Difference between AOR AR-7030 and Sony 2010 ?
 

I am new to short wave radio and would like to know what is the
difference in buying a Sony 2010 radio for around $500 as compared to
an AOR AR-7030+ for $1600. Money is not the object, listening ability
is. I am hooked on listening to talk radio and thoroughly enjoy
learning about world events.

As the price difference would imply, the AOR AR-7030 is quite a different
radio from the ICF-2010.

If you are only interested in listening to broadcast, AM, shortwave( is this
what you mean by "talk radio"), then the 2010 may be amply suitable for this
purpose.

On the other hand, if you want, and can, put up a decent antenna or two, and
chase more exotic (DX) and utility type stuff, then the AR-7030 is the more
capable radio, as I understand. (The ICF2010 doesn't do too bad in this
regard either!).

Mark.


"aristotle" wrote in message
om...
I am new to short wave radio and would like to know what is the
difference in buying a Sony 2010 radio for around $500 as compared to
an AOR AR-7030+ for $1600. Money is not the object, listening ability
is. I am hooked on listening to talk radio and thoroughly enjoy
learning about world events.

I have no first hand info on this unit. (I was thinking it was a
scanner.) :-) But you may want to read a review at
http://www.ticon.net/~n9ewo/ar7030.html before deciding on this unit.
There seems to have been a tuning knob problem and some cheap parts used.
Al

================

Mark wrote:

As the price difference would imply, the AOR AR-7030 is quite a different
radio from the ICF-2010.

If you are only interested in listening to broadcast, AM, shortwave( is this
what you mean by "talk radio"), then the 2010 may be amply suitable for this
purpose.

On the other hand, if you want, and can, put up a decent antenna or two, and
chase more exotic (DX) and utility type stuff, then the AR-7030 is the more
capable radio, as I understand. (The ICF2010 doesn't do too bad in this
regard either!).

Mark.


"aristotle" wrote in message
om...

I am new to short wave radio and would like to know what is the
difference in buying a Sony 2010 radio for around $500 as compared to
an AOR AR-7030+ for $1600. Money is not the object, listening ability
is. I am hooked on listening to talk radio and thoroughly enjoy
learning about world events.

Al Patrick wrote:
I have no first hand info on this unit. (I was thinking it was a
scanner.) :-) But you may want to read a review at
http://www.ticon.net/~n9ewo/ar7030.html before deciding on this unit.
There seems to have been a tuning knob problem and some cheap parts used.
Al

================


I've had a 7030+ for a few years.

The flip side of the "review" you provided a link to is AOR is
exceptionally good about getting back to owners who have problems, and
they've updated the design to replace parts with reliability issues.

The build quality on the 7030 is actually quite good, and as far as I
know, Bournes has a reputation for quality encoders - it's just AOR
apparently got stuck with some bad ones.

Later versions of the firmware for the radio have addressed the
keybounce problems on the and keys.

My primary complaint about the 7030+ is the standard filters were "too
wide" or "too narrow" for my tastes. I added a couple of milspec
filters better suited to my preferences, and now I get beautiful audio
with great selectivity. It's very close to what I get from my Harris.

A strong point of the 7030 is it's practical to run one from nimh
battery packs for transportable use. Much more convenient than hauling
the 6790/gm I used to use for camping.

aristotle schrieb:

I am new to short wave radio and would like to know what is the
difference in buying a Sony 2010 radio for around $500 as compared to
an AOR AR-7030+ for $1600. Money is not the object, listening ability
is. I am hooked on listening to talk radio and thoroughly enjoy
learning about world events.

