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Recommendations for a high-performance SW receiver.
I have a Grundig Satellit 800 coming my way, and some of my fellow ham radio
friends are trying to convince me that I've made some kind of mistake. The AOR 7030 is darnedably expensive, but I did have a question as to performance characteristics and enhancements. Is there a shortwave radio superior to the AOR 7030? Just for curiositie's sake, is there such a radio that IS more superior, if money were no object? Or is there one superior in quality that is actually less expensive? Is there perhaps a website that has a fairly independent review of these radios, and makes comparisons? Any help greatly appreciated. (I do know of radio netherlands, and universal radio.) 73, WW6DJM Daniel |
In article ,
"Daniel J. Morlan" wrote: I have a Grundig Satellit 800 coming my way, and some of my fellow ham radio friends are trying to convince me that I've made some kind of mistake. The AOR 7030 is darnedably expensive, but I did have a question as to performance characteristics and enhancements. Is there a shortwave radio superior to the AOR 7030? Just for curiositie's sake, is there such a radio that IS more superior, if money were no object? Or is there one superior in quality that is actually less expensive? Is there perhaps a website that has a fairly independent review of these radios, and makes comparisons? Any help greatly appreciated. (I do know of radio netherlands, and universal radio.) You can't go wrong with a Drake R8B. I own a Ten-Tec RX340, Drake R8B and an AOR7030+. If I had to sell two I would keep the Drake. -- Telamon Ventura, California |
Watkins-Johnson Radios.Dogpile em. www.dogpile.com Watkins-Johnson
Radios I wish I was rich enough that I could buy one or luck up and find me a rich old widow woman that would buy one for me.On second though,better not. cuhulin |
I agree, I've never owned the AOR
but purchased A Drake R8B last year. I've been a listener since 1958 (yikes !) and have owned numerous receivers over the years. I was in the Signal Corp in 1964-66 and was a Comm. Center Specialist and we used Collins Equipment which wa wonderful but in my opionion not in the same league as the Drake. I'd try to find a good used one before they get scooped up by collectore. Charlie Essex, Maryland Drake R6B w/Sound Sweet S[eaker RF System EMF Antenna System Sony ICF-2010 |
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I think you will be satisfied with the 800. I think your friends just
want you to spend more money! Frank |
"Daniel J. Morlan" wrote:
I have a Grundig Satellit 800 coming my way, and some of my fellow ham radio friends are trying to convince me that I've made some kind of mistake. The AOR 7030 is darnedably expensive, but I did have a question as to performance characteristics and enhancements. Is there a shortwave radio superior to the AOR 7030? Just for curiositie's sake, is there such a radio that IS more superior, if money were no object? Or is there one superior in quality that is actually less expensive? The '7030 is a fine radio, but like anything else, it has its weaknesses. I *can* say, without any qualifications, that on any measure the '7030 is in another class than the Sat 800. Other better radios than the '7030? For ease-of-use, the R8B. For best bang/buck, the R75 (now discontinued, but probably limited availability). For sensitivity, the R8500 (also discontinued). For build quality... none. For filter options, the RX-340, '320, WR-G303i, WR G313i. For "bulletproof" front end, the R8500, RX-340. For "James Bond intrigue quality" (if you're into that), RX-340, WJ-8711/HF-1000. For classic tube quality approaching modern PLL, R-390, R-392. In other words, it all depends on what you are looking for. As a program-listening radio, the Sat 800 is not bad, *provided* you got one that doesn't have 1001 defects in it. That's kinda a crap shoot. I'd go with the Lowe HF-150 (*not* the SMC versions -- this radio is also discontinued) or the '7030. I had an SMC HF-150, which wasn't very good, but wasn't too terribly bad, either. I also have R8500s, an R-392, a G-303i, and a RX-340. The latter two are fine program-listening radios for tougher conditions and the '8500 is great under better conditions (in AM) or pretty decent in fair/poor conditions (SSB/ECSS). Is there perhaps a website that has a fairly independent review of these radios, and makes comparisons? Website? This is mostly ham gear but a few high-end receivers, too: http://www.sherweng.com/table.html Book? Passport to World Band Radio: http://www.passband.com Hope this helps. Any help greatly appreciated. (I do know of radio netherlands, and universal radio.) 73, WW6DJM Daniel -- Eric F. Richards "Nature abhors a vacuum tube." -- Myron Glass, often attributed to J. R. Pierce, Bell Labs, c. 1940 |
