|
LUCKY,
REMEMBER: The Icom IC-R75 also has the Twin Band Pass Tuning. So with both IFs set at 2.4 kHz and one Band Pass set at 10 O'Clock (-60*) and the other set at 2 O'Clock (+60*) the effective IF Band Pass would be ~1.8 kHz for SSB Reception. For CW Reception set one Band Pass set at 7 O'Clock (-150*) and the other set at 5 O'Clock (+150*) the effective IF Band Pass would be ~ 500 Hz for CW Reception. For more information, discussion and ideas about the Icom IC-R75 Receiver. Check-Out the Icom IC-R75 Receiver eGroup on YAHOO ! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/icomr75/ hth ~ RHF .. .. = = = "Lucky" wrote in message = = = ... Another owner told me you can make the SSB wider then 2.4 also. The narrowest stock filter in the R75 is 2.4 kHz. This doesn't mean you have to set up your Narrow SSB to 2.4 on both IFs. Each of the two IFs (455 kHz and 9 mHz) has a set of filters to choose from, so you can select a wider combination in the setup mode, if you prefer. Gerry " "Lucky" wrote in message ... Ok Mark I asked a owner of the R75 what the narrow SSB filter is and he told me 2.4. Maybe you should get this reciever now :) The stock SSB filter is 2,4 kHz in the 9 MHz IF and 2,4 kHz in the 455 kHz IF. You can choose any filter combination you want in the SSB Narrow position depending on the filters you have installed in your receiver. Ref: Page 18 and page 19 in the manual. "Mark S. Holden" wrote in message ... Michael wrote: "Lucky" wrote in message ... Hi gentlemen It looks like I've narrowed my next radio down to these two. I did bid on a Harris RF-550 last week but my $606 bid got taken out. I'll be using the receiver for AM BC during the day, and local Hams and DX'ing at night into the wee hours. I know the R8a has selectable sideband and AM sync if I'm correct. But the R75 is supposed to be extremely well built and I can get free DSP and a rebate for $50 coming out to a $475 final price. I think I can pick up a R8A for about $500 to $600. So the price difference may not be that huge at all. The only thing is that the R75 will be brand new and the R8a used. So what do you guys think? What bothers me about the R75 is I hear the AM audio is just not too great and you need to work around it. Some people say the AM sound is not that bad at all, but most others say it needs help. I need your experience and opinions please? Thank you Lucky Hiya, Lucky I think you should go with the shiny new out of the box R-75 instead of the used R8a. First off, it is always nice to have a brand new radio vs. one that has been used. Along with that, I think you will get more out of the R-75. I use an R-75 as my primary radio, and I have also had my friends R8a here for several weeks, so I know how both radios sound and perform. When the R-75 is in its stock form with no mods, it has two shortcomings when compared to the Drake R8a. The first being, that the R-75 does not have the fantastic audio quality of the Drake R8a. This is true, but the audio quality of the R-75 is not bad. It is just not as defined and rich as the R8a's audio. If you want the audio definition on the R-75 to be enhanced, you can do so by sending it to Kiwa to have a very simple, inexpensive and fully reversible mod done on it. They offer a mod for $ 35.00 and they will have your radio back to you in less then two weeks. I had this mod done to my R-75 and it was back to me in a week. The second shortcoming of the R-75 is that it has an am sycn detector that isn't very effective in its stock form. Once again, you can improve this quite a bit by sending it off to Kiwa for yet another simple, inexpensive and reversible mod. The offer the sync detector upgrade for $45.00. I also had this done to my R-75 and it improves program listening under conditions of fade quite a bit. The sync now holds its lock quite well and it really helps keep distortion in check. See Kiwas R-75 web page: http://kiwa.com/R75.html I have those upgrades done on my R-75. I also use an external speaker wich is a must on both the R8a and the R-75. I can say that my R-75 sounds VERY good for program listening. The R8a may still have a bit more rich and defined audio, but not by much !!!! Also... No am synch detector will help you if you are listening to a signal that is extremely weak and messy. You can expect a good am synch detector to help you with a signal that is slightly or moderately messy. The modded R-75 am synch will do exactly just that for you. If you really want to dress up your audio, you can run your line out audio into your PC sound card and then into a software driven mixer. I do that from time to time when I have a signal that is really muffled or has way too