Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
NEW - Yaesu FRG-7 REVIEW - By Judah Smith
I WANT MY F-R-G! -
*** THE YAESU MUSEN FRG-7 COMMUNICATION RECEIVER REVIEW *** I finally dropped the big bank roll. The biggest in fact I had ever dropped. Prior to this moment the most expensive SW unit in my possession cost $69.95. Over time I parlayed that radio (a radio shack boat anchor) into a Grundig YB-400 (via trade, I only ended up spending an additional 15 or 20 bucks) Most of my other radios consisted of shoddy analog portables made in some Chinese sweat shop. But I'm not complaining. They were all FUN to varying degrees, and I learned things. I learned most importantly that I loved this hobby, even if I could all contribute the paltriest sums of time and money to it. But now comes the big investment. I can't spend thousands, or even hundreds. I can spend exactly $150 MAX. I ask questions and see what is out there, and I end up with an FRG-7. The best my money could buy. (Sold to me by John McColman, who I think I still owe $5. Sorry John – What was the paypal account again?) He was a great guy. Anyway the radio was in great shape, and packaged very nicely for the journey to my home. With unbridled anticipation I tear into the box and pull out my new receiver. Awwww, a thing of beauty. It's slightly smaller than my DX-160. But it has the SW looks of a primitive DX-300. In a word, NICE. Of course minus the digital readout. This is all analog baby…. This for me is not a problem. I love analog sets. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't turn my nose up at a good table top with a digital readout, and an analog tuning knob….but those days shall probably never come….TOO MUCH GREEN FOR ME. Anyway, I feel I got a good deal. The $150 was with shipping included….which probably ran in the ball park of 20 bucks…**it's heavy** And EBAY has these beauties running upwards of 2 C notes. So I have no complaints. Life is good. I plug it in – The faceplate fills with the warm glow of an old radio….then the glow is gone. The light behind the main tuning dial - went dead. Judah's not happy. Hmmmm. I suppose it's not a big deal, but since this is to become my pride and joy I'd like to able to read the signal strength and main tuning gauge with the lights out….which is how I do most of my listening. (Radio was meant to be listened to in the dark, kind of like watching a movie is always better in the dark.) So now I'm bummed. I grab my screwdriver and get to work opening the lil sucker. Ignorant of all but the most basic electronic concepts I'm leery of messing with anything….but I figure I might as well take a look. And I do, and I figure out how to remove the main tuning dial, and there hidden away are the little bulbs. Tiny little suckers. So I snip them off and I head to RADIO SHACK, and hour, and two hot solder burns later, the radio is back together and the new bulbs are bright as can be. Now to take a listen…. Mmmmmmmmmmm. Sweet. Very Sweet. Even sweeter than my previous pride and joy….my YB-400. The sound is clear and un-muffled, yet warm and rich. Even weak signals are easily audible. It just sounds good. I'm picking up stuff all over the place. Stuff overpowered with static on my YB-400, comes poking through on the FRG-7. This radio is head and shoulders over any of my previous radios. (DX-300, YB-400, DX-160, etc…) In the under $200.00 category it is a sweet ride. And when you consider it's some 30+ years old…in its day it must have been the BOMB! (That means very good for anyone over 40. So let's break it all down for the homies in the cheap seats…. SENSITIVITY – VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT Taking into account my previous radios, this baby is tops in sensitivity. Is it as sensitive as a DRAKE or LOWE – send me one and I'll tell you. But I won't be holding my breath….that being said, in relation to my previous radios. This baby is king. If your on a budget and want a real performer. **especially if your located in a poor reception area** bag this puppy. Trust me when I say if your patient you can do some serious DXing on this lil fella. It was born to snoop out signal! SELECTIVITY – GOOD TO VERY GOOD– For an analog unit. The fine tuning button is really a plus here. There are times, when fine tuning is the difference between weak signal and no signal…especially