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In my goal of cataloging every RR I get my hands on, I have discovered significant internal differences between the RR-9T ('78 vintage) and the RR-9TA ('81 vintage).
From the front the TA looks like the T, except the chrome around the touchpanel is smooth, the T has a ridge with paint. Then I noticed the internal LEDs were std size in the TA, while the T uses the smaller 3mm size. Once inside is where things went bad. The TA has a Motorola tag on it, has a housing made of tin (rather than heavy gauge aluminum), uses all sorts of add'l caps and resistors of dubious quality, and the PCB quality is nothing to write home about, like 80's knockoff Walkman quality. The 9T and earlier models are Essex made. Guess Motorola undercut 'em in all sorts of places.
Something else interesting, on the TA I have here, I could tap the Cook/Defrost/Temp Ctrl button a get a chirp if I hadn't entered any cook time. Ben says his doesn't beep for any of them, but if he presses Temp Ctrl, a zero blinks in the left hand display.
Also strange, this TA has a slight modification- a board has been piggy-backed on the back of the housing that automatically turns the interior light on whenever the microwave is running. You can tell someone added it after the fact, but the board is a professional piece. Never seen that before.
Cory
In my goal of cataloging every RR I get my hands on, I have discovered significant internal differences between the RR-9T ('78 vintage) and the RR-9TA ('81 vintage).
From the front the TA looks like the T, except the chrome around the touchpanel is smooth, the T has a ridge with paint. Then I noticed the internal LEDs were std size in the TA, while the T uses the smaller 3mm size. Once inside is where things went bad. The TA has a Motorola tag on it, has a housing made of tin (rather than heavy gauge aluminum), uses all sorts of add'l caps and resistors of dubious quality, and the PCB quality is nothing to write home about, like 80's knockoff Walkman quality. The 9T and earlier models are Essex made. Guess Motorola undercut 'em in all sorts of places.
Something else interesting, on the TA I have here, I could tap the Cook/Defrost/Temp Ctrl button a get a chirp if I hadn't entered any cook time. Ben says his doesn't beep for any of them, but if he presses Temp Ctrl, a zero blinks in the left hand display.
Also strange, this TA has a slight modification- a board has been piggy-backed on the back of the housing that automatically turns the interior light on whenever the microwave is running. You can tell someone added it after the fact, but the board is a professional piece. Never seen that before.
Cory
