Saba Meersburg 7 Auto - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Kevin Hoyland · 27th Jun 2020, 10:55 am

Hello
This radio came with all the dial ropes in red were broken in it has taken days to put new dial ropes and wire ropes back on to it , the air in the workshop was blue.
Kev

vinrads · 27th Jun 2020, 11:12 am

Good morning Kev that is some dial drive ,well done getting it re strung , lets see a picture of the radio. Mick.

Kentode · 27th Jun 2020, 12:30 pm

Crikey!

I think that qualifies as an apprenticeship, well done Kev.

Kevin Hoyland · 27th Jun 2020, 2:28 pm

Hello.
Photos of the Saba meersburg 7 Auto.

Mick/ Ken the sound of this radio is outstanding.

Kev.

Kevin Hoyland · 27th Jun 2020, 2:33 pm

Photos of the motor drive.

deliverance · 27th Jun 2020, 3:11 pm

Very nice work Kev looks the business .

Herald1360 · 28th Jun 2020, 9:53 am

Philips would have been proud of that, well done sorting it!

Is the motorised tuning an auto tuning system or just preset?

Kevin Hoyland · 28th Jun 2020, 6:13 pm

Hello.
The Auto tune will go from one station to the next, you can press it to go to the right or to the left and it will pick up all stations that are strong.

I have to say at one point I had blue tack /small clamps/cable ties/forceps/to hold the dial cords on but they would still slip off. and afters days of trying I was ready to put the radio in the bin so I had to walk away and then try again.

Kev

Kevin Hoyland · 2nd Aug 2020, 1:54 pm

Hello.
Well me and my rescue Dog Captain are still working on this radio, The clutch is worn out so that's the job we started working on this morning i had radio 4 on the sound is so good out of the 4 green cone speakers and then the smell it was just like rotten Cabbage and sewage all mixed in. I looked at Captain and said is that you he then put his nose in the air and shot out of the workshop. Well it is the first time i have had a Selenium rectifier go bad on one of my German Radios. I replaced it with a NOS Selenium Rectifier i have 3 more to go at.
All the Voltages and Current are good and the radio is back working.

Kevin

Freya · 2nd Aug 2020, 2:10 pm

Hi Kevin,
I had one of those type go in an Ekco TMB272, for the sake of originality found 1N4007 diodes actually fit inside the casing with some nice silicone insulation on the leadouts.

Kevin Hoyland · 2nd Aug 2020, 2:21 pm

Hello Stephen.
I have repaired some like that in the past.
Thanks
Kevin

mancunian69 · 4th Aug 2020, 10:11 am

I have had a few of those SABA autos over the years and have had to re string a couple.
It has got to be one of the worst forms of torture yet devised by man.
For years now, I have not been able to figure out why they use both string and wire.

I see that you have replaced those motor drive caps. They are normally the culprit for the auto function not working.

The Freiburg 11 that I had was so complicated I had to send it to a contact I have in Germany to get fixed.

Good luck with the clutch mechanism.

Kevin Hoyland · 4th Aug 2020, 11:06 am

Hello.
You are right they are hard at times to work on and as you say i do not know why they have string and wire on them may be it is the heat. But on this one it was the wire as well that had broken. I have Telefunken radios as well with the same set up. I love the German radios of this period they were made so good.
Regards
Kevin

mancunian69 · 4th Aug 2020, 11:33 am

I normally only work on German/Dutch sets and avoid British like the plague, but do restore some occasionally.
I have the mega expensive Telefunken OPUS 7 that I restored for a customer who now wants me to sell it. No idea why they command such a high price, as it is nothing out of the ordinary, but sure looks and sounds good.
It is advertised on a well known site. Please check it out.

Regarding burgs: The 6 is one of better ones. I can't remember if it is the 7 or the 8 but one of them was the result of a cost cutting excersise and was not as good. I've had most of them.
Rgds
Michael.

Kevin Hoyland · 4th Aug 2020, 12:24 pm

Michael
I seem to remember they changed them on the 8s My set was made in 1956. Yes you are right if the radio has Opus in its name it as always been mega bucks

Regards
Kevin.

27th Jun 2020, 10:55 am	#1
Kevin Hoyland Heptode Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 559	Saba Meersburg 7 Auto Hello This radio came with all the dial ropes in red were broken in it has taken days to put new dial ropes and wire ropes back on to it , the air in the workshop was blue. Kev Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Kevin Hoyland; 27th Jun 2020 at 11:00 am.

27th Jun 2020, 11:12 am	#2
vinrads Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK. Posts: 3,763	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto Good morning Kev that is some dial drive ,well done getting it re strung , lets see a picture of the radio. Mick.

