I made a previous video of my fifty year-old Sharp RT 442 H cassette deck posted on here.

Unfortunately, in recent months it's developed an extraneous noise on one channel when there is no track playing. Given its age, I didn't think it worth having repaired, as I hardly ever used it. But it was always "there" if I wanted it.

Then I had a stroke of luck.
I noticed this on eBay. This was only forty-something years old. When viewing the vendor's photos, I was impressed with the cosmetic condition, no marks on the top or cabinet. The give-away of hard use, is if the "EJECT" "POWER" or whatever print on the relevant buttons is worn, but they were perfect.
The seller said he was certain it was working, but hadn't tried it.
That always sends up "red flags" but I thought I'd take a chance, I'd send it back if there was a problem. The "deal--breaker" was it used a lead with "din" plugs, so it would be a straight swop with the previous one.

Anyway, I put in a bid and won!

It arrived extremely well packed. I tried it out and found one channel was distorted, but a clean with switch cleaner on a cotton bud and in a cassette cleaner, (seen in the video) cured that. So I just gave the mechanics a bit of a "lube job," and it was good to go.
Everything is working including the lights. I tried demonstrating the balance, not realising at the time that this was a mono cassette so it made no difference!
No background noise if I turn down the volume.(what I hear is my little Lumix camera and a clock on the shelf above). I was impressed with the bass that's available, can't tell that, when I play the video on my laptop.

It took a bit of "fettling" to get it in, but it looks OK.
I had to accommodate my vintage "Realistic" selector. It can be used to play the sound from, on the left, my TV, Humax Tuner/recorder and DVD/CD through the Leak tuner/amplifier, if I choose. But since buying a five speaker soundbar for the TV I've not bothered. The vintage iPods enable me to select tracks on two Rock-Ola 507 jukebox wall boxes via an adapter to play through the Leak and Goodman's speakers.

This cassette deck isn't proper "hi-fi" but it's good enough for me, given the amount of use it'll get, But then, for £38, I can't complain, can I?

The cassette is a compilation of recordings from the sixties, the tape itself, is from 1986.

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