Realistic SCR-6

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DKVII

Member (SA)
So I recently bought a Realistic SCR-6 boombox off of eBay, and it's currently waiting for me at home while I'm visiting my father in another town. From what I have seen, it looks very similar to the GE 3-5286A boombox, which is a model I've been seeking for some time. Although a lot of people seem to like the SCR-8, I haven't been able to find much information on the SCR-6. Anybody have experience with this model, and what would be your take on it?
 

superlew

Member (SA)
Lots of boxes have A.K.A.'s. I'm not 100% sure on these models, but I'd be willing to bet they're brothers.

Other A.K.A.'s would be Conion C-100/Helix 4635; Ward's Airline GEN3996/Silver ST868.

There are sooo many other's, but these are just a couple of well-known examples. There are lots of threads on the forum about all different A.K.A. models.

If you pick up a GE 3-5286A down the road, you can do a side-by-side comparison. A pair of A.K.A.'s is a good start to a comprehensive collection. :yes:

Merry Christmas. Have fun with the family! :santa:
 

Reli

Boomus Fidelis
Yes those two are AKA's. Not much bass at all, but great looking boxes with tons of features for their size.
 

DKVII

Member (SA)
I didn't really expect much bass when buying this box, but it was for a good price and it's quite the eye candy in my opinion, so I believe I will be satisfied. ;-)
 
Looks a nice box.You'll just have to pull the front off and spray all the pots with contact cleaner/lube to restore full function. Looks like the antenna has lost end too.

Have fun,

James.. :-)
 

DKVII

Member (SA)
jimmyjimmy19702010 said:
Looks a nice box.You'll just have to pull the front off and spray all the pots with contact cleaner/lube to restore full function. Looks like the antenna has lost end too.

Have fun,

James.. :-)
Antenna has been replaced and all pots have cleaned. Now the only problem is the pause control is not working correctly. It's very difficult to push down, and when I do, it causes it to stop instead of simply pausing. Holding it down also makes the tape deck move very quickly and I have to knock it back into place. I suppose it's a loose belt issue like my GE 3-5455B had, so I'm not too worried about that.

Plays great, though!

Realistic SCR-6.jpg
 
Being a mechanical deck, you may have part of the sliding mechanism that has a partly frozen sliding surface or a stiff hinge. My Hitachi TRK-9150 had a similar issue with the pause button. A little lube and all is now well. I normally lube all the decks's moving parts and clean the micro switches too. Just keep the lube away from the belts.

James
 

DKVII

Member (SA)
I seem to be experiencing another problem with this box. The radio and auxiliary inputs cut out intermittently. Tape deck doesn't. I believe it may be in the selector switch but I'm not for certain.
 

-GZ-

Member (SA)
DKVII said:
I seem to be experiencing another problem with this box. The radio and auxiliary inputs cut out intermittently. Tape deck doesn't. I believe it may be in the selector switch but I'm not for certain.
Yup. Wiggle that switch bro.
 

Lasonic TRC-920

Moderator
DKVII said:
I seem to be experiencing another problem with this box. The radio and auxiliary inputs cut out intermittently. Tape deck doesn't. I believe it may be in the selector switch but I'm not for certain.
Yeah, the power switch on these are so so....I took mine apart on my GE...there are some small parts in there that are easily lost, so you have to be careful, but it can be done. I used lite sand paper to clean the burnt contacts. It's still kind of iffy, but it's better.

I do love the looks of these radios though...

DSC01404.JPG
 

DKVII

Member (SA)
Kenpat said:
:agree: Yes, it;s the switch alright. :hmmm: You are about to become a boombox tech.
How lovely that must be. :lol:

Anyway, I have the radio working pretty well. It's not cutting out after messing with the switch aplenty, but the auxiliary input still needs some jiggling.

On another related note, it seems like it cuts out more with the loudness function turned on and when the level meter switch is up of all things. Are they connected somehow?
 

Lasonic TRC-920

Moderator
DKVII said:
How lovely that must be. :lol:

Anyway, I have the radio working pretty well. It's not cutting out after messing with the switch aplenty, but the auxiliary input still needs some jiggling.

On another related note, it seems like it cuts out more with the loudness function turned on and when the level meter switch is up of all things. Are they connected somehow?
Sounds like it needs some Deoxit.

Deoxit is an electrical contact spray that cleans the contacts so the switches work properly. You do have to open the radio up to spray the switches, but this is an easy radio to work on.

It's not a terminal condition...not to worry!
 

DKVII

Member (SA)
I've been meaning to order some DeOxit for a long time, but I've never got around to it. The only stuff I can find around here is CRC Electronic Cleaner, so that's what I use. How much better is DeOxit?
 

Lasonic TRC-920

Moderator
DKVII said:
I've been meaning to order some DeOxit for a long time, but I've never got around to it. The only stuff I can find around here is CRC Electronic Cleaner, so that's what I use. How much better is DeOxit?
I have used the CRC and it works good too, you should be able to get those switches working with that :yes:
 

DKVII

Member (SA)
Okay, good. I've often worried that I may be missing out on a lot using CRC and not DeOxit.
 

DKVII

Member (SA)
I believe it was Lasonic TRC-920 who said he had never seen a GE 3-5286A and a Realistic SCR-6 side by side. Well, here they are!

IMG_0001.JPG

So far, to me, it seems that the Realistic is actually a little better-built. The knobs feel a lot heavier on it, and it puts out a noticably louder and bassier sound. My Realistic still has the issue with the power switch and the pause button. I need to get around to fixing those problems.
 
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