[Jayce]

All this talk led me to dig out my beater German radio, the Olympic Continental I spent a whopping $25 on when I decided to try out German sets. Finish is not great, cord has been taped because someone must have dragged it through something sharp, FM really should be aligned, and working on a basic rebuild. Still, it's the best working of all three of my German sets after the EMUD T7 went poof. I recall my friend's repairman not minding working on this or the EMUD as they aren't as cramped or complicated as a lot of German sets. For some reason, I never realized these used selenium rectifiers, but that makes sense for the time period. Transformer size I never really thought about as even the big RCA I mentioned in my original post, the 8-RF-13 doesn't exactly have a big transformer either. Voltage wise, well all our older radios have issue with that as our power in the US really is running too hot in my opinion and getting worse.

[RadioSvit]

German post-war radios have three significant differences from American and Soviet radio receivers, the first feature is the use of combined radio tubes (triode-pentodes, triode-hexodes, diode-diode-diode-triodes, double output pentodes and even double output pentodes with a triode phase inverter ). The second positive feature is the keyboard band switch and the textolite board on which all the radio parts are mounted. This design has been used since the beginning of the 50s. The third feature is the frequent use of clang registers, step-level tone regulators for popular genres of music at that time, such as "Jazz", "Orchestra", "Live", "Solo" or "Voice". And there is one significant drawback - very weak power transformers without a power reserve. Due to which they often fail.

[RadioSvit]

On my YouTube channel there are many reviews of German radio receivers and there are several high quality German radios. For example - like this stereophonic Nordmende Casimo

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQlEA9Ic...W&index=14]

[RadioSvit]

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOCJAL5B...W&index=12]

[RadioSvit]

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPsovgo_...N&index=58]

[Jayce]

Thanks for sharing those videos and of course your YouTube page, RadioSvit. I had a Soviet radio years back and should have kept it, but at the time was a bit baffled by foreign built sets. It was built for export to the US, but I can't recall the brand anymore. The transformer issue is causing me to have some second thoughts about that SABA 400 as I hate to get a lot invested into it only for the transformer to go poof. That's one reason why I gave up on Zeniths as the ones I liked used the cursed 6X5 with the wimpy transformers. I have a few Zenith table radios from that era, but I put in late style 6x5 rectifiers and they are five and six tube units that use the same basic tubes as the five and six tube car radios the 6x5 was designed for.
My Olympic Continental is actually a Schaub-Lorenz Goldy 250 and the transformer in it is pretty hefty for its size and actually looks like they might have used a US built transformer as it doesn't look like the typical German style I have seen in other sets. It looks more like something in an RCA of the time.

[morzh]

Jayce,

A Soviet radio built for the export in the US?
Now you got me intrigued.




RadioSvit

>>>>.....and the textolite board on which all the radio parts are mounted.

If you mean the phenolic board (FR-2, which was called "getinax" in the USSR, as "steklotekstolit", FR-4, which is the fiberglass, the base of todays's PCB, was a later product), which was widely used in pre-war radios as a not-printed curcuit board, then in my Grundig 8058 there was none.
The parts, all of them, were either mount on one long solder post block, which BTW did not have a support in the middle and would easily break due to flexure (was the case with my radio), and then also point-to-point where possible. So, yes, there were probably boards, but not everywhere. My radio, the Grundig Majestic, is from 1958.

[RadioSvit]

Sorry, Michael. I was wrong, of course it was getinax

[Jayce]

It's looking like the SABA deal might be dead in the water for me. For one thing, this weeks grocery bill sort of took the wind out of things and I am also getting push back from my family on this one. We are still doing okay, but one certain family member is getting increasingly fearful and is questioning me going for a radio that needs rebuilt even though I've been saving back even got a nice little bump up in my wages last week. I have to admit, I am seeing way too many console radios ending up being offered for free on Facebook and probably being gutted as no-one is really buying. That doesn't bode well for the radios I actually want to part with as that was part of the plan for the SABA.
Thanks for the advice everyone. I am still going to at least look it over good and maybe get some pictures as it will probably be the only SABA 400 I'll ever get to see in person.

[morzh]

Tell that certain family member you will get rid of some other sets.
I feel for you.

[MrFixr55]

@GarySP, Truer words were never said.  I have a Telefunken 5183 Allegro, have serviced my Sister's Dad in Law's Grundig (forget the model) and done extensive work on a 1975 Benz 450 SEL and 1983 Benz 300TD.

The wiring on the Telefunken was no neater (and in some places, sloppier) than American sets.  Granted the cabinets were beautiful in a Northern European mid- century fashion.  The Telefunken 5183 is supposedly "stereo" but only with external inputs.  On top of that, the 2 audio amp sections don't match each other in output power, tube type or transformer size.

Re the Benz, the cylinder head bolts were Allen head, with one row directly under the overhead camshaft, which could not be removed with the engine in the car and the head on the engine.  a special "C" shaped wrench was required to torque or remove the head.  the ignition was still points and condenser, firing a transistor switch.  Ford offered this in 1965, and by 1975, Ford, GM and Chrysler had fully electronic ignitions (Chrysler in 1972).  And pray that you never had to replace a wiper motor or heater / AC fan, as the dash had to come out.

Ach, but they make them good in the old country!

[Jayce]

I'll play things by ear and see how they go. I have some really cheap stuff I'd like to take down to our weekly auction place, but these heat waves are not helping and they aren't posting auction dates early like usual due to the heat. Big metal building with no AC! I won't be looking at the SABA again until I get the call that my little Arkay radio is ready.

[Arran]

Jayce;
Unless these family members are living with you I don't really know why they have a veto over your hobbies since none of them are self destructive. I think you should take a dig into restoring a 1940s vintage AC/DC set with the screw trimmers in the IF cans, or even a transformer set with same, we are always here to help.
Regards
Arran

[RadioSvit]

I will express my opinion - I would really regret that I deliberately refused this unique device, I think that Jayce will soon regret it too if he refuses - luck very rarely sends such opportunities.

[Jayce]

I will be getting a look at the SABA next week unless I have to see a doctor for my Sciatica. I have dealt with that for years, but yesterday it took off really bad and I was barely able to work. My whole right leg has been in pain and sometimes a bit numb. I could have gone today as my little Arkay is ready for pickup, but even my friend said just to stay put and try to get the sciatica eased first as the little Arkay will keep.