First off, these are very different rigs in many regards. The Sony is a
portable in the sense of having antennas of its own and being battery
operated if necessary, even though it's a bit large by today's
standards. (Look at the tiny ICF-SW07 for comparison, or a "7600" class
receiver.) It also can be considered rather user friendly with many
separate controls. It's not really suited for *big* antennas, the static
discharges may kill a front-end FET particularly in older models. Its
synch detector is pretty good but a bit clumsy to operate by today's
standards; 100 Hz steps are not ideal for SSB reception. The AOR is more
than 10 years newer (remember the '2010 was introduced in 1985!) and,
while being small enough to be lugged around, is the kind of rig that
needs a decent outdoor antenna (and can take one even in areas with high
signal levels) - or rather at least two, one for shortwave and a MW loop
- and is therefore more suited for a fixed position in the shack. The
operation with few buttons on the receiver itself and many uniform ones
on the remote control (really not ideal for night-time listening, they
all feel the same) may not suit everyone. When purchasing the AOR, I'd
recommend the PLUS version which comes with a very good 4 kHz filter and
an optical encoder. In the US, a Drake R8B might be a better deal
currently, it's also closer to a traditional "one button, one function"
concept. The strengths of the AOR are its flexibility in terms of IF
filter upgrades (with the optional filter board and a sufficient amount
of ca$h you can install a filter park for virtually any situation), its
excellent strong signal handling and the excellent synchronous detector
which is very low in distortion (along with an AF stage of similarly
high quality). It's just too bad I found out this kind of rig doesn't
fit my usage pattern *after* purchasing one. (You can't put it next to
your pillow and drag it anywhere, operation in the dark - or by blind
people, for that matter - is rather limited, also I missed tuning in 5
kHz steps for broadcast stations.)

If you're new to all this, I would not recommend getting something as
specialized as a tabletop as first receiver, instead a relatively
well-performing and user-friendly portable (possible coupled with some
kind of external speaker if sound is not too exciting on the built-in
one, good phones are virtually a must in any case) should be a better
choice. It's important to learn about the pitfalls of shortwave
reception to appreciate the virtues of better receivers. The 2010 should
be a pretty good starter's rig if money is no object (it's just that
they've been out of production for a while, but getting it sold again at
a good price should not be a big problem if you decide to upgrade to
something better), it's still considered a good portable broadcast DX
rig today. For a tabletop setup with optimum listening quality (again,
with money being no object), I'd suggest an AR7030 or comparable rx with
455 kHz IF out (on MW loop plus some outdoor SW antenna) coupled with a
Sherwood SE-3 Mk III synch detector (AFAIK, the best money can buy) and
a hi-fi amp and speakers. BTW, I'd gather every kind of information
about SWLing, receivers and antennas before actually buying stuff.

Stephan
--
Meine Andere Seite: http://stephan.win31.de/
PC#6: i440BX, 1xP3-500E, 512 MiB, 18+80 GB, R9k AGP 64 MiB, 110W
This is a SCSI-inside, Legacy-plus, TCPA-free computer :)
Mail to From: not read, see homepg. | Real gelesene Mailadr. s. Homep.

Stephan Grossklass wrote:

aristotle schrieb:

I am new to short wave radio and would like to know what is the
difference in buying a Sony 2010 radio for around $500 as compared to
an AOR AR-7030+ for $1600. Money is not the object, listening ability
is. I am hooked on listening to talk radio and thoroughly enjoy
learning about world events.

First off, these are very different rigs in many regards. The Sony is a
portable in the sense of having antennas of its own and being battery
operated if necessary, even though it's a bit large by today's
standards. (Look at the tiny ICF-SW07 for comparison, or a "7600" class
receiver.) It also can be considered rather user friendly with many
separate controls. It's not really suited for *big* antennas, the static
discharges may kill a front-end FET particularly in older models. Its
synch detector is pretty good but a bit clumsy to operate by today's
standards; 100 Hz steps are not ideal for SSB reception. The AOR is more
than 10 years newer (remember the '2010 was introduced in 1985!) and,
while being small enough to be lugged around, is the kind of rig that
needs a decent outdoor antenna (and can take one even in areas with high
signal levels)

The 7030 does have a switch setting for use with a whip antenna - though obviously a larger antenna is better. (I now use a 3 meter whip with a 30db avantek preamp for portable operation with mine - need to dial in some attenuation for lower frequencies,
but it works quite well.)

- or rather at least two, one for shortwave and a MW loop
- and is therefore more suited for a fixed position in the shack. The
operation with few buttons on the receiver itself and many uniform ones
on the remote control (really not ideal for night-time listening, they
all feel the same) may not suit everyone. When purchasing the AOR, I'd
recommend the PLUS version which comes with a very good 4 kHz filter and
an optical encoder. In the US, a Drake R8B might be a better deal
currently, it's also closer to a traditional "one button, one function"
concept.

I agree the Drake as it comes from the factory gives more bang for the buck for stationary use. This is largely because I like the standard filters that come with the Drake better than the ones AOR chose.

