Jimmy’s TRK-8290

Jimmy in Montreal found this Hitachi TRK-8290 for a bargain. Look, the decal is still intact on the cassette door! Sadly, this system required an audio repairperson’s expertise to get it performing like new. These are rare folks these days, most prefer to focus on the more lucrative task of home audio repair. If any audio technicians out there wish to publicize your services on the portable gems, post your ad here!

Victoria CPR-5000

I found this Victoria at a giant flea market in south Florida (Sunrise Flea Market outside of Miami) for $5. I was amused with the blatant ripoff of the Victor brand name (known as JVC here). Here again we see a cheezy graph displaying frequency response. I wonder if they just made up the chart out of the blue or there was actually a team of white labcoat scientists all huddled around this POS with their clipboards measuring performance. This system was manufactured by Topp Electronics of Hong Kong.

JVC RC-M80

The RC-M80’s little brother, the RC-M70 seems to receive all the attention these days and perhaps it’s unjust. Dezzy found this on eBay for a fraction of what one would pay for the lower model. Check out all of those slide controls and the tiny logic controls for the cassette. This model was hi-tech in its day, mainly due to the unusual receiver. This model has a synthesized tuner allowing the user to scan the band for frequencies. The readout is diplayed with an array of LEDs. If you’re in an area with no radio coverage, you’ll get the Battlestar Galactica Cylon effect, as Craig calls it. Craig, the King of LEDs also owns this model and provided a nice closeup of the tuner section. Check out his LED Museum, too!

Marc’s JVC Quintet

Thanks, Marc in Saint Thomas, Ontario for this great shot of the JVC Quintet! This is the PC-5, sold around the turn of the decade. It breaks down to five pieces and is awfully heavy! Apparently, the Harlem Globetrotters starred in a commercial for this system way back when. In the unlikely event someone has it on tape, PLEASE CONTACT US!!