HFU HF Underground
Technical Topics => SDR - Software Defined Radio => Topic started by: bandarr3000 on June 04, 2017, 1723 UTC
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Does anyone here have a Kenwood R-600? I'm thinking about getting one off of eBay. Or should I hold out for an SDR with all the bells and whistles? I wouldn't have the panadapter, of course, but $169 seems like a good deal for a solid general-coverage receiver. It would certainly beat the RTL-SDR I'm currently using. Thanks.
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An analog rig is nice to have but the versatility of an sdr is orders of magnitude beyond analog. In that price range are some decent used sdrs plus some new ones such as the rsp2 and the upcoming airspy hf+ that are better for use on hf;
http://www.sdrplay.com/rsp2/
http://www.rtl-sdr.com/airspy-hf-upcoming-low-cost-yet-high-performance-hf-sdr/
But get whatever your heart desires, I'd like to find another mint Icom R71.
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Thanks for the advice. And thanks for letting me know about the Airspy HF+.
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Some of the latest portables have features not available on older desktop receivers, such as numerous filter bandwidths, sync detection, etc. For example, the Tecsun PL-880 comes to mind.
The R-600 also was rather basic on features, even during it era. I am not kicking it, as I have one, but I am trying to be realistic with the progress of technology. I hold on to my Kenwood receivers, as they suit my casual HF listening needs. I have worked in computers for most of my professional career, so sometimes it is good to just to turn off the computers, turn on a radio, and spin the dial.
Also note the risks of buying an older desktop receiver. Capacitors can leak, resistors can drift, solder joints can break, and a myriad of other concerns. Be prepare to fix them, or have them fixed. A prime example, solder joints at the attenuator in my R-2000 needed reflowing awhile back. It is not a difficult fix - well, for my hands these days it is a challenge (another topic) - but it is annoying ongoing maintenance of aging radios nonetheless.
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By all means, get a small portable receiver. You will be able to go outdoor, where there is no noise from all modern electronic shit. You will be able to travel with it. You will be able to seek for noise sources in your home and to look for best outdoor places for an antenna.
Among the new portables available today, the best one seems to be the Tecsun PL-680. The MW (AM) buffs prefer the older PL-660 (better sensitivity on the MW band). For a real pocket sized one, the Tecsun PL-310 ET, or one of its derivatives, but you will loose the SSB mode.
Among the used ones, the long series of Grundig YB400 / G4000 have allways got the best comments. You should get one for much less than a new PL-660.
If you really want an old tech table receiver for a small price, choose a really good one, a Yaesu FRG7.
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At little bit more money, consider an SDR like the AFESDR. You're going to get a lot more bang for the buck than a portable. A lot more. And you can use it as a portable, with a laptop, as it is powered entirely via a USB cable. I do this when I am checking antennas outside.
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At little bit more money, consider an SDR like the AFESDR. You're going to get a lot more bang for the buck than a portable. A lot more. And you can use it as a portable, with a laptop, as it is powered entirely via a USB cable. I do this when I am checking antennas outside.
Do you mean Afedri SDR? A search for AFESDR came back empty, and google asking if I meant "AEFSDR" instead.
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Sorry yes, the AFEDRI SDR. I have the dual channel AFE822x model, which I just had outside yesterday in fact, while selecting the correct taps to use on the Squid Transformer (http://blackcatsystems.com/rf-products/matching-transformer-unun-balun-beverage-longwire-k9ay-flag-ewe-dipole-antenna-shortwave-ham-radio.html) with the sky loop. Much easier than running outside and inside 20 times while tweaking things.
I also have a netSDR. And while the AFE822x certainly does not perform as well, it is also about a tenth of the price. Very good value for the money.
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For me? I'd try to get both. Why??? An SDR is nice, and waterfall displays certainly will spoil you, but there's just something very fun about tuning on an analog mechanical rig. With new digital software tuning, something is just missing, Thus, I still want the best of both worlds, but that's just my take. Case in point. This year, I helped sell my bro-in-law's Hammerlund HQ-160B. Needed a lot of work, like entire reCAP'ing, but when I did tune around with that I discovered a couple of semi-local HF nets on it that I didn't come across on my TS-2000. Go figure.