Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Hirst, who adds the following to our growing archive of radios in film.
Mark writes:
A Sony ICF-SW1S spotted in the 1993 Clint Eastwood film, In the Line of Fire.
Click to enlarge.
The radio belongs to the villain played by John Malkovich.
Thanks, Mark! Sharp eyes!
I’ve always thought the ICF-SW1S was one of the more amazing compact portables produced in the 1990s. True, it lacked SSB mode and only had 10 memories, but it was such a compact receiver for the day! Like many Sonys, it also had a dedicated line-out jack for off-air recordings. I wish more modern portables had one.
The line-out jack is one of the reasons I still regularly pack my ICF-SW100.
I do check eBay fairly regularly in hopes one will suddenly appear at a good price point–ones in good condition routinely sell anywhere from $250-350. I’m actually tempted to purchase a defective one and see if my buddy Vlado can fix it. It’s a risk, though, because if the repair requires anything other than resistors and capacitors, parts might not be available.
Post readers: Anyone own both the ICF-SW1S and the ICF-SW100? Which do you prefer and why?
I have good working examples of both SW1 and SW100. Short answer is the SW100 is better for me because it has ECSS and that is still important on Shortwave. Furthermore the SW100 will tune to 1 KHz where the SW1 tunes to nearest 5 KHz, thus unable to move away from interference in any way. They are about the same size and they are both quite sensitive and prone to overload with strong signals and external antenna. The SW1 looks more like a digital radio, stands upright nicely and has great volume for being so small. The SW100 clamshell provides more screen area allowing naming the stations and has more memories than the SW1. The capacitor issue is another negative on the SW1 but the ribbon cable and battery door is a caution on the SW100. I’ve fixed both so I hope to keep mine going for many years yet.
Also, in answer to your other question. . .I have had both and would have to say I like the sound a bit better on the SW1S, but feel that the SW100 is the superior radio. Unfortunately, I managed to crack the screen on my SW100 and need to get it repaired. . .wonder if Vlado would be up for a repair job? Thoughts, Thomas?
Thanks for your feedback about the SW1S! Good to know the SW100 is superior in your opinion.
Yes, Vlado can certainly replace the screen as long as he can obtain the part.
Sounds great! I will email you for the pertinent information. Thanks, Thomas!
Bought one off of eBay over 10+ years ago and when I received it, I was mortified at how horrible it sounded. Did my research and realized, it just need a capacitor replaced. To be fair, replacing the cap in this modern miracle of surface mount technology was akin to attempting to surgically implant a hair to the PCB board. . .but I got it done, and it still remains one of my favorites today!