Daniel J. Morlan schrieb:
I have a Grundig Satellit 800 coming my way, and some of my fellow ham radio friends are trying to convince me that I've made some kind of mistake. Oh, it's not that bad (its internals are based on the Drake SW8). It's just rather big and bulky and used to have its share of QC issues (maybe buying refurb'd from Universal is still better today, haven't kept track of that). The AOR 7030 is darnedably expensive, but I did have a question as to performance characteristics and enhancements. Is there a shortwave radio superior to the AOR 7030? Just for curiositie's sake, is there such a radio that IS more superior, if money were no object? Oh yes, there is. It might set you back by a couple 10000 bucks though. (I'm thinking of equipment like a DASA E1800A.) A R&S EK895 (maybe EB200) or WJ HF-1000 (still not cheap) would probably also do, particularly when we're talking about digital modes and real tough DX. Or is there one superior in quality that is actually less expensive? Good q. Its main competitor in the US is likely to be the Drake R8B, which uses a fairly different concept (triple IF with low 3rd IF to employ high-quality LC filters, of which the thing has quite a complete set stock). An NRD-545 is a good bit dearer still, but features IF-level DSP. The strong points of the '7030 are its strong-signal handling (it's not hyper-sensitive in return), the good audio and synch detector and the flexibility in terms of filters. (Phase noise is very low, too.) Additionally its fairly small size makes it attractive for DXpedition use. As for minuses, its operation, while quite well thought out within its limits, is nothing for you if you prefer "one button, one function" layouts à la JRC. You see, the best receiver can only be the best receiver *for YOU*; it certainly doesn't hurt to try a few before buying. BTW, as a ham you might also be interested in various transceivers. Is there perhaps a website that has a fairly independent review of these radios, and makes comparisons? In terms of strong signal handling and phase noise, this might be helpful: http://www.sherweng.com/table.html Stephan PS: What about your antenna situation? I had to find out the hard way that the best receiver is of limited use without a good antenna. Actually a good antenna and listening experience tend to be more important in catching good DX than the receiver itself. (Primitive example: A $150 portable can beat a $1000 tabletop hands down in AMBCB reception just because of its easily rotatable built-in ferrit rod when the tabletop uses a fixed and possibly even rather omnidirectional wire antenna which as an E-field antenna would also catch more local noise. Add a tunable AM loop to the game, and things start looking entirely different.) -- Home: http://stephan.win31.de/ PC#6: i440BX, 2xP3-500E, 704 MiB, 18+80 GB, R9k AGP 64 MiB, 110W |
Daniel J. Morlan wrote:
I have a Grundig Satellit 800 coming my way, and some of my fellow ham radio friends are trying to convince me that I've made some kind of mistake. The AOR 7030 is darnedably expensive, but I did have a question as to performance characteristics and enhancements. Is there a shortwave radio superior to the AOR 7030? Just for curiositie's sake, is there such a radio that IS more superior, if money were no object? Or is there one superior in quality that is actually less expensive? Is there perhaps a website that has a fairly independent review of these radios, and makes comparisons? Any help greatly appreciated. (I do know of radio netherlands, and universal radio.) 73, WW6DJM Daniel When you get to the range of the 7030+ or the Drake R8b or the JRC NRD 545d, it's mostly a case of personal preference. I owned one of the original Drake R8's and I liked it better than an out of the box 7030+. Add some great filters and the 7030+ has an edge. While some swear by the JRC's I've seen way too many comments about the audio quality being poor. That's a big issue for me. The only radio I've had that I like better than the 7030+ is a Harris RF-550. It's an older military radio with nothing to speak of in the way of convenience features, but it's got the nicest build quality I've ever seen, and if there's a signal to be found, the Harris seems to make it enjoyable to listen to. They generally sell for considerably less than a new 7030+. Other respected military radios include models by Watkins Johnson and Racal. Personally, I like the older digital WJ's better than the newer ones. I had a Racal 6790/gm and while it was a good radio, it just didn't seem to have an advantage over anything else I was using. On tube era radios, the Collins designed R-390 and R-388 are quite good. |
He/she/it might be satisfied with that oversized pocket satellit radio.
