Bill Baka wrote:

Then take a look at the Drake SW8 Receiver
http://www.universal-radio.com/used/sold082.html
.
I'm tending to that direction now since Drake has always been a good
brand, pricey, but good.


The SW8 is the wrong shape, IMHO for a car radio. It will be fine to sit in
on the seat next to you, or to keep in the the trunk or back seat until you
stop, but that opens up a whole lot of other receivers of similar shape and
size, and smaller portables (Sony ICF-2010, SW-77, etc).

AFAIK the last good shortwave radio designed for mobile use was the Kenwood
R5000, it has the same shape, and ergonomics of their series of mobile/base
rigs, eg. the TS-120,180,130,430,440,450 with the performance of 430 on up.

My recently aquired Drake SPR-4 runs quite nicely on 12 volts, and while it
has the worst ergonomics of any radio every made, (you have to set two
different switches to set the band, then tune it in two places),
it has the best sound of any radio I've ever owned, no synthesier noise, etc.

Another similar rig would be the Grundig Satellite 650, which has a similar
design and sound, with much more automation, so it's easier to use.

It seems that with the advent of general coverage receivers in moble HF ham
rigs, separate receivers faded away. Except for a car radios designed for
broadcast reception only (limited bands, AM only), the last one was designed
in the late 1980's.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel N3OWJ/4X1GM