Sony reel to reel portables! Who owns them, your thoughts!

[KentTeffeteller]

Hi all,

I inherited my late Stepfather's Sony TC 801 reel to reel portable. Mono 1/2 track. 1 7/8-3 3/4 IPS. Built like a brick outhouse, estimated to be early 1960's vintage. 5" reel size. Who owns one of these machines or it's cousins? How do you like it? Restoration tips? Chime in if you owned or used one!

 

[audiojones]

I have the lowly TC-222 which I guess is the late 60's servo-drive distant cousin to yours (but of course not in the same league). I think the "modern" version of yours would be the TC-800B (the machine responsible Richard Nixon's undoing).

I have to say though that in the 30 plus years since I bought that TC-222 at a yard sale it has proven to be both extremely reliable and remarkably durable. It has been dropped a number of times and all of the chrome trim has long since popped off and gotten lost but it still works just fine.

I was just using it the other day with a Sure SM-57 to record some summertime sounds in my back yard. Can't really offer any repair or restoration tips because it just keeps on working. It's one of the only pieces of electronic gear I own that I've never opened!

 

[Falstaff]

I'm even lower on the totem with a mid 60s Sony TC 102. But it does work and will do 7 1/2 ips and will take up to 7in reels.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Mine works electronically. But needs belts and cleaning and love. Sat for many years unused. Plan on restoring it electronically and mechanically. I do have the AC power supply also.

 

[Dwartz]

My Sony "portables" are the TC 464 and TC-300, which have tubes and weigh about half a metric ton each. Also built like a brick outhouse. I do like the old cat's eye record indicators on the 464, though.

 

[vintagecd]

I was recently given a Sony TC-200 (solid state version), that needs a lot of help mechanically and electronically, but for the most part, it does seem to work. I love the design of it. Simple, no frills, easy to use.

 

[spicer]

Hi all,

I inherited my late Stepfather's Sony TC 801 reel to reel portable. Mono 1/2 track. 1 7/8-3 3/4 IPS. Built like a brick outhouse, estimated to be early 1960's vintage. 5" reel size. Who owns one of these machines or it's cousins? How do you like it? Restoration tips? Chime in if you owned or used one!

I have a TC 560D, seven inch 'ESP' auto reverse in play mode, which means after a prescribed amount of time with no signal from the tape it will auto reverse. Had it for years, put heads and belts in it and it still works fine. The reason I'm putting it in this thread for portables is because it works with either 120 volts or 12 volts DC. It has an inverter in it for use with 12 volts, has a special cord for that. Has a servo motor, three speeds, 1 7'8, 3 3'4, 7 1/2, and each speed is electronically adjustable using a trim pot on the motor supply board. It was current in 1966.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

A really amazing machine you have, spicer. Seen photos of one, never seen one in the flesh. And it's an interesting machine. Remember some broadcast users who used them and loved them for fieldwork as a Uher alternative (who couldn't manage a Nagra or Stellavox). Love your post and your thoughts here, and this thread has been enjoyable. And I've loved everyone's perspectives and experiences. Makes me really want to restore my machine, it's a scarce early portable.

 

[spicer]

A really amazing machine you have, spicer. Seen photos of one, never seen one in the flesh. And it's an interesting machine. Remember some broadcast users who used them and loved them for fieldwork as a Uher alternative (who couldn't manage a Nagra or Stellavox). Love your post and your thoughts here, and this thread has been enjoyable. And I've loved everyone's perspectives and experiences. Makes me really want to restore my machine, it's a scarce early portable.

Thank you Kent. The TC 560D is rather unique in that it will operate from 12 volts using an onboard inverter, not a 12 volt unit using an onboard 120volt ac supply. Sony always made decent and very reliable reel to reel decks. I was thinking the TC 801 was made as a reporters/conference alternative to the Uher, and others, before cassettes became the standard. It's interesting to take one of that era battery units apart and see the detail and care in the manufacture.

The TC 560 is basically a three speed home stereo deck with 12 volt capabilities. I can see it being used for fieldwork where ac power wasn't easily available and for early high end mobile audio... I actually saw one mounted in the trunk of a car back in the day when four track cartridges were first becoming popular, before the eight tracks. Quality Inverters back then were expensive having names like Tripp Lite coming from places like Chicago.

 

[Dwartz]

I have a Sony TC-772 as well. It's one of the favorites in my collection. Mine is a 4 track but they made them in 2 track configurations as well. It has a battery pack which is long dead. As far as Sony stuff goes it seems above par.

 

[smurfer77]

I have a Sony TC-772 as well. It's one of the favorites in my collection. Mine is a 4 track but they made them in 2 track configurations as well. It has a battery pack which is long dead. As far as Sony stuff goes it seems above par.

I saw on a Techmoan youtube video a review of a sony portable cd player and he mentioned a guy restuffing the discman batteries with new Li-ion cells. I guess the same is possible with the batteries for the portable r2r machines.