"Jim Hackett" wrote:

.... If the AOR's synch is SUPERB, and the Drake's is excellent, where
does that
leave the Bell and Howell, whose designers felt the circuitry was
superb as
it was and opted not to inundate their users with meaningless knob
twiddling? I think you know the answer to that as well as I do....

Yes, Jim, I do. (I pity those who are not familiar with this radio.)
You understand that I was writing about "ordinary" "mediocre" shortwave
sets (such as the AOR AR7030 Plus, the Drake R8B, the Grundig Satellit
800, and one could also include the Ten-tec RX-340, the Watkins-Johnson
WJ-8711A, and/or any Racal, Collins, or Hammarlund model you care to
mention). These radios are obviously NOT in the same class as the Bell
+ Howell Radio ("Tune into the world from home. And tune into home from
faraway ... with this portable nine-band world receiver from Bell +
Howell. ... Expand your listening options with ... AM/megawatt and
shortwave channels.") (Jim, do ANY of your large collection of radios,
with the exception of your Bell + Howell, pick up AM/megawatt
channels?)

Those radios mentioned above, all of which are more expensive than the
Bell + Howell, need "special circuitry" - variable IF filters, sync
detectors, adjustable AGC controls, etc., etc., etc. to achieve what
the Bell + Howell does with its MINIMALIST circuitry (and it's so
EFFICIENT that it needs only two AA batteries - not included - to
operate!).

And the Bell + Howell even picks up TV sound!

Who needs sync circuits anyway?

Best,

Joe