Show us your Realistic (Radio Shack) stuff
- Thread starter HTHMAN
- Start date
But I like it. 
Nice ! Now all you need is some vintage Radio Shack signs ! By the one which ones are your favorites in the collection ?
Lavane
Lunatic Member
I've had a few of the receivers come my way over the years. But I've never been into them and they get passed along. I still.have a black faced model 65 or 65C under a bench out in the garage. I have had a couple SA-1000A's that stuck around for awhile. I have a SA-2001 I need to tend to. One channel is acting up. It's well built though and well thought out with some nice features. The matching TM-2001 is no slouch either.
lohmantl
Member
Probably the STA 2080 and QTA 770 (top and third shelf on the rack to the left of the fireplace) and STA 2100 (top of the rack to the right of the fireplace). The ranking is based on aesthetics since I use a receiver from another brand as my primary - but I cannot identify it here out of respect for this thread. It is, after all, a Realistic thread
(although my primary is pictured in the avatar). I picked up virtually all of the Realistic receivers during the great recession (2007 - 2011) when prices were low. I looked through all of the Radio Shack catalogs (online web site) from the 1970's and 1980's and picked out all of the receivers that I thought a) looked the best, b) had a unique appearance, or c) had a good reputation (STA 90 for example). The STA 77 is my original receiver during the 1970's as a teenager. I do have one Radio Shack sign with the 1970's logo that will go up soon.
lohmantl
Member
setup1
Super Member
Part 4 of my series on Japanese idler-driven turntables
Two versions of the Realistic Mark 7 idler-driven turntable
This one was sold equipped with a Gray viscous damped tonearm clone.
A transcription-style chassis + Tokyo Sound ST900 tonearm + SPU#1s
Two versions of the Realistic Mark 7 idler-driven turntable
Gnesen
Super Member
I picked up this STA-180 earlier this week. It was functional but the left channel had a fair amount of noise and the output transistors would get warm rather quickly. So I recapped everything and replaced all suspect transistors, mostly 2SC458s. Of course the idle current and centering voltages were also adjusted.
It also got new lamps for the dials and selector switches. I'll try to fix the veneer on the sides of the case over the summer. Right now it’s playing through a pair of Nova-7Bs. I like it!
It also got new lamps for the dials and selector switches. I'll try to fix the veneer on the sides of the case over the summer. Right now it’s playing through a pair of Nova-7Bs. I like it!
Lavane
Lunatic Member
Very cool!
I didn't know the buttons lit up on that model.The only way to make it even cooler would be if the paddle switches lit up too. The 7B's are pretty nice sounding speakers.
I recently did a crossover mod to a pair of 7B's. It's inexpensive and easily reversed if not liked. I think it makes a real difference for the better myself.
I'm in the middle of making new grills for the 7B's at the moment.
I bought a set of reproduction badges also.
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Gnesen
Super Member
Very cool!
The only way to make it even cooler would be if the paddle switches lit up too. The 7B's are pretty nice sounding speakers.
I recently did a crossover mod to a pair of 7B's. It's inexpensive and easily reversed if not liked. I think it makes a real difference for the better myself.
I'm in the middle of making new grills for the 7B's at the moment.
I bought a set of reproduction badges also.
Yeah, I've been following your thread on the 7Bs. Looking forward to seeing how the grilles turn out. I might have to try out that crossover mod.
It seems that the original selector switch lamps are usually burnt out on STA-180s, which might be why you didn't know that they light up. The lit selector switches and split tuning dials are a nice touch on the 180.
Lavane
Lunatic Member
Does the 180 use those lamps with axial leads you have so solder in?
I have a SA-2001 that had those for the power meters. To be able to get to those two bulbs I had to completely disassemble the front of the amp.
Including unscrewing all the controls to be able to remove the front chassis plate under the face plate. Then, I had to remove a metal housing over the lamps. I replaced those lamps with fuse type by soldering leads to the ends. They tend to last longer than the stock bulbs. It was a lot of work just to replace two bulbs. I won't do it again if one burns out.
That crossover mod really is easy to do. And if you don't like it you just snip the leads to the bypass cap, snip the leads to the added coil and just bypass it. I was going to recap the crossovers anyway, and I think it cost me around $25 for the extra two caps and coils.
I ran across that old thread on the mod and decided to give it a try.
It did make the midrange sound more detailed. The woofer is better controlled also. You get used to hearing that lower midrange bloom in stock form. After the mod at first it does seem to have a bit of a recessed midrange, but it's acually just clearer without the accentuated midrange.
Gnesen
Super Member
The lamps on the selector switch of the STA-180 are interesting. They take 43 mm fuse-style lamps, with each lamp providing light to two switches (three long fuse lamps split over six switches). Each of the lamps is always on, but there is a hole that opens when a given switch is selected that allows the light to come through. The 'OFF' switch gets its own bayonet-style lamp. I gave that one a green LED. The dials and meters take standard fuse-style lamps.
You can read more about it here. And here are a couple of borrowed photos from that page...
Lavane
Lunatic Member
Thanks, I'll check out think. Cool idea using different color LED lamps.
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That gold colored piece at the bottom right of your racks looks familiar. I had something like it in the 70-it was an integrated amp that eventually got replaced by a Kenwood KA 5002 acting as a preamp, and a DH 200 amp. It was the best I could afford at the time, as most of my money went to records and combustible stuff......
Lavane
Lunatic Member
Ya know I've always wanted to play with one of those things.
I just never came across one for dirt cheap. I just couldn't spend much on what's basically a toy I think.
There was one I'm my local CL that was listed at $100 for about 5 years.
Then the seller bumped the price to $150. Again it sat listed for several years.
Do post your findings. I was more curious about the subsonic filter and whether it was acually decent.
i'm always trolling "other vintage audio" on ebay. found this for $42 shipped. i couldn't say no.Ya know I've always wanted to play with one of those things.
I just never came across one for dirt cheap. I just couldn't spend much on what's basically a toy I think.
There was one I'm my local CL that was listed at $100 for about 5 years.
Then the seller bumped the price to $150. Again it sat listed for several years.
subsonic filter is exactly why i got it. i've got a few units without one. i will let you know.
dfoulk
Active Member
From the heady days of the Radio Shack Empire! Fond memories for me
i agree but could the transistor after the filter make it active?
safe to say that it starts to roll off at 40hz
