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Drake R8B... Discontinued!
Fresh from the Universal site:
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. dxAce Michigan USA |
dxAce wrote: Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. dxAce Michigan USA That's weird. I wonder why they didn't just come out and tell me it was discontinued? Anyway, this is very sad. All I can say is: SNAP 'EM UP!! You won't be able to purchase them new much longer! Steve |
15 years ain't a bad run. I hope they continue to support it for
another 15 years. On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 11:10:34 -0500, dxAce wrote: Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. dxAce Michigan USA |
dxAce wrote: Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. I just got done speaking on the telephone with Universal, they indicate that they have three (3) R8B's left in stock and that is going to be it! dxAce Michigan USA |
My guess is they'll be gone by the end of the day!
Steve |
A very fine receiver indeed.
Drake going out of serious SW radio manufacture is very sad. There is a long line of very fine Drake receivers going back decades. The Drake R7A remains an awesome performer even to this day. My review of the Drake R8A/B in Werner Funkenhausers WHAMLOG confirms they are venerable radio's. -- John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa South 33 d 47 m 32 s, East 20 d 07 m 32 s Icom IC-756 PRO III with MW mods RX Drake R8B, SW8 & ERGO software Sony 7600D GE SRIII 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 http://www.dxing.info/about/dxers/plimmer.dx "dxAce" wrote in message ... Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. dxAce Michigan USA |
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Sad to see yet another maker of high end receivers pull out of the
market. Especially one with so many historic ties to the SWL hobbyist. It is as the old Petula Clark song goes: A Sign of the Times. dxAce wrote: Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. dxAce Michigan USA |
dxAce wrote: wrote: My guess is they'll be gone by the end of the day! Update from the website: "Universal Radio has one left as of 03/14/05 12:30 P.M. " Now added "Please call to confirm availability". Probably gone by the end of the day. dxAce Michigan USA |
dxAce wrote: dxAce wrote: wrote: My guess is they'll be gone by the end of the day! Update from the website: "Universal Radio has one left as of 03/14/05 12:30 P.M. " Now added "Please call to confirm availability". Probably gone by the end of the day. Now... at 1825, the page says discontinued... the last one Universal had must have been sold. dxAce Michigan USA |
"dxAce" wrote in message ... Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. Damn. And I wasn't ready yet to buy one. --Mike L. |
"dxAce" wrote in message ... dxAce wrote: wrote: My guess is they'll be gone by the end of the day! Update from the website: "Universal Radio has one left as of 03/14/05 12:30 P.M. " Now added "Please call to confirm availability". Probably gone by the end of the day. Watch Radio Mart snap them up. --Mike L. |
Michael Lawson wrote: "Michael Lawson" wrote in message ... "dxAce" wrote in message ... Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. Damn. And I wasn't ready yet to buy one. I've got this bad feeling that the prices on used R8/R8A/R8B are about to go up a bit, for a while at least. I guess at this point you might wish to call AES and/or HRO to inquire if they still have any in stock. dxAce Michigan USA |
"Michael Lawson" wrote in message ... "dxAce" wrote in message ... Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. Damn. And I wasn't ready yet to buy one. I've got this bad feeling that the prices on used R8/R8A/R8B are about to go up a bit, for a while at least. --Mike L. |
A very fine receiver indeed.
Drake going out of serious SW radio manufacture is very sad. There is a long line of very fine Drake receivers going back decades. The Drake R7A remains an awesome performer even to this day. My review of the Drake R8A/B in Werner Funkenhausers WHAMLOG confirms they are venerable radio's. -- John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa South 33 d 47 m 32 s, East 20 d 07 m 32 s Icom IC-756 PRO III with MW mods RX Drake R8B, SW8 & ERGO software Sony 7600D GE SRIII 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 http://www.dxing.info/about/dx=ADers/plimmer.dx All I can say is, I'm glad the R8B was still around last year, when I gave myself permission to buy a nice tabletop set. It surpassed all my expectations, and then some. Steve |
AES' website www.aesham.com lists it still. No mention of being
discontinued (though obviously that means nothing). |
"dxAce" wrote in message ... Michael Lawson wrote: "Michael Lawson" wrote in message ... "dxAce" wrote in message ... Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. Damn. And I wasn't ready yet to buy one. I've got this bad feeling that the prices on used R8/R8A/R8B are about to go up a bit, for a while at least. I guess at this point you might wish to call AES and/or HRO to inquire if they still have any in stock. I think I'd rather not torture myself right now about it. I can scrounge up some dollars for the Hamvention, but it's far short of the going rate for a new R8B. The vast majority of my spare buckage is heading toward replacing our garage doors. Kinda like that Harley commercial: garage doors -- R8B R8B -- garage doors --Mike L. |
Invader3K wrote: AES' website www.aesham.com lists it still. No mention of being discontinued (though obviously that means nothing). I just called Milwaukee AES and they had one left. The fellow there did not know how many were left at the other AES stores, but he figured there were only a few. dxAce Michigan USA |
"dxAce" wrote in message ... Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. dxAce Michigan USA HA HA HA Such a great receiver that no one is buying them! I love it. Soon we won't hear dxace the "kids voice" hawk his old equipment anymore. This is too cool. Happy day for me.... Lucky |
Grove.