The strengths of the AOR are its flexibility in terms of IF
filter upgrades (with the optional filter board and a sufficient amount
of ca$h you can install a filter park for virtually any situation), its
excellent strong signal handling and the excellent synchronous detector
which is very low in distortion (along with an AF stage of similarly
high quality). It's just too bad I found out this kind of rig doesn't
fit my usage pattern *after* purchasing one. (You can't put it next to
your pillow and drag it anywhere, operation in the dark - or by blind
people, for that matter - is rather limited, also I missed tuning in 5
kHz steps for broadcast stations.)


If you couldn't add filters to the 7030+, I'd probably have sold mine.

After a while you get used to operating it in the dark, though a small red led flashlight helps.


If you're new to all this, I would not recommend getting something as
specialized as a tabletop as first receiver, instead a relatively
well-performing and user-friendly portable (possible coupled with some
kind of external speaker if sound is not too exciting on the built-in
one, good phones are virtually a must in any case) should be a better
choice. It's important to learn about the pitfalls of shortwave
reception to appreciate the virtues of better receivers. The 2010 should
be a pretty good starter's rig if money is no object (it's just that
they've been out of production for a while, but getting it sold again at
a good price should not be a big problem if you decide to upgrade to
something better), it's still considered a good portable broadcast DX
rig today. For a tabletop setup with optimum listening quality (again,
with money being no object), I'd suggest an AR7030 or comparable rx with
455 kHz IF out (on MW loop plus some outdoor SW antenna) coupled with a
Sherwood SE-3 Mk III synch detector (AFAIK, the best money can buy) and
a hi-fi amp and speakers. BTW, I'd gather every kind of information
about SWLing, receivers and antennas before actually buying stuff.


Personally, I think table tops are a good choice for some beginners - it really depends how they plan to use them. In any case, I think it's important for beginners to start with a radio that's good enough to be happy with for a while.

Regards,

Mark


Stephan
--
Meine Andere Seite: http://stephan.win31.de/
PC#6: i440BX, 1xP3-500E, 512 MiB, 18+80 GB, R9k AGP 64 MiB, 110W
This is a SCSI-inside, Legacy-plus, TCPA-free computer :)
Mail to From: not read, see homepg. | Real gelesene Mailadr. s. Homep.

You may consider the Icom R75, which, if you are willing to spend five
hundred bucks for the 2010, I'd suggest, since it goes for about the same
price. I do own this particular receiver so I am partial, but very pleased.
Check it out he http://www.hamradio.com Use the search feature to find
the particular model. Also, if you are interested, you can search ebay and
such for used table-top receivers such as the Drake R8 series. Good luck.


Brian

I am wondering what kind of antenna / antennas are you willing to or can
put up ? That would figure in heavily in your choice IMHO.

73, Ken

aristotle wrote in message
om...
I am new to short wave radio and would like to know what is the
difference in buying a Sony 2010 radio for around $500 as compared to
an AOR AR-7030+ for $1600. Money is not the object, listening ability
is. I am hooked on listening to talk radio and thoroughly enjoy
learning about world events.

The 2010 was discontinued in late 2002.

I saw a new-in-box 2010 go for $800 on eBay about a month ago.

"Dan" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 23:29:37 GMT, "Brian"
wrote:

You may consider the Icom R75, which, if you are willing to spend five
hundred bucks for the 2010, I'd suggest, since it goes for about the same
price.

I was wondering about this. Is the 2010 still available new?
Because $500 is *way* too much for a used one. They routinely go on
eBay for $200 - $300, maybe $350 for a really minty one with box,
manuals, etc.

Dan

"mike0219116" ) writes:
The 2010 was discontinued in late 2002.

I saw a new-in-box 2010 go for $800 on eBay about a month ago.

But that would seem to reflect at the very least getting caught up in an
auction, and likely someone who specifically wants one. If you want a
specific receiver, then you don't have much choice but to pay what the
market demands. But if someone is just looking for function, surely
there are many choices nowadays.

Michael

"Dan" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 23:29:37 GMT, "Brian"
wrote:

You may consider the Icom R75, which, if you are willing to spend five
hundred bucks for the 2010, I'd suggest, since it goes for about the same
price.