cuhulin |
You can pay all the money in the World for the best Radio in the World
but the most important thing is a decent Antenna. cuhulin |
On Sat, 26 Mar 2005 22:34:03 GMT, "Daniel J. Morlan"
wrote: I have a Grundig Satellit 800 coming my way, and some of my fellow ham radio friends are trying to convince me that I've made some kind of mistake. The AOR 7030 is darnedably expensive, but I did have a question as to performance characteristics and enhancements. Is there a shortwave radio superior to the AOR 7030? Just for curiositie's sake, is there such a radio that IS more superior, if money were no object? Or is there one superior in quality that is actually less expensive? Is there perhaps a website that has a fairly independent review of these radios, and makes comparisons? Any help greatly appreciated. (I do know of radio netherlands, and universal radio.) 73, WW6DJM Daniel http://radio.tentec.com/Commercial/RX340 |
Eric F. Richards wrote: I had an SMC HF-150, which wasn't very good, but wasn't too terribly bad, either. Eric F. Richards "Nature abhors a vacuum tube." -- Myron Glass, often attributed to J. R. Pierce, Bell Labs, c. 1940 Hmmm. I must have lucked out. I have one of the SMC models and it works great. By the way, if you or anyone else knows how to deduce the age of a Lowe receiver from its serial number, please let me know. Thanks, Steve |
Deduce the age of a Lowe radio by it's serial number? There are some
World War Two Jeeps (my World War Two Willys Jeep was built in the Springtime of 1942) that can NOT be deduced the age of by their serial numbers because some parts were never kept track of.If some of those Lowe radios (and other things too) were hurrily built in such a fashion,no way in hell to deduce the age of them via their serial numbers. cuhulin (Checker,of Checker taxie cab fame,built the first Jeep) |
the Ten-Tec RX-340 is one of the best all around receivers available at a
price of $4000 if you only do SWL listening, the Sat800 is the BEST FOR THE MONEY if you do a lot of utility listening, then the 800 is a bad choice since it has only a 2.3 as its narrowest filter, anyone who gives advice without asking what you will do with it and what antenna you can put up and what your budget is can NOT give you good advice. "Daniel J. Morlan" wrote in message . com... I have a Grundig Satellit 800 coming my way, and some of my fellow ham radio friends are trying to convince me that I've made some kind of mistake. The AOR 7030 is darnedably expensive, but I did have a question as to performance characteristics and enhancements. Is there a shortwave radio superior to the AOR 7030? Just for curiositie's sake, is there such a radio that IS more superior, if money were no object? Or is there one superior in quality that is actually less expensive? Is there perhaps a website that has a fairly independent review of these radios, and makes comparisons? Any help greatly appreciated. (I do know of radio netherlands, and universal radio.) 73, WW6DJM Daniel |
mike maghakian wrote: the Ten-Tec RX-340 is one of the best all around receivers available at a price of $4000 if you only do SWL listening, the Sat800 is the BEST FOR THE MONEY if you do a lot of utility listening, then the 800 is a bad choice since it has only a 2.3 as its narrowest filter, anyone who gives advice without asking what you will do with it and what antenna you can put up and what your budget is can NOT give you good advice. "Daniel J. Morlan" wrote in message . com... I have a Grundig Satellit 800 coming my way, and some of my fellow ham radio friends are trying to convince me that I've made some kind of mistake. The AOR 7030 is darnedably expensive, but I did have a question as to performance characteristics and enhancements. Is there a shortwave radio superior to the AOR 7030? Just for curiositie's sake, is there such a radio that IS more superior, if money were no object? Or is there one superior in quality that is actually less expensive? Is there perhaps a website that has a fairly independent review of these radios, and makes comparisons? Any help greatly appreciated. (I do know of radio netherlands, and universal radio.) 73, WW6DJM Daniel Having owned most of the premium receivers, I can say that there isn't a lot of difference once you spend a few thousand. The R8B has the most mellow audio and best synchronous detector imho. The R-75 isn't bad, better with the Kiwa mods. The 525, 535 and 545 JRC receivers are ok too. I have sold off just about all of my tube stuff and have been using a RX-340 for the last 1-1/2 months. Great receiver! I think I'll keep it and forget about the search for the "Holy Grail" of receivers. Les Locklear Monitoring since ' 57 Monitoring from the Gulf of Mexico Bendix R-1015B/URR Hammarlund R-274C/FRR (SP-600JX-14) Ten Tec RX-340 Alpha Delta Sloper Quantum QX Loop Various Longwires CU-2279/BRC Multicoupler http://www.hammarlund.info/homepage.html |
Dear Daniel,
I have both a Satellit 800 and an AOR 7030 Plus (which I had custom-made by the factory when I ordered it). I have been a short wave listener for well over forty years. In my opinion, the AOR AR7030 Plus is the finest short wave receiver being made today. If you know precisely what you want, you can have the factory make up a unit exactly to your requirements. That is what I did. Naturally, each person's receiver would then be different from someone else's as no two people are going to want exactly the same thing. Should you just wish to buy a "stock" AR7030 Plus, you can always have it suitably modified "after the fact" as you gain experience with it both by the factory or by "third-party" companies, such as Kiwa. The radio can also always be "upgraded" to current standards. (This, incidentally, seems to be a "British-thing." Have you ever heard of the Linn Sondek LP-12 turntable - made in Scotland, not quite "British," but