Category Archives: Vintage Radio

eBay find: Zenith Transoceanic in an Unopened Box

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Robert Gulley, who shares this link to an eBay auction for a Zenith Transoceanic D7000Y in an unopened box!

Let’s be clear here: this is no “Black Friday” deal. The seller has this gem listed at $5,800 plus shipping! I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen a Transoceanic listed at this price level.

Of course, as one friend always reminds me: “eBay is there to show you things you’d rarely stumble upon in daily life–you just need a chunk of change to snag it!”

The seller is listing this as-is since he isn’t going to open the box to test the unit. He does claim that if it arrives DOA, he’ll have is repaired free of charge (buyer pays shipping).

Still: $5,800 is hefty sum–several thousand over my threshold! No doubt, a Transoceanic collector will snag this eventually.

Click here to view this listing on eBay.

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Source of Dansk RX-4000 EPROMs?

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(Photo: Mount Evelyn DX Report)

SWLing Post reader, Lindsay (VK3CML), recently contacted me with the following question about his Dansk RX-4000 receiver:

I’m in need of a set of EPROMs, for my Dansk RX- 4000. It uses three EPROMs to program the micro; one of these has developed a fault, which shuts the radio down. Could be interested in another radio if in working order. The EPROMs are 2732/64/128.

I have tried to contact Dansk, and I am still waiting a reply.

Maybe you or someone in your group could help in this matter? Of course, I’m quite prepared to pay all costs.

Thank you Lindsay. VK3CML

Post readers: If you can help Lindsay locate a set of EMPROMs or another RX-4000, please comment!

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What made the Squires Sanders SS-1R receiver legendary?

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ss-1r

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Michael Black, who reminds us why the Squires Sanders SS-1R receiver (Dan recently spotted on eBay) was so innovative at the time:

It’s legendary because it leaped forward in receiver design, at least at the amateur level, and there was the article in QST in 1963 by Squires about the design. So lots of people knew about the design, even if they weren’t owners.

There’s no RF amplifier, the antenna feeds the mixer trough a tuned circuit. There’s a q-multiplier on that tuned circuit, to improve selectivity (q-multipliers were mostly seen in 455KHz IFs). The mixer was a 7360 beam deflection tube, hard to overload, and a balanced mixer, which was likely a first in ham receivers. After, everyone was using 7360s for receiver mixers, at least until good solid state balanced mixers came along.

I keep forgetting that it is still a dual conversion receiver (except for one band), though presumably to avoid other issues while allowing for a fixed 500KHz tuning range.

But the second IF is at 1 or 2 MHz, higher than the usual 455KHz, a sign of the future, though there were already some SSB transceivers with IFs in the HF range.

It does seem a relatively simple design now, but wasn’t fifty years ago.

The ham band version was the “big seller”, the shortwave version maybe offered because they could. It’s not clear if the front end needed changes to cover the SW broadcast bands. But it would have been an expensive SW receiver, and needing another crystal for each 500KHz tuning segment, a new concept at the time (though a few years later Drake had their SW receivers like that). But that was the trade-off, most receivers did have a 2:1 tuning range, while some were like the R390 , very complicated mechanically and crystals for every band. A subset of 3 to 30MHz meant fewer crystals and a simpler bandswitch but you spent a lot of money for a receiver that wasn’t “general coverage”.

Michael

Thank you, Michael, for the insight! At last glance, the bidding was only at $227.50. I suspect it will go much higher, but perhaps this will end up being a deal for someone.

Click here to view on eBay.

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What radio would you grab in a fire?

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Lately, fires have been on my mind. No doubt, this is because there are so many wildfires in the greater southern Appalachian region right now, which is in the midst of a record drought. Brush fires start up almost daily, and no rain is in sight. In the mountains, the air is hazy with smoke, and it’s become a struggle for fire departments to contain these blazes, even with help from outside the region.

Living, as we do, in a forest, we’ve always had to think through contingency plans if a forest fire should threaten our home: with only a two hour (or so) warning, what items would we grab and load into our truck?

Of course, we’d likely focus on those things that are irreplaceable and thus essentially invaluable: our few family heirlooms, boxes of photos, documents––you know, stuff you can’t buy.

