Part 1 of 2 review of the Sony ICF-SW7600GR LW/MW/FM shortwave radio. This radio will be an upcoming "shootout" show comparing 4 radios you should purchase for your shortwave radio needs.
I had this radio since 2009. Bought the last one in an electronics store in Libya. Very well built like a tank. (Made in Japan). Still SWLing up to this day. I hope it won’t fall apart as I plan to keep it when I am old and grey. Too bad I was not able to keep the box and the power adapter due to the unrest in 2011. Overall been very satisfied with it’s performance.
Thanks I did like your review and I look forward to the forthcoming shootout. I already have a Portable SW receiver and am looking forward to seeing how it does
Thanks for the review. As for the DC adaptor, there are some available made in the 90s that are very good and very cheap. But I prefer to use it with batteries. Nowadays, rechargeable batteries are very reliable and once you have an extra set it will be okay.
Note : Sony once offered an good linear AC adapter which offered almost no electrical interference model was Sony AC-E60HG. They discontinued this model and no longer offer a suitable unit. Most of the newer switched units (as opposed to linear units) are so noisy that the radio is rendered unusable.
Since getting my 7600GR about five years ago I have been impressed by its capabilities. The SYNC is quite effective, though bit of a pain to control it with the switch on the side. Stability of LSB/UBS is quite good, though I have read somewhere about some GRs suffering from capacitor changes that make SSB stability less reliable. My best reception with the 7600GR (which for those who don't recall was the last in the series that started with the original 7600A) was hearing Rwanda on 6.055 khz sitting on the beach in Florida. As we have seen from some comparisons, the 7600GR gives new radios like the PL-880 a run for their money and according to some users, actually comes out on top.
Very informative review. Firstly I'd like to say I'm a new fan\Beginner of shortwave radio listening. I've had a interest for some time but didn't want to go out and buy just anything for my first radio without making reasonably informed decision. This review helped me decide to go with this radio and I have to say that i'm impressed thus far. As my profile name implies I live out here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on Oahu. Lets just say the US Navy made me do it and they couldn't make me leave after I retired from service. I'm still learning about shortwave in general and this radio but I can say its definitely performing as I hoped and even a little bit more. Its definitely very interesting and some of the broadcast frequencies I've picked up using just the telescoping installed antenna. Examples are 15105 Mhz (Voice of North Korea) and 6100 Mhz (Havana Cuba). Thought it was interesting that both of these broadcast in English at least when I caught them in the airwaves. I don't doubt that being out here in the middle of water probably helps. Next is playing around with some antennas to further improve the listening outcome. Aloha Rich
+Rich in Hawaii Hello Rich, I live in the Portland OR area, and have been listening to shortwave off and on for about 30 years. Frequently, English broadcasts actually are re- transmitted from locations outside of the country from which they originate. That way it is easier for the signals to reach their intended audiences. When I listen, I like to listen to Voice of Greece and Radio Kuwait, amongst others. Mahalo!
I bought one but I have found that I do not like the absence of a rotary tuning knob. I is gathering dust in a corner now. I built my first radio , five tubes. Uch43, Uf41, a dou diode triode detector/preamp and a UL81 output. ( I am not sure I remember the numbers right) in 1961. I think that was the one that gave me the greatest joy. It is good only for listening to a few preset channels.
great little radio this, had mine since about 2005. reception very good here in uk. only problem i have had is after about a year, the volume thumb wheel is very scratchy. you can get over this by putting headphones or a speaker in the line out jack, but of course you only have a set volume unless your speaker or headphones have their own volume settings
Tecsun Australia lists the PL880 as 'out of stock' at about US$ 800.- (?). There are 10 in stock on Ebay for US$ 105.99 (NZ$ 143.99). Tested the SONY ICF-7600GR with the OCF external dipole on weather fax so far - steady and printable picture. Off Topic: I have the Digitech AR-1733 AM/FM (no SSB) pocket radio which has good LCD illumination on any button, about US$ 65.-. Has a tuning knob, and proved reliable since last Christmas.
