To complete the install of the Becker 1402, my first step was to tidy up the wiring.    This was primarily using cable ties and electrical tape to create separate harnesses – i.e. for power, for speakers etc.    I also attached the relay to the power harness so it would not get stuck or jammed when the radio came in and out.

From there, it was trial fitting the radio to make sure everything still worked.    Unlike modern radios with a DIN frame, the Becker just slides in.  I also took the time to make sure the USB charging ports worked – something I had not done on the 560SEC install and regretted.

Once I had the radio in, it was apparent that the wood trim needs to be installed first.   I therefore removed the radio to complete this task.   As an added benefit, I was hoping to improve the alignment of the wood trim while I was there.   I had noticed the small ‘feet’ in the upper switch frame were not flush with the console.   As one of the mounting points on my car was broken, it took a bit of moving around, but eventually I had it aligned properly.

It didn’t seem to help much as the wood trim is still not all that well aligned.    I’m not 100% sure why – possibly because this wood trim is not original to the car, or possibly due to various radio and other work on the car something is misaligned.

The wood trim is quite easy to install.  It hooks onto the top, then the combination of a pair of screws above the radio, and some large but thin nuts around the A/C control knobs hold it in place.  A large socket with a knurled thumbscrew was a good way of making sure I didn’t overtighten.

At this point I also verified that the hazard lights were still working.     From there it was re-installing the radio and testing it to make sure all the connections were good.    They were.

Next was re-installation of the ashtray assembly.   This is held in with two screws.  The main issue here is making sure the wiring harness for the cigarette lighter is sitting properly so the ashtray can still open and close.   Like with the 560SEC, I situated the control button for the iSimple Tranzit BLU on the side of the console, as well as the mic for the handsfree kit.  It has worked quite well on the 560SEC.

The radio is now in and working and I really like he way it looks in the dash.  I have handsfree calling, as well as music control from my phone. I personally think there is a lot to be said about using a period correct radio in a classic car. Sure, it won’t sound as good as a modern radio, but it fits so well in the dash, and they work really well. They are part of that simplicity that classic cars have which is lost in moderns. I can operate all functions I need without taking my eyes of the road. Few modern cars can say that.

The post W124 Becker radio install – part 3 appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

This morning I looked up the wiring colours for the Sony online.   The wiring in the car has been ‘modified’ by various radio installers over the years, so starting with the Sony wires was a good place to start.   As outlined the operation instructions, the Becker 1402 wiring harness has four wires going into the custom plug.  These are:  Ground, Switched Power, Illumination & Constant power.

Before I wired in the Becker harness, I also needed to provide some connections for other accessories.    I wanted to add in USB charging ports and the iTranzit BLU FM injector.    As the Becker will use a lot less power than the modern Sony, I wasn’t too worried about the power draw.   My new setup should use less power overall than the old one.   I’m already charging my phone from the cigarette lighter which comes off the same circuit.

I planned to let the Becker 1402’s antenna trigger turn on the iTranzit BLU, using a relay.   This is the same setup I used on the 560EC.   The iTranzit BLU uses very little power, but I didn’t want to chance overloading it.   Thus, the antenna trigger is connected to a rely, which in turn turns on the power for both the iTranzit BLU and the power antenna.

From the ground wire, I needed connections for the Becker, the iTranzit BLU, the relay and the USB ports.   For the Switched power, I needed a wire for the Becker and one for the USB charging ports.   The illumination just went into the Becker, but the Constant power was needed for both the Becker and the relay.      As I wired the Becker connectors in, I just added a few additional wires for these other accessories.

There was a very handy spot in front of the shift lever assembly that was a good fit for the iTranzit BLU.   This was close enough to the Becker 1402 for the antenna connections, and out of the way.   At least on the W126, this is where a control box for the airbag goes, should the car be so equipped.   It’s probably the same on the W124.    I was able to push its wires up behind the ashtray.   The control button will go out the side of the centre console, as will the handsfree microphone.   The relay that powers it will just be taped to the back of the Becker.

