Would you pay $300 for this radio? $100? Testing the popular AM/FM Sony ICF-F10

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  • Опубликовано: 4 фев 2025

Комментарии • 122

  • @SWL_JO32
    @SWL_JO32 11 дней назад +10

    Hi André 😊 I try not to buy too many radios 😅 and also try to avoid buying old radios off Ebay at very high prices. In fact, I only bought exactly one old, used radio ever and that was a few weeks ago. I bought it from someone who lives relatively close to me so that I could just go there and test the radio prior to buying it. It is a Sony ICF SW-77 which has not been re-capped but surprisingly still works fine. Local classifieds, reasonable price, ability to test the radio myself, pay cash and take radio home (i.e. no shipping that could cause damage to the radio). This is probably the only way I will ever buy old radios. But then again, I have too many radios already 😅 Greetings from Germany, Sebastian

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад +2

      Hi Sebastian, the ICF-SW77 sounds like a great buy! It looks like a very nice radio. It sold for hundreds of dollars when it was new.
      I am also always very careful when I buy used radios, I never buy anything that I haven't seen. I always buy from people in and around Johannesburg or Pretoria, and I always test the radios first. There was only one exception, the Sony ICF-7600GR, which I bought from someone in Durban. Durban is 600 km from here, so she had to send it to me by courier. But I asked for some videos of the radio to show that it was working, and, luckily, when it arrived, everything did work. She took great care with the shipping also, packed it very securely. But I agree, it is always best to buy locally and test first,
      I am actually quite addicted to buying older radios. But not at high prices! I always look for good bargains..

    • @Henry-d9d
      @Henry-d9d 6 дней назад +1

      @@swlistening I also have been 'tempted' to buy more radios. I'm often 'tempted' to buy the ICF-SW77 'new' 'NOS' New Old Stock' in the box for about $1,000 U.S. dollars. One of these days they may 'make an offer I can't refuse'.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  5 дней назад

      @@Henry-d9d I do the same, I often add these classifieds or eBay sellers to my watch lists, and then I just wait. Sometimes the prices do go down, that is when I buy!

    • @Sankara2000
      @Sankara2000 3 дня назад +1

      It's really super radio. But definitely not 300 usd. On ebay there are middle traders who exploit enthusts...

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  2 дня назад

      @ Sad, but true...

  • @h.joshi_
    @h.joshi_ 10 дней назад +5

    Greetings André. Congratulations on your new acquisition. If it's Sony and National Panasonic for people round the globe, it's Philips for us here in India. The everyman's Radio brand. Back in the day, Philips use to release several new analog models with two knobs that worked on D Sized Batteries. Good sound on all three bands and the batteries use to last months. I got into Radio Listening when I was in 9th Grade when my father gifted me Philips's Prince DL225/94 on the occasion of Diwali 15 years back. Many other brands like Sony, National Panasonic, Murphy, Bush and plethora were also available but they exited the Indian Market soon after TV took over in early 2000s. Your new acquisition gave me a beautiful nostalgia of the good old days. Cheers. 73s.

    • @arcticradio
      @arcticradio 10 дней назад +2

      Agreed, Philips was great. I recently bought the old D2615 I had years ago and it’s really good on shortwave and even other bands.

    • @lew9223
      @lew9223 10 дней назад +1

      @arcticradio I have just bought one from Ebay, waiting on it arriving.
      Looks like a nice Philips.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад +1

      It is interesting how people became loyal to certain brands in different countries. Philips is also well-known here in South Africa.

    • @Henry-d9d
      @Henry-d9d 8 дней назад +2

      @@swlistening I'm familiar with quite a few brands, but I became 'loyal' to Sony because their equipment worked well every time. I also have Sony audio equipment because their performance was amazing (Sony ES was especially nice) but often worth thousands of U.S. dollars. Yamaha is another Japanese brand that I really like (also could be worth thousands depending on models used).

