National Panasonic RQ-4050FD original vintage photo

[toshik]

I found the original childhood picture of my National Panasonic RQ-4050FD cassette radio (this is how they were called back in 1979 when pictured).

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

KICKIN'

I have been through all the old family albums, haven't found any with my old Blaster

You're lucky to have that picture.

So, is the 2nd picture that SAME radio or another of the same model?

 

[toshik]

No - pictured is the twin brother I've got from Italy. I'm working on getting that exact one and getting it restored.

 

[retrohead]

great old pic.i never had one as a kid but im sure if i had id have plenty of pics still,of me holding it(was only 5 in 1982 so too young sadly)

 

[toshik]

There is me on the original picture, I just trimmed myself out.

 

[AE_Stereo]

The photo looks to be taken when the cassette radio was new!

I had one of those cassette holders with me - double decker version.

 

[toshik]

Yes it was pulled out of the box for photo session as I remember

 

[toshik]

This is the SAME exact one from the first foto! Pictured today way before restoration... I'll follow-up on restoration in a few weeks when it arrives to me. No big deals there - spray the pots and switches well, change belts, clean and lube.

 

[toshik]

Picture of the radio out of the box.
Arrived today YES this is the SAME EXACT one pictured in the first post, sadly major fogging areas on the clear plastic over the scale and very few screws left inside...
Usual heavy switches-pots spraying plus belts-idler-pinch roller routines required. The one I've got from Italy was in a way better cosmetical condition except for worned out motor but not mine. However this is MY actual childhood radio, not just same model.
So I guess plain Japanese donor RQ-4050 would come handy for front panel, screws and other stuff.

 

[Ambience]

Awesome photo with that old tv set in the background too.

 

[toshik]

Ok restoration finished - the one from above (my own past) is on the right.

 

[toshik]

When the original radio arrived I was puzzled by why I had to rotate the turning knob in the opposite direction comparing to 2 other ones.
Surely my 40-years old memories came back and I remembered that being a kid I accidently melted down the synthetic thread in the tuning mechanism with soldering iron! So I had to rearrange the whole tuning rig since the thread was nowhere to be found. Forty years later I just switched the whole tuning thread setup from the Japan donor. Being a kid I could never imagine getting back to this radio restoration 40 years later. Truly amazing!

 

[toshik]

I was able to dug one more circa 1980 picture of the radio.

 

[DutchNick]

Desperation... I have an RQ4050 under restoration and would appreciate a service manual or just the circuit diagrams. Thanks in advance. Nick.