On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 11:52:45 -0400, William Mutch
wrote:

In article ,
says...
On 9 Apr 2004 20:06:28 -0700, (Gary) wrote:

B Banton wrote in message My 800 hums slightly when I turn the light on. Does a sync detector
help with that? My battery indicator flashes after about 3 hours of
use. Does turning the gain control up have an effect on that? My 800
can't display the letters USB. How would you have me fix that? They
doubled up the BATT and Attenuate letters. Do you know that? I can't
turn the damn volume knob past 3 before sound distorts. Care to tell
me why they included volume control past that point? Even past the
half-way point? The 800 is an absolute mess. For anyone to defend it
is absolutely incredible IMO. And just another reason why mediocrity
is becoming acceptable. Tell Grundig to stuff that unit up their ever
loving a**.

Regards

I'd say you have a defective unit. As far as the display not
displaying the letters USB - that was taken directly from the Drake
SW8 which also cannot display the letters USB. Some of the early
sets, including mine, have a bad adjustment for the battery indicator
and it flashes, like you say, after about 3 hours of use. That was
corrected on later units, so I understand. The other problems you
have seem to be on your set as I do not have those problems with mine.


"snip"

I've run my Sat 800 (second series) for the last year on a car
battery. The supply voltage as listed in the manual is 9 volts, but
cast in plastic above the supply input jack is "9-15 volts". The radio
is very happy with even a fully charged battery at 13.8 v and will last
for *weeks* of my teenager listening to loud rock music between charges.

--------------

9-15 volts; interesting!

I bought one of the first available S800s from Sharper Image (Still
works like a champ with a very quiet 400' loop, everyday). The
plastic on mine, by the input, reads DC 9V.

I do run mine on a garden tractor/snowmobile battery but use an RS
DC-DC converter to get 9V @900ma output. In addition I keep a 50w
solar panel connected to the battery. Maintenance on the whole deal
is to add a little distilled water to the battery every couple years
and occasionally soap/rinse spray the solar panel on the roof.

Was tempted at first to chance running the receiver straight off the
12V too, but opted to be gentle on the components. Any comment out
there on detrimental effects of higher voltage use? Or, what's best
for the radio.

Great radios ain't they?

bball
Sat800, 400' loop @15' height, AD Sloper (not as good), MFJ 959B for
good matching, switching, occ amplification.