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on Mar 11, 2023 12:05:18 GMT
Posted: Mar 11, 2023 12:05:18 GMT
Well, this is entirely new to me - have any of you come across one?  Yashica radio phonographIt's a portable, stereo, radio phonograph from some time in the 1960s. Obviously, it's a re-branding exercise but it's still an interesting addition to Yashica's portfolio. It appears to be boasting of a whole 14 transistors incorporated into its circuitry. |
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on Mar 16, 2023 15:41:08 GMT
Posted: Mar 16, 2023 15:41:08 GMT
Well, this is entirely new to me - have any of you come across one? I was not even aware that such a device existed, nice finding! ... It appears to be boasting of a whole 14 transistors incorporated into its circuitry. I really like the way the new transistor technology was advertised in the product's labeling, it was done by stating that it has transistors or as " solid state". As a boy, I was thinking: " it is obvious, I can touch it and not liquid, of course it is solid!... why they need to specify that it is in a solid state?"... then I went to the technical school and understood.  |
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on Mar 17, 2023 19:11:34 GMT
Posted: Mar 17, 2023 19:11:34 GMT
Hi Ariel I'm delighted to report that I've managed to buy this weird piece of Yashica branding, so, all being well, some better piccies should be forthcoming in a week or two's time. |
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on Mar 18, 2023 7:53:04 GMT
Posted: Mar 18, 2023 7:53:04 GMT
Hi Ariel I'm delighted to report that I've managed to buy this weird piece of Yashica branding, so, all being well, some better piccies should be forthcoming in a week or two's time. I do not know where you find such things, but great news, congrats! If not much asking, maybe you could add a short video to the pictures, just to see it and hear it working... Do you have any nice 45' EPs or 33' LPs? |
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on Mar 18, 2023 9:52:41 GMT
Posted: Mar 18, 2023 9:52:41 GMT
Hi Ariel I'm delighted to report that I've managed to buy this weird piece of Yashica branding, so, all being well, some better piccies should be forthcoming in a week or two's time. I do not know where you find such things, but great news, congrats! If not much asking, maybe you could add a short video to the pictures, just to see it and hear it working... Do you have any nice 45' EPs or 33' LPs? I bought it 'as is' so I suspect it won't be working! With old kit like this from the mid-1960s, I have serious doubts about the reliability of some of those electrical components - especially old capacitors. The other classic fail is for old record players in which the rubber loop for the turntable often perishes into a ghastly black mush (ditto for old Yashica film projectors!) which then contaminates everything. However, I do have a contact who runs a business restoring old hi-fi gear from the '60s, '70s and '80s; he rescued my Sansui SE-8 Graphic Equalizer from ending up in landfill for which I'm forever grateful, though I'm not sure my bank-manager was... Although this is more lo-fi, I will get an estimate from him to restore it to pristine, operating condition - and then weep  . If there is any life in the unit, I'll provide a short clip... |
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on Mar 18, 2023 15:57:19 GMT
Last Edit: Mar 18, 2023 15:58:01 GMT by lumiworx
Similarly, I've lost count of the number of listings posted that state a working 8mm crank-wind camera for sale, only to see a crumbling and craggy capstan roller in the closeups. Moving parts don't mean 'working' to me, but...
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on Mar 22, 2023 19:38:26 GMT
Posted: Mar 22, 2023 19:38:26 GMT
Well, it's arrived and is a very different colour from the original photos!  Radio phonograph - open  Radio FasciaIt uses 6 D cells for power so I suspect that it was designed to take to a beach party or the like - not for a sustained music session unless you are only using the radio. There is evidence of battery leakage (and a smell of acid) with some minor corrosion to the internal electrical contacts - if it's not wicked beyond the battery compartment, the radio at least may splutter into life. It will need a new stylus as well as the batteries; I'm assuming a new belt will be needed for the turntable. The good thing is that if it is dead, I can still use the new D cells in the Contax TLA480. It's a very nicely designed bit of kit. In the absence of any information on it, some guess work may be needed to determine the function of some of the knobs as a few have lost their inset roundels. Despite the damage to the handle, it remains fully capable of handling the weight of the unit which is surprisingly light. Its serial number suggests that this was the 556th unit produced, all the way back in 1967. It's such an unusual piece that, when finances permit, I will send it for cleaning and repair; I'd love to play an old Parlophone Beatles' 45 record on it. |
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on Mar 23, 2023 16:22:18 GMT
Posted: Mar 23, 2023 16:22:18 GMT
It looks very nice and in good shape, it is all there... congrats!  Any chance to access and check the condition of the speaker's cones? Just as an idea, Instead of expending money on D cells, maybe it would be faster and cheaper to try first with a 9v DC power supply from any other device you may have, it is a very common voltage output. It should be enough for the radio, but for the turntable would be better a power supply with some amps. |
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on Mar 23, 2023 16:52:49 GMT
Posted: Mar 23, 2023 16:52:49 GMT
It looks like there's either two different phono/radio models, or this is another instance where the later device gets the exact same model designation, but there's been a significant change to the 3rd party's hardware over successive years. I found a PhotoFact (repairman's cheat sheet) for a Yashica YP-500, although the photos suggest it is larger in dimensions and layout than your model. On eBay: www.ebay.com/itm/354508941660Some time ago I purchased a PhotoFact sheet for the Yashica YT-300 - a dual band portable radio - and since I planned on adding more for the other Yashica non-photographic electronics, I ordered one of these. Once I have it in hand I'll scan it to a PDF and send you a copy, Graham. They are usually 2-8 pages in length and have parts lists, diagrams, and 'alignment' and other repair instructions, and almost always have full schematics. It may serve as a manual of sorts, as they have function descriptions that can be fairly detailed. |