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  7 дней назад

      @@Henry-d9d I am very loyal to some Japanese brands also. Sony, yes; and also Kenwood. Yamaha is known here in South Africa also, it is a very premium brand here.

  • @cfldriven
    @cfldriven 10 дней назад +3

    You are right, something appealing about a radio you only have to hit the power button and turn up the volume. I have a Sony ICF-780 AM/FM sitting on top of the fridge. It simple to operate and runs on AC without a wall wart or AA batteries. It is a far cry from the Sony ICF-C218 Dream Machine clock radio. Which is so complicated you need the manual just to change the time. Thanks for sharing.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад

      My pleasure. I really do enjoy good, old-fashioned radios that just work. Sometimes all the new tech on new radios can get a bit overwhelming.

    • @cfldriven
      @cfldriven 10 дней назад +1

      @@swlistening BTW you are the person the got me interested in SW and radios, so thanks to you I am blessed and cursed at the same time.

    • @AnotherTruth
      @AnotherTruth 9 дней назад +1

      It’s reliable and solid

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  9 дней назад

      @AnotherTruth Two very good qualities!

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  9 дней назад

      @@cfldriven I am very happy to hear this, I hope it is more of a blessing, most of the time 🙂

  • @LamarFaciane
    @LamarFaciane 11 дней назад +4

    I just got one last week! NIB and I love it!! The sound on A.M. is awesome. My first broadcast was the Lakers game here in Inglewood California and whoa! I did notice some overload on F.M. so I just lowered the antenna. I think it overloaded because of the wire I have hanging in this room.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  11 дней назад +2

      What did you pay for yours, if I may ask?

    • @LamarFaciane
      @LamarFaciane 11 дней назад +1

      ​@@swlistening$52 delivered. I was really happy. This came with the carry strap and still has the protective sticker over the dial. Here this thing is an AM powerhouse.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  11 дней назад +2

      ​@@LamarFaciane That sounds like a very fair price. It is not MW season here now, so I will see when our winter arrives how it does on distant MW signals. Good to hear that it is a MW powerhouse!

  • @theshortwavearchive35
    @theshortwavearchive35 8 дней назад +1

    I like old Sony radio's that were built well and have the analog chips that have stations fade in and out when you tune just like at 5:36. I have a Sony CFS-W470 boombox also from the 90's with huge speakers with good base and treble and it's AM/FM. I mostly use the AM band mostly during the night time. It's not the best for AM DXing but it can pick up even weak AM stations if you tune it slowly. Plus the graphic equalizer helps. My favorite stations to listen to on it is probably CBW 990 in Winnipeg Canada, WBBM 780 and WGN 720 from Chicago USA. On AM it has bandwidth high enough that you can hear a fain high pitch squeal from the carrier of an adjacent station during the night. Makes me think I'm listening to shortwave in the 70's and 80's when stations were packed together.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  7 дней назад +1

      Thanks Liam! Like, you, I like the signals fading in and out. That is one of the greatest features of old analogue radios and something I really miss on modern DSP radios. As good as something like the Qodosen DX-286 is, I will always miss the real tuning experience that you can find on an old analogue radios. It is a lot of fun to tune a real analogue radio, find a really weak signals, and then to try to fine tune to get the best signal possible.
      That Sony CFS-W470 is an interesting radio to use for AM listening, it sounds like you are having a lot of fun with it. When I was younger I had a Sanyo portable boombox with a cassette player. It had MW, FM and SW. It was a fun radio to use for DXing SW stations. But back then I did not even know about MW DXing, so I never used it for MW DXing. On SW though it was possible to find some very weak signals, just like what you can do with your Sony on MW.

    • @theshortwavearchive35
      @theshortwavearchive35 7 дней назад +1

      @@swlistening There's just nothing that can compare to that analog chip for sure. Sad so many company's stopped manufacturing these chips.

