HNRD!
You probably googled the classic problems by now but anyway, I had 2 of the classics in mine - first the input FET didn't like a nearby lightning stroke (AFAIK later models are better protected?) so the radio needed a hearing aid (a big antenna), then the speaker went mute (forgot what the problem was) and the radio needed an external audio amplifier. Among all the portables I had or tried back then, it did cope best with a 100/50kW MW station 10km away and I remember being incredibly happy when I finally got one in the 90s.
Yep know of all the classic faults. I even have some spare
original FET transistors just in case. But the radio is only
going under the soldering iron if there is a catastrophic
failure then I have nothing to lose.
So if one or two direct entry buttons don't work or the
back light does not work it's not worth the risk to take
it a part and fix it for the reason mentioned below.
The Sony ICF-2010 is easy enough to work on it is the
dreaded dried out paper thin ribbon cable. You just look
at it and rips in half. Then it is game over.
I have a trick I would use, I would use the thicker type clear
packing tape to reinforce the ribbon cable on just one
side before removal that way it can't rip.
Here is someone that learned the hard way and is was not me.
