"Michael" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
oups.com...
I am running Drake R8B and am thinking about buying the ICOM R75.
Does
anybody here own both and could you comment? I think I can
probably
still get one for 600 from HRO or Universal.

73
Bob
N9NEO


HERE WE GO AGAIN !!!

It beats another Katrina thread.

I'll fire the first shot. I own an R75 with full Kiwa mods, and I
have used
an R8, R8A & R8B. I find that the R75 is a better radio for
utility and
DX'ing. I also find the R75 to be an adequate radio for program
listening
before it gets any mods and a very good radio for program listening
after
the Kiwa sync and audio mods. I find the R8B to be SUPERLATIVE as a
program
listening radio and very good as a DX'ing rig. I dont care what any
of the
bench statistics are, the R75 performs better as a DX'ing rig then
the R8B.
I could resolve DX signals with the R75 that I could not with the
R8B. I
dont care how good the am synch is on the R8B is, or how good the
audio
quality is. Those advantages count for nothing when your trying to
DX very
weak and messy signals. For that type of work, you are best served
putting
your rig in SSB and using ECSS tuning. In that capacity, the R75 is
a more
capable rig. I dont need to see bench test stats of any kind. I
learned
this through actual use of both rigs. The R75 performs better for
DX'ing
then the R8B.

Peter and I were just in a thread about the R75's
sync, and he was mentioning that he received
info from an Icom rep on how to properly work
the sync that isn't in the manual online. Did you
hear about anything like that when you were
comparing the two??

Also keep in mind that I did my trials and comparisons of both
Radios with
two very good antennas.

Now, lets here from DXAce

Of course, the mean between the two extremes (you
and Ace) is pretty much that the R75 is good
value for the money. The entertaining comparisons
are the Sat 800 vs. the R75. Of course, the E1
could sub for the Sat 800 these days.

--Mike L.