Michael Lawson wrote:
"D Peter Maus" wrote in message
...

Michael Lawson wrote:

wrote in message
...


What is it about the 75's that is so special?


My guess is the dual passband tuning, because I've
heard mixed things about the sync and DSP.

--Mike L.




R-75 handles a bit easier than R-71. Audio is more pleasant. And

it

tends to be a bit quieter in the headphones.


So, between the two, if the cost came up for the same
used, the R75 is the smarter buy? I always figured
that the R71 would be.



There will be some tech work required if you go that way....caps need
to be replaced on the DC-DC and display boards, trimmers on the PLL will
probably need to be replaced. And there will be some solder joints that
need to be touched up due to the huge heat output of the regulator. And
you may need to replace the lithium cell.


Some parts will be hard to come by soon. If you're up to the
challenge, R-71 is a higher quality build. If you're not, R-71 can be a
bit much.


My preference was with R-71. But that's my preference. I like the
feature set, performance is still superior to most of what's out there.


It really depends on what your intentions for the radio are.



R-71, by receiver standards, is very long in the tooth, and

though it

still acqits itself well, it's nowhere near current, technically
speaking, and is easily outperformed in deep DX by younger models.

And

by now, is beginning to show it's frailties.


Younger kilobuck models, or younger $500 models?
I'd figure that it still had the DX capabilities over
the new competition in it's price range, the R75 and
Sat 800 (and now E1).

--Mike L.


Sat 800 and E1 aren't in the same class. Not by far. Because they
were not built to the same purpose as R-71. Sat 800 and E1 are
entertainment radios, with DX performance -- such that it is -- a bonus.
R-71 was created as a high performance communications radio, with DX
performance a priority.

As for price class, remember that R-71 was pushing the high side of
$1700 by the time it was discontinued. But newer technology has made
quantum improvements in performance, often at less cost. So, you're
question has no real definitive answer.


Against younger comm receivers, R-71 holds its own, $500 or kilobuck
models. Not was well as it used to. But it does well.

Against program listening models, like SAT 800, E1 or even HF-150,
R-71 is a more robust performer in many environments, but that can be as
much a matter of taste as it is actual numbers. And it is often a matter
of environment.