Quality of the RCA Super Radio.

Status
Not open for further replies.

RUSHFAN

Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
40
Hey gents,
Need some info. After some research,I found out the GE discontinued their version of the GE Super Radio,
and was bought out by RCA which simply rebranded the same radio. Just wanted to know if anyone out there owns the RCA version of the Super Radio,since I'm thinking of purchasing one and want to make sure I'm not making a huge mistake.
As always,any info is always appreciated!
Thanks,
RUSH
 

E-Man

Completely Banned for the Greater Good
Banned
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
Messages
841
Location
Global
I would only purchase this radio on Amazon.com, they have a great return policy.
 

Boombox

Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2012
Messages
1,366
Hey gents,
Need some info. After some research,I found out the GE discontinued their version of the GE Super Radio,
and was bought out by RCA which simply rebranded the same radio. Just wanted to know if anyone out there owns the RCA version of the Super Radio,since I'm thinking of purchasing one and want to make sure I'm not making a huge mistake.
As always,any info is always appreciated!
Thanks,
RUSH

I do not have an RCA version of the Superadio, but I have a GE Superadio 3. The Superadio 3 used a potentiometer in the tuning circuit instead of a variable capacitor. On some SR3 models (and most of the bad reports I've read referred to the RCA SR3), the potentiometers were on the cheap side, and made tuning the AM band a bit difficult.

I have read a couple user reviews of the RCA SR3 that were positive, though -- but most reviews I've read have been negative. If I were in your shoes I'd look for an older GE SR3, or even an GE SR1 or 2.
 

greeer57

Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2013
Messages
17
Location
Manassas, VA
I have read somewhere that after the GE Superadio III became RCA, the circuitry inside the radio has changed and its RF performance declined as a result. The amount of negative reviews on Amazon had risen because of that. I have a GE (not RCA or Optimus) Superadio III that has been a good radio except for the weird noise on 910 kHz and a GE Superadio II that hears distant AMs during the day just a little bit better and is quieter.
 

KC4RAF

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2006
Messages
1,579
Location
Davenport,Fl.- home to me and the gators and the s
Had one of the GE Super Radios

a few years back and it was a darn good buy. What I've heard since RCA took over that radio, is down hill fast! Try to hang around eBay, or other places for the rare opportunity of the GE going on the selling block. As a matter of fact eBay has some now for sale; some are hitting the top dollar mark though!!!
 

flythunderbird

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Oct 1, 2012
Messages
988
Location
Grid square EM99fh
As a matter of fact eBay has some now for sale; some are hitting the top dollar mark though!!!

I remember seeing one in particular on there a couple of years ago, a SR2 new-in-the-box ... selling price, $300!

confused0052.gif
 

Boombox

Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2012
Messages
1,366
I have read somewhere that after the GE Superadio III became RCA, the circuitry inside the radio has changed and its RF performance declined as a result. The amount of negative reviews on Amazon had risen because of that. I have a GE (not RCA or Optimus) Superadio III that has been a good radio except for the weird noise on 910 kHz and a GE Superadio II that hears distant AMs during the day just a little bit better and is quieter.

From what I understand the circuitry didn't change when RCA took over the SR3, but the quality of the parts changed (and possibly the quality control). The GE SR3 uses a potentiometer for tuning, as opposed to a variable capacitor. In later GE SR3 runs, and in the RCA SR3's, some of the tuning potentiometers weren't very stable.

PS, the weird noise you hear on 910 khz is the image of the radio's IF (455 x 2). Mine also has it near 910. My SR3 works a bit better than an SR2, mainly because of the audio processing. I happened to get a really good one. Some of the SR3s were really good, and some of them weren't as good -- it depended on the radio.
 

greeer57

Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2013
Messages
17
Location
Manassas, VA
Hmmm. that makes sense. It figured the noise on 910 has to do with the 455.
Recently, I have noticed that there were A through F suffixes on the Superadio II model numbers, as I had paid attention only to the "Superadio I, II, III" names. My Superadio III is the 7-2887B (the B version) and my Superadio II is the 2885C made in Hong Kong. I saw on Ebay that some sellers of SRII claim the 7-2885F had some improvements over the earlier SRII's. But I think the build quality on the II may have worsened and the 7-2885F was made in China instead of Hong Kong. So al this makes me wonder how the SRIII 7-2885B compared to the A version and the 2885C compared to the other versions of the Superadio IIs, in terms of RF performance. I found practically no info online about it.
 

flythunderbird

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Oct 1, 2012
Messages
988
Location
Grid square EM99fh
I saw on Ebay that some sellers of SRII claim the 7-2885F had some improvements over the earlier SRII's. But I think the build quality on the II may have worsened and the 7-2885F was made in China instead of Hong Kong.