I was wondering about this. Is the 2010 still available new?
Because $500 is *way* too much for a used one. They routinely go on
eBay for $200 - $300, maybe $350 for a really minty one with box,
manuals, etc.

Dan

"Al Patrick" wrote in message
...
I have no first hand info on this unit. (I was thinking it was a
scanner.) :-) But you may want to read a review at
http://www.ticon.net/~n9ewo/ar7030.html before deciding on this unit.
There seems to have been a tuning knob problem and some cheap parts used.
Al

It certainly is good of you to point out this glaring problem, with your
vast experience on the model.

another..."I've never had one but I hear they suck.." editorial..

Geez.

Hello.

If money is no object, may I strongly suggest that you buy a new AOR
AR7030 Plus from one of the English shops which will, in conjunction
with AOR UK, customize it to your requirements. You can telephone
Richard Hillier at AOR UK and discuss the purchase with him and he
will make suggestions to you. (I purchased mine from THE SHORTWAVE
SHOP in the UK whose owner, Rob Burrows, and several technicians were
also extremely helpful.)

In my opinion, and in the opinion of several of my friends who have
seen/worked with it, the AOR AR7030 Plus is the "Rolls-Royce" of
short-wave radio.

Then buy a Wellbrook ALA 330S Active Loop Antenna (either from THE
SHORTWAVE SHOP or the factory). This antenna (the very best in my
experience) can be mounted outdoors, in an attic (where I have mine),
or even in your room (if no one in your family objects to a 1-meter
loop as a "decoration"). A rotator (I use an nexpensive Radio Shack
one) is very helpful, especially on frequencies below 6 Mhz. Even if
you have the space to put up a first class outdoor wire antenna, you
will probably find, as I have, that this antenna is the best one
currently available for summertime listening when atmospheric noise
and thunderstorm activity are at their peak.

Finally (you DID say money was no object), buy a Sony ICF-SW7600GR
portable along with a Sony AN-LP1 Active Loop Antenna and an AOR WL500
Active Loop Antenna. The AOR can be used on the Sony when you are at
home; the AN-LP1, though somewhat inferior to the AOR, is very
suitable for travel.

I have all of the above radios and antennas and I am very satisfied
with them.

Joe

(aristotle) wrote in message . com...
I am new to short wave radio and would like to know what is the
difference in buying a Sony 2010 radio for around $500 as compared to
an AOR AR-7030+ for $1600. Money is not the object, listening ability
is. I am hooked on listening to talk radio and thoroughly enjoy
learning about world events.

Joe Analssandrini wrote:

In my opinion, and in the opinion of several of my friends who have
seen/worked with it, the AOR AR7030 Plus is the "Rolls-Royce" of
short-wave radio.




Appropriate automotive analogy, here. :) Although I wouldn't say
the 7030+ is a Rolls-Royce. It doesn't leak oil. And it doesn't way
more than your house. But build quality is high, and it has a
luxurious feel.

Maybe a Daimler, or a Van den Plas.


This radio has been much maligned for it's operating system.
This criticism is simply a lot of noise. Work it for a couple of
hours, and the O/S becomes second nature. The O/S is also the
reason why this much performance comes at such a reasonable price.
This much radio, with every function on a dedicated switch, would
come in at more than twice the price. Early models have been
revised, to accomodate more reliable encoders, improve performance,
and generally make it sing and dance more smoothly. Current
versions of 7030+ are reliable, exceptional performers, and
amazingly versatile.

If you have a decent antenna installation, this radio is
difficult to overload. Lord knows, I've tried. If you DON"T have a
decent installation, no matter, sensitivity is more than adequate to
compensate. And you can install a simple whip for indoor
installation. Filters are selectable, and self centering. And
nearly all functions of the radio can be operated automatically,
which can be entertaining to watch, and highly convenient, if you're
not in the fiddling mood. If you prefer manual operation, you may
select virtually any function you wish, for manual operation, while
retaining automatic functionality for others.

The radio is highly configurable. It will remember all your
preferences for each individual frequency you put into memory.
Memories are tuneable.

Like a fine dog, it will be anything you want it to be. You
just don't have to take it out three times a day.

Remote control has more buttons, so dedicated functionality is
available in hand held form, across the room.

It makes a dandy, although almighty expensive, clock radio.