Buying from overseas, the SONY ICF-7600GR was about US$ 30.- more expensive than the Tecsun 880 bought locally. I got the SONY, because I do not want any knobs on a portable that gets dropped into a briefcase, or off the bed. The SONY audio also has a separate socket for weather fax and data into the computer. Checking my JT65 reception, it does not overload without attenuation turned on. I have heaps of external chargers for AA batteries. There is a video suggesting that the Tecsun 880 is less stable than the 660.
For decades I have been using the ICF 7600G, and it got battered a bit. It got dropped too often with the external antenna plugged in, so the antenna socket no longer works. I got the GR last Monday, advertised as used, but it looks like new. It has 100 memories instead of 20. For amateur SSB reception the variable attenuation is preferable to the fixed attenuation. It reproduces my JT65 transmission with fewer inter-modulations than the G. I am looking for the feasability of replacing the existing display LED with the bright varieties now available.
Hi Tom, I have this radio too, since I think something like 10/15 years. Of course, I own better ones now so I don't use it anymore. For the end of the 90's it's a good radio, but there is some bad points. The first is the tuning buttons. Each time I press it, sound is muted. it's very annoying when your are searching for something for listening to. The speaker audio range is very high, need more bass, so it's not very good in my opinion. Notice that I have exactly the same move for the antenna, but I never had to fix it, I think it's made like that...
Long time VHF Ham operator here. My Sony is my first Short Wave radio. Been a decent radio and worth the approx $130 I spent in it. Powered w/ 4 AA batteries and no cords. Printed out www.primetimeshortwave.com/time.txt Sit on comfy couch, extend telescoping antenna, plug in a frequency and listen. Use my flip phone text Signal Report to myself Sit at computer, find broadcaster web site, send report. Have received 5 QSL cards. Antenna got loose and floppy. Used a small phillips screw driver to tighten. Antenna is like new again Next, I want to scan the entire AM band. The Sony has several bands.The Sony will only scan inside of each band, which means I get to sit with the Sony manual and input starter frequency for each band Has me contemplating new radio ti scan without entering stating points
I bought this 7600GR in 2004, and have used it extensively. Where it really shines in when you are interested in Amateur Radio reception on HF bands in SSB. I find this unit to out perform even the most recent Chinese competitors, especially when it comes to adjacent channel interference from other signals close by to the frequency you are listening to. While the unit might have short comings in features and design the receiver itself is OUTSTANDING, and in my opinion better than the latest portable competition from Eton/Grundig, and Tecsun.
@@franciscole3039 Yes it is! I use it almost daily as a bedside unit. Still works well. If you're doesn't work it may be that the electrolytic capacitors have dried out. Try putting the batteries in it fully charged or good alkaline and press on. Press the light lamp button, does it come on? It is possible that once the electrolytic caps get some electrical charge sent though them they might start working again. Press the "on" button repeatedly if no response keep the batteries in and try in some hours might need to keep trying for some days and finally get a surprise.
@@franciscole3039 Great it works out of the box many times when small electronics sit for long periods of time unused it can hurt the performance of those capacitors which are in all electronics. If your's works fine you could end up using it for decades! I don't plan on retiring mine anytime soon. if you have any interest in amateur radio if you tune to the 80/75m bands between 3.600 and 4.000 and switch the SSB selector to LSB ...listen beginning at dark, when you find a signal use the top knurled knob BFO to clarify the sound of the speaker...lots of stations on this band at night, some pretty good conversation too.
I just purchased a Sony SW7600 GR. Good radio although I think my rare Digital read out GE Super Radio does a slightly better job in pulling in the a.m. radio stations on medium wave.compared to the Sony
Hi! I own one of these new in the box. I’ve used it sparingly over the years. Starting to use it at night in bed with headphones more often. How long should we his radio last? Any maintenance?
Hi..I am Deniz from Turkey..I have a small question. When I plug in a extarnal antenna jack fm is off.There is no sound.But other bands is on..Is this a ptoblem or normal? Thanks
From the manual "Do not connect external antennas other than those recommended to the AM EXT ANT jack. This jack outputs DC voltage for antenna power supply." Sony sold a special antenna for this radio.
