The Realistic DX-160 radio has a dissimilar metal problem on the tuning printed circuit board with the rivets that connect the top side printed circuit to the printed circuit on the bottom side of the PC board. Resoldering is not sufficient, the fix is to solder jumper wires on the top side of the board to replace the connection made by the printed circuit on the bottom side. Shining a bright light through the bottom of the board shows clearly where to solder the jumper wires on the top side. This is the RF amp and Local Oscillator circuit so it will require alignment. Operation without repair may be intermittent.

I was just able to pick one up for free the other day. It has the 1,000 megahertz mode (old version). I noticed that mine has horrible drift on 20m ham SSB. Wont even stay on frequency for more then 45 sec. Is that common?

Hi, these Scanners a quite expensive in Canada, i bought my first 3000A around 20 years ago for 140 Euro and the second one maybee four years ago, as part of a mixed bag of parts for about the same amount, the second one is a special edition from Bogerfunk in Germany (modified by them decades ago), it has a IF tap and a relay for switching Filters.

I owned one 1000 new 30 years ago

I bought one last year for under $100 as broken. I changed the battery and reset it and it works fine now.

Excellent video, glad you got the radio up and running. I remember Monitoring Times' advertisements about the AOR and always wanted one too. A few years ago I bought a used one on EBay, it was in decent shape and worked well. I eventually sold it becaise the display was too small for me to see properly. It was a great radio though.

Brought mine in 96 from M.Lynch in UK and it travelled world with me as I moved for work. Still have it today not used much as I mainly use an SDR receiver, but it still works very well🤓

Great review of the DX-160 , A life long buddy of mine gave me a restored DX-160 about 15 years ago..... He re-capped it and tuned it up to spec ! I am in love with my "First" real shortwave reciever.... even in this world of modern solid state rigs. ( sort of like your first "girl friend: ) You know what I mean. Thank you for bringing back such awesome memories .! SBF

Thanks for the memory. I love listening to the radio scanner. the year was 1977 I was 17 year old. I use to bike ride everywhere with my hand held scanner mounted on the 10 speed bike. I miss those times. I a ham radio operator now. I still love working the radio but it not the same as it was then. You have a nice setup. 73! N5WSU

The price these sell for is insane. I wanted one of these "back in the day", but more than $200 is too much at this point.

1:03 how eeiry that you would have featured that specific cover on Popular Communications. In my life I only ever bought 2 of those magazines, and that's the one I have sitting right here! Superb video on a legendary radio. Great seeing your journey! Now for a video of the thing in use picking up shortwave stations

I bought out the remaining circuit boards from the US distributor of the AR3000A about 15 years ago. I have enough spare circuit boards to make several radios and built up a radio telescope by wiring the boards together. They are still great radios.

Can confirm that it was used by the USMC back in the early/mid 90's as a supplemental scanner

I'd like to share this video in a group on Facebook. Can I have your permission?

Here in Australia back in 80's and 90's the local Dicksmith Electronics store had the dealership for AOR and I too recall looking over the magazines with the adverts for such things. I recently picked up a Realistic Pro 2022 desktop scanner from a Deceased Estate and to my surprise it was like it had never been used! But when I powered it on the EL teal coloured backlight was not working (hey its a 30+ year old receiver!) I had a spare backlight from a repair I'd done on a realistic pro 2021 so I was able to have the unique teal backlight that I quite like! Amazing how we seem to get the gear we couldn't when we were younger!

I have the Realistic Pro 2003 model left to me by my dad , i cant remember his call sign but it might have been X9JCB, i still use the Pro 2003 to this day for airband chat.

Definitely not a paper weight. I was able to obtain one in the $300 range, and LNIB. First thing, the 2032 battery was dead so needed to investigate how to reset, which is easy to find but requires taking the top off and finding the grey reset. Power + reset powered on. Then ordered Amazon black 2032 holder with double wires. Removed the original battery, with help from a friend, attached the battery holder and attached with double-sided tape to inside of cabinet. So, now battery is changeable. A fine receiver....fairly quick scan, excellent AIR and PS reception. Instructions need to be kept handy to use all features. SW reception is good but only 12 khz Murata filter so question remains if narrower filter can be swapped in.

