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Shortwave Radio Reviews
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Subject: SW Radio Reviews (LONG - 65K)
From: [email protected] (John LLoyd)
Date: 3 Jun 1995 16:16:49 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave,rec.radio.scanner,rec.radio.info
----------------------------------------------------------------
Below is a collection of SW receiver reviews written by readers
of Rec.radio.shortwave. The number following the brand and model
number is the number of readers, who indicated they use this type
of receiver.
All credit for these reviews should be given to the readers of
this group and not me.
John Lloyd
Radios Reviewed:
AR3000
DAK DMR-3000
Emerson PSW-4010
Grundig Satellit 500
Grundig Satellit 700
Grundig YB-500 (RDS Only)
Icom IC-R70
Icom R-71A
Japan Radio Company NRD-515
Japan Radio Company NRD-525
Kenwood TS-450
Lowe HF-150
Lowe HF-225
Magnavox 3625
Magnavox AE-3805
Panasonic RFB-65L
Philips AE3905
Realistic DX-342
Realistic DX-350
Realistic DX-375
Realistic DX-380
Realistic DX-390
Realistic DX-440
Sangean ATS-803A
Sony 2010
Sony ICF-5100
Sony ICF-5900W
Sony ICF-7601
Sony ICF-SW20
Sony ICF-SW33
Sony SW-1
Sony SW-15
Sony SW-55
WATKINS-JOHNSON HF-1000
*****************************************************************
Grundig YB-500 - 1
I was looking at the Grundig Yacht Boy 500 recently because of
its having RDS - I suspect that the RDS on the Satellit 700 is
similar / identical. It has a diagnostic feature where you key
something like 1-2-3-4-5 before switch on. It then will read
various details of the RDS - like PI, TA, TP and also the RDS
"quality".
But it does not use any of these features. It displays the PS -
station name - but I am not sure if it uses the AF automatic
retuning of RDS. It display the Travel News flags TA & TP in
diagnostic but does not use it at all.
There is a clock on the radio but it is not updated from the RDS
CT clock. Its a great pity that a bit more thought had not been
put into the design. Incidentally this diagnostic function is
present on some car radios, usually needs a series of key
presses to get into the mode.
I ended up getting the new Sony RDS radio - its not a SW radio
just VHF/MW/LW I was quite disappointed with the design of that
also and wrote to Sony in Japan - they confirmed my suspicion
that it was designed in Japan where they have no RDS !
It does update its clock from CT though. Also uses the TA/TP
flags to allow you to get Travel News from another channel.
They do not have fully automatic returning using AF but you push
a button to step through the various Alternative Frequencies.
I was most disappointed by its not fully using EON (Enhanced
Other Networks), it has it so that it can retune to another
station for Travel News. But I was hoping that I would be able
to tune one memory to BBC Radio 2 in a new town and the other 4
memories would be loaded with the local frequencies for Radio 1,
3, 4 etc using EON. But it doesn't.
*****************************************************************
Sony 2010 - 3
I found it VERY easy to plug in and start listening. The supplied
instructions are adequate for what they do, but
are not really enough to really start enjoying the radio. The
whip antenna works great at home, but just doesn't cut it at work
(way too much metal/interference). Even the supplied wire antenna
does not seem to help at work (I have not yet tried it at home
(no real need).
*****************************************************************
Realistic DX-342 - 1
I've owned this little radio for about a year
now and am really pretty happy with it.
Advantages: Size - Measuring approximately
4 3/4 x 2 5/8 x 1, you can take this little
mini anywhere! Even slip it into your shirt
pocket!
SW bands - Covers 9 SW bands: 49m, 41m, 31m,
25m, 21m, 19m and 16m.
MW, FM, FM Stereo (thru headphones)
Travel Power lock
Push button control
Runs on two AA batteries or AC adapter
Travel pouch
Carrying strap
Disadvantages: It's an analog unit, guys and gals,
no digital display.
No back stand
Antenna does not rotate up
I've had a lot of fun with this little receiver. The
SW sensitivity is quite good for my area of the
country, Cleveland, Ohio. The speaker has a nice sound
and improves thru the earphones. FM stereo thru
headphones is great! MW DXing is surprisingly
good! I can grab signals from Boston, Chicago,
New York and Cincinnati much better than on my
Magnavox AE 3625 Digital!
Summary: A nice little travel radio that's fun
to fiddle with or take for travel when you're in
a pinch. Radio Shack has discontinued this model
so you might be able to find it on sale for around
$50.00. I love the size! Ideal for travel! I'm
beginning to think that anything larger is too
cumbersome. I do miss the Digital Display and all the
features that go with it: Freq. display, Alarms,
world time display, etc. If I were buying today, though,
I'd consider what else is out there for just a bit more
money. For example, the new Sangean 606 is only
slightly larger and has all the digital features mentioned above that I miss. I
've seen it priced for as little as
$179.95!
*****************************************************************
Realistic DX-350 - 1
I bought this radio when I first started out in shortwave listening
because it was the cheapest thing at Radio Shack. I think I paid $60
for, but I'm pretty sure the price has gone down since then.
Nowadays I mostly use it as my travel radio. Sesnitivity is okay for the
price, but not too great. When I'm at home (western US) I can pick up
the major international broadcasters, but no too much else. On my trips
back East, I've found sensitivity picks up some, but it's still only
fair.
Performance on the AM and FM bands is average, but longwave seems to be
nearly useless. I've never heard any nav beacons on this one, even
though there are several near my house.
Radio Shack sells a reel antenna for about $8, and I picked one of these
up when I bought my radio. It helps reception a little, but not very
much. A much better solution is to wrap a stripped end of a wire around
the the whip antenna, and attach the other end to a metal windowframe.
I've tried connecting my longwire to it, but that just overloads the
receiver (not surprising).
One major problem that I've noted is that the dial markings on some
shortwave bands seem to be off by up to 10 kHz. If you know about it,
it's not much of a problem to work around, but initially it could be
quite confusing.
Overall, this receiver is average for its price. There's no real
surprises, either good or bad. If you really want an inexpensive radio,
go for this one. Otherwise, I would advise saving your money and going
for an inexpensive digital radio.
*****************************************************************
Realistic DX-375 - 1
It costs $99.99 though I got it for $89 since I had a coupon for a
rebate. For the price I think I got a good deal. It has digital tuning
and direct input of frequencies which allows tuning to be a pretty
simple job and not a time consuming act of patience. It uses two C type
batteries... I use rechargable ones and they last a pretty long time..
It is not small enough to carry in your shirt pocket but it could fit in
the front or side pocket of an average sized backpack. It is just great
when you are walking back home from school/work ... it can be easily
carried in one hand as you catch up on the news from
BBC/Deutschewelle/Radio Australia/etc.... as you walk home..
I get decent reception of all the `big stations' even indoors and have, on
occasion also been able to tune to Radio UAE....
The sleep function is perfect for someone like me who likes to fall asleep
with music... the FM sound is pretty good in stereo (headphones)... The
AM reception is also fairly good but it has a very high tendency to catch
those Bible bashing stations...probably a reflection of the region where
I live...
The strap is a little shoddy and I have a feeling I may have to `fix it'
soon... I expect it to pop out any moment....
Despite that, I like it...
*****************************************************************
Realistic DX-380 -2
I've owned a DX-380 for about 9 months now and....