when it is stuck in amidst high powered audio traffic. Is it as good my YB-400? Frankly…NO. I don't know all the digital PLL – this and that – yada – yada- which makes it so….But I can tell by my ears, the YB-400 filters out adjacent signals much better. Modern technology has definitely improved this element of SW listening. The Yacht Boy can grab a signal and with a narrow filter setting, drop out almost all other noise. The FRG-7 has filters too, but they just aren't up to snuff by comparison. But it is still very good for the technology of its day. Again realize this is 30 years old. If you look at it from that perspective, it's pretty amazing how good a job it does. QUALITY – EXCELLENT - The build quality is excellent….nothing flimsy here. All solidly built. It might even survive a short drop onto a carpeted floor. (Although I wouldn't try this at home). It is a rock. Even the plastic parts feel very solid. However the majority of the external housing is all metal. And pretty heavy metal at that. AUDIO – VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT- Out of the radios I have had this is by far the best. Even better than the YB-400. At least to my ears. I would love to find out what kind of speaker they used for this baby. (Although I am sure it is more than just the speaker attributing to such good sound) If you like a pleasing sound emanating from your radio the FRG-7 delivers in spades. STABILITY – GOOD TO VERY GOOD – Once this baby warms up it is nice and stable. But I have to deduct points for the fact that it still takes 30 minutes to get there. I know it is an anomaly of the time when it was made…but it is still frustrating having to wait till it is in its sweet spot. I usually avoid this by turning it on well in advance of my listening time. But once it is warm – it locks on to signals very nicely. SSB/CW (Ham stuff for newbie's) is easy to tune as well….and once you get it all locked in very little adjustments need to be made, if any. You can listen to hams or broadcast, with out twiddling a knob once you get it all honed in. As a side note – the tuning is very accurate for an analog set. I compared it with my digital YB-400, and the gauge is always right on the mark. Plus the frequencies are very easy to read. You will always know just where you are. You can actually find specific programs at specific times with this radio. Rather difficult with the DX-160. You may have noticed I didn't make much mention of the difference in tuning shortwave broadcast stations and HAM related stuff. It's because both are quite easy to receive, and a joy to listen to with this guy. Of course SW broadcasts will sound better….duh. But Ham stuff comes in load and clear and is very easy to tune in… Did I also mention you can run it off batteries? Nice feature. If the lights go out, you never lose a beat. It will switch to batteries automatically. So while you wife is cursing the TV because she is missing ‘FRIENDS' your still knee deep in BBC. DISADVANTAGES – Still kind of pricy for a radio 30 years old. But it seems worth the price, and it shows that it can hold its value if you invest in one. Not as easy to get to everything inside as say the DX-160, but still not a nightmare to work on. The Preselector tuning style is not great – but was best of its day. The tuning is much easier to master than say the DX-160. ADVANTAGES – Sensitive! Great sound! Fun for knob twisting junkies like me. I could go on….but its all in the review. OVERALL – A great buy for someone in the under $200 market. If you find a good one, don't let the age of this unit throw you off. It is the best analog radio I have ever used. And, if you have one sitting under a pile of old radio parts, take it out, dust it off, and start playing with it again. You may have forgotten just how nice these old sets are. Challenge yourself by doing some DXing the old fashioned way…without all the bells and whistles of the modern era. You'll feel like a kid again. And in the end – THAT IS what it's all about! |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
If you run a 6 foot untuned loop into the high impedance input, this radio