  • @ArnieDXer
    @ArnieDXer 10 дней назад +2

    Hello André, another nice looking radio out there, and at 13$ I think you got a GREAT deal for it ☑️ What caught my attention in the first place when you opened the box & pulled the radio off is its large dial. Seems this radio was designed with the elderly users in mind 😅 I don't think it would beat the Qodosen though, neither on FM nor on MW 😆

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад +1

      Thanks Arnie. It certainly has a very large dial! Some have commented here that it performs very well on MW. I will have to see when winter comes.

    • @ArnieDXer
      @ArnieDXer 10 дней назад +1

      @@swlistening oh forgot to say something about Radio Pulpit... check with them thoroughly, it could be that they have closed on MW, like the other religious one, Radio Veritas...

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  9 дней назад +1

      @@ArnieDXer They appear to be back, they were off for two days, but now I can hear them again, as clearly as before. It would be a real pity if this station were to leave MW. It has been a fixture on MW here on 657 kHz for many, many years and I think it is a very popular station. They also use streaming and you can hear them via the pay TV radio channels here, but I think a very large part of their audience cannot afford either pay TV or internet streaming. So I think and hope that they will remain on MW for some time to come.

  • @arcticradio
    @arcticradio 10 дней назад +1

    It’s always a good feeling when you pay under the market price for radios. One of the best old portable radios I got was the Philips D2615 it works really well. I paid 20e for it in all.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад

      You got a really great deal on that Philips!

  • @Henry-d9d
    @Henry-d9d 11 дней назад +3

    Because of the way FM works, you may not hear weaker FM stations. That's the reason why I had to change the filters on my ICF-J40.

  • @Henry-d9d
    @Henry-d9d 11 дней назад +5

    The AM band was expanded in the United States in the 1990s. These older radios only tuned to around 1600 kHz, newer radios tune to 1710 kHz. I did pay almost $300 U.S. dollars for Sony's ICF-J40 in almost new condition. I had to expand its coverage to over 1710 kHz.

    • @sentul5558
      @sentul5558 11 дней назад +3

      Yes as you say about the band expansion in the US.
      Your radio however is not comparable to Andre's .... yours has Good SW coverage.
      Personally I think you overpaid at US300, US75 to US$ 100 seems to be a good rate for this radio. A lot though does depend on condition and where you live etc..... if you are happy with it, then you have a good deal at the end of the day.🙂

    • @Henry-d9d
      @Henry-d9d 11 дней назад +2

      @sentul5558 the Sony ICF-J40 isn't easy to find in the United States, it wasn't designed for our market; because it's difficult to find, AND it was almost new, I paid the price. Some ICF-J40 versions are not the original 1985 design.

    • @sentul5558
      @sentul5558 10 дней назад +2

      ​@@Henry-d9d Yes I understand as I stated, it depends where you live.
      Your J40 is in a different class to the F10 Andre is asking about. If you are happy with the radio for the price paid where you live then you have a good deal.🙂

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад +2

      I actually also have the Sony ICF-J40. It is a very nice radio, especially on MW. I bought mine for about $18 here in South Africa. Mine still has all the original accessories, like the hard case, the mono earphone, the wire antenna and the carry strap. All nicely packed inside the special compartment for these accessories. You can actually see it in this video, at 01:59, and here is another video I made when I got it: ruclips.net/video/oFmlQdglf7c/видео.htmlfeature=shared
      Some people have commented on my channel that mine appears to be the 1980s version, but I don't really know how to identify the 1980s model.

    • @sentul5558
      @sentul5558 10 дней назад +2

      @@swlistening Now that WAS a good deal... Well done there for sure.😀

  • @Kw1161
    @Kw1161 7 дней назад +1

    Thanks Andre , I used to have a Sony clock radio and it sounded much like your Sony ICF-F10 radio!
    I would pay $300 for another Sony 2010, but not for this radio.
    I guess it shows a DXer and his money is soon parted....!
    73! Have a great day!

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  6 дней назад

      I think I would also pay $300 for the ICF-2010! What a legendary radio. I wish I had one.