To get the USB plugs out a small gap between the carpet and the centre console, I taped them to a now removed mobile phone connector, so I could pull them through.    As mentioned above, this just wired into switched power, as I didn’t want a small current draw when the car was not being used.

I was now ready to do my first power on test.   Before I started with the speaker wires, I plugged in the factory Becker plugs that were still floating around in behind the radio.   As expected, they did nothing and are no longer in use.   On the other hand I had no other issues with my wiring.   The Becker 1402 powered up as it should.   It accepted the security code.   The relay trigged both the antenna and the iTranzit BLU.   The illumination worked as it should.

After this test I cut off the now disconnected Becker speaker plugs, as I wanted to use them for the radio.   Since the Becker is a 2x25W radio, I needed to splice both left speakers together and both right speakers together.   I don’t plan to re-wire the fader.   This is the same setup I used when installing the Becker in a friend’s 450SE recently.     Essentially the left front positive is joined up to the left rear positive,  and the left front negative to the left rear negative.   The same goes for the right side.

Before I did this, I first checked the speaker wires were correct.   This can be done with an AA battery.   Simply hold the positive wire to the top, and the negative wire to the bottom, and the speaker should make some static.   Its a quick and simple way to check the speaker wires are as you thought.   Its only 1.5 volts, so the wires can be held on by hand.    All four speakers worked, including the front left that hadn’t been working before.   Probably a connection issue to the Sony.

Once I had the speaker wires connected properly, it was time to plug them into the back of the Becker 1402 and test the sound.   It sounded great.  Perhaps some confirmation bias, but much better than the more modern Sony.   Both AM and FM worked well.   On the other hand, the iTranzit BLU wasn’t playing music as I thought it should.   On closer examination of its manual, the status light was blinking three times.   This means its connected, but needs resetting.   Holding the action button down for six seconds took care of that.   Soon I had Sherbet’s Howzat playing through the speakers of the 300TE!

This was a good place to stop.   Everything seemed to be working quite well.   My task next time is to tidy up the wiring and actually put the Becker 1402 into the dash where it belongs. This is covered in part 3.

The post W124 Becker radio install – part 2 appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

My car was first sold with a Becker Grand Prix 1402.   The operating instructions is still in the owner manual kit.    This is the same Becker I installed in my 1987 560SEC.   I’ve been really happy with the setup in that car.    My plan was to install something similar in the 300TE, but without the external amplifier.   The speakers in the 300TE are quite small and I don’t think the additional amplifier is necessary.   I will be using the Bluetooth FM injector, just like on the 560SEC.

The first step was to find a W124 Becker radio.   I have been keeping an eye out since I bought the car.   In the end I found a radio that had been purchased by a friend in the Mercedes Club for his W126.  In the end he preferred something a bit more modern, but still with a classic look.   As that radio was surplus to requirements, I purchased it for my 300TE.    He had the radio refurbished a few years ago, so it tested fine.

For a W124 Becker radio install, a set of the plugs for the rear of the radio is also required.   Luckily, I managed to secure a set from the parts car in Las Vegas last year.

My next step was to remove the old Sony from the car.  The previous owner had left the DIN tools for the radio, so I was able to get it removed fairly easily.  On removing the old radio, I was quite shocked to see a set of plugs for a subwoofer in the back of the Sony.   I was very confident that there wasn’t a subwoofer installed in the car, let alone a working subwoofer.

It wasn’t clear where those cables went.   before I went any further, I needed to trace them and see.   I didn’t want to leave a rats nest of old cables in the car, if I could avoid it.    I first removed the ashtray and the centre console wood.   They didn’t disappear into there.   They seemed to go to the left, so I started pulling up the carpets on the passengers side of the car.   Sure enough, I found the cables cut off in the passengers side foot well.

I guess a previous owner had a subwoofer installed at some point.   The installer of the Sony Xplod just didn’t bother to trace the cables, and just plugged them into the back of it.   I’ve now removed them.   I also saw the remains of an early 2000s phone charger in the centre console, so will need to trace that and remove it too.