much base or is too tinny. Then, I can use the EQ and really dress it up. You can do that with any radio :-) So... There you have the shortcomings of the R-75 compared to the R8a, and how to fix then for little cost should you decide to. Now... Here is where the R-75 really shines :-) If you like to listen to hams, or utility, the R-75 is the radio to do it with !!!. I think the R-75 is probably the best ssb rig you can get without having to spend about $2,000.00. You've probably heard already about the twin PBT :-) No question here... You can tweak and resolve signals with this in ways that you cant do on the R8a. No mod to the R8a will enable it to do what the R-75 can. Also... With the superior ssb function/capabilities of the R-75, you can also use it to listen to really weak and messy sw broadcasts signals using ecss tuning, and then use the twin pbt to tweak it up and get it to sound good enough for your ear to make out what is being said. That is what makes it such a great DX rig. It is rock solid stable and it has the tools to really dig out and resolve the weakest of signals. For anything to do with ssb, or DX'ing, I'd take a used R-75 over a brand new R8a... LOL :-) And.. Lets not forget, with a few mods, you can have quality program listening too. Hope that helps.... -- Respectfully, Michael I'd feel better about the R75 if the factory incorporated the sync mod into future production. The standard filter for sideband is narrow for my tastes at 2.1khz. The Drake is slightly better at 2.3. Wider filters can give improved fidelity, although if they don't have steep enough skirts, you won't like them. My Harris RF-550 and AOR 7030+ have 3.2khz filters. They sound beautiful without adjacent channel problems. Don't know the shape factor on the Harris filter, but the 7030 one is 1.33. (It's a crystal filter, made for the Racal 6790/gm) Icom does sell a 2.8khz filter for $140 and a 3.3khz filter for $160. It's not practical to change filters on the Drake. But an R75 with the Kiwa mods and an extra filter will cost more than Lucky bid on the Harris. The advantage is he could do it in stages. If I'm dealing with a reputable person, I'm not afraid of used radios. |
LUCKY,
REMEMBER: The Icom IC-R75 also has the Twin Band Pass Tuning. So with both IFs set at 2.4 kHz and one Band Pass set at 10 O'Clock (-60*) and the other set at 2 O'Clock (+60*) the effective IF Band Pass would be ~1.8 kHz for SSB Reception. For CW Reception set one Band Pass set at 7 O'Clock (-150*) and the other set at 5 O'Clock (+150*) the effective IF Band Pass would be ~ 500 Hz for CW Reception. For more information, discussion and ideas about the Icom IC-R75 Receiver. Check-Out the Icom IC-R75 Receiver eGroup on YAHOO ! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/icomr75/ hth ~ RHF .. .. = = = "Lucky" wrote in message = = = ... Another owner told me you can make the SSB wider then 2.4 also. The narrowest stock filter in the R75 is 2.4 kHz. This doesn't mean you have to set up your Narrow SSB to 2.4 on both IFs. Each of the two IFs (455 kHz and 9 mHz) has a set of filters to choose from, so you can select a wider combination in the setup mode, if you prefer. Gerry " "Lucky" wrote in message ... Ok Mark I asked a owner of the R75 what the narrow SSB filter is and he told me 2.4. Maybe you should get this reciever now :) The stock SSB filter is 2,4 kHz in the 9 MHz IF and 2,4 kHz in the 455 kHz IF. You can choose any filter combination you want in the SSB Narrow position depending on the filters you have installed in your receiver. Ref: Page 18 and page 19 in the manual. "Mark S. Holden" wrote in message ... Michael wrote: "Lucky" wrote in message ... Hi gentlemen It looks like I've narrowed my next radio down to these two. I did bid on a Harris RF-550 last week but my $606 bid got taken out. I'll be using the receiver for AM BC during the day, and local Hams and DX'ing at night into the wee hours. I know the R8a has selectable sideband and AM sync if I'm correct. But the R75 is supposed to be extremely well built and I can get free DSP and a rebate for $50 coming out to a $475 final price. I think I can pick up a R8A for about $500 to $600. So the price difference may not be that huge at all. The only thing is that the R75 will be brand new and the R8a used. So what do you guys think? What bothers me about the R75 is I hear the AM audio is just not too great and you need to work around it. Some people say the AM sound is not that bad at all, but most others say it needs help. I need your experience and opinions please? Thank you Lucky Hiya, Lucky I think you should go with the shiny new out of the box R-75 instead of the used R8a. First