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on Mar 23, 2023 17:03:31 GMT
Posted: Mar 23, 2023 17:03:31 GMT
... Just as an idea, Instead of expending money on D cells, maybe it would be faster and cheaper to try first with a 9v DC power supply from any other device you may have, it is a very common voltage output. It should be enough for the radio, but for the turntable would be better a power supply with some amps. I'd also suggest that any actual batteries you try are standard alkaline types and not rechargeables. The voltage is always lower, and the amperage under load may not be sufficient to get the needed speed on the turntable motor. Electronics this old just weren't engineered to accept anything less than the expected values. Typical vales in Table 3 & 4: batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-106-advantages-of-primary-batteries |
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on Mar 23, 2023 21:40:45 GMT
Posted: Mar 23, 2023 21:40:45 GMT
Hello Ariel and lumiworx Thank you for all your input. I hope to get around to tinkering with the Yashica music centre shortly; at the moment I have to prioritise taking some piccies of a couple of Yashica cameras to help the author of a forthcoming book on the history of communication using analogue equipment. I've also got to provide some piccies of other gear to help contribute to the history of Zeiss Ikon. But as soon as those matters are out of the way, Yashica's little portable music centre will get the full attention it richly deserves! |
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on Mar 23, 2023 21:49:24 GMT
Posted: Mar 23, 2023 21:49:24 GMT
I haven't seen any PhotoFacts for Yashica's tape recorder, so it's hard to guess what might pop up later -but- I've also ordered another sheet for the YT-100, which is the smaller 6 transistor portable radio, to join the one I already have for the YT-300... the 9 transistor and slightly larger sibling. I suppose it will make sense to scan all 3 of them in a batch, and save them all for posterity.
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on Mar 23, 2023 22:15:19 GMT
Posted: Mar 23, 2023 22:15:19 GMT
Interesting to note the brand identity on the front of the unit:  Yashica Stereophonic brandingIt appears to suggest a Yashica Stereophonic brand, with this item being the radio phonograph. I wonder which, if any, other Yashica-branded stereophonic music players there are out there? Further to a previous comment, the 'Y' logo seen here and. on a label underneath the unit showing its serial number, the comma following the full stop after company in YASHICA CO., LTD certainly chimes with 1967 as a possible year of manufacture. |
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on Mar 24, 2023 3:21:18 GMT
Posted: Mar 24, 2023 3:21:18 GMT
biggles3 ... While searching for whatever info there might be, I came across Paul's page on yashicatlr.com concerning the radios. A comment on the same page that he received from Chris Whelan ( yashicasailorboy.com) suggests that Yashica had begun a foray into consumer electronics, but before any brand effort took hold, they dropped out and stayed focused on photo gear. This doesn't strike me as an unreasonable possibility due to their in-house expertise in electronics. It wouldn't be a major stretch to think those same highly capable engineers could have designed some quality consumer products and eventually spun off a new company with a far different product lineup than cameras and lenses. The "Y" logo is the same one showing on a number of early cameras, from the Y16's to the TLR's like the A and the 44, and the first few rounds of 8mm gear and some of the "J" rangefinders, and up to at least the J-3. Not that it will help much, but here's a link to the US trademark for the 'Playbill' fonted logo, that was filed March 3, 1959 and canceled in 2016. : tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=doc&state=4801:4ue9th.3.16I've also noticed something different about these radio-capable gadgets that set them apart from similar items... the dual radio bands are not AM/FM, but AM/SW. That's not to say they are unique, but certainly not the norm in the North American market, which is where I'd assume they would be targeted to gain quantities of sales to support a growing/expanding product line -if- that was their intent.
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on Mar 24, 2023 9:50:54 GMT
Posted: Mar 24, 2023 9:50:54 GMT
biggles3 ... While searching for whatever info there might be, I came across Paul's page on yashicatlr.com concerning the radios. A comment on the same page that he received from Chris Whelan ( yashicasailorboy.com) suggests that Yashica had begun a foray into consumer electronics, but before any brand effort took hold, they dropped out and stayed focused on photo gear. This doesn't strike me as an unreasonable possibility due to their in-house expertise in electronics. It wouldn't be a major stretch to think those same highly capable engineers could have designed some quality consumer products and eventually spun off a new company with a far different product lineup than cameras and lenses. The "Y" logo is the same one showing on a number of early cameras, from the Y16's to the TLR's like the A and the 44, and the first few rounds of 8mm gear and some of the "J" rangefinders, and up to at least the J-3. Not that it will help much, but here's a link to the US trademark for the 'Playbill' fonted logo, that was filed March 3, 1959 and canceled in 2016. : tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=doc&state=4801:4ue9th.3.16I've also noticed something different about these radio-capable gadgets that set them apart from similar items... the dual radio bands are not AM/FM, but AM/SW. That's not to say they are unique, but certainly not the norm in the North American market, which is where I'd assume they would be targeted to gain quantities of sales to support a growing/expanding product line -if- that was their intent. Hi Randy, Chris contacted me last night and his thought is that the music centre dates from 1957 and not 1967 - that would appear to fit in with Yashica's early withdrawal from the market as mentioned in your post. I'm even more impressed that it's survived this well after 66 years... |
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