Had 2 of them excellent little radio's but I wouldn't have gave an 1000 dollars for 1

The price of the realistic scanners mad

Hey, think I could ask you few questions sometime? I have one of these I'm trying to get working.

Anybody know where to get a replacement ribbon cable for a 996p2? I think I might have damaged it.

Don't know if you have had this issue but I recently acquired a 996xt and have it connected to my computer recording tg id's and such, however, I've noticed that it shuts down and reboots frequently...not sure if its the proper power source because that too came with What I was concerned with was the black out of the case s# bend ground shield on bmc connector and the obvious volume issue that someday I'll try to work out.

Radio is not the greatest but for the time it was produced it's not bad. I have one with speaker and my club has one also. Usually get them donated from silent key estates. I have a FRG-7 Yeasu radio that works great. I am working on an old trio 9R59 receiver. Always something in the shack to work on and it does pass the time on those cold winter days. Thanks for sharing.

I bought one of these back in the day. In 1977 I was making about one thousand dollars a month before taxes. That was not bad money for the time. I was always disappointed with this rig. I recall low sensitivity, very poor tuning accuracy and equally poor tuning repeatability. The higher the frequency, the worse it got. Tuning in SSB was difficult and there was some drift. Only nostalgia makes this radio attractive today.

You got a great deal! I bought one on eBay some time ago and it looks great in my home office. Every once in a while I’ll tune around on it. It’s a classic for sure! 73 de Chris K2CJB

Hi , great video, I nearly bought one of these back in 1977 in uk Tandy stores which was the radio shack in the Uk, I bought yaesu. Frg7 instead which at that time petty good rxer , regards 73s mark G8rde

I knew that Mr Travolta is a very intelligent man but HOLY COW, the instructions that he has had over the years are very impressive!!! It would be so much FUN to go on adventures with him in any of his planes!!! I would feel extremely safe and comfortable with him😎

Like you I could not afford a DX160 at the time but I now have one bought off ebay. It is in mint condition and with speaker. It works superbly . Coupled up to a long wire it perforns as well as many modern recievers . The calibration on mine is spot on and the tuning is so much nicer than these horrible DSP recievers that are produced now. I have done the usual audio mod and that does make a difference . I wonder how many present day recievers will still be working after 50 years . Regards from the UK

I just picked up a DX-160 I February and aside from a ding in the right rear corner it’s in good shape. I also got the speaker with it. It’s a bit tinny but it sure looks good. So far, alignment seems to be all the radio needs. BTW, I picked up USAF Hf GCCS signals on 11175 during the first Gulf War. I received the on a Realistic DX-440 using the BFO on the radio. Apparently, I bought the last one in the state of Texas back in early January, 1991. The radios were selling like hit cakes at the local Radio Shack. Then someone where I worked at Johnson Space Center gave me a DX-150 and had two Realistic shortwave radios to play with. I had fun with that one too and picked up GCCS there too. Also had a ball listening to Radio Canada International rebroadcast Sunday Edition. They had some of the best documentaries I have ever heard and I often recorded them to cassettes. I still have them. Thanks for the memories.

Congrats on the find. Lovely shack pictures, too. 73!

It worked for my 996P2. Thanks!

Yes my 780xlt has the same problem. 2,5,8,and 0 are not working,the print on the keypad is not worn at all. I will try this quick fix. Thank you 👍

I HAVE ONE OF THESE WHICH I HAD TO REBUILD FROM A BODGED MOD. DO YOU HAVE THE MANUAL FOR THIS?

I had the same darn thing wrong with mine. I turned the ribbon cable upside down and tada it works. Haven't had a issue since

I was watching another video comparing an eclipse to the newer sirus jets, and if I had a few extra million laying around, I would get an eclipse. lol

Thanks for sharing this, Joe! A very nice classic receiver.

Nice radio collection you have! Especially the R71a! Maybe u can do a video on that radio.... thanks 👍

John did not talk about his jet

This is a common issue, thankfully it is easily repaired. I have had to do this on a couple BCT15/996 scanners.

what did you actually do ? Wiggled / pushed in/down on the ribbon connection ?

I got WWV and WWVH

Nice!

Way to go Joe! VE5DAB

Radio transmission of John Travolta was garbled...jus saying!

Leave the man alone and let him go about his business.