Hi Guys,
Well, after a shiat house run of Ebay turds, I've finally found a gem!!
I've heard some very positive comments here regarding mid sized National Panasonic one piece units and I'm now a believer.
Scored a complete, low mileage National Panasonic RX-5150FA for $26.05.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-National-Panasonic-RX5150-Shortwave-Radio-SW1-SW2-Cassette-/321195020853?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&nma=true&si=qbjq6AJzvqfraWMtMyvGz6JkvoY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc
The sellers' description was very vague as to the operational condition of the unit but from the photos, the radio was complete and the tuner seemed to work ok.
So today I receive one of the best packed boomboxes ever.
The shipping box was almost a meter long, I thought somebody had shipped me an M90...... 
Anyway, I unwrap the unit and place it on the workbench for a quick once over.
The metal panels show a little corrosion, it was pretty filthy and the antenna had lost 1 of its' segments. I fire it up and get a strong FM stereo light and now I'm starting to get excited.
I turn some control knobs only to be met with the classic snap, crackle and pop. I fire up the deck and all is well with a strong fast forward, rewind etc. A working deck... Yes!!
View attachment 3897
So I start removing the rear screws and I'm met with that very satisfying 'crack' on every screw. Now, I'm starting to think I may have just found a virgin box - it's very rare to find a virgin in these here parts!!
The front case had a very firm grip on the rear case - obviously they hadn't been apart in a long time. Everything inside looked almost mint without any sign of previous activity. After a quick spray, all pots were now smooth, crackle & dead spot free and 100% operational with full sound output on both channels.
Sorry no strip down and bath photos - I took some pics with my Iphone but for some reason it won't sync with the PC.
Next, I pull the speakers from the front casing ready for a warm, soapy bath. Panasonic didn't see the need for mountains of sticky goop to keep the wires in place so stripping the electrical parts was a breeze.
After a quick dip, it was time to clean up the tape deck heads. The record/play head did have some corrosion but after a polish and clean, it's now perfect on one channel and slightly less bright on the other. It seems to be improving slowly with use. Whilst the belts don't look new, they certainly are still holding their tension and are crack free so they will stay for the time being. The TPS music search system seems to work ok too. The battery compartment looks like it's never seen Ds so all is well in there.
Man, this is turning into my easiest restoration so far. These RX one piece units are just so easy to work on. I cut my teeth working once 3 piece TRKs etc and in comparison, the one piece units you guys all love are a real pleasure.
Back together she goes. As she's a virgin, there's no stripped threads or missing screws - all perfect. You know what that means?... That's right, no rattles!
Next, I need to resolve this antenna issue. As you guys know, the RX-5150 has one of those long 3 segment antennas. The length didn't match any antenna I had to hand... until I checked the length of the 3 segment antenna from my parts Sony CFS-85S - perfect match!! Although my new Panny now has a white tip antenna!
View attachment 3899
View attachment 3900
After a quick re-assembly, I fire her back up and I must say I'm impressed. Good bass, super bright highs, even channel output and tone from both channels, strong tuner performance on all 4 bands, solid deck, a very sensitive line-in and no sliders - I'm a very happy camper over here!! I think I've finally found my perfect one piece outdoors BBQ box.
Have a great week guys and happy hunting,
James...
View attachment 3898
Well, after a shiat house run of Ebay turds, I've finally found a gem!!
I've heard some very positive comments here regarding mid sized National Panasonic one piece units and I'm now a believer.Scored a complete, low mileage National Panasonic RX-5150FA for $26.05.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-National-Panasonic-RX5150-Shortwave-Radio-SW1-SW2-Cassette-/321195020853?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&nma=true&si=qbjq6AJzvqfraWMtMyvGz6JkvoY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc
The sellers' description was very vague as to the operational condition of the unit but from the photos, the radio was complete and the tuner seemed to work ok.So today I receive one of the best packed boomboxes ever.
The shipping box was almost a meter long, I thought somebody had shipped me an M90...... Anyway, I unwrap the unit and place it on the workbench for a quick once over.
The metal panels show a little corrosion, it was pretty filthy and the antenna had lost 1 of its' segments. I fire it up and get a strong FM stereo light and now I'm starting to get excited.
I turn some control knobs only to be met with the classic snap, crackle and pop. I fire up the deck and all is well with a strong fast forward, rewind etc. A working deck... Yes!!
View attachment 3897
So I start removing the rear screws and I'm met with that very satisfying 'crack' on every screw. Now, I'm starting to think I may have just found a virgin box - it's very rare to find a virgin in these here parts!!
The front case had a very firm grip on the rear case - obviously they hadn't been apart in a long time. Everything inside looked almost mint without any sign of previous activity. After a quick spray, all pots were now smooth, crackle & dead spot free and 100% operational with full sound output on both channels.
Sorry no strip down and bath photos - I took some pics with my Iphone but for some reason it won't sync with the PC.
Next, I pull the speakers from the front casing ready for a warm, soapy bath. Panasonic didn't see the need for mountains of sticky goop to keep the wires in place so stripping the electrical parts was a breeze.
After a quick dip, it was time to clean up the tape deck heads. The record/play head did have some corrosion but after a polish and clean, it's now perfect on one channel and slightly less bright on the other. It seems to be improving slowly with use. Whilst the belts don't look new, they certainly are still holding their tension and are crack free so they will stay for the time being. The TPS music search system seems to work ok too. The battery compartment looks like it's never seen Ds so all is well in there.
Man, this is turning into my easiest restoration so far. These RX one piece units are just so easy to work on. I cut my teeth working once 3 piece TRKs etc and in comparison, the one piece units you guys all love are a real pleasure.
Back together she goes. As she's a virgin, there's no stripped threads or missing screws - all perfect. You know what that means?... That's right, no rattles!
Next, I need to resolve this antenna issue. As you guys know, the RX-5150 has one of those long 3 segment antennas. The length didn't match any antenna I had to hand... until I checked the length of the 3 segment antenna from my parts Sony CFS-85S - perfect match!! Although my new Panny now has a white tip antenna!
View attachment 3899
View attachment 3900
After a quick re-assembly, I fire her back up and I must say I'm impressed. Good bass, super bright highs, even channel output and tone from both channels, strong tuner performance on all 4 bands, solid deck, a very sensitive line-in and no sliders - I'm a very happy camper over here!! I think I've finally found my perfect one piece outdoors BBQ box.
Have a great week guys and happy hunting,
James...
View attachment 3898
