[Phlogiston]

I posted a blog on the high-end Saba radios that I restored this summer:

https://www.russoldradios.com/blog/spectacular-saba

These really are hi-fi.

If the videos load slowly, turn you audio down and come back to them when the download is finished. They will play smoothly then.

Russ

[mikethedruid]

When I worked for International Machine and Tool as their head of the electronics department, I worked on a lot of German made equipment, mostly their production machinery, I had to laugh looking at that chassis picture. Typical German blivit, 10 pounds of crap stuffed into a 5 pound bag. They like to make things as compact as possible, and don't really think about the guy who will later have to service the stuff. With things like radios, maybe they just figure that when a person hears what it will cost to have it serviced, they will toss it out and buy a new one. That seems to be what American car makers adopted starting in the 1960s with "planned obsolescence.," and has become common practice with everything today.

[Kenradio]

Hi Russ, I got done restoring a very nice Saba 300 Stereo Automatic radio recently---they do sound great. I had to get the power transformer rewound by Heyboer Transformers as the primary winding was shorted out and got it back 2 weeks ago and works perfectly. I recapped it and replaced 2 resistors & the bad selenium rectifier and it was a pain to restring the dial pointer for the AM/MB/SW section. The automatic tuning works great and has the optional multiplex decoder.   Ken

[Phlogiston]

I would say that working on any of the German radios of the 50s & 60s required a lighter touch than with the American radios of the time.

They are built differently, but they are consistent, at least among radios of a brand, meaning that you can get accustomed to their style of construction.

For the most part, individual components are at least as good as American versions. But still there are paper caps and such with the usual failures. - - dial strings excepted!

[EdHolland]

Wonderful stuff Russ. Those sets really are amazing. I've worked a little on two sets from UK manufacturers, Ferranti (Circa 1954) and a Marconi of early 60's vintage. They are nothing like the German sets you have shown, quite basic by comparison to the Sabas.