Herculodge Reader Provides Helpful eBay Radio Recommendations

Herculodge reader Gerald Johnson has provided me a good radio list for those of you searching for vintage radios on eBay.

Don't be discouraged about buying these panasonics and sonys. it's amazing how durable these radios were and i've gotten very few that were "speaker tired". i just put it out there that it happens sometimes you get one thats been played to loudly or just simply abused in some way. by the way that 1080 has crisp sound, it's not a audio powerhouse,  when i said its a damn fine radio, i mean tuning performance and overall quality  is outstanding. after coming to some understanding of your criteria, for furture bidding keep these  radios in mind:
 sony icf-5500- 75.00 range
sony icf-5800 (rare) -depending on condition 100-150
sony icf 5900- 120.00 to 190.00
panasonic rf-1080- l60.00 to 80.00
panasonic rf-1150- 80.00 to 110.00
panasonic rf-1115-60.00 to 90.00 a sleeper
sanyo pr-8700- 100.00 to 125.00
believe it or not montgomery wards house brand "airline"
are damn nice radios generally manufactured by sharp (japan)
theres myriad others but, if ever you have a question on a radio that catches your eye on ebay let me know, chances are i'm familiar with it and can steer you.

I definitely will take up Gerald on his offer.

Comments

[Mike W]

Check this one out :

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Panasonic-RF-1170-FM-AM-5-Band-Shortwave-Radio_W0QQitemZ370064052842QQihZ024QQcategoryZ15051QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

It's a Panasonic for $83 that has the same FM whip & MW gyro as the RF-2200. If I hadn't just coughed up $257 for an RF-2200, I would have bid on it, and just used my CSW for SW. Of course then I would have regretted NOT getting an RF-2200. Maybe the best way is to build up to the more expensive sets gradually.

Anyway, it's worth a look.

[jeffrey McMahon]

Mike,

I saw it yesterday. It will probably go for 150 or 160. I can't buy it now as 4 more radios are in transit from eBay. The RadioIntel review says it pales in AM to your RF-2200. So it's not a complete package. Would I buy it for 100? I would. But I bid on one five days ago and at 120 I didn't make the seller's reserve. He's selling it as "Buy Now" for 160.

Jeff

[Mike W]

Jeff. I meant the final price was $83, a third of what I (over-?) paid for my RF-2200 . I think you may be confusing it with the RF-1150. The 1170 might be worth looking at because you don't need SW at all. Apparently they are scarce, however.

[jeffrey McMahon]

Okay, I get it. The FINAL bid was 83. Sorry.

The 1170 would be better for me. In the next few weeks as I receive my vintage Panasonic table radios from the 60s and 70s, I'll make up my mind if I want to pursue any more vintage types. So far my Panasonic RQ arrived with a stripped antenna and my Sony 9650 has a volume or tuner problem, which Ed will look at this weekend. Hopefully, I simply need to attach a dipole FM antenna. We'll see.

[Mike W]

LOL. I was rushing out to work this morning and meant that first period to be a comma, ("Jeff." vs. "Jeff," but did not edit the post. The period makes it seem petulant, cranky, impatient, but I didn't mean it that way. Anyway I just set up the RF-2200 & am checking it out, on MW at first, naturally.

[herculodge]

Mike, I hope you hate your 2200. Otherwise, I'll be jealous as hell.

I'm bidding on that Panasonic you told me about, the one that has great FM and AM presumably but no SW.

[Mike W]

Well, "hate" is strong language, but I have noticed over the years that the top-shelf supersets that you wait the longest to get are exactly the ones that can most disappoint, while something like the GE Superadio III, for instance, often gets the most use over time.

In Herculodge-speak, "When a Radio Is Anointed with a Halo, Performance Takes Backstage"

[herculodge]

I agree. The Panasonic has enjoyed the halo for some time now. Expectations are off the charts.

I'm eager to hear your verdict.

[georgioskoroneos]

hi georgis...i have a minor remedy in mind...first the pan.rf 2200 is an excellent am/fm radio receiver...and it is still not as bad as sw receiver as some may make you to believe...not as bad as other radios...sw is in my opinion somewhat pleasant and music too...and it is able to deal with many situations of weak signals.

[georgioskoroneos]

hi georgis...absolutely have respect for this radio sony icf /ex5...because hearing right now the receiving remarks...when i can i will grab one...i am still of this opinion...and is true.

[georgioskoroneos]

hi georgis...personaly speaking i do not like the super radio... not because it's reception or it's audio,but because of it's dial...because...i have reached the point...where i have to be glad if even find the frequencies...and that is true...because is the most important just at any given moment to know where am i now?

[georgioskoroneos]

hi georgis...but pan.rf 2200 i can tell you this much, that have certain advantages the punch to get through,wide/narrow and the giro antenna and i am firmly convinced that is qualified to solve this am dial problem,because just one looks at the huge area,and this is the good thing about it,because it is straight forward,look at the spacing it is only 10 khz off,but i can live with that,because i know where i am right away in my opinion it is accurate,but with the super radio you will lose your breath...it is pointless.

[georgioskoroneos]

georgis...i want to put my hands on the pan.rf b65 and to see what i am going to make out of it and that is just what i mean,if is better,well then is a desperate need for it.

[georgioskoroneos]

georgis ...certainly i am enthusiastic about my other radios,entirely different,sony icf 7600g and sangean ats 803a in abril may only discover they full details and really start a report on them later since i do know anything i can not support them tactically.