Icom R75 vs the Drake R8a
 

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

Lucky wrote:

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.

The R8A has AM synch, but not sideband selectable synch. That was not
incorporated into the design until the R8B.

dxAce
Michigan

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

"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Lucky wrote:

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.

The R8A has AM synch, but not sideband selectable synch. That was not
incorporated into the design until the R8B.

dxAce
Michigan

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



Oh I didn't know that. Heck I thought that was in the R8a too. That changes
things quite a bit. Thank you dxAce.

Lucky

Actually, I must add to that - the AM sync on the R8A is most mediocre, not
the sort of thing I would write home to my mother about. The later R8B on
the other hand is SUPERB!
However, the R8A will deliver great sound, especially if driven through a
good outboard speaker or if linked to your stereo system. Also, the SSB ham
reception will be very good.

OTOH the R75 is coming into greater favour with the serious DX veterans if
upgraded with the Kiwa mods, something you could do later. It will never
match the nice audio of the Drake though for AM BCB.
--
John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa
South 33 d 47 m 540 s, East 20 d 07 m 541 s.
RX Drake R8B, SW8
BW XCR 30, Braun T1000, Sangean 818 & 803A.
Hallicrafters SX-100, Eddystone 940
GE circa 50's radiogram
Antenna's RF Systems DX 1 Pro, Datong AD-270
Kiwa MW Loop

"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Lucky wrote:

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.

The R8A has AM synch, but not sideband selectable synch. That was not
incorporated into the design until the R8B.

dxAce
Michigan

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

"Lucky" wrote in message ...
"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Lucky wrote:

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.

The R8A has AM synch, but not sideband selectable synch. That was not
incorporated into the design until the R8B.

dxAce
Michigan

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



Oh I didn't know that. Heck I thought that was in the R8a too. That changes
things quite a bit. Thank you dxAce.

Lucky

Lucky - The R-75 is a great rig for its price, but it does have some
of the problems you mention (AM sound) plus a weak Synch Detector if
you use it stock. Mods you can do yourself if you're handy, or Kiwa
mods, help a great deal, and the lack of selectable sideband on AM can
largely be overcome by either (1) using SSB for AM broadcasts, which
does work well, or (2) with the modded Synch Detector, using the
passband tuning to full advantage. The dual passband tuning is very
handy on SSB in particular, mostly as a result of the choice of
filters provided.

However, if at the same price, the R8A also has one passband tuning
(enough for the large majority of applications on AM), a better array
of filters, and a good working synch detector, then it is likely a
better buy. The R-75 gives you the DSP option, which is helpful but
not crucial, and a better tuning knob - but these are probably not
enough to tip the scale. They both have noise blankers and notches, I
believe (R75 with DSP provides this) - if the R8A's work well, then
those two matters are an even draw, because these both shine on the
R75.

DXAce knows I am an R75 fan, and we know he is a Drake man all the
way, but *all* things being equal, I'd try the Drake first. If you
don't like it for some reason, it should hold its resale value very
well, and then you can try the Icom.

Too bad you missed the Harris - reports from others on this group
indicate that it is a knockout piece of equipment.

Bruce Jensen

bpnjensen wrote:

"Lucky" wrote in message ...
"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Lucky wrote:

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.

The R8A has AM synch, but not sideband selectable synch. That was not
incorporated into the design until the R8B.

dxAce
Michigan

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



Oh I didn't know that. Heck I thought that was in the R8a too. That changes
things quite a bit. Thank you dxAce.

Lucky

Lucky - The R-75 is a great rig for its price, but it does have some
of the problems you mention (AM sound) plus a weak Synch Detector if
you use it stock. Mods you can do yourself if you're handy, or Kiwa
mods, help a great deal, and the lack of selectable sideband on AM can
largely be overcome by either (1) using SSB for AM broadcasts, which
does work well, or (2) with the modded Synch Detector, using the
passband tuning to full advantage. The dual passband tuning is very
handy on SSB in particular, mostly as a result of the choice of
filters provided.

However, if at the same price, the R8A also has one passband tuning
(enough for the large majority of applications on AM), a better array
of filters, and a good working synch detector, then it is likely a
better buy. The R-75 gives you the DSP option, which is helpful but
not crucial, and a better tuning knob - but these are probably not
enough to tip the scale. They both have noise blankers and notches, I
believe (R75 with DSP provides this) - if the R8A's work well, then
those two matters are an even draw, because these both shine on the
R75.

