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Sony ICF-5900W multi band radio AM FM PSB

Posted by admin on October 5, 2011 in Best of 2010 Scanners, Radio Frequencies, Radio scanners sale, Sony radio, Wide Band Scanners, Wide Range Radios with No Comments

Sony ICF-5900W multi band radio AM FM PSB he Sony ICF-5900W portable receiver covers AM, FM 76-108 MHz and shortwave in three bands: 3.9-10, 11.7-20 and 20 - 28 MHz. This quality, dual conversion receiver features a built in crystal calibrator for improved frequency accuracy plus separate bass and treble controls. There is also a meter for tuning/battery. A BFO facilitates reception of SSB and Morse code. The rear panel has antenna terminals.

Operation is from three C cells (not supplied), or external 4.5 VDC or supplied AC-110 AC adapter. There are output jacks for multiplex, headphones and for tape recorder. There is also an external timer input jack for activation of the radio from an external timer. 8.75 x 9.25 x 4 inches.

Sony ICF-5900W multi band radio AM FM PSB

Country: Japan
Manufacturer/Brand: Sony; Tokyo
Year: 1975 Type: Radio - or past WW2 tuner
Semiconductors (the count is only for transistors) Semiconductors present.
Principle Superhet, double/triple conversion; IF-Freq 10700/455 kHz
Wave bands Broadcast, more than 2 SW bands plus FM.
Power type and voltage Dry Batteries
Loudspeaker Permanent Magnet Dynamic (PDyn) Loudspeaker (moving coil) / Ø 10 cm = 3.9 inch
Power out 1.9 W
from Radiomuseum.org Model: ICF-5900W
Material Modern plastics (no Bakelite or Catalin)
Shape Portable, e.g. Portable Radio (with or without mains > 8 inch).
Dimensions (WHD) 220 x 230 x 100 mm / 8.7 x 9.1 x 3.9 inch
Notes Sony ICF-5900W;
Coverage vhf-fm, mw, sw in three bands:
3.9 - 10.0 MHz,
11.7 - 20.0 MHz,
& 20.0 - 28.0 MHz,
am, ssb (bfo), crystal calibrator 250 kHz; wadley loop.

Sony ICF-5900W multi band radio AM FM PSB I bought my 5900W in 1978 and I still own and use it. It is a great receiver. After reading the review in the World Radio TV Hanbook I was uncertain among the Panasonic RF-2200 and the 5900W, but after looking at them in the shop I chose the Sony. At the time it was a real breakthrough. The Barlow Wadley XCR30 was superior but also more expensive. At the time I was an active SWL listener and I used it a lot especially on the 60 mb. The only drawback for me was the absence of 120 and 90 m bands. It was (for those years) reasonably compact and light. I put in a better filter to increase the selectivity. Now after more than 30 years it still operates flawlessly and I switch it on at least once a day.

Sony ICF-5900W multi band radio AM FM PSB Excellent analog portable. I have several different make/model high end Japanese analog portables and this one rates at the top with it's direct competitor, the Panasonic RF-2200. Sound quality is good on AM/SW and great on FM. Sensitivity of this set is outstanding considering it's intended price range & use. The band spread is a big plus with this set. Allows for precise tuning as far as analog receivers go. I fully aligned mine and was rewarded with a very accurate dial/freq calibration. It uses 3 D cell batteries that seem to last forever in this set. It's light handy and easy to use. The BFO is actually fairly stable for what it is. At room temp I rarely have to "touch" up the band spread for spot on SSB reception. Remember, this is a dual conversion set like it's competition the RF-2200. No images to speak of and selectivity is very good. No actual specs but my ear tells me all I need to know. Nab one while they're still readily available.

Around 1976, this analog receiver (and its major competition, the Panasonic RF-2200) caused a sensation in the SWL world, by offering fairly accurate frequency selection in a portable radio. In today's culture of digital radios, it's easy to forget what a breakthrough this was, at the time.
I was fortunate to purchase both the ICF-5900W and the RF-2200 in 1976, and had the chance to test them out in all conditions, during the jammer-infested days of the Cold War. The performance of the two radios was very similar, and both of them had very good Medium Wave, FM, AM and SSB reception. The RF-2200 had a slight edge in audio quality and battery run-time, but the ICF-5900W was my favorite because of its portability (significantly smaller and lighter than the Panasonic, an important point for someone in the Navy, like me). I still have the ICF-5900W, and it works just as well today as it did in 1976. (The RF-2200, on the other hand, was loaned to a ham friend, who apparently ended up selling it on eBay...) In summary, if you can find either one of these fine analog portables in good condition, they will provide you with solid, reliable performance for decades!

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