Restoration and repair of rare, vintage & classic boomboxes, personal stereos & electronic games. Many enthusiasts and collectors are now coming back to the 'old tech', so I produce these videos for easy watching entertainment, and as a guide to others on the basis that they heed the dangers of working with high voltage, and frustrating old machines!
Donations are greatly appreciated to help procure & repair the gadgets, and to produce the videos. www.buymeacoffee.com/retrorestos
Check out my Facebook Page, Retro_Restos, and Instagram (Retro.Restos) for current items for sale! facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550287678138 instagram.com/retro.restos/
Once again you have done a sterling job. Another happy boombox. Repairing these can be pretty straightforward once you've done it a few times. 👍😎👍 I recently repaired a Toshiba (model RT-S723D) - the tape deck in it needed new belts and take-up idler tyre. When I removed the old tyre it fell apart (broke into 3 pieces) and the capstan belt had melted into that nasty, sticky goo (counter belt was still intact but badly stretched). I cleaned up the mess, replaced both belts and idler tyre. The hassle was refitting the front panel after fixing it. Very awkward design but I got it in the end. The tape deck was easy enough to service and it plays beautifully now with hardly any W&F thanks to the metal capstan flywheel (FM stereo was re-tuned with a small adjustment - the trim pot does drift with age), but recording quality is terrible (most likely due to bad capacitors; the REC/PB switch is not the problem)). The RT-S723D has real tweeters, tape counter, 4-band FM/MW/SW1/SW2 radio and MQSS (music search/cue-review) function with soft eject. I am not too concerned about recording tapes in it as I have other models which can do that ... and a lot better. 😇
Thanks as always for commenting. Yeah they aren't too bad generally once you've done a few - as you say, it's the messy belts, clean-up and fettling that causes most of the work. I've never had a 723D, but I did feature a 720D on the channel previously. I had the MQSS search in (I think) the 8260S, which is a lovely little unit from Toshiba. Cool button layout too! Bad caps can be a problem can't they? Sometimes you get lucky. I have a couple of different units that I've serviced, but need re-capping to get the power and (in particular) high end frequencies back. I re-capped a Hitachi TRK-8080 that needed over 70 caps, so I just went for it. Mostly unnecessary, but a nice project and worth it in the end. Thanks again 😀👍
I wonder why Toshiba made so many different variants of essentially the same machine. That looks like a cross between an RT-80S and an RT-120S (I have both). Actually virtually identical to the RT-100S. So many shared parts. 🙂
A few National Panasonic tape decks (both table top and radio cassette models) of the late '70s had orange RECORD buttons inside the main PLAY button like that (instead of separately spaced), allowing quick start/one touch recording.
Hi, do you have any advice where I might find a replacement volume potentiometer for the RX5500LE, I'm having issues with the audio crackling on one, when the knob is wiggled or pressed in, the sound is fine. I've reflowed the pins on the board itself but having the same issue. Any advice would be great. thanks in advance
I love this. Long format videos are great! Love to see this since it most likely helps future people who will be working on these as they collect. The sound is great out of those little speakers. Wow.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. These really do sound excellent for the size and tech of the time. And so cool looking too! I'm now starting to make 2 versions of my videos (shorter for general interest and longer 1 hour detailed cuts for true reference). Thanks again! 👍
@@retro_restos Much appreciated. I know how much it can help it can be. You are literally conserving history and restoring the forgotten back to order. I love seeing it. Keep up the wonderful work.
I found one of these in working condition in a dumpster. Missing (sadly) one tweeter spaker grille. Wonder if its doble to 3d print? Would love to get a original 🙂 exellent video! Regards Alf, Norway
That's amazing! I had to import mine from 8000 miles away! Very valuable, so definitely worth restoring yours. You might get lucky with a breaker unit online, unless you don't mind the complicated 3D print and different material. Might be worth forming your own from steel mesh perhaps? Good luck, and thanks for watching 👍
I owned this boombox when it came out. My dad had a wholesale electronics business here in the United States and they weren't cheap but such fun units to listen to. I have seen one recently for sale. Needs some work. Nice job!
Thanks for watching 👍 They're getting hard to come by in decent condition now - it must have been amazing seeing so many cool units through your Dad's business.
Great video! I have a quasar 3605 that I’m thinking about trying to change the belt on. I’ve never done this, but do you know if the door comes off the same way? I tried unsuccessfully with a little pressure but was afraid I’d break the door so I stopped.
