Kenwood R-5000 AM SSB CW Ham Shortwave Receiver w/ YK-88A-1 & YK-88SN Filters

Description

NOTE:  We have added asterisks
*
to the historical information below to avoid unintentional keyword spamming and violating Ebay's listing policy.
Over the 48 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 has some minor marks typical from age and use, but nothing that really makes your head turn.  Please look carefully at our pictures for specific cosmetic detail.
This receiver was tested and verified that it works well and has wonderful sensitivity.  All of the functions work as designed by Kenwood and we also did notice a bit of the common and typical key bounce found when entering the frequencies manually.  This key bounce is common on these older R-5000's and we mention it in a bit more deal toward the bottom of this listing.
This particular R-5000 has two important filter upgrades installed.  The first is an upgraded AM filter.
Kenwood supplied a stock 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.  This upgraded YK-88A-1 filter had better skirts and thus provides for a better receiving experience.  The filter was an investment over the original price and many owners chose to not pay the upgrade price.  When purchased for sale on Ebay, this filter generally sells for about 5.
The second upgrade is the installation of the optional narrow sideband filter referred to as the YK-88SN filter.  Please view the picture at the top of this listing showing the filters installed in this receiver.
Typically Kenwood will install a 2.4 KHz sideband filter in their equipment, but their stock SSB filter can be too wide in tight band conditions.  Thus, this filter offers greater selectivity to improve reception using a 1.8 KHz bandwidth.  When sold on Ebay this optional filter generally sells for about 0.  Here is a list of known Kenwood equipment that can utilize this filter, but do not consider this list to be complete as other equipment may also utilize it and so we ask that you please research and verify if your unit can use this filter:
180S
430S
440S
530s
830s
120 series
130 series
R-5000 receiver
and others...
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:
copy of the user manual
copy of the service manual
Passport Whitepaper review
copy of Dave Corney's user handbook (outlines modifications, options, and adjustments)
copy of the 4 page brochure
copy of Gilfer Shortwave catalog page 1991
copy of Gilfer Shortwave catalog page 1993
Radio Netherlands review
review found in the elusive Proceedings hobby magazine (by Don Moore)
copy of the R-5000 sales flyer #1
copy of the R-5000 sales flyer #2
copy of Universal Radio catalog page
copy of the WRTH advertisement 1987
Passport to World Band Radio review 1991
Passport to World Band Radio review 1993
WRTH review 1987
WRTH review "revisited" 1989
CB Action review 1981 (Australia)
R-5000 Modifications 28 page booklet by Jabco Electronics
CD containing much of the above plus even more documentation, mods, antenna installation, and assorted information (totaling 578 MB)
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 it's ability to pick up weak signals from the longwave through the shortwave bands.  Its original sale price was about 00 in 1996 which would be the equivalent of 00 in 2016.
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
(this unit also can use 240 VAC)
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 closeup pictures to allow you to see some of the features on this receiver.  In listing some of the features, you will find:
dual clocks
notch filter
IF shift
100 channel memories
selectable AGC
receiving range from 100 KHz to 30,000 KHz
s-meter
tone control
100 memories with memory scan
dual VFO's
attenuation
modes of AM / FM / USB / LSB / CW
voltages of 120 AC or 12 VDC (connected internally)
dual noise filters
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
(copy 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 31 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 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.
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.
Please use the Ebay shipping calculator to determine your shipping cost.  This cost includes proper packing materials for safe delivery and insurance cost against damage or loss.
Those buyers living outside the USA are also welcome to purchase from us.  We have shipped to 105 countries during the past 22 years on Ebay and we are happy to ship virtually anywhere in the world.  You may use the shipping calculator to determine your shipping cost.
Please keep in mind that this cost does not include any import, customs, or VAT fees.  If you are uncertain of these costs, we ask you to check with your local post office prior to making a purchase from us.  Thank you!
Payment to be via Paypal within 3 days after purchase.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to look at our Ebay items!