Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Panasonic RF-B45

Category: Receivers: General Coverage

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Panasonic RF-B45
Reviews: 4MSRP: 179.95
Description:
Portable general-coverage receiver, 144 kHz to 30 MHz AM/SSB plus FM broadcast. PLL synthesized with digital display. Up-down step tuning plus fine-tuning knob. Three-bar S-meter. Scanning, 18 station presets, sleep timer, standby power-on and 12/24 hour clock. Operates on 4 AA batteries or adapter. External antenna, earphone and recording jacks. No backlight for display.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0045
M0AEP Rating: 2016-10-24
Still performing well. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Mine was bought new, on a whim, whilst on holiday in Philipsburg, St. Maarten in August 1995.
It came with soft case, earphone plus a long wire antennna to help pull in Short Wave stations including amateur bands.
It has given, and continues to give, really good results given the antenna limitations.
SSB/CW relatively easily resolved with separate fine tuning control.
Long wave, medium wave, short wave and BC VHF stations from a pocket size receiver perfect for portable/holiday trips using universally available AA batteries x 4.
It has since survived travelling the world and is still in daily use on BBC VHF, MW, LW Radio stations here in UK and occasional SSB/CW amateur signal reception when on trips away from base.
At this rate it will outlast me!
Thank you Panasonic for an amazing receiver which has given and will, surely, continue to give much enjoyment.
DL1MEV Rating: 2015-05-11
nice little receiver Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After a quarter-century it still works perfectly.
Primarily it is designed for bc-reception, but useable for ssb and cw.
The sensitivity that ca be adjusted (dx/local) is adequate also for the ham-bands. Even on 160m a lot of stations can be copied.
Still a perfect receiver to have a look at the ham bands
K1TWH Rating: 2015-04-19
Stood the test of time Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have had my RF-B45 since 1991. I have had a number of other battery powered portables, but none were good enough on SSB to serve as a station monitor. Few could match the stability. This is a bipolar based portable that's great on batteries and simply is a great receiver. It will be a sad day when this one quits, actually un-thinkable. If Panasonic is "Slightly ahead of their time" then I'd say, perhaps 20+ years ahead.
K4CMD Rating: 2015-04-18
Excellent and dependable Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased one of these fine little radios when they were discontinued in 1991 at a local Best Products store (remember them?). This little radio has been my alarm clock, travel radio and all-around grab-and-go monitor and SWL receiver for ... let me count ... 24 years now, and has never given me one iota of trouble.

I have been amazed at its sensitivity, often picking up weak stations on 20 meters with its whip that I'm hearing on the shack rig with an outdoor delta loop. It has very nice audio from the internal speaker with the two-position tone switch in the "high" position ... the low position makes the sound muddy.

It came with a nice felt-lined vinyl case with a Velcro flap which lost its screened-on Panasonic logo long ago, but still looks nice otherwise and protects the radio very well. The radio is just the right size to carry anywhere, and carry it I have ... it's been on many camping trips, Field Days, out to Vegas and across the pond to England. It just took a three-day trip to North Carolina's Outer Banks with me last week. Back in the day, Passport to World Band Radio put the RF-B45 on par with the venerable Sony ICF-SW7600. Really! That's one reason I snatched one up so quickly when I saw it on closeout for $89.95.

I'm surprised I had to create the category here in April 2015 ... there must be thousands of them out there, and based on my long-term relationship, many of them must still be in service. If you find one on one of the auction sites, grab it. It'll hold its own against anything out there these days and you'll probably be able to snatch one up for a song nowadays.