superradio and icf6500; digital tuners too
 

On recommendation of many sources I purchased a used GE superradio II last year. It is obviously defective since it cannot perform as well as my old Sony ICF6500.

I have two questions.

1. Is a working srii that much better than this sony?

2. Is there a technician/company of known repute that repairs these srii and what would it cost?

and then...

I see new radios pretty much all have digital tuners. When tuning these, do they all quiet as you tune? I had a digital tuning radio - now at the bottom of a lake - which did so. I found it very hard to scan for new stations as I had to stop at each new freq. to allow the thing to produce audio. Do all digital radios act this way?

Thank you

superradio and icf6500; digital tuners too
 

On Monday, January 18, 2016 at 11:17:12 AM UTC-6, wrote:
On recommendation of many sources I purchased a used GE superradio II last year. It is obviously defective since it cannot perform as well as my old Sony ICF6500.

I have two questions.

1. Is a working srii that much better than this sony?

2. Is there a technician/company of known repute that repairs these srii and what would it cost?

and then...

I see new radios pretty much all have digital tuners. When tuning these, do they all quiet as you tune? I had a digital tuning radio - now at the bottom of a lake - which did so. I found it very hard to scan for new stations as I had to stop at each new freq. to allow the thing to produce audio. Do all digital radios act this way?

Thank you

Digital tuners,,, the screen on them (low price radios) are subject to go blank after a few years. Maybe some of the high price radios with digital tuners are better/last longer, but I sort of kind of doubt it. The old style tuners are a million times better than digital tuners.

superradio and icf6500; digital tuners too
 

Any thing is much better than that **** coming out of sony lately...
wrote in message
...
On recommendation of many sources I purchased a used GE superradio II last
year. It is obviously defective since it cannot perform as well as my old
Sony ICF6500.

I have two questions.

1. Is a working srii that much better than this sony?

2. Is there a technician/company of known repute that repairs these srii
and what would it cost?

and then...

I see new radios pretty much all have digital tuners. When tuning these, do
they all quiet as you tune? I had a digital tuning radio - now at the
bottom of a lake - which did so. I found it very hard to scan for new
stations as I had to stop at each new freq. to allow the thing to produce
audio. Do all digital radios act this way?

Thank you


--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

superradio and icf6500; digital tuners too
 

On Mon, 18 Jan 2016, wrote:

On recommendation of many sources I purchased a used GE superradio II last year. It is obviously defective since it cannot perform as well as my old Sony ICF6500.

I have two questions.

1. Is a working srii that much better than this sony?

I have no idea. "SUperradios" often seem to be a kneejerk reaction,
something to mention when someone asks about a "good" AM receiver. But
there is a limit on what can happen, and then sometimes it turns out
people are talking about the quality of the sound, which the SUperradio
likely is better at than many radios, because it has a large speaker
and/or multiple speakers (I think depending on the specific model number).
They are fairly generic radios, no cutting edge design, I thought they
didn't even use ceramic filters in the AM section. But they have a longer
loopstick antenna than many radios, which may be more important than a lot
of things, and I thought a stage of amplification before the mixer in the
AM section, which many radios won't have (but that's an incomplete
comparison because any decent portable shortwave receiver will have a
decent receiver, and whatever the shortwave design, that will apply to the
AM broadcast band.

2. Is there a technician/company of known repute that repairs these
srii and what would it cost?

There is a page or two somewhere (I don't have a URL) that offers a
schematic and service manual, and tips about repairing and modifying the
radios.

and then...

I see new radios pretty much all have digital tuners. When tuning these,
do they all quiet as you tune? I had a digital tuning radio - now at
the bottom of a lake - which did so. I found it very hard to scan for
new stations as I had to stop at each new freq. to allow the thing to
produce audio. Do all digital radios act this way?

YOu're looking at it wrong. The radios lock and unlock as you turn them,
so tuning fast, you'd not hear anything good anyway. The muting is so you
don't have that junk. SOme radios people have found ways to disable the
mute, but you aren't going to get the same tuning as with an analog radio,
you still have to wait for the receiver to lock up again on the new
frequency. I suppose some are better than others, though if they use
common ICs there won't be much variation. IMproving lockup time can be
done, but at a cost.

Michael

superradio and icf6500; digital tuners too
 

On Monday, January 18, 2016 at 2:54:39 PM UTC-6, Michael Black wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jan 2016, wrote:

On recommendation of many sources I purchased a used GE superradio II last year. It is obviously defective since it cannot perform as well as my old Sony ICF6500.