After that, I got to looking at how the Xplod was wired in.   There is little trace of the old Becker plugs for the radio, but there are some remains of the speaker cables.   They were not connected to anything, so I don’t think they are in use anymore.   The connectors will be quite useful to me regardless.    For my W124 Becker install, I needed to verify the purpose of each wire in the back of the Sony.   The Sony manual didn’t include any information on that, just useless info about not scratching your CDs.

I’ll do some research on the internet to get the wiring info for the Sony, so I can wire in the Becker plug next.     While I was there, I also wanted to swap out the hazard light switch.   It was jammed in the off position and didn’t work at all.   I removed the upper wood trim to get to those switches.    To remove it, there were two small screws at the bottom, above the radio.   Then the two large knobs hold it on.

From there, the frame around the switches can be removed with a Philips head screwdriver.    Once that frame is removed, the switches just pull off.   I had a spare hazard light switch in my box of Mercedes switches, so I was able to quickly swap it over, and successfully test it’s operation.

In the next step of my W124 Becker radio install, I want to sort out the plugs for the Becker radio – i.e. the speaker plugs and the power plug.    That will allow me to test the radio in the car.   Then I can install the FM injector.   I’m taking the car on a short road trip at the end of the month, so my goal is to get it done before then.

Continued in part 2.

The post W124 Becker radio install – part 1 appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

After driving around for a few weeks, I realised I needed to make a few changes.  Overall, I was really happy with the system, except for the following:

• USB charging ports were no longer working
• Distortion in music with strong midrange at medium to high volume
• The radio worked at position 1 of the ignition switch, but the bluetooth module required position 2.

The USB ports were working fine until I put the trim back in, so I assumed I had accidently pulled out the socket during the re-install.    I also figured I could improve the distortion by playing with the amplifier gain settings.    It is never going to be distortion free due to the small speakers in the car, but I thought I could get it better.

The last one, I assumed I had plugged into the wrong pin on the X30 connector.    To get to all this, the under dash panel, side kick panel and carpet must be removed.   That provides access to the X30 connector and the cover for the various control boxes where I had installed the amp.

Some testing with my power probe quickly confirmed the issue with the USB ports.   The connector between the X30 harness and the US transformer was no longer working.   Instead of just replacing it, I added another 20cm of wire on both the positive and negative so it wouldn’t be under pressure during the install.

The X30 wiring proved to be a big more complex.   I was using pin 5, which is supposed to be hot in start, run and accessory positions.   I had assumed this meant position 1, 2 and 3 on the ignition switch.   Turns out it means position 2, both when the car is running and when it isn’t, and the start position (3).

I swapped over to pin 1, which is hot at all times.   I didn’t want to create a drain on the battery, so I left the USB cables on pin 5, but harness for the radio accessories is controlled by a relay.   The relay is energised by the antenna signal from the radio.   That in turn switches on the amp, triggers the antenna and powers up the Tranzit Blu.   Given the presence of the relay, it should not be drawing current with the car off.   The only thing that is actually using power is the Tranzit BLU, which has minimal power needs.

Next was to look at the distortion.   I found that it sounded better with the amplifier gain turned up more.   Probably because the signal from the Becker was from a the line out module.    Since I am using a single left-right input, I wasn’t able to adjust front and rear gain separately.   This is a shame, as the rear speakers are larger.

After driving the car some more, I was really happy with the improvements.   The Bluetooth function powers up when the radio does.   The distortion is much reduced.   And the USB ports now work!

There was one more thing left to do.   Investigate if it was possible to have the music play from my phone as soon as it connects to the Bluetooth in the car.    I wanted to be able to leave my phone in my pocket and it would just play.   The Tranzit Blu has a button to advance the track and answer calls, so the phone is not necessary to control things.

I found there are more possibilities on android.   For an iPhone, there is an Apple app called ‘Shortcuts’.   This allows simple if/then/else logic to automatic various functions.

The left hand screenshot shows how simple it is to create the function.     Unfortunately, it does not run without any user input, as the script generates a pop up that asks the user if it should run.    This is better than going through the menus on the phone to select music, but not ideal.   The popup is shown on the right.

The installation is now complete.   I’m really happy with the outcome.  I have the look and feel of the original Becker, with the Bluetooth FM injector for modern functionality.