close? Even if you have the earliest model - made in 1972 - you can have it upgraded so that it is no different than one that just came off the line. The same thing applies to the AR7030.) I believe that this is spectacularly good engineering. (For example, you cannot upgrade a Drake R8 to an R8B, nor can you really "upgrade" any other receiver of which I am aware to the same standards as a new sample.) The AR7030 Plus can be operated from its front panel, via its remote control, or totally by computer (the free RxWings program is absolutely superb). The build quality, the reception quality, the operation flexibility of the AR7030 Plus are, again in my opinion, matched by no other receiver currently being made. That said, when used with the same antenna, I estimate that the Grundig Satellit 800 gives about 95% of the performance of the AOR at about one-fourth the price. I hope you ordered your '800 from a company which offers to bench-test your particular unit prior to shipment because, as is well-known, the Grundig's build-quality is not the best nor is its construction consistency. When and if you do get a good one, you will have a very good radio which is extremely cost-effective. If your radio is one of the ones which is made properly, you will have a short wave radio about which you need not "apologize" to anyone! (I must state, however, that I do not believe the Satellit will last anywhere nearly as long as an AR7030 will and I have major questions about the Satellit's "repairability" in the future - Drake seems to be exiting the short wave field.) Make certain that you do use a suitable antenna with whatever radio you buy. It is absolutely true that the antenna is more important than the receiver. The Grundig Satellit 800 can handle any fine antenna as can the AR7030. I personally use a Wellbrook ALA 330S with my AR7030 and an AOR WL500 Window Loop antenna with my Satellit 800. (Covenants prohibit outdoor antennas here, except for TV Satellite dishes -- do you think $$$ had anything to do with that decision of our HOA?) I wish you the very best of luck with whichever receiver you buy. Joe __________________________________________________ ________ I have a Grundig Satellit 800 coming my way, and some of my fellow ham radio friends are trying to convince me that I've made some kind of mistake. The AOR 7030 is darnedably expensive, but I did have a question as to performance characteristics and enhancements. Is there a shortwave radio superior to the AOR 7030? Just for curiositie's sake, is there such a radio that IS more superior, if money were no object? Or is there one superior in quality that is actually less expensive? Is there perhaps a website that has a fairly independent review of these radios, and makes comparisons? Any help greatly appreciated. (I do know of radio netherlands, and universal radio.) 73, WW6DJM Daniel |
There's too many of you to thank for your advice, but I sincerely mean it...
I gotta run... "Daniel J. Morlan" wrote in message . com... I have a Grundig Satellit 800 coming my way, and some of my fellow ham radio friends are trying to convince me that I've made some kind of mistake. The AOR 7030 is darnedably expensive, but I did have a question as to performance characteristics and enhancements. Is there a shortwave radio superior to the AOR 7030? Just for curiositie's sake, is there such a radio that IS more superior, if money were no object? Or is there one superior in quality that is actually less expensive? Is there perhaps a website that has a fairly independent review of these radios, and makes comparisons? Any help greatly appreciated. (I do know of radio netherlands, and universal radio.) 73, WW6DJM Daniel |
Late for work... I'll be back on later tomorrow morning. (work nights at
the police dept.) "Daniel J. Morlan" wrote in message . com... I have a Grundig Satellit 800 coming my way, and some of my fellow ham radio friends are trying to convince me that I've made some kind of mistake. The AOR 7030 is darnedably expensive, but I did have a question as to performance characteristics and enhancements. Is there a shortwave radio superior to the AOR 7030? Just for curiositie's sake, is there such a radio that IS more superior, if money were no object? Or is there one superior in quality that is actually less expensive? Is there perhaps a website that has a fairly independent review of these radios, and makes comparisons? Any help greatly appreciated. (I do know of radio netherlands, and universal radio.) 73, WW6DJM Daniel |
say Joe.Linn Sondek LP-12 Turntable,made in Scotland? I have never heard
of that one before.It it also a Shortwave or AM/FM Radio? Is there a website for that? More information please? cuhulin |
If it's on the internet, (there are over a million URL's that even
search engines do not list) www.devilfinder.com will find it. cuhulin |
"Daniel J. Morlan" wrote in message . com... I have a Grundig Satellit 800 coming my way, and some of my fellow ham radio friends are trying to convince me that I've made some kind of mistake. The AOR 7030 is darnedably expensive, but I did have a question as to performance characteristics and enhancements. Is there a shortwave radio superior to the AOR 7030? Just for curiositie's sake, is there such a radio that IS more superior, if money were no object? Or is there one superior in quality that is actually less expensive? Is there perhaps a website that has a fairly independent review of these radios, and makes comparisons? Any help greatly appreciated. (I do know of radio netherlands, and universal radio.) 73, WW6DJM Daniel The SAT 800 is well worth the money if you get a good one. If you have problems with your new 800 you can send it to Drake and they will update it. Mine works great. It may not be the best but it may be the best for the money. DeWayne |
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