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German units: clean modern design radios and consoles

generally with rather low power output stages, open frame transformers, multi-band receivers, and multiple small round and/or oval speakers, as opposed to the typical big honking 15" woofers and 3 way of your, say, Motorola console of the time.
 
Although I haven't heard the SABA's, I still remember the Grundig Majestic my buddy's dad owned. It had a very different sound from, as you said, the big honker Magnavox, Fisher stereo's, although it was loud enough! The German radios take me back to a time when I DX'd the shortwave stationsl and "travelled the world" as a 13 year old.

London, CBC, New Zealand, Cologne, Ghana the Ivory Coast, Vatican, VOA, and many others(I know others here have been there/done that)….

speaking of…a fun place to hear what I used to hear:

http://www.garlinger.com/QSL/qsl.html
 
Phil, I just watched the video of the Continental 410 above and I see I have commented this video just last week! I can't even remember I did!

I just noticed that the guy scans a French Canadian radio station at 6:38. So he's probably not too far! 

 

BTW, Phil, did you get my reply to your email about the Gemini 200 fridge?

Phil
 
PhilR

That's funny, you're too young for senior moments. LOL. Just kidding. We can always slip a gear here and there.

I did, I just read it a couple hours ago - I am trying to live here at aw.org and the computer when the weather is like this today(mid-60's and mostly sunny). I'll be replying to your most helpful and interesting email, Phil.

PhilR#2, over and out.
 
Saba was considered by many Germans to be one of the top quality brands of radio's from the German "economic miracle" era. German radios were part of it. I have a Saba tabletop and it sounds really good!
 
Reply #10 - Allen….

I have the same question as PhilR. Also, if you have any pics to share, would like to see your tabletop.
There's a lot of Youtube vids on SABA's, and their technical excellence(vs. styling)is mentioned. I like the early vintage Grundigs from the 50's and early 60's, as well. Since SABA is the thread - an interesting but in German only video is here - it's really interesting to see the assembly of these tv's and radios. I'm sure these were taken minus the whips and harsher conditions the workers experienced. LOL, ok, I'm just guessing. :-)

 
I have the Wildbad 9 model. It's a large tabletop, manual tuning. Right now it's sitting on a shelf in a closet. Let me see if I can get a photo of it. While it is working fine, I was planning on recapping it. There are a lot of paper/wax caps in these old German radios and it's best to replace the caps before they blow. I'll use Mylar caps so I won't have to worry about it anymore.

Anyway, I bought this one off of Ebay.de. It's a German model. The seller was totally flabbergasted that someone from America actually wanted such a radio. I definitely got it for a good price. These radios are much cheaper to purchase directly from Germany than here in the U.S.

If any of you have any of these German radios be very careful when using the function keys. They are now old and the plastic has become brittle. I broke one of my keys when the radio first arrived. Fortunately a nice Saba enthusiast in Belgium was able to provide me with the correct replacement free of charge.

Here is a vid of a radio just like mine...

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[this post was last edited: 1/21/2015-12:49]
 
One difference between the German/European models and those they sold in the USA<span style="font-size: 10pt;"> (Canada got a mix of both German and American models, I used to have a German Saba Reichenau 12 console which was the equivalent of a Saba 1000-12 console that my great aunt bought brand new in Montreal)</span> is that the FM band won't go past 100 MHZ on the 11 series or older and won't go over 104 MHZ on the 12-15 series. The North American models have a FM band that goes to 108 MHZ. 

 

Also, the US series 11 were available with a multiplex adapter (which was standard on the 400 and Continental 410) while the European model didn't get it until the series 12. For example, I have two equivalent German Saba Meersburg 11 and US Saba 300 11 and the 300 has the FM Multiplex while the Meersburg doesn't even have the plug to connect it on the chassis. There are also differences in the shortwave bands and some pushbuttons don't have the same function (the AM band isn't on the same pushbutton on both). 
 
PhilR

GREAT information - thank you!! I'd be interested in the American SABA export, for the 108 Mhz reach.

(thanks for posting the video link - will watch it tonight).
 
Allen - question for you

Wildbad 9 - now there's a rebel adventurer name. I'm wondering - does it have FM? I see AM, and it's reversed in scale, with larger frequencies beginning at the left and decreasing to the lower frequencies on the right.

I see two of these for sale, and much less expensive when bought from Germany than from the USA.

Thanks for sharing.
 
Somehow, I forgot the photo of my unit

Here is a photo of my Wildbad 9.

Upon closer examination I can tell you this....

The AM band is reversed, higher freq on the left going down to the right.

The FM is the right way, 87 to 100. I never noticed that before. And we have FM stations in Houston between 100 & 104.

And it has Shortwave bands 16-49m bands. I have a large wire dipole antenna up in our attic where I can receive decent quality european broadcast stations. I usually listen to Deutsche Welle.

It seems like prices on these table tops have gone way up in the past few years. There doesn't seem to be as many offered as there were 5 years ago. I think I paid $140.00 for my Wildbad 9 from Germany plus about $80 in shipping.

PhilR-

Thanks for putting up that Saba video. So typically German. I never knew THAT much went into those radios. Saba probably went totally out of business like Dual did when Thomson Electronics went insolvent and any brand associated with it was taken along with it when they ceased operations.
[this post was last edited: 1/22/2015-01:00]

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