off, it is always nice to have a brand new radio vs. one that has been used. Along with that, I think you will get more out of the R-75. I use an R-75 as my primary radio, and I have also had my friends R8a here for several weeks, so I know how both radios sound and perform. When the R-75 is in its stock form with no mods, it has two shortcomings when compared to the Drake R8a. The first being, that the R-75 does not have the fantastic audio quality of the Drake R8a. This is true, but the audio quality of the R-75 is not bad. It is just not as defined and rich as the R8a's audio. If you want the audio definition on the R-75 to be enhanced, you can do so by sending it to Kiwa to have a very simple, inexpensive and fully reversible mod done on it. They offer a mod for $ 35.00 and they will have your radio back to you in less then two weeks. I had this mod done to my R-75 and it was back to me in a week. The second shortcoming of the R-75 is that it has an am sycn detector that isn't very effective in its stock form. Once again, you can improve this quite a bit by sending it off to Kiwa for yet another simple, inexpensive and reversible mod. The offer the sync detector upgrade for $45.00. I also had this done to my R-75 and it improves program listening under conditions of fade quite a bit. The sync now holds its lock quite well and it really helps keep distortion in check. See Kiwas R-75 web page: http://kiwa.com/R75.html I have those upgrades done on my R-75. I also use an external speaker wich is a must on both the R8a and the R-75. I can say that my R-75 sounds VERY good for program listening. The R8a may still have a bit more rich and defined audio, but not by much !!!! Also... No am synch detector will help you if you are listening to a signal that is extremely weak and messy. You can expect a good am synch detector to help you with a signal that is slightly or moderately messy. The modded R-75 am synch will do exactly just that for you. If you really want to dress up your audio, you can run your line out audio into your PC sound card and then into a software driven mixer. I do that from time to time when I have a signal that is really muffled or has way too much base or is too tinny. Then, I can use the EQ and really dress it up. You can do that with any radio :-) So... There you have the shortcomings of the R-75 compared to the R8a, and how to fix then for little cost should you decide to. Now... Here is where the R-75 really shines :-) If you like to listen to hams, or utility, the R-75 is the radio to do it with !!!. I think the R-75 is probably the best ssb rig you can get without having to spend about $2,000.00. You've probably heard already about the twin PBT :-) No question here... You can tweak and resolve signals with this in ways that you cant do on the R8a. No mod to the R8a will enable it to do what the R-75 can. Also... With the superior ssb function/capabilities of the R-75, you can also use it to listen to really weak and messy sw broadcasts signals using ecss tuning, and then use the twin pbt to tweak it up and get it to sound good enough for your ear to make out what is being said. That is what makes it such a great DX rig. It is rock solid stable and it has the tools to really dig out and resolve the weakest of signals. For anything to do with ssb, or DX'ing, I'd take a used R-75 over a brand new R8a... LOL :-) And.. Lets not forget, with a few mods, you can have quality program listening too. Hope that helps.... -- Respectfully, Michael I'd feel better about the R75 if the factory incorporated the sync mod into future production. The standard filter for sideband is narrow for my tastes at 2.1khz. The Drake is slightly better at 2.3. Wider filters can give improved fidelity, although if they don't have steep enough skirts, you won't like them. My Harris RF-550 and AOR 7030+ have 3.2khz filters. They sound beautiful without adjacent channel problems. Don't know the shape factor on the Harris filter, but the 7030 one is 1.33. (It's a crystal filter, made for the Racal 6790/gm) Icom does sell a 2.8khz filter for $140 and a 3.3khz filter for $160. It's not practical to change filters on the Drake. But an R75 with the Kiwa mods and an extra filter will cost more than Lucky bid on the Harris. The advantage is he could do it in stages. If I'm dealing with a reputable person, I'm not afraid of used radios. |
My antennas a Wellbrook ALA 330S Active Loop Antenna (for the AOR and sometimes for the Grundig) and AOR WL-500 Active Window Loop Antenna (mostly for the Grundig). All the best, Joe Say, can you comment on the performance of the AOR WL-500? I have the LA350 and it's pretty amazing. Also, can you compare the Wellbrook to the Skymatch H-800? I know that you're being able to offer these direct comparisons is a longshot, but it never hurts to ask! Steve |
