Geof: Your point is well made and you are right. If this radio sounds good after a recap I will leave the alignment alone. It doesnt appear to have been worked on at all so I am hoping that it doesnt need any adjustments. Its just that most of the radios I get have been fiddled with already and are in need of some attention as far as alignment. Thanks for the advice.

If an individual is fully capable of properly aligning a now-vintage German radio, there is no reason not to.
Fully capable is the operative term here.
Of course, if someone has neither the knowledge, experience or proper equipment to perform a proper alignment, I also would caution against doing so. The restorer's mantra should always be:
...."Do no harm."...

I do agree that any generalized advising that "an alignment should always be done" shouldn't be so universal when it comes to this hobby, as most of us, (myself included,) are at various levels of expertise.

Learn alignment techniques by practicing with some junker or less valued chassis.
You'll never learn how if you don't ever do it.....All the reading in the world won't substitute for hands-on.

As far as repairing these radios long ago when they were new, I also agree the need for alignments was seldom, unless a frequency-determining component was changed.
It is not so now, according to my own experiences.

I'll say it once again here, though, that after many years, I've seldom met a vintage German tubed radio that didn't _materially_ (audibly) benefit from a proper instrument alignment. Perhaps with only one I.F. circuit or gaining a bit from the majority of adjustments, but there IS satisfaction for some of us when that 'scope form takes better shape or that output meter (and tuning eye) indicate an increase in gain.....

Coils being sealed in wax or paint-sealed trimmers don't offer a rationale that the circuit can't be out of alignment because it's sealed.
Anecdotally, I find that not to be the case.

No one can honestly say that an old radio's performance doesn't benefit from an alignment unless a test is made- by aligning
(or stage-gain measurements if specs are published, but that's another story....)
I won't speculate or state here the mechanisms that cause misalignment in older receivers, but I will state that after refurbishing only a couple of hundred (or more?) German models over the years, I've found the benefit of realignment to be more usual than not.

Hi my name is Scott and I live in Frederick Maryland. I purchased a Riviera 3 D today at an auction and I need one of the push buttons ..mine is missing the OFF button can anyone tell me where I might find one ...I paid $125.00 for mine.

OFC
[img][img]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y248/Bamanut/MVC-255S.jpg[/img][/img]

Hi,
You are asking for a very rare item.
Keep looking for it on E-Bay on everyday basis, you might get lucky one day.
Good luck my friend

One suggestion: If you have no luck getting a replacement you could take the button off the longwave band and use that.

The radio turns on and seems to play well on FM but for some reason
I have to either push or pull the volume knob to keep the station coming in other wise it looses the station . I am assuming that it just might need to be cleaned because when I am pulling on the knob it plays great. Also the AM and Stereo ant. buttons will not depress its as though both are locked, all the others work fine is there something Im doing wrong?

ofc

In concur with Mr. Fors on the alignment matter: The German sets generally need a power supply update, cap replacement and they play beautifully without veering into the intricacies of alignment.

From my experience, those 3/4" IF cans are prone to silver mica disease. If they are indeed suffering, it will need an alignment after they are rebuilt. Otherwise, I would tend to agree with Mr. Fors. If it sounds good, don't touch it.

It has been awhile since I completed this radio and I have just figured out how to upload videos to You=tube. Heres the link:.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCFWn9e3 ... re=mh_lolz

Excellent restoration

Hi, Just found this forum ..looks like a good one. I also have a Riviera Model 2540 which I have
owned since about 1959. I have a question ..if I may...
I has been working reasonably well until just recently. A few days ago, while listening on AM, there was suddenly a bunch of static then the sound quit. I traded tubes one by one with some from another German radio I have (Saba). When I replaced one of the EF89's, the sound came back but only at about 20 percent. The Ferrite antenna indicator tube (EM 84) is lit but will not change as the antenna is rotated. The tubes in both the Saba and Blaupunkt are 20 to 40 years old. The FM has had no sound for quite a while.
Anyone have any ideas on what the fix might be? If I replace all the tubes, will that (maybe) fix the problem?
I'm not a radio teck but can read schematics as far as recognizing the components but don't know what the various circuits do.
I dont have the schematics for this set.
Thanks
Charlie

