RadioBanter - View Single Post

October 7th 03, 05:49 AM

In article ,
says...

I've always been interested in SW radio as a listener and have decided
to get more serious about it to see just how strong my interest really
is. As a start, I want to get a good used radio, and it seems like the
Kenwood R5000 or the ICOM R71A are very popular. It looks to me
like the ICOM has more features, such as CW, RTTY, and a superior
notch filter. This makes me believe it is aimed at the more serious
user. Two web sites that review receivers rate the R71A slightly
higher than the R5000. So, I would expect R71A's to be in higher
demand, but it seem to be the opposite. R5000's seem to sell at
higher prices and I see R71A owners wanting to trade for R5000's.
What am I missing? Which would be a better radio for a beginner?
I will probably start out with DX and broadcast, but may want to
grow into other areas. Thanks for any advice.

Jer

I would rate them, with optional filters, almost a dead heat. The R5000
runs very hot on AC power, and so I would run it only on 12v. The audio
on the R5000 blows the R71A away though, a big deal if you listen to
programs or music.

BDK