Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bruce, who writes:
Here is an unknown radio from the recent Netflix mini-series “Ripley”. The setting is early 1960’s Italy.
IMO this show was very good and artistically filmed in black & white.
Beautiful radio–thanks, Bruce! Readers: can you ID this vintage model? Please comment!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Julian Stargardt, who writes:
SWLing fans might like to know that at the moment on eBay there are about a dozen Sony ICF 6700 receivers for sale [eBay partnership link].
The ICF 6700 is the more reliable version of the better known ICF 6800 – the ICF 6800 is notorious for failing detector circuits and the complexity and difficulty of repair.
Hitherto the ICF 6700 has been less commonly seen.
I have an ICF 6700 it’s an interesting receiver designed to look like a professional rig but lacking features like passband and notch that a pro rig of the day would have. It’s not a bad receiver and with its preselector system of tuning has an extremely quiet noise floor. It also is rather stable.
How does it compare with a good modern DSP, eg, Tecsun PL 330, PL 880, PL990, or PL8800? No comparison. The current crop of top of the line receivers are better. As is the Sony 2010 / 2001D.
But if you’d like a nice looking table top with good audio and you like retro solid state, then the Sony ICF 6700 is not a bad choice.
Cheers
Julian
Click here to search for the Sony ICF-6700 on eBay.
[this partnership link supports the SWLing Post.]
Thank you for the tip, Julian! I would also note that, as with any eBay item, you should check the seller’s feedback score and read the description of the item carefully. Some units are in excellent condition and some need repair. Also, shipping varies greatly with these listings.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Rob Gray, who writes:
Hello Thomas.
If interested, the link below is to an extremely rare SW receiver:
Click here to view this listing on eBay.
[note: this is an eBay partnership link]
The latest Radio Receivers Past/Present book shows this model as a Japanese manufactured, commercial-maritime receiver. The Rarity is “Typically Unavailable”, and lists prices at $5,700 New, $800-1600 Used.
73,
Rob
Wow, Rob. I’ve never seen this receiver before. Perhaps one of our commercial receiver experts (*cough* Dan Robinson *cough*) might be able to shed some light on this model!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Kostas (SV3ORA), for sharing the following guest post which originally appeared on his radio website:
by Kostas (SV3ORA)
The FRG-7 digital by Marcel Jacobs PA8MA, is a very well thought modification KIT for the Yaesu FRG-7 receiver. It really adds to it one of the things it misses (and it misses a lot) to become a more “serious” receiver in the modern era, the digital frequency readout and S-meter. If you are like me and enjoy classic radio gear, but you do not want to compromise much the every-day usability, I recommend you this KIT. I have to say here that, the first thing you would want to do if you use the receiver for SSB, is to perform my SSB-related mods as well.
When I installed this KIT on my FRG-7 The first thing I did not like about it, was the very bright display which blasts your eyes with light especially at night on a low-lit shack. Not only that, but your eye will condinuously focus on the bright display and you loose the magic of the rest of the radio controls and displays. I wanted the digital display to be one of the parts of the radio and not the major thing that my eyes will look all the time. Marcel was smart enough to include 2 brightness levels in software. The low brightness setting does not actually change the backlight of the display, it just changes the graphics in more dim colors. As a result in either setting, the backlight color is very bright and this decreases contrast a lot. The background of the numbers in the display has a blue-ish color and not true black. Not only that, but the edges of the display, are visible too. I have solved all of these problems with a simple modification to the KIT.
The picture above, shows the display after my modification. The picture is taken on a dim-lit shack using my phone, with no further image processing. What you see in this picture, is exactly what it looks in reality, after my modification. Notice how the background of the display, remains pure black and the numbers and graphics of the display do not blind you anymore and are of the same brightness as the rest of the original backlit graphics of the radio. This allows your eye to wander around to the rest of the nice radio backlit things, without focusing all the time on a bright display. This is very relaxing to the eye and the brain as you scan for stations. You actually only look at the digital display when you want more accuracy. Compare this nice display contrast with the one presented on Marcel’s manual and you will notice the difference.
The modification is really simple and it does not need a schematic. It is just a 22k potentiometer, connected as a variable resistor like shown in the picture. I just cut the second cable (from the left), of the ribbon and then soldered the variable resistor there. That’s it. Depended on the light conditions in which you operate the receiver and on your personal preference, you can set the brighness from full to very dim. In the software setting, set the brightness to maximum. Then use this variable resistor to decrease it to your desired level.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Perry Lusk, who writes:
Guess what kids? Another radio sighting from the 1986 film Let’s Get
Harry! Lots of big names in this one including Mark Harmon, Robert
Duvall, Gary Busey, and former founding member of the Eagles Glenn Frey.
While on a covert rescue mission in Columbia, they found the bad guy’s
hideout with some old Yaesu equipment among other radios.
Hmmm… I wonder how far they could get out with that mag-mount
antenna? And what band is it tuned for?
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Meara who writes:
Thomas:
SWLing Post readers might like this one.
Ramakrishnan sent me the Smithsonian article. It is very nice, and helps answer — I think — the question about why so many old SW radio dials have “Schenectady” on them. Steinmetz seems like a great guy.
https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-wizard-of-schenectady-charles.html
73 Bill
I love these bits of radio history, Bill! Thank you for sharing.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Haluk Mesci, who writes:
I recently bought a Braun T1000 in unbelievably good condition.
And today I noticed a Facebook ad for a Braun T23, on sale here in Toronto.
Judging from the photos, it is obvious that there is an ‘Eton E1 – Grundig YB 500’ kind of
similarity between T1000 and T23.
The price is unheard of, but I thought it could be a little post on the SWLing Post.
Best,
Haluk
Thank you for sharing this, Haluk. I do love all of the Braun designs, but it’s true that prices can be a little outrageous. I can see this one has been on the market for a while.