The post W126 Becker Radio install – part 4 appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

The first step was to properly organize and tidy up the wiring.  I wanted a neat install, and to hide all the wires out of the way.   The Alpine amplifier I am using is small enough I could tuck it in with some other control modules in the passengers foot well.

I mounted the amp with the back face up so I could adjust the dip switches if required.   I didn’t have a great way of mounting it without drilling, so I used some stick on Velcro.     Before I re-installed the under dash panels, I had two further tests to perform.   The first was to check the hands free calling feature.   Last time I was testing the system, it was after 11PM, so it wasn’t really appropriate to start calling people.   I’m glad I did, as the previous microphone from the Alpine head unit did not work with the Tranzit BLU.

The Tranzit BLU comes with its own microphone, but I had planned to use the Alpine mic as it was already installed.   That meant I needed to remove the radio to feed the cable for the microphone to the drivers side of the car.   In doing that, I discovered a problem.   I had cable tied the RCA cable to keep it away, so when I tried to pull out the radio there was no slack in the cable.

Something had to give, and that was to pull the line out module off the back of the radio.   It has a screw holding it on, but only one.   That mean it levered outwards and bent one of the pins.   Luckily I was able to remove the module, bend the pin back, and re-install it.   It also meant I had to cut off all my cable ties, add more slack and then re-cable tie that section of the install.

My second test was to try the high pass filter for the rear speakers.  In the end I set it at 60Hz.   With that done, I was able to start putting things back.

The plastic retaining screws for the cover for these control boxes were long lost on my car.   Luckily, the parts car had one of them which I used.   One of the connectors for the Tranzit BLU was loose, so I sniped it off and replaced it.

The two side panels were quite easy to re-install.   The one against the console just slots into place.    The panel against the side of the car slides in from the rear.   It is then further secured by the screws for the bonnet release.

The hardest panel to re-install was the passengers side under dash panel.   Getting that back into place was a real pain.   I set it up so the USB ports were just poking out between that panel and the console.   That leaves them accessible for my phone in its windscreen mounted phone holder.

On the drivers side, the under dash panel was easier to use.   I noticed when putting it on the ‘scoop air’ vacuum pod was damaged and needs replacement.   These are now NLA, but diaphragms are available from aftermarket sources.   That will be a job for another day.   let the control button just poke out on the opposite side to the USB ports.   I also had the microphone coming out on the other side of the steering wheel.

Once I had the radio installed, I took the car on a test drive to see how it all worked.   Overall I am really happy with my Becker radio install.   Now I have the Becker installed, its obvious how out of place the modern Alpine head unit looked.   The Tranzit BLU is a nice way of bringing a period radio into the 21st century.   I prefer it to modifying the radio to support Bluetooth.   I plan to keep this car for the long term – and who knows how long Bluetooth will be the primary technology used for this type of streaming.    The sound is very good through the amplifier and I was able to adjust the bass/treble controls on the Becker 1402 to my liking.

Through my testing, I have found two issues I will need to address.   Firstly, the USB ports are now no longer working.  I suspect re-installing the under dash panel pulled out a connector.   This is a pain because it was the hardest one to get in.   Secondly, the Tranzit BLU is not powering on when the ignition key is in the accessory position.   It only works in start and run (i.e. position 2 and 3).    I neglected to do testing in the accessory position which was a bit of a miss.   The problem is likely that I have a pin in the wrong spot connecting into the X30 power block.   I have to take the dash panel out anyway to fix the USB ports, so I will look at this at the same time.

In a totally objective view, I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on my Becker radio install to have less functionality than before.    I don’t see it that way though.   The Becker works really well in the dash of the W126 and with my improvements, I have a system I really like.

I’m going to use this system for a while before I move onto my next Becker radio install and upgrade – on my 450SLC.

The post W126 Becker Radio install – part 3 appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

I decided to use two X30 harneses for the install.  I had four available plugs on the X30 power block, so it kept it neater if I used two.   The main purpose of the first one was to connect my USB ports.   I also used one of the ground wires for the Tranzit BLU.   For this application I only needed pin 5 and pin 1.   I removed the wire for pin 3.   The USB ports will be available when the car is in the accessory position, starting or running.   I thought about making them live all the time, but I am not sure of any minor current draw from the USB port module.   As this car is not used daily, I don’t want any current draw.   No more driving around with the ashtray hanging open.

