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#1
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Best Modern Radios?
Blake McBride wrote:
Greetings, I have a Grundig Satellit 800 and have fun with it. Not knowing a lot about SW Radios, I am curious about how my radio compares to other high quality, modern radios. So here is my question, what are the top, modern, currently available radios? I understand that there is no black and white answer, and it depends on X, Y, Z. If money is not an object and portability is not desired, what are the generally accepted best radios? I am interested in your subjective opinions. Thanks. Blake McBride Ten-Tec RX-340. AOR AR-7030+ |
#2
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Best Modern Radios?
On May 27, 1:56 am, "Blake McBride" wrote:
Greetings, I have a Grundig Satellit 800 and have fun with it. Not knowing a lot about SW Radios, I am curious about how my radio compares to other high quality, modern radios. So here is my question, what are the top, modern, currently available radios? I understand that there is no black and white answer, and it depends on X, Y, Z. If money is not an object and portability is not desired, what are the generally accepted best radios? I am interested in your subjective opinions. Thanks. Blake McBride In my opinion the most underestimated receiver out there is the Ten Tec RX320D. It's a PC-based receiver, which may turn you off, but when paired with the right software it works wonders. I use mine with RX Plus software, which is pretty nice. I'm no longer restricted to four or five filters, but have 30+ filters to choose from...a huge advantage. You get the very best DSP filtering out there, along with a variety of extremely effective noise reduction capabilities. You get digital modes like psk, rtty, hf fax, SSTV and DRM (if you're into that sort of thing). The software includes useful databases, spectrum display, four VFOs (yes, I said FOUR), S-meter, tons of memories, scanning capability, the ability to record and save audio files, etc. Build quality is superb. The exterior is METAL, not plastic. So far as bang for the buck is concerned, nothing can touch it. Nothing else even comes close. And despite all the bitching and moaning you hear about PC-based receivers, the real beauty of them is that the software is constantly improving and each major software upgrade is sort of like getting a new, better receiver. I find it fascinating. |
#3
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Best Modern Radios?
Ten Tec's are made down South in Tennessee.(South is always Best) So,I
have to say,Ten Tec.Next bestest,well,,,, I really donts know. cuhulin,the auld Southron Mississippi dude .................................................. ............. Whup!,the Indianapolis 500 pre race thangy is now crankin up.I sees y'all later. .................................................. ............. |
#4
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Best Modern Radios?
On May 27, 12:00 pm, Bart Bailey wrote:
In ups.com posted on 27 May 2007 07:40:06 -0700, Steve wrote: Begin And despite all the bitching and moaning you hear about PC-based receivers, the real beauty of them is that the software is constantly improving and each major software upgrade is sort of like getting a new, better receiver. I find it fascinating. Is the modern DSP filtration getting good enough to overcome the noise from the computer they're connected to? -- Bart In my case computer noise has not been a problem. When it is a problem, the best thing to do would be to figure out where the noise is coming from and attack it direclty. The way I look at it, DSP is for kinds of noise that you can't simply get rid of. Ditto for the ANC-4 phasing unit that I sometimes use. They're like a last line of defense. |
#5
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Best Modern Radios?
Bart Bailey wrote:
Is the modern DSP filtration getting good enough to overcome the noise from the computer they're connected to? I have the 320 model and computer noise has never been a problem. In my humble opinion, it's the best radio available in the under 800-1000 dollar range. The frequency database lets you save all the settings in use at the time of reception of a particular station, making re-tuning easier. mike |
#6
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Best Modern Radios?
On May 27, 5:36 pm, m II wrote:
Bart Bailey wrote: Is the modern DSP filtration getting good enough to overcome the noise from the computer they're connected to? I have the 320 model and computer noise has never been a problem. In my humble opinion, it's the best radio available in the under 800-1000 dollar range. The frequency database lets you save all the settings in use at the time of reception of a particular station, making re-tuning easier. mike What control software do you use? Ten Tec's or something else? I've become a fan of RxPlus, though I can't say I've compared it with every one of its competitors. |
#7
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Best Modern Radios?