It's a GREAT RADIO! However, I should qualify
this. I bought it on sale from Radio Shack for the
bargain price of $129.95! It regularly retails for
$179.95. At $130.00, this radio is a real steal!
About the size of a large paperback book, the 380
is feature packed!
*DUAL CLOCKS
*ALARM WITH RADIO/BUZZER
*60 MINUTE SLEEP TIMER
*DUAL BANDWIDTHS
*DIRECT FREQ. ENTRY TUNING
*TUNING KNOB
*SLEW TUNING
*TUNES IN 1 OR 5 KHZ STEPS
*CLOCK DISPLAYED SEPARATELY
*BACKSTAND
*STEREO THRU HEADPHONES
*CONTINUOUS SW COVERAGE...NO GAPS!
*AUTO SCAN UP OR DOWN
*ANTENNA ROTATES AND SWIVELS
*CARRYING CASE
The sensitivity of this radio is GREAT! With a reel antenna, it's even
better! I read another review that said reception was lousy....I think
that individual should check his particular receiver as he might have
the rare defective unit. MW reception is also outstanding and with a
Slect-A-Tenna is greatly improved! Herein Cleveland, I pick up
Chicago, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh during the day WITHOUT the
select-a-tenna! With the S-A-T reception gets an added boost!
(these are all 50,000 watt stations)
I have found it to be about the perfect travel size. I would like
something smaller, like the 606. This size, however is fine. I've
carried hardbound books on jets that are larger. The many features
makes up for it's slightly larger size over a mini. It does not have
SSB, but I really don't miss it.
All in all, A great radio priced at $130.00! I would not have bought
it for the price of $179.95. There are other radios in that price
range that ive ya more bang for the buck. At $130.00, it's a great
deal! If you can get it at that price, snap it up!
I am by no means an expert, but I have a DX-380 and can give some
of my experiences. First of all, I would pay the extra to get the
390 to get the single side band capability. I miss it. I miss
it. Also, the sensitivity for foreign broadcasts (I'm in DC)
without an external antenna is poor. You get the BBC and some
German broadcast relays from Canada transmitters, some south
american stuff, and that's it. BUT with a 50 m Cu wire out my
2nd story window attached to the antenna with an alligator clip,
I regularly get Abu Dhabi and Australia at night.
*****************************************************************
Realistic DX-390 - 2
Great mid-sized digital portable. Good sensitivity and
selectivity. Digital display shows time, frequency, signal
strength, and memory location. Covers LW (in 9 kHz steps), MW
(in 9 or 10 kHz steps) and SW continuously from 150 kHz to 30000
kHz. FM reception (88-108 MHz) with stereo through headphone
jack. BFO control for SSB reception. Built-in timer/clock, 9
programmable memory locations per band, except 18 on SW. Good
audio output. RF Gain and AM bandwidth controls. Keypad
frequency entry. External antenna, AC-adapter inputs.
A great radio for the beginner or as an upgrade from a smaller
and/or analog unit.
Purchased from Radio Shack for $219 in January, 1992.
I have a new Realistic DX-390 (alias Sangean 813??). Seems to be
a great value for the price $169 US. I haven't yet heard from
someone who can recommend a radio for the same price that is
better, and can back it up with facts.
*****************************************************************
Grundig Satellit 700 - 3
Truly a world-class portable, digital receiver. Excellent
sensitivity and selectivity. Digital display with two separate
clock/timers, signal strength meter, band selection, frequency
readout, and user-definable eight-character "name" for each
memorized station. Has RDS circuitry on FM to decode the newly-
phased-in system for identifying stations by call letters,
format, etc. 512 memory positions, upgradable to 2048. Tunes in .1 kHz
increments. Selectable wide/narrow bandwidth for AM mode
reception. Tunes MW in 9 or 10 kHz steps. Keypad frequency entry.
Receives USB and LSB. Synchonous detector helps pick difficult-
to-receive stations out of the crowd. Selectable
automatic/manual gain control. Covers LW (150-353 kHz), MW
(528-1611 kHz), SW (1612-30000 kHz), and FM (87.5-108 MHz).
Excellent audio output, with separate treble and bass controls.
Stereo through headphones or external speakers. Line-level out
(left and right), external antenna, and 12 VDC-in jacks.
Local/DX switch. Built extremely rugged. Multi-national power
supply included.
An outstanding performer, and worth the price to a serious SWL
or DX'er who requires portability.
Purchased from Universal Radio for $479 in April, 1993.
The Following is a comparison of the SONY ICF-SW77 and the
GRUNDIG SATELLIT 700:
Both of the receivers you are looking at are pretty solid. The
Sony is slightly smaller and has a somewhat more "finished" feel
about it. The Grundig is SOLID with a much better sound. Neither
is as good a SW signal receiver as the previous Sony, the '2010
(2001). However, they both have very advanced features;
multiple (and in the Grundigs case, expandable) memories with
alphanumeric tags so that you have a name as well as a frequency,
all sorts of memory grouping and scanning etc. The Grundig has
good RDS ident. on it's FM band, but I have a feeling that this
isn't used much, if at all, in the US. If you intend to buy
second-hand, be very wary of the SW77 - the early version was
pretty flakey. The later version is better but still not as good
as the '2010.
I think that the choice comes down to "feel". They are both quite
complex to use, but both work as advertised. Try 'em both as they
have quite distinct operational methods. If sheer performance on
SW is the main point for you, compare them with the Sony ICF2010.
You'll buy it and save some loot !
For what it's worth, I tried them both and settled on the
Grundig. I have my Satellit 700 in daily use and it's performed
without a hitch.
My reasons for the choice were:
1. Performance. The Grudig was much better than the early SW77.
2. Sound. I happen to prefer the slightly bassy Grundig sound to
the somewhat sharper Sony.
3. Power. The Grundig takes D cells and can self-charge Nicads in
the set, which is how I have it set up. (The SW77 used C cells)
They both run down batteries fast. The Sony worse than the
Grundig due to it's smaller cells.
4. RDS. I love it and the SW77 doesn't have it.
5. Feel. I like the, I don't know, Germanic solidity and sheer
heft of the Satellit. A Satellit with a full load of 4AH Nicads
can tip the scales at twice the weight of a SW77. Of course, if
drop one on your foot the Sony would be the better bet ! I
only use the Grudig about the house. I have a '2010 for the
road.
I hope this splurge hasn't clouded the issue for you.
Editor's Note:
I have one of these radios and love it! I sent the following
message to someone just after I bought it.
I just recently forked out $500 and bought a Grundig Satalit 700.
The sound from the radio is truely impressive! I have always
wondered why broadcasters put music on shortwave, because it
alway sounded like garbage. However with the 700 I can listen and
enjoy the music. The 700 has Bass and Treble controls, which
improve the sound quality but the Automatic Gain Control most
likely does the most toward improving the sound (I'm not an
expert, so this is just a guess!). Anyway my Wife
regularly listens to music coming from a 60m band radio station
in Guatemala, and can enjoy the sound. However there are some
bad points. It is programable, but I have not worked out how to
do it yet. Well I tried once and gave up. This is not too
bad though, because BBC, Deutche Welle, and about 10 others
are stored in a ROM table. And these frequences actual work
(i.e. they are the frequencies for North America and NOT
Germany).
Also I connected a long wire antenna and found my local AM
station on shortwave. I guess the front-end is not good enough to
sort the signals out when coming from a large antenna. But don't
worry about this either.