  • @lew9223
    @lew9223 10 дней назад +1

    Andre I have a clone of that Sony, called isolar-IS-F10BTS, I got it on AliEx, it has a solar panel, bluetooth & a compressed SW band (it is a good radio)
    The case, speaker grill, knobs are all similar, I think you paid the correct amount for the Sony.
    Nice video, thanks.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад +3

      Hi Lew, here in South Africa there are also a number of clones of this radio, with different names. They also have Bluetooth. But they are, of course, DSP-based and not like the original analogue version. The fact that this design has been cloned so much, does show me that the original certainly had legendary status and that is why so many companies now clone the design. Here is one of the South African versions: www.makro.co.za/electronics-computers/audio-video/home-audio/portable-clock-radio/harwa-2102a-fm-radio-black-/p/FMRH6ZHRJRQZQM3D?

    • @lew9223
      @lew9223 10 дней назад +1

      It has that nice retro look, which can be popular & easy to see why there are numerous copies Andre.
      All the best

    • @sentul5558
      @sentul5558 9 дней назад +1

      ​@@swlistening Yes that same radio is avaiable here, different badge but identical. Price a £2-50, maybe another resistor project 🙂

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  9 дней назад

      @@sentul5558 It is available here under at least three different names, and three widely different prices 😂 From relaitively cheap (about $9) to unjustifiably expensive (about $20). I wouldn't pay $20 for the new version!

    • @Henry-d9d
      @Henry-d9d 6 дней назад

      @@swlistening for those that understand music, I want an original Stradivarius violin, made by Antonio Stradivari, an imitation won't do.

  • @Henry-d9d
    @Henry-d9d 11 дней назад +3

    I would have to open this model and see if there's room for a larger AM 'loopstick' antenna. If there's room, I would change the AM and FM filters for better selectivity; some people I know would appreciate its simplicity.

  • @Hiram8866
    @Hiram8866 10 дней назад +1

    You have some interesting local stations to listen too. I do love Sony quality. I presume it was made in Japan?

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад +1

      Hi Glen, yes, there are some interesting MW and FM signals here. The public service radio stations here have a mandate to provide a service in each of our 11 official languages! The MW stations are mostly from neighbouring countries, with just a few local stations remaining.
      Funnily enough there is no indication on the box of where the radio was made. On the one side it says "Sony Corporation, Tokyo, Japan". So I don't really know where it was made.

  • @hadibq
    @hadibq 7 дней назад +1

    I had it new from the supermarket in morocco at 15usd

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  6 дней назад

      Thanks! Did you buy it recently, or long ago?

  • @F4LDT-Alain
    @F4LDT-Alain 10 дней назад +1

    Hello André. Well, OK, then it's a decent MW/FM receiver with an excellent speaker, a funny vintage look and it takes D cells. Nice. There's absolutely no way in hell I'd pay more than 20 €/$ for such a radio 😄 I don't understand the hype. Funny that you got it in a French/English dual language packaging over there.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад

      Hi Alain, I also think I would not pay more than about $25 for this. The sound quality has impressed me though, and the promise of good MW DXing sounds good. I will only really be able to see how it does on long-distance MW when winter arrives here. For now, it does seem to pull in stations from all my neighbouring countries quite well.

  • @mortimersnerd8044
    @mortimersnerd8044 8 дней назад +1

    What price people ask on ebay, and what price something will actually sell for can be very different.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  7 дней назад +1

      Very true. I think some people just try to get the highest possible price, but they will probably settle for less.

  • @christianwootton100
    @christianwootton100 10 дней назад +1

    Of course I would, providing funds are present! We all overpay for Sony. I bought a TR-4100 for $10 USD and a co-worker gave me his ICF-34. Everyone keep your eyes open at 2nd hand stores!

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад +1

      I agree, I love good second-hand radios. Two nice Sony radios you have there!

