472
Item nr.


Philips D2130 Portable

Plain portable (no power chord)


Data for Philips D2130
Production, 1983.
BandsMW, FM.
CabinetPlastic.
PowerAC (Off/FM: 0.7/1.0W), batt 4xAA, or USB (0.0/0.3W).

The Design

This portable is of luxory class 1. It offers almost similar functions to this D2000 of class 0, but it is a little bit larger. I hate band switches on the back of a set!

Obtained12/2017 from Harm Schuring.
Condition6; plays but externally a wreck.
DisposedScrapped 6/2022.

This Object

In January 2019 I ran a test with this radio in my battle to reduce Vampire Power. The built-in power supply uses a small transformer, drawing some power from the mains even when the radio is switched off but still plugged. With a Wattmeter I read 0.7W when the radio is OFF, 0,8W when switched to AM and 1,0W when listening FM (and increasing to 1,2W with the volume cranked up high). The nominal battery voltage is 6V, but commonly battery radio's will work at voltages from 70% of nominal voltage, so I expect the radio to play reasonnabbly well from 4.2V and higher. I soldered a USB cable to the battery contacts and plugged into an old iPad power supply. The measured power consumption is then only 0.0W/0.2W/0.3W. For a radio plugged into the mains, this realises a saving of about €1.50 per annum (use StroomCalc). Installing a new power supply in this situation has a pay back time under 1 year. But what about the reception quality? When playing weak AM stations, I found the radio picking up some interference from the switched mode power supply. On FM, no interference is heard, but sensitivity suffers a bit from the lower supply voltage. For the same reason, the maximal volume is reduced.

I did a few transitions to USB chargers using round 5.5mm DC jacks. These are available in a shape that permits easy mounting in the side of a radio. The disadvantage is, that the polarity and voltage aren't standardized, so one day you may poison your set by feeding it the wrong power. I later got a buch of micro USB contacts, and installed one in this radio. First, drill and file a hole in the cabinet in which the contact can fit. Then, solder the contact but with leads 2cm longer than eeded, feed the wires though the hole. Then fill the hole with hot glue and push in the contact. After cooling, the contact is well fitted in the cabinet.


Part of Gerard's Radio Corner.
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