I've also got both of them, and I do favor the FRG100. The R75 is a very
good receiver, and it does use better circuit boards (FR4, glass epoxy), but
I like the style of the FRG100 a little better. Using a good signal
generator (Boonton 103D), the sensitivity is about the same on both of them.
My only objection to the R75 is that "large front mounted speaker". It would
be ok to have that size speaker in a manpack transceiver, but in a tabletop
radio? I just don't think so!
I did pick up a Drake SW8 at the last hamfest, and it also seems to be a
good unit. Another unit to consider is the Palstar R30. While the R30 is
what I would refer to as a "barebones" no frill type of receiver, it does
have the best sounding audio out of these receivers. If I were to rate the
receivers in terms of audio, I would rate them in this order: #1) Palstar
R30,
#2) Drake SW8, #3) Yaesu FRG100, and #4 Icom R75. In terms of sensitivity, I
would rate them in this order #1) FRG100,
#2) Icom R75, #3) Palstar R30, and #4) Drake SW8. In terms of sensitivity,
we are really splitting hairs here, but the audio quality is a different
story. I would say, go with the one that you feel the most comfortable with.

Pete

Soliloquy wrote in message
4...
funkbastler wrote in
:


I have both. It's nearly a tie. I got both of my units from AES, the R-75
is the recent addition, and it came with the free DSP. I know that you'll
get posts extolling the superiority of the R-75, but seriously, it isn't
superior.

As I learn the R-75, the operation becomes easier. At first, I had as
much trouble with it as I did with the FRG-100. Though the keypad makes
frequency entry easier, the older analog sets didn't have a keypad, and
people actually survived. I find myself using the TS (Tune Speed?)
setting on the R-75 anyway, and tuning it as I would the FRG-100.

When you use the dial, just as when you use your computer to browse the
internet, you tend to find other interesting frequencies on the way to
your target frequency. If you had the exact URLs for every page on the
internet, rather than finding desired sites through a search engine,
you'd miss most of the fun. Arguably, if you don't have the keypad, you
can't tune with it, and it sounds like a major shortcoming, but it's
really not.

Even though the R-75 has more trinkets, variable display light with
several settings, (FRG-100 has bright and dim), the squelch control can
be converted into a RF gain control easily in the set-up, it has a pre-
amp 1 and 2, selectable antenna inputs (front panel select antenna 1 or
2), and the dual Pass Band Tuning, I get similar performance with my
Yaesu FRG-100B.

If I had to part with one of them, I get rid of the Icom R-75, but more
so because I'm addicted to Yaesu radios than because of lack of
performance on the R-75s part.

Of the two radios, my R-75 has the free DSP, which I installed with some
frustration, and my Yaesu FRG-100B has a (wide) AM filter that I bought
with it and easily installed myself. I believe it was the 6 KHz filter,
but it seems to come with the radio now.

http://www.aesham.com/display_pages/frg100b.shtml

http://www.aesham.com/display_pages/r75.shtml

I'm sure you'll love either one.

Have fun.

Regards


It's time for a new receiver, and can't decide between
the FRG100B and R75. Right now, aesham.com has both
(including the DSP unit for the R75) for the same price.

I've looked at online reviews and comparisons.... some
folks like one, some folks like the other, and I'm stumped.
Also live a couple of hundred miles from nowhere, so
going to a dealer to listen to them is not a possibility.

Any guidance?

-fb-


--
Never say never.
Nothing is absolute.