The nice thing about this setup, is that I can simply unplug the module if I ever need to.   The ground wire for the Tranzit BLU will have a plug for the same purpose.    The second X30 harness will power the relay which controls turning on the amplifier, and powering the Tranzit BLU.   I don’t want the Tranzit BLU running with the radio switched off, as my phone will pair with it and it will be useless.   The relay will be triggered by the wire from the Becker that normally controls the electric antenna, but the relay will now fire all these things.   The amplifier has a trigger wire for a second amp or antenna, so I will use that one for my power antenna.

I originally cut this harness shorter as the length required is only from the X30 power block to the footwell.   I forgot that the wires from the X30 exit forwards, so I had to join it back together again.   In any case, I now have the X30 wiring in place and two spots remaining.

I mounted the relay in the passengers foot well using an existing screw.  It was probably for the previous Cobra alarm.   Next step was some basic tidying up of the wiring so I could see what I was working with.   That meant using some cable ties of the various wiring groups like front speakers, rear speakers, relay triggers etc.

To test the system, I needed core power to the amplifier.   There was still a wire from the battery to this area of the car from the old Cobra car alarm.  I was able to repurpose it with a new 15A inline fuse.   Once done, it was a fairly simple matter of plugging the various connections together for a test of the system. Before that test, I had to configure the amplifier.   There are some dip switches on the back where I set the input for two channel.   I also turned on the high pass filters – for the test I used the 60Hz option for the fronts and the 80Hz option for the rears.

Powering it on, it all seemed to work properly first time.   Normally when I do projects like this, there are issues I need to address.    Before I paired my phone, I was able to listen to the radio as normal.   Once I paired my phone I was able to play music through the system.   It sounds pretty good!  I adjusted the gain levels slightly on the amp while testing a wide variety of songs.   I also wanted to make sure the left/right speakers were installed properly.   Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is useful for this.   The small button used to control the Tranzit BLU also worked correctly.   When in music playing mode, pressing it advances to the next track.   By now it was 11:30PM, so I didn’t test the handsfree calling function.

Since the music from my phone is going through the FM signal, its not perfect.   It is very good though, thanks to injecting the FM signals right into the antenna cable.    The Alpine amplifier means the Becker is easily able to power four modern speakers.

The USB ports were also working correctly and powered my phone without issue.

Next steps from here is to mount the amplifier properly and tidy up the wiring.   I may also play with the high pass filter a bit more.   80Hz might be a bit ambitious for the 6.5″ rear speakers in a W126.   Then all the trim needs to be re-installed.

The post W126 Becker Radio install – part 2 appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

My first task was to research the radios and purchase a suitable unit.  I ended up purchasing two radios,  Becker 1402 and Becker 1480.   As the skills and parts to repair these radios are getting harder to find, I wanted a primary radio and a backup unit.   I am installing the 1402 and will get the 1480 repaired and keep it as the backup.   I have tested the 1402 and it works well.   To connect the radios, I also had to purchase the correct Becker plugs.  The wiring harness had been cut for my car.   These were not cheap.  I was lucky enough to be able to grab a backup set from a USA junkyard.

Secondly, I wanted to keep the modern speakers I have in the car and not rely on the factory fader.  I researched and purchased the factory line out module so I could use RCA plugs to connect a small amplifier.   This also worked well on my test bench.

Thirdly, I wanted a solution to play music through my phone and have hands free calling.   I’m using the  iSimple Tranzit BLU HF which essentially piggybacks off the antenna cable and provides an FM signal directly to the radio.   That also worked well on the test bench.

Finally, I wanted to add some USB ports for my phone so I could drive around without the ashtray hanging open all the time.   I found some simple 12v to USB adaptors for this purpose.

In addition, I wanted to connect up to the car in the least intrusive way possible.   I researched the X30 power block as the way to do this, and experimented with my parts car.

With all this done I had finally planned my W126 Becker radio install and I was ready to start.

