Page 1 of 1

Russia - Copy Of HMV 102.

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2019 3:37 am
by poodling around
I seem to remember reading some-where on here that these models are well thought of ?

If so, maybe this one is a good price ?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gramophone-U ... Sw1fZdJfxH

Re: Russia - Copy Of HMV 102.

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2019 4:00 am
by Orchorsol
Not by me, ha ha! I had to repair one for an antique dealer friend once and found it very poorly made. Best to avoid them in my opinion, unless you want one in the collection for curiosity and can find a good example.

Re: Russia - Copy Of HMV 102.

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2019 4:13 am
by epigramophone
As Orchorsol says, the construction is flimsy compared with a "real" 102, and close inspection with a tape measure reveals that almost every dimension is different. Here is mine, for which I paid £75 some years ago, alongside the genuine article :

Re: Russia - Copy Of HMV 102.

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2019 7:25 am
by Phono48
I bought one a few years ago, and have to say I'm impressed with it's overall performance. As Epigramophone has said though, some of the parts are flimsier that those on the 102, the lid stay and the arm retaining clip being the most noticeable. I found though, that spare ones of these from a 102 fitted exactly, the only problem being that on the Russian model, some of the internal fittings are held on with small, thick, dome-headed nails, which had to be replaced with screws, because the nails will not hold in the wood again. Also, the swivel joint halfway down the arm has no screw thread, just a push in fit, so the joint is a bit sloppy. On the good side, however, the soundbox is a superb piece of kit, with none of the usual pot metal problems of the HMV no.5s. The motor is as silent as the 102s, and seems to be well engineered. There are a lot of these machines out there, in many different versions, and generally they seem to fetch quite good prices. This one seems to be a little on the pricey side, but if you want one, this is a good example.

Re: Russia - Copy Of HMV 102.

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2019 3:49 pm
by Inigo
I've seen a particular brand MOLOT. Dunno if they're good... But being from the Soviet Union, so big, I'm pretty sure there are noticeable differences between the products of different factories... Who knows... :roll:

Re: Russia - Copy Of HMV 102.

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 4:00 pm
by Steve
I've had a few of these. They are good but not as good as a 102.

With that said I've kept the Russian sub-miniature version which is far more interesting as it's a cross between an Excelda and a 102.

The eBay item is overpriced in that condition. I have paid under a 100 for a mint example. They are out there.