If you only want to listen to the biggies like BBC, Deutche
Welle, you won't need an external antenna. I am planning to put
a Pre-selector between The Radio and the Antenna, and I think
this will cure the problem of AM stations on shortwave and cut
out some interference. Finally I recommend this radio to you. I'm
sure you will have hours if enjoyment from it.
*****************************************************************
Grundig Satellit 500 - 2
Formerly Grundig's flagship portable SW receiver, this is
still an excellent piece of equipment. Excellent sensitivity and
selectivity. Digital display with two separate clocks (only
one displayed at a time), signal strength meter, frequency
readout, and four-character user-definable "name" for each
memorized station. 42 memory positions. Tunes to .1 kHz
increments. Selectable wide/narrow bandwidth for AM mode
reception. Tunes MW in 9 or 10 kHz steps. Keypad frequency entry.
In addition to AM, has three receiving "modes" for LW, MW, and
SW: USB, LSB, and "Sync," which should more accurately be
described as "fine tuning," as this implementation of synchronous
detection operates differently from the Satellit 700 or Sony
2010. Selectable automatic/manual gain control. Covers LW
(150-353 kHz), MW (528-1611 kHz), SW (1612-30000 kHz), and FM
(87.5-108 MHz).
Excellent audio output, with separate treble and bass controls.
Stereo through headphones. Line-level out (mono), external
antenna, and 12 VDC-in jacks. Local/DX switch.
Built extremely rugged. Power supply included.
An all-around great performer. Now that it's discontinued,
many outlets are selling this unit at close-out prices, making
this radio an excellent value for the money.
Purchased from Universal Radio for $379 in December, 1992.
I have a Grundig Satellit 500 and am basically satisfied with it.
I miss the 512 memories of 700 and 'SSB clarify' control
sometimes.
Yes, its 'sync' is exactly fine tuning in 100 Hz steps. However,
it is rather simple to make it work similarly to '700 and '2010,
because the detector chip is the same in all three. Only a switch
with two pairs of contacts is needed. Another design fault, the
excessive distortion in SSB mode, can be partly cured by adding
two resistors. For serious DX-ers it may be important that the
internal ferrite rod cannot be disabled on MW and LW in both 500
and 700, so the in-house noise may become a problem on these
bands.
*****************************************************************
Lowe HF-150 - 1
The Lowe HF-150 (sold by Universal and EEB) is a nice compromise.
Similar number of cubic inches as the Sony (different shape), but
offering some features of the R8. Also the Lowe is made with a
mostly solid alumnum case, which is better than the Sony or the
Drake. The Lowe has dual antenna inputs (wire or SO-239), record
out, audio out, 12vDC in. It can run off any 12V DC battery.
I use 7 aH gelcells which I recharge. The Lowe also takes
8 internal AA nicads *OR* disposable batteries. It will recharge
the nicads with a builtin recharger if you plug it into
an external power supply. It's a nice semi-portable radio. It
has a few ideosyncracies, but you might want to look at it.
*****************************************************************
Lowe HF-225 - 2
I've had an HF-225 for a few years now, and I'm pretty happy with
it. I use it mainly for broadcast listening. It's connected to
25m of random wire via a 5m coax run inside the house.
I tried using an ATU to improve the matching between the aerial
and the coax, and on some frequencies it gave a (small)
improvement in signal strength, but it was such a pain to keep
retuning that I gave up using it.
I recently bought a "magnetic longwire balun", and this seems to
offer the best of both worlds - improved matching between the
wire and the coax, but no retuning necessary. It's rather
expensive, though, and it may be that I'd have been just as well
off with a home brew transformer on a ferrite ring...
The other potential advantage of an ATU, filtering out of strong
signals well away from where you're listening, seems to be
completely irrelevant on the HF-225. I've never yet found a case
where switching in the attenuator did anything beneficial. The
receiver's front end seems to be excellent in this respect.
I've got the sychronous detector option, and I wouldn't be
without it. It quite often makes a heavily fading signal quite
pleasant to listen to. Pity it doesn't have a selectable
sideband option, though - I quite often find myself tuning an AM
signal in the LSB or USB modes to try to get rid of an adjacent
interfering signal.
Would I buy it again? Yes, unless I decided that I really wanted
a receiver which offered a computer interface.
*****************************************************************
Sony SW-1 - 2
I bought an SW1E over a year ago, for listening to broadcast SW
and FM at home and while travelling. I like this very small radio
a lot. It is maybe expensive for a portable, but the build
quality is very good, - everything looks and feels right.
Battery life is good, and the set DOES work with NiCads (2*AA)
contrary to the instructions. Reception of broadcast SW is good,
either with the whip or clothes-line antenna. I've never noticed
any big problems from adjacent channels either. As a bonus, FM
stereo reception is good through headphones. Audio quality from
the in-built speaker is fair, but you'll want to use phones for
noisy environments. The only bug with this radio is the memory
capacity - only 10 mems is really not enough to cover ALL of AM
and FM.
Summary - if you want a very small portable, and appreciate high
quality (and can afford it), I would recommend the SW1E. Note the
E, which denotes the SW1 kit without the active antenna and brief
case - these add a lot to the price, and I don't rate the antenna
too highly either.
*****************************************************************
Sony SW-15 - 1
I bought one of these puppies on impulse the other day (at my age you
should give in to the occasional impulse, just so they keep coming).
Cost $85; you could probably do better by shopping the discounters.
Specs:
Dual Conversion Receiver, 6 1/2 x 4 x 1 1/2 inches, 3 AA or 4.5v DC.
Nine Bands:
FM: 76-108 Mhz, 10.7 Mhz IF.
SW: 5.775 -6.425; 6.875-7.525; 9.375-10.025; 11.6.5-12.265; 15.00-15.65
17.50-18.15; 21.325-21.975. 1st IF 10.7 Mhz; 2nd IF 455 Khz.
MW: 530 - 1710 Khz; 455 Khz IF.
Analog Tuning dial, volume control, music/news tone switch, 7 position
SW band selector. FM/MW/SW select buttons double as "on" switches.
"Off" button. "Hold" button to disable "on" (prevents accidental
turnons) Slide rule, multicolumn frequency display. Hand strap,
foldout stand to hold at angle on table, soft carrying case. Basic
shortwave guide. Telescoping antenna. FM/MW/SW "on" and tuning LEDs.
Mono earphone jack.
Subjective Review:
I'm pretty impressed. Sensitivity is up there with the Pomtrex [:-)]
without the "splatter" of strong stations. Analog tuning dial
requires a delicate touch but for me that's part of the fun. Drift
seems nonexistent; you get a station and it keeps it without a lot of
vernier twiddling. MW performance was surprisingly good, as was FM.
I'd recommend it as a starter radio.
*****************************************************************
Sony ICF-5100 - 1
I bought this radio in Kuala Lumpur in 1988, and I'm not sure if
it goes by the same model number in other parts of the world. It
is a shirt pocket analog tuned radio with coverage from 6MZ to
about 21MZ in seven bands. The radio is very rugged and has
served me well despite of the physical abuse it has gone through.
Because of its small size the speaker is only small and the sound
from it it a little tinny, but I used it mainly to receive news
in countries without English language news services and in remote
areas while camping etc. I recommend this radio to anyone, who
considers size the most important factor. Cost was about US$70.
