Becker Mexico Radio

Originally posted by Bryan on September 1, 2005 11:17 AM
My friend who sent me the files says the files are for a Mexico out of a 1972 Mercedes 280 SE 4.5. One of the files indicates that it is for Mexico from No. 953 000. I have no idea if Mexicos were numbered consecutively. FYO. The knobs on my Mexico look more like the photo just below Jeff's, i.e. a small chrome inset on the black plastic. and the small dial under the left hand knob is balance. No fader to 'speak' of, but there aren't any OEM rear speakers in the C4. Tone (bass/treble) is the lever on the left knob. I don't know what the lever on the right knob does...station sensitivity?

Originally posted by JeffLit on August 31, 2005 1:52 PM
I have added those two wiring diagrams to the Becker Mexico Manuals photo album. Click the View Full Size link in gallery mode to see the legible version (long download). Interestingly, the diagrams are different from the ones I had posted previously (albeit in illegible detail). The others were taken from an e-bay auction of a Becker Mexico manual. Unfortunately, I was outbid so I cannot provide better scans. One thing I've learned is that Becker has been using the Mexico name on their radios for decades. If you search e-bay you will find that most of the ones for sale are from 1970s vintage Mercedes and BMWs and appear very similar, if not always identical, to the ones used in the C4s. However, occasionally you'll find very old or very modern versions of the same Becker Mexico name. This leads me to wonder what vintage the scematics posted by Bryan are, as well as the vintage of the manual scanned by me. A little detective work might help. For example, there is a radio on e-mail right now that seems very similar to the one in my car, with the exception that it has some sort of country/suburb/city switch on the right knob that mine does not have (maybe a Euro/USA difference?). Every Mexico has a serial number. While mine is not easily seen right now because it is in the car, the serial number from this similar vintage radio is 132800. There is another one on ebay that is similar but has rounded buttons instead of the more square cut ones on mine and the previously mentioned one. I assume it to be more modern because it has a serial number of 2001838. The serial number from the warranty card of the manual I scanned is 104136 so it is closer to 132800. The schematic from Bryan looks older to me but I could be wrong. By the way, I had my Mexico repaired by Radioman in San Diego. His site has quite a few different vintage radio images. All these are Becker Mexicos:

Originally posted by Bryan on August 31, 2005 12:12 PM
Tracked down the wiring diagrams from a friend with a Dino and a Mercedes. Both about 2.3 MB http://home.earthlink.net/~maine2003...am%20front.jpg http://home.earthlink.net/~maine2003...ram%20back.jpg I have deleted these files, since Jeff copied them to the site.

Originally posted by Aaron on August 27, 2005 12:25 AM
Ian, I do not have a specific wiring diagram – but what I can tell you is how I wired my Radio/Cassette There are two “din” connectors on the amp – one left, one right for the speakers. I have a set of speakers on the back parcel shelf as well as door speakers – complements of the previous owner. I hooked both the door and rear speakers/side up in parallel so each din connector drives 2 speakers. (The guy who rebuilt my radio said there would be no problems driving 2, 4 ohm speakers from the Becker amp) There is one red wire that comes from the fuse box that connects to the power supply wire on the radio. This wire is from the radio body and not the amp. It is also “always on”/has power so the radio goes on and off with the volume switch regardless of the ignition setting. Because the C4 doesn’t seem to have an accessory position on the ignition, this seemed to make sense. The chassis is system ground – I have a black wire from one of the aluminum consul bolts to the instrument cluster the ties the grounds together. When the radio is inserted into the consul, electrical ground contact is made through the aluminum Then, the antenna plugs in the back. - That was it. There are other connections on the radio for which I do not understand the use. The antenna that came with the car was a 38” Hirschmann model 7600. I have a temporary modern unit in there now as I look for the upper mounting plastic for the Hirschmann. It would make sense that the 7600 is original. The up- down drive is compatible with the switch. The unit I have in there now - I had to do some silly stuff with a diode to make function from the switch on the consul. Also – AM reception with the existing is no where as good as it was with the longer Hirschman, regardless of where I set the antenna adjust. (am antenna adjust is accessed through that small hole in the lower right of the front panel) There is no fader or balance control on my Becker that I know of, but it does sound pretty good for 30 years old, and plays my Led Zeppelin II cassette just fine. Good luck Aaron

Originally posted by Bryan on August 25, 2005 11:45 AM
Ian: I don't have this info, but you might try one of the following, Germany http://www.koenigs-klassik.de/_Becker_/_becker_.html US *Vintage Radio Shop European Auto Radio Specialist Wilford Wilkes, Sr. 101 Swoope St. Box 103 Brisbin, PA 16620 (814) 378-8526 (814) 378-6149 Fax Spain http://www.oldautoradio.com/index.html I got the above from the radio page on Tom Yang's site http://www.tomyang.net/cars/ferrari....cars/radio.htm

Originally posted by Ian Levy on August 24, 2005 12:53 AM
Has anyone got the installation instructions & wiring diagrams for a Becker Mexico Radio Casette. If so I would be grateful for a copy. If you could scan & e mail them that would be great Many thanks Ian L UK

Originally posted by JeffLit on August 3, 2005 12:30 AM
Yes. Item 7990650180. Just click the on ebay link in the original post. Another one just sold at a $99 buy it now price (but the tape player didn't work.

Originally posted by Mike Meehan on August 2, 2005 11:07 PM
Jeff, Is this item #7990650180? I dont know anything about what is correct for the c4 re radios. Is this what was standard?

Originally posted by JeffLit on July 31, 2005 3:19 PM
Not for sale by me, but on E-Bay. Useful if you'd like to have an original radio. This one looks correct and complete, and the price is currently only $35 US.

Topic originally created by JeffLit on July 31, 2005 3:19 PM and viewed 12945 times in the old forum.