I've been playing with a 7030+, now, for a couple of years.
Audio is very good. Out of the box, it's works well, and more or
less intuitively, if you have any computer experience at all. With
a little effort and experience, it's one of the most convenient
radios I've yet encountered. I use it almost exclusively, now, to
the point that I've sold off several of my other radios, including
my long time benchmark R-71.


Recommendations are to get the notch/noise blanker accessory.
Expensive, but worth it if you find you enjoy deep DX.

An external speaker is hardly necesary, but makes for very
nice very long term listening.

As a beginner's receiver, 7030+ may be a bit of overkill, but
if you find you get sucked deep into the hobby, it's a radio you can
grow into, but not out of.



Then buy a Wellbrook ALA 330S Active Loop Antenna (either from THE
SHORTWAVE SHOP or the factory). This antenna (the very best in my
experience) can be mounted outdoors, in an attic (where I have mine),
or even in your room (if no one in your family objects to a 1-meter
loop as a "decoration"). A rotator (I use an nexpensive Radio Shack
one) is very helpful, especially on frequencies below 6 Mhz. Even if
you have the space to put up a first class outdoor wire antenna, you
will probably find, as I have, that this antenna is the best one
currently available for summertime listening when atmospheric noise
and thunderstorm activity are at their peak.



An alternative is the RF systems MTA--Magnetic transfer antenna.
This is a passive, with unobtrusive appearance, if that's an issue,
and it's astonishingly quiet. And impossible to overload, if you
live in a high RF environment. I've recently been doing some tests
with a homebuilt version of the MTA. A storm came along and wiped
it off the map. But the results were impressive enough, that I've
ordered an MTA, and when installed, I'll put up some side by side
audio files of reception with the MTA, vs other antennae I'm using.

All evaluated on the 7030+.

Peter Maus wrote in message
...


An alternative is the RF systems MTA--Magnetic transfer antenna.
This is a passive, with unobtrusive appearance, if that's an issue,
and it's astonishingly quiet. And impossible to overload, if you
live in a high RF environment. I've recently been doing some tests
with a homebuilt version of the MTA. A storm came along and wiped
it off the map. But the results were impressive enough, that I've
ordered an MTA, and when installed, I'll put up some side by side
audio files of reception with the MTA, vs other antennae I'm using.

Yes, please let us know your findings on this antenna setup.

73, Ken

Peter Maus wrote:
Like a fine dog, it will be anything you want it to be. You
just don't have to take it out three times a day.

I've never had a radio poop in the shack, but I have had one howl all night
when I forgot to turn it off and left the BFO on.

--
"Kerry arrived [in Viet Nam] with a strong anti-Vietnam War bias and a self-
serving determination to build a foundation for his political future."
-- Rear Admiral Roy Hoffmann, USN (Ret.), May 4, 2004

clifto wrote:
Peter Maus wrote:

Like a fine dog, it will be anything you want it to be. You
just don't have to take it out three times a day.


I've never had a radio poop in the shack, but I have had one howl all night
when I forgot to turn it off and left the BFO on.




And a real radio will keep you warm at night.

Then buy a Wellbrook ALA 330S Active Loop Antenna (either from THE
SHORTWAVE SHOP or the factory). This antenna (the very best in my
experience) can be mounted outdoors, in an attic (where I have mine),
or even in your room (if no one in your family objects to a 1-meter
loop as a "decoration"). A rotator (I use an nexpensive Radio Shack
one) is very helpful, especially on frequencies below 6 Mhz. Even if
you have the space to put up a first class outdoor wire antenna, you
will probably find, as I have, that this antenna is the best one
currently available for summertime listening when atmospheric noise
and thunderstorm activity are at their peak.

Finally (you DID say money was no object), buy a Sony ICF-SW7600GR
portable along with a Sony AN-LP1 Active Loop Antenna and an AOR WL500
Active Loop Antenna. The AOR can be used on the Sony when you are at
home; the AN-LP1, though somewhat inferior to the AOR, is very
suitable for travel.

I have all of the above radios and antennas and I am very satisfied
with them.

Joe



I would also put a plug in for the AOR LA350. I got a used one pretty
much on a lark--and was shocked by how good it is. I've spent a fair
amount of time trying to figure out WHY it's so good, but haven't yet
discovered the secret.

