Hi everyone,

I have a solid state FM stereo AM, phono, cassette tape stereo recorder player, as it is written on the back panel. The name on the front is EXPO Disco tek model No C198. and it has a BSR turntable.

I have tried identifying the manufacturer but can't find it listed anywhere. Does anyone have a clue. I am just interested in collecting any info on it. It was given to me and it works perfectly as I use it to play my tapes and records into my computer to convert them into digital.

Thanks, Stan

I remember those, I vaguely recall they were made by a company that might have been called Expo in the late 70s, somewhere around Marrickville (suburb of Sydney).

I recall the Expo brand. I had an Expo clock radio back in the 1970s, which I think I bought from a pharmacy at the time. There were also Expo car radios and portable cassette players.

I would have expected them to be Japanese imports (like maybe one of Hanimex's brands), but not sure about the presence of the BSR turntable therein. C198 is a BSR Monarch turntable model.

Photos?

They also sold CB Radios and stereo gear (I had a 2nd-hand Expo stereo cassette player for a while). All their inventory was low/medium quality stuff made overseas, so I don't know how a BSR turntable got in there.

I generally agree but they did make some stuff locally. Pretty low rent. I recall a model with an obsolete-at-the-time selenium rectifier.

Maybe the BSR turntable was a local "value-add"?

Photos may give us a clue, or two.

It is a bit sad about the low rent bit, but the quality coming out of it is quite good I will see if I can get a picture of it up.
I will check further on the web for more info using the info you have given me.
Thanks for taking the time to help me
Stan

If it has FM then the chassis at least is probably an import because by the time FM started, Gough's Industry Assassination Commission had pretty much killed off local manufacture of audio gear. I can't recall any Australian made "stereo" chassis that had an FM tuner.......

Does it really have FM or are you assuming?

A relative had a Expo 3 in 1 AM/FM, cassette, record changer, bought around 1980. It was a table unit with separate speakers & It definitely had a BSR type changer.

You are right Ian, Expo International Pty Ltd were located at 47-49 Buckley St, Marrickville. I believe they were importers, much like Haminex, with their products sourced from Taiwan or Hong Kong.

Thanks guys
It does have FM stereo From about 88 to 108 MHz
I will try and upload some photos of it sitting under my desk.

OK the chassis at least is an import. Probably made by Kisho in Taiwan, but you won't see that brand on it anywhere....

Photos uploaded.

Thanks for the photos. Very period Japanese looking, and the turntable does look like a local add-on.

I can imagine there maybe being a clear or smoked plastic cover sitting over that when new.

Edit: It looks quite similar in style to this Sanyo:

http://nebula.wsimg.com/7074a899486f9d56f440622be160cac9?AccessKeyId=...

It just might have a country of manufacture somewhere.

If Taiwan, Kisho is still my bet. If Japan, Asahi. Both were common OEM manufacturers used by a number of companies in the day for badge-engineered products.

You might be right about the Sanyo It looks like an upmarket version of what I have got.
And I think that it did have a smoked plastic lid on it, I must have a look around to see if I still have it somewhere.
At least the quality of reproduction I get from it sounds good to my hearing, Not that it is anything to rave about at my age.
It is amazing the amount of knowledge is floating around out there, Thanks again.
Stan