  • @sentul5558
    @sentul5558 11 дней назад +2

    Hello Andre, you have a good deal there with the box, it adds value believe it or not. Would I pay US$ 100 to US$ 200 .... no way.
    The radio in on sale here in Indonesia SH from GBP 10 up to GBP 75, none of these I believe will come with the box. (Collectors like the box and manual)
    The cheaper ones look a little bit worn, however, one that is visually as yours will cost around GBP 15 to 25. The guy asking GBP 75 is on another planet. (Your radio is just over 10 GBP, hence a good deal IMHO).
    Where the ebay prices are coming from I have no idea.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад +1

      Thanks! I also think I got a nice deal. I would not have paid even $100. Maybe up to about $25, just because this radio is so legendary. And, I must say, the sound is really excellent. MW seems to be good also.

  • @richardmerriam7044
    @richardmerriam7044 8 дней назад +1

    Just looked on Ebay-$50-70 dollars used.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  8 дней назад

      Thanks Richard. Indeed, that seems to be some of the prices on offer on eBay. I also saw $150 on eBay. But $50 to $70 seems to be more or less the popular price at the moment. Someone commented here that he just bought one for $50.

  • @CarolineFord1
    @CarolineFord1 11 дней назад +1

    The styling is quite nice, I suppose.

  • @MB-kx5qs
    @MB-kx5qs 11 дней назад +1

    Yes i would.

  • @yupimbackk
    @yupimbackk 10 дней назад +1

    5 dollars. Tops

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад

      I would have paid up to $25. But not more.

  • @j7ndominica051
    @j7ndominica051 9 дней назад +1

    No that is a crazy price. Lots of speculators on the Western marketplaces targeting people with more money than brains. If I needed a basic radio, I'd buy any radio on the local market. Probably a boombox with cassette, which is heavier and not as easily knocked over.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  9 дней назад

      I agree, more than $100 is just too much for this radio, even if it is very good. But some people seem to be willing to pay a high price for this one. I think the good MW reception and the very long battery life are some of the reasons, especially for people in the US in areas with heavy storms and hurricanes, as an emergency radio.

    • @j7ndominica051
      @j7ndominica051 9 дней назад +1

      Having D cells is a downside as those are expensive and can't be got rechargeable. At best you can get an adapter where an AA cell goes. Long life can also be had if you have common batteries as spares. For home use, I would want a radio with a power supply.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  5 дней назад

      @@j7ndominica051 I agree, but D cells do last for a very long time in the cupboard or even inside the radio (if you don't use it), to be ready in case if emergency. I like the idea that I have some D cells in my Sony that will last for a very, very long and be ready when I need them, if there is no power. But they are expensive, it is true.

  • @ameetahuja3089
    @ameetahuja3089 4 дня назад +1

    Hi i would love to buy xhdata d220 over these expensive radios😂😂 I will buy 2 of them.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  3 дня назад

      Thanks for your comment Ameet. The D-220 is a very good choice!

    • @ameetahuja3089
      @ameetahuja3089 3 дня назад

      @@swlistening hi i already am using xhdata d219 while walking and listening news i find it pratical radio to use

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  3 дня назад

      @ameetahuja3089 It's a very practical radio indeed. Small and easy to carry around. And very sensitive.

  • @MB-kx5qs
    @MB-kx5qs 11 дней назад +1

    Please buy the Panasonic RF-P150DEG-S and test it.
    Thank you, from Germany :-)

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  11 дней назад +1

      I will try to get one! I looked at Amazon already, but the sellers I found don't ship to South Africa. Looks like an interesting radio, so I will keep looking.

    • @MB-kx5qs
      @MB-kx5qs 11 дней назад +1

      @swlistening thank you Brother! 👍

  • @Dominic-o3k
    @Dominic-o3k 10 дней назад +1

    It might be that Sony name.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад

      I agree, the name carries a lot of weight.

  • @NSNorfolk
    @NSNorfolk 11 дней назад +1

    I'd pay $300 for a refurbed GE Super Radio!!!

