Becker Europa amplifier & wiring ????

[blairwag]

Hey folks,
I've been reading the threads on the radios and suddenly got an itch.
I was planing on replacing my 1970 280 SL's Becker Europa radio, speakers, and this goof-ball manual telescopic WISI antenea with something new (alpine or Blaupunkt setup). But all of your "originalists" are talking me out of it (not to mention the fear of God placed in me for modifying the dash).
The radio works, but the left channel keeps going out. This could be the radio itself, the wiring, or the speaker.

Now, here's the wierd thing. When I replaced my heater levers last summer, I noticed the radio has this big grey wiring harness that comes out of it and goes into this rectangular silver metal box. The speaker wires seem to lead from this mistery box.  Is this box an amplifier? The box is not mounted to anything. IT just flaps around behind the glove box. In fact, it looks like the wiper transmission arm hit it several times, as one corner is sheared and bent.

Lastly, I'd like to replace this WISI antennea with a power antennea.

So, now that you've read my long story:

1) where does this amplifier (or mistery) box mount?
2) If I get a power antenna, what should I get and how to I wire it? Where does it source power and where does it wire to tell it to extend/retract?
3) Are the speakers polarized (+ and -), if so, which wire is which?


--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
William Blair Wagner: blairwag@earthlink.net
Education is not always knowing the answer,
...but rather knowing where to look for it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[George Davis]

William, I might be able to help with question 1.  My car had a metal bracket bolted to the bulkhead behind the dash, directly forward of the glove box.  The original radio is gone, but I assumed this was where an amplifier would mount.

George Davis
'69 280 SL Euro manual

[n/a]

You can tell if the Becker has an external amp or not by checking to see what wires or jacks are on the back of the radio.  If it has a thick grey cable going to a male pin plug, it requires an amp (usually provided) which is bracketed to the passenger side firewall near the wiper transmission arm.  If the radio has speaker terminals, obviously it doesn't use an amp.  

You can tell which terminal on a speaker is + and which is - by touching the contacts (with short jumper wires) of a 9v battery to the speaker terminals.  If the speaker cone jumps OUT then the + terminal is going to the + terminal of the 9v test battery.  If it retracts IN then it's reversed.  It will make sense when you try it, trust me.  

On the Becker amp the polarity is always stamped into the metal of the case, so no problems there.  You may have to order the correct speaker plugs if they aren't present from Becker USA.  They're cheap.  

The power antenna can mount one of two locations.  Left side of the trunk inside the fender.  Or right (passenger on LHD) fender, remove the kickpanel and you will see an opening for it.  The Becker amp has a terminal on it which supplies the "raise antenna mast" signal to the antenna.  The other two wires on the power antenna motor go to 12v always on (not ignition switched) and ground.  This way the antenna only raises when you rotate the power on knob of your Becker (sending signal to amp which then sends signal to antenna).  

Hope this helps.  BTW, the ONLY location that really works for front speakers is the side kickpanels.  The underdash panels are simply not strong enough even when new (as mine are) to support a 5.25 inch speaker.  I actually got 6.5 inchers into my kickpanel area with some totally hidden cutting.

[tuultyme]

I just got a Hirschmann electric antenna with a 5 pin electric connection. In the middle is the brown ground wire, at one end are two black wires and on the other are one green with a yellow stripe wire and a blue wire.  Does any one know how this might work with a Becker amp with the two wire antenna hookup.  Also does any one know if there is any electric diagram for these older electrical antennas?  I did not have the bracket on the fire wall to mount the amp as my car originally only had the Becker AM/FM, so I attached the amp to the top of the A/C unit with a home made bracket to keep it from moving around.  There is acturally room for the amp right under the front of the radio where I originally installed it until I was having problems with the wiring so I moved it to make it more accessible.

Bruce; Blaugrun(green) 1970 280SL; IL

[JamesL]

Does anyone have a pic or diagram of the back of a Becker Grand Prix to help identify what goes where...?

Thanks

[ja17]

Hello Tosh,
I will post some photos of a Becker Grand Prix Radio tomorrow.