On May 27, 1:56 am, "Blake McBride" wrote:
Greetings, I have a Grundig Satellit 800 and have fun with it. Not knowing a lot about SW Radios, I am curious about how my radio compares to other high quality, modern radios. So here is my question, what are the top, modern, currently available radios? I understand that there is no black and white answer, and it depends on X, Y, Z. If money is not an object and portability is not desired, what are the generally accepted best radios? I am interested in your subjective opinions. Thanks. Blake McBride Dear Blake, Virtually any modern receiver will "run rings" around what we had back in the "old days" regarding performance, versatility, and reliability. To answer your question, just about all the radios priced at or above $500.00 (which would include the Eton E1, the radio most comparable to the Satellit 800) would be an excellent performer. Someone here has already listed most of them. But in my (admittedly subjective) opinion, and also being an owner of a Satellit 800, the very best performers are tabletops and the best performing of the tabletop communications receivers for both DXing and program listening is, without doubt on my part, the AOR AR7030 Plus, suitably configured by the factory. The sound quality from this radio is nothing short of superb (and can be sent to an audio system), its performance on weak signals is as good as any, and its reliability is superb, at least in my (three year) experience. This radio can also be operated via a computer if the user desires. Jan Arkesteijn has written a great (free!) operating program called "RxWings" and this makes operating the radio a snap. It even adds some facilities, such as scanning (with parameters the user chooses), that are not available on the receiver itself. There are other radios (Watkins-Johnson, Ten-tec) that are certainly as good in performance (though not necessarily in sound quality) but they are far more costly. Software-defined radios are also great performers but note that, as Windows (or Mac) operating systems change, it is possible that some year down the road, unless you keep a "legacy" computer, your SDR may not function. The Satellit 800, though certainly not constructed to anywhere near the standard of the AOR or most other tabletops mentioned on this thread, and, consequently, probably not having the service life of those sets, nonetheless is a very fine performer and its operating design is second-to-none. Some people have wished the set had a few more facilities, such as passband tuning, a notch filter, and an RF control, but really this radio has all the functions necessary to achieve good reception on the overwhelming majority of shortwave broadcasts (and its MW, LW, Air band, and FM sections are excellent also). Adding more functions would serve only to increase the price. Should those facilities be truly desired, they are available on other radios. In other words, in my opinion, the Satellit 800, except for its construction quality, is as good as any, and far less costly than most. Note too that the ICOM IC-R75, though it has some design shortcomings and its sound quality is definitely not as good as the AOR or some others, is still a fine receiver at a very good price. And, should the owner desire to improve its performance, there are many options and modifications available for this radio, a good number of which can be effected by the owner. As someone else posted here, ALL of these receivers (including the Satellit 800) deserve only the finest antenna that can be had. This can't be stressed too much. Obviously antennas will differ depending upon the circumstances of the owner, but you want the absolute best you can get. Your Satellit 800, with a great antenna, will easily outperform even the most expensive and best-performing tabletop if the latter is fitted with an inferior antenna. Over the years, this has been demonstrated time and time again. Your question was of great interest to me and, I'm sure, many others, and I thank you for it. I hope my answer was of some interest to you. Best, Joe |
#8
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Best Modern Radios?
On May 27, 11:56 am, Joe Analssandrini
wrote: Software-defined radios are also great performers but note that, as Windows (or Mac) operating systems change, it is possible that some year down the road, unless you keep a "legacy" computer, your SDR may not function. The good news is that, while operating systems are changing, so is receiver control software. If it turned out that RX Plus, for example, couldn't function with Windows Vista or some other operating system, I'm sure that some other program could and in fact I'm sure that the creator of RX Plus would act quickly to release an upgraded version of his software that would work with the new operating system. Steve |
#9
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Best Modern Radios?
Wheres my boy,Joe at? Joe,I am thinking about sending my married Irish
lady friend in Bognor Regis,England some money for a ''scanner'' I don't know the best way to send her the money though.I trust her one hundred million percent ten thousand.She once snailed me a chek for some Mabelinne eye lineer pencils I snail mailed to her.Of course,I tore her check (cheque) up and I flushed it down my crapper. cuhulin |
#10
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Best Modern Radios?
I would have to say either of these
The Ten-Tec RX-340 The WJ-8711A Or The New Icom R9500 close your eyes in pick one!! wrote in message ... Wheres my boy,Joe at? Joe,I am thinking about sending my married Irish lady friend in Bognor Regis,England some money for a ''scanner'' I don't know the best way to send her the money though.I trust her one hundred million percent ten thousand.She once snailed me a chek for some Mabelinne eye lineer pencils I snail mailed to her.Of course,I tore her check (cheque) up and I flushed it down my crapper. cuhulin |
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