Whoa that's good to know. I always wanted to try out what 1.8 sounds like. I
was ready to pick up a 1.8 for my R-5000, but decided to put that filter money towards a new radio instead. I already installed the 88a-1 AM in it though. Good tips to know for most potential from the R-75. Thanks Lucky "RHF" wrote in message om... LUCKY, REMEMBER: The Icom IC-R75 also has the Twin Band Pass Tuning. So with both IFs set at 2.4 kHz and one Band Pass set at 10 O'Clock (-60*) and the other set at 2 O'Clock (+60*) the effective IF Band Pass would be ~1.8 kHz for SSB Reception. For CW Reception set one Band Pass set at 7 O'Clock (-150*) and the other set at 5 O'Clock (+150*) the effective IF Band Pass would be ~ 500 Hz for CW Reception. For more information, discussion and ideas about the Icom IC-R75 Receiver. Check-Out the Icom IC-R75 Receiver eGroup on YAHOO ! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/icomr75/ hth ~ RHF . . = = = "Lucky" wrote in message = = = ... Another owner told me you can make the SSB wider then 2.4 also. The narrowest stock filter in the R75 is 2.4 kHz. This doesn't mean you have to set up your Narrow SSB to 2.4 on both IFs. Each of the two IFs (455 kHz and 9 mHz) has a set of filters to choose from, so you can select a wider combination in the setup mode, if you prefer. Gerry " "Lucky" wrote in message ... Ok Mark I asked a owner of the R75 what the narrow SSB filter is and he told me 2.4. Maybe you should get this reciever now :) The stock SSB filter is 2,4 kHz in the 9 MHz IF and 2,4 kHz in the 455 kHz IF. You can choose any filter combination you want in the SSB Narrow position depending on the filters you have installed in your receiver. Ref: Page 18 and page 19 in the manual. "Mark S. Holden" wrote in message ... Michael wrote: "Lucky" wrote in message ... Hi gentlemen It looks like I've narrowed my next radio down to these two. I did bid on a Harris RF-550 last week but my $606 bid got taken out. I'll be using the receiver for AM BC during the day, and local Hams and DX'ing at night into the wee hours. I know the R8a has selectable sideband and AM sync if I'm correct. But the R75 is supposed to be extremely well built and I can get free DSP and a rebate for $50 coming out to a $475 final price. I think I can pick up a R8A for about $500 to $600. So the price difference may not be that huge at all. The only thing is that the R75 will be brand new and the R8a used. So what do you guys think? What bothers me about the R75 is I hear the AM audio is just not too great and you need to work around it. Some people say the AM sound is not that bad at all, but most others say it needs help. I need your experience and opinions please? Thank you Lucky Hiya, Lucky I think you should go with the shiny new out of the box R-75 instead of the used R8a. First off, it is always nice to have a brand new radio vs. one that has been used. Along with that, I think you will get more out of the R-75. I use an R-75 as my primary radio, and I have also had my friends R8a here for several weeks, so I know how both radios sound and perform. When the R-75 is in its stock form with no mods, it has two shortcomings when compared to the Drake R8a. The first being, that the R-75 does not have the fantastic audio quality of the Drake R8a. This is true, but the audio quality of the R-75 is not bad. It is just not as defined and rich as the R8a's audio. If you want the audio definition on the R-75 to be enhanced, you can do so by sending it to Kiwa to have a very simple, inexpensive and fully reversible mod done on it. They offer a mod for $ 35.00 and they will have your radio back to you in less then two weeks. I had this mod done to my R-75 and it was back to me in a week. The second shortcoming of the R-75 is that it has an am sycn detector that isn't very effective in its stock form. Once again, you can improve this quite a bit by sending it off to Kiwa for yet another simple, inexpensive and reversible mod. The offer the sync detector upgrade for $45.00. I also had this done to my R-75 and it improves program listening under conditions of fade quite a bit. The sync now holds its lock quite well and it really helps keep distortion in check. See Kiwas R-75 web page: http://kiwa.com/R75.html I have those upgrades done on my R-75. I also use an external speaker wich is a must on both the R8a and the R-75. I can say that my R-75 sounds VERY good for program listening. The R8a may still have a bit more rich and defined audio, but not by much !!!! Also... No am synch