Radio Shack 12-795 Shortwave Receiver AM Broadcast Surfing Like Emerson MBR-1 Realistic SW-100

Just got this receiver in the mail today. It looks to be a later more modern looking Realistic SW-100 and looks same as the Emerson MBR-1 other than a different style receive meter. I've seen numerous other brand names on these radios that were sold overseas.
I looked on the back of mine and saw that it was made in China. So I assume the Emerson was as well. I saw one of the older Realistic SW-100 on eBay and it was made in China as well.
I do a quick walk through of the radio in the beginning of the video but most of it is SWL and AM broadcast listening.

[@richardmcginnis5344]

i pulled one of these from a house i was cleaning out after a foreclosure still in the box 3 years ago and finally got around to looking at it today

[@joeyshoe9095]

Its an updated Radio Shack DX-100 with a better quality speaker and with a lower quality fine tuning ability. The Emerson version also has a different signal meter and doesnt do fine tuning. Not bad for a 25+ year old receiver for AM/Shortwave and Weather band. It will pick up air band but the static between transmissions gets annoying.

[@WillWise808]

I like the good old fashion S/ meter, Cool looking radio, I found a Realistic Patrolman SW-60 on ebay about two weeks ago, Excellent conditon. There is nothing like these big old radios. 73s

[@inkey2]

so far I have seen this exact radio under 3 different names ....Radio Shack, Steepletone, Emerson. I just bought the Emerson version ....an unused one still in the box, new, with directions etc. Paid $59.00 on Ebay.

[@kevmichael2064]

I had one of those....that antenna comes disconnected if U keep turning it...that is for the AM...the AM is poor.....I remember thay always made the AM bands not good on this.... but the rest work good....I did mods to it to get the 800mhz when it was Analogue..not there are nothing in that range now...but it had VHF Marine and Air and the 2m Ham Bands that was good

[@262NagantRadios]

Thank you. I use a outside random long wire antenna. If you Google shortwave antennas you can get all sorts of ideas. You can use a simple wire antenna on a 3.5mm mono plug for the antenna jack on these radios to start with. An outside wire antenna or loop will perform better but start with an antenna that is practical for you and experiment from there. Have fun with the radio. 73's Paul

[@Mainsail76]

Great video. I've had this same receiver for years. Even though I have more modern radios, I still take it out and listen to it. It has spectacular sound. Too bad television is know all digital, because I used to get good use out of the television bands when bad weather would knock out the power.

[@Radionut]

Thanks Paul! I am going to set mine up and run it with my DSP-40 noise reduction system. I had a SW 100 and sold it. As always my friend thanks!! I found the manual for it!

[@bratina501]

Correct, late 1990s is when this receiver was made. Got one brand new in December 1998 and it was actually my first experience with a multiband radio of this type which was not all shortwave.

[@enelcaminoaemausconjesus]

Thanks for the video. How much would that radio cost, new, in its time?

[@262NagantRadios]

@sparkdetect Yeah I do most of my listening from 4MHz to 12MHz as well. This version is made in China. It does okay with an indoor wire antenna but it performs amazingly well on an outside long wire. You're right about a lot of people looking down upon these and other inexpensive portables. Sure they aren't a high end precision device but if calibrated half decent they work surprisingly well for normal listening. Thanks for the comments.

[@262NagantRadios]

@ScottHammond I believe they were made in the 1990's and possibly into the very early 2000's. The online Radio Shack PDF manual for the radio is dated 1999 as is the paper manual that came with my radio. Glad you liked the video.

[@GEAUXFRUGAL]

$50 a good deal on a older model?

[@sparkdetect]

Really most of the SW broadcast stations are at 25 meters and below. It's nice to have all SW bands, but you can hear a great deal between 4.8 and 12.1MHz. I regret that TV is digital now, I miss tuning in to TV audio on my multibands. I have earlier versions of this radio, and am tempted to add this one to the collection. I think these were made in China. A lot of folks "dis" these multibands, but with the right antenna and in the right location in the house, they do quite well.

[@262NagantRadios]

@Mainsail76 Thanks, glad you liked the video. They do have good sound and are decent radios for what they are. Does yours work on the weather bands? Mine only gets a carrier of sorts where the weather frequency should be. I'm guessing mine has an alignment problem. It receives well on all bands except that one.

