Russ' Sony 7F-74L Radio

 

This is a Sony 7F-74L I acquired when helping clean out a basement. Destined for the trash, I rescued it and cleaned it up because I thought it was a really cool looking radio. There isn't very much information to be found about it but there is one for sale on eBay right now that doesn't work and isn't in as good a condition as this one. Oddly enough, they're both missing the Sony badge on the speaker side: http://bit.ly/ca9F6v

 
It really looks like a car radio because it was intended to be used as one if desired. There's an edge connector on the bottom for an antenna hookup and external speaker. It has enough volume to be heard in a car to be sure. This set is heavy duty with a metal carrying handle and quality controls and switches. The band selector has a really nice feel to it and the volume control is also a push-pull on/off switch. This needed a fair amount of DeOxit to get the noise out of it but it sat in a moldy basement for decades. The dial light still works and it has a hi/lo tone switch and a Local/DX switch all conveniently mounted on the top with the rest of the controls. It has a 4-1/2" speaker that can handle almost full volume before distorting.

 

It receives Shortwave from 6 to 12 MHz, Longwave from 150 to 280 KHz, and the standard AM and FM bands. I haven't tested it extensively but it is at least average on all the bands. It runs on 3 D batteries and is frugal in its power consumption. It can use an AC adapter for 4.5 Volts with a negative tip. It has an Auxiliary input that will work with an MP3 player (if a stereo to mono adapter is used) and a line level Auxiliary output as well. There is an earphone jack and a Stereo Multiplex output. Its dimensions are 8" high, 7-3/4" wide, and 2-1/2" deep. It's fairly heavy at roughly 3 pounds without batteries.

This is a "usable classic" that I had never seen before. It's one of those radios that I would have given my left arm for as a kid because it was loud with a great sound and was way off the coolness scale with its unusual design with lots of chrome. I took it with me last summer on a camping trip and it was a lot of fun DXing stations along the Appalachian Trail. It's funny that some of my favorite radios were obtained for free and this is one of them.

 

Comments

[Brian (Scooby214)]

I think your find beats my $3 garage sale Panasonic 888. I love the style of your Sony. Congrats, and thanks for sharing your find with us!

[Angelo]

It's great to get a bargain---or in this case a freebie, that ends up being useful and fun. You can't beat it. It's also a sense of accomplishment to clean it up and make a couple little repairs/improvements and then use the item. Congratulations---it is a very cool looking radio---almost looks like a car radio.

[Andreas]

I find this kind of radios ugly when it stands upright on the desk. And so beautiful when it's positioned flat on the carry handle... Great!

[Gene Chism]

Yep, I have one too. I purchased this back at the end of 1968 from the PX in Germany. It came with a case that you used to install in your car and a speaker. I'm sure I have these around as I never throw anything away. The radio had been sitting in the bedroom for 11 1/2 years as my wife used it and forgot it since about 2002 or 03. I got it out this morning to use in the workshop (garage)and install new batteries. Only problem I have with it is that it needs a new volume "on and off" switch. This one has to be jiggled around to get clear reception. A plate on the bottom is missing too.
Gene

[Martin]

Hello, I have one 7F74DL, in good condition, in regulary use in my old car. Both, car(Zshiguli(rebuild FIAT 124) made in Soviet Union 1972) and radio are from 70'. I know only a few people, who have it. For Your information this radio can be used in car, inserted in steel box, with external antenna and speaker, ceonnected via PCB card connector at the botton side of radio. Look, you will see thin hole at the bottom for connector and small round hole for switching to external antenna.

Second thing is, that to this radio can be connected second speaker box with integrated Stereo Decoder, which uses and analog decodes MPX Out signal and return Left (or Richt, i dint know)channel signal. Design allows this, but i never saw this additional box.

Have a nice day.
Martin

[John o'Flynn]

I have 3 of these radios 7f 74dl .i bought my first in 1970 and some months later bought the car bracket attachment.i recovered it later from my attic and fell in love with it again.i bought 2 more recently on e bay.Lovely old radios , they don't make them like this anymore.

[phillip geraghty]

I bought one in germany from yhe naafi .very good quality , took it everywhere . sadly have no more

[Jim Wagner]

I bought one of these in 1969 while on deployment to Iceland. Listened to a lot of European stations while there. I loved that radio but ended up giving it to one of my kid sisters. She doesn't have it any more and doesn't even remember it. I just bought one off eBay in amazingly good shape and I'm listening to it now. It sounds great and I'm loving it all over again.

[Khalid Parvez]

I have one in working condition. It is rugged and mechanically very strong radio. I am interested to find its schematic diagram to see the connection detail for its bottom connector to be used when mounted in a car. Antenna is sometimes a bit troublesome for it wrestles with grip handle. I am using it on rechargeable cells and when connected with an external adapter,cells are recharged automatically. Worth having it, never sell it as, "you never know what you have until you loose it".

[SFS]

I have one of these and it needs a tuning capacitor (Mitsumi PVC-2AF) - anyone know where I can get one of these. Thanks

[C Palmer]

I have a model 7F-74DL which I purchased 50 yrs ago when in the US Army. Recently it stopped working. Is there a repair svc avail for this radio in the US ?

[Masrat]

Does anyone know which ac adapter I can use ? It says it needs 4.5 v but I need to know the brand and model number. It is excellent shape and works great . I have always used it on batteries. So I don’t want to take chance with a wrong adapter.

[SFS]

I use a Philips PH2061W set on 4.5V - has worked well for many years - please make sure of +/- polarity.