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Old 08-31-2006, 01:55 PM
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Jeffhs Jeffhs is offline
<----Zenith C845
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fairport Harbor, Ohio (near Lake Erie)
Posts: 4,035
Your Sony was probably manufactured some time before 1967, which was when radio manufacturers started putting MHz and kHz on the tuning dials rather than mc and kc.

As to the low end of the FM tuning range beginning at 86.5 MHz rather than 88.0, I would guess this radio was originally made for the Japanese market. Note as well that, with the extended range, if you have a channel 6 television station in your area you might be able to hear the sound carrier on this receiver as channel 6 is 82-88 MHz; as a matter of fact, the sound carrier for TV channel 6 is exactly 86.50 MHz. You may also be able to hear aircraft radio above 108 MHz, as most of these radios (even modern ones) will tune slightly above and below the actual FM broadcast band.

The input jacks on the back of the Sony would suggest to me that it could be used as an FM tuner in a modest hi-fi system; the MPX jack allows the use of a multiplex adapter with the receiver for stereo FM reception. The tape output will allow recording independent of the receiver's volume control, and so forth.

All in all, I think you have a very sophisticated piece of equipment there, not worthy of being referred to simply as a radio. Sony obviously built this receiver to exacting standards, and to last; it wouldn't surprise me if it sold for well over $100 USD when it was new. Clean up the front panel (it should shine up nicely unless there are deep scratches on it) and you will have an excellent multiband receiver.
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Jeff, WB8NHV

Collecting, restoring and enjoying vintage Zenith radios since 2002

Zenith. Gone, but not forgotten.
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