Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Juan Pablo Carlino, who writes:
Hi. I own one RF-2200 after buying it in eBay in March 2008. Since then it became my favourite portable radio and as everybody [has commented], its a pleasure to hear MW with it.
I explain this due to the fact that it has a good rotative ferrite antenna and also because the narrow and wide filters have a suitable shape for MW: at least in my country each MW is spaced from the other by 10 KHz, so you don’t need a very sharp filter. The narrow one is not so narrow, just enough to attenuate maybe 6 db the splatter from the louder station and not loosing audio quality.
When you tune around you have the impression that the filter shape suites perfectly for MW, making the audio quality very pleasant. I would never sell it. If you are interested i’ve captured a short clip while playing with it outdoor on 7 MHz band, hearing ham stations on AM, SSB and CW.
Pay attention to how loud and clear i was hearing stations at 400 Km in AM:
Click here to view on YouTube.
Many thanks for sharing your thoughts, Juan!
I agree with you completely. At least here in countries where MW stations are spaced at 10 kHz, I find the RF-2200 a mediumwave DX boss!
I’m constantly amazed with the RF-2200’s MW sensitivity and selectivity–and low noise floor. That combo, along with the filter shapes Juan mentions and the excellent built-in full-fidelity speaker make for a proper listening experience.
As I’ve said before, the RF-2200 is a radio with fortitude and purpose.
The only place I’ve ever really searched for an RF-2200 is eBay. I like eBay, because if you receive a faulty unit, you can typically return it or have some sort of recourse (as long as the seller accepts returns).
I would only buy an RF-2200 (or any vintage solid-state rigs) from a seller that has near 100% ratings with a number of radio sales in their past. That is, if you’re seeking a working unit.
Though the RF-2200 is vintage and thus might eventually need repair. It’s ultimately reparable by a skilled technician, though. My buddy Vlado, for example, has repaired 2200s in the past–indeed, we cracked my RF-2200 open a few months ago to clean contacts.
Panasonic RF-2200s typically cost between $175-300 for one that’s mechanically and cosmetically sound. Of course, NOS units go for much more and units with faults sell for much less.
I expect my RF-2200 will outlast me!
Does anyone know what the hold out is with DRM. No radios are available. I bought an RTL SDR that does HF, downloaded Dream, and NO dice. The program does NOT talk with the RTL
There’s a .dll you need to make DReaM work. (faad2_drm.dll). you’ll have to route audio from your controler (like SDR#) to DReaM with a virtual audio cable. As to radios… ask the bean counters. last couple of commercial ventures i’ve seen are just ugly portables. If someone did it right…