It is a good radio but there are few things to know... 1. Its Shortwave sensitivity is not quite that of the Kaito Ka1103 and Tecsun PL660 receivers (somewhat compensated for with sync detector) 2. It is not worthwhile to buy the AC adaptor 3. Single sideband mode, while very sensitive is not easy to tune 4. The audio on this model is mediocre (ear buds and through internal speaker) 5. Even though this is a dual conversion receiver, the image rejection on this receiver is awful. 6. The tune keys wear out over time (get spongy) Other than this, the 7600GR is a good, easy to use, sensitive receiver that performs well on all bands, including longwave.
Dear Hamrad88, I live in India and got this radio ICF SW7600GR from US. I would like to listen to Shortwave bands like Voice of America (VOA) and BBC etc. I am not able to get this. May be I am not doing it correclty. Can you please guide me how to proceed? Thanks in Advance. Vamsi.M
I have owned this radio for a few months. My only complaint is with the scan feature while using shortwave. It will only scan the stations within one bandwidth. It makes it VERY FRUSTRATING to scan the entire range of shortwave bands like other radios can do. I almost never hear or read anyone mention this in online reviews. Am I missing something?? Any feedback from anyone would be appreciated. Thanks.
Thanks for your response. I find it to be a solid, well bulit radio but not user friendly at all. I also dont like how the backlight for the display shuts off after 5 seconds or so, even if you are still pushing buttons. That combined with the scan feature being as it is, it makes it very difficult to use at night in the dark to listen to shortwave.
I put a small white LED in this afternoon: th-cam.com/video/a9zjmg1AWQ4/w-d-xo.html . It worked first time, and it works still, four hours later! Compared WWH on 10 MHz with my TS-570S. Just identifiable on the whip - not strong enough to set the time by, but no worse than the Kenwood on OCF dipole.
I have owned this radio in the past so here are my negatives & positives: Negs: - FM not suitable for DXing, filter is way too wide - Shortwave has too much background noise. More modern radios like the Eton E5 / Degen DE1103, & Tecsun PL-660 have equal sensitivty & have much better audible quality. - No tuning dial, using the keys is not very efficient for manually scanning the bands - Sync Detector is not as good as the Sony ICF 2001 D / 2010, or even the Tecsun PL-660. Loses Sync very easily compared to others. Pros: - LW & MW have nice reception. LW on Sony's perform better when using the internal ferrite bar compared to other brand portables - Excellent build quality. The most solid portable radio I have used so far - Sensitive on SW, although the likes of the Degens, Tecsuns I have mentioned before can match this easily Overall I would recommend this more for MW & LW DXing. But if you want a Sony that has good all round performance, sound & a better working Sync Detector, go for the ICF 2001 D / 2010. I look forward to the performance comparison video. Thumbs up.
I had this radio since 2009. Bought the last one in an electronics store in Libya. Very well built like a tank. (Made in Japan). Still SWLing up to this day. I hope it won’t fall apart as I plan to keep it when I am old and grey. Too bad I was not able to keep the box and the power adapter due to the unrest in 2011. Overall been very satisfied with it’s performance.
Thanks for your comments.
hamrad88 Thanks for this review! I enjoyed watching it. I hope to see more and all the best to your channel. You have a new subscriber here😉
awesome. Thanks for joining.
I have mine for 9 years. great little shortwave and really pulls in the distant AM stations well
Agree and thanks for your comment.
Tom
Hi Tom. Great info, Thank you for sharing and take care.
Bobby
You are welcome, Bobbie.
Tom
I want this radio so bad.... Thanks for bringing it to the show
You are welcome.
Tom
Thanks I did like your review and I look forward to the forthcoming shootout. I already have a Portable SW receiver and am looking forward to seeing how it does
Thanks for your comments.
Tom
Thanks for the review. As for the DC adaptor, there are some available made in the 90s that are very good and very cheap. But I prefer to use it with batteries. Nowadays, rechargeable batteries are very reliable and once you have an extra set it will be okay.
+Julio Cesar Pereira Thanks for your comments.