I have two questions.

1. Is a working srii that much better than this sony?

I have no idea. "SUperradios" often seem to be a kneejerk reaction,
something to mention when someone asks about a "good" AM receiver. But
there is a limit on what can happen, and then sometimes it turns out
people are talking about the quality of the sound, which the SUperradio
likely is better at than many radios, because it has a large speaker
and/or multiple speakers (I think depending on the specific model number).
They are fairly generic radios, no cutting edge design, I thought they
didn't even use ceramic filters in the AM section. But they have a longer
loopstick antenna than many radios, which may be more important than a lot
of things, and I thought a stage of amplification before the mixer in the
AM section, which many radios won't have (but that's an incomplete
comparison because any decent portable shortwave receiver will have a
decent receiver, and whatever the shortwave design, that will apply to the
AM broadcast band.

2. Is there a technician/company of known repute that repairs these
srii and what would it cost?

There is a page or two somewhere (I don't have a URL) that offers a
schematic and service manual, and tips about repairing and modifying the
radios.

and then...

I see new radios pretty much all have digital tuners. When tuning these,
do they all quiet as you tune? I had a digital tuning radio - now at
the bottom of a lake - which did so. I found it very hard to scan for
new stations as I had to stop at each new freq. to allow the thing to
produce audio. Do all digital radios act this way?

YOu're looking at it wrong. The radios lock and unlock as you turn them,
so tuning fast, you'd not hear anything good anyway. The muting is so you
don't have that junk. SOme radios people have found ways to disable the
mute, but you aren't going to get the same tuning as with an analog radio,
you still have to wait for the receiver to lock up again on the new
frequency. I suppose some are better than others, though if they use
common ICs there won't be much variation. IMproving lockup time can be
done, but at a cost.

Michael

Thanks for the info Michael but I disagree about scanning the dial. I can find a local station on an old analog am tuner in 1 second. I just whip the dial round and "hear". I didn't think am analog tuners even had phase locks.
Thanks again.

superradio and icf6500; digital tuners too
 

On Monday, January 18, 2016 at 9:55:37 PM UTC-6, wrote:
On Monday, January 18, 2016 at 2:54:39 PM UTC-6, Michael Black wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jan 2016, wrote:

On recommendation of many sources I purchased a used GE superradio II last year. It is obviously defective since it cannot perform as well as my old Sony ICF6500.

I have two questions.

1. Is a working srii that much better than this sony?

I have no idea. "SUperradios" often seem to be a kneejerk reaction,
something to mention when someone asks about a "good" AM receiver. But
there is a limit on what can happen, and then sometimes it turns out
people are talking about the quality of the sound, which the SUperradio
likely is better at than many radios, because it has a large speaker
and/or multiple speakers (I think depending on the specific model number).
They are fairly generic radios, no cutting edge design, I thought they
didn't even use ceramic filters in the AM section. But they have a longer
loopstick antenna than many radios, which may be more important than a lot
of things, and I thought a stage of amplification before the mixer in the
AM section, which many radios won't have (but that's an incomplete
comparison because any decent portable shortwave receiver will have a
decent receiver, and whatever the shortwave design, that will apply to the
AM broadcast band.

2. Is there a technician/company of known repute that repairs these
srii and what would it cost?

There is a page or two somewhere (I don't have a URL) that offers a
schematic and service manual, and tips about repairing and modifying the
radios.

and then...

I see new radios pretty much all have digital tuners. When tuning these,
do they all quiet as you tune? I had a digital tuning radio - now at
the bottom of a lake - which did so. I found it very hard to scan for
new stations as I had to stop at each new freq. to allow the thing to
produce audio. Do all digital radios act this way?

YOu're looking at it wrong. The radios lock and unlock as you turn them,
so tuning fast, you'd not hear anything good anyway. The muting is so you
don't have that junk. SOme radios people have found ways to disable the
mute, but you aren't going to get the same tuning as with an analog radio,
you still have to wait for the receiver to lock up again on the new
frequency. I suppose some are better than others, though if they use
common ICs there won't be much variation. IMproving lockup time can be
done, but at a cost.

Michael

Thanks for the info Michael but I disagree about scanning the dial. I can find a local station on an old analog am tuner in 1 second. I just whip the dial round and "hear". I didn't think am analog tuners even had phase locks.
Thanks again.

