Thanks, Jay H:
I just bought a near Mint RF-2600 of Ebay for $265. Yeah I know it was a bit steep but I'm glad I got it. AM Reception is strong, It's not as sensitive as my CCradio2 on AM BUT, Selectivity is 10 times better. FM is is the same with great sound and selectivity. I have not done a full test of the SW bands but from what I have done, the radio pulls in SW better than my Grundig Satilite 750.
All the controls BFO, SW calibration, and wide/Norrow settings work great. Cosmetically, this radio is a work of art and has what I would call a High "Pride of ownership" character to it. It is well built but not too heavy.
This may become my favorite radio. Radios I currently own or have owned are as follows. Panasonic RF-2200 RF-1170. Sony ICF 7600GR, Redsun RP-2100, Kaito RP-1103, Grundig Satilite 750, CC Radio-2 Zenith Transoceanic Royal 1000 and a Royal 7000. The RF-2600 fits right in to my collection and I would recomend it to anyone looking for a vintage SW.
Jay.
I picked up my 2600 about two years ago and find your review spot-on. It's a wonderful radio: Big and bold military look, fun just to turn on and screw around with the many dials and switches, robust audio (though I think that maybe the audio on my 2200 is slightly richer), excellent reception on all bands, and has a real presence to it. To use one of Jeff's favorite metaphors, a true "beast" of a radio,
Agree fully that the 2600 has a "work of art" quality to it; in fact, its overall aesthetic is probably my favorite thing about it, even above its superb performance.
Doug
Doug
Posted by: Doug | December 02, 2012 at 08:57 AM
Wow----to say it might become your favorite, when it's in such esteemed company (2200 for example) says a lot about this radio.
Posted by: Angelo | December 02, 2012 at 01:35 PM
I own the RF-2900 (near mint) which is the slightly larger version of the RF-2600. While these radios aren't top-of-the-line in any one performance category, they are above average across the board and are probably the most fun to play with since the tuning is so smooth and easy to scan large swaths of the shortwave bands in a short time. I sold my RF-4900 to another poster on this board and he reached the same conclusion about the RF-4900 - the Command series is a great analog series of shortwave radios.
I'm on the fence whether or not to sell my RF-2900 - my general rule of thumb is if its sits on the shelf for a year without any use, then its time to sell.
Posted by: Brandon | December 02, 2012 at 03:35 PM
Article mentions that the only top selling app in Apple's app store that is not a game is Pandora Radio: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/12/04/top_25_app_devs_earn_half_of_revenue/
Posted by: A. Black | December 04, 2012 at 09:29 PM
I agree these are great "straight across the board receivers", "jack of all trades but master at none" (all due respect intended). I will be listing (2) very good to excellent examples on ebay after the first of the year. One however has issues withe the FM encoder but like the Kenwood R-1000 one can use the analog dial.
Posted by: Scott | December 11, 2012 at 05:00 PM
Nice to see this radio on your site, thnx. Here in Holland I still have a RF26 which is the European version of this radio (if I am well informed). Bought it new in 1980 I think. No time for it last years, but had fun listening to transmitters from the far East. Alas the lower small switches have become a bit jittery. How would you compare the performance of the 2600 and the ICF760GR? Which you pleasure using these sets!
Posted by: Gerard Visser | August 30, 2014 at 03:48 AM