why is the icom r-75 kaput?
 

i was talking to craig at kiwa electronics today and he couldn't
believe it as he knows as a matter of his business how popular the r75
is.

i understand his reasoning but the r-75 has some nasty little warts
that need work before it's a good modern rcvr, hence craig's business.

but today, given an rf preamp chip, an analog devices adc, an fpga, a
coupla ti dsp processors, a coupla voltage regulator chips, and you
have a very high performance radio...ever open a ten-tec...there's
nothing inside. i'm sure icom is about to come out with a very modern
rcvr derived from the dsp based receivers in their new transceivers.


jimg
Oregon
USA

"jimg" wrote in message
...
i was talking to craig at kiwa electronics today and he couldn't
believe it as he knows as a matter of his business how popular the r75
is.

i understand his reasoning but the r-75 has some nasty little warts
that need work before it's a good modern rcvr, hence craig's business.

but today, given an rf preamp chip, an analog devices adc, an fpga, a
coupla ti dsp processors, a coupla voltage regulator chips, and you
have a very high performance radio...ever open a ten-tec...there's
nothing inside. i'm sure icom is about to come out with a very modern
rcvr derived from the dsp based receivers in their new transceivers.


jimg
Oregon
USA

I fully agree Icom has something to take it's place. Perhaps a beefed up
R-75 base with all the fixes plus better DSP at an affordable price. I hope
they don't cut corners too much if they do come out with something new. If I
didn't own a R-75, I would been buying one right away.

This may the last chance to pick a brand new communications receiver with
DSP that performs so well for the money.

Sans wild brand loyalty, no one here that loves SW radio that tried a R-75
for a month would really have much to complain about and would want to keep
it.

Lucky

jimg wrote:

hmmm..i bought one the other day and am still waiting for it to
arrive. that's why i was talking to craig at kiwa...we were picking
out some of his r75 mods...craig seems to think highly of the radio as
you do, though there's alot of opinions when i asked for some guidance
before the purchase.

and we spent too much time talking about how to rig up a 500' beverage
antenna on a boxkite at the beach without blowing out the front end
from static... :)

but i really can't figure out the prices of the tabletop sw radios,
like the tentec 350d...it's 4 chips, a board, and an lcd display with
a fancy plastic case. yes, there's a fair amount of nre costs, but
still...i'd love to know what the volume/yr is one some of these radio
models...anyone have any idea...is it thousands, tens of thousands,
hundreds of thousands worldwide? maybe there aren't very many swlers?



"jimg" wrote in message
.. .
i was talking to craig at kiwa electronics today and he couldn't
believe it as he knows as a matter of his business how popular the r75
is.

i understand his reasoning but the r-75 has some nasty little warts
that need work before it's a good modern rcvr, hence craig's business.

but today, given an rf preamp chip, an analog devices adc, an fpga, a
coupla ti dsp processors, a coupla voltage regulator chips, and you
have a very high performance radio...ever open a ten-tec...there's
nothing inside. i'm sure icom is about to come out with a very modern
rcvr derived from the dsp based receivers in their new transceivers.


jimg
Oregon
USA

I fully agree Icom has something to take it's place. Perhaps a beefed up
R-75 base with all the fixes plus better DSP at an affordable price. I hope
they don't cut corners too much if they do come out with something new. If I
didn't own a R-75, I would been buying one right away.

This may the last chance to pick a brand new communications receiver with
DSP that performs so well for the money.

Sans wild brand loyalty, no one here that loves SW radio that tried a R-75
for a month would really have much to complain about and would want to keep
it.

Lucky


jimg
Oregon
USA

- Probably worth emailing Icom America and asking them directly...

http://www.icomamerica.com/mailbox/

jimg wrote:

i was talking to craig at kiwa electronics today and he couldn't
believe it as he knows as a matter of his business how popular the r75
is.

i understand his reasoning but the r-75 has some nasty little warts
that need work before it's a good modern rcvr, hence craig's business.

but today, given an rf preamp chip, an analog devices adc, an fpga, a
coupla ti dsp processors, a coupla voltage regulator chips, and you
have a very high performance radio...ever open a ten-tec...there's
nothing inside. i'm sure icom is about to come out with a very modern
rcvr derived from the dsp based receivers in their new transceivers.