Note : Sony once offered an good linear AC adapter which offered almost no electrical interference model was Sony AC-E60HG. They discontinued this model and no longer offer a suitable unit. Most of the newer switched units (as opposed to linear units) are so noisy that the radio is rendered unusable.
Thanks for the info.
Tom
Place note the address of supplier gmail.
mahadevaiahkm@gmail.com
Since getting my 7600GR about five years ago I have been impressed by its capabilities. The SYNC is quite effective, though bit of a pain to control it with the switch on the side. Stability of LSB/UBS is quite good, though I have read somewhere about some GRs suffering from capacitor changes that make SSB stability less reliable. My best reception with the 7600GR (which for those who don't recall was the last in the series that started with the original 7600A) was hearing Rwanda on 6.055 khz sitting on the beach in Florida. As we have seen from some comparisons, the 7600GR gives new radios like the PL-880 a run for their money and according to some users, actually comes out on top.
Thanks for your comments.
Tom
Very informative review. Firstly I'd like to say I'm a new fan\Beginner of shortwave radio listening. I've had a interest for some time but didn't want to go out and buy just anything for my first radio without making reasonably informed decision. This review helped me decide to go with this radio and I have to say that i'm impressed thus far. As my profile name implies I live out here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on Oahu. Lets just say the US Navy made me do it and they couldn't make me leave after I retired from service.
I'm still learning about shortwave in general and this radio but I can say its definitely performing as I hoped and even a little bit more. Its definitely very interesting and some of the broadcast frequencies I've picked up using just the telescoping installed antenna. Examples are 15105 Mhz (Voice of North Korea) and 6100 Mhz (Havana Cuba). Thought it was interesting that both of these broadcast in English at least when I caught them in the airwaves. I don't doubt that being out here in the middle of water probably helps. Next is playing around with some antennas to further improve the listening outcome.
Aloha Rich
+Rich in Hawaii Thanks for your comments. Please some of my latest shows on simple antennas that will help a lot.
+Rich in Hawaii Hello Rich, I live in the Portland OR area, and have been listening to shortwave off and on for about 30 years. Frequently, English broadcasts actually are re- transmitted from locations outside of the country from which they originate. That way it is easier for the signals to reach their intended audiences. When I listen, I like to listen to Voice of Greece and Radio Kuwait, amongst others. Mahalo!
Rich in Hawaii
I bought one but I have found that I do not like the absence of a rotary tuning knob. I is gathering dust in a corner now.
I built my first radio , five tubes. Uch43, Uf41, a dou diode triode detector/preamp and a UL81 output. ( I am not sure I remember the numbers right) in 1961. I think that was the one that gave me the greatest joy. It is good only for listening to a few preset channels.
+Azzy M I know it takes getting use to not having a tuning knob. Cool on your first radio.
Azzy M
great little radio this, had mine since about 2005. reception very good here in uk. only problem i have had is after about a year, the volume thumb wheel is very scratchy. you can get over this by putting headphones or a speaker in the line out jack, but of course you only have a set volume unless your speaker or headphones have their own volume settings
Thanks for the comments.
Tom
Tecsun Australia lists the PL880 as 'out of stock' at about US$ 800.- (?). There are 10 in stock on Ebay for US$ 105.99 (NZ$ 143.99). Tested the SONY ICF-7600GR with the OCF external dipole on weather fax so far - steady and printable picture. Off Topic: I have the Digitech AR-1733 AM/FM (no SSB) pocket radio which has good LCD illumination on any button, about US$ 65.-. Has a tuning knob, and proved reliable since last Christmas.
Buying from overseas, the SONY ICF-7600GR was about US$ 30.- more expensive than the Tecsun 880 bought locally. I got the SONY, because I do not want any knobs on a portable that gets dropped into a briefcase, or off the bed. The SONY audio also has a separate socket for weather fax and data into the computer. Checking my JT65 reception, it does not overload without attenuation turned on. I have heaps of external chargers for AA batteries. There is a video suggesting that the Tecsun 880 is less stable than the 660.
I have tested to models of the 880 and neither had good SSB reception. It now gathers dust on the shelf where the 680 (not 660) is used all the time.
