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Blaupunkt "Chicago" stereo console - info please!

Sam Cogley

Sam Cogley

Last of the Time Lords
Subscriber
I found one of these at a yard sale today for $5. No turntable, case has been exposed to a lot of moisture so it's crumbling, and no amp (unless it's hiding in the bottom of the tuner/pre assembly). The cabinet was terrible and my car isn't big enough to carry it, so I pulled the tuner/pre and cut apart the bottom of the case to salvage the drivers - 2 4x6 woofers, 2 3"-ish mids and 2 tweeters. Two of the tubes are American (one GE and one something else), the other three appear to be original but the logo has crumbled into illegibility on all three - it's some sort of "sunburst" design.

If anyone can point me in the direction of useful information or a schematic, I'd greatly appreciate it. I haven't decided if I want to build the tuner/pre into some sort of tube receiver or if I want to use the original drivers and build some sort of table-top radio.

Pictures will follow later this afternoon or over the weekend.
 
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cademan said:
If its the same chassis as the sultan, the amplifier circuit is part of the chassis, and the 6BQ5 is the amplifier output tube.
Click to expand...

One output tube for two channels? Interesting. Would there be any way to bypass the output and install some RCA jacks? I'd like to use it as a tuner/pre for my Maggie 8802.

The chassis model number is 10103, if that helps anyone.
 
We haven't seen any pictures yet, but from what you have described above, this is not a stereo (2 channel) unit. If the tube layout is the same as the sultan, it has one 6BQ5 output tube for two speakers in mono.

If yours is stereo, a schematic will tell you where you can tap into the preamp outs.
 
The cabinet and the buttons on the unit swear up and down that it's stereo. I'll get pictures up tomorrow - the weekend went crazy on me.

Gordon, you nailed it. I looked up the Valvo logo online, it's a perfect match for the unknown tubes.
 
I have a NordMende "Mikado" that uses a ELL 80 twin output tube. It is 2 EL 95's in 1 tube and it is about the size of a EL 84/6BQ5. Maybe that's what you have too?

Al.
 
The output tube currently installed is a 6BQ5, but the unit swears that it's stereo - there is a "stereo" badge on what's left of the cabinet, there is a "stereo balance" knob on the unit, and two of the buttons say something about "stereo" on them.

Is there a good source for Blaupunkt manuals?

The speakers are connected to some lugs at the very bottom of the unit. My best guess is that the sockets directly above those lugs are also for speakers.

There is a DIN socket on the back of the unit, was that for the turntable? Is there any good way to convert that to RCA (or would it be possible to find an appropriate adapter)?

I have no idea what the brown socket by the model number label is. If anyone knows, please tell me.

What is the "P something" button next to the "AM" selector? It and the AM button have a "stereo" marking printed across them.

Are there any sites dealing in Blaupunkt schematics? I haven't been able to find anything yet.
 

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Sam,

I have a Blaupunkt Phiiadelphia thats pretty similar. Looks like the tube layout is a little different but mine runs a SE 6BQ5 setup. Yours does look like its stereo. Don't know if the schematic for mine would help you but I could send you it if you think it would help.

Cheers,
Tony

Scan002.jpg
 
Sam, yours is stereo! I see two 6GW8 tubes (simular to a 6BQ5), and two speaker output transformers. The "P" is probably for "PHONO".
 
I have a similar model with a liquor cabinet installed underneath. Even though the radio is no good anymore, The cabinet gets some use.

I'd replace the electrolytic filter caps. The caps failed on mine and burned out the transformer before I could turn it off. The tubes in it were a mix of Valvo (RF) and Siemens (output tubes). The speakers are Blaupunkt Supracoustic... they sound okay, but I haven't replaced the bipolar capacitors yet. If yours had a turntable at one time, it probably would have been a Perpetuum Ebner PE66 idler drive.

Those tone buttons on the front panel can get stuck if the springs get weak... it can be a real pain to get them to reset. The ECL82/6GW8 tube there is a combination triode/ power pentode similar to the EL84 so that's how it gets stereo.

