Couple of new to me radios

[Blueliner]

Picked up two new radios that work just fine except for the usual volume and band select switch scratchiness.
Radio Shack Patrolman SW-60 and a GE Super Radio II model 7-2885-F. Aside from some cleaning needed, they appear to be working just fine.
Will likely put one in the shop/barn the other maybe the garage. Signal strengths at my location are poor to fair depending on the stations. The GE may get a hook up to an outdoor antenna. I have a Par End-Fedz outdoor and wonder if that would help bring in more MW AM stations. Will need to do some work to restring it higher.

Anyone have thoughts on these two for general AM or some SW listening?

 

[mmckenna]

The GE Super Radios are pretty well respected as good AM broadcast DX radios. The go for a pretty healthy sum on e-bay.

Those old Patrolman radios were a lot of fun back in the day.

Good score, enjoy them.

 

[RufusDawes]

Super Radio II is an AM Dxing beast, will compete with the best of today's DSP radios like the current Dxing champ Qosoden 286... there is a guy out there who restores this radio, recaps and and replaces the filter... I had him work on mine and the outcome was outstanding... also, the sound from this radio is fantastic, one of the best sounding portables I own. Let me know if you want his contact info.

 

[PACNWDude]

I keep a GE Super Radio III at my desk at work (since I do not want to leave a much better Super Radio or super Radio II) where it could get swiped. But, even the newest III has decent AM reception, just not on par with the original and second model. Great radios when you find them, especially if someone who is not into radio is getting rid of them. I have never paid over ~$35 for any of them.

I have been to the website for the guy that restores them, even putting a sticker on the speaker like they did when new.....I prefer mine with some "character" from use though.

 

[D31245]

I have a Superradio II as well. Love the large speaker. Knobs are a bit scratchy but radio is still functional.

Don’t DX much with it. Relegated to the basement playing tunes as I do laundry.

 

[pjxii]

Picked up two new radios that work just fine except for the usual volume and band select switch scratchiness.
Radio Shack Patrolman SW-60 and a GE Super Radio II model 7-2885-F. Aside from some cleaning needed, they appear to be working just fine.
Will likely put one in the shop/barn the other maybe the garage. Signal strengths at my location are poor to fair depending on the stations. The GE may get a hook up to an outdoor antenna. I have a Par End-Fedz outdoor and wonder if that would help bring in more MW AM stations. Will need to do some work to restring it higher.

Anyone have thoughts on these two for general AM or some SW listening?

Nice pickup, you got two good radios. The Patrolman SW-60 seems like one that many of us had back in the day, just a nice all band portable. Unfortunately shortwave broadcasting has dropped off immensely since then. If it had SSB capability it would be far more useful today but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy bandscanning, just don't expect to find much more than the religious broadcasters, although Voice of Turkey still puts out a useable signal in the evening if you enjoy the music (I sure do).
The public service agencies (police and fire) have just about all gone to a different system but tune around and see if any airport or railroad traffic comes in. Try DXing the NOAA weather stations, you might be able to receive them on more than one frequency depending on where the transmitters are.

The Super Radio II was the best of the line. Might as well experiment with adding a wire to the external antenna terminal, they put one there! Let us know how it turns out.

 

[ditto1958]

Thanks for this thread. Nice radios!

Somewhere I have an old AM/FM GE radio from about 1985. Last I checked it still worked well.