I just powered up my RF-4900 after sitting on the beach for many years. After a cleaning and lube for the scratchy pots and FM tuning plus a RF alignment it is a fantastic radio. I added a IF out for feeding my synchronous AM detector some years ago. The FM band has very good filters for DX comparing it to the high performance YAMAHA T-85 FM tuner. I have other high performance radios but the RF-4900 is a pleasure to tune the bands with. It runs for days on a external battery too.
Thanks for sharing this video. Got my start at 9 yrs old on cats whisker xtal. Great memories from70 years and still counting. Enjoy shortwave broadcasting as much or more than ham chats. 73 ve3oui
Lovely comments and reflections there, Doug. Thanks so much. There are just so many aspects to this radio hobby for us to enjoy.....even as we get old and decrepit (I'm describing me here, not you!) 🙂
I remember back in the early 80's when this was my dream radio. Ended up getting an FRG-7700 at the Dayton Hamfest. But I still really like that Panasonic.
I've just read your review on the Panasonic RF-4800 and RF-4900. I particularly liked the paragraph when you say that both receivers "...stack up very well against other tabletop radios from that era." And I had proof of that in many occasions. I used to have an ICOM IC-R75 and was not happy at all with it. I found it too noisy, specially on AM mode. Once I was scanning the 49m band and it seemed there were no stations on a particular stretch of the band. Then, I connected my DR-49 to the same antenna and its S-meter started to jump frantically. I turned up the volume and could listen to some stations. It is not that the R75 isn't sensitive, but it definetely nas low Dynamic Range on AM and even its DSP filter is of little use. The first time I picked up an intercontinental MW signal here in southern Brasil, I was using the DR-49 and a small hula-loop MW antenna. It was a station from Egypt on 864kHz. Just like the venerable and much smaller Sony ICF-5900w, the DR-49 is very sensitive in all bands, including LW. Mine is the European version, and the colour of its digital display is green, although it gets blue when you watch it on video. And you're right, it is a fun radio. Because of the qualities of the DR-49, I acquired analog and PLL tabletop radios such as the Yaesu FRG-7700, Kenwood R-2000 and Icom IC-71A. I wanted that quality of separating the audio of the carrier from the background noise more easily, thus making the audio sound more natural. Thanks for this video and the review.
Hi Julio! Thanks for your comments and memories of using the DR-49, especially your comparisons with the IC-R75. Most interesting! Yes, the DR-48/49 are really great receivers! Best wishes, my friend! Rob VK3BVW
What a nice radio and in such good condition ! When I was a teenager I used to look at one that was on display in a shop for many times, dreaming of owning one 🙂 Thanks for sharing and for the nice article Rob ! 73, Patrick ON4CDJ
I just powered up my RF-4900 after sitting on the beach for many years. After a cleaning and lube for the scratchy pots and FM tuning plus a RF alignment it is a fantastic radio. I added a IF out for feeding my synchronous AM detector some years ago. The FM band has very good filters for DX comparing it to the high performance YAMAHA T-85 FM tuner. I have other high performance radios but the RF-4900 is a pleasure to tune the bands with. It runs for days on a external battery too.
Good work! Yes, these receivers are standing the test of time very nicely! Thanks for your comments. - Rob VK3BVW
Thanks for sharing this video. Got my start at 9 yrs old on cats whisker xtal. Great memories from70 years and still counting. Enjoy shortwave broadcasting as much or more than ham chats. 73 ve3oui
Lovely comments and reflections there, Doug. Thanks so much. There are just so many aspects to this radio hobby for us to enjoy.....even as we get old and decrepit (I'm describing me here, not you!) 🙂
I remember back in the early 80's when this was my dream radio. Ended up getting an FRG-7700 at the Dayton Hamfest. But I still really like that Panasonic.
Thanks for your comment. There are still quite a few Panasonics around, so you may be able to pick up one in good condition.
I've just read your review on the Panasonic RF-4800 and RF-4900. I particularly liked the paragraph when you say that both receivers "...stack up very well against other tabletop radios from that era." And I had proof of that in many occasions. I used to have an ICOM IC-R75 and was not happy at all with it. I found it too noisy, specially on AM mode. Once I was scanning the 49m band and it seemed there were no stations on a particular stretch of the band. Then, I connected my DR-49 to the same antenna and its S-meter started to jump frantically. I turned up the volume and could listen to some stations. It is not that the R75 isn't sensitive, but it definetely nas low Dynamic Range on AM and even its DSP filter is of little use. The first time I picked up an intercontinental MW signal here in southern Brasil, I was using the DR-49 and a small hula-loop MW antenna. It was a station from Egypt on 864kHz. Just like the venerable and much smaller Sony ICF-5900w, the DR-49 is very sensitive in all bands, including LW. Mine is the European version, and the colour of its digital display is green, although it gets blue when you watch it on video. And you're right, it is a fun radio. Because of the qualities of the DR-49, I acquired analog and PLL tabletop radios such as the Yaesu FRG-7700, Kenwood R-2000 and Icom IC-71A. I wanted that quality of separating the audio of the carrier from the background noise more easily, thus making the audio sound more natural. Thanks for this video and the review.
Hi Julio! Thanks for your comments and memories of using the DR-49, especially your comparisons with the IC-R75. Most interesting! Yes, the DR-48/49 are really great receivers! Best wishes, my friend! Rob VK3BVW
Awesome!
What a nice radio and in such good condition ! When I was a teenager I used to look at one that was on display in a shop for many times, dreaming of owning one 🙂
Thanks for sharing and for the nice article Rob ! 73, Patrick ON4CDJ
Hi Patrick. Yes, great memories from the past. 73, Rob VK3BVW
Nice radio Rob, thank you for the video and review. Have a great day, 73. W7GER, Grants Pass Oregon, USA
Thanks for watching. 73, Rob VK3BVW
A dream!
Excelente equipo yo lo tengo... salu2
Nice receiver. I own one from second hand in the 1980.
👍👍
Thanks, Nice radio📻. Albert. Netherlands🇳🇱
👍👍
Fantastic radio de 2e0ree
Yes, indeed!