Telamon wrote:

You could pay more and buy a good radio that does not have problems
with its sync or AGC.

I did. Several times!

--
Brian Denley
http://home.comcast.net/~b.denley/index.html

Maybe see what the owners think of the radios you listed.
See URL:
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/8

I have a Kenwood TS-870 and find it adequate for SWLing as well as Ham work.
Some features on the SWL radios not found on Ham transceivers might
influence you -- such as synchronous detection, audio response, etc.

The eHam reviews will elaborate on why folks chose a particular model.

--
73 From The Wilderness Keyboard
-------------------------------
"Bob Bonneville" wrote in message
...
I am interested in getting back into SWL (This is what lead me into ham
radio back in 1963.) I have narrowed my selection to four receivers over a
rather large price difference. My choices were the result of reading many
conflicting reviews, along with some bias from my days as a ham. I was
hoping that some of you may have owned various combinations of these over
the years, that could result in a first hand opinion.

The choices I have made are, in no particular order a
Drake R8B
Icom R8500
Ten Tec RX-350D
Icom R75

I was also considering getting back into ham radio (my license is still
active and I retire in about 18 months) and would like an opinion as to
how
the general coverage reception in most of today's ham transcievers
compares
to the dedicated radios listed above.

I started in SWL in 1961 with a Hallicrafters S-120. Later moved to a
Lafayette HE-80 when I got the ham license. Then had things like a Drake
2-B, a Hallicrafters SX-117, and finally a Kenwood TS-820S (None of which
I
have today.)

Thanks in advance......
Bob -- wa3cuj

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004 07:54:06 -0800, "Wilderness Keyboard"
wrote:

Maybe see what the owners think of the radios you listed.
See URL:
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/8

I have a Kenwood TS-870 and find it adequate for SWLing as well as Ham work.

You also have a time machine, since your post comes from about 2
months in our future. More likely your PC's clock is set wrong.

73

-Jack-

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If you haven't listened to HF in a few years, depending on where you
listen- before you spend all that money- you may want to listen first to
the current RF noise swamp under which all those exotic dx signals are now
buried. It sure ain't what it used to be.
Pete KQ5I

In article 01c3b325$243327c0$471388cf@verrando, spiffy12348
@hotmail.com says...
If you haven't listened to HF in a few years, depending on where you
listen- before you spend all that money- you may want to listen first to
the current RF noise swamp under which all those exotic dx signals are now
buried. It sure ain't what it used to be.
Pete KQ5I




?????

BDK

BB,

All of the replys to your original post; have given you some
very valid information on the receivers that your have asked
about. I am sure either the Drake R8B or the Icom R75 (with
the Kiwa Mods) will fullfill your Listening Needs. Before you
buy either, try and get to a store (or a friends HAM/SWL Club)
and test drive the ergonomics to get the feel of the radio.

But Remember One Thing: The Antenna is 55.5% of the
Radio/Receiver and Antenna/Ground Reception Equation.

TBL: Whatever you finally spend on your new Pride & Joy
(radio/receiver).
$=INVEST=$ 25% or more in a quality Antenna and Ground System
to maximize the potential of these high tech radios/receives.

FWIW: I own and used the Icom R75 with the complete set of the
Kiwa Mods plus an External Speaker and it is GREAT Receiver IMHO !

iane ~ RHF
..
..
= = = "Bob Bonneville"
= = = wrote in message ...
I am interested in getting back into SWL (This is what lead me into ham
radio back in 1963.) I have narrowed my selection to four receivers over a
rather large price difference. My choices were the result of reading many
conflicting reviews, along with some bias from my days as a ham. I was
hoping that some of you may have owned various combinations of these over
the years, that could result in a first hand opinion.

The choices I have made are, in no particular order a
Drake R8B
Icom R8500
Ten Tec RX-350D
Icom R75

I was also considering getting back into ham radio (my license is still
active and I retire in about 18 months) and would like an opinion as to how
the general coverage reception in most of today's ham transcievers compares
to the dedicated radios listed above.

