Cinemorphosis

Tag: ham-radio

  • Blast from the Past: From Russia with Love: Angelo’s Ocean 214 Radio

    On the topic of radios with a wooden case…presenting the Ocean 214—from Russia with love!  I bought it from a seller in the Ukraine, so shipping was on the high side, but surprisingly, I didn’t have much competition bidding on the radio.  I’ve been wanting to try a Russian/Soviet radio for quite a while, but simply couldn’t get excited about the VEF series, because…how can I put this nicely…”they ugly…butt ugly!” 

    The VEFs look like a big block of plastic with little or no imagination in the design.  They might be great performers and high quality—I don’t know, because I’ve never played with one—but I’m not excited by the looks.  Enter the Okeah—I saw a couple different ones from this manufacturer, and settled on the 214.  I like the wooden case and the various surfaces and colors used to make up the package. 

    Mine is in good shape except for an antenna problem—the smaller top portions of the antenna pull out of the base.  But it still receives well on all bands.  Oh, but that’s the other problem—the writing is in Russian and I’m totally unfamiliar with the frequencies they use.  So I push buttons and turn knobs until I hear people talking or I hear music.  It’s an adventure. 

    The sound is good—in a way, similar to my Lloyd’s, supporting the argument that the wooden cabinet does have its own sound.  In fact, the Okeah has more tone controls to play with and I can get a very satisfying deep sound for music, or a clearer, high pitched sound for talk.  The shortwave bands do pull in stations nicely as well.  I’m still figuring things out with regard to how these bands translate from radios I’m used to using.

    I can recommend this radio if you have interest in getting an Eastern European manufactured radio.  From the little I could find on Google, it seems the factory for this brand might be located in Belarus.  There is much more information on VEF, who must have been a much bigger company.  But I like the Okeah—I like the looks, I like the woodgrain and I’m satisfied with the performance.  I will say that it appears to be old, and wasn’t babied as it was dirty when I got it, and apparently not extremely well maintained.  But a few shots of tuner spray brought it to life and it sounds great.  At some point, I might try my luck on E-Bay to see if I can turn a profit.  But for now, I’m having too much fun with the radio.   

  • Blast from the Past: First Look at the Panasonic RF-877

     

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    Measuring nine inches across and almost ten inches high, the Panasonic RF-877 emerged from its box looking rather small. Something about its military bearing that suggested a larger size, but no matter, its looks did not disappoint. Evoking a past era when materials were of a higher grade and the distinction between phoniness and authenticity was sharply drawn, the sturdy RF-877 proved to be an apex performer. 

    Disclosed flaw was a missing antenna tip, which kept the bidding low. I bought the RF-877 for a parsimonious $62 plus $18 shipping. The question is does the missing tip compromise FM performance? A little, maybe. FM performance on weak stations such as 89.3, 88.9, 103.1 seemed only slightly compromised based on the tuning/battery indicator. The compromise is so negligible however that I do not feel compelled to replace or repair the telescopic FM antenna.

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    AM sound, enhanced with the Gyro pop-up antenna, is the real standout here. The notorious 710 ESPN comes in with nor birdy background noise. 

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    The speaker is clear and full, but does not offer as much sound as the RF-888. In terms of pure volume, the RF-888 appears to be three times stronger than the RF-877. Comparing the two, I find the heavier, more stout 888 to be a superior radio. I really like the RF-877, but I truly love the RF-888. Of course, the RF-888 cost me a handsome $210. While I prefer the RF-888, I give the RF-877, especially one with a fully-extending FM antenna, the highest recommendation. 

    Update: My esteem for the RF-877 has increased as I’ve become more familiar with it. As I write, the speaker sound is really filling my office rather well. I must say I was guilty of exaggerating the disparity of sound between the RF-877 and the RF-888.  I’m listening to the pennant match between the Rays and the Red Sox on the dreaded “birdy” station 710 AM. I popped up the Gyro AM antenna (6.5 inches long) and moved it until the birdy was completely gone. If you can find one of these “GI Joe” radios in mint condition for $150 or so, snatch it.