Jim Leder wrote:

I had an NRD535d and a Drake R8A sitting side by side for a bit. The
535d was a real nice radio. I liked the appearance and many of the
features, however I got rid of it but still have the R8A. Of course,
it helps that Miamisburg is only 35 miles up I-75 from here.

That's almost like living 35 miles from Mecca! One can make the
pilgrimage easily!

(Though I don't think their manufacturing facility is located in
Miamisburg any more)

I'm a proud descendant of the Miami Nation by the way. :-)

Steve
Holland, MI
Drake R7, R8 and R8B

http://www.iserv.net/~n8kdv/dxpage.htm

Hi Andy-

I must tell you that I really enjoy both of these receivers- they are both
enjoyable to use. If I could only have one, I would choose the 535D because it
is ergonomically superior to everything else I have ever tried. With the
variable bandwidth, easy to use controls and built-in computer control
interface I find it to be very flexible.

Some folks have said that the AM audio leaves something to be desired...it's
not as good as my RACAL 6790 in this respect, but the audio on AM is superior
to that of the R71A. For SSB/CW/RTTY it is simply superb.

Since you have the R71 already, the decision to buy an NRD 535D for SW
broadcast DXing really comes down to this: they are both fine receivers and the
edge that you will enjoy with the 535D will really come down to the increased
ease of operation, slightly better audio on AM and more bandwidth options. The
differences are not great, but they are there nonetheless.

One other thing, the NRD is built beautifully. Under the hood, it is all
quality and laid out with ease of servicing in mind. The ICOM is rather cramped
inside and more difficult to service; however ICOM's factory service is, IMHO,
very accessable, reasonably priced and they do fine work.

Bottom line? If you want to sell the R71A to buy the JRC...you will see a small
but perceptable gain in reception and a larger increase in operating enjoyment.
If you want to add a second receiver...I would definitely say that the NRD is
what you want.

Hope this helps,

Ken Maltz
Jericho, NY
NRD-535D, NRD-220 Collins R-388, Racal RA6790/GM,
ICOM R71A, ICOM R-7100(x2), AOR AR-8000
Panasonic RF-2200, Sony ICF-7600GR,
Hoka Code3 Gold-Pro, 60' long wire, MLB balun

In article , says...
Andy -- any of the big gun receivers, from the 515 all the
way up, and the 71A, will hear just about anything that is
still on the air these days....I have a 525, 71A and 515
along with some others. With a decent antenna, you should
have no problem..

From: (Andy Bown)
Organization: http://groups.google.com
Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave
Date: 14 Dec 2003 00:59:28 -0800
Subject: JRC NRD-535 - How good is this receiver?

Hi Ken

I see that you have both a NRD535D and an Icom R71a. I also have an
R71a and have been tempted by a few NRD535's on eBay lately.

How does the performance of the 535D compare with that of the R71 for
SW broadcast DXing?

Thanks for any opinions

Andy



I'm glad to see someone else has the same big 3, R71A, 515, and 525
that I have! I would love to fill in the set with a 505, 535 and of
course a 545.

My 515 was a pretty early one, with 1200 and 600hz filters and some
other component changes done before I got it. It's much quieter than a
stock 515, and slightly more sensitive. It had those mods when I got it,
I had Universal add the delta-tune multi turn pot. It needs alignment
and I've got to borrow a decent freq counter to do it one of these days.

My 525 has the 1.8K and 600hz filters, and the Kiwa Ultimate rejection
upgrade. It's my second 525, I traded the first for a satellite dish set
up.

The 71a has some audio mods, but I just got it, so I don't know what
else has been done to it. It needs a slight adjustment, LSB is off
slightly. It's getting it's first cleanup tonight.

I also have a totally modified Hammarlund HQ100 that I bought off Ebay
for 58 bucks that is amazingly good, if a little drifty on SSB till it
totally warms up. It blows away anything less than about 350 bucks used,
and sounds fantastic!

BDK

Andy -- any of the big gun receivers, from the 515 all the
way up, and the 71A, will hear just about anything that is
still on the air these days....I have a 525, 71A and 515
along with some others. With a decent antenna, you should
have no problem..

From: (Andy Bown)
Organization: http://groups.google.com
Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave
Date: 14 Dec 2003 00:59:28 -0800
Subject: JRC NRD-535 - How good is this receiver?

Hi Ken

I see that you have both a NRD535D and an Icom R71a. I also have an
R71a and have been tempted by a few NRD535's on eBay lately.

How does the performance of the 535D compare with that of the R71 for
SW broadcast DXing?

Thanks for any opinions

Andy