*****************************************************************
Sony ICF-7601 - 2
In some respects this is my favorite radio. No bells no whistles
no FM stereo -- just a good solid (feels like a small brick)
analogue unit. It covers AM, FM and has 10 SW bands that cover
most of the "out of band" frequencies. Band switching on SW is
done by a slide on the front of the radio while buttons are used
to switch from AM to FM to SW. The dial is accurate to 5 kHz so
is very easy to locate a station. I believe that it was simply
the best low cost analogue rig out there. It's still around and
can be had for well under $100.00. Grab it!!
I have a 7601 also. Most of its weight is from the batteries and
the speaker, giving it better tone and volume than smaller,
lighter sets.
As with other cheap analog sets, it wasn't very hot out of the
box.
If you "super tweek" the 7601, it's pretty good on AM, but no
match for a 2010 or Superradio III. Most of the shortwave bands
peaked up well, but I never could get 19 meters working right.
As with most analog portables, the whip is part of the RF tuned
circuit, so one must be careful to duplicate the exact listening
conditions when tweeking the radio. Even the presence of
headphones will shift the antenna tuning.
Unfortunately the 7601 picks up FM stations at various places on
the shortwave bands. If you're far enough away from FM and TV
stations you might have room for an R-390.
When going on trips I usually take my SW-1 because of the
convenience of the presets and the reception flexibility provided
by the active antenna that comes with it.
*****************************************************************
Sony ICF-SW33 - 1
I've owned this radio (SW33) for about 9 months and use it as my
"carrying around the house rig." It was purchased to replace a
Sony 7601 that now resides on my desk at college (things
electronic can grow legs on a college campus). By far the best
features of this unit are its convenient size and excellent
performance on all bands, AM, SW and FM stereo. Don't get me
wrong -- this is not a DX machine on SW but for listening to the
major broadcasters, it's excellent.
The single filter selection seems just about right and tuning on SW
is in 1 kHz intervals. This at least gives you a "fighting chance" to
move away from interference. That's a major improvement over the
5 kHz that many radios in this price range allow. In addition, the
dual conversion design on SW keeps image interference at bay - a
major plus for a small portable.
The radio does not have a keypad so entering frequencies is a bit
clumsy. However, by entering the middle frequency of each of the
major SW bands in the 7 memories (5 memories plus 2 timer
memories) and slewing up or down from those positions you can
get around reasonability fast. The SW bands are changed by a
combination of 2 keystrokes.
The sleep control (shuts the radio off after 1 hour) can let you be
lulled to sleep and the timer alarm can make sure that you get to
work on time (radio shuts down after 2 hours if it is turned on by the
timer). Setting the radio alarm is very easy - once you have set the
clock, but that frankly, is a pain. The clock function, which works
very well (combination world/home time), takes at least 7 distinct
steps to set it. Fortunately the clock is fairly accurate (looses about
0.2 sec/day) so you don't have to reset it very often. The lighted
dial (stays on for 20 sec at the touch of a button) is a nice touch.
Battery life is excellent contrary to the 1994 Passport to World
Band Radio (see below). The radio has a battery "gauge" that is
activated at the touch of a button radio and shows in the display
as a battery icon with 3, 2, 1 or 0 dots inside of the battery outline.
It disappears after about 5 seconds. As soon as the number of
dots reaches 0, the radio shuts off immediately. I ran a a series of
tests with Radio Shacks Super Alkaline batteries and got the
following results: 3 dots showed for 37 hours, then 2 dots showed
for an additional 11 hours, and finally 1 dot showed for 3.0 hours
for a total of 51 hours. (Radio ran 1.5 to 2.5 hours/day with the
volume control set at 1/2 volume most of the time). At $2.89 (plus
5% for tax) for a package of four AA batteries (the radio takes 3),
that figures out to 4.5 cents/hour which is excellent. This figure differs
greatly from that given in the 1994 Passport (25-30 cents/hour). I have
no explaination for the difference but I stand by my test values.
Would I recommend this radio to anyone? If you do a lot of band-
scanning, forget it; it will drive you crazy. But at about $140.00 plus
shipping (NYC mail-order) it's an excellent "second" radio to carry
around for listening to the major broadcasters. I like it!
*****************************************************************
Realistic DX-440 - 2
I have a DX-440 and I think it is a good 'dabble' radio but if I
ever get serious I will look for a > $500 table model.
I love this radio! It's my main radio and I use it
exclusively at home, moving it from room to room. It really is
too large for travel
I've found the sensitivity to be tremendous on SW, MW
and FM! Very rarely do I need to attach a clothsline
antenna! It has continuous SW coverage, a great sounding
speaker, BASS and Treble controls, two bandwidths, great
sensitivity, good spurious signal rejection...It has
all the features I wanted in a starter radio! I bought
it about three years ago on sale for $150.00! I still
don't know why Radio Shack discontinued it. If you're
looking for a good starter shortwave radio and can still
find one laying about at a Radio Shack store priced to move,
GRAB IT!
*****************************************************************
DAK DMR-3000 - 1
I bought this radio since they have a 30-day money back guarantee
and I did not know if I would like the hobby or the radio. Good
points: direct-entry tuning, 36 station memories, fairly small so
it is easy to travel with, speaker sound was good, reception was
okay, but improved dramatically with the addition of the Radio
Shack 23' rollup longwire ($8.95). Bad points: only 5kHz tuning
steps, only major broadcast bands tunable (large gaps between
bands), selectivity not so good, no fine tuning, no BFO, no SSB
or CW, poor FM reception. All in all, not a bad radio of $69.90,
however, it left me wanting for more, so I got rid of it.
I have seen a couple of posts asking for a low cost SW receivers.
I have recently bought a DAK Model DMR-3000, for just
$69.90+$6.00 shipping from DAK - a mail order company.
The receiver has a direct access, so you can type in the desired
frequency, and a manual / automatic scanning system. It also has
a dual time clock with alarm and 'sleep' timer. Unfortunately you
can tune only to the commercial frequencies on SW, AM and FM
bands. I have to say though that cheapness comes at a price. The
first receiver I got was defective so I had to ship it back and
ask for a replacement. Now, I received a new one which works very
well.
Compared to my Sony ICF-7601 the DAK unit is an insensitive
brick. The fancy clock and timer features aren't really worth it.
About the only thing nice is the FM Stereo support if you plug in
headphones but the FM sensitivity leaves much to be desired as
well.
Something else to watch for.... That pretty lettering on the
buttons will wear off REAL fast. If you haven't used it much yet
you won't see a wear off REAL fast. If you haven't used it much
yet you won't see a problem. After you've done some tuning you'll
see the pretty arrows disappear from the buttons.
*****************************************************************
Sangean ATS-803A - 1
Since I was now turned on by SWL'ing, I moved up to what most
people agree is the best all-around radio for this price. Good
points: excellent frequency band coverage (150kHz to 30mHz), fine
tuning, good selectivity, BFO for SSB and CW, many scanning
options, lots of accessories included, good AM and FM reception.
Bad points: way too big to travel with, high battery consumption,
synthesizer noise in background all the time, scanning frequently
skipped lots of "listenable" stations that I was able to get by
manual tuning (what's the use in scanning, then?). I found that
adding a longwire antenna only increased interference and noise
while not improving the set's scanning sensitivity. Overall, a
fairly good radio for the price...
I have a Sangean ATS803A which I love. Comments to quote me on
would be that it's an excellent beginner's radio for the price.