Problem is, that very 'modern' receiver will probably need to be modified to
work properly just like everyone of their offerings over the past 20+ years.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

One way to protect the front end of the R75 when using a long antenna is to
use a 220uH choke from the antenna input to ground. This way, you have a DC
ground path to drain off the static buildup from the antenna. You do need a
good ground connected to your receiver, though.

Pete

"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Lucky wrote:

"jimg" wrote in message
...
i was talking to craig at kiwa electronics today and he couldn't
believe it as he knows as a matter of his business how popular the r75
is.

i understand his reasoning but the r-75 has some nasty little warts
that need work before it's a good modern rcvr, hence craig's business.

but today, given an rf preamp chip, an analog devices adc, an fpga, a
coupla ti dsp processors, a coupla voltage regulator chips, and you
have a very high performance radio...ever open a ten-tec...there's
nothing inside. i'm sure icom is about to come out with a very modern
rcvr derived from the dsp based receivers in their new transceivers.


jimg
Oregon
USA

I fully agree Icom has something to take it's place. Perhaps a beefed up
R-75 base with all the fixes plus better DSP at an affordable price. I
hope
they don't cut corners too much if they do come out with something new.
If I
didn't own a R-75, I would been buying one right away.

This may the last chance to pick a brand new communications receiver with
DSP that performs so well for the money.

Sans wild brand loyalty, no one here that loves SW radio that tried a
R-75
for a month would really have much to complain about and would want to
keep
it.

'Wild brand loyalty' has nothing to do with it. Tried one out, decided it
wasn't
that great. Didn't buy.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Lucky wrote:

"jimg" wrote in message
...
i was talking to craig at kiwa electronics today and he couldn't
believe it as he knows as a matter of his business how popular the r75
is.

i understand his reasoning but the r-75 has some nasty little warts
that need work before it's a good modern rcvr, hence craig's business.

but today, given an rf preamp chip, an analog devices adc, an fpga, a
coupla ti dsp processors, a coupla voltage regulator chips, and you
have a very high performance radio...ever open a ten-tec...there's
nothing inside. i'm sure icom is about to come out with a very modern
rcvr derived from the dsp based receivers in their new transceivers.


jimg
Oregon
USA

I fully agree Icom has something to take it's place. Perhaps a beefed up
R-75 base with all the fixes plus better DSP at an affordable price. I
hope
they don't cut corners too much if they do come out with something new.
If I
didn't own a R-75, I would been buying one right away.

This may the last chance to pick a brand new communications receiver with
DSP that performs so well for the money.

Sans wild brand loyalty, no one here that loves SW radio that tried a
R-75
for a month would really have much to complain about and would want to
keep
it.

'Wild brand loyalty' has nothing to do with it. Tried one out, decided it
wasn't
that great. Didn't buy.

dxAce
Michigan
USA



Gee I'm pretty surprised Ace. I would figured you of all people would love
it for it's DXing performance. I will admit it takes a little getting used
to before you cozy up to it. But once you realize what you can do with it,
you'll be happy. You can't just try it for 5 min. You have to experience
conditions where it shows you how well it brings signals in this cruel
world.

Lucky

Lucky

Lucky wrote:

"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Lucky wrote:

"jimg" wrote in message
...
i was talking to craig at kiwa electronics today and he couldn't
believe it as he knows as a matter of his business how popular the r75
is.

i understand his reasoning but the r-75 has some nasty little warts
that need work before it's a good modern rcvr, hence craig's business.

but today, given an rf preamp chip, an analog devices adc, an fpga, a
coupla ti dsp processors, a coupla voltage regulator chips, and you
have a very high performance radio...ever open a ten-tec...there's
nothing inside. i'm sure icom is about to come out with a very modern
rcvr derived from the dsp based receivers in their new transceivers.


jimg
Oregon
USA

I fully agree Icom has something to take it's place. Perhaps a beefed up
R-75 base with all the fixes plus better DSP at an affordable price. I
hope
they don't cut corners too much if they do come out with something new.
If I
didn't own a R-75, I would been buying one right away.

This may the last chance to pick a brand new communications receiver with
DSP that performs so well for the money.

Sans wild brand loyalty, no one here that loves SW radio that tried a
R-75
for a month would really have much to complain about and would want to
keep
it.

