On Aug 1, 9:02*am, dxAce wrote:
Drifter wrote:
On 7/31/2010 7:56 PM, Bob wrote:
Hi,

Just curious re your opinions.

What would be the next step up for a table top receiver over the
JRC NRD 545 ?

Should include the vhf/uhf mil air, PD, etc. bands as well as HF.

What would it offer better than the 545: sensitivity, or...?
When was it first on the market ?

Assume a $3,500 limit. Should be new, not used.

Not interested in a SDR receiver; tried one but returned it due to all
the software glitches.

Thanks,
Bob

Hi Bob.

* * *Your asking a lot from a single receiver. from the lists i have
followed, over the years, there is really no one best receiver. some
like the Icoms- R-9000 and the 8500. myself, i didn't care for the
R-9K. runs way too hot, just fries itself over a short time. you
need the double fan rear panel from Sherwood to help it live. i
like the 8500, works well on HF, and just OK on the higher bands.
the real stand-out is the AOR R-5000 +3. it handles most of the
spectrum well. some don't like it because of the small front panel
and knobs. i run it with the SDU, or a computer set-up. for me it's
a keeper, can be had for not too bad prices. my opinions here.
* * you are better off with a good HF receiver, and a second for the
higher bands. no one receiver, does it all, well. there are a few
Gov/Mil receivers coming on the markets, as they are replaced by
SDR types. *ebay is not a good rule of thumb. you might want to
read the EHam listings for some ideas. another good place to watch
are the Canadian salvage listing's. use a good search engine. just
watch out for the DE-mils, some Gov's remove parts before they put
them up for sale. a lot of these receivers are one-off's, meaning
repair and parts are hard to find. and keep away from the so called
spy receivers, mostly crap, some one puts a radio in a suite-case
and rips off a buyer. YMMV.

Yeah, plenty of decent stuff out there. I'd never get a 'full spectrum' RX. To
many compromises.

Get basic dedicated units.

The 545 should certainly be able to handle HF, though I've never been a fan of
the JVC offerings.


Agreed. IMO keep your 545 for HF, it's a great rx. Get a decent
SCANNER and antenna for receiving above 30 mhz. Most of those Jap full-
spectrum radios fall short as far as scanning options go and can be a
real pain in the ass to program, especially the AORs.