DXAce knows I am an R75 fan, and we know he is a Drake man all the
way, but *all* things being equal, I'd try the Drake first. If you
don't like it for some reason, it should hold its resale value very
well, and then you can try the Icom.

That is true Bruce. Even when I've used ICOM transceivers in the past I've always configured them so
I could use a Drake receiver vs. the receiver in the ICOM.

dxAce
Michigan

I swear by, not at, Drake receivers.©

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

"bpnjensen" wrote in message
om...
"Lucky" wrote in message
...
"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Lucky wrote:

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.

The R8A has AM synch, but not sideband selectable synch. That was not
incorporated into the design until the R8B.

dxAce
Michigan

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



Oh I didn't know that. Heck I thought that was in the R8a too. That
changes
things quite a bit. Thank you dxAce.

Lucky

Lucky - The R-75 is a great rig for its price, but it does have some
of the problems you mention (AM sound) plus a weak Synch Detector if
you use it stock. Mods you can do yourself if you're handy, or Kiwa
mods, help a great deal, and the lack of selectable sideband on AM can
largely be overcome by either (1) using SSB for AM broadcasts, which
does work well, or (2) with the modded Synch Detector, using the
passband tuning to full advantage. The dual passband tuning is very
handy on SSB in particular, mostly as a result of the choice of
filters provided.

However, if at the same price, the R8A also has one passband tuning
(enough for the large majority of applications on AM), a better array
of filters, and a good working synch detector, then it is likely a
better buy. The R-75 gives you the DSP option, which is helpful but
not crucial, and a better tuning knob - but these are probably not
enough to tip the scale. They both have noise blankers and notches, I
believe (R75 with DSP provides this) - if the R8A's work well, then
those two matters are an even draw, because these both shine on the
R75.

DXAce knows I am an R75 fan, and we know he is a Drake man all the
way, but *all* things being equal, I'd try the Drake first. If you
don't like it for some reason, it should hold its resale value very
well, and then you can try the Icom.

Too bad you missed the Harris - reports from others on this group
indicate that it is a knockout piece of equipment.

Bruce Jensen


Yes I'm sorry I missed the Harris too. I just keep my cool and don't
overbid. Still, a bid of $606 was not light at all. Seems the other bidder
really wanted it bad. Yes, the R75 is sure getting high marks with people
all over.

Lucky

Lucky wrote:
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

The R8A is the better receiver. You can get a DSP unit for it. There are
several available

--
Brian Denley
http://home.comcast.net/~b.denley/index.html

Have you owned both Brian??

Lucky

"Brian Denley" wrote in message
news:u839d.213823$3l3.159710@attbi_s03...
Lucky wrote:
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

The R8A is the better receiver. You can get a DSP unit for it. There are
several available

--
Brian Denley
http://home.comcast.net/~b.denley/index.html

"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

Location: New Jersey
Primary Receiver: R-75 with full Kiwa mods
Antennas: G5RV, 200ft "Frankenstein" roof wire
Additional Radios: 7600GR,KA-1101,KA-1102
PL-550, KA-989, Info-Mate 837, GE-SR III
Westinghouse H-104 (seven tube)
Web Site: http://md_dxing.tripod.com

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....

Drake... no fuss... no muss...

And I'm speaking from the position of being a long time DX'er with over 200
countries actually verified using the NASWA Country List...

Just my opinion of course!

dxAce
Michigan
USA

I swear by, not at, Drake receivers.©

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

"dxAce" 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....

Drake... no fuss... no muss...

And I'm speaking from the position of being a long time DX'er with over
200
countries actually verified using the NASWA Country List...

Just my opinion of course!

No question... Drake makes an awesome product. Also... I like that Drake is
made in the USA. I've read/heard that any sort of service issues regarding
dealing with Drake are always favorable. And, I also think the R8 series
looks way better then the R-75. In this case though, I think the poster
would be better served by getting a new R-75 rather then a used R-8a.

Also.. Regarding am sync detection and program listening. Two weeks ago I
purchased a Sony 7600gr to add to my collection of portables. The 7600gr
has ssb selectable am sync that works quite well. For the past two weeks, I
have been using the 7600gr with its line out jack going into my PC's sound
card. I have a five piece speaker system on my PC along with a software
driven mixer/eq. I've found that the ssb selectable am sync to be
enormously helpful for program listening. You can cut out QRM that is
coming from above or below by switching from ssb or usb. I can't do that on
the R-75. So, I've been using my 7600gr through the sound card for program
listening on any and every signal that can be improved with ssb selectable
am sync. I'd LOVE to hear how the R8b's sync works. I bet it is sweet !!!
I'd say I'd consider buying one, but I'm also considering buying an ICOM-746
pro to use as a DSP DX'ing rig. Now I dont know what to do again :-)

Michael

Michael wrote:

"dxAce" 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....