That's very interesting. My 7-2885F was made in Malaysia ... had no idea that GE built them in China.
 

pathalogical

Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2005
Messages
1,305
Location
Toronto, Canada
There's a local store here, y'know the type "Cash for your used goods, but we won't ask you why your gently used car stereo has screw driver scratch marks all over it !" had two GE SR iii on the shelf, I heard about them here and that's why it caught my eyes. I was tempted to buy one. The boxes looked like they were heavily rained on at some point. That scared me as to what the radio might look like inside and I didn't ask the clerk if I could see one out of the box. Went back a couple weeks later to see if they were still on the shelf but they were gone. They were $40 each !!!
 

Boombox

Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2012
Messages
1,366
My SR3 is a 2887A, made in China. From what I understand, the only change made to the actual circuitry to the Superadio III was the FM section. In the earlier ones there were discrete transistors in the FM RF section. Some time during the middle of production they changed to an FM front end IC chip.

This site has excellent info on all three Superadio models, as well as a few Superadio clones. The guy who put it together is a Superadio expert, and on this site you'll learn all you can know about Superadios:
The GE Superadio Tech Page

Section of site devoted to the Superadio III:
The GE Superadio 3 Tech Page
 

Boombox

Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2012
Messages
1,366
Hmmm. that makes sense. It figured the noise on 910 has to do with the 455.
Recently, I have noticed that there were A through F suffixes on the Superadio II model numbers, as I had paid attention only to the "Superadio I, II, III" names. My Superadio III is the 7-2887B (the B version) and my Superadio II is the 2885C made in Hong Kong. I saw on Ebay that some sellers of SRII claim the 7-2885F had some improvements over the earlier SRII's. But I think the build quality on the II may have worsened and the 7-2885F was made in China instead of Hong Kong. So al this makes me wonder how the SRIII 7-2885B compared to the A version and the 2885C compared to the other versions of the Superadio IIs, in terms of RF performance. I found practically no info online about it.

A bit to add to the info here, as I have an SR2 F, made in China in 1991. Up until recently I used it as a kitchen radio, and had not used much for DXing until the last week or so. A couple days ago I compared it side by side with a SR1 (1981) and SR3 (1995).

My Chinese built SR2 is pretty robust, as my cat knocked it off the top of the refrigerator and you can't even tell it hit the floor. Still works fine. Only 'repair' I had to do was straighten the tines on the AC plug, which were bent before the radio the floor.

As to performance, my SR2 works very well; overall it's a hair more selective than my SR1 -- less splash from adjacent channels -- and as good or better for DXing than my SR3 (no whistle on 1340, very reduced whistle on 910). It has better noise reduction than my SR1. More fidelity than the SR3, especially through headphones. Smoother audio through headphones than the SR1. Some of these differences may just be the way the radios were aligned from the factory.

RE: overall lack of specific info on the SR2 models: You're right, there isn't that much info on the differences between the A, B, C, D, E, and F models -- even on the Yahoo GE Superadio group, the info is sort of incomplete. The stereo headphone jack was apparently added during the C or D model. And production switched to China at some point (obviously during the F model or earlier).
 

k9rzz

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Messages
3,162
Location
Milwaukee, WI
For FM dx - swap out the single ceramic IF filter for a 110khz jobber (Murata or SNR). Selectivity is SO much better. I can now listen to 104.9 WTKM, Harford, WI 35 miles north of me when before the mod it was completely swamped by 104.7 15 miles south of me. HEAVEN!
 

mrvan89

Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2014
Messages
13
Location
Memphis
I still have my orig. GE Super Radio model 7-2880B made in Hong Kong. It's like new only 1 scratch on front, never had battries stored in it. This is best radio for AM Dx'ing I found over the years. Yes, I am the origional owner. It's in mint condition. They are worth the money if you can find a nice unit.
 

majoco

Stirrer
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
4,278
Location
New Zealand
My SRll has a"C" suffix and is made in China - as new condition on our local auction site - don't remember what I paid, ISTR about NZ$60 say US$50. Goes very well - very sensitive on the FM band.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top