How to set a 70s car radio

April 6, 2008 10:47 AM

How do I set the memory on a 70's mechanical tuner car radio?

Just got a 70's radio to match a recently acquired 70's vehicle, and it works great in glorious 70s AM/FM. It has one of the old mechanical tuners with 5 preset buttons that make the tuner jump. Someone as old as me should remember how to set the presets, but I cant work it out. I thought it had something to do with turning the tuner with a preset pushed in, but that doesnt seem to work.

It's a Blaupunkt Bavaria S if it makes a difference.

posted by yetanother to technology (5 comments total)

tune to the station, pull the tuner button OUT and then press it in.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 10:48 AM on April 6

THAA's got it
posted by Salvatorparadise at 11:05 AM on April 6

It lives.

Thanks.
posted by yetanother at 11:19 AM on April 6

Purely muscle memory (had a giant 1980 chevy van in the band days). If I'd tried to think about it I'd have had no idea.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 11:30 AM on April 6 [1 favorite]

I had one of these in my 1982 toyota tercel that I drove during the late nineties to high school -- I loved the tactile nature of those preset buttons; so satisfying to punch.

Here's a TUNER HAX for you: if I recall correctly, I think there were 3 buttons dedicated to FM, and two for AM; I would set the AM buttons so that they would be positioned on FM channels, and then follow a full push of the AM button with a slight press of an FM button to flip bands, thus gaining another 2 FM channel presets.
posted by fishfucker at 1:42 PM on April 7