Drake... no fuss... no muss...

And I'm speaking from the position of being a long time DX'er with over
200
countries actually verified using the NASWA Country List...

Just my opinion of course!

No question... Drake makes an awesome product. Also... I like that Drake is
made in the USA. I've read/heard that any sort of service issues regarding
dealing with Drake are always favorable. And, I also think the R8 series
looks way better then the R-75. In this case though, I think the poster
would be better served by getting a new R-75 rather then a used R-8a.

Also.. Regarding am sync detection and program listening. Two weeks ago I
purchased a Sony 7600gr to add to my collection of portables. The 7600gr
has ssb selectable am sync that works quite well. For the past two weeks, I
have been using the 7600gr with its line out jack going into my PC's sound
card. I have a five piece speaker system on my PC along with a software
driven mixer/eq. I've found that the ssb selectable am sync to be
enormously helpful for program listening. You can cut out QRM that is
coming from above or below by switching from ssb or usb. I can't do that on
the R-75. So, I've been using my 7600gr through the sound card for program
listening on any and every signal that can be improved with ssb selectable
am sync. I'd LOVE to hear how the R8b's sync works. I bet it is sweet !!!
I'd say I'd consider buying one, but I'm also considering buying an ICOM-746
pro to use as a DSP DX'ing rig. Now I dont know what to do again :-)

Well, I do have an R8B and also an R7... having said that, the radio I use most
often on any given day is the R8.

Why? Beats me.

(I'd swear it's because it sits above the R8B in the shack, and maybe I should
move the R8B to the top just to see if that might make a difference).

Today, for some reason or another I'm using the R7.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

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

"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Michael wrote:

"dxAce" 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....

Drake... no fuss... no muss...

And I'm speaking from the position of being a long time DX'er with
over
200
countries actually verified using the NASWA Country List...

Just my opinion of course!

No question... Drake makes an awesome product. Also... I like that Drake
is
made in the USA. I've read/heard that any sort of service issues
regarding
dealing with Drake are always favorable. And, I also think the R8 series
looks way better then the R-75. In this case though, I think the poster
would be better served by getting a new R-75 rather then a used R-8a.

Also.. Regarding am sync detection and program listening. Two weeks ago
I
purchased a Sony 7600gr to add to my collection of portables. The 7600gr
has ssb selectable am sync that works quite well. For the past two
weeks, I
have been using the 7600gr with its line out jack going into my PC's
sound
card. I have a five piece speaker system on my PC along with a software
driven mixer/eq. I've found that the ssb selectable am sync to be
enormously helpful for program listening. You can cut out QRM that is
coming from above or below by switching from ssb or usb. I can't do that
on
the R-75. So, I've been using my 7600gr through the sound card for
program
listening on any and every signal that can be improved with ssb
selectable
am sync. I'd LOVE to hear how the R8b's sync works. I bet it is sweet
!!!
I'd say I'd consider buying one, but I'm also considering buying an
ICOM-746
pro to use as a DSP DX'ing rig. Now I dont know what to do again :-)

Well, I do have an R8B and also an R7... having said that, the radio I use
most
often on any given day is the R8.

Why? Beats me.

(I'd swear it's because it sits above the R8B in the shack, and maybe I
should
move the R8B to the top just to see if that might make a difference).

Today, for some reason or another I'm using the R7.


R7 ??? Good for MW, as I understand.

Michael

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.

Michael wrote:

"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Michael wrote:

"dxAce" 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....

Drake... no fuss... no muss...

And I'm speaking from the position of being a long time DX'er with
over
200
countries actually verified using the NASWA Country List...

Just my opinion of course!

No question... Drake makes an awesome product. Also... I like that Drake
is
made in the USA. I've read/heard that any sort of service issues
regarding
dealing with Drake are always favorable. And, I also think the R8 series
looks way better then the R-75. In this case though, I think the poster
would be better served by getting a new R-75 rather then a used R-8a.

