Saba Freiburg Vollautomatic 125 - automatic tuning problems

[Adam]

So this was dropped (probably out of a 10 story building judging by how bent up the chassis was) by the postal guy.

First none of the AM bands were working -- this turned out to be broken ground connections in the AM RF circuitry which meant the local oscillator wasn't oscillating when switched to AM --- This radio is strange in that it uses the same tubes for both the oscillator/mixer and IF stages for both AM and FM -- then an elaborate switching mechanism to change frequencies.

Now the auto-tuning - this is what I can't figure out -- It will move in both directions and find a station and lock in on it -- but the motor won't stop running - it keeps vibrating, sometimes moves a little back and forth around the station.

I found some service information and tried alignment of the control transformer - for both AM and FM - this helped, but the motor still will not shut off completely -

On AM it moves very slowly between stations compared to FM and sometimes skips stations (more so when going backwards) - but the motor is more quiet after it finds one - is barely vibrating. On FM, it moves more quickly between stations, is less likely to skip one, but it is more active moving back and forth around a station after it finds one.

The tuning motor never completely shuts off unless I push the button to switch it to manual tuning.

[TV-collector]

Hi,
I can help you with a schematic and a translated (by me) manual, need some days for it.
The vibration is O.K., the motor is permanently controlling the frequency.
If you are tuned in and want to listen, you have to push the button to switch the motor of.
I have english written general SABA alignment instruction etc.
Service the motor with good gun-oil.

Btw. did you follow my advice with the h@cking of DVD players.
I can watch now the big "Naked City" DVD-box (NTSC) on a german DUAL DVD-player. Instruction was great.
But it depends on the machine.
Regards,
TV-collector

[Adam]

I was fixing it for someone else and he wanted it back - all the way repaired or not.

I messed with the control transformer alignment again late last night and really got it dead-on - If some vibration is ok as long as it's not actually moving the tuner I got the FM auto-tuning working pretty good late last night. But for the AM, after I did the same all it would do was move the tuner a bit when you pressed the button and then stop whether there was a station there or not.. and that's as far as I got ... now I'll never know what was wrong with it

I looked at that DVD player list - but neither of my players were on it -- I'm going to print out the list and carry it with me the next time I go to thrift stores and see if I find one of the players just to try it. But I did get a player that says specifically it's multi-region and it seems to work.

[TV-collector]

Hi Adam,
I like to send you some stuff to understand the schematic and repair hints.
I do that always for free, helped this way dozens the world around.
Manuals are in english!

Just feel free to send me your email adress by PM.

Regards,
TV-collector