Tom Holden wrote:
Comparisons are often invidious. The SSR-1 was made 20 years before the
DX-394. Its published specs suggest it had superior selectivity, similar
sensitivity, but had poorer tuning accuracy, resolution, image and IF
suppression compared to the stock DX-394. The SSR-1 had no tuning memories;
the DX-394 has 160 plus remembers the last frequency tuned on every one of
16 bands and is much easier to tune - the pre-selector auto tracks. A modded
DX-394 can have improved selectivity.

The FRG-7 is also almost 20 years before the DX-394's time. Interestingly,
it, too, was the subject of modifications similar to some performed on the
DX-394 - AGC, selectivity and noise limiter being common. Had
rec.radio.shortwave been around then, I'm sure it would have had many more.
The published specs are skimpy but the stock DX-394 matches on selectivity
and betters it by 6dB in sensitivity. FRG-7 tuning is cumbersome and has no
memories. There is a 194 member FRG-7 user group on Yahoo vs a nearly 600
member DX-394 group.

The DX-394 is a very stable, microprocessor controlled radio, exhibiting
negligible drift from turn-on. If WG's has a bad drift, then it's
exceptional. However, there have been reports of ment that adversely affects
SSB/CW operation - whether factory or user misalignment or aging has caused
it remains a mystery. I have 3 of them; one was off by 1kHz but was usable -
there was a decidedly different spectral distribution for USB vs LSB speech.

If you can afford a higher class radio go for it. If you can't, you'll get a
great bang for your buck from a DX-394. For more info about the DX-394 and
the myriad mods that can be done to it, join
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RADIOSHACKDX394/.

Tom

Tom - great last name!

I think the point is the DX-394 tends to be getting expensive on ebay.

I've seen some dx-394's bring $250.

Quite a few close in the general range of $200.

Personal tastes vary, but I think a used ten-tec rx-320 offers more bang
for the buck in the $200-$225 range.

Mark S. Holden wrote:
Tom Holden wrote:
Comparisons are often invidious. The SSR-1 was made 20
years before the DX-394. Its published specs suggest it
[snip]

Tom - great last name!

I think the point is the DX-394 tends to be getting
expensive on ebay.

I've seen some dx-394's bring $250.

Quite a few close in the general range of $200.

Personal tastes vary, but I think a used ten-tec rx-320
offers more bang for the buck in the $200-$225 range.

Mark - your surname is great, too!

There's not one ten-tec RX-320 currently FA on eBay while there are
currently 7 DX-394's, and recently, 11! Closing prices for DX-394's have
ranged from $96-$275, averaging $164, over the last five months. The RX-320
requires a computer to run it; the DX-394 is complete. Sherwood Engineering
rates the Drake R-4C as one of the best receivers of all time. I have a
R-4B.

73, Tom

Tom Holden wrote:

Sherwood Engineering rates the Drake R-4C as one of the best receivers of all time. I have a R-4B.

Have you ever used the FS4 synthesizer with your R-4B? I saw some plans
for building a homebrew version of the FS4 but I can't find the website
anymore.


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starman wrote:
Tom Holden wrote:

Sherwood Engineering rates the Drake R-4C as one of the
best receivers of all time. I have a R-4B.

Have you ever used the FS4 synthesizer with your R-4B? I
saw some plans for building a homebrew version of the FS4
but I can't find the website anymore.
Nope.

starman wrote:
Tom Holden wrote:

Sherwood Engineering rates the Drake R-4C as one of the
best receivers of all time. I have a R-4B.

Have you ever used the FS4 synthesizer with your R-4B? I
saw some plans for building a homebrew version of the FS4
but I can't find the website anymore.

Found these references to articles in Ham Radio - don't know if it's
homebrew or a review of the FS-4:
Aug-72 6 Frequency Synthesizer for the Drake R-4 W6NBI
Sep-74 74 Frequency Synthesizer for the Drake R-4 (mod. letter) NA

And this link to a digital read-out - the RAC Digital Dial:
http://www.wb4hfn.com/DrakeArticles/...talDial-01.htm still
available from http://www.radioadv.com/ham_radio_eq.../FreqMC/A2.htm

And a great collection farther up the tree at:
http://www.wb4hfn.com/DrakeHomePage.htm

A competing version of the RAC Digital Dial:
http://www.aade.com/dfd1.htm

Photo, description & schematic of the FS-4:
http://www.dproducts.be/drake_Museum/fs-4.htm
I see this is a substitute for the band-setting crystals so that you can
tune in 500kHz bands from 1.5MHz to 30 MHz instead of being rock-bound to
the ham bands plus a few others. It should be fairly easy to make something
that outputs at 500kHz steps from 12.6MHz to 40.6MHz with good phase noise.
But somebody else better design it!

Tom

Tom Holden wrote:

starman wrote:
Tom Holden wrote:

Sherwood Engineering rates the Drake R-4C as one of the
best receivers of all time. I have a R-4B.

Have you ever used the FS4 synthesizer with your R-4B? I
saw some plans for building a homebrew version of the FS4
but I can't find the website anymore.

Found these references to articles in Ham Radio - don't know if it's
homebrew or a review of the FS-4:
Aug-72 6 Frequency Synthesizer for the Drake R-4 W6NBI
Sep-74 74 Frequency Synthesizer for the Drake R-4 (mod. letter) NA

And this link to a digital read-out - the RAC Digital Dial:
http://www.wb4hfn.com/DrakeArticles/...talDial-01.htm still
available from http://www.radioadv.com/ham_radio_eq.../FreqMC/A2.htm

And a great collection farther up the tree at:
http://www.wb4hfn.com/DrakeHomePage.htm

A competing version of the RAC Digital Dial:
http://www.aade.com/dfd1.htm

Photo, description & schematic of the FS-4:
http://www.dproducts.be/drake_Museum/fs-4.htm
I see this is a substitute for the band-setting crystals so that you can
tune in 500kHz bands from 1.5MHz to 30 MHz instead of being rock-bound to
the ham bands plus a few others. It should be fairly easy to make something
that outputs at 500kHz steps from 12.6MHz to 40.6MHz with good phase noise.
But somebody else better design it!

Thanks Tom.


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