I'd had this Sharp cassette deck for fifty-two years, it's always played well, I put this video of it on YouTube.
But lately I'd noticed a bit of noise from the left-hand channel when I turn it on. I hardly ever play it, but It's "there" if I want to. I like all my stuff to be working. But it's not worth having it repaired.
But I had a stroke of luck, I found this listed on eBay. Now for me, the "deal breaker," was the connections. It used din plugs on the lead like the other, I wouldn't have considered it if it didn't. The vendor said it was working, but hadn't tested it. That always throws up "red flags," but I decided if I bought it and it didn't work, it would be going back.
It's a Sharp RT-2500 Full auto-stop, auto Cr O2 plus Dolby.
What really impressed me was the condition in the vendor's photos. Not a mark on the cabinet, but although the black plastic had faded with age a bit, the lettering on the "POWER" and "EJECT" buttons were still clearly visible. If the lettering had worn, it would suggest to me a lot of use.
Anyway, I put in a bid and won. It arrived, extremely well packed. I checked it out and there was a lot of distortion on one channel. But a good clean of the heads with switch cleaner on a cotton bud cleared that problem.
The fast forward/return "didn't." It's usually a stretched belt. I had a spare set for the 442 which had a similar mechanism, so another fault cured.
Then gave the rest a good clean and it was good to go.
All the lights work.
It's only "mid range" but will do for me.
Well worth the £38 I paid for it. Which was half what I paid for the 442 in 1972.
Sounds OK.
"Little Susanna Hoffs," the Bangles lead singer, was 65 earlier this year.
Doesn't time fly?
But lately I'd noticed a bit of noise from the left-hand channel when I turn it on. I hardly ever play it, but It's "there" if I want to. I like all my stuff to be working. But it's not worth having it repaired.
But I had a stroke of luck, I found this listed on eBay. Now for me, the "deal breaker," was the connections. It used din plugs on the lead like the other, I wouldn't have considered it if it didn't. The vendor said it was working, but hadn't tested it. That always throws up "red flags," but I decided if I bought it and it didn't work, it would be going back.
It's a Sharp RT-2500 Full auto-stop, auto Cr O2 plus Dolby.
What really impressed me was the condition in the vendor's photos. Not a mark on the cabinet, but although the black plastic had faded with age a bit, the lettering on the "POWER" and "EJECT" buttons were still clearly visible. If the lettering had worn, it would suggest to me a lot of use.
Anyway, I put in a bid and won. It arrived, extremely well packed. I checked it out and there was a lot of distortion on one channel. But a good clean of the heads with switch cleaner on a cotton bud cleared that problem.
The fast forward/return "didn't." It's usually a stretched belt. I had a spare set for the 442 which had a similar mechanism, so another fault cured.
Then gave the rest a good clean and it was good to go.
All the lights work.
It's only "mid range" but will do for me.
Well worth the £38 I paid for it. Which was half what I paid for the 442 in 1972.
Sounds OK.
"Little Susanna Hoffs," the Bangles lead singer, was 65 earlier this year.
Doesn't time fly?
Nice recorder 🙂 and in appearance it reminds me of my first cassette deck, a Sony TC136SD.
Have you cleaned the record/play switches as they are a number one trouble spot on most decks... I'm assuming this uses them as 'everything' did back then.
😎
Have you cleaned the record/play switches as they are a number one trouble spot on most decks... I'm assuming this uses them as 'everything' did back then.
😎