Hi Everyone,

I've looked in on the BeoWorld site for some time now and finally decided to join. I have always had B&O Hi-Fi, in fact grew up with it always there in the background. I believe it is the best design with the highest quality sound in the world. All the units that were my father's are working after a fashion being over 40 years old ....... There is one model - the Beomaster 1400K which is a particular favourite but now has some problems.

Firstly, the tuner drifts off station. I can tune it in but then it changes stations all on its own. In fact BBC Radio2 can eventually be found a long way up the scale instead of 88-91 but drifts away eventually.

Secondly, the cog which connects the tuning knob spindle to the flywheel has crumbled away. The tuning dial still works but lacks that weighted feel now.

Does anyone know of a reputable engineer in the South East of England who might be able to repair and generally service it for me. As you can gather this Beomaster is rather precious to me and I am keen to find someone who would treat it gently ......

Many thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

Colin.

Welcome to Beoworld !

Wonderful radio !
The crumbled wheel is common. I haven't seen a good wheel in 20 years.
Unfortunately, I have no other fix for it than to glue in a spacer in place
of the missing wheel to prevent the pulling out of the tuning shaft, which
would see the dial string falling off.

I don't remember this tuner exactly, but it's very common to see tuning drift
if a capacitive diode is missing its thermal contact to the FM tuner
frontend metal casing, which is used to keep the diodes temperature stabile.
Cleaning and fresh cooling paste is needed.
There is also a little electrolytic capacitor inside the FM frontend that can cause problems, worth replacing.
Of course, there can be other reasons, a closer look would help the diagnose but I'm in Denmark...

Martin

Hi Martin,

Thanks for the welcome - I'm glad I took the plunge at last and joined ........ I agree the 1400 is a great radio. When it was working well I remember it having terrific clarity even through the built-in speakers. It has everything you need and so many bands - FM x 5, LW, MW and 2 x short wave bands. The build quality is amazing by today's standards - it's certainly built to last.

Good idea about the spacer - I suppose even if there were any  wheel spares left they would have rotted away as well...... thanks for the tip about the diode which makes sense although I must admit my electronic knowledge is very basic. I will bear it in mind for the next time I open the case. If only I could bring it over to Denmark - it would be like taking it home ....

Many thanks for your help.

Colin.

Hi Colin

On the attached picture, you can see my rebuilt IF Can, on my restored BM1400. On the left side, about 2/3 way up, you can see a new 10uF 50V capacitor, which replaces the usually faulty tantalum capacitor. A Panasonic EB, or Nichicon HE capacitor is a perfect and very reliable substitute.

My BM1400 also suffered the plastic tuning wheel decomposition. I fixed that by going to my local plumbing store, and buying a fat rubber washer, about 7mm thick, with a narrow center hole, to ensure a good friction fit on the shaft, and a diameter slightly larger than the original plastic wheel. Works like new, and great to feel the heavy tuning system again.

Menahem

Hi Menahem,

Great Idea about the rubber washer I'll see if I can find one of the right size. Also thanks for the information on the IF Can rebuild - your picture looks excellent and I recognise the adjusting screws from seeing them when I had the case open. I'll make a note for if I get the confidence to try it myself but don't really have the experience or equipment.

Many thanks for your help - much appreciated.

Colin.

Hey Colin!  I play an MP3 player through the tape input on mine.. Sounds great.
Welcome to Beoworld.

Hi, Thanks for the welcome ..... Yes, I tried an iPod through the tape input and does sound great but have to crank the volume up quite high. Not sure if this would harm the amp though. Thanks for the tip.

Colin.

A couple of slightly different tuners were used through production of the BM1400K.
The ones I see the most have an axial 0,64uF or 1uF capacitor (the blue one near the
bottom of this photo) and no tantals.
Make sure you get a suitable component for yours.
Oh yes, - and don't adjust anything !

Martin

Hi Martin,

That's excellent - many thanks. I think I'll take a look when time permits. Although I would rather enlist the help of someone with more skills at this sort of thing than I have. Once you start tinkering I suspect that it might lead to other issues where I won't have the equipment etc to fix it. I'll keep hunting to see if I can find an engineer in my part of the country.

Many thanks once again that is a real help and it's fantastic to see the pictures......... Colin.