I recently found my cool little pocket sized Sony ICF-4910 that I bought when I was a kid from money made delivering newspapers. It looks almost perfect cosmetically but would not power up initially. I eventually got it to work with the 3V adapter and now works with AA batteries as well. FM works perfect. AM is very good even with distant station. Shortwave has noise & static but will not receive any stations even the strong ones like WWV. It’s not an antenna issue. I tried the whip antenna first but they clipped on my 50 ft longwire & I only pick up strong harmonics from local MW stations. It was a great performer back in the day especially of shortwave bands between 5 and 16 mhz. Any idea on what could be the cause of this problem?
Sony ICF-4910 AM/FM/SW Shortwave Not Working
- Thread starter SatHunter
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You didn't mention how many years ago was "back in the day", but one potential problem you're experiencing could simply be bad propagation. WWV doesn't come in as well where I live as it did even 6 years ago. When the sunspot cycle dipped starting around 2017, it really caused SW prop to dive big time. There are some nights I barely hear WWV. Before 2016 that practically never happened.
If you have this issue reoccurring over several nights in a week, it might be the radio. But if you've just noticed it over one night or two, it could be prop.
If you have this issue reoccurring over several nights in a week, it might be the radio. But if you've just noticed it over one night or two, it could be prop.
Back in the day was around 30 years ago. It worked again as recently as 2014 when shortwave was working but it had the power issues I mentioned. Side by side with my Sangean, 3 Tecson’s, 2 Radiwow sets and a newly acquired Xdata the Sony is a dead duck.
I had about 2 dozen moderate to very strong signals on each of the radios whereas the Sony just has a hum with a stray signal from a medium wave am station on 620 KHZ from a transmitter about 7 blocks from my home. It has micro components so it’s not repairable but I was hoping possibly the band switch or something simple like an antenna connection would be the culprit.
Tecsuns are DSP, they will work much better off the whip than any PLL or analog IF chip radio from 30 years ago will work off a whip antenna -- at least from my experience. My 1990's-era Sangeans need 15+ feet of wire (indoor) to hear what my Tecsun or Grundig (prob. Degen) get off their whip.
My guess is still that most of what you are experiencing is probably propagation. 30 years ago even a Solar minimum probably had as good or better SW conditions than our last Solar maximum.
My guess is still that most of what you are experiencing is probably propagation. 30 years ago even a Solar minimum probably had as good or better SW conditions than our last Solar maximum.
My old analog Sony ICF-5100 is a marvel and can pic out more weak stations from the static than any of my DSP-based portables can do.
My guess is that the SW-band switch is dirty of years of oxidation and needs to be cleaned with any kind of contact cleaner.
Er, no.
My Sangeans do not have mechanical SW band switches, and most of them do not have mechanical antenna switches, either.
My Sangeans operate off of software operated SW/FM/AM/LW bandswitching -- it's all a process of the microprocessor. No oxidation possible when it's firmware switching between bands.
The antenna connections themselves aren't dependent on a bandswitch (except for my DX-440, which I rarely use on SW anymore and where I exercise the INT/EXT antenna switch before using).
And I stand by my statement that most of today's DSP portables are better than their earlier equivalents.
Glad to hear your Sony ICF-5100 is a good radio, though. Looks like maybe an early 70's multibander? Does it pull in all those stations from the static using just its whip antenna?
No, not this old radio. Mine looks almost the same as the ICF-4910.
ICF-5100 Radio Sony Corporation; Tokyo, build 1987 ?, 14 pictures |Radiomuseum.org
ICF-5100 Radio Sony Corporation; Tokyo, build 1987 ?, 14 pictures, 2 schematics, Japan, tubes, semiconductors, Broadcast Receiver - or past WW2 Tuner
Yes, I only compare them with the built in whip antenna. Otherwise it would not be a fair comparison.
Fair enough.No, not this old radio. Mine looks almost the same as the ICF-4910.
ICF-5100 Radio Sony Corporation; Tokyo, build 1987 ?, 14 pictures |Radiomuseum.org
ICF-5100 Radio Sony Corporation; Tokyo, build 1987 ?, 14 pictures, 2 schematics, Japan, tubes, semiconductors, Broadcast Receiver - or past WW2 Tunerwww.radiomuseum.org
Yes, I only compare them with the built in whip antenna. Otherwise it would not be a fair comparison.
My old DX-350 (a Radio Shack branded Sangean SG-700L, an analog dial, MW/FM/SW/LW radio somewhat similar to the one you just posted) does pretty decently on SW off the whip, but my Grundig G2 and Tecsun PL-398 do a lot better.
So I am a believer in the DSP radios, although I am certain that some are probably better performing than others. My own personal experience is just based on the two SW DSP radios I mentioned.
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