is great for MW dxing. Gilfer used to have an upgrade for this radio, using a narrower I.F. filter. If I am not mistaken, it is similar to a Murata CFJ-XXXX filter, an 11-element unit. Later units that had the fine tuning control had a little bit more RF gain in the front end, but they were more susceptable to I.M. products. Either model was decent; you find them at hamfests in the 150 dollar range. A much better unit than the FRG-7000. Besides the FRG-100, this one was my favorite Yaesu unit. Have fun! Pete Judah Smith wrote in message om... I WANT MY F-R-G! - *** THE YAESU MUSEN FRG-7 COMMUNICATION RECEIVER REVIEW *** I finally dropped the big bank roll. The biggest in fact I had ever dropped. Prior to this moment the most expensive SW unit in my possession cost $69.95. Over time I parlayed that radio (a radio shack boat anchor) into a Grundig YB-400 (via trade, I only ended up spending an additional 15 or 20 bucks) Most of my other radios consisted of shoddy analog portables made in some Chinese sweat shop. But I'm not complaining. They were all FUN to varying degrees, and I learned things. I learned most importantly that I loved this hobby, even if I could all contribute the paltriest sums of time and money to it. But now comes the big investment. I can't spend thousands, or even hundreds. I can spend exactly $150 MAX. I ask questions and see what is out there, and I end up with an FRG-7. The best my money could buy. (Sold to me by John McColman, who I think I still owe $5. Sorry John - What was the paypal account again?) He was a great guy. Anyway the radio was in great shape, and packaged very nicely for the journey to my home. With unbridled anticipation I tear into the box and pull out my new receiver. Awwww, a thing of beauty. It's slightly smaller than my DX-160. But it has the SW looks of a primitive DX-300. In a word, NICE. Of course minus the digital readout. This is all analog baby.. This for me is not a problem. I love analog sets. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't turn my nose up at a good table top with a digital readout, and an analog tuning knob..but those days shall probably never come..TOO MUCH GREEN FOR ME. Anyway, I feel I got a good deal. The $150 was with shipping included..which probably ran in the ball park of 20 bucks.**it's heavy** And EBAY has these beauties running upwards of 2 C notes. So I have no complaints. Life is good. I plug it in - The faceplate fills with the warm glow of an old radio..then the glow is gone. The light behind the main tuning dial - went dead. Judah's not happy. Hmmmm. I suppose it's not a big deal, but since this is to become my pride and joy I'd like to able to read the signal strength and main tuning gauge with the lights out..which is how I do most of my listening. (Radio was meant to be listened to in the dark, kind of like watching a movie is always better in the dark.) So now I'm bummed. I grab my screwdriver and get to work opening the lil sucker. Ignorant of all but the most basic electronic concepts I'm leery of messing with anything..but I figure I might as well take a look. And I do, and I figure out how to remove the main tuning dial, and there hidden away are the little bulbs. Tiny little suckers. So I snip them off and I head to RADIO SHACK, and hour, and two hot solder burns later, the radio is back together and the new bulbs are bright as can be. Now to take a listen.. Mmmmmmmmmmm. Sweet. Very Sweet. Even sweeter than my previous pride and joy..my YB-400. The sound is clear and un-muffled, yet warm and rich. Even weak signals are easily audible. It just sounds good. I'm picking up stuff all over the place. Stuff overpowered with static on my YB-400, comes poking through on the FRG-7. This radio is head and shoulders over any of my previous radios. (DX-300, YB-400, DX-160, etc.) In the under $200.00 category it is a sweet ride. And when you consider it's some 30+ years old.in its day it must have been the BOMB! (That means very good for anyone over 40. So let's break it all down for the homies in the cheap seats.. SENSITIVITY - VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT Taking into account my previous radios, this baby is tops in sensitivity. Is it as sensitive as a DRAKE or LOWE - send me one and I'll tell you. But I won't be holding my breath..that being said, in relation to my previous radios. This baby is king. If your on a budget and want a real performer. **especially if your located in a poor reception area** bag this puppy. Trust me when I say if your patient you can do some serious