Also.. Regarding am sync detection and program listening. Two weeks ago
I
purchased a Sony 7600gr to add to my collection of portables. The 7600gr
has ssb selectable am sync that works quite well. For the past two
weeks, I
have been using the 7600gr with its line out jack going into my PC's
sound
card. I have a five piece speaker system on my PC along with a software
driven mixer/eq. I've found that the ssb selectable am sync to be
enormously helpful for program listening. You can cut out QRM that is
coming from above or below by switching from ssb or usb. I can't do that
on
the R-75. So, I've been using my 7600gr through the sound card for
program
listening on any and every signal that can be improved with ssb
selectable
am sync. I'd LOVE to hear how the R8b's sync works. I bet it is sweet
!!!
I'd say I'd consider buying one, but I'm also considering buying an
ICOM-746
pro to use as a DSP DX'ing rig. Now I dont know what to do again :-)

Well, I do have an R8B and also an R7... having said that, the radio I use
most
often on any given day is the R8.

Why? Beats me.

(I'd swear it's because it sits above the R8B in the shack, and maybe I
should
move the R8B to the top just to see if that might make a difference).

Today, for some reason or another I'm using the R7.


R7 ??? Good for MW, as I understand.

Darn good all over, but admittedly, 'clunky' by modern standards as far as ease
of tuning goes.

But, in a real pinch, still my receiver of choice.

I was able to use it for my reception of Radio Bayrak in Turkish Northern Cyprus
on 6150 back in December 2002 when I could not separate their audio out from
other competing/interfering sources.

The 'true passband tuning' and very effective IF notch enabled me to do so.

dxAce

"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.

Hi Mark

Too bad I lost that Harris but $745 total from Esoteria right now is too
much for me. I agree that 2.1 is narrow but I thought there was a 2.4 stock
filter? I got this from the Yahoo R75 newgroup. Is he right or wrong?

"The stock R-75 comes with 15kHz and 2,4kHz in the 9MHz section and
15kHz ,6kHz, 2,4 kHz for the 455kHz. I added a 3,3kHz FL 257.

15/15 is always too wide, 15/6 might be too wide for some stations
with a second station nearby (9kHz spacing and overlapping spectrums),
15/2.4 sounds very dark.
2,4/15 is useless, 2.4/6 too dark, sometimes ok for news....

The list is endless.

The 2,4 setting is quite good for SSB (in order to avoid the almost
non existing feature of the Sync detector you can use this as ECSS),
3,3kHz offers an excellent choice for both sound quality AND selectivity.

"Lucky" wrote in message
...

"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.

Hi Mark

Too bad I lost that Harris but $745 total from Esoteria right now is too
much for me. I agree that 2.1 is narrow but I thought there was a 2.4
stock filter? I got this from the Yahoo R75 newgroup. Is he right or
wrong?

"The stock R-75 comes with 15kHz and 2,4kHz in the 9MHz section and
15kHz ,6kHz, 2,4 kHz for the 455kHz. I added a 3,3kHz FL 257.

15/15 is always too wide, 15/6 might be too wide for some stations
with a second station nearby (9kHz spacing and overlapping spectrums),
15/2.4 sounds very dark.
2,4/15 is useless, 2.4/6 too dark, sometimes ok for news....

The list is endless.

The 2,4 setting is quite good for SSB (in order to avoid the almost
non existing feature of the Sync detector you can use this as ECSS),
3,3kHz offers an excellent choice for both sound quality AND selectivity.


The, there is this from Universal:

"The R75 is an excellent single sideband receiver (SSB). The supplied 2.1
kHz SSB filter is suitable for utility, amateur, or broadcast SSB. However,
two optional CW/SSB filter positions are also available (one per I.F.)."

"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.

That would never happen.

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.

Yes.. For program listening, the optional 2.8 and 3.3 would be ideal. It
isn't needed I dont think, but if you were an audio quality oriented
listener, you could shell out some loot for a new filter. And... there is
always a compromise with filter values. I dont think you need any
additional filters on the R-75 to get audio that could be regarded as quite
good.

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.

He won't need an additional filter...

If I'm dealing with a reputable person, I'm not afraid of used radios.

How used ??? Hours of usage takes its toll on any machine. The most honest
fellow in the world would still be selling a used item with a diminished
life time left before some kind of failure takes place. Not to mention, the
satisfaction and excitement you get by taking a brand new item out of a box
:-)

Also... The whole crux for buying a new R-75 is that it is a tremendous
value for what you pay. It is acceptable as a program listening radio, can
be improved quite a bit for little money and no risk. Add to that, IMHO, it
also happens to be the best ssb/utility/dx'ing radio you can buy until you
get into radios that cost literally three to four times as much money.

You can't go wrong with a new R-75 if your goal is to buy a tabletop
receiver to use for program listening and ham and utility and DX'ing. That
is why it is so popular. Yes, other radios are better for some things then
others, but the R-75 is clearly a great value.