But what about radios? I hope I’ll never be forced to choose the one thing I should save from my shack, because there are several to which I’m rather sentimentally attached…There’s my Zenith Transoceanic, for example–the first proper shortwave radio I ever owned. There are also a number of vintage radios as well as some SDRs which have become my staple receivers.

In the end, though, there’s no question which radio I’d grab. It would have to be my Scott Marine Radio Model SLR-M, affectionately nicknamed “Scottie.”. True, she’s not even close to portable at a solid 90 pounds, but I’d strap her to the roof of my vehicle, if I had to.

Why? Well, it’s the most pristine vintage radio I own, and I use it daily. If it’s not tuned to Radio Australia in the morning, it’s tuned to my AMT3000 AM transmitter on 1570 kHz drawing in any of a number of stations I relay from my WiFi radio.

Scottie simply isn’t replaceable. Even though my Elecraft KX3 probably costs more in terms of monetary value, I could eventually scrape together the money to buy another KX3. But I couldn’t buy Scottie again. Not this one.

So, there you go: after we’ve saved those things important to our family, I’d grab a 1945 receiver and haul it to safety.

Post readers: Now I’m curious–if your home was threatened by fire or other disaster, what radio would you save? Please comment!

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Which is the best? Sony ICF-2001D/2010 or ICF-SW77?

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Hi there, subscribers to my YouTube channel Oxford Shortwave Log will be aware that I currently operate both of these wonderful vintage portables. I purchased the ICF-2001D only 18 months ago from eBay, based largely on its reputation as one of the best performing portables ever made. Previously I had been using my excellent ICF-SW55 as the mainstay receiver for my numerous DXpeditions, coupled with irregular appearances from my Sangean ATS-803A and the excellent value-for-money Tecsun PL-360. The ICF-2001D proved to be a revelation in terms of sensitivity, selectivity and contrary to popular belief, with careful planning (to avoid crowded bands), is able to cope pretty well with very large antennas. As regards audio bandwidth filtering, SSB and synchronous detection, in my experience, the ICF-2001D is as good as it gets in a portable – or a vintage portable at least. I have lost count of the number of personal-firsts I’ve achieved using this wonderful receiver and as someone who likes to push the envelope a little, I soon started to wonder whether it’s replacement, the ICF-SW77 might prove to be an even better performer. Subsequent online research confirmed there was no absolute consensus on this issue, with followers of these two great receivers firmly placed in both camps.

Sometime later, a good friend of mine, fellow radio hobbyist and subscriber to Oxford Shortwave Log very kindly offered to send me his cherished ICF-SW77 on long-term loan. Like me, he was intrigued to know how it compared to it’s venerable predecessor and thus the deal was done! Upon it’s arrival in July, I started planning a back-to-back series of comparison tests at the very quiet wood in Oxfordshire I used for my DX’peditions, using the same antenna for both recievers – the excellent Wellbrook ALA1530 active loop. In total, I made fourteen reception videos comparing the ICF-2001D and ICF-SW77 and posted them to Oxford Shortwave Log. Both receivers performed very well, delivering excellent reception on the Tropical Band and elsewhere on the shortwave spectrum from Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala, amongst others. At the halfway stage, I generated a video to summarise the results to-date and this will follow in my next post to swling.com. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the first half of the reception videos; which follow below:

Clint Gouveia is the author of this post and a regular contributor to the SWLing Post. Clint actively publishes videos of his shortwave radio excursions on his YouTube channel: Oxford Shortwave Log. Clint is based in Oxfordshire, England.

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eBay find: Panasonic RF-8000

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Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Armin Sander, who writes:

Here is a link to a very interesting auction on eBay Germany:

Click here to view on eBay.

Only the price speaks for itself! (And now I need a good whisky!) 😉

No kidding, Armin! That is a hefty price–8,9999 EUR–even though this particular unit seems to be in excellent shape.

Still, I love looking looking at the photos of this classy receiver.

Thanks for sharing, Armin!

Post readers: Anyone own a Panasonic RF-8000? Please comment!

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eBay Find: “exceedingly rare” National HRO-500 Receiver

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:

The number of times a shortwave classic becomes available in this condition over the course of decades, can be counted on two hands, let alone one in new unopened condition:

Click here to view on eBay.

Thanks for the tip, Dan! I’ve never seen the HRO-500 in person, but it looks like a beautiful rig. I love the simple front panel and the classic HRO tuning knob.

I wonder what this HRO-500 will fetch!?!

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