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Thanks for sharing this, Dan. Seems the seller is also accepting offers (asking price is $999.99 US). Any serious buyers should read the seller notes. The unit looks incredibly clean cosmetically, but would likely need a good electrical going-over and possible alignment.
Even if, like me, it’s not in your budget to purchase a rare radio, I think we can all appreciate the photos:
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Julian, who writes:
Thomas,
I stumbled across this listing for a Panasonic RF-3000A so I thought I’d share it in case some SWLingers interested in or who collect vintage solid state radios are interested in the following listing for a Panasonic RF-3000A for US$125.00.
Thank you for the tip, Julian! I don’t think I’ve ever seen this model of Panasonic before. At first blush, it looks like a Barlow Wadley.
Based on the description of the radio, it sounds like it might need a little work. I think a re-capping would be in order and I’m sure the pots and switches need an application of Deoxit.
Perhaps our resident Panasonic collectors will let us know if this radio is rare or common? I doubt it’s exceptionally rare since there have been 3 offers made on it in the past. Please comment!
Admittedly, it’s not often you see a Trans-Oceanic in this pristine condition:
Many thanks for sharing this, Dan!
I’m curious: How many here would fork out several thousand dollars for a vintage portable like the Trans-Oceanic–? This is truly a museum piece and I would love it, of course, but that’s a lot more money than I could allocate and stay happily married. 🙂
Thank you for the tip, Mario! It is a pristine radio! The seller is claiming this is new–and it looks it–but the condition is listed as “Open box” so I assume the previous owner opened the box but never used the radio. The plastic film still covers the display area and looks pristine. I agree: it’s amazing when things like this pop up on eBay! The price ($748.00) as you say is steep, but it does appear the seller is open to offers.
The seller notes that the condition is “near mint” and the radio works perfectly both electronically and mechanically.
I absolutely love the design of this radio. When this was being produced (assuming sometime in the 1980s), Sony and Panasonic’s aesthetic smacked of utility, simplicity, and had a near military-grade feel. Ever function had a switch or knob.
Neither Dan nor I have ever seen this particular model before. If I had money to burn, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Sony radios of this era tended to have stellar AM/MW performance. I’d love to see how large the ferrite antenna inside might be.
Note that even though this radio may work perfectly–it’s obviously been very well taken care of–you would need to mentally allot funds to have it re-capped at some point soon (Vlado could do this, I’m sure). You wouldn’t want a leaky cap to damage the board or other components inside. With radios pushing 40 years old, you must plan to replace the capacitors.
The price is $399 US with a modest shipping fee. The seller has stellar ratings and there’s a 30 day return window .
The seller notes that the unit up for auction has never been opened. The photos of the ICF-PRO80 interior in the auction come from one of their previous listings.
The PRO-80 was one of Sony’s technology showcase receivers, designed in the walkie talkie format. The radios are almost never seen NIB, but aging capacitors often cause audio problems and the tops mounted potentiometers often need cleaning or replacing.
I fully expect this PRO-80 to top $1,000 but the auction winner will have to be prepared for some refurbishing.
Thank you, Dan! I always wanted an ICF-PRO80, but could never afford one back in the day. You’ve got a great point that the winner of this bid may have to re-cap it almost immediately. They’ll need Vlado on speed dial! It will be interesting to see the price this auction fetches.
Dave notes, “The seller does not disclose the serial number so no way of telling if this is a later B version or not.”
In addition, of course, this is an untested radio in a sealed box and being sold as-is. Still, it’s not every day you find a receiver like this that has never been opened before. Thank you for the tip, Dave!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor (and rare radio aficionado), Dan Robinson, who shares a link to this eBay listing.
