RadioBanter - View Single Post

November 24th 03, 02:25 AM

wrote:

I am interested in getting back into SWL (This is what lead me into ham
radio back in 1963.) I have narrowed my selection to four receivers over a
rather large price difference. My choices were the result of reading many
conflicting reviews, along with some bias from my days as a ham. I was
hoping that some of you may have owned various combinations of these over
the years, that could result in a first hand opinion.

The choices I have made are, in no particular order a
Drake R8B
Icom R8500
Ten Tec RX-350D
Icom R75

No contest, go with the Drake R8B.

I was also considering getting back into ham radio (my license is still
active and I retire in about 18 months) and would like an opinion as to how
the general coverage reception in most of today's ham transcievers compares
to the dedicated radios listed above.

I think some general coverage ham transceivers do a good job, but NONE have the
Drake's excellent AM SYNCHRONOUS DETECTOR. Once you've experienced a good
synchronous detector, you'll wonder how you ever did without it.