Old style radios can pick up stations that new style radios can't pick up. Especially the old style vacuum tube radios.

superradio and icf6500; digital tuners too
 

On Mon, 18 Jan 2016, wrote:

On Monday, January 18, 2016 at 2:54:39 PM UTC-6, Michael Black wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jan 2016, wrote:

On recommendation of many sources I purchased a used GE superradio II last year. It is obviously defective since it cannot perform as well as my old Sony ICF6500.

I have two questions.

1. Is a working srii that much better than this sony?

I have no idea. "SUperradios" often seem to be a kneejerk reaction,
something to mention when someone asks about a "good" AM receiver. But
there is a limit on what can happen, and then sometimes it turns out
people are talking about the quality of the sound, which the SUperradio
likely is better at than many radios, because it has a large speaker
and/or multiple speakers (I think depending on the specific model number).
They are fairly generic radios, no cutting edge design, I thought they
didn't even use ceramic filters in the AM section. But they have a longer
loopstick antenna than many radios, which may be more important than a lot
of things, and I thought a stage of amplification before the mixer in the
AM section, which many radios won't have (but that's an incomplete
comparison because any decent portable shortwave receiver will have a
decent receiver, and whatever the shortwave design, that will apply to the
AM broadcast band.

2. Is there a technician/company of known repute that repairs these
srii and what would it cost?

There is a page or two somewhere (I don't have a URL) that offers a
schematic and service manual, and tips about repairing and modifying the
radios.

and then...

I see new radios pretty much all have digital tuners. When tuning these,
do they all quiet as you tune? I had a digital tuning radio - now at
the bottom of a lake - which did so. I found it very hard to scan for
new stations as I had to stop at each new freq. to allow the thing to
produce audio. Do all digital radios act this way?

YOu're looking at it wrong. The radios lock and unlock as you turn them,
so tuning fast, you'd not hear anything good anyway. The muting is so you
don't have that junk. SOme radios people have found ways to disable the
mute, but you aren't going to get the same tuning as with an analog radio,
you still have to wait for the receiver to lock up again on the new
frequency. I suppose some are better than others, though if they use
common ICs there won't be much variation. IMproving lockup time can be
done, but at a cost.

Michael

Thanks for the info Michael but I disagree about scanning the dial. I can find a local station on an old analog am tuner in 1 second. I just whip the dial round and "hear". I didn't think am analog tuners even had phase locks.
Thanks again.

My point is that the muting on digitally tuned receivers is there for a
purpose. You can get rid of the mute feature in some cases by modifying
it, but you still get some effect because the receiver has to lock up to
the new frequeny. Most people don't hear what it sounds like becaus the
muting is there.

You're argument seems to be that you want a receiver to always be tuning
what it's tuned to, which means only an analog receiver (or some digitally
tuned receiver with a lot of effort spent on fast lockup) will provide.

I'd much rather have the ability to get back to the same frequency without
any fussing, so digital tuning doesn't bother me.

WHen I had a Hammarlund SP-600 decades ago, I could spin the dial hard and
it would traverse most of the band. I couldn't hear what was going on, it
wsa too fast too. But in that case, it was simply that it all went by too
fast.

Michael

superradio and icf6500; digital tuners too
 

Michael Black wrote:

On Mon, 18 Jan 2016, wrote:

On Monday, January 18, 2016 at 2:54:39 PM UTC-6, Michael Black wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jan 2016, wrote:

On recommendation of many sources I purchased a used GE superradio II
last year. It is obviously defective since it cannot perform as well

You fail to describe what "cannot perfrom as well" really means. So
"obviously defective" doesn't really say anything.

as my old Sony ICF6500.

I have two questions.

1. Is a working srii that much better than this sony?

How do you define better? What capability do you need to be better for the
radio to meet your needs?



I have no idea. "SUperradios" often seem to be a kneejerk reaction,
something to mention when someone asks about a "good" AM receiver. But
there is a limit on what can happen, and then sometimes it turns out
people are talking about the quality of the sound, which the SUperradio
likely is better at than many radios, because it has a large speaker
and/or multiple speakers (I think depending on the specific model
number). They are fairly generic radios, no cutting edge design, I
thought they
didn't even use ceramic filters in the AM section. But they have a
longer loopstick antenna than many radios, which may be more important
than a lot of things, and I thought a stage of amplification before the
mixer in the AM section, which many radios won't have (but that's an
incomplete comparison because any decent portable shortwave receiver
will have a decent receiver, and whatever the shortwave design, that
will apply to the AM broadcast band.