Hello, I have a Sanyo M9935K and you had a video of it on your channel. Thanks for it. I used your technique in attaching the battery cover tab and it's doing its job. On the other hand I still have a week sounding right speaker. I may have made some progress because now when I press down on either of the volume, tone or balance knobs/potentiometers the sound kicks in fully. Do you know what this might suggest? Thanks again, Lee
Thanks for watching 👍. It sounds like you may have a dry joint. If the signal is intermittent, repeatable and generalised to more than one pot, it suggests that the components are ok, but it needs some flex to complete the signal path. Might be worth re-flowing the pots and working your way back to the power amp. Check for silly things like speaker connections too. Good luck!
Just a quick clean and new belts ... that little Sanyo should play tapes happily for at least another 5 - 10 years or 100,000 km (whichever is the greater). 😎
Get some new belts for good measure, and of course, deoxidize the rotary control knobs. And anything else this little gem deserves. Maybe do a quick repair video on this project if you desire!
Yes, this one would be nice to get back up and running, given it's completeness and 1-owner history. I suspect it needs more work than first appears - but that's the fun of it 😁 Thanks for watching 👍
Hi! Thanks for your support. I'm afraid I don't have any records for this one - but my usual advice is to try a multi-pack off eBay, and you can use one that fits to use as a template. I'd be surprised if yours has degenerated too much. You might be able to use your existing one as a template and tweak it depending on how loose the original was. Thanks again 👍
I find these big 80's personal stereos so brick-like and ugly. Like an Amstrad CPC 464. But they are still so nostalgic. Is it a bad thing to be stuck in the past? Modern technology might be technically better and more accessible than ever before, but it's just so bland. Quirks and differences come from the software, all the hardware is the same thing. Even my modern MP3 player is nothing more than an old smart phone without the phone capabilities.
Dear friends, I have one like this, I would love to restore. It is still working, yet it have issues with volume potentiometre. I need a new volume control switch there... do you know what I need please? I would orther the new one.
One of these models sold on ebay still in original box for around I think 200 pounds, think it had never been out the box,but yes worth the work as not many around as they have been??? Great video, and when the belts have gone like a oil it's horrible to clean
A couple of years ago I purchased a 1976/77 Sanyo M2541 (non-radio model) in original white box/packing foam, complete with original factory power cord (Australian 240v standard type), 12-minute demo tape, receipt dated 1981 (details filled in with pen - still legible today) and instruction booklet. I bought it because it is identical to the very first deck I had as a kid back in 1979. Just like my little Sanyo, I suspect your Hitachi radio unit will probably only need the usual routine clean, some light service (including new belts but hopefully no nasty goo) and that's it. 😎👍
How funny I was in the attic earlier today and I came across my boxed Astro wars and plugged it in and was playing with it for a good hour or so this afternoon, didn’t half bring back some memories of opening it that Xmas morning all those years ago. What are they worth these days all boxed and working? Oh you don’t have a battery cover for the original Simon game within your stock do you I could buy off you by any chance, as I have one of those which my niece broke about 25 years ago after whining to borrow it to which I said make sure it comes back in the same condition!
Walk-mans and micro-cassette recorders are challenging and fiddly to repair due to their compact size. They also use much thinner belts than standard audio decks. You need a ton of patience as well as parts, skills and equipment to fix one of them. Glad you got that Sanyo sorted. 😇
Yes - some of them are really awkward. There was a period in the late 80's when tech was decent, as well as the build quality. I find these the most crammed and difficult. More rewarding to get running agin though!
I remember either this, or one similar to this. My aunt had one, but it was black., it was definitely Sanyo and she let me borrow it. The walkman kept slowing down, so I would adjust the resistor to bring it back up to the right speed but one day it didn't work at all. I was terrified I had broke it and was scared to get in trouble with my aunt so I just avoided her for over a year. When I did see her eventually, she asked about it once, I can't remember what I said but she never asked about it again. I probably worried about nothing but my mind always goes into overdrive over these things and I expect the worst. Because sometimes the worst does happen.
Glad you finally saw your Aunt again! In retrospect, I expect it was only something simple too - but at that age the inside of a machine is like magic :)
I need a drive belt only...I have replaced it once but all I could get was a simple elastic band and it didn't last long.......advise please how to get a real one.......thank you