27th Jun 2020, 12:30 pm	#3
Kentode Octode Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Yorkshire, England. Posts: 1,301	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto Crikey! I think that qualifies as an apprenticeship, well done Kev. __________________ Regards, Ken. BVWS member

27th Jun 2020, 2:28 pm	#4
Kevin Hoyland Heptode Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 559	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto Hello. Photos of the Saba meersburg 7 Auto. Mick/ Ken the sound of this radio is outstanding. Kev. Attached Thumbnails

27th Jun 2020, 2:33 pm	#5
Kevin Hoyland Heptode Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 559	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto Photos of the motor drive. Attached Thumbnails

27th Jun 2020, 3:11 pm	#6
deliverance Heptode Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Manchester, UK. Posts: 711	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto Very nice work Kev looks the business .

28th Jun 2020, 9:53 am	#7
Herald1360 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 16,536	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto Philips would have been proud of that, well done sorting it! Is the motorised tuning an auto tuning system or just preset? __________________ ....__________ ....\|____\|\|__\|__\_____ .=.\| _---\__\|__\|_---_\|. .........O..Chris....O

28th Jun 2020, 6:13 pm	#8
Kevin Hoyland Heptode Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 559	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto Hello. The Auto tune will go from one station to the next, you can press it to go to the right or to the left and it will pick up all stations that are strong. I have to say at one point I had blue tack /small clamps/cable ties/forceps/to hold the dial cords on but they would still slip off. and afters days of trying I was ready to put the radio in the bin so I had to walk away and then try again. Kev

2nd Aug 2020, 1:54 pm	#9
Kevin Hoyland Heptode Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 559	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto Hello. Well me and my rescue Dog Captain are still working on this radio, The clutch is worn out so that's the job we started working on this morning i had radio 4 on the sound is so good out of the 4 green cone speakers and then the smell it was just like rotten Cabbage and sewage all mixed in. I looked at Captain and said is that you he then put his nose in the air and shot out of the workshop. Well it is the first time i have had a Selenium rectifier go bad on one of my German Radios. I replaced it with a NOS Selenium Rectifier i have 3 more to go at. All the Voltages and Current are good and the radio is back working. Kevin Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Kevin Hoyland; 2nd Aug 2020 at 2:13 pm.

2nd Aug 2020, 2:10 pm	#10
Freya Octode Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Falmouth, Cornwall, UK. Posts: 1,990	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto Hi Kevin, I had one of those type go in an Ekco TMB272, for the sake of originality found 1N4007 diodes actually fit inside the casing with some nice silicone insulation on the leadouts. __________________ Stephen _________"It`s only an old telly" ___

2nd Aug 2020, 2:21 pm	#11
Kevin Hoyland Heptode Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 559	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto Hello Stephen. I have repaired some like that in the past. Thanks Kevin

4th Aug 2020, 10:11 am	#12
mancunian69 Pentode Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Manchester, UK. Posts: 177	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto I have had a few of those SABA autos over the years and have had to re string a couple. It has got to be one of the worst forms of torture yet devised by man. For years now, I have not been able to figure out why they use both string and wire. I see that you have replaced those motor drive caps. They are normally the culprit for the auto function not working. The Freiburg 11 that I had was so complicated I had to send it to a contact I have in Germany to get fixed. Good luck with the clutch mechanism.

4th Aug 2020, 11:06 am	#13
Kevin Hoyland Heptode Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 559	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto Hello. You are right they are hard at times to work on and as you say i do not know why they have string and wire on them may be it is the heat. But on this one it was the wire as well that had broken. I have Telefunken radios as well with the same set up. I love the German radios of this period they were made so good. Regards Kevin

4th Aug 2020, 11:33 am	#14
mancunian69 Pentode Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Manchester, UK. Posts: 177	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto I normally only work on German/Dutch sets and avoid British like the plague, but do restore some occasionally. I have the mega expensive Telefunken OPUS 7 that I restored for a customer who now wants me to sell it. No idea why they command such a high price, as it is nothing out of the ordinary, but sure looks and sounds good. It is advertised on a well known site. Please check it out. Regarding burgs: The 6 is one of better ones. I can't remember if it is the 7 or the 8 but one of them was the result of a cost cutting excersise and was not as good. I've had most of them. Rgds Michael.

4th Aug 2020, 12:24 pm	#15
Kevin Hoyland Heptode Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 559	Re: Saba Meersburg 7 Auto Michael I seem to remember they changed them on the 8s My set was made in 1956. Yes you are right if the radio has Opus in its name it as always been mega bucks Regards Kevin.