If I want to get a radio that is markedly better for program listening then
the R-75, I need to get an R8b or a Sat 800. The R8b is still not an
advance on the R-75 for DX'ing or utility and it cost way more. The Sat 800
is a sw boom box and forget about utility or DX'ing as you could do with the
R-75

If I want to get a markedly better DX'ing radio then the R-75, you need to
think about 32 bit DSP transceivers, also for way more money.

Lucky wrote:

"Mark S. Holden" wrote in message
...



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.

Hi Mark

Too bad I lost that Harris but $745 total from Esoteria right now is too
much for me. I agree that 2.1 is narrow but I thought there was a 2.4 stock
filter? I got this from the Yahoo R75 newgroup. Is he right or wrong?


Hi

Last I heard, Radio Esoterica was out of stock on 550's.

Being fiscally responsible is a good idea - but the other thing is another 550 will turn up on ebay within a few weeks or months, and it may close for less. I have a friend who bought two and didn't go over $500 on either of them - but he was lucky.
(bad listings, closed when folks are sleeping or in the middle of a holiday weekend, blurry pictures...)

The Universal radio web site indicates the R75 comes with 2.1, 6, and 12khz filters.

http://www.rffun.com/catalog/commrxvr/0175spec.html

I don't know how much room is inside the case of an R75, but the racal filters I added to my 7030+ are for a 455 IF, so that might be an option too. The ones I used were made by Filtronetics, and they're quite good.

snip

Michael wrote:

"Mark S. Holden" wrote in message
...



I'd feel better about the R75 if the factory incorporated the sync mod
into future production.


That would never happen.

There is some hope. They did fix a design flaw in the PCR-1000.


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.


Yes.. For program listening, the optional 2.8 and 3.3 would be ideal. It
isn't needed I dont think, but if you were an audio quality oriented
listener, you could shell out some loot for a new filter. And... there is
always a compromise with filter values. I dont think you need any
additional filters on the R-75 to get audio that could be regarded as quite
good.


The improved fidelity of a wider, but steeper filter can be appreciated
in ham or utility listening too. When you have good dynamic range, and
good fidelity, you don't get as much listener fatigue.


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.


He won't need an additional filter...


But he might want it. Realistically, almost all of us buy whatever we
buy for enjoyment.


If I'm dealing with a reputable person, I'm not afraid of used radios.


How used ??? Hours of usage takes its toll on any machine. The most honest
fellow in the world would still be selling a used item with a diminished
life time left before some kind of failure takes place. Not to mention, the
satisfaction and excitement you get by taking a brand new item out of a box
:-)


Most of my radios have been military or commercial marine radios. I
imagine they've been on 24/7 for a decade or longer before I bought
them. Granted, they start out with better build quality, and they're
well maintained, but they've been very reliable.

It's not uncommon to find a used consumer radio that got limited use.
Perhaps they never got around to putting up an antenna that allowed the
hobby to live up to their expectations.

For me, the excitement doesn't start until I fire it up and start tuning
things in.

Also... The whole crux for buying a new R-75 is that it is a tremendous
value for what you pay. It is acceptable as a program listening radio, can
be improved quite a bit for little money and no risk. Add to that, IMHO, it
also happens to be the best ssb/utility/dx'ing radio you can buy until you
get into radios that cost literally three to four times as much money.


If you limit yourself to new radios, perhaps.

You can't go wrong with a new R-75 if your goal is to buy a tabletop
receiver to use for program listening and ham and utility and DX'ing. That
is why it is so popular. Yes, other radios are better for some things then
others, but the R-75 is clearly a great value.

If I want to get a radio that is markedly better for program listening then
the R-75, I need to get an R8b or a Sat 800. The R8b is still not an
advance on the R-75 for DX'ing or utility and it cost way more. The Sat 800
is a sw boom box and forget about utility or DX'ing as you could do with the
R-75

If I want to get a markedly better DX'ing radio then the R-75, you need to
think about 32 bit DSP transceivers, also for way more money.


Some time, you might want to check out a 20-25 year old Harris or
Watkins Johnson, or a Standard, or Mackay. They won't have as many
convenience features, or knobs to twiddle, but they were designed to
provide a useful signal under rough conditions, and they perform quite
well.

"Mark S. Holden" wrote in message
...
Michael wrote:

"Mark S. Holden" wrote in message
...



I'd feel better about the R75 if the factory incorporated the sync mod
into future production.


That would never happen.