Although I've heard that the 818 is the "latest and greatest" in
this price/performance category. I especially love the full
coverage 150kc-30mhz and the (albeit lo tech bfo) SSB
capability.
*****************************************************************
Sony ICF-SW20 - 1
I was in dispair when I could not find a decent travel portable
for under $200. However, I accidentally crossed paths with a
Sony ICF-SW20 on sale (normally $99, on sale for $49.99) at a
local store and had to check it out. It is an analogue set, but
since I got a 30-day return policy on it, what the heck? Good
points: analogue tuning so no problem with confining 5kHz
tuning steps, INCREDIBLE SENSITIVITY - this radio blew the DAK
and Sangean away with the number of stations I picked up, good
selectivity (no fine tuning knob - all you need to do is turn
the tuning knob slowly), tiny size (4"w x 3"t x 1"d), small
whip antenna (only 18"), addition of Radio Shack rollup
longwire increased sensitivity even more, great low price (if I
lose it or its gets destroyed, no problem replacing it), tuning
bands are wider than the major broadcast bands, so you do get
some utilitiy reception as well as WWV, AM and FM are really
sensitive while FM goes from 76mHz to 108mHz so I can pick up
some TV as well. Bad points: frequencies cover only seven
broadcast bands (I can live with that, though), only monaural
earphone included (however, you can get a $1.39 mono to stereo
headphone plug), no BFO for SSB or CW, no station memories. All
in all, this radio gave me the best price/features/size ratio
of the ones I checked out first-hand. It's a keeper for me!
*****************************************************************
Magnavox 3625 - 1
Finally received my Magnavox 3625! Well, I'm certainly happy I
purchased this little radio. Sure, it's not top shelf, but it's
suitable for travel purposes and gives adequate SW coverage.
Has these features:
Travel Lock
Alarm (beeps, does not turn on radio)
Sleep Timer
9/10 KHz switch - for world travel
12 hour clock (however, when unit is swith to 9 KHz steps 24 hour
clock kicks in)
20 presets - 5 for each band FM, AM, SW1, SW2
Dual time
Auto store - this feature allows the radio to automatically find
the five strongest stations in an area and program
them into the memory of the FM & AM band.
Back stand
Antenna swivels and rotates
Runs on four AA batteries.
Well, the sensitivity is quite good. Steps in 1 KHz increments.
No tuning knob but the slew tuning buttons work just fine. It's
about the size of a paperback book and can be taken anywhere
reasonably well. No carrying strap,
though. The SW coverage is limited but it grabs the major
broadcasters exceptionally well. Example: the 41 meter band is
covered from 7100 to 7300. So if you want to listen to the BBC
on 7325, you're oput of luck.
However, I like to listen to the BBC on 12095 or 15070 European
signals during the day that I cangrab when I attach a long wire.
The 3625 can't tune these freqs. but it can grab 15400 (from
africa) WITHOUT a long wire antenna! I'm pretty impressed.
Bottom line....A GREAT little travel radio for $70.00! Call a
Magnavox outlet if you are interested.
*****************************************************************
Magnavox AE-3805 - 2
Great little digital portable. Good sensitivity, average
selectivity. Covers MW (in 10 kHz steps only), FM (no stereo),
and SW in two "bands": 3200-7300 kHz and 9500-21750 kHz. Built-
in timer/clock (12 hour format only), 5 programmable memory
locations per band. Great for travel use.
Purchased from Damark for $49 in May, 1993.
$50 from Damark closeout -- cheapie category
*****************************************************************
Emerson PSW-4010 - 1
Great analog portable. Good sensitivity and selectivity. Covers
MW, FM (stereo through headphones), and SW in 8 bands (roughly
split out as 13m, 16m, 19m, 25m, 31m, 41m, 49m, and
60/75/90/120m). An excellent travel portable.
This is the same radio as the Sangean SG-789.
Purchased from DAK for $49 in June, 1988.
*****************************************************************
Sony ICF-5900W - 1
Sony ICF-5900W was a good radio in its day, but isn't worth
listing now.
*****************************************************************
Icom IC-R70 - 1
I purchased my R70 in early 1983. It came with a scratched plastic
window for the digital display, which the factory replaced. It is
an extremely sensitive receiver. I installed the FM detector board
option, which is highly useful for Sub-Carrier detection from FM
broadcast receivers in conjuction with the R70's ability to tune
below 100khz without a frequency convertor. The so-called PassBand
Tuning (PBT), in actuality an asymmetrical bandwidth narrowing
control, is very mediocre with the factory 455khz filters. Replacing
the 455Khz ceramic SSB filter with a Fox-Tango FT-44 2.4khz 8-pole
crystal filter (equivolent to the ICOM FL-44) makes the passband
filter work as one would want. The AM 455Khz ceramic filter is junk,
and was replaced with a higher quality "4Khz" ceramic filter from
the long-defunct Radio Plus firm. The actual specs for the 4Khz filter
indicate that it is a slightly asymmetrical filter of 5.6Khz bandwidth,
causing a slight degredation of the "highs" (The original spec is
for a 6Khz bandwidth; the 9Mhz AM filter is a 6-pole device). Inclusion
of both replacement 455Khz filters results in a combined shape factor
of much better than 2:1 on AM or SSB. In addition, the RF amplifier
was enabled for AM broadcast band use, and an MOV was placed across
the AC input for protection against voltage transients. [Actually,
a Transorb would be far better in defending against narrow transients.]
For awhile, I replaced the diode AM detector with a Shottkey diode,
but my ears could detect no difference in distortion, and so the
original AM diode was returned to the circuitry. It's been serviced
once by ICOM for an intermittant problem ($150 ouch). There exists
several modifications to enable selection of the 455Khz SSB filter
whilst in AM mode for additional selectivity.
*****************************************************************
YORX AM908 - 1
*****************************************************************
Drake R8 - 1
*****************************************************************
Drake SPR-4 - 1
*****************************************************************
Icom R-71A - 2
Eskab & Edvis of Sweden used to offer a Phase-Locked AM (PLAM) detector for
the R-70 and later R-71; they also offer a version for the NRD525. I have
the R71 version. It is a synchronous detector which allows selection of USB
or LSB via the IF filter/BFO offset. The PLAM board phase-locks one of the
R71 local oscillators (I forget which one, probably the BFO) to the AM
carrier. It contains its own product detector. The lock range is not very
large, perhaps +/- 20 Hz. The detector seems to have lower distortion than
the ICOM AM detector.
Compared to ECSSB, aside from the advantages of phase-locking the product
detector BFO, the PLAM unit also lowers the corner-frequency of ICOM's
low-pass audio filter, giving better bass response than normal SSB mode on
the R71. I find that this improves the intelligibility of the signal.
The PLAM board piggybacks in the mounting area for the ICOM FM option
board; both can coexist. Installation is somewhat difficult, as it involves
connecting over a dozen wires to various boards in the R71.
Eskab & Edvis also offered a 4 KHz 2nd IF crystal filter for the R71. This
installs fairly easily in place of the narrow CW filter. It is very much
better than the stock ICOM 6 kHz bandwidth, which is wide-open until it
hits at cheap ceramic filter in the 3rd (455 kHz) IF.
I don't know if Eskab & Edvis still offer the R-71 PLAM and 4 kHz filter.
They used to advertise in the WRTH.
Regarding other options: I believe Sherwood Engineering offers an outboard
synchronous detector for the R71 as well as other receivers. The Kiwa MAP
unit should also be adaptable to the R71.
