Portables to identify and discuss

[nostalgia]

Patrik, you will in Sweden find different brands of portable gramophones that are actually put together in Sweden, where the parts most often were purchased from Thorens in Switzerland. It seems that different "varuhus kjender/shop brands" had their unique names and offered these portables for sale through their shops. Sonara is one of these brands, and I am told they play reasonably well, and may welll sound better than your Odeon with your home serviced soundbox. (I have listened to your youtube link.) That said, you could also try to get hold of a HMV 101/102, they are often for sale in Sweden, and are among the best portables you can find. Over time yo could even try compare different portables, including the Sonora, Odeon, HMV etc...but then we are entering the area where the hobby easily can become an obsession;) You know, many of us in here on the forum are in that category, and we love being there.

[nostalgia]

Oedipus, both my Odeon 9102 machines were purchased in Norway, where I reside. The Odeon badged machine with the Columbia serial number was also bought in Norway. Since the soundbox on that last machine also is not branded Odeon, it clearly was the end game for the Odeon badged machines made at Hayes, and maybe that can explain why the machine did never receive a unique serial?
And, I am of course wondering too, if the HMV 87/Columbia 205 also was made with a Odeon badge or not, since we now know that both the HMV 97/88 were manufactured with an Odeon badge.
The three Odeon machines made at Hayes, that I own, are the only 3 machines that I have witnessed being put out for sale here during the last couple of years, and I have been lucky to be able to buy them all.

[Patrik_P]

Patrik, you will in Sweden find different brands of portable gramophones that are actually put together in Sweden, where the parts most often were purchased from Thorens in Switzerland.

Yes i understood that it would have internals to match the Thorens soundbox. Still it's interesting with these small brands.

Sonara is one of these brands, and I am told they play reasonably well, and may welll sound better than your Odeon with your home serviced soundbox. (I have listened to your youtube link.)

Is this critique?

Over time yo could even try compare different portables, including the Sonora, Odeon, HMV etc...but then we are entering the area where the hobby easily can become an obsession;) You know, many of us in here on the forum are in that category, and we love being there.

Well i won't be comparing anything to my Odeon since the spring broke yesterday playing some 12'' records i just picked up. There is a HMV 101 for sale as well, price will determine if I buy that or the Sona r? t? a. But I might join you there in the future, you seem to have fun over there

[Inigo]

It seems that the brand is Sonata.
Although the vivid red etc at the beginning made me mislead confusing it with the well known Sonora (Sweden) brand of records and portable gramophones, which they advertised also on the record sleeves.

R-13496250-1580978729-5798.jpeg.jpg

[nostalgia]

Inigo, you are absolutely correct..it was Sonata, which actually sounds even more Swedish than Sonora.

[nostalgia]

Does someone know anything about this portable brand, Trek 505? I used Google, and found a similar machine was sold in South Africa in the past, and also understood this make
was sold down there when searching the forum. It seems to have a Garrard motor actually, but was it made in the UK for export only, and by whom? Unfortunately there is a big hole in the lid, but apart from it it looks good, even if the seller says the machine is not running. € 30 is the price. I am tempted, because of the Garrard motor, and the soundbox that looks intact.

[Inigo]

It looks great... and has its details, as the brass grommet in the turntable felt. The hole in the lid doesn't look terrible, it could be repaired. And springs for Garrard motors are easily available (soundgen, for instance).

[epigramophone]

I don't know who made the Trek portable, but the distinctive winding handle which folds against the case rather than into it (as with pre-EMI Columbia portables) was also used on many post war Decca portables such as this Decca 50 :

[nostalgia]

When we look at the Decca 50, both the speed control and the manual brake looks exactly similar as on the Trek machine. But I don't know if this brake and speed control also was used on other UK machines, than Decca?
I don't know where to keep all these machines if I also buy another portable. It is the rarity of the machine that makes me at all consider it, and the fact that I tomorrow will be driving out to see another floor machine ( that I have been considering since last autumn), that of course is situated in the approximate vicinity of this portable.

It is said to have a Garrard 22 motor. I could not find any information on that motor online, when checking a list of Garrard motors...

[Phono48]

When we look at the Decca 50, both the speed control and the manual brake looks exactly similar as on the Trek machine. But I don't know if this brake and speed control also was used on other UK machines, than Decca?

The speed control and brake are Garrard fittings, and came as standard with the motor. They are fitted to hundreds of different models.

Barry