I started in SWL in 1961 with a Hallicrafters S-120. Later moved to a
Lafayette HE-80 when I got the ham license. Then had things like a Drake
2-B, a Hallicrafters SX-117, and finally a Kenwood TS-820S (None of which I
have today.)

Thanks in advance......
Bob -- wa3cuj

Hi Bob, I use my kenwood ts-570 for short-wave receiving.

Why buy what you already have unless your interested in monitoring
several frequencies at the same time.

Bob Bonneville wrote:

I am interested in getting back into SWL (This is what lead me into ham
radio back in 1963.) I have narrowed my selection to four receivers over a
rather large price difference. My choices were the result of reading many
conflicting reviews, along with some bias from my days as a ham. I was
hoping that some of you may have owned various combinations of these over
the years, that could result in a first hand opinion.

The choices I have made are, in no particular order a
Drake R8B
Icom R8500
Ten Tec RX-350D
Icom R75

I was also considering getting back into ham radio (my license is still
active and I retire in about 18 months) and would like an opinion as to how
the general coverage reception in most of today's ham transcievers compares
to the dedicated radios listed above.

I started in SWL in 1961 with a Hallicrafters S-120. Later moved to a
Lafayette HE-80 when I got the ham license. Then had things like a Drake
2-B, a Hallicrafters SX-117, and finally a Kenwood TS-820S (None of which I
have today.)

Thanks in advance......
Bob -- wa3cuj

Pappy127 wrote:
Hi Bob, I use my kenwood ts-570 for short-wave receiving.

Why buy what you already have unless your interested in monitoring
several frequencies at the same time.

Exactly. If you're going to buy a modern hf ham rig, you will
automatically get a good general coverage shortwave receiver.

While ham transceivers won't have *all* the features of a
top-of-the-line receiver, it will provide solid performance in terms
of dynamic range, sensitivity, selectivity, frequency stability, etc.
Sure, synchronous AM is a nice feature, but is it worth shelling out
$500 to $1000 dollars in addition to what the ham transceiver costs?

Having said that, some ham rigs are better suited to SWLing than
others. Make sure you get one with appropriate AM filters and good
audio quality.

BTW, Bob, your old equipment is very similar to the stuff I had. My
first receiver was a Lafayette HE-40 (a clone of the S-120), and I
also progressed to an HE-80 which I used as my first ham receiver. I
also have an SX-117, and a not a TS-820, but a TS-830S transceiver.

Art Harris N2AH

In article ,
(Art Harris) wrote:

Pappy127 wrote:
Hi Bob, I use my kenwood ts-570 for short-wave receiving.

Why buy what you already have unless your interested in monitoring
several frequencies at the same time.

Exactly. If you're going to buy a modern hf ham rig, you will
automatically get a good general coverage shortwave receiver.

While ham transceivers won't have *all* the features of a
top-of-the-line receiver, it will provide solid performance in terms
of dynamic range, sensitivity, selectivity, frequency stability, etc.
Sure, synchronous AM is a nice feature, but is it worth shelling out
$500 to $1000 dollars in addition to what the ham transceiver costs?

snip

I say yes but maybe that's because I live where signals are weaker and
fade more often.

Even the AM broadcast band is a problem around here evenings. Examples
are 640 KFI in LA and 600 KOGO from San Diego, which put in strong
signals daytime most evenings have terrible interference between the
ground wave and sky wave. On other stations and short wave it's just
the usual selective fading problem.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

wrote:



While ham transceivers won't have *all* the features of a
top-of-the-line receiver, it will provide solid performance in terms
of dynamic range, sensitivity, selectivity, frequency stability, etc.
Sure, synchronous AM is a nice feature, but is it worth shelling out
$500 to $1000 dollars in addition to what the ham transceiver costs?



That's a good point. Assuming the transceiver has a small enough tuning step
size (or analog fine tuning), synchronous detection can be reasonably
simulated by tuning an AM signal in SSB mode.