On 8/2/10 14:48 , DEFCON 88 wrote:
On Jul 31, 7:56 pm, 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


As I said in my previous post, the 545 is no slouch and you'd be
better off getting a good quality scanner for above 30 mhz. But if
you're itching to replace your 545 for LW/MW/SW, IMO the next step up
has to be a Ten-Tec RX340. I replaced my 545 with an RX340, not
because I was unhappy with the 545, but because I got a huge bonus at
work and figured what the heck, go for it. The RX340 is absolutely
superb and outperforms every rx I ever had.

But as nice as multi-kilobuck radios are, the performance improvement
is not as dramatic as, say, upgrading to a NRD-545 from a portable. If
you already have a great radio like a Drake R7A, JRC NRD-515, JRC
NRD-545, AOR 7030, etc., you may find it's not really worth the
expense to upgrade, as your current radio will hear at least 90% of
what a multi-kilobuck radio will.




A couple of points.

You already have a tremendous HF receiver. Not the most pleasant
audio, but a great radio.

Rather than move to an all-in-one, which may not be as efficient
on the HF bands, keep the radio you've got, spend a couple of
hundred improving your antenna, and put your money into a V/UHF
radio. AOR makes a nice one, which should becoming to the US soon.
Yeasu makes one, but HF isn't quite what you're used to.

An all-in-one that meets the same standard of HF performance
you're used to, will cost far more than your $3500. And new ones are
getting hard to find. ICOM discontinued the R8500 for consumer
service, which was one of the few good widebands (though HF
performance may still not have improved over your 545). And the 8500
was affordable, given your budget. AOR's R5000 was likewise
affordable and performed well. No longer available. The R5001 will
replace it.

Today a high performance wideband (new, not used) can top $14,000.

And truth be told, your HF performance with the 545 is within
striking distance of Ten-Tec's RX3400, which is pushing $4000.
Whereas, an improvement in your antenna will yield dramatic
improvements at far less cost.

Keep your 545. Improve your antenna. Buy a decent V/UHF rig.

And put the rest into your VHF antenna.