Radio
Boy
C8800 Stereo radio cassette
recorder - 1979 - 1981
Click on picture
for side view
This was Grundig's
first stereo radio cassette, though they had made large mono machines before,
notably the C6000 & C6200. I bought this in June 1980, part-exchanging
my C6200, which was less than 1 year old. It is still in perfect working
order, and has seen service in a variety of situations, including being
used as a receiver for a radio microphone at outside broadcasts for Radio
Lion, the hospital radio station in Chester, of which I was a member.
Another version of
this set was made, though it was never sold in the UK. The C9000 sometimes
had black instead of silver aluminium trim, though it was also available
in the silver finish, it had six FM presets, and an extra meter showing
the FM frequency currently tuned to, to ease preset tuning, much the same
as the C6200. The stereo LED was moved to a space between the meters.
Certainly, looking
at the C8800, (top), there is obviously provision for a meter in the space
where the stereo LED sits, and having had the back off it, one can see
where the cut-out in the chassis has been put for the extra preset buttons.
Specification:
Radio section:
Styling:
Large silver aluminium
trimmed set with a classy smooth top incorporating tape and radio control
buttons. "Typical of the period" Grundig side treatment of rectangular
aluminium hoops, detachable "Rally Style" handle. Small storage compartment
under set for cables, etc.
Country of manufacture: Germany.
Size: 260mm high x 480mm
wide x 110mm deep.
Weight (excluding batteries):
5.6kg.
Power supply:
Internal; 6 x D cells,
or Grundig Dryfit 476 accumulator, 9V. (built-in charger)
External; 220-230V AC
50-60 Hz
Consumption: 26W
Battery meter: Yes, marked
for batteries or accumulator.
Tuning method: Analogue
Wavebands:
FM: 87.5-108 mHz, Mono
or Stereo.
AFC: Yes, switchable,
with auto-disable while tuning & AFC set to on, re-applies 2 sec after
tuning stops.
MW 510-1620 kHz, mode:
AM
SW 5.9-16.8 kHz, mode:
AM
IF's:
FM; 10.7 MHz
AM; 460kHz (Single conversion).
Tuning meter: Yes
Local/DX switch: No
Aerials: Ferrite rod for
LW & MW, Telescopic for FM & SW
Dial illumination:
Yes, mains operation
only, meter permanent, tuning dial only while in radio mode.
Mono selection: Yes, on radio
or inputs only, not on cassette.
Sockets:
Inputs;
Din socket 1; Microphones,
2 x 0.6 mV, 27kohm.
Stereo tape, 2 x 20mV,
800kohm,
Stereo record player,
2 x 200mV, 800kohm (ceramic/crystal cartridge)
Outputs;
Din socket 1; amplifier,
2 x 500mV, 25kohm.
Din socket 2; tape deck,
2 x 100mV, 47kohm.
Din speaker socket for
each channel, 4 ohm.
Din headphone socket,
domino format, insert plug one way up to disconnect internal speakers,
the other way up to leave internal speakers in circuit.
Output power: 2 x 2W RMS
(battery), 2 x 4W RMS (mains).
Speakers: Two x 7x3.75
inch elliptical.
Tone control: Bass, Treble.
Clock/Timer: No
Cassette section:
Tracks: 4, Stereo.
Tape speed: 4.75 cm/s
Frequency response: 60-12500
Hz
Signal/Noise ratio: >56
dB
Wow & flutter: <0.25%
Auto stop: All functions.
Recording level: Automatic.
2 built-in condenser microphones.
Tape types:
Ferric/Chrome/Ferrochrome
- manual selection. Records all tape tyypes to 120 m/s eq.
Tape counter: Yes
Oscillator beat switch
to cancel whistles while recording off radio.
Special features:
VAT button incorporated
in record button, fades recording level in or out.