On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 13:36:13 -0500, dxAce wrote: Michael Lawson wrote: "Michael Lawson" wrote in message ... "dxAce" wrote in message ... Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. Damn. And I wasn't ready yet to buy one. I've got this bad feeling that the prices on used R8/R8A/R8B are about to go up a bit, for a while at least. I guess at this point you might wish to call AES and/or HRO to inquire if they still have any in stock. dxAce Michigan USA |
Lucky wrote: "dxAce" wrote in message ... Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. dxAce Michigan USA HA HA HA Such a great receiver that no one is buying them! No one? At least three were sold just today. I love it. Soon we won't hear dxace the "kids voice" hawk his old equipment anymore. This is too cool. Happy day for me.... But I'll still have my equipment, and still out DX you any day of the week. After all, I already have. LMAO dxAce Michigan USA |
I don't think Drake pulling out of the SW receiver market has anything
to do with the quality of the product. Every review I've read gives their products high marks. They are pulling out for the same reason so many other companies have stopped making SW receivers - declining demand. Both hobbies, SWLing and Ham radio are gradually losing out to competition from the internet and other ways of communicating and getting information. Consequently there is less demand for the asssociated hardware. Look around at the number of SWL and amateur radio retailers that have closed in the past decade. The latest Passport to World Band Radio has advertisements for one principal radio manufacturer when is past years they had many. Signs of change are unfortunately everywhere. Lucky wrote: "dxAce" wrote in message ... Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. dxAce Michigan USA HA HA HA Such a great receiver that no one is buying them! I love it. Soon we won't hear dxace the "kids voice" hawk his old equipment anymore. This is too cool. Happy day for me.... Lucky |
David wrote: Grove. Grove has two (2) left. They indicated that no more are available from Drake. dxAce Michigan USA On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 13:36:13 -0500, dxAce wrote: Michael Lawson wrote: "Michael Lawson" wrote in message ... "dxAce" wrote in message ... Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. Damn. And I wasn't ready yet to buy one. I've got this bad feeling that the prices on used R8/R8A/R8B are about to go up a bit, for a while at least. I guess at this point you might wish to call AES and/or HRO to inquire if they still have any in stock. dxAce Michigan USA |
I am sorry to see that Drake is discontinuing those Great Radios.I wish
I had the money to buy one.I can wish,can't I? Maybe someday a Drake radio will turn up in the Goodwill thrift store I check out two or three times every week.Even if it needs repair,I would send it somewhere for repair. cuhulin |
Strategies vary, but if I didn't have one, I'm of the school that it's
better to get a receiver that's actually made currently than be stuck with a broken one when it breaks. The R8B is very nice but it's also a lot of money. My chief unmet need is a better selectivity against really huge signals on the adjacent channel, so as to copy 910 kHz LSB when there's a local on 920. Unfortunately I can't null the 920 because I'm already nulling another station on 910. The R8B does pretty well but I need more dB here. -- Ron Hardin On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk. |
Ron Hardin wrote: Strategies vary, but if I didn't have one, I'm of the school that it's better to get a receiver that's actually made currently than be stuck with a broken one when it breaks. Service will be available for years, either at Drake or through another tech. My R7 (still one of the best dx machines ever built) is still readily serviced by numerous technicians throughout the USA. dxAce Michigan USA |
The value,money value and history value,of those Drake Radios and all
Drake Radios will only go up from now on.It is as though Harley Davidson was to stop building those Great Harley Davidson Motorcycles. cuhulin |
dxAce wrote: Michael Lawson wrote: "Michael Lawson" wrote in message ... "dxAce" wrote in message ... Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. Damn. And I wasn't ready yet to buy one. I've got this bad feeling that the prices on used R8/R8A/R8B are about to go up a bit, for a while at least. I guess at this point you might wish to call AES and/or HRO to inquire if they still have any in stock. I called HRO and they stated that they never carried the R8B. dxAce Michigan USA |
wrote in message oups.com... dxAce wrote: Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. dxAce Michigan USA That's weird. I wonder why they didn't just come out and tell me it was discontinued? Anyway, this is very sad. All I can say is: SNAP 'EM UP!! You won't be able to purchase them new much longer! Steve Steve, for the money, I'd much rather buy a AOR 7030+. The same guy that designed the Lowe 150 designed the 7030. BTW, I hooked up my 150 last night and the sound quality is just superb. Just a pleasure to listen to. But, yeah, better to get the AOR for the money any day. Lucky |
Good points all of them. Yes, I think if you have a favorite high-end
table top, hold onto it because there are only a few companies making them any more. I'm not sure shortwave will prove to be a viable alternative to the net in China. The governmental net controls are far from perfect right now. I see a gradual loosening of controls on society in general and the net in particular as China becomes more secure in it's position as a major economic and political player. |
Geez, this is depressing. I saw this comming but I guess I was in
denial to an extent. I bought a new one from Universal last year and I love it. It's a fantastic radio. I've got a JRC NRD-545, but it mostly collects dust while my R8B gets most of the use in my shack. |