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[mulrik]

My Grnad Prix looks exactly look the Europa I also have no difference there. Using a multimeter I discovered that when you turn on the radio power comes out of both the connectors over the loudspeaker output. I guess one is for the antenna and one is for a eventual amplifier. I just finished connecting my Grand Prix to my Hirschmann power antenna. I had three wires (and an antenna wire, guess that makes four). Anyway, one goes to ground, one goess to a two-fuse box on the right side out in the engine bay. The last goes to the aforementioned connectors above the loudspeaker outputs. The one wire that makes the antenna go up when you put power on it goes to the radio. the other one goes to the fuse-box. Radio is also connected to this fuse-box. Hope this helps??

'67 250 SL Papyrus White 113043-10-000023

[mulrik]

SORRY! Bad english!!
What I meant was. The Europa and the Grand Prix I have, look exactly alike. And the 3(or 4) wires are coming out of the antenna.
Thanks


'67 250 SL Papyrus White 113043-10-000023

[ja17]

Hello William and Tosh,
Here is a good installation page sent to me from Ed Ebel at Becker. It shows the Becker Grand Prix Stereo installation. The mounting brackets, and auxilary fuse box with its mounting is also clearly shown. The power hook up for the antenna is also shown.

Download Attachment: Becker Grand Prix installation.jpg
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Download Attachment: aux fuse box 2.JPG
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The Becker Europa mono radios used most of the same hardware and connections (one speaker output of coarse).

Depending on the year of manufacture the Becker mono radios may not have the separate amplifier. The electronics got more compact in later years. The actual size of the separate amplifier box got smaller also. Eventually the radio tuner itself also became more compact. The face plate, escutcheon and mounting hardware remained the same.
The exception is the early radio Becker TR (230-SL)which installed in a smaller dash opening with an entirely different face plate and escutcheon plate.

The Becker Grand Prix with the signal seeking feature "wonder bar" mono or stereo, always had a separate amplifier box as far as I know.

Download Attachment: Becker Grand Prix Stereo 1.JPG
56.37 KB

Here is a 1972 year Becker Sales Brochure which shows the radios offered for Mercedes at that time.

Download Attachment: Becker models offered 1972.jpg
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Download Attachment: Becker Models offered1972.jpg
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The last version Becker Europa Stereo (after the W113 series) looked the same from the front but was very compact, and no longer had a separate amplifiers.

This 1972 sales information shows the Becker Mexico Cassette Stereo. This came along the year after the W113 cars, but will fit in the later "large opening" W113 dashes just fine. It also has the separate amplifier. Although it is not an original option it does have the original Becker look. Some 113 owners have upgraded to these signal seeking, "wonder bar" Becker Mexico Stereo Cassette units. Only the most familiar W113 people will detect it as non original. The outward appearence looks correct except for the door for the cassette. The list pric on these Mexicos was about $800.00 thirty years ago! Since they were also used as an option in some later Mercedes sedans and 450-SL's, they can be found. I was lucky enough to find an excellent working one on Ebay for $40.00 last year. Expect to pay more or spend some time searching the net or wrecking yards.

The separate Becker Cassette player without amplifier was offered on the latest W113 cars but was less practical than the later built-in cassetes since it had to be installed by itself in the glove box or under the dash.

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[JamesL]

ja17

Thanks for that. Fascinating. had a good download!

Could you do me a huge favour and post a picture of the back of the radio?

Mine is "in situ" and I want to connect it to a modern amp in the trunk.

[mulrik]

Tosh, there was a thread where somone posted a picture of the back of the radios in an attachment. It was topic on radios on this site, but I can't remember the topic, except that if you do a search on "Becker" I'm sure you'll find it. Otherwise let me know and I'll scan my copy and mail it to you.


'67 250 SL Papyrus White 113043-10-000023

[JamesL]

I am told, that here in the UK, the Becker was not the "correct period" radio

Apparently, the vast majority of 113s that came into the UK did not have a factory radio - therefore no Becker. Certainly there's no radio on my datacard. A handful - the number quoted me was something like 50 - came in with Becker

The rest were a UK dealer fit Radiomobile

(I'll stick with the incorrect version!)

[mulrik]

Found the picture on Dorians site
Ot go to:
http://www.johnlivingston.com/becker_europa.htm




Download Attachment: Becker radio bagfra.jpg
21.16 KB

'67 250 SL Papyrus White 113043-10-000023

[JamesL]

You're a star, thanks v much.

I did a search here for the pic and didn't then think of going to Pagoda113...