'Wild brand loyalty' has nothing to do with it. Tried one out, decided it
wasn't
that great. Didn't buy.

dxAce
Michigan
USA



Gee I'm pretty surprised Ace. I would figured you of all people would love
it for it's DXing performance. I will admit it takes a little getting used
to before you cozy up to it. But once you realize what you can do with it,
you'll be happy. You can't just try it for 5 min. You have to experience
conditions where it shows you how well it brings signals in this cruel
world.

Tried it out here with the fellow who owned it side by side with the other
Drakes for about 5-6 hours.

Bottom line: the individual sold the R75 and bought an R8B.

Now, if I figured I'd be getting a better bang for my buck I'd have sold my
Drake's and purchased four (4) R75's... but I didn't...

dxAce
Michigan
USA

Lucky wrote:

"dxAce" wrote in message
...


Lucky wrote:

"jimg" wrote in message
...
i was talking to craig at kiwa electronics today and he couldn't
believe it as he knows as a matter of his business how popular the r75
is.

i understand his reasoning but the r-75 has some nasty little warts
that need work before it's a good modern rcvr, hence craig's business.

but today, given an rf preamp chip, an analog devices adc, an fpga, a
coupla ti dsp processors, a coupla voltage regulator chips, and you
have a very high performance radio...ever open a ten-tec...there's
nothing inside. i'm sure icom is about to come out with a very modern
rcvr derived from the dsp based receivers in their new transceivers.


jimg
Oregon
USA

I fully agree Icom has something to take it's place. Perhaps a beefed up
R-75 base with all the fixes plus better DSP at an affordable price. I
hope
they don't cut corners too much if they do come out with something new.
If I
didn't own a R-75, I would been buying one right away.

This may the last chance to pick a brand new communications receiver with
DSP that performs so well for the money.

Sans wild brand loyalty, no one here that loves SW radio that tried a
R-75
for a month would really have much to complain about and would want to
keep
it.

'Wild brand loyalty' has nothing to do with it. Tried one out, decided it
wasn't
that great. Didn't buy.

dxAce
Michigan
USA



Gee I'm pretty surprised Ace. I would figured you of all people would love
it for it's DXing performance. I will admit it takes a little getting used
to before you cozy up to it. But once you realize what you can do with it,
you'll be happy. You can't just try it for 5 min. You have to experience
conditions where it shows you how well it brings signals in this cruel
world.

I hate to be very cruel, but so be it. You haven't even cozied up to the R75
well enough yet to even be able to 'zero-beat' a signal so as to properly report
its frequency.

I'm not sure if that's a fault on your part, or on the part of the R75, but I'm
fairly certain that after some period of time you'll be able to master its
quirks.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

David wrote:

A $450 (including the DSP module) it's a great radio.

No, it's simply a so-so radio... with all the faults one has come to expect in an
ICOM SWL receiver.

dxAce
Michigan
USA



On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 06:26:41 -0500, dxAce
wrote:



Lucky wrote:

"jimg" wrote in message
...
i was talking to craig at kiwa electronics today and he couldn't
believe it as he knows as a matter of his business how popular the r75
is.

i understand his reasoning but the r-75 has some nasty little warts
that need work before it's a good modern rcvr, hence craig's business.

but today, given an rf preamp chip, an analog devices adc, an fpga, a
coupla ti dsp processors, a coupla voltage regulator chips, and you
have a very high performance radio...ever open a ten-tec...there's
nothing inside. i'm sure icom is about to come out with a very modern
rcvr derived from the dsp based receivers in their new transceivers.


jimg
Oregon
USA

I fully agree Icom has something to take it's place. Perhaps a beefed up
R-75 base with all the fixes plus better DSP at an affordable price. I hope
they don't cut corners too much if they do come out with something new. If I
didn't own a R-75, I would been buying one right away.

This may the last chance to pick a brand new communications receiver with
DSP that performs so well for the money.

Sans wild brand loyalty, no one here that loves SW radio that tried a R-75
for a month would really have much to complain about and would want to keep
it.

'Wild brand loyalty' has nothing to do with it. Tried one out, decided it wasn't
that great. Didn't buy.

dxAce
Michigan
USA