Edit: Yeah, the DIN input was for the turntable. I was planning to wire up an adapter for RCA input before it went south.
 
solidjackson said:
The ECL82/6GW8 tube there is a combination triode/ power pentode similar to the EL84 so that's how it gets stereo.
Click to expand...

The european designation for the 6GW8, is actually a ECL86. If you look closely, it has two 6GW8 tubes. These are like the 6BM8 tube with a triode and pentode in the same envelope. The triode section is like one half of a 12AX7/12AU7 tube.
 
Thanks for the info, guys! Cade, one output tube is a 6BQ5 (Westie) and the other is a 6GW8 (GE) - probably someone's idea of a "good enough" swap.

One little bit of annoying weirdness - there are two tuning needles, one driven by each knob (FM and AM/SW). The FM needle refuses to stay aligned properly, instead twisting the tuning string until it's pointed at the back of the case.

Anyone have an idea why the "P" and "AM" buttons say "stereo" across the two of them? I could see it on the "AM" and "FM" buttons if it was made during that aborted simulcast stereo idea, but the location of that marking seems bizzare.

I understand that the "Hi-Fi", "Solo" and "Sonor" buttons are tone controls, but what exactly do they do and what does each marking mean)?

Skuker, even though the tube layout looks a bit different, that Philadelphia schematic might point me in the right direction for some of my modifications. If you could scan it, it would be a great help.

Current ideas rattling around in my mind - build a small cabinet for the head unit and speakers with an RCA input for the TT along with a switch to use the internal amplifier and speakers, or my Maggie 8802 and external speakers. If I can figure out some way to wire it in, I have a tube FM MPX adapter salvaged from the same console that provided my 8802.

I think a complete recap is in order before I even attempt to turn it on.

Where did Blaupunkt fit into the hierarchy of European audio manufacturers in that era? Good, bad, middling or a mix thereof? I know they've built some nice car stereo equipment in the solid-state era, including factory equipment for Porsche.

I'll get a picture of the speakers up later tonight.
 
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Just so you know, the 6BQ5 and the 6GW8 are not inter-changeable. You need to find out which tube actually goes there before attempting to fire it up.
 
I though that the tubes might be a clue, so I checked at Radiomusem.org. As bizzare as it may seem, Blaupunkt made 30 different models using both an EL84 (6BQ5) and an ECL86 (6GW8). There's no "Chicago" model listed - that name may have only been used in the US. If there's a model number, it will maybe cross to a Euro version.
 
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Hopefully it has some tube markings by the sockets. Would they have done something so odd as to use two different output tubes? (Edit: I guess Tom just answered that question. Weird.)

Anyone else notice the very unusual tuning arrangement? The dials read backwards from the highest frequency/amplitude to the lowest.

Tom, I'll see what I can find at Radiomuseum, though I don't have a membership there. I was there earlier today looking for info on the Heathkit OL-1 o-scope I bought today. After some searching, it appears that the 10103 chassis was also used in a "Verona" model.
 
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I am just going to tell you its not worth restoring or trying to make into a stand alone unit. This guys are complicated and are we sure its a 120v set and not 220v? if its still 220v you need a converter before you can do anything with it. What you do is sell the knobs on the bay and you'll get 5 times your money back. I had one that I just decided to toss out because the particleboard was getting everywhere, I sold the knobs a few tubes screws, light bulbs and made like 75$ of the chassis. I have a nice 220v set in the bedroom that needs a converter.
 
Blaupunkt seemed to name their models appropriately to the intended market - a "Chicago" model would almost certainly be something intended to be sold in the US...and therefore 110v (and I know it's a Chicago, I still have the speaker baffle with the badges attached). As for the rest, it really isn't about value or effort - I want to do something crazy and entertaining that will look cool when I'm done. Trying to figure this out will give me the chance to learn more about the mighty vacuum tube.
 
I have never seen a unit use both the 6BQ5 and the 6GW8, but tom could be right! That's why you, or someone here, needs to get ahold of a schematic. It certainly has piqued my curiosity!

I have always wanted a german grundig, but could never find one, and yes, I too, noticed how the frequency dial is reversed. Quite unique to us americans!
 
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