  • @martinryan5069
    @martinryan5069 10 дней назад +1

    Afarid

  • @Flaming-Hedgehog
    @Flaming-Hedgehog 11 дней назад +2

    Maybe advertised for silly money because Facebook is full of silly people.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  11 дней назад

      These ads I saw are on Amazon and eBay though. From the comments here so far it seems to me as if people just really like this radio...

    • @Flaming-Hedgehog
      @Flaming-Hedgehog 11 дней назад +1

      @@swlistening Sentimentality has the highest profit margin. Cars are a great example. I see old CB radios and Ham gear and Receivers I had 40 years ago advertised for hilarious sums. I don't know who wants this old stuff with shot capacitors but they're out there. eBay is a special kind of comedy show, I see so many things with fantasy prices but when switching to the 'Sold' filter the actual selling prices are far more realistic.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад

      @@Flaming-Hedgehog Comedy show is the right word. Some people do take chances with their prices. I see it here in South Africa on our classified sites also. People try to sell non-working old radios "for display purposes" at prices that make no sense whatsoever. They usually mention the word "scarce" in their ads 🤣

  • @Flaming-Hedgehog
    @Flaming-Hedgehog 11 дней назад +1

    Curious, what is the major age demographic viewing this channel André? I'm guessing mostly over 50s. Thinking anyone younger wouldn't know what SW is. To many it means South West or on social media Sex Worker and SWL means Safe Working Load.

    • @ashusaini8
      @ashusaini8 10 дней назад +3

      SWL = Short Wave Listening......@

    • @SoWereDoingWhatNow
      @SoWereDoingWhatNow 10 дней назад +2

      @@ashusaini8 You didn't read what he said at all.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад +2

      About 20% of the viewers on my channel are between 18 and 34 years old, there are most definitely younger people who enjoy shortwave listening and know everything about it. The rest of the viewers are all 35 and above.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад +1

      I think Ashu just explained the meaning of SWL for those who don't know.

  • @gorankoilic6571
    @gorankoilic6571 11 дней назад +2

    I bought a FM radio for 3 dollars.

    • @sentul5558
      @sentul5558 11 дней назад +2

      You can buy a radio here (in Indonesia) with FM MW and SW 3.2 MHz to 22.0MHz for around US$ 3.5. Of course it is DSP and they work OK. There are many radios on the market now with the same coverage. I can only assume they are all using the same DSP chip. ... but they are not the radio Andre is asking about.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад +2

      Some radios are very inexpensive. But they don't always work very well, or sound very good. I bought some cheap radios here in South Africa before, and some of them were really terrible. Noisy, bad reception, tinny sound. One must be careful with cheap radios. There are, of course, some good ones. The XHDATA D-220 and D-219 are good examples!

    • @sentul5558
      @sentul5558 10 дней назад +2

      @swlistening Very true, I bought one cheap radio, all works fine, sounds very nice but the SW tuning is out by 2MHz 🙃. They have fiited the wrong value resistor to the chip. There is a simple fix for it in Indonesian on YT. I'll sort it one day .... maybe

    • @gorankoilic6571
      @gorankoilic6571 9 дней назад +1

      @@swlistening The worst radios I bought were in two bluetooth earphones. They can catch only several fm radio stations.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  9 дней назад +1

      @@sentul5558 Maybe not even worth the trouble 🙂

  • @gorankoilic6571
    @gorankoilic6571 11 дней назад +1

    I would not pay 300 dollars for FM and MW radio without shortwave, bluetooth, battery lamp and USB.

    • @sentul5558
      @sentul5558 11 дней назад +2

      you can buy one of those in Indonesia for around USD 20. It will cover FM MW and SW .
      I have one, it works fine. Is it the Bees Knees ? No of course not but it has a lovely sound and is my No1 bluetooth radio.

    • @swlistening
      @swlistening  10 дней назад +1

      I actually like the idea that it is just a radio, no Bluetooth or any other bells and whistles. Just a simple radio. But, yes, I would not pay $300 either.