Henry Falkner
Toms radio room your utube videos are cool
Hello Tom. I sent a comment yesterday with my mini-review of this radio. Did you receive it? Regards, mutezone.
For decades I have been using the ICF 7600G, and it got battered a bit. It got dropped too often with the external antenna plugged in, so the antenna socket no longer works. I got the GR last Monday, advertised as used, but it looks like new. It has 100 memories instead of 20. For amateur SSB reception the variable attenuation is preferable to the fixed attenuation. It reproduces my JT65 transmission with fewer inter-modulations than the G. I am looking for the feasability of replacing the existing display LED with the bright varieties now available.
Sound like an interesting project. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Tom, I have this radio too, since I think something like 10/15 years. Of course, I own better ones now so I don't use it anymore. For the end of the 90's it's a good radio, but there is some bad points.
The first is the tuning buttons. Each time I press it, sound is muted. it's very annoying when your are searching for something for listening to. The speaker audio range is very high, need more bass, so it's not very good in my opinion.
Notice that I have exactly the same move for the antenna, but I never had to fix it, I think it's made like that...
Thanks for your comments.
Tom
Long time VHF Ham operator here. My Sony is my first Short Wave radio. Been a decent radio and worth the approx $130 I spent in it. Powered w/ 4 AA batteries and no cords. Printed out www.primetimeshortwave.com/time.txt Sit on comfy couch, extend telescoping antenna, plug in a frequency and listen. Use my flip phone text Signal Report to myself Sit at computer, find broadcaster web site, send report. Have received 5 QSL cards. Antenna got loose and floppy. Used a small phillips screw driver to tighten. Antenna is like new again
Next, I want to scan the entire AM band. The Sony has several bands.The Sony will only scan inside of each band, which means I get to sit with the Sony manual and input starter frequency for each band Has me contemplating new radio ti scan without entering stating points
Thanks for the info.
Tom
I have one of these new in the box. I just took it out yesterday. Nice radio. Do you guys feel this will last a long time?
Yes?
Yes it will
I bought this 7600GR in 2004, and have used it extensively.
Where it really shines in when you are interested in Amateur Radio reception on HF bands in SSB. I find this unit to out perform even the most recent Chinese competitors, especially when it comes to adjacent channel interference from other signals close by to the frequency you are listening to. While the unit might have short comings in features and design the receiver itself is
OUTSTANDING, and in my opinion better than the latest portable competition from Eton/Grundig, and Tecsun.
I just opened mine up. I had it stashed away new in box. Is yours still working
@@franciscole3039 Yes it is! I use it almost daily as a bedside unit. Still works well. If you're doesn't work it may be that the electrolytic capacitors have dried out. Try putting the batteries in it fully charged or good alkaline and press on. Press the light lamp button, does it come on? It is possible that once the electrolytic caps get some electrical charge sent though them they might start working again. Press the "on" button repeatedly if no response keep the batteries in and try in some hours might need to keep trying for some days and finally get a surprise.
watershed44 mine does work!! I was just asking if I could expect some good use out of this radio. I enjoyed listening to it last night.
@@franciscole3039 Great it works out of the box many times when small electronics sit for long periods of time unused it can hurt the performance of those capacitors which are in all electronics. If your's works fine you could end up using it for decades! I don't plan on retiring mine anytime soon. if you have any interest in amateur radio if you tune to the 80/75m bands between 3.600 and 4.000 and switch the SSB selector to LSB ...listen beginning at dark, when you find a signal use the top knurled knob BFO to clarify the sound of the speaker...lots of stations on this band at night, some pretty good conversation too.
watershed44 it seems to be working. Hopefully it’s ok! Thanks for the tip!
I just purchased a Sony SW7600 GR. Good radio although I think my rare Digital read out GE
Super Radio does a slightly better job in pulling in the a.m. radio stations on medium wave.compared to the Sony
Bill Wolverton I agree the Super Radio is great for AM.
