CR485 Stereo cassette recorder
- 1981 - 1982
Click on picture
for view of CR485 with case removed.
This was the last
of Grundig's range of "slope top" cassette recorders, though they do still
make a stereo cassette recorder to this day (The CR120). I bought this
in January 1982, to replace my stolen C235. It is still in perfect working
order, and has seen service in a variety of situations, including being
used as an interview recorder for Radio Lion, the hospital radio station
in Chester, of which I was a member, (it ceased to exist in March 2003).
After about a year of this, I insisted they buy their own, which they did.
After years of working in arduous conditions, the Radio Lion set finally
got dropped and no longer works, so I've kept it as a source of spares
for mine. I bought a second one from Ebay in January 2003 for my daughter,
so she wouldn't keep using mine!
Over a period of
about 7 years, from 1975 to 1982, Grundig made an enormous range of machines
based on this shape. I remember the first time I saw one of these in a
local shop window, I thought it was brilliantly styled, and I knew I had
to have one, one day. But not then, as I couldn't afford it, and had only
recently bought the Grundig C235 cassette recorder anyway. Eventually though,
I got it, and here it is, complete with optional carrying case 493, which
was universal for all machines based on this shell.
In the early years,
up to 4 models would be available at any one time, ranging from totally
basic, mono only, with no tape counter, battery meter or tone control,
and only ferric tape capability, to machines like this one. Developments
reflected technical and market requirements, so early chrome-capable machines
had auto-switching, but later ones with Ferrochrome as well had a 3-position
manual switch. Eventually, the basic machines were phased out, and only
the fully-loaded ones were available.
This was the final
model, and replaced the almost identical CR480, the only difference being
that the CR480 had a built in charger for the optional accumulator. Presumably
demand was too low for the accumulator, so the charger was dropped. Looking
in the battery compartment of this one, the space for the charger contact
is clearly visible.
Specification:
Styling:
Dark metallic brown &
silver aluminium finish. Large keys, slider amplifier controls, and the
distinctive sloping area incorporating the speaker grille, meter &
cassette door. Slide-out handle.
Country of manufacture: Malaysia.
Size: 82mm high x 210mm
wide x 276mm deep.
Weight (excluding batteries):
2.5 kg.
Power supply:
-
Internal; 6 x C cells, 9V.
-
External; 220-230V AC 50-60
Hz
Battery meter: Yes, on all
functions.
Dial illumination: No.
Mono selection:
No. Mono-only through
internal speaker. Stereo-only through DIN socket
Sockets:
Inputs;
-
Din socket; Microphones,
2 x 0.55 mV to 55mV, 16kohm. Supply voltage for Condenser microphone. Remote
control Stop/Start on record only.
-
Line in, 2 x 100mV to 10V,
2.2Mohm,
Outputs;
-
Din socket, amplifier, 2
x >450mV, 18kohm.
-
Din speaker socket, mono
only.
Output power at 8 ohms: 1.2W
RMS (battery), 1.5W RMS (mains).
Speaker: 130x75 mm elliptical.
Tone control: Combined
bass & treble, centre neutral.
Clock/Timer: No
Tracks: 4, Stereo.
Tape speed: 4.75 cm/s
Frequency response: 70-10000
Hz
Signal/Noise ratio: >54
dB
Wow & flutter: <0.25%
Auto stop: All functions.
Recording level: Automatic.
Built-in condenser microphone.
Tape types:
Ferric/Chrome/Ferrochrome
- manual selection. Records all tape tyypes to 120 m/s eq.
Tape counter: Yes
Rewind time: approx. 60
seconds for C60.
