4879" |
|
I decided to try something else
So the costs continue to rise ... |
x
x
x