2. Is there a technician/company of known repute that repairs these
srii and what would it cost?

There is a page or two somewhere (I don't have a URL) that offers a
schematic and service manual, and tips about repairing and modifying the
radios.

and then...

I see new radios pretty much all have digital tuners. When tuning
these,
do they all quiet as you tune?

No, not all of them mute as you tune.

I had a digital tuning radio - now at
the bottom of a lake - which did so. I found it very hard to scan for
new stations as I had to stop at each new freq. to allow the thing to
produce audio. Do all digital radios act this way?

YOu're looking at it wrong. The radios lock and unlock as you turn
them,
so tuning fast, you'd not hear anything good anyway. The muting is so
you
don't have that junk. SOme radios people have found ways to disable the
mute, but you aren't going to get the same tuning as with an analog
radio, you still have to wait for the receiver to lock up again on the
new
frequency. I suppose some are better than others, though if they use
common ICs there won't be much variation. IMproving lockup time can be
done, but at a cost.

Michael

Thanks for the info Michael but I disagree about scanning the dial. I
can find a local station on an old analog am tuner in 1 second. I just
whip the dial round and "hear". I didn't think am analog tuners even had
phase locks. Thanks again.

Analog tuned AM radios generally do not have phase lock loops. However, it
is interesting you use the word 'local' as spinning the dial would be harder
to find wealer stations as AGC effects would hide a weaker signal.


My point is that the muting on digitally tuned receivers is there for a
purpose. You can get rid of the mute feature in some cases by modifying
it, but you still get some effect because the receiver has to lock up to
the new frequeny. Most people don't hear what it sounds like becaus the
muting is there.

You're argument seems to be that you want a receiver to always be tuning
what it's tuned to, which means only an analog receiver (or some digitally
tuned receiver with a lot of effort spent on fast lockup) will provide.

There are lots of receivers that don't mute as they are tuned. Finding one
under $100 may be a challenge.



I'd much rather have the ability to get back to the same frequency without
any fussing, so digital tuning doesn't bother me.

WHen I had a Hammarlund SP-600 decades ago, I could spin the dial hard and
it would traverse most of the band. I couldn't hear what was going on, it
wsa too fast too. But in that case, it was simply that it all went by too
fast.

Michael

The SRII is top rated for sensitivity and to some degree selectivity. It is
highly rated for DXing. Of course, you need to have a working one, not one
that may be broken.

If you are looking for a radio where you can turn the tuning know without
muting, look at the Icon R-75 or Sony ICF-EX5MK2. Even the Grundig 750 has
minimal, if any muting while tuning the AM band.

If you are looking for something else in a radio, you haven't made that
clear, so it is hard for anyone to help you.

superradio and icf6500; digital tuners too
 

In article ,
says...

On Monday, January 18, 2016 at 9:55:37 PM UTC-6, wrote:
On Monday, January 18, 2016 at 2:54:39 PM UTC-6, Michael Black wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jan 2016, wrote:

On recommendation of many sources I purchased a used GE superradio II last year. It is obviously defective since it cannot perform as well as my old Sony ICF6500.

I have two questions.

1. Is a working srii that much better than this sony?

I have no idea. "SUperradios" often seem to be a kneejerk reaction,
something to mention when someone asks about a "good" AM receiver. But
there is a limit on what can happen, and then sometimes it turns out
people are talking about the quality of the sound, which the SUperradio
likely is better at than many radios, because it has a large speaker
and/or multiple speakers (I think depending on the specific model number).
They are fairly generic radios, no cutting edge design, I thought they
didn't even use ceramic filters in the AM section. But they have a longer
loopstick antenna than many radios, which may be more important than a lot
of things, and I thought a stage of amplification before the mixer in the
AM section, which many radios won't have (but that's an incomplete
comparison because any decent portable shortwave receiver will have a
decent receiver, and whatever the shortwave design, that will apply to the
AM broadcast band.

2. Is there a technician/company of known repute that repairs these
srii and what would it cost?

There is a page or two somewhere (I don't have a URL) that offers a
schematic and service manual, and tips about repairing and modifying the
radios.

and then...

I see new radios pretty much all have digital tuners. When tuning these,
do they all quiet as you tune? I had a digital tuning radio - now at
the bottom of a lake - which did so. I found it very hard to scan for
new stations as I had to stop at each new freq. to allow the thing to
produce audio. Do all digital radios act this way?

