Lucky wrote:

Hi fellas

I'm new to this group and would like your advice based on your broad
knowledge of radios. OK I have 5 radios.

1] JRC NRD-525 stock
2] Kenwood R-5000 YK-88a-1 and remote options
3] FROG-7 stock, mint
4] Ten Tec 320-D
5] FRG-7700 FRA-7700 and F5 low pass filter options
6] Degen 1103

Now, I've been looking to buy a Drake R8 or R8A since I've read so
many good things about them and many of you own one.
My question is, do I need it and will I *notice a big difference
owning one over my other 5 radios?

Now when I ask "do I need it", I hope you radio owners know what I
mean by that.

Thanks for your time
Lucky


Hi

It would be easier for people to give good advice if they knew what you were hoping to accomplish.

I had an original R8. It was a good radio, and it did everything pretty well.

As Dan has mentioned, the R8b has the better sync detector. Sideband selectable sync is nice - I use it all the time on my Harris.

The original one had the nicer tuning knob. Not a performance feature, but hey, you'll probably spend a lot of time using it.

The Drakes have nice audio - particularly if you use a good external speaker, so you'd probably enjoy one for program listening.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a Grundig Sat 800. While it's got a circuit designed by Drake, they're made in China, and the build quality doesn't impress me. They're also incredibly large. They remind me of the stereos they used to sell in Woolworths back
in the 70's. Speaker cabinets would be 5 feet tall, 2 feet wide, and weigh close to 10 pounds.