There is some hope. They did fix a design flaw in the PCR-1000.

Icom doesn't consider/admit the sync to be flawed. Interesting though, that
2004 Passport did use a modded R-75 in their review :-)

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.

Yes.. For program listening, the optional 2.8 and 3.3 would be ideal. It
isn't needed I dont think, but if you were an audio quality oriented
listener, you could shell out some loot for a new filter. And... there
is always a compromise with filter values. I dont think you need any
additional filters on the R-75 to get audio that could be regarded as
quite good.


The improved fidelity of a wider, but steeper filter can be appreciated in
ham or utility listening too. When you have good dynamic range, and good
fidelity, you don't get as much listener fatigue.


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.


He won't need an additional filter...


But he might want it. Realistically, almost all of us buy whatever we buy
for enjoyment.

Once again, we come back to money/budget. On a budget, it probably isn't
best cost to buy an optional filter for the R-75 when the stock filters are
adequate. If budget was not an important option, Id say get the R-75 and
the R8b and all the extras that you can squeeze into them. And while your
at it, may be a WJ-8711A too. And toss in a few tube sets for kicks.

If I'm dealing with a reputable person, I'm not afraid of used radios.


How used ??? Hours of usage takes its toll on any machine. The most
honest fellow in the world would still be selling a used item with a
diminished life time left before some kind of failure takes place. Not
to mention, the satisfaction and excitement you get by taking a brand new
item out of a box :-)


Most of my radios have been military or commercial marine radios. I
imagine they've been on 24/7 for a decade or longer before I bought them.
Granted, they start out with better build quality, and they're well
maintained, but they've been very reliable.

It's not uncommon to find a used consumer radio that got limited use.
Perhaps they never got around to putting up an antenna that allowed the
hobby to live up to their expectations.

For me, the excitement doesn't start until I fire it up and start tuning
things in.

Usage is the reason for having a radio, but there is still something to be
said about getting a new item that has never been owned or used, unless of
course, you are talking about classic/antique items. No question, you can
get a used radio in great shape with plenty of miles left on it. If you had
a choice though, would you prefer a new unit or a used one if the price was
the same ??? You see ??? A brand new item is better :-) I'm not trying to
say that having something new is the be all and end all of benefits. I'm
just saying that it is one extra added benefit to buying the R-75 new vs.
getting a used R8a.

Also... The whole crux for buying a new R-75 is that it is a tremendous
value for what you pay. It is acceptable as a program listening radio,
can be improved quite a bit for little money and no risk. Add to that,
IMHO, it also happens to be the best ssb/utility/dx'ing radio you can buy
until you get into radios that cost literally three to four times as much
money.


If you limit yourself to new radios, perhaps.

No question, you can scrounge up a very capable used radio for less or
equal the money. But, going back to the original post. What is better,
used R8a or R-75. I say new R-75 for all the reasons listed above. Also..
how many radios, even any used radios that you can get for say... $400 to
$600 are that much better then the R-75 ???

You can't go wrong with a new R-75 if your goal is to buy a tabletop
receiver to use for program listening and ham and utility and DX'ing.
That is why it is so popular. Yes, other radios are better for some
things then others, but the R-75 is clearly a great value.

If I want to get a radio that is markedly better for program listening
then the R-75, I need to get an R8b or a Sat 800. The R8b is still not
an advance on the R-75 for DX'ing or utility and it cost way more. The
Sat 800 is a sw boom box and forget about utility or DX'ing as you could
do with the R-75

If I want to get a markedly better DX'ing radio then the R-75, you need
to think about 32 bit DSP transceivers, also for way more money.


Some time, you might want to check out a 20-25 year old Harris or Watkins
Johnson, or a Standard, or Mackay. They won't have as many convenience
features, or knobs to twiddle, but they were designed to provide a useful
signal under rough conditions, and they perform quite well.

I've always wanted to get myself an older radio. I have a Westinghouse
H-104 AM/SW tube radio from the 1940's and I love it. I have a recently
reconed speaker in it as well as all new caps. It is the most amazingly
warm sounding radio I have ever heard. I'd love to get myself an old tube
set that was specifically meant for sw. I see lots of old military sets on
e-bay, but I have no idea of what is what with those things. I dont even
know if you can plug them into a wall :-) The more recent sets like the
ones you mentioned above are also interesting. Still.. I have no idea what
is what about those radios. I wouldn't even know what might need to be done
to one if I decided to purchase it. I'd probably wind up buying a lemon.