Also, Dom Moman of Shortwave Horizons publishes a modification manual,
which details mods like enabling the preamp on MW, true pass-band tuning,
sub-10 Hz RIT, etc.
*****************************************************************
Kenwood R-2000 - 1
*****************************************************************
Kenwood R-5000 - 1
*****************************************************************
Kenwood TS-450-1
I know it's not a reciever, but since it has general coverage,I decided to
put it in here.The TS-450S is an amateur transciever that costs little more than
a R-5000,and if you have your ham ticket or are thinking about getting it,may
be worth checking out if you are in the market for a new toy.I'd be willing
to bet the replacement for the 5000 will look just like the 450,just like the
5000 looks like the 450's predacessor,the TS440S.First thing it is EXACTLY
the same size as the 5000/440.Unlike the 5000/440,it has an LCD display that
is unlike any other I've ever seen.It is almost too bright!The brightness
cannot be adjusted,unfortunatly.The 450 recieves in all the standard modes
except for fax.It has a"normal"keypad unlike the 5000 and the aggravating
CW that is produce when a major button is pressed can be silenced by y
-a simple menuss,you dont have to cut a wire like the 5000he S-Meter
is a bar-graph type that I like but some people dont.It also has an Audio
meter function that kin baffles me.I still dont know what use it is,but it
looks nice!Probably the most notable thing you will observe when using the
450 is the QUIET!It is so quiet,it seems strange the first couple of times you
use it.The AGC is non-defeatable and has a fast/slow toggle.It is the strangest
and slowest AGC I've ever seen,on slow the S-Meter just sits there and then
SLOWLY goes down.On fast,it just isn't quite so slow.It seems to work ok,but is
really odd.The stock filter for AM is a mile wide but you can add the YK88 AM
filter but you wll lose the open slot for the 8.83 ssb filter.I'm not sure,but
the 450 seems to have the same stock am filter the 5000 has.On SSB,it uses one
of the better Murata ceramic filters and is ok but the optional SSB filters are
highly recommended.The audio is FANTASTIC on all modes and if you put one of
the minimus speakers from Radio Shack on it,you will like it a lot.Dont bother
with the Kenwood speakers,the one that goes with the 450 is not too good and is
expensive too!The ergonomics are pretty good,except for the tuning knob,yes
like all the recent vintage Kenwood rigs,IT DOESN'T HAVE A FINGER HOLE!!Why
does Kenwood insist on putting these awful knobs on all the rigs they have made
lately!All in all,it is a very good riever in almost all respects,and since t
it only costs about $100 more than a 5000,it is worth a lookND as a bonus,
the recieve coverage goes up to 40 mhz!If you are into low band scanning,you
will hear things on the 450 you never knew existed on your scanner.If you can
swing the 450's sister model the TS690,you can recieve all the way to 60 mhz.
When the 5000 is put out to pasture,if it's replacement is the 450 without the
transmitter,it will be very tough competition for the other makes.All it needs
is Sync.detection and you really couldn't ask for much more.
*****************************************************************
Japan Radio Company NRD-515
THE all time most user-friendly recieveof recent vintagHas PBT,analog
fine tune,four I.F.bandwiths,AM,LSB,USB,and RTTY modes.There is no squelch
but it really doesnt matter much.Of all the recievers I have owned,or ad over
here to play with,it is the most sensitive in the SSB modeI have the
standard 6 and 2.4 khz filters,and th600 and 300 hz filters whitch are great
for RTTY or CW(if you are truly desparate!)The "protection"diodes have been
removed due to intermod from a local AM station.The reciever's case,front and
back panels are made of Aluminum,no plastic to crack on the 515!The audio in
AM is very bad,almost as bad as the Icom R-71a,but in a different way.The
audio is "fuzzy"out of the speaker jack,but not too bad out of the record jack
but still a little "fuzzy".In the SSB modes,the audio is pretty clear and
doesn't fatigue me like the Icom dos far as thergonomics goes,it's
almost prefect!All the knobs are the right size,the tuning knob is large and
has a nice deep finger hole(Kenwood,are you listening???).The S-meter is big
and easily seen across the room.Dynamic range is very good after the diodes
have been clipped(a one minute operation).The filters all are good quality
and have good shape factors.This was the first "affordable"rig that had a
memory option that was worth something with 24 or 96 channels available.
The NDH-518 I have(96 ch.)is also made totally out of cast and sheet
aluminum and matches the 515's styling.It stores frequency only,unfortunatly,
due to the year it was designeIm guessing.There are lots of these recievers
floating around on the used market for about $600 or so.Universal seems to have
a lot of them passing thrgh the store.
*****************************************************************
Japan Radio Company NRD-525 - 1
This is a great reciever,marred only by bad audio and a hiss that will drive
you bonkers if you have good hearing and a speaker that can put out the highs.
I have had two of these,the first I traded for a sateite setup,and the one I
have now.The newer reciever has mucbetter audio then the first one and lesess
hiss too.Ergonomics are very good MUCH,MUCH better than the Drake
R-8.(IMHO,the Drake is seriously overrated and all the stuff about made in the
U.S.A.is kind of funny cause a LOT of the innards are MADE IN JAPAN!!!)Oh
well,back to the 525,if you are into AM,it's probably not the reciever for you,
but in allthe other modes,it is one of the best consumer grade recievers ever
made.Performance in all modes is basically excellent except fothe audio pr
problem,and stability is rock solid.JRC has only cut a few corners compared
to the 515,probably the ultimate in construction for consumer recievers.
The case is made of very thin sheet metal and the front panel is plastic.The
keys fit loose in the keypad but work ok.The display has four brightness
levels and is very easily read from across the room.The S-Meter is "digital"
and is a floating vertical bar segment that seems to be yellow on some samples,
and green on some others.It is sort of "spastic"and twitched a lot on the
first one I had,but not as much on the seconone.The first 525 I had would
"click" on strong AM signals,but the new one doesn't.The main tuning knob
spins very smoothly and has a nice finger hole.(KENWOOD,WHY DONT YOU LISTEN!!)
All in all, a great reciever.
*****************************************************************
Japan Radio Company NRD-535D - 2
I have been using a NRD-535 for two years and i am very pleased
with it. Although the relative high price makes this a radio
for the serious DXer and maybe not the average Shortwave listener.
The NRD-535 has very good ergonomics. It is very easy to operate
during long listening passes. It has 200 memory channels which comes
in handy for storing interesting frequencies that you want to
check later, or stations that you want to check regulary.
+ side:
On the plus side there is the BWC and the very good sensitivity.
The BWC combined with the PBT makes it possible to make
a station readable that is very close to another station, or
a interfering RTTY transmitter. I find that i mostly uses
the SSB mode and zero tunes the station, and then uses the
BWC and PBT to get the most readable signal. The BWC and
PBT has saved a lot of reports for me. The sensitivity
is excelent. It is among the best in this price class.
- side:
The audio in the built in speaker is mediocre to put it mildly.
A station that you read loud and clear in the earphones can be
inaudible in the built in speaker. The selectivity is not as
good as it could be. The NRD is very sensitive for splatter from
nearby stations, and this can totally drown the station that you
want to listen to. The ECSS option that you can equip your NRD with
is a joke. I have it installed but i NEVER uses it. The only time
you can use the ECSS with any improvement of the signal, is if the
received signal is strong to begin with. Don't waste your money on
the ECSS.
