Triumph radio hook-up, control knobs

[ichthos]

Hello Everyone,

I bought an original am triumph radio on Ebay. I am confused how to hook this up. There are two brown wires together (speaker wires?) and one black wire (hot?). I figure it must be grounded when it is bolted to the car body - is this correct? There is a small brown disk about the size of a dime on the right side of the radio. Below it are +, an arrow (grounding sign?) and then a - sign. Do I point the notch to the - sign? Can I just hook the radio up directly to the positive and negative sides of the battery to test it?

The seller said he would send the knobs (I'm not too worried since I used Paypal.) I have not received them yet. In the event I decide to keep the radio, does anyone know where I can get a set of knobs? Lastly, if the radio does not work, are these radios worth repairing? Anyone know of a decent rapair person?

Thanks for your help,
Kevin

 

[TR4nut]

Your radio can be either positive or negative ground. The brown disk is actually a switch that controls that - make sure you get the switch correct for your system before you hook up, I think that you could fry it if that is not done first. Yes, I think the ground is through the body, the other single black wire is hot.

 

[Andrew Mace]

[ QUOTE ]
I bought an original am triumph radio on Ebay....The seller said he would send the knobs (I'm not too worried since I used Paypal.) I have not received them yet. In the event I decide to keep the radio, does anyone know where I can get a set of knobs? Lastly, if the radio does not work, are these radios worth repairing? Anyone know of a decent rapair person?

[/ QUOTE ]Knobs are standard fittings; note that there were several styles used, depending on the era of the radio. Yes, they're worth repairing...if you don't mind not having 2006 Lexus-quality audio in your Triumph! There are also companies that basically will take the shell and face, gut the insides, and convert these to AM/FM Stereo and CD-changer-capable units if you really want.

Finally, I can only speak for experience with these radios in Heralds, where the hot lead (which should have an inline fuse) "piggybacks" on the heater switch power connection via a clever male & female connector on the end of the lead. Of course, if your car is late enough to have an "accessory" position on the ignition switch (many Triumphs pre 1964 or so did not have that), you could take power from there as well.

 

[ichthos]

Can you refer me to a company that does repairs/conversions? Do they sell the knobs as well?
Thanks, Kevin

 

[Geo Hahn]

[ QUOTE ]
...make sure you get the switch correct for your system before you hook up, I think that you could fry it if that is not done first...

[/ QUOTE ]

When I got my TR4 the old radio (Bendix AM) didn't work... then I realized the PO had installed the battery backwards, converting the car to negative ground by brute force (well he did say he knew nothing about electrics).

Imagine my surprise when (after correcting the car to positive ground) the radio worked just fine -- or at least as fine as a 40-year-old Bendix AM ever sounds.

By all means do get the polarity right -- you might not be as lucky as I was.