Steve

In article
,
Peter Maus wrote:

Joe Analssandrini wrote:

In my opinion, and in the opinion of several of my friends who have
seen/worked with it, the AOR AR7030 Plus is the "Rolls-Royce" of
short-wave radio.

Appropriate automotive analogy, here. :) Although I wouldn't say
the 7030+ is a Rolls-Royce. It doesn't leak oil. And it doesn't way
more than your house. But build quality is high, and it has a
luxurious feel.

Snip

I think a review you wrote in the newsgroup long time ago convinced me
to buy one and I have never regretted it. The AOR 7030+ is one slick
radio with it's auto tuning, self aligning filters and remote. The built
in speaker sounds pretty good but a bookshelf speaker sounds better.
Really excellent audio with a bookshelf speaker or headphones.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

Telamon wrote:
In article
,
Peter Maus wrote:


Joe Analssandrini wrote:


In my opinion, and in the opinion of several of my friends who have
seen/worked with it, the AOR AR7030 Plus is the "Rolls-Royce" of
short-wave radio.

Appropriate automotive analogy, here. :) Although I wouldn't say
the 7030+ is a Rolls-Royce. It doesn't leak oil. And it doesn't way
more than your house. But build quality is high, and it has a
luxurious feel.


Snip

I think a review you wrote in the newsgroup long time ago convinced me
to buy one and I have never regretted it. The AOR 7030+ is one slick
radio with it's auto tuning, self aligning filters and remote. The built
in speaker sounds pretty good but a bookshelf speaker sounds better.
Really excellent audio with a bookshelf speaker or headphones.


Well.....I"m flattered. I didn't think anyone paid much attention
to my opinion.

Nice to know it paid off for you.

I use a big cabinet of 1" hardwood, with twin Stromberg-Carlson
woofers, Electrovoice tweeters, and Motorola piezo tweeters as my
speaker system of choice in the listening room. This serves not
only the 7030+, but the RX-350, SW-2, HF-150, BC-794 and several
others, as well as some of my vintage FM tuners, through a
Switchcraft switching system that came out of a hi-fi shop. Makes
for very quick selection of receivers, speakers, recorders and
routing to other parts of the house.

Through this system, the 7030+ sounds a little anemic in the
extreme low end, as compared to the Drake, and the Lowe, but is as
smooth and pleasant for long term listening than many of my tube sets.


Good listening with yours. And thanks for the compliment.

p

(Snip)

This radio has been much maligned for it's operating system.
This criticism is simply a lot of noise. Work it for a couple of
hours, and the O/S becomes second nature. The O/S is also the
reason why this much performance comes at such a reasonable price.
This much radio, with every function on a dedicated switch, would
come in at more than twice the price.

Hello,

Are you familiar with the RxWings computer control program (written by
Jan Arkesteijn) which can be used with the AR7030? It DOES put every
function on a dedicated (though "virtual") switch.

Though you're absolutely right that the criticisms of the AOR's
operating system
are way off base (one of the rare times in PASSPORT that they are dead
wrong and,
worse, they refuse to correct their errors) and the receiver really is
very easy to use, this computer control program makes its use even
easier. And, best of all, it is totally FREE!

All the best,

Joe

Joe Analssandrini wrote:
(Snip)

This radio has been much maligned for it's operating system.
This criticism is simply a lot of noise. Work it for a couple of
hours, and the O/S becomes second nature. The O/S is also the
reason why this much performance comes at such a reasonable price.
This much radio, with every function on a dedicated switch, would
come in at more than twice the price.

Hello,

Are you familiar with the RxWings computer control program (written by
Jan Arkesteijn) which can be used with the AR7030? It DOES put every
function on a dedicated (though "virtual") switch.



No, I'm not familiar with that software. I don't use my computers
with my radios.





Though you're absolutely right that the criticisms of the AOR's
operating system
are way off base (one of the rare times in PASSPORT that they are dead
wrong



I think we'll have to agree to disagree, there. My personal
opinion of Passport is somewhat less than flattering. As expressed
here before.





and,
worse, they refuse to correct their errors) and the receiver really is
very easy to use, this computer control program makes its use even
easier. And, best of all, it is totally FREE!

All the best,


Good listening, to you, as well.










Joe