detector will help you if you are listening to a signal that is extremely weak and messy. You can expect a good am synch detector to help you with a signal that is slightly or moderately messy. The modded R-75 am synch will do exactly just that for you. If you really want to dress up your audio, you can run your line out audio into your PC sound card and then into a software driven mixer. I do that from time to time when I have a signal that is really muffled or has way too much base or is too tinny. Then, I can use the EQ and really dress it up. You can do that with any radio :-) So... There you have the shortcomings of the R-75 compared to the R8a, and how to fix then for little cost should you decide to. Now... Here is where the R-75 really shines :-) If you like to listen to hams, or utility, the R-75 is the radio to do it with !!!. I think the R-75 is probably the best ssb rig you can get without having to spend about $2,000.00. You've probably heard already about the twin PBT :-) No question here... You can tweak and resolve signals with this in ways that you cant do on the R8a. No mod to the R8a will enable it to do what the R-75 can. Also... With the superior ssb function/capabilities of the R-75, you can also use it to listen to really weak and messy sw broadcasts signals using ecss tuning, and then use the twin pbt to tweak it up and get it to sound good enough for your ear to make out what is being said. That is what makes it such a great DX rig. It is rock solid stable and it has the tools to really dig out and resolve the weakest of signals. For anything to do with ssb, or DX'ing, I'd take a used R-75 over a brand new R8a... LOL :-) And.. Lets not forget, with a few mods, you can have quality program listening too. Hope that helps.... -- Respectfully, Michael I'd feel better about the R75 if the factory incorporated the sync mod into future production. The standard filter for sideband is narrow for my tastes at 2.1khz. The Drake is slightly better at 2.3. Wider filters can give improved fidelity, although if they don't have steep enough skirts, you won't like them. My Harris RF-550 and AOR 7030+ have 3.2khz filters. They sound beautiful without adjacent channel problems. Don't know the shape factor on the Harris filter, but the 7030 one is 1.33. (It's a crystal filter, made for the Racal 6790/gm) Icom does sell a 2.8khz filter for $140 and a 3.3khz filter for $160. It's not practical to change filters on the Drake. But an R75 with the Kiwa mods and an extra filter will cost more than Lucky bid on the Harris. The advantage is he could do it in stages. If I'm dealing with a reputable person, I'm not afraid of used radios. |
I'll consider it but I never really thought of the Sat 800 as a real
hardcore unit I can grow into. I felt I would just outgrow it fast. Like with the R-75, they is plenty of room for me to grow and learn with it. As I get more nimble with the radio, the more I can apply my knowledge to it. I am getting more and more into distant HAMsters too. I was listening to "Early Bird Net" between 5:00 AM and 6:00 on LSB 3940. I was getting Hams from Alabama, N.C. Mississippi and even Virginia. But, as more guys checked in, the less I could hear them. I only could only adjust the clarity to a certain degree with my unmodded NRD-525 I could hear I needed more ammo to work with. I do like the looks of the unit. But, you sound extremely knowledgable about this so I will do some research into the 800. I do like the looks of the unit. I appreciate the feedback and learn a lot from you guys. Lucky "Joe Analssandrini" wrote in message om... Hello Lucky. You know, you can go so "crazy" on this subject that you lose sight of your real objectives. In your original message you stated: "I'll be using the receiver for AM BC during the day, and local Hams and DX'ing at night into the wee hours." Regarding the two receivers in which you are interested, it is my opinion that it is always better to buy something new rather than some dude's cast-off finery. (Why is he selling? No one gets rid of something they like!) You could call Universal and speak to a technician there who could give you some advice on configuring an ICOM and then you could have (after one year and the warranty is expired) the Kiwa modifications effected. However, for the type of listening you do (AM BC, Hams, SW broadcasters), the Grundig Satellit 800 would be almost ideal. Order one from Universal and ask them to test the particular unit you will be getting prior to shipment. You will get a fine receiver in perfect condition which will suit you very well. You will not need any modifications to it, you will have very fine sound and excellent