NOTE: We have added asterisks * to the historical information below to avoid unintentional keyword spamming and violating Ebay's listing policy.
Over the 50 years that we have listened to shortwave broadcasts, we have had the privilege of operating and of owning some of the nicest consumer receivers manufactured by some of the very best equipment suppliers. The names of Icom, C*ollins, D*rake, & H*ammarlund have become household names. Another manufacturer that probably has a greater name among amateur radio operators than shortwave enthusiasts is the company called Kenwood.
Cosmetically, the R-5000 is used and you will see some marks indicating previous ownership as found mostly on the covers. We also noticed a small hole on the rear panel just above the nameplate, but this has no apparent purpose. We have provided HD pictures which you can enlarge and view for the purpose of viewing the cosmetics in detail and ask that you please use them to determine cosmetics of this receiver.
This receiver was tested and this R-5000 works wonderfully with no known issues or shortcomings except for a minor item. These R-5000's often suffer from the common key bounce and this receiver is no exception. We do have some information toward the bottom of the listing specifically about the key bounce. Sensitivity was wonderful and the display seems to still offer a good intensity!
Please note that this receiver has the YK-88A-1 filter installed (please see picture at the top of this listing). Kenwood supplied a filter with the R-5000 receiver, but it did not have very good skirt characteristics and this allowed interference from adjacent stations, whistles, and heterodynes. Kenwood released this upgraded filter which had better skirts and thus provides for a better receiving experience, but the filter was an investment over the original price and many owners chose to avoid the upgrade. As a result, this filter is highly sought after, but not so commonly found for sale or installed in the R-5000 receiver.
This R5000 is supplied with an AC cord and a variety of documents. It is unlikely that you will find another seller offering the R-5000 accompanied with the array of documentation for both hobby and service use. Here is a list of what is included:
The R-5000 has one of the better internal speakers than typically found on communications receivers and will provide hours of enjoyment whether you are listen to amateur radio exchanges or international broadcasters.
The R-5000 is the last of a great line of Kenwood shortwave general communication receivers built for the public from the 1970s through the mid 1990s. With each new receiver, Kenwood did its homework and improved each new model by building on the strengths of the previous model and then adding new features. The result was that by the time the R-5000 came out, it was an exceptionally well made unit that, even a decade later, delights DXers worldwide with its ability to pick up weak signals from the longwave through the shortwave bands. Its original sale price was about $1000 in 1996 which would be the equivalent of $1900 in 2023.
So what makes the R-5000 so popular? Well, this enthusiasm comes from a very sturdy cabinet, good ergonomics, excellent hardware & components, excellent electrical design and an array of user features that will make the gadget person feel like they are in receiver heaven. Here are the specs for the R-5000:
Frequency Range......100 - 30000 kHz
Power................120 VAC 50/60 Hz
Antenna Impedance....50 or 500 ohm
Selectivity (-6dB)...AM 6.0 kHz, SSB/CW 2.4 kHz, FM 12.0 kHz
Sensitivity..........0.25 µV 1.8-30 MHz, SSB/CW (S+N/N=10dB)
Image Ratio..........>80 dB (1.8 - 30 MHz)
IF Rejection.........>70 dB (1.8 - 30 MHz)
Freq. Accuracy.......± 10 x10-6 or better.
Intermediate Freqs...1st IF = 58.1125 MHz, 2nd IF = 8.83 MHz, 3rd IF = 455 kHz (FM)
Audio Output.........1.5 Watts at 8 Ohms.
Dimensions...........10.6"Wx 3.78"H x 10.6"D
Weight...............12.3 Lbs. (17 Lbs. ship)
We have taken some close up pictures to allow you to see some of the features on this receiver. In listing some of the features, you will find:
The first noise filter is adjustable and very efficient. If you are tired of noise filters that do not seem to make a difference, you will love the filter on this R-5000. The second is for a different type of noise....the woodpecker noise that the Soviet Union formerly used to jam transmissions from Radio Free Europe and is used very little in the post cold war days. This is an excellent receiver for picking up SSB and CW amateur radio transmissions. As for us, we have technician ham licenses (KB3GGC & KB3GGD) but prefer to listen to international broadcasts and the sound coming from the factory installed speaker of this R-5000 is better than the average communications receiver we have used.
The Kenwood R-5000 has a very devoted following and the receiver was a nice follow up from the highly regarded R*2000 receiver still used by many enthusiasts today. In order for you to understand this popularity, it is best for you to read the user reviews for the receiver at eHam here:
https://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/468 (cut and paste this link into your internet browser window)
Eham is a great site to learn about equipment as the reviews are from a variety of end-users that are generally not professionals who are using the equipment in a variety of listening environments with a wide range of expectations. The resulting reviews give a good cross section of strengths and weaknesses. In this case, there are 32 reviews and the average is 4.8 out of a possible 5 for the R-5000. Thus, as you can see, this unit gets top marks.
Basically, if you are looking to pick up only the major shortwave broadcasters, then this R-5000 is overkill for you. However, if you want to hear weak signals in the vicinity of strong signals, log utility stations, hear distant AM broadcasts, and tune into tropical or other unusual shortwave broadcasters, then the R-5000 is a nice receiver to help you accomplish this. As is typical of desktop communications receivers, a good outside antenna is important to utilize the weak signal recovery of the R-5000. However, this antenna can be something as simple as a longwire, a dipole, or even a Wellbrook antenna.
As you can see, the R-5000 offers a wealth of opportunities for the avid listener. It is an exceptional piece of equipment, but not without a weaknesses. The weakness of the Kenwood was actually two-fold. Virtually all receivers have a keypad for direct entry of the frequency. However, they are set up like a calculator or telephone keypad which is typically not familiar to most users. The R-5000 keypad is set up in 2 rows and is a bit awkward to use. In addition, over time, the Kenwood R-5000 keypad was reported to develop "bounce" which means that you hit the keypad for a digit and instead of it registering one time, it may register two or more times. This can be more challenging for the user.
The solution to this "bounce" is to remove the cover from the Kenwood and solder a couple of inexpensive capacitors to the circuitry. On the CD that we are including, there is a key bounce fix accompanied by excellent pictures. However, personally, we don't do direct frequency input all that often with the R-5000 so it doesn't matter as much. Our method of tuning is to use the 1 MHz up / down keys to quickly move between bands and then turn the main dial to tune the correct frequency. We find that this method of tuning can be done as virtually as quickly as locating the individual keypad buttons and pressing them.
We are happy to try to answer any questions you may have regarding the R-5000. Feel free to email if we can be of assistance. Buyers here in the USA can figure shipping cost by using the Ebay calculator. The cost of shipping includes the cost of insurance to cover against extreme loss.
Buyers living outside the USA are welcome and we have shipped to 112 countries during the past 24 years on Ebay. You may use the shipping calculator for your shipping cost, but the cost may not include any import taxes, duties or VAT fees. This will be the responsibility of the buyer and you will need to investigate these costs with your local post office and customs office prior to purchase so that you are not surprised when the receiver arrives at your location.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to look at our Ebay items!