DXing on this lil fella. It was born to snoop out signal! SELECTIVITY - GOOD TO VERY GOOD- For an analog unit. The fine tuning button is really a plus here. There are times, when fine tuning is the difference between weak signal and no signal.especially when it is stuck in amidst high powered audio traffic. Is it as good my YB-400? Frankly.NO. I don't know all the digital PLL - this and that - yada - yada- which makes it so..But I can tell by my ears, the YB-400 filters out adjacent signals much better. Modern technology has definitely improved this element of SW listening. The Yacht Boy can grab a signal and with a narrow filter setting, drop out almost all other noise. The FRG-7 has filters too, but they just aren't up to snuff by comparison. But it is still very good for the technology of its day. Again realize this is 30 years old. If you look at it from that perspective, it's pretty amazing how good a job it does. QUALITY - EXCELLENT - The build quality is excellent..nothing flimsy here. All solidly built. It might even survive a short drop onto a carpeted floor. (Although I wouldn't try this at home). It is a rock. Even the plastic parts feel very solid. However the majority of the external housing is all metal. And pretty heavy metal at that. AUDIO - VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT- Out of the radios I have had this is by far the best. Even better than the YB-400. At least to my ears. I would love to find out what kind of speaker they used for this baby. (Although I am sure it is more than just the speaker attributing to such good sound) If you like a pleasing sound emanating from your radio the FRG-7 delivers in spades. STABILITY - GOOD TO VERY GOOD - Once this baby warms up it is nice and stable. But I have to deduct points for the fact that it still takes 30 minutes to get there. I know it is an anomaly of the time when it was made.but it is still frustrating having to wait till it is in its sweet spot. I usually avoid this by turning it on well in advance of my listening time. But once it is warm - it locks on to signals very nicely. SSB/CW (Ham stuff for newbie's) is easy to tune as well..and once you get it all locked in very little adjustments need to be made, if any. You can listen to hams or broadcast, with out twiddling a knob once you get it all honed in. As a side note - the tuning is very accurate for an analog set. I compared it with my digital YB-400, and the gauge is always right on the mark. Plus the frequencies are very easy to read. You will always know just where you are. You can actually find specific programs at specific times with this radio. Rather difficult with the DX-160. You may have noticed I didn't make much mention of the difference in tuning shortwave broadcast stations and HAM related stuff. It's because both are quite easy to receive, and a joy to listen to with this guy. Of course SW broadcasts will sound better..duh. But Ham stuff comes in load and clear and is very easy to tune in. Did I also mention you can run it off batteries? Nice feature. If the lights go out, you never lose a beat. It will switch to batteries automatically. So while you wife is cursing the TV because she is missing 'FRIENDS' your still knee deep in BBC. DISADVANTAGES - Still kind of pricy for a radio 30 years old. But it seems worth the price, and it shows that it can hold its value if you invest in one. Not as easy to get to everything inside as say the DX-160, but still not a nightmare to work on. The Preselector tuning style is not great - but was best of its day. The tuning is much easier to master than say the DX-160. ADVANTAGES - Sensitive! Great sound! Fun for knob twisting junkies like me. I could go on..but its all in the review. OVERALL - A great buy for someone in the under $200 market. If you find a good one, don't let the age of this unit throw you off. It is the best analog radio I have ever used. And, if you have one sitting under a pile of old radio parts, take it out, dust it off, and start playing with it again. You may have forgotten just how nice these old sets are. Challenge yourself by doing some DXing the old fashioned way.without all the bells and whistles of the modern era. You'll feel like a kid again. And in the end - THAT IS what it's all about! |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Thanks, I'm sure I will.