Michael

snip

I'd LOVE to hear how the R8b's sync works. I bet it is sweet !!!
I'd say I'd consider buying one, but I'm also considering buying an ICOM-746
pro to use as a DSP DX'ing rig. Now I dont know what to do again :-)

Michael

I don't have the experience with high-end tabletop receivers that some
of you guys have, but I've been spending quite a bit of time for the
last few months with an R8B and it's sync detector is awesome. Very,
very good. On some signals it makes an enormous difference. I have no
experience with the R8A or R8, so I can't make any comparisons there.

Also, I'm amazed by how good SSB sounds on the Drake. This must be due
to the filters that come with the Drake, but it impressed the heck out
of me. I suppose an R75 could sound just as good with the right
filters, but there are other folks here who are better situated to
comment on that.

Steve

"Mark S. Holden" wrote:

Icom does sell a 2.8khz filter for $140 and a 3.3khz filter for $160.

As a follow up, I found a page listing shape factors for Icom filters:

http://www.qsl.net/icom/filters.html

The shape factor on the 2.8khz filters is 1.8 and the 3.3khz one is 1.9

The premium kiwa filters cost less than the Icom ones, and are supposed to have a shape factor of about 1.65.

The crystal filters I installed on my 7030+ have a shape factor of 1.33

So if I was going to add a filter to an R75, I don't think I'd buy it from Icom.

Michael wrote:

"Mark S. Holden" wrote in message
...
Michael wrote:

"Mark S. Holden" wrote in message
...



I'd feel better about the R75 if the factory incorporated the sync mod
into future production.


That would never happen.

There is some hope. They did fix a design flaw in the PCR-1000.

Icom doesn't consider/admit the sync to be flawed. Interesting though, that
2004 Passport did use a modded R-75 in their review :-)

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.

Yes.. For program listening, the optional 2.8 and 3.3 would be ideal. It
isn't needed I dont think, but if you were an audio quality oriented
listener, you could shell out some loot for a new filter. And... there
is always a compromise with filter values. I dont think you need any
additional filters on the R-75 to get audio that could be regarded as
quite good.


The improved fidelity of a wider, but steeper filter can be appreciated in
ham or utility listening too. When you have good dynamic range, and good
fidelity, you don't get as much listener fatigue.


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.


He won't need an additional filter...


But he might want it. Realistically, almost all of us buy whatever we buy
for enjoyment.

Once again, we come back to money/budget. On a budget, it probably isn't
best cost to buy an optional filter for the R-75 when the stock filters are
adequate. If budget was not an important option, Id say get the R-75 and
the R8b and all the extras that you can squeeze into them. And while your
at it, may be a WJ-8711A too. And toss in a few tube sets for kicks.


I guess it depends on personal tastes. I think the money I spent on extra filters for my 7030+ was a serious bargain, because the ones that came with it were too wide or too narrow - and actually, I think the sideband one was 2.1khz. The audio went from
nasty to beautiful.

I think I'd pass on the WJ 8711 - someone tipped me off that with WJ's you want to buy them by the pound. He had an HF-1000 and felt it was poorly shielded. The ones that are over 30 pounds are all well shielded.






If I'm dealing with a reputable person, I'm not afraid of used radios.


How used ??? Hours of usage takes its toll on any machine. The most
honest fellow in the world would still be selling a used item with a
diminished life time left before some kind of failure takes place. Not
to mention, the satisfaction and excitement you get by taking a brand new
item out of a box :-)


Most of my radios have been military or commercial marine radios. I
imagine they've been on 24/7 for a decade or longer before I bought them.
Granted, they start out with better build quality, and they're well
maintained, but they've been very reliable.

It's not uncommon to find a used consumer radio that got limited use.
Perhaps they never got around to putting up an antenna that allowed the
hobby to live up to their expectations.

For me, the excitement doesn't start until I fire it up and start tuning
things in.

Usage is the reason for having a radio, but there is still something to be
said about getting a new item that has never been owned or used, unless of
course, you are talking about classic/antique items. No question, you can
get a used radio in great shape with plenty of miles left on it. If you had
a choice though, would you prefer a new unit or a used one if the price was
the same ??? You see ??? A brand new item is better :-) I'm not trying to
say that having something new is the be all and end all of benefits. I'm
just saying that it is one extra added benefit to buying the R-75 new vs.
getting a used R8a.

Also... The whole crux for buying a new R-75 is that it is a tremendous
value for what you pay. It is acceptable as a program listening radio,
can be improved quite a bit for little money and no risk. Add to that,
IMHO, it also happens to be the best ssb/utility/dx'ing radio you can buy
until you get into radios that cost literally three to four times as much
money.