If your radio has had only the tubes replaced over the years then I would be looking at replacing the electrolytics. Quite a few of the electrolytics on my radio were finished with electrolyte oozing out of them . A quick glance at yours should confirm this. John

OK ..Thanks for the quick reply John.. I'll have a look

Charlie

Hi Copiertech and others who may read this thread .. I did a bit of trouble shooting, without good schematics. I have two schematics/circuit diagrams which are suppose to be for the Riviera 2540 but they are a bit different and I can not find the Capacitor C722. On the circuit diagrams I have, it is connected to a grid (pin 2) on one of the EF89's (R702).
On the underside of the chassis there is a connection (orange wire) from pin 2 going through a shielded sleeve to a connection terminal. I assume that it eventually connects to C722 but I can't find that capacitor. The circuit diagram would lead me to believe that Capacitor C722 is connected to pin 2 via that orange wire.
When I do a continuity check on that orange wire within the shielded sleeve, it reads zero, that is, there is a break in that wire inside the shielded sleeve. When checking on the connector tab or terminal which is on the Capacitor C722 side, I get a zero ohms to ground, indicating to me a short in C722 or on the wiring going to it. So my question is .. can anyone help me find C722.
Thanks Charlie

Charlie: This is the link address to the 2540 schematic. It should help you. http://83.117.57.34/nvhr/Blaupunkt_2540.pdf

Copiertech ..John I think ..OK ..thanks ..I'm still trying to find the actual component itself.
I see it on the circuit diagram but can't seem to locate it on/in the radio itself.
There is a shielded sleeve which contains the connection from pin2 of tube R702 (EBF89) to the capacitor C722. That connection seems to be open within the shielded sleeve and I'm trying to find C722.
. Thanks for the reply and URL
Charlie

Chazz: I suspect that the capacitor is wrapped inside that sleeve. That is why you cannot measure continuity. It is probably a polyestor cap and shouldn't need replacing. With that said, I looked at your problem again and I would look at cleaning the band switch contacts with tuner cleaner or mythyl hydrate. Just spray it on the contacts for the am and fm bands and actuate the switches about fifty times each. Allow a few hours for the switches to dry and test for any change. After that, if there is no improvement, then look at changing the electrolytic and paper caps one at a time and then test. On the circuit board on top you can probably see dark stuff coming out of some of the electroytic caps. Replace these first. You shouldn't need to replace any of the plastic caps. Good Luck.

Gotta agree about alignment, especially "newer" sets like these with fragile circuit boards and dozens sof little fragile coils of unobtnium with immovable cores. Break one of 'em. and the set will be toast. If you recap it, check for and replace out of spec resistors especially in voltage divider section and high resistance parts, blast out the switches and controls, add a fuse, and don't ever let the set play when you are not in the room, you're all set.

Thanks copiertech ..I'll give that a try ..will post back ..
Tnx again
chazz

Ok ..had a go again today .. changed my thinking on where to start looking .. since there was zero voltage on the plate of the EF89 Tube 702, I decided to check that out. I don't know enough ..errr .anything really ..about what a certain configurations of capacitors/resisters/coils etc do in a radio but can look at a circuit diagram and find components. So, in checking voltages,it seems that the resistor W707 ( 2Kohms) in the Blaupunct 2540 is open or blown. I don't know which, as it does not look burned. There is high (plate type) voltage up to it but zero after it. The capacitor C727 (5T..I think) seems ok..no short to ground. The risistor W706 ( 2K) also seems OK. I don't see any components that look burned/discoloured etc. I opened the can in which houses L718. 719, C729, C730 and 731 and see nothing that looks burned.
I am a little nervous about just replacing that 2k Resistor (W707) in case there is a short farther up the circuit. Do resistors jut "quit" on their own so to speak? Is it save to change it ?
Charlie