performance for the type of listening you do, and the price will be right. Want better sound? Run the Grundig through your stereo system. Cost is the cost of connectors at the Radio Shack. Want better performance? Buy a better antenna. You know that the antenna is far more important than the receiver. I know that the Sat800 doesn't have the "prestige" or "professional" styling of some of the more esoteric receivers, but the performance is there! Also you would have FM and some limited portability to boot. FYI: I own a Sat800 and use it for most "casual" (BBC, VOR, R.Nederland, etc.) listening. I also own an AOR AR7030 Plus (modified by the factory) Receiver, which is the finest radio with which I have ever had experience, bar none. (Note to the gentleman who wrote post #26: when listening to music over the shortwaves, I DO run my AR7030 Plus through Klipschorn speakers [the cost of which is now over $6000 per pair] using a Hafler DH-101 Preamplifier and a Hafler DH-200 Power Amplifier. The sound quality must be heard to be believed!) My antennas a Wellbrook ALA 330S Active Loop Antenna (for the AOR and sometimes for the Grundig) and AOR WL-500 Active Window Loop Antenna (mostly for the Grundig). Given the fact that my AOR cost almost four times the price of the Sat800, and given that your budget appears to be in the $400-600 range, and also noting that if you were to buy a Sat800 you will still be able to avail yourself of that fine Drake service (I've had experience with it), I feel that the Sat800 would be the best "real-world" option for you. Consider it carefully. All the best, Joe |
After doing some more reading on it, I see what you mean. It has fine sound
quality for most people and offers some nice filter selections. I think $450 is kinda overpriced though. It should more like $300-$350 tops. But, if that new Eton model comes out or the sat 900, prices might come down alot and I'll grab one then. Seems to be a good all around radio. Lucky "Joe Analssandrini" wrote in message om... Hello Lucky. You know, you can go so "crazy" on this subject that you lose sight of your real objectives. In your original message you stated: "I'll be using the receiver for AM BC during the day, and local Hams and DX'ing at night into the wee hours." Regarding the two receivers in which you are interested, it is my opinion that it is always better to buy something new rather than some dude's cast-off finery. (Why is he selling? No one gets rid of something they like!) You could call Universal and speak to a technician there who could give you some advice on configuring an ICOM and then you could have (after one year and the warranty is expired) the Kiwa modifications effected. However, for the type of listening you do (AM BC, Hams, SW broadcasters), the Grundig Satellit 800 would be almost ideal. Order one from Universal and ask them to test the particular unit you will be getting prior to shipment. You will get a fine receiver in perfect condition which will suit you very well. You will not need any modifications to it, you will have very fine sound and excellent performance for the type of listening you do, and the price will be right. Want better sound? Run the Grundig through your stereo system. Cost is the cost of connectors at the Radio Shack. Want better performance? Buy a better antenna. You know that the antenna is far more important than the receiver. I know that the Sat800 doesn't have the "prestige" or "professional" styling of some of the more esoteric receivers, but the performance is there! Also you would have FM and some limited portability to boot. FYI: I own a Sat800 and use it for most "casual" (BBC, VOR, R.Nederland, etc.) listening. I also own an AOR AR7030 Plus (modified by the factory) Receiver, which is the finest radio with which I have ever had experience, bar none. (Note to the gentleman who wrote post #26: when listening to music over the shortwaves, I DO run my AR7030 Plus through Klipschorn speakers [the cost of which is now over $6000 per pair] using a Hafler DH-101 Preamplifier and a Hafler DH-200 Power Amplifier. The sound quality must be heard to be believed!) My antennas a Wellbrook ALA 330S Active Loop Antenna (for the AOR and sometimes for the Grundig) and AOR WL-500 Active Window Loop Antenna (mostly for the Grundig). Given the fact that my AOR cost almost four times the price of the Sat800, and given that your budget appears to be in the $400-600 range, and also noting that if you were to buy a Sat800 you will still be able to avail yourself of that fine Drake service (I've had experience with it), I feel that the Sat800 would be the best "real-world" option for you. Consider it carefully. All the best, Joe |
