Not a PAM 710....

[Pat Pending]

....Nor a PYE, but a friend has picked up a nice find from a "yard" sale in Boston Massachusetts. An early (mid fifties) Raytheon 7 transistor portable, (TR7?), complete, he thinks, but non working, it might be a bit of a challenge when it arrives if any of the three wire crystal fuses are dead, but I haven't had a restoration project to get my teeth into in a while. I believe that the early versions were "traditional" construction rather than PCB and obviously only MW as it was intended for the US domestic market.

If any one here is familiar with these sets any information would be appreciated, I've had a post requesting help on a large forum over there "pulled" as all replies were along the lines of "don't bother with that, get an xyz instead", all I've turned up so far is a circuit diagram, and a site where a bloke butchers one to get it working with modern silicon transistors. I'd like to keep it looking original inside if possible, even if that means restuffing

I won't be divulging the acquaintances name in case the antique radio fraternity over there forms a posse and runs him out of town for exporting their heritage.

Cheers.
Andy.

[Murphyv310]

Nice set to get Pat.
I'd think that the majority of caps would be fine, any small leakages should not really be a problem in a low impedance circuit like a tranny radio. I'd also think the transistors themselves are most likely to be at fault, if it was me I would use the trusty OC range from Mullard, slightly newer but a very reliable range of transistors, I would like to see you restuffing transistors though

[Herald1360]

Is it Raytheon or Regency?

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/regency_tr_7_tr7.html

[boater sam]

What are the transistors? Make, type? May be able to help.

[Cobaltblue]

With so little to go on!

This is a Mid 50's Raytheon with traditional construction so may be your beast.

http://www.geojohn.org/Radios/MyRadios/R...ay7TP.html

Not a pretty set   

But an interesting

Cheers

Mike T

[boater sam]

Looking at those audio transistors, they should be capable of re-stuffing to preserve originality. In other words, if in doubt.....Stuff it.

Sam.

[Terry]

... obviously only MW as it was intended for the US domestic market ...

Andy, that is not unusual here, either, as the Japanese/Hong Kong sets that flooded the UK market in the 60s were all designs intended for the US market.
Thus the dials were marked in 100's of kilohertz instead of the UK standard, at that time, of metres. They also included the US Conelrad frequency markers - a Sqare and a Triangle - to show the frequencies to be used in the event of a nuclear attack on the US.
The second harmonic of US 455kHz IF frequency caused a 2kHz beat with the 908kHz carrier of the London Home Service but as the majority of these sets were used by youngsters who had no interest in the Home Service, so long as they received the Light programme and Radio Luxembourg and, after 1964, Radio Caroline and the other pirates, they were quite happy!
As for when this boom started, see here http://www.radios-tv.co.uk/?p=603

[Pat Pending]

Just checked out Mike T's link, very interesting but not what I'd call a sympathetic rebuild. I sent a copy of the picture of that set to my pal via e-mail and he replied "that's the one!" So at least I know what I'm dealing with, and well done Mike, hit the nail on the head. 

Now the dilemma, if a transistor is faulty and the sets value (if any) dictates originality, restuffing may be the way, though I've only ever done it with TO7's using smd transistors. Personally I'd prefer the OC option, that Trevor suggested, it would be a period repair, and also I have a few in stock that I've saved from the guitar gurus.

On the other hand, maybe it will just need a fresh set of batteries.

I will post more when the set arrives.

Thanks for the replies everyone, a great help, and not one suggestion that I throw it away and buy a zenith instead!

Best regards. Andy.

[Pat Pending]

... obviously only MW as it was intended for the US domestic market ...

....But as the majority of these sets were used by youngsters..... so long as they received the Light programme and Radio Luxembourg and, after 1964, Radio Caroline and the other pirates, they were quite happy!
As for when this boom started, see here http://www.radios-tv.co.uk/?p=603

I was a child of the sixties, and had a Fidelity 208 bandspread Portable permanently tuned to the big L all through the Seventies, I still have that set less two of its original AF117's and a volume control.

Regards. Andy.

[Herald1360]

If the original transistors are toast, you may be able to find similar looking Newmarket NKT types.