If you limit yourself to new radios, perhaps.

No question, you can scrounge up a very capable used radio for less or
equal the money. But, going back to the original post. What is better,
used R8a or R-75. I say new R-75 for all the reasons listed above. Also..
how many radios, even any used radios that you can get for say... $400 to
$600 are that much better then the R-75 ???

You can't go wrong with a new R-75 if your goal is to buy a tabletop
receiver to use for program listening and ham and utility and DX'ing.
That is why it is so popular. Yes, other radios are better for some
things then others, but the R-75 is clearly a great value.

If I want to get a radio that is markedly better for program listening
then the R-75, I need to get an R8b or a Sat 800. The R8b is still not
an advance on the R-75 for DX'ing or utility and it cost way more. The
Sat 800 is a sw boom box and forget about utility or DX'ing as you could
do with the R-75

If I want to get a markedly better DX'ing radio then the R-75, you need
to think about 32 bit DSP transceivers, also for way more money.


Some time, you might want to check out a 20-25 year old Harris or Watkins
Johnson, or a Standard, or Mackay. They won't have as many convenience
features, or knobs to twiddle, but they were designed to provide a useful
signal under rough conditions, and they perform quite well.

I've always wanted to get myself an older radio. I have a Westinghouse
H-104 AM/SW tube radio from the 1940's and I love it. I have a recently
reconed speaker in it as well as all new caps. It is the most amazingly
warm sounding radio I have ever heard. I'd love to get myself an old tube
set that was specifically meant for sw. I see lots of old military sets on
e-bay, but I have no idea of what is what with those things. I dont even
know if you can plug them into a wall :-) The more recent sets like the
ones you mentioned above are also interesting. Still.. I have no idea what
is what about those radios. I wouldn't even know what might need to be done
to one if I decided to purchase it. I'd probably wind up buying a lemon.

Michael

Michael wrote:
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 !!!!

Sheesh. Stick a wire in the phono input of a $2,000 McIntosh amplifier
connected to $3,000 Klipschorn speakers. Who cares if the receiver
needs to be within fifty feet of the transmitting antenna, the audio
will be terrific!

If you're *that* worried about pure audio, reach into a *good* receiver
and tap off a low-level audio feed for your expensive stereo.

These audio rants always remind me of the ads for Magnavox televisions
in the sixties. They'd spend three seconds on the quality of the TV
and the rest of the commercial on the fine cabinetry and many different
styles to suit all decors. Their motto could have been stated as,
"Magnavox: an okay TV in really, really fine furniture." People bought
them because they matched their other furniture, then cried because
the picture on their brand new TV looked about like the neighbor's
three-year-old set.

Then again, people would buy $800 Grundig receivers in fine cabinetry
and then wonder why Radio Moscow was so weak.

And all this time, the guys at the transmitters are distorting the
audio input to get higher modulation indices.

--
It just goes to show ya;
never have a heart valve replaced by Dr. Vinnie Boom Box.
See ya, Rodney.

"clifto" wrote in message
...
Michael wrote:
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 !!!!

Sheesh. Stick a wire in the phono input of a $2,000 McIntosh amplifier
connected to $3,000 Klipschorn speakers. Who cares if the receiver
needs to be within fifty feet of the transmitting antenna, the audio
will be terrific!

If you're *that* worried about pure audio, reach into a *good* receiver
and tap off a low-level audio feed for your expensive stereo.


Who's worried ???

Michael

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.

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.

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

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

Wow, thanks Joe for all the info on the WL-500 and the Wellbrook. I'm
always trying to learn more about these antennas.

You mentioned that the Wellbrook noticeably outperforms the WL-500, at
least in part due to the fact that the Wellbrook is in the attic away
from noise sources while the WL-500 is very close to noise sources.
I'd imagine that the Wellbrook would outperform the WL-500 even if
they were being used under similar conditions, but I wonder: Have you
ever pitted them against one another, head-to-head, just for the heck
of it? If so, just how much better was the Wellbrook's performance? Or
are they even comparable?

Also, how sensitive or 'fine grained' is the preselector on the
WL-500? I know that on the AOR LA-350, you have to adjust the
preselector for optimum reception even on frequencies that are quite
close to one another. The downside of this is that it means you
constantly have to twiddle with the preselector, but the upside is
that it allows you to 'peak up' on whatever frequency you're listening
to with pretty dramatic results.

Thanks,

Steve


(Joe Analssandrini) wrote in message . com...
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,