Who is kind enough to tell me about this radio?

[richparker]

I’ve had this radio in my stash for at least 10 years. I don’t know where is came from or why I kept it. I think it came with my old ‘68 tin top, although it wasn’t in the bus and was probably in a box of parts. So my guess is that it’s a old bus radio. I guess I kept it because I figured for the minimal amount of money I could get for it I should just keep it.

Fast forward to today and I remembered I had it and thought it might be a good fit in the ‘65 Beetle I built or am building, which ever way you want to look at it. The car is running, driving, registered and insured. The car has been changed to 12 V and I’d like to install this radio and run a RediRad system with it.

My guess is it’s a 12V radio and uses one speaker. What do the symbols mean next to the wires and how do I go about bench testing it?

Thanks,
Rich P

https://redirad.com/
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[aeromech]

From the left

Antenna
Ground stud
Power spade
Speaker

I’d throw 12v to it and hook up the rest of the connections. But I’m a thrill seeker and you’re on your own
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[busdaddy]

This'll decode what the terminals do: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/blaupunkt_wolfsburg_iii.php

Edit: As for the radio itself I run the single band version in my 71, it's an excellent unit, super simple and robust with great reception, and the red light in the dial reminds me to turn it off when I leave.
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[richparker]

Thanks guys!

Busdaddy, that link has a lot of German in it. Is the post the ground and the upper wire the ground, or negative for the speaker? I’m reading that diagram as the upper wire is the battery negative.

Is that a AM/FM radio?
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[olorin67]

. It’s a European radio, with medium wave band. No FM

[richparker]

[aeromech]

Rich,
Without making you read a wiring diagram I’m going to give it to you again

Plug in the co-ax antenna connection into the hole
Those two wires that are cutoff short go to one speaker. Doesn’t matter how you connect them since this radio isn’t stereo.
The post with the nut serves two purposes, one is to secure the radio to structure via a (plumbers tape) type bracket and the second is to serve as the negative return to chassis (battery) ground.
The male spade connection is for + 12V from power (fused)

Car radios really don’t get any simpler
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[richparker]

Thanks guys.

RediRad sells two systems for AM only radios. One is for an AM-band radio that works with a POSITIVE ground electrical system and one is for a an AM-band radio that works with a NEGATIVE ground electrical system. I’m guessing this car being 12V, it’s a positive ground electrical system.
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[busdaddy]

Nope, VW's (and most German things) are negative ground, positive ground is only found on British cars and some super early Japanese stuff.
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[richparker]

Thanks BD!
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[Xevin]

[KTPhil]

That will pick up normal AM, but the other band is only used now for beacons (naval, air), and will be useless.

[raygreenwood]

I have one of those. It was origibal in my 412....installed in Frankfurt on delivery.

As others have stated.....its listed as medium wave and longwave.

In the 60s and 70s in central Europe and Eastern Europe there was plenty of broadcast on longwave. Pretty much an equivalent to am broadcasting.

Longwave is below medium wave the ITU (international telecommunications union) used it at 30 to 300 khz....and medium wave (which is technically am) starts at 520 khz. and runs to 1700 in North America.

For the year or so I had this in the car I listened to am....which is picks up well.

The long wave.....well.....I could get some interesting pieces of sound here and there depending on weather and time of year. There is a segment or band in the US that is open to radio experimenters. Also i got a few crusty snippets of foreign language especially in the mountain top areas on trips from Atlanta to Chatanooga.

If you want to play to see what it can get on the long wave.... check this out

Info on long wave transmitters in North America
https://nofars.net/jacksonville_radio_collection/long_wave_radio

European amd other world wide long wave transmitters

https://www.chemeurope.com/en/encyclopedia/Longwave.html#List_of_longwave_broadcasting_transmitters

More about the radio you have

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/blaupunkt_wolfsburg_iii_7638060_ser.html

When you shine up that chrome face plate and the knobs.....its almost an art deco style very pretty radio.
Ray

[jakokombi]

I've often wondered. What do the letters on the buttons stand for?
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[busdaddy]

L & M buttons switch bands and the musical note symbol changes the tone from tinny to bass like (voice VS: music), the last one turns it on and off (symbol worn off on that one).
As Ray mentions they are a sharp looking unit when clean, almost out of place in a bus, more suited to a fancy Mercedes or some other higher end car.
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[KTPhil]

[Mberglo]

Thats a cool radio to fill the hole in the dash. Then go get a Bluetooth Amplifier and just play tunes through your iphone.

[Frederik]

As to the information I have from vw (workshop manual) and Bosch (news letter), from August 1966 (model year -67) radio was an option from factory (Europe, non-US?). At the same time they got the pre-drilled hole for antenna.

From Aug. 1966 you could choose from vw-radio modell:

"Wolfsburg"
M (mid wave="AM"): 519-1640 kHz
L (long wave): 150-290 kHz

"Emden"
M (mid wave): 519-1640 kHz
U (Ultra Short wave="FM"): 88-108 MHz

The fine fuse (2A) was not installed in the radio inline fuse holder at the production line and was at delivery in the glove box and should be installed on delivery inspection as well as antenna trimming should be done.

[Interestingly the U/FM band went up to 108. European sold radios at the time, at least from blaupunkt that was the manufacture of the vw-radio, usually only went to 104. I guess they planned on selling the same radio through dealers in the US.]

From Aug. 1967:

"Emden"
got the addition of L (long wave): 150-290 kHz and built in electronic fine tuning on U/"FM"

"Wolfsburg"
got one more "tone" button [like yours, the two left buttons are a note and a "up side down" note, previous only had 3 buttons: "note", "M" and "L"]

M (mid wave) was now: 515-1620 kHz, U (Ultra Short wave="FM"): 87.6-108 MHz. Both got the 2 manual "favorite station" red markers, was rated as 4W and were now only availible in 12V (not the selectable 6V/12V)

From Aug. 1968

The new "Braunschweig" was an option.
It had L, M and U band, the "omnimat" (pre-select "favorites") L, M, M, U, U push buttons, tape deck input (DIN-socket) and tone was controlled with pull/push function in the left turn knob.

By the way the "III", Z in the serial and blaupunkt part number 7 638.. on your radio makes me to belive it's from 1968. They were used on all models I think.

[Frederik]

If you look in non-US drivers manuals under archive you find some info on the the functions:

[jakokombi]

Funny, I kept thinking that radio looked too familiar, so I went to the bins and found these.

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