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Author Topic: all round desktop dx radio  (Read 25340 times)

Offline uhclem

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Re: all round desktop dx radio
« Reply #15 on: January 18, 2012, 1755 UTC »
I'll second all the recommendations for the RC75, for LW to 6m it's an excellent performer. For FM broadcast DX you might want to look at the GE SuperRadio III. We have a local FM station here with a 100 KW transmitter about 15 line-of-sight miles away from me, they also have a 10 W translator about 5 line-of-sight miles away, separated by 200 khz. My SuperRadio is the only receiver I have that is sensitive enough to give crystal clear audio from both xmitters using a stock omni antenna. The GE isn't fancy but it works and looks like it can be had for < $50.00 USD off ebay.

Offline acl12

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Re: all round desktop dx radio
« Reply #16 on: January 18, 2012, 1840 UTC »
Will check out ge super for fm Dx. The lowe 150 had some negative reviews so was unsure whether to buy it. Had anybody tried yaesu 7700 ? Seems to have very good reviews.

Offline Jolly Roger

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Re: all round desktop dx radio
« Reply #17 on: January 19, 2012, 1528 UTC »
One SW rig to look for is the Kenwood R1000. I had one and loved it. Stupidly sold it. They are highly regarded and in fact have a near cult following. There are a few mods to improve it a bit more. I currently run a JRC NRD 525. Also a fantastic rig but a little more pricey then the Kenwood.
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Offline ChrisSmolinski

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Re: all round desktop dx radio
« Reply #18 on: January 19, 2012, 1604 UTC »
I had an R-1000 as well, after my Radio Shack DX-300 and before my Icom R-71A. I remember it as a fairly good radio. Certainly better than the DX-300 (and not too much more money IIRC) but not nearly as good as the R71-A (which was a lot more money). I think EEB gave me $200 on the trade in towards the R-71A.
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Offline Token

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Re: all round desktop dx radio
« Reply #19 on: January 19, 2012, 2027 UTC »
Will check out ge super for fm Dx. The lowe 150 had some negative reviews so was unsure whether to buy it. Had anybody tried yaesu 7700 ? Seems to have very good reviews.

I assume by "yaesu 7700" you mean the Yaesu FRG-7700 shortwave receiver?

This radio gets fairly good reviews, and I really like mine (have owned it since new in about 1981).  As a receiver it is really very good, low noise, good sensitivity, etc.  But keep in mind this is a fairly old receiver, and it does not have some of the features people take for granted today on modern radios.  The frequency readout is only to the closest kHz, most today are at least to the 100 Hz mark if not 10 Hz or even 1 Hz.  The radio is a VFO based unit with a frequency counter that reads the VFO, this means it is not synthesized and it does drift just the littlest amount.  The factory supplied filter selection is rather limited.

Now the above kind of sounds like I am tearing down the FRG-7700, but that is not correct.  It is, however, important to compare apples to apples, and not apples to oranges.  If you compare the FRG-7700 to a more modern desktop like the R-75 or a premium receiver like the NRD-525 the FRG-7700 comes up a little short.  But then so will any of the FRG-7700s competitors of the day, like the Kenwood R1000 or R2000, compare them to premium receivers of the same time period or with more modern receivers in the same category and you might find the old entry level stuff a little wanting.

If you can find an FRG-7700 (or its follow on, the FRG-8800) at a good price I would say yep, that might be a good entry rig.  But if the price is approaching a used Icom R-75 you would probably be better off going for the R-75.

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Offline KB4YHO

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Re: all round desktop dx radio
« Reply #20 on: January 19, 2012, 2128 UTC »
Hard to beat the Satellit 800(Chicom box).....  I see them in the sub $300 on E**y. Other than the lack of a NB these big hollow boxes sniff out the signals. 
My take on all-mode portables I've owned: Grundig 750...NO, Satellit 650,700.....money but excellent, Sony 2010...everybody had one....Sangean 909/X...still needs work, BC DX-1000...has nice features poor rcv'r, Eton E1...Sticky but good, no AM internal aerial...audio could be better, Kenwood 1000/2000...stick with the 1000 if you can find one that works, Yaesu FRG 7700/8800...work decent... not a portable

The E1 and the 800 are of RL DRAKE's influence and still can be serviced by them dudes.

