Siemens E566

The Siemens 566 is a professional German radio receiver from 1957. It covers from 14 kHz up to 30.3 MHz in 12 segments, selectable through a keyboard to the left of the front panel.
It has double or triple conversion, depending on the band, and it receives CW and AM. SSB reception is possible on the CW position, by adjusting the RF gain control.
It has a magic eye as a signal strength indicator, and a dial resolution of 1 kHz thanks to a band spread system that is controlled through a second tuning knob. The band spread arrangement allows 1 kHz resolution in segments of 100 kHz each. It has a calibrator that allows the operator to zero bat the receiver accurately at the beginning of each 100 kHz segment.
It is big and heavy (about 35 kg), and it is a joy to use. The sound comes out through a small speaker on the upper right part of the front panel, and the quality is amazing given the size of the speaker.
This receiver was widely used by many countries in merchant and navy ships, as well as in ground stations. It has a well deserved reputation for excellent sensitivity, selectivity and stability, and that explains its longevity. It was still in use in many ships well into the 1970s.
Mine came from Germany, and didn't work. It went through a long restoration process, and it works extremely well now.
I very much like the colourful dial, which gave this receiver its nickname of "rainbow" or "peacock tail". Beauty is indeed a very subjective thing, but many consider the E566 as one of the most beautiful professional radios ever made.
I was playing with it last night and casually listening here and there, especially on the 31m band and on medium wave. Hope you will enjoy this.

[@user-ji7jy6dr8l]

Very nice video of a classic Post-War German communication receiver. The build quality, user interface and overall performance of these receivers in most ways rivals essentially all US-made communications receivers.
The band switching systems in particular, of most high-end post-war German receivers were incredibly robust and reliable, rivaling the best American receivers such as the Hammarlund SP-600, Collins 51-J and 51-S series, etc.
The tuning configuration and user-interface of this Siemens E566 receiver is wonderful.
It could be argued that the Siemens E566 is, functionally, and in *most* other ways, superior to essentially all 1950s and 1960s American and British HF receivers, including the Collins R-390A, Racal RA17 and Mackay Marine 3010 series.

[@jonglei]

Thanks for your comment! The E566 is indeed a wonderful receiver, and because it was so widely used in the merchant navy for so many years, it’s not too difficult to find one in the auction sites, and it usually sells for way less than the great American receivers you mention in your comment. BTW I also have a Collins R390A I am totally in love with. 73!

[@624radicalham]

FANTASTIC! Just fantastic. It's like being there in Europe listening to what your antenna picks up (very different from what we hear in America most nights) and absorbing the elegant instrumentation of this classic Siemens ... which looks like a space age lab instrument!

[@624radicalham]

Also I have ALWAYS loved the little speaker on the right. Looks incredible. These are the radios I would own. Compliments on your taste my friend!

[@texnik8885]

Super!

[@kamilsp7fll]

Hello, what kind of antenna is feeding the receiver at this time ?

[@jonglei]

Hello Kamil! It was a 5 element yagi amateur radio antenna (10 - 40 m), about 12 meters over the ground.