berec: Matador: Restore & Repair

The Ever Ready "Sky Princess" / BEREC "Calypso" are very similar to the BEREC Matador / Ever Ready "Sky Baronet" (The BEREC "Ballerina"/ Ever Ready "Sky Baby" are the valise version of "Sky Princess" / "Calypso").

However download the Ever Ready "Sky Baronet" schematic, it's identical.

Most likely needed to be replaced part is C24 (C23 on "Sky "Princess, "Sky Baby" / "Calypso", "Ballerina") a 10nF wax paper betweeen V3 Anode(DAF96) and V4 Grid (DL96).

C21 (Volume control to V3 DAF96 grid) and C15 (IFT 1 to 0V) are same type wax paper 10nF, but less critical as they are in parallel with resistors and have not real voltage across them. They will fail on 100V leakage test, but it likely makes no difference if you leave them.

On my set C11 350pF looked OK, but the end of the wire was not quite touching the switch terminal, resoldering fixed the "missing" Long Wave.

The case was very shabby and all hinges, screws and fittings very corroded, so I stripped it completely. Brasso on the brass, Rustin's "rust remover" (phosphoric acid and meths/ethanol mix) on all the steel parts. Oxi action cleaner, soap and Oxi Action cleaner alternately on all case parts.

I need to find or make a missing knob.

I have scanned the dial plastic and edited out the cracks and dirt. Sometime I will colour print on quality paper and get it colour laser photocopied to OHP film and place that behind a new piece of plastic cut from CD jewel case.

For test I'm using my "Ersatz" 70V B114 pack which with fresh cells is about 75V. I'm making a B141 pack that uses 60 x AAA cells for 90V HT and 1, 2 or 3 x D cells (in parallel) for 1.5V LT. This works out cheaper and longer life than 10 x PP3.

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I haven't got successful Knob replication going yet. But I found a set of 3 that suit the radio.

 

I also replaced the very cracked plastic on the handle with PVC upholstery cloth till I find a new handle like the original.

I removed the chassis, speaker and all fittings and cleaned the case and used PVA on lose fabric. The  brass fittings and hinge came good with liquid brasso and all the steel parts a near black from "rustin's Rust remover" (an Alcohol/Phosphoric Acid/water mix).

 

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