[@ngzcaz]

If the 12-795 is different from the RS SW-100 it has to be inside. The outside is absolutely identical to my SW-100, even the color of the knobs..

[@ngzcaz]

Just bought one, en route to me, $15.01 on ebay and almost $ 12 shipping. Had a very expensive CCrane of similar size go out on me, then bought a similar Grundig not quite as expensive radio that lasted for 3 years. Maybe I'll fare better with the older ones. I bought a small emergency type radio that had lost sound. Hopefully this will be the ticket..

[@ngzcaz]

Yeah... got the radio, seems shipping was $ 18.99 for a total of $ 34.00 I went to Radio Shack today Broadheadsville Pa today. Non caring CS and that's being generous. Had to ask several times just to get something out of a box so you wouldn't be buying from a picture on a cardboard box. Nothing around $ 50 that was even close to this.

[@ParanormalExplorer]

I have a similar Emerson sw radio, but I have a problem tuning into AM stations. Sometimes I have to hit the knobs to make it work. Maybe it needs a cleaning.

[@yambo59]

I had the Emerson brand and had to return for a second that was equally as bad. My 2 Emerson examples were just terrible, wanted to like it but it was one of the worst purchases I ever made and ended up giving it away cause it made me mad to look at it.

[@Mainsail76]

@262NagantRadios Yeah, I can pick up my local NOAA station on the weather band, but just the nearest station. With other radios that I have with a weather band, I can get some of the other stations in the area. Mine has an alignment problem too. I guess that must be common with these old things. I can't ever pick up anything on the citizens band, and I know that there is activity in my area. I mostly use it for SW, MW, and FM, and those all work great, so I can't complain.

[@Radionut]

HI Paul, Just got the Emerson version of this radio today. Just getting ready to fire it up! Do you have any tips or hints? I didn't get a manual and the one on Emerson is unreadable! I guess if I had the Radio Shack version of this one it might work. Mine is brand new without the box.

[@tonyp4357]

Hi saw your video thanks it's informative. What sort of SW arial do I need apparently missing, the manual I downloaded says I need one.

[@262NagantRadios]

I agree with ya.

[@yambo59]

Ohh man - I had one of these brand new in the Emerson brand, and there must have been a difference in the Emerson, what a POS that thing was. Returned and got another one but same crappy radio as the first one. I really wanted to like this radio, but it just didn't work worth a damn, stations bled all over the place, lousy reception and selectivity, you name it it just didn't do it. Ended up giving it away. Glad you seem to have better luck than I did, the large speaker was the only good part about it.

[@RONALD511]

GOOD SIMPLE RADIO

[@atrafficcone3031]

I have radio shack version which doesn’t have any directions or any thing and it’s in ok condition

[@scotthammond3273]

What year was this radio made? Thanks, Great Video!

[@sparkdetect]

Nice bandscans! I have the Emerson version, I'm getting rid of it because of excess FM interference on the shortwave bands. I wonder if the Radio Shack version is actually better? The Emerson for example doesn't have the fine tuning knob.

[@yambo59]

As I said in a previous comment above, I had the Emerson branded version but it never worked worth a damn, returned for another and same results. Bands bled badly, crappy reception and equally bad selectivity. Didn't even come close to what it should have been in performance, sadly I just gave it away.

[@francisallen5459]

sparkdetect The Radio Shack radio actually does work better then the Emerson radio, I have the Emerson also and it doesn't​ have the fine tuning like my Radio Shack Radio either

[@sparkdetect]

Thanks Francis Allen for this info - I'd suspected the RS version might be better...I may have to get one!

[@262NagantRadios]

Hello Ernie. Only tips I have is for SW they work tremendously better on an outside antenna or a better inside antenna. They have a 3.5mm jack on them for an external antenna. The manual for the radio Shack version will work fine for the Emerson. Only difference I'm aware of is the signal meters. The functions on these are fairly straight forward. The directional AM broadcast antenna works fairly well. Don't use it as a handle. Seen many where that was done and they broke the swivel antenna.

[@willieyarger5327]

Your Video is annoying !!! Beep Beep Beep !!!