The conclusion is that the NRD-535 is a very good receiver for the
serious DXer but it has some shortcomings. The 535 is much better
than the Icom R-70 that i had before, and i would recommend it to
anyone that asked me. What you might want to do is change the filters
to somewhat sharper filters. That goes for both the 9 MHz and the
455 kHz filters.
*****************************************************************
Yaesu FRG-100 - 1
*****************************************************************
Panasonic RFB-65L - 2
$220 from Universal, EEB, etc. -- my main set, an excellent
portable, many features, nice construction and details.
*****************************************************************
Sony SW-55 - 2
This is my principal radio at the present time (I also have the
Sony ICF-SW33 and the Sony 7601). This rig is an extremely
sophisticated piece of equipment. I especially like the fact
that you can store up to 125 frequencies on 25 electronic pages
that can be named as you wish (by country). Once programed this
is very convenient. The two filter selections are well chosen
(much better than the stock Sony 2010 filters). My use the radio
to copy WEFAX with excellent results attests to its stability
(and that it receives USB and LSB).
The versatile timer/alarm and tape remote feature allow
automatic recording with certain tape recorders (Sony and others)
of up to five times and frequencies in a 24 hour period. I use
this feature all of the time. Audio (stereo on FM) qualitity for
a portable is very good; better I believe than the stock 2010
although as with the 2010, it is improved with a set of external
speakers.
Unlike the 2010, the SW55 does not have synchronous detection.
That's too bad because I believe that if it had this feature it
would blow away
tition. As it stands it is an excellent radio. Most
interference can be eliminated with the narrow filter or moving
away from the interference a bit (the radio is tunable in steps
of 0.1 kHz) so the lack of sd is not critical. I really
believe that Sony did not include it because it would have then
had a very negative impact on sales of the SW77.
Would I buy this radio again. You bet! The only problem I've had
in the year an
owned it is that the lettering has worn off the 1, 5, 0 and EXE
keys on the keypad. That should not happen on a $300.00 radio!
I just got a SW-55 for Christmas and find it to be an outstanding radio. Now
that I've said that, you should know that I am new to all of this "DX-ing" (is
that how you say it?). However, I can tell you that it's reception with the
built-in antenna and with the included auxiliary antenna is very good. I found
that the radio comes pre-programmed with a number of stations (BBC, Radio
Moscow, etc.) and they come in great.
As for your questions, I've found the speaker in the SW-55 to be very high
quality, delivering plenty of volume and good sound. There are several "tone"
switches (news vs. music setting, etc.) that enhance the reception and its
sound. And, the unit is packaged well for travel.
The radio itself has several nice features (I don't know how they compare to
other radios since I didn't comparison shop). There are several output jacks
that make it easy to connect to external speakers, tape recorders, headphones,
etc. There are local/long distance antenna settings. There are lots of ways
to set and look at the time (local, UTC, Daylight savings, etc.) There are
alarms and sleep settings (for on the road).
The tuning portion is quite nice. The radio of course offers digital tuning
(punching numbers in to get to a freq.). But I find that I often use the
"analog" tuning dial as well to either fine tune a station or to see what else
is out there.
Best of all, the unit is packaged well. As a new user, I have enjoyed the
little things Sony has done to make this experience a good one for the new
user. Everything from the documentation to the carrying case has made it quick
and easy for me to start listening to short wave. Included is a book that is a
publishing of all the various countries broadcasting, with their freqs and
times. (I gather that these things change quite a bit, but I presume that Sony
updates it often)
*****************************************************************
Philips AE3905 - 1
In short, in my experience, the AE3905 is no real great shakes.
It looks neat as hell, and marks its owner as a man of taste and
distinction with more money than brains (like I said, *I* have
one). Its shortwave performance is mediocre. Using this in a
hotel last February, I found that attaching the included reel
antenna caused the radio to overload fairly badly. The batteries
don't last very long. The filters included are fair, but you
still get a fair amount of interference from adjacent stations
(not as bad as some small portables, but not good). I certainly
wouldn't want to use this as my primary radio. For portability,
it's fantastic. I can listen to the BBC or VoA anywhere. The
radio fits in my shirt pocket, although reception in my pocket
isn't all that good. In short, the radio isn't worth what Philips
charges for it, but if you've got more money than you know what
to do with and a desire to have a flashy looking toy, it'll do.
The radio has only recently been available in small quantities in
the U.S., and appears to have been discontinued in Europe. I got
a reconditioned copy for $179 from the Magnavox factory outlet in
Kentucky. Universal lists the radio in their catalog for
something like $250 new if I recall correctly. You're not likely
to find it anywhere else.
*****************************************************************
WATKINS-JOHNSON HF-1000 HF RECEIVER
I will be doing a lot of comparisons to my other receiver, an NRD-525.
To give a basis for comparison, the NRD-525 has been upgraded by the
following modifications:
ESKA PLAM board with four added filters following the IF strip
Installation of ESKA Aux filter in the NRD Aux position
Installation of the JRC 1.8 KHz filter in the Narrow position
Replacement of RF chokes on the filter board with shielded units
ESKA agc modification
These modifications have improved the shape factor on the NRD's filters
from an average of 2.0:1 to 1.7:1 (60:6 dB). The ultimate rejection has
improved from about -60 dB to -75 dB. These modifications are noticeable
in on the air listening tests. The NRD hiss has been removed.
About two months ago, I bought another receiver, a Watkins-Johnson HF-1000.
I didn't really think this receiver would be much better than the NRD, and
I intended to return it if this was the case. I was wrong. The Watkins-
Johnson receiver is clearly superior to the NRD in on the air listening
tests, almost in every case. In rare cases it is a tie. The comparisons
are done using an A/B switch that switches both the RF and audio lines so
that comparisons can be made quickly on the same signal. Comparisons
were all done in ECSS mode with the receiver settings made as close as
possible to each other.
I also did some bench testing of both receivers, and the numbers that the
tests give are not all that much different for both receivers, with the
exception of filter shape factor. The HF-1000 shape factors run about
1.1:1 (60:6 dB). This does not explain the main difference between the
comparisons, however. The HF-1000 seems to be superior in pulling out weak
signals. I have heard many signals that are muddled and hard to understand
on the NRD-525 sound sharp and clear on the HF-1000. Several other points:
AGC: The digitally processed AGC on the HF-1000 is far superior to the
analog AGC on the NRD, even with the ESKA kit installed.
Notch filter: Again, the digital IF notch filter is superior.
Audio: The NRD audio has always sounded low frequency and mushy; audio
on the HF-1000 is crisp and clear. This is an important item.
Operating: I like the controls on the HF-1000. They are flexible, yet
easy to use. The set is a pleasure to operate.
Synthesizer spikes: The NRD has a synthesizer spike every 100 KHz.
While these are not all that strong, some of them fall on inconvenient
frequencies, like the propagation beacons on 14100 KHz. There are
a few spikes on the HF-1000 at even 2 MHz points.
The only shortcomings in the HF-1000 I've noticed are the lack of synchronous
detection (this is supposed to be sent out as an upgrade chip later), and
IF passband tuning would be useful in the SSB modes. It is present in CW.
As you have probably guessed, I'm real happy with this receiver. I think
it will be the last one I will have to buy for quite a while.