Hello Steve,
The performance of the AOR WL-500 is excellent. It really attenuates the local electrical noise I have in my location and pulls in signals well. Generally I find a 10-20 dB increase in signal strength over the whip and the signal-to-noise ratio (which is really the most important thing) is greatly improved. I had tried numerous other antennas and combinations and this was the first one which was truly satisfactory with my Sat800. I cannot comment on the AOR LA350, having had no experience with it. I have read good things about it from others, however, and PASSPORT likes it. I am not familiar at all with the Skymatch H-800. I can tell you that the Wellbrook ALA 330S Active Loop Antenna is positively the finest antenna with which I have worked. Of course, since I have it attic mounted on a rotator, and it is at the back of my house (as far away from the source[s] of electrical noise as I can get; the WL-500 is in the front as CLOSE to the sources of electrical interference I can get!), it well outperforms the WL-500. It is noticeably quieter than any other antenna I have ever used and makes SW listening during the summer a real joy. This is something that even a 100-foot longwire (which I had many years ago) could not do. Both antennas are expensive, $200 and $300 respectively. Add to the Wellbrook a rotator ($100), though that is not wholly necessary, and coax and installation charges (if any) and you have a major purchase, though one with which I am completely satisfied. Frankly, for travel and light use around the house, I cannot imagine a better antenna than the AOR WL-500. (There are a couple of annoyances with this antenna, about which I have written elsewhere, but they are really minor. They do not affect performance nor would they be a reason not to buy.) For overall general use in many situations where a longwire is impractical, and/or for secondary use along with a longwire, especially in the summertime, or any time/place where there is a lot of local electrical noise, I do not believe there is any better antenna at this time than the Wellbrook ALA 330S. It can be mounted in your room (if there is no one to object), in the attic, outside on your roof, or even on a fencepost! Like most loops, mounting placement and position is not overly critical, though outdoor mounting of course works the best, I'm told. However, I am very satisfied with my attic mount, which has the advantage of protection from the weather. (Note that if you are interested in MW broadcasts, Wellbrook makes the similar ALA 1530 which covers the MW broadcast band as well as the SW bands. Its performance on SW is very slightly less than the ALA 330S, according to PASSPORT, and, if your set does not have the absolute best rejection of MW signals within the SW band, you can have some unwanted MW signals "surfacing" in the SW frequencies [naturally, that is applicable to most antennas]. This, of course, is not a problem with the '330S. I use the C.Crane "Justice" AM antenna, sometimes along with a Select-a-Tenna for my MW DXing which, frankly, I do not do very often. These MW antennas, alone or in combination, have proven very satisfactory to me.) After many years of frustrated searching, I have finally found two SW antennas with which I am completely satisfied and I would recommend them both. I hope the above is of some use to you. All the best, Joe (Steve) wrote in message . com... Say, can you comment on the performance of the AOR WL-500? I have the LA350 and it's pretty amazing. Also, can you compare the Wellbrook to the Skymatch H-800? I know that you're being able to offer these direct comparisons is a longshot, but it never hurts to ask! Steve |
Dear Lucky,
In MY OPINION, $450 is a very LOW price with regard to what you get. You can lower the price by buying a (Drake) refurbished unit, but I would recommend that you deal only with a reputable SW dealer such as Universal or Grove for this. You still want them to "check-out" your particular unit prior to shipment (as you may know, quality-control on these units hasn't been all it should be). I would not count too much on the Eton E1-XM (formerly the Grundig Satellit 900) being a substitute for the Sat800. I certainly wouldn't be the "first kid on my block" to buy a new Chinese-manufactured receiver, especially from Eton/Grundig. You need to wait at least a year (and a real-world report in PASSPORT) before you know how these things are really assembled and are performing. (Newsgroups such as this are also helpful, of course.) I do not believe that the forthcoming E1-XM will have the specifications of the Sat800 (and I, for one, have no interest in "pay-radio." Why didn't they at least offer Sirius as well if this is going to be a "satellite" radio? Why no built-in stereo? Why no HD-radio? Why no DRM? I feel that this radio will be obsolete even before it is introduced! Sorry about the diatribe!). I do not think the price of the Sat800 will drop in the near future unless some dealer (such as The Discovery Channel this past summer) were closing them out, and then you would probably not be able to have your unit checked out. Even with a warranty, it is somewhat of an inconvenience (and it is expensive) to ship a unit to Drake, though their service and turnaround are positively top-notch. Finally, you'll never "outgrow" a Sat800. Even if you were to buy one of the Supersets (such as an AOR AR7030 Plus), you would use your Sat800 for MW and FM as well as for more casual listening. I hope the above is of some use to you and that it aids and encourages you in your purchase decision. Best, Joe "Lucky" wrote in message ... After doing some more reading on it, I see what you mean. It has fine sound quality for most people and offers some nice filter selections. I think $450 is kinda overpriced though. It should more like $300-$350 tops. But, if that new Eton model comes out or the sat 900, prices might come down alot and I'll grab one then. Seems to be a good all around radio. Lucky |
Hi Joe
and thank you for the reply. Yes, it is an all around radio for sure. I'm still looking at it. I can tell you this. Once I get a "bug" to buy a radio, it's gets bought sooner or later. I love the way the radio looks for sure and I like the fact it has FM. It's very helpful really. I don't listen to FM that much but when I do, that's means I need the music! The quality build does concern me. For almost 5 bills I don't want to hear about wobbly knobs I can tell you that. This is a radio I need to see and hear first. Maybe I'll check out one of the dealers in downtown Miami. There are tons of electronic radio shops there. In the end Joe I'll probably have one in my collection soon. You know, I need another new room altogether just for my radios and computer equipment! I wish I could just buy a new radio every month. I'd try out a Racal for kicks. All the best wishes to you Joe. You're a thoughtful kind person. Lucky "Joe Analssandrini" wrote in message m... Dear Lucky, In MY OPINION, $450 is a very LOW price with regard to what you get. You can lower the price by buying a (Drake) refurbished unit, but I would recommend that you deal only with a reputable SW dealer such as Universal or Grove for this. You still want them to "check-out" your particular unit prior to shipment (as you may know, quality-control on these units hasn't been all it should be). I would not count too much on the Eton E1-XM (formerly the Grundig Satellit 900) being a substitute for the Sat800. I certainly wouldn't be the "first kid on my block" to buy a new Chinese-manufactured receiver, especially from Eton/Grundig. You need to wait at least a year (and a real-world report in PASSPORT) before you know how these things are really assembled and are performing. (Newsgroups such as this are also helpful, of course.) I do not believe that the forthcoming E1-XM will have the specifications of the Sat800 (and I, for one, have no interest in "pay-radio." Why didn't they at least offer Sirius as well if this is going to be a "satellite" radio? Why no built-in stereo? Why no HD-radio? Why no DRM? I feel that this radio will be obsolete even before it is introduced! Sorry about the diatribe!). I do not think the price of the Sat800 will drop in the near future unless some dealer (such as The Discovery Channel this past summer) were closing them out, and then you would probably not be able to have your unit checked out. Even with a warranty, it is somewhat of an inconvenience (and it is expensive) to ship a unit to Drake, though their service and turnaround are positively top-notch. Finally, you'll never "outgrow" a Sat800. Even if you were to buy one of the Supersets (such as an AOR AR7030 Plus), you would use your Sat800 for MW and FM as well as for more casual listening. I hope the above is of some use to you and that it aids and encourages you in your purchase decision. Best, Joe "Lucky" wrote in message ... After doing some more reading on it, I see what you mean. It has fine sound quality for most people and offers some nice filter selections. I think $450 is kinda overpriced though. It should more like $300-$350 tops. But, if that new Eton model comes out or the sat 900, prices might come down alot and I'll grab one then. Seems to be a good all around radio. Lucky |
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