Ham for 30+ years so I've seen a few receivers.  When I purchased my first Satellit 800 I thought that my 650 would smoke it.  I was wrong only place where the 650 shines is MW and FM, but that big hollow chinese made Drake was so close it wasn't funny.  Read all the bad press on the 800 and there is alot, this all helped in driving the price down to around where used 2010 could be purchased.
I have 3 800's now and they all work identical and the serial numbers are far apart.
In conclusion don't over look this diamond in the mud.  If your really in need of one let me know and maybe I'll part with one.

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Offline acl12

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Re: all round desktop dx radio
« Reply #21 on: January 20, 2012, 0502 UTC »
Thanks for the review token. I'm still deciding so all advice helps. KB4YHO, thanks for your reply, in England the only communications recievers available used are the icom r 72, which I may well end up buying but just wanted to know what was so bad about eton 750 in your opinion. I can buy it for 250 pounds, would it not be a good entry communications reciever. I also came across a lowe hf 150 cheaply but in reviews people claimed it had poor image rejection and could not be used effectively on ssb. One person on eham said it was half a reciever, good for sw broadcast but not for hams.

Offline KB4YHO

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Re: all round desktop dx radio
« Reply #22 on: January 20, 2012, 1544 UTC »
Grundig 750 has/had general quality control issues.  I went through 3 of them until I had one that worked. OK for a beginner but at 250 pound...wow!!   Buy a Grundig 800 from the Yanks and have it shipped to the UK.  Seems to me you'd be pounds ahead.
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Offline Andrew Yoder

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Re: all round desktop dx radio
« Reply #23 on: February 01, 2012, 2002 UTC »
I agree with Chris about car stereos. If you can find spec sheets on old analog models, you can search around and find one with really good sensitivity and image rejection. And they're cheap.

I hate to open up more possibilities, but I bought my Drake R8 for $400. Really good receiver. Also, in the US, amateur radio transceivers are often less expensive than the matching receiver model. For example (the same one I've been using for a few years, my apologies), the Kenwood R-5000 is often around $500 used, but the Kenwood TS-440 (essentially the same radio, but much heavier and with the ability to transmit 100 watts) is often $350-400.

Also, like Lex, I really like my Sony ICF-2010 (ICF-2001D in Europe). It's a step or two below the R8 & R5000, but I do like it. It also has FM & Aero band.
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Offline ff

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Re: all round desktop dx radio
« Reply #24 on: February 02, 2012, 0113 UTC »
I concur with everything Token said about the Yaesu "FRoG"-7700.  I had one for over 10 years and only replaced it when the Drake R8 came out in the mid 90s.  It was such a decent performer for the amount invested that I never saw the need to replace it.  I heard one hell of a lot of weak signal pirates on it and bagged a lot of tropical band DX on it too.  The only thing I can add is that the front end did overload at times so the RF gain control was actually used, instead of being "full on and forgotten".  I gave my 7700 to a good friend who is still using it today.  Maybe we'll get together to celebrate its 30th birthday later this year.  It's early 80s technology, but if you can find one for the right price, well, you could do a whole lot worse...
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Offline ErnieTech

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Re: all round desktop dx radio
« Reply #25 on: May 10, 2012, 0208 UTC »
I'd keep checking at Martin Lynch to see what they get in used. If you are not in the money, and frankly, who is, you can try the Alinco DX-SR8 and see if you like it. I think the ARRL labs didn't find it to be so fantastic, with image rejection being on the not so great side, but for L300 (or about 450 on this side of the pond) it's probably pretty acceptable. The Icon R75 is quite a bit more expensive.
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Offline Zoidberg

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Re: all round desktop dx radio
« Reply #26 on: May 11, 2012, 0152 UTC »
Besides conventional tabletops, my next choice would be the computer controlled Ten-Tec R320 or RX 320D.  While not an SDR it's a good value and looks like it'll run on any low end PC or laptop.  I tried one via a web tuner last year and it was excellent, far better than any Icom PCR-1000 or PCR-1500.  Excellent filters, AGC and none of the problems with intermod and images that plague the Icom PCR-1000/1500.
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