Watkins-Johnson HF-1000 Review Part 2
-------------------------------------
Watkins-Johnson SAM option for HF-1000
Recently I received the firmware for installing Synchronous AM
(SAM) detection in my HF-1000 receiver. I was able to install it in
about 1/2 hour and it worked great. In testing it I compared it to the
ESKA phase lock AM board installed in my NRD-525. Here are the results
for strong and weak signals:
Parameter ESKA+NRD HF-1000+SAM
--------- -------- -----------
Weak signal lock range +- 20 Hz +-250 Hz
Strong sig lock range +- 40 Hz +-900 Hz
As an on-the-air test I tried to lock onto Radio Pyongyang, 13760 KHz at
1300 UTC. The signal was weak and fading rapidly at 1300 UTC and was being
broadcast on 13760.1 KHz. The HF-1000 was able to lock it immediately even
when set to 13760.000. NRD was not able to lock it at all, even when set to
13760.1. Impressive!
Another modification in the new firmware is a change in the AGC function.
It is now possible to set three decay rates from the front panel for each
AGC setting, Fast, Medium and Slow. In addition it is possible to allow
the manual gain setting to control the AGC threshold while in AGC mode.
This is a great help for the AGC control. I spent many hours trying to
get the AGC decay rates correct on my NRD receiver, and was never happy
with that AGC. This required pulling out the IF board, replacing some of
the SMDs, putting it all back together, and then trying it. Digital AGC
processing on the HF-1000 makes this a snap, taking only a few seconds.
After several months of using this new mode of reception, it is the one
I nearly always use for SWLing and DXing. For weak AM signals it is hard
to beat. If the signal is readable at all, it will be able to lock on it.
By using both sidebands, you end up with a better signal to noise ratio
than with only one sideband. The HF-1000 is even more impressive now
with this addition. The only times that I have had to resort to ECSS on
AM signals is when there is interference on one sideband. Watkins-Johnson
reports that they will have single sideband SAM in the future which will
get around this. There are several other options that they are working on,
one of which is a plug in board for PC processing. I assume this will have
real time spectrum analysis and memory functions built in.
*****************************************************************
AR3000 - 1
My general impression, is that this is anyhow a very good apparate. It
offers continuous coverage 0.1 : 2036 Mhz, all mode, RS232 interfacing,
quite good operating commands, triple conversion, 400 memories; it is
very compact (small tabletop, 1.2 Kg.), semi-portable; its 13 auto-selected
front-end band filters reduce to some extent unavoidable intermodulation. In
general, this set offers a self contained and very well balanced compromise
of a lot of different demanding features, but will show its best when fully
interfaced.
Its price, here in Italy, has been varying greatly during the years.
Therefore I cannot say how it really competes with the choice of HF
receiver + scanner setup. It is still unclear to me how far is the AR3000
from dedicated traffic receivers.
I'm finding a number of defects and "whish it was" that I'm going
to list (I would like to hear comments about), but perhaps I'm
just pretending too much from a receiver in which something had
to be traded off between versatility and performance. Please note
that I have a 4 years old AR3000; some defects could have been amelio-
rated in the 3000A, or may eventually be specific of my unit.
Hardware limits:
----------------
-AM selectivity is mediocre (approx 10 khz bandwidth). I feel the lack
of a variable Am bandwidth. SWL in crowded bands is too often spoiled by
the 5Khz whistle. Thinking it was a problem of i.f. detuning, I once
sent it to the service to have it retuned, but with no perceivable gain.
-In AM I do experience blocking. A strong transmitter mutes any weaker adjacent
signal lying some -+30 khz apart. I suspect this may be rather a problem
of AGC voltage (see below on squelch), because the feedback signal is
obtained from the previous to the last i.f. stage, which may have a larger
than necessary (for AM) bandwidth.
-The squelch control (essential in search mode) is not very functional.
On my set almost everything passes for knob positions below .3 and
only >S6 passes when I increase to .5. It may be a problem of adjustment,
but also reflect the inaccurate behaviour of the S-meter, which (I have
no measurements to support) seems not properly logarithmic. I have
the impression that weak signals give a high S readout when close to
stronger ones, because the S-meter averages on a larger bandwidth than
the demodulator.
Also, the squelch just mutes the a.f. output, but not the line out signal.
-The internal speaker fidelity is scarce. No tone controls exist. Clarity
improves a lot when connected to an external speaker or lineout. No
noise reduction circuitry is present. External audio equalization does
a lot, but of course is not the cure for low selectivity.
-There is no i.f. direct output for say a spectrum analyzer or a different
demodulator (say wide band AM for satellite or TV, stereo FM decoder,
sinchro SB AM decoder). A modify could be to buffer it to a backpanel
jack.
-Intermodulation IS present. I live very close to power MW transmitter,
and in the times they're on the whole band .5 : 2.5 Mhz is unusable,
with crosstalk on every possible combination of transmitter frequencies.
At evening I sometimes hear sw bc stations crosstalks on 20 : 30 Mhz, even
with a short random wire antenna. However, I don't hear crosstalk due
to FM transmitters, which are also close to my place. The 13 front
end filters seem to do their job, since strong signals don't cause
crosstalk out of their respective preselector bands.
-I'm not very satisfied with the small and clicking rotary tuning control. In
the AR3000a it has been replaced with a (I guess optically encoded) smooth
one. I would rather appreciate a jog-shuttle like the one on VCRs, and the mod
itself seems quite easy too.
The tuning is however digital, and stepping frequency causes clicks, which
eventually trigger the squelch threshold during search. The final a.f. is
briefly muted while stepping, but I prefer the line-out signal which is
unaffected and thus has a faster response.
-There is a single antenna input for the entire range. I think this however is
correct, because whichever choice on different antennas is entirely dependent
on the user setup, and should be rather left to an externally programmed
antenna switch.
-Some digital RFI is generated, expecially in the high HF and low VHF. A real
antenna connected with a shielded cable and a good earth however wash it out.
-Some small change in sensivity and background noise can be perceived when
passing across one of the 13 band boundaries (by the way, they are 0.1-0.5,
0.5-2.5, 2.5-10, 10-30, 30-50, 50-108, 108-136, 136-174, 174-224, 224-335,
335-500, 500-940, 940-2036 Mhz), but this is unavoidable, and also due to
the change of the superetherodyne scheme.
Software limitations:
-----------------------
-Scanning is already very versatile for such a small machine. However, auto
memory storage of catched frequencies was forgotten. Also, the oddities in
the S-metering (see above) impose manual choice when scanning non regularly
channellized bands.
-There is a priority channel lookup feature, but the attention threshold has to
be the current squelch position. Apparently (see
//ftp.funet.fi/pub/dx/receivers/mods/aor300.mod) in
the 3000a a programmable lookup time was implemented, but it is not present on
the 3000.
-The mode and the tuning step change are set with several keystrokes. I feel it
quite tricky, expecially considering that I generally have to switch quickly
between 50 Hz/SSB, 500Hz/Am, 1.25 Khz/nfm, 50 Khz/WFM. The step x10 command is
very useful, but not enough.
Since the S-meter signal is output on the RS232, and the unit may be fully
remotely commanded, all this limits can be cleverly threspassed by an external
control software, thought.
I have experienced problems with the 232 interface. The cpu goes crazy very
easily when the connector is plugged in/out, unless the "remote" switch on
pin 7 is previously operated. This is (I understand) the reason why it was added
on the 3000a. When the cpu goes on the moon, one generally has to open the set
and to push the reset button (backside of the keyboard), losing all the memories
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