The first task was to remove the current Alpine radio.  This was easiest with the ashtray removed.   While the installer had cut the original wiring harnesses, they had used bullet connectors to splice in the Alpine.   This made removing it far easier.   The W126 electrical troubleshooting manual is really helpful here, as it outlines the colours of the original wires so they can be cross checked.   For the main Becker wiring harness, I also used bullet connectors since one half was already there.    This was the ground, switched power, constant power and illumination.

I had a few problems with the illumination.   At first when I plugged the Becker radio in as a test, the screen was garbled.  I used my power probe to check that I had the right wires, and I did.  Turns out the connector as a bit loose and a new bullet connector solved that problem.

I had already removed the left under dash panel, carpet, and the cover for the various control modules to check for the X30 power block.   I also found it easiest to remove the side panel from the console as well.   Once this was removed, I noticed the rats nest of old wiring for the long defunct Cobra car alarm.    The alarm is a Cobra 5801.  There wasn’t a great deal about this alarm on the internet, but I understand they were a high end alarm in the mid 90s.

I carefully removed as much of the Cobra wiring as I could.   I am pretty sure the Cobra would have been equipped with an immobilizer, so I didn’t want to render the car immobile.   In the end I removed most of the under dash wiring and a small control box.   I didn’t touch the other wiring around the window switches, which I assume was Cobra related.   There is still a big green bundle of wires next to the console that I ended up leaving alone.   As I cut/disconnected each group of wires I test started the car in case I had to plug something back in!

I decided I was going to locate the amplifier in the passengers footwell.  There is room down there next to one of the control modules that is populated in later cars.   I think there may be an airbag module there or something like that.    It’s right next to the X30 power block, there is a line from the battery previously used by the Cobra, and its close enough to the speaker wires.

The Tranzit BLU unit will live behind the radio and the ashtray.  I originally wanted to put it down the the amp, but antenna cables don’t reach that far.   In any case, it is very small – about the size of a pack of cards.  It fits quite well there.

Generally the speaker wires were fairly straightforward, but one of them was reversed.   Speaker wires normally have a solid colour for positive and a black stripe for negative.  In this case, the solid colour wire coming out of the radio was going into the striped speaker wire.  I presume it was wired in reverse at the speaker, but I don’t want to check.   The rear speaker covers in the W126 are very brittle at this age and there is a decent change I’ll break it if I attempt to remove it.    I don’t think its a mistake, as the male/female pairs of the bullet connectors are reversed to prevent incorrect wiring.   In any case, I now have the speaker wires plugged into the harness for the amplifier.   I also pulled through some RCA cables to connect the Becker to the amp.

As well as the power cables, and the RCA connection, the becker has a provision to trigger the automatic antenna.    I also want to use this to trigger the amplifier to turn on, as well as the Tranzit BLU.    It would have been simpler to just wire the amplifier and Tranzit BLU to switched power.   However, I don’t want my phone pairing with the Tranzit BLU when the radio is turned off.   It also seems more efficient to do it this way.    I’m a bit wary of plugging three devices into this trigger, so I am going to use a relay.   I don’t want to overly stress the Becker radio.   I’ll place the relay near the amplifier,  so I have lengthened the antenna trigger wire and the wire from the Becker’s antenna trigger port.

The USB ports will be wired directly to the X30 power block.   I’ll use pin 5 for the positive (hot on accessory, start and run) and the ground.    I’ll also use this as the power source for the relay.

My next step is to finish installing the amplifier and the Tranzit BLU.   I’ll then be able to test it, and check the amplifier settings before I tidy up the wiring.   The final step of my W126 Becker radio install will be to wire in the USB ports.

The post W126 Becker Radio install – part 1 appeared first on Classic Jalopy.

The Becker 1402 was standard on the W126 from 1988 in Australia (other than the 560) and at least some W124 models of the same era.   It was visually very similar to the 754 used on the 1986-1987 models.   The 560 used the CD player in Australia.

I’ve omitted the obvious such as the functions of the on button or volume.

