Sony CRF-5090 Earth Orbiter restoration. Part 1

[@michaelwitas9482]

I have three of these Sony radios, one 100% working and the other two sort of working :). Mine are all the 5100 version, which is mostly the same as the 5090. I love how you do repair videos of high quality multi band radios that were popular worldwide. The Earth Orbiter is perhaps the most blatant copy of the Zenith Trans Oceanic, which was once built in Zenith's Chicago area factory. I believe our local TV store sold both radios, since they were both a Zenith and Sony dealer. By the early to mid 1970's, the Trans Oceanic was sort of a dinosaur, a good one, but still an old style American radio. These radios look great when placed on a shelf in a den or home office. My Sonys have that slightly "muddy tone" too.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

I wonder how the prices compared in the same store 😊 I think the zenith has a more vintage feel, and definitely a more vintage build.

[@michaelwitas9482]

I don't believe the Trans Oceanic, except for the very last 7000 ones with the orange trim, have printed circuit boards. If so, not to the extent that the Sony does. I will have to check what I paid for my Sony's in that "store" :).

[@electronicsoldandnew]

Yes, the TO uses a version of point to point wiring.

[@geirendre]

Nice and sensitive radio. Looking forward to the rest of the restoration.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

👍

[@veewee111]

Those five small control knobs have always felt a bit tight to turn since my parents bought it new for me from Coast to Coast hardware store in Kirkland WASH. Think about 1975 that was! Thanks for the video. Have wanted to sort out how to take it apart for a good cleaning and possibly replace the illumination bulbs with LEDs.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

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[@joerotman5214]

Can't wait to watch the series. I have a Sony CRF-230 myself.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

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[@MrElectrowhiz]

I have the 5100 version. Some of the bands are not working properly and I think the fault is the band selector switch. Also, I think the main filter cap is bad. This is the first video that i have seen about this so I look forward to continue to watch the remaining videos about this radio.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

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[@ralphj4012]

Good progress Liked the stick-long-wires-on-and-pull-through-capacitor technique, to avoid too much disturbance. Been close to too many wood-fired braai's, perhaps.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

Could be. All the boerewors fat got on there 😊

[@mauryfeskanich4523]

“Should only need one more video.” Yeah, we’ve heard that one before! 😂 Sounding good! Looking forward to the new printer! PS: I second the suggestion of a project with Dave Tipton. 😎

[@electronicsoldandnew]

😊 I’m an optimist, but sometimes the projects insist on taking longer that I planned. I actually spoke to Dave about doing something together, but the distances are just too great.

[@mauryfeskanich4523]

@@electronicsoldandnew Ah well. We hear about each of you in the other’s videos often enough, so we can always dream… If you two ever did meet up, I’m sure everyone would love to see a bit of video!

[@electronicsoldandnew]

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[@horatiohornblower868]

Manuel, you should one day be doing a project with Dave Tipton. Would be great fun.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

I have actually thought of this, but the distance between us makes it quite a challenge.

[@antiquetaperecorderlovermu9699]

Super super super 👌👌👌

[@electronicsoldandnew]

Thank you

[@ivanigorpollick6690]

very capable radio

[@electronicsoldandnew]

👍

[@t1d100]

I wanted to point out the channel indicator needle has a light bulb built into it, so that you do not break its fine wire. The light was working, during the introduction. HTH.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

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[@charlieb.4273]

I’ve got a couple of Sony tape recorders. They seem to be not very convenient to service. Wires going everywhere, no jacks or plugs to allow access to the electronics and the foam seems to melt over the years. I’m sure they were great products when produced but hell to keep working. Charlie in Virginia

[@electronicsoldandnew]

True. These radios rarely used sockets, so servicing is a challenge.

[@richardbrobeck2384]

I have a Zenith to go on the bench this winter !

[@electronicsoldandnew]

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[@JonRig]

Great work!! These world radios are really growing on me!!! Although I'm about to face a dial string horror on a Satellit 6000. It went ping on me the other day (and it's the worst one which does the tuning on the SW drum). Thankfully I have your excellent 6001 reference videos, which will be of great help. I am dreading it though. I hate doing dial strings so will have to pick a moment when I have the right level of calm and patience. At least it is clean inside. I don't think it's been near a chip fryer!! 😂

[@electronicsoldandnew]

I have actually become more confident with dials strings of late. I spend a little time really getting to understand the drawings before getting into it. Good luck 🤞

[@pinkartnail]

good

[@electronicsoldandnew]

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[@boriskolev9513]

Hello Manuel, so what is the conclusion for the missing high frequencies from the beginning? Dirt/pots or else? Thnx.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

Could be the DC blocking cap to the speaker. Dirt could also do that.

[@gerardcarson2779]

Nice work., and already a very good result. I've worked on a few Japanese transistor radios from this era and have invariably found the electrolytics to be fine - and makes me wonder if that might be helped by the moist atmosphere the UK (where this set comes from) is usually immersed in. Always found them to be nicely made radios as well if also a pain to take apart/get in to. This Sony one is shaping up really well.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

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[@tubeDude48]

There was a commercial back in the '80's in the US. Quote "If your aloney, get a Sony"! --- For the battery contacts, they can be replaced, (there out their)- Or, use vinegar, rinse with alcohol, then use Tarn-X to bring the shine back, and DeoxIT D5 to neutralize the Tarn-X and coat the contacts.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

😊

[@mackfisher4487]

So did you use the air brush process?