YOu're looking at it wrong. The radios lock and unlock as you turn them,
so tuning fast, you'd not hear anything good anyway. The muting is so you
don't have that junk. SOme radios people have found ways to disable the
mute, but you aren't going to get the same tuning as with an analog radio,
you still have to wait for the receiver to lock up again on the new
frequency. I suppose some are better than others, though if they use
common ICs there won't be much variation. IMproving lockup time can be
done, but at a cost.

Michael

Thanks for the info Michael but I disagree about scanning the dial. I can find a local station on an old analog am tuner in 1 second. I just whip the dial round and "hear". I didn't think am analog tuners even had phase locks.
Thanks again.

Old style radios can pick up stations that new style radios can't pick up. Especially the old style vacuum tube radios.

You need to quit drinking. That's not true at all.

--
BDK: Head Government Shill, Psychotronic World Dominator. Master of
Remote Viewing. Level 6 expert in kOOkStudies.
Former FEMA camp activities director. Head Strategic Writer. Former
Black Helicopter color consultant.

superradio and icf6500; digital tuners too
 

In article ple.org,
says...

On Mon, 18 Jan 2016, wrote:

On Monday, January 18, 2016 at 2:54:39 PM UTC-6, Michael Black wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jan 2016, wrote:

On recommendation of many sources I purchased a used GE superradio II last year. It is obviously defective since it cannot perform as well as my old Sony ICF6500.

I have two questions.

1. Is a working srii that much better than this sony?

I have no idea. "SUperradios" often seem to be a kneejerk reaction,
something to mention when someone asks about a "good" AM receiver. But
there is a limit on what can happen, and then sometimes it turns out
people are talking about the quality of the sound, which the SUperradio
likely is better at than many radios, because it has a large speaker
and/or multiple speakers (I think depending on the specific model number).
They are fairly generic radios, no cutting edge design, I thought they
didn't even use ceramic filters in the AM section. But they have a longer
loopstick antenna than many radios, which may be more important than a lot
of things, and I thought a stage of amplification before the mixer in the
AM section, which many radios won't have (but that's an incomplete
comparison because any decent portable shortwave receiver will have a
decent receiver, and whatever the shortwave design, that will apply to the
AM broadcast band.

2. Is there a technician/company of known repute that repairs these
srii and what would it cost?

There is a page or two somewhere (I don't have a URL) that offers a
schematic and service manual, and tips about repairing and modifying the
radios.

and then...

I see new radios pretty much all have digital tuners. When tuning these,
do they all quiet as you tune? I had a digital tuning radio - now at
the bottom of a lake - which did so. I found it very hard to scan for
new stations as I had to stop at each new freq. to allow the thing to
produce audio. Do all digital radios act this way?

YOu're looking at it wrong. The radios lock and unlock as you turn them,
so tuning fast, you'd not hear anything good anyway. The muting is so you
don't have that junk. SOme radios people have found ways to disable the
mute, but you aren't going to get the same tuning as with an analog radio,
you still have to wait for the receiver to lock up again on the new
frequency. I suppose some are better than others, though if they use
common ICs there won't be much variation. IMproving lockup time can be
done, but at a cost.

Michael

Thanks for the info Michael but I disagree about scanning the dial. I can find a local station on an old analog am tuner in 1 second. I just whip the dial round and "hear". I didn't think am analog tuners even had phase locks.
Thanks again.

My point is that the muting on digitally tuned receivers is there for a
purpose. You can get rid of the mute feature in some cases by modifying
it, but you still get some effect because the receiver has to lock up to
the new frequeny. Most people don't hear what it sounds like becaus the
muting is there.

You're argument seems to be that you want a receiver to always be tuning
what it's tuned to, which means only an analog receiver (or some digitally
tuned receiver with a lot of effort spent on fast lockup) will provide.

I'd much rather have the ability to get back to the same frequency without
any fussing, so digital tuning doesn't bother me.

WHen I had a Hammarlund SP-600 decades ago, I could spin the dial hard and
it would traverse most of the band. I couldn't hear what was going on, it
wsa too fast too. But in that case, it was simply that it all went by too
fast.

Michael

A good digital radio does NOT mute when being tuned. It's a sign of
being cheap. I have a half dozen digital radios sitting next to me, and
none of them mute. Some didn't even cost too much. They just aren't
cheapos.

--
BDK: Head Government Shill, Psychotronic World Dominator. Master of
Remote Viewing. Level 6 expert in kOOkStudies.
Former FEMA camp activities director. Head Strategic Writer. Former
Black Helicopter color consultant.