Becker 1402 buttons:

1. On/Off
2. Digital display
3. Volume control
4. Tone control, bass
5. Tone control, treble
6. Indication for tone control
7. Wave band – and station recall keys
8. Scan tuning bar
9. Seek tuning bar
10. Wave band indicator
11. Sensitivity switch
12. Indicator for sensitivity switch
13. Function control key
14. Indication for pressed station recall key
15. Mono key
16. Stereo key
17. Stereo Indicator
18. Cassette slot
19. Cassette track selector switch with indicator
20. Forward music search/fast forward
21. Reverse music search/rewind
22. Dolby B and C key with indicator
23. Tape selection key with indicator
24. Cassette Eject Key

Becker 1402 Radio Functions:

Tone

By pressing the key (4) the bass is boosted or reduced, by pressing the key (5) the treble is boosted or reduced.   Pressing keys (4) and (5) at the same time gives an intermediate tone setting.   The respective setting of bass and treble at FM or AM radio reception and at cassette reproduction is separately stored and indicated in the display for tone control (6).

Balance

Push function control key (13).  Then press tone control key (4) or (5).  With the tone control key (4) the balance can be shifted to the left or with the one control key (5) the balance can be shifted to the right.   Pushing function control key (13), then pressing tone control keys (4) and (5) at the same time gives an intermediate setting of the balance.

The respective setting of the balance is shown in display (2) by the digits 1 until 8 and the according side symbol <| (left side) or |> (right side).  The case of an intermediate balance setting the symbol <| 0 |> is shown on the display (2).   The function “balance” is cancelled automatically if the tone control keys (4) or (5) are not pressed within approx. 8 seconds after the function control key has been pressed.

Wave band

FM = ultra short wave:  87.5 MHz – 108 MHz
AM = medium wave: 513 kHz – 1620 kHz

Numerical frequency input

Press function control key (13) and enter station frequency by pressing the keys (7).  Example: FMN station 97.0 MHz.  Select save band by pressing one of the FM-keys (7) and press function control key (13).  Press keys (7) in the sequence 9, 7, 0.

Station storing

You can store 6 FM- and 4 AM-stations.  Press one of the keys (7) and hold down until the frequency of the station to be stored re-appears and the station is audible.

Now the last set station becomes audible and its frequency is displayed.   Then the radio is mute and the display disappears.  After that, the new set station becomes audible and its frequency is displayed.

Now the station is stored at this key and becomes audible whenever the same key is pressed and as long as the car is in the transmitter range of this station.   When storing another station at the same key, the station stored before is cleared.   When recalling a stored station, the indicator (14) shows the number of the pressed station recall key.

Automatic search

Switch to the desired wave band by pressing one of the keys (7).  Pressing SEEK-key (9) downwards the radio searches for stations in descending frequencies, press the SEEK-key (9) upward the radio searches for stations in ascending frequencies.

The direction of the search can be changed by pressing the SEEK-key (9) in the respective direction.  In order to arrive at a desired station without stopping, the SEEK-key must be held in the desired direction until the station is reached.

Scan tuning

By pressing the scan tuning bar (8), the radio will automatically tune to the first station received, auditioning this station for approx. 5 seconds, and then scan to each following station.

If desired, this station maybe locked in by pressing once the scanning-key or the SEEK-key.   If neither of both keys is pressed the automatic search continues and switches to each station within the selected sensitivity level and auditions each station for approx. 5 seconds.

By pressing the scanning-key downward, the radio searches stations (scanning) in descending frequencies, by pressing the scanning-key upward, the radio searches stations (scanning) in ascending frequencies.

Tuning sensitivity control key

By pressing the tuning sensitivity key (11) once or twice, you can select the desired sensitivity level for the automatic search.   The level display (12) indicates the selected sensitivity level.

Number of circles around the antenna icon on the level display (12):

1. least sensitive (the automatic stops only at strong stations)
2. average (the automatic stops at strong and moderate strength stations)
3. most sensitive (the automatic stops only at weak stations)

When switched off, the radio does not store the selected sensitivity level.  It returns to the “least sensitive” level.   The selected sensitivity level is valid for the SEEK mode and scanning mode only.