[@electronicsoldandnew]

Not this time. I did it late at night, and didn’t want my wife to hear me and find something else she may have felt needed cleaning 😊

[@erikdenhouter]

A tip for an educational short video, this very simple demonstration 🧐 : take a good audio source, like this FM radio. Put an external speaker (not a box) on it with wires of a meter length, so you can move the speaker around. Take a piece of large cardboard (at least 50x50 cm), and make a hole in the middle the size of the speaker cone. Now, put that audio source at a reasonable volume, on the speaker, holding the speaker bare in your hands. Observe the sound quality. Then move that speaker behind that cardboard, and press it exact over the hole. Now observe the volume and tone difference. You will be amazed. They call it the 'tone board' for a very good reason. What you are doing is preventing the lows to short through the air to the other side of the cone. Such short wave path will make no air pressure. By forcing the lows to go all away around the tone board, the air will be pressurized, and a fully amplified sound appears. (What I am really trying to show is why the sound of the radio sounds much less bulky when its cabin is open, and the bass is 'shorted')

[@electronicsoldandnew]

Fair point. However, I have a fair idea of what to expect from these speakers, even when out of the normal cabinet environment. The fact that the speaker is in the faceplate, effectively already having a partial tone board effect, makes the perception even closer to what it will sound like in the closed radio. I always detect a fuller bass effect when I close it up, as expected.

[@erikdenhouter]

@@electronicsoldandnew Yep, a part of the cabinet is still functioning like that now. You could control that effect by opening up the cabinet around the speaker, but that will be a gamble. (It was a lesson for me 50 years ago, and that effect never seized to amaze me, so that's why I though of a short video, it is basic audio knowledge that is never mentioned)

[@electronicsoldandnew]

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[@josealeixes2861]

Senhor Brenton bom dia!! O senhor está em Londres???

[@lennartbenschop656]

Don't you have customs issues when sending radios between the UK and the EU?

[@electronicsoldandnew]

Yes, we do. However, if the item is marked as a “gift”, them the customs charges are only based on the shipping costs. I’m the two recent cases, the customs was around €30 each.

[@josealeixes2861]

Meu Deus muito trabalho senhor Manoel mais vai ficar top parabéns tenha um bom fim de semana abençoado…

[@electronicsoldandnew]

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[@DavidTipton101]

A piece of cod and minimum chips please Manual. 😉 Didn't Sony make some great gear and is still my pick in electronics along with Panasonic. That is a nice radio. Thanks Manuel 👍🙂

[@electronicsoldandnew]

I got out of the F&Chips business as soon as I went to varsity. Until then (from the age of 13), I was part of the labour force (Portuguese families were like that 😊). Hated every minute of the hours I worked after school, on weekends, and school holidays, but it created a bond with my parents that I treasure still. The smell … nah, never want to go through that again 😊.

[@electrosoundaust]

Hi Manuel, didn't Sony make some great gear over the years. I think they ended up being the consumer radio to beat. Sad what they have become. I picked up a CRF-160 2 weeks ago that looks quite different but I'm sure is similar inside. It wourks beautifully on FM, but the AM is dead mainly because the piano keys don't latch. It also weighs 8.5kg. I'll get around to it one year! I also have 23 Sony reel to reel decks, again long term projects. National Panasonic also made some great radios, and get this, I recenty found out they were partly owned by Philips!

[@electronicsoldandnew]

23 decks?!!! Wow, you’re worse than me 😊 good luck with the restorations.

[@michaelaFlangee]

if you ever want to play with a Riga soviet built radio i have two I bought hoping to make one good one, but realised my skill knowledge and equipment is not up to the task.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

Never worked in one of those. What model is it?

[@michaelaFlangee]

@@electronicsoldandnew Riga 103 heavy even without the batteries, three sw bands MW, LW and ORIT FM about 70 to 66 mhz.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

Pity about the FM range.

[@michaelaFlangee]

@@electronicsoldandnew it is indeed as it is long dead here in CZ, i have heard there was an export version with the regular FM, but that is is not a simple change to make post production. it was quite interesting to see the difference in components used as in the look and shape.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

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[@EsotericArctos]

A lot of radios were licensed back in the day, rather than just flat out copying. That said, Sony had some really great radios in the CRF series back in the day. Looking forward to seeing how this turns our :) Is that horrible brown glue on the caps that glue that goes conductive over time?

[@electronicsoldandnew]

I checked the glue but it seems to be OK. Thankfully 😅 I ama till hoping to get a CRF-320 sometime. That seems like a fabulous set.

[@thecelticprince4949]

Might look like Fush n chups, but does it smell like putrid fry oil.

[@electronicsoldandnew]

The smell is actually neutral, but I cannot imaging what else would create this greasy layer. I remember that we had a radio in our family business in SA, and the entire thing was like this 😊