|
#4
|
|||
|
|||
********great review snipped***********
Judah, Great post, that's what it's all about IMO. If you can ever get say $230.00 smackers you really should invest in an old boatanchor like a Hammarlund, really. :-) A Hammarlund would be perfect for you, you'd flip...lol. If I didn't love mine sooooo much, I'd send you one of mine to play around with for a couple months so you'd know what I mean. Great post, made me smile. Congrats on your new piece, now get at it!! :-) -- ~*~*~Monitoring the Spectrum~*~*~ ***GO BEARCATS*** ~*~*~Oct.15th Payback Begins~*~*~*~ ~~~Hammarlund129X/140X~~~ **Heathkit Q Multiplier** GE P-780 |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Hi Dxlover,
Thanks for the compliments. I read an older post by you (at least I think it was you) about a kenwood r-300 your had aquired, and how you seemed to be enjoying it. I just ordered one too....should be here in a few days. I plan on writing an offical review on it as well....should be fun. Think PASSPORT magainze might hire me as a reviewer...(yeah right) I really wanted this one because they are kind of rare...and they were one of the last totally analog table top receivers ever made...and I have a thing for knobs as you've probably noticed. For now (and a long time to come) that will complete my SW listening shack...(My wife agreed to let me buy a black bedside cabinet, so all three radios and my grundig can be neatly displayed and I can easily listen to them at night, while lying in bed) after our ussual shagging has been completed. SW listening can never curcumvent a good shagging. Anyway....I just wondered what your feelings were on the kenwood now that you've probably had it a while....I'm excited to get mine. I have a 100 ft random wire I'm using right now....with the FRG-7 and DX-160....works like a dream... I am getting all kinds of stuff....and not ghost signals. I'm logging some really serious DX....especially considering my location...which is one of the worst in the world for DXing....acording to PASSWORD....midwest/southwestern United States. (I have been hearing quite a bit from the middle east, which I never use to even come close to receiving.) "dxlover" wrote in message et... ********great review snipped*********** Judah, Great post, that's what it's all about IMO. If you can ever get say $230.00 smackers you really should invest in an old boatanchor like a Hammarlund, really. :-) A Hammarlund would be perfect for you, you'd flip...lol. If I didn't love mine sooooo much, I'd send you one of mine to play around with for a couple months so you'd know what I mean. Great post, made me smile. Congrats on your new piece, now get at it!! :-) |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Thanks for the compliments No problem, you deserved it. .. I read an older post by you (at least I think it was you) about a kenwood r-300 your had aquired, and how you seemed to be enjoying it. Nope. Not I Judah, I know DXZoner has one and absolutely loves it, he's a great guy, we 'talk' all the time. Hey Zoner, if you're out there, get in on this. ;-) ....(My wife agreed to let me buy a black bedside cabinet, so all three radios and my grundig can be neatly displayed and I can easily listen to them at night, while lying in bed) Yep, that's perfect. I have an RCA Victor 'Strato-World' next to my bed along with a scanner and my Midland weather radio, the RCA is hooked to about five hundred foot of wire. It is just amazing what those older tube radios and a sh*t load of wire can hear, it cracks me up. :-D I am getting all kinds of stuff....and not ghost signals. I'm logging some really serious DX.... Oh, there's no doubt Judah. It's like the lottery "you can't win if you don't play"......if you don't have your receiver on you're not going to hear. I hear quite alot, I just don't post em' much, I guess I should though. I have many a qsls and buttloads of micro-cassettes filled with the some good memories. I dub in my voice as to the day and the time on the tape, it's pretty neat. I remember on 9/11 I had just happened to be trying to log something in New York on the BCB that I had been managing to miss and then all h*ll broke loose. I think I got the first post in that morning to this group, it was truly an amazing and kind of scary day. I had just about EVERY receiver and a couple of scanners going and taped everything from the BCB to shortwave to the police and fire that day. I'm glad that I have all the recorders I do and adapters labeled for each one, I am pretty organized and it 'really' came in handy that day. FWIW, my first receiver was a Realistic DX100, I had two and swapped one with Zoner. The one I have is in absolutely mint condition with the box and papers, I really need to break her out again...lol. Keep the good posts coming Judah, welcome back, you're were missed. :-) -- ~*~*~Monitoring the Spectrum~*~*~ ***GO BEARCATS*** ~*~*~Oct.15th Payback Begins~*~*~*~ ~~~Hammarlund129X/140X~~~ **Heathkit Q Multiplier** GE P-780 |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
MY NEW DX-160 REVIEW - By Judah Smith | Shortwave | |||
Yaesu FT-1000MP Mark-V review | Equipment | |||
Yaesu FT-1000MP Mark-V review | Equipment | |||
FCC Vanity Call Sign Dispute | Policy | |||
Length of Coax Affecting Incident Power to Meter? | Antenna |