Manual Tuning

After selecting the save range (AM or FM), press the function control key (13).   Then search the selected wave range by pressing the seek-key (9) upwards and downwards.   During manual tuning the radio is not mute.  The selected function “manual tuning” is cancelled automatically if the seek-key is not pressed within 8 seconds after the function control key (13) has been pressed.

Stereo reception

After switching on the radio, it switches to stereo mode, independent from the last position of the stereo or mono switch (16/15).  The STEREO-indicator (17) shows that a chosen FM-station is transmitting stereo signals.   By pressing of the key (15) the set stereo station (AM or FM) is switched to mono.

By pressing of the key (16), manual switching from mono to stereo mode (AM or FM) is only possible if the set station is transmitting stereo signals and the reception quality is sufficient for stereo reception.

Note: Each time the radio is switched on, or the station recall – or wave band keys are changed, the radio switches to stereo reception, independent of the last position of the stereo or mono switch.    If the reception quality in case of stereo reception strongly diminishes by whistle, reflections, etc., you can improve the reception by switching to mono-reception.   After having switched to mono reception (AM or FM), the treble setting is limited to a certain degree.   The bar graph indicator for treble (6) is taken down to the middle position.  Therefore you cannon change the treble setting in case of mono reception (AM or FM) by the key (5).

Becker 1402 cassette playback

Playing of cassettes

Slide the cassette into the cassette slot (18) until it rests.  The cassette is then drawn in completely by an electric-motor mechanism.  The radio will switch over to cassette replay automatically.   By automatic tightening of the tape, eventual tape loops are removed before starting cassette reproduction.   The switched-off car radio is automatically switched on when inserting the cassette.

Track switch-over

When the end of one cassette side is reached, the unit switches automatically over to the second side.   if the track is to be changed during playback, press cassette track key (19).

Track search/fast forward

Press the key (20) once:
Track search forward, until the beginning of the next track, is started.  The function control in the key (20) lights up.   When the cassette player locates a gap of more than 4 seconds of silence, it automatically switches to replay.

By pressing the opposite key (21), the track switch-over key (19), or after approx. 3 seconds the key (20), the track search can be interupted.

Press the key (20) twice:
Fast forward is started.  The function control in the key (20) flashes.  When the end of the tape is reached, the track is reversed and the cassette player switches automatically to replay.

Press the opposite key (21), the track switch-over key (19), or after approx. 3 seconds the key (20), to stop the rewind movement.

Track search/fast rewind

Press the key (21) once:
Track search until the beginning of the previous track is started.  The function control in the key (21) lights up.  When the cassette player locates a gap of more than 4 seconds of silence, it automatically switches to replay.

By pressing the opposite key (20), the track switch-over key (19), or after approx. 3 seconds the key (21), the track search can be interrupted.

Press the key (21) twice:
Fast rewind is started.  The function control in the key (21) flashes.   When the beginning of the tape is reached, the cassette player switches automatically to replay.

Press the opposite key (20), the track switch over key (19), or after approx. 3 seconds the key (21) to switch to cassette replay.

Dolby* noise reduction

For reproduction of cassettes recorded using the Dolby system, press the key (22) so often until the wished sort of noise reduction (Dolby B or C) is indicated in the function controls of the key (22).  To reproduce cassettes which are recorded without using the Dolby system, press the key (22) so often until both function controls extinguish.

Tape selection

For good reproduction quality it is necessary to adjust the cassette player to the used cassettes.   For all cassettes except ferric oxide cassettes (Fe2O3) you should press the tape selection key (23) so often, until the function control in the key (23) lights up.

Cassette ejection

By briefly pressing the key (24) the cassette is ejected from the slot by an electric motor and the set switches automatically from cassette replay to radio.   When switching off the radio, the cassette is automatically ejected.

Becker 1402 physical connections

1. Chassis (-)
2. Switched (+)
3. Illumination
4. Permanent (+)
5. Connection socket for automatic antenna (+12V)
6. Loudspeaker sockets
7. Antenna socket
8. Fuse 6.3 AT
9. Connection socket for speed dependent volume control
10. –
11. Connection socket for output coupling amplifier of sound system

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