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21 replies

Is Anybody Still Using the Original Becker Radio/Becker Cassette?

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bosswrenchbosswrenchMember
Becker made at least 50 different models from 1969-1979, called 'Europa' and 'Europa ll'. Some of these had external amplifiers, some were internal. There were 5, 6 or 7 preset- button models. Some Beckers had AM & FM; a few had three bands, adding short wave (the frequencies aren't used in the U.S.) Early Europa models were monoaural but most were stereo. Mid-'60s Beckers were TUBE type! One model, used in Euro Panteras with a small, removeable face, used a vertical dial. But the legend 'Europa' was shown horizontal, as were the designators for the preset buttons.

The Europas were FACTORY-installed in Euro- sold Panteras, along with Blaupunkt and Becker- Mexico models. These last had horizontal faces. It's correct that NO U.S-market Panteras got factory stereos- part of that absurdly low $9995 price in the early '70s. What U.S Panteras got were DEALER-installed stereos- whatever they had around. By sending in your Pantera's S/n and a check, Santiago DeTomaso will mail you a factory spec sheet on your car. If it was built for & sold first in Europe, the specs will include the factory-installed radio serial numbers, if one was ordered. If it was built for the U.S, there will be no radio listed.
perryhperryhMember

Looking for someone who has listened to/used a Becker Europa Stereo MU radio before.

I have pulled the non-operational one that was in my '71 to test it and see if it is something I can use.  I became hopeful when I saw that it has a connector on the back of it (for old separate cassette players) that I can use as an auxiliary input to plug in a phone or a bluetooth interface.

I have it running on my bench now using a lab power supply and it sounds bad.  It is as if it cannot tune correctly.

Questions:

1) Is the green dial light supposed to stay on?  Mine stays on even if I turn the radio off.  So in the car, this would stay on when the ignition is on even if the radio is off.

2) What is the red light for?  My guess is that this is to indicate a tuning/stereo lock.  Is that correct?

Mine never lights up.  I pulled the bulb and tested it.  The bulb is good so if this is a stereo tuning lock, that would be consistent with my impression of the sound.

3) If I have the correct accessory connector plugged into the back, how do you switch to the accessory - e.g., the old cassette deck?  I have found cables online that use this to provide an aux input, but I see now way to switch unless there is some signal sense that autoswitches if a signal is detected.

Thanks! 

perryhperryhMember

The bad sound issue (or at least part of it) was that the original antenna for the car had a break in the center conductor of the coax.

I fed it a direct output from an FM modulator straight into it's antenna output and it sounds better, but I am still not getting that red light to come on while tuning (but I don't know for sure if that is what the red light is for though).

 

bosswrenchbosswrenchMember

Becker has a repair facility on the East Coast and will fix your stereo. Bring LOTS of money! My Becker vertical-dial w/external amp has a bad IC chip but is otherwise functional. The chip is apparently not commercially available except thru Becker. Indications are that this radio had been previously worked on, too. I have a Kenwood & CD deck that is far superior, but if I was a show-car guy, I would put the Becker in the car and use a hidden hookup to bluetooth from a cell phone, to play thru the amp & speakers and leave the Becker to glow its lights in silence when turned on. There's been a LOT of progress in stereos since 1970!

perryhperryhMember

I think that I have concluded that the on/off switch in my radio is bad.  That is why a previous owner disconnected it.  There is a port on the separate amp that was labeled 12V so when I was testing the radio, I just hooked up to that.  It worked and I was none the wiser except for the aforementioned radio light being on regardless of the switch position.

It turns out that I was supplying power to the accessory output port used for a shortwave adapter (LOL) or a powered antenna.

I downloaded a circuit diagram and confirmed that I did not burn anything up as that 12V port just connects to the other side of the on/off switch in the volume potentiometer.

What I did do was accidentally figure out a way to make the radio work.  I could hook it up my accidental solution way through a toggle switch.  I was playing Pandora from my phone through it using an FM modulator.  I had it sounding okay, but it still would not give me the stereo light.

I was originally planning on a modern radio, but when I pulled this thing out I realized it had an old two post mount instead of a modern single DIN hole.  (I think) That means I would have to cut my dashboard hole to enlarge it in order to install a new radio.

I would rather avoid that - so I will be on the lookout for that part of the dash that someone else has already cut or maybe just fabricate my own.  I think can make the hard part no problem.  I just have zero vinyl upholstery skills. 

Last edited by perryh

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