I am sorry to hear of the demise of the R8B. I have an Icom R-75, love
it, and wouldn't part with it. But I still think the Drake was the best receiver I ever had a chance to use, though briefly. A wonderful machine. Somewhere down the road, some company, likely an extant one, but perhaps a "new face", will come out with a receiver that will quickly become the new benchmark in the field. It will be interesting to see what this future receiver will be like. I honestly think that's inevitable. Though the market for high-end receivers is getting smaller, it is not going to disappear anytime soon. I also think - in fact I'm willing to bet on it - that when that receiver appears in the marketplace, if people thought the R8B was expensive . . . Tony ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
dxAce wrote: Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. dxAce Michigan USA Indeed it is Steve. Having owned the R8 and R8B (I passed on the R8A) and having owned an SPR-4, 2B, R4, R4A, R4B, R4C and R7 over the years, I can say without a doubt, R. L. Drake was a leader in manufacturing excellent receivers. I do think however, the R8B was the best of the line with reservations. That tuning knob and the lousy mechanical encoder turned me off. Of course, that didn't preclude me from many pleasurable hours sitting in front of that otherwise fine receiver. Having said that, it is a sad day for shortwave enthusiasts when you think that the Japanese manufacturers haven't ever produced one that didn't need agc, filter, synchronous detector and audio modifications to make it perform. I realize that we all had to modify our beloved hollow state receivers over the years, but the Japanese have led the free world in crappy audio, filters and agc's for decades. Shortwave receivers are but a minute drop in the bucket of electronics. If and when a manufacturer can sell shortwave receivers in the numbers such as dvd players, tv's etc., we will see this sort of thing happen. Just my 2 cents. Les Locklear Monitoring since ' 57 Monitoring from the Gulf of Mexico Hammarlund R-274C/FRR (SP-600JX-14) R-1051B/URR Ten Tec RX-340 Alpha Delta Sloper Quantum QX Loop Various Longwires CU-2279/BRC Multicoupler http://www.hammarlund.info/homepage.html |
wrote:
My guess is they'll be gone by the end of the day! Wonder who got the highest or most recent serial number? That one will be a collectors item. I suppose Drake kept a few too. ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
I wish MFJ Enterprises www.MFJEnterprises.com would start building
shortwave radios and other kinds of radios too.I would certainly buy one or two,if I could afford it.I can't speak for the performance of their products because I don't own any of their products,,, yet.I am going to MFJ Enterprises in a couple of months (they are just up the road from me,so to speak) and buy one of their antennas.I think their products do look great though. cuhulin |
Tony Meloche wrote:
I am sorry to hear of the demise of the R8B. I have an Icom R-75, love it, and wouldn't part with it. But I still think the Drake was the best receiver I ever had a chance to use, though briefly. A wonderful machine. Somewhere down the road, some company, likely an extant one, but perhaps a "new face", will come out with a receiver that will quickly become the new benchmark in the field. It will be interesting to see what this future receiver will be like. I honestly think that's inevitable. Though the market for high-end receivers is getting smaller, it is not going to disappear anytime soon. I also think - in fact I'm willing to bet on it - that when that receiver appears in the marketplace, if people thought the R8B was expensive . . . Degen is already talking about a high end receiver, much more high end than their usual $50 portables. It will probably be marketed to the West, since it will likely cost much more than anybody in Degen's traditional market (domestic China) will be able to pay. That indicates to me that Degen must have pretty strong sales of its portables like the 1102 and 1103 in the West. ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==---- http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---- |
In article ,
dxAce wrote: Fresh from the Universal site: http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0082.html Scroll down and read the sorry news. This is a sad day indeed. I was having a good day until I read this. -- Telamon Ventura, California |
Tony Meloche wrote: I am sorry to hear of the demise of the R8B. I have an Icom R-75, love it, and wouldn't part with it. But I still think the Drake was the best receiver I ever had a chance to use, though briefly. A wonderful machine. Somewhere down the road, some company, likely an extant one, but perhaps a "new face", will come out with a receiver that will quickly become the new benchmark in the field. It will be interesting to see what this future receiver will be like. I honestly think that's inevitable. Though the market for high-end receivers is getting smaller, it is not going to disappear anytime soon. I also think - in fact I'm willing to bet on it - that when that receiver appears in the marketplace, if people thought the R8B was expensive . . . Tony I agree. Hmmm...I wonder what John Thorpe is doing these days... Steve |
wrote in message ... I wish MFJ Enterprises www.MFJEnterprises.com would start building shortwave radios and other kinds of radios too.I would certainly buy one or two,if I could afford it.I can't speak for the performance of their products because I don't own any of their products,,, yet.I am going to MFJ Enterprises in a couple of months (they are just up the road from me,so to speak) and buy one of their antennas.I think their products do look great though. cuhulin There is a reason they are known as Mighty Fine Junk. |
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