Toms radio room your Sony ICF SW 7600 mw lw fm SW ssb 5 bands receiver is cool
Toms radio room iam thinking about getting the Sony icf SW 7600 GR
Mw lw fm SW ssb 5 bands receiver is cool
Hi! I own one of these new in the box. I’ve used it sparingly over the years. Starting to use it at night in bed with headphones more often. How long should we his radio last? Any maintenance?
Should last a lifetime. No maintenance required.
Hi..I am Deniz from Turkey..I have a small question. When I plug in a extarnal antenna jack fm is off.There is no sound.But other bands is on..Is this a ptoblem or normal? Thanks
From the manual "Do not connect external antennas other than those recommended to
the AM EXT ANT jack. This jack outputs DC voltage for antenna power supply." Sony sold a special antenna for this radio.
Can someone plz say if 7600GR has better reception as compared to 7600G (old model) ?
I have 7600G. Is it worth to go for a GR model ?
21:25 press the backlight button twice to get it to stay on
Thanks
I am looking at purchasing this radio and found the evaluation fair and objective.
Thank you for watching.
It is a good radio but there are few things to know...
1. Its Shortwave sensitivity is not quite that of the Kaito Ka1103 and Tecsun PL660 receivers (somewhat compensated for with sync detector)
2. It is not worthwhile to buy the AC adaptor
3. Single sideband mode, while very sensitive is not easy to tune
4. The audio on this model is mediocre (ear buds and through internal speaker)
5. Even though this is a dual conversion receiver, the image rejection on this receiver is awful.
6. The tune keys wear out over time (get spongy)
Other than this, the 7600GR is a good, easy to use, sensitive receiver that performs well on all bands, including longwave.
Aaron Hyde +
Dear Hamrad88, I live in India and got this radio ICF SW7600GR from US. I would like to listen to Shortwave bands like Voice of America (VOA) and BBC etc. I am not able to get this. May be I am not doing it correclty. Can you please guide me how to proceed? Thanks in Advance. Vamsi.M
+M Cheers Best way for me to help you is via emails. Please email your question to trrs73@gmail.com and I will try to help you.
I have owned this radio for a few months. My only complaint is with the scan feature while using shortwave. It will only scan the stations within one bandwidth. It makes it VERY FRUSTRATING to scan the entire range of shortwave bands like other radios can do. I almost never hear or read anyone mention this in online reviews. Am I missing something?? Any feedback from anyone would be appreciated. Thanks.
My experience and the manual reflects what you have stated.
Tom
Thanks for your response. I find it to be a solid, well bulit radio but not user friendly at all. I also dont like how the backlight for the display shuts off after 5 seconds or so, even if you are still pushing buttons. That combined with the scan feature being as it is, it makes it very difficult to use at night in the dark to listen to shortwave.
Mike A-str
I put a small white LED in this afternoon: th-cam.com/video/a9zjmg1AWQ4/w-d-xo.html . It worked first time, and it works still, four hours later! Compared WWH on 10 MHz with my TS-570S. Just identifiable on the whip - not strong enough to set the time by, but no worse than the Kenwood on OCF dipole.
Thanks for your comments.
what did you do with Mrs. Finger?
LOL
I have owned this radio in the past so here are my negatives & positives:
Negs:
- FM not suitable for DXing, filter is way too wide
- Shortwave has too much background noise. More modern radios like the Eton E5 / Degen DE1103, & Tecsun PL-660 have equal sensitivty & have much better audible quality.
- No tuning dial, using the keys is not very efficient for manually scanning the bands
- Sync Detector is not as good as the Sony ICF 2001 D / 2010, or even the Tecsun PL-660. Loses Sync very easily compared to others.
Pros:
- LW & MW have nice reception. LW on Sony's perform better when using the internal ferrite bar compared to other brand portables
- Excellent build quality. The most solid portable radio I have used so far
- Sensitive on SW, although the likes of the Degens, Tecsuns I have mentioned before can match this easily
Overall I would recommend this more for MW & LW DXing. But if you want a Sony that has good all round performance, sound & a better working Sync Detector, go for the ICF 2001 D / 2010. I look forward to the performance comparison video. Thumbs up.
Mad Radiol