"jwb" wrote:

how is the performance of this receiver
any good?
---------------------------------------
I have two R2000s and love them.
They are not AOR7030+, but they are
very good workaday receivers.

In many (?most?) locations the background
RF noise will limit how sensitive a receiver
needs to be.

The R2000 is rated by Sherwood Labs, a respected
player in the RF game, as having a noise floor -130db.
If you local noise floor is -110dB , then anything more
sensitive won't help you.

The stock filters in the R2000 are "OK", the AM-W is
too wide, but the narrow is likely to be aceptable.

Given that you can pickup a good R2000 for less then $300,
and a AOR7030+ will run over $1500 for a basic version
and go go over 2K with all the treats, the R2000 is pretty good.

At the very least it will make a great beginner's radio, and if your
interest hangs in there you can always rob a bank to buy the
7030+.

There are some very simple mods that make the R2000 a much
better receiver. Frank C decyphered the adjustable BFO mod that
makes SSB/CW/FSK a lot more fun, and allow the use of SSB to
receive AM for crowded conditions.

Go to:
http://www.sherweng.com/table.html
for a comparison of common good radios.

Sadly the list doesn't include the ATS909/ DX398.
A nice basic receiver that the ARRL rated as having a
noise floor of 0.08uV at 14MHz which equals -129dBm.
(At least if my brain hasn't been fried by being outside for
the last 4 days playing radio).

And while the rated sensitivities are nearly the same,
The R2000 is much more sensitive the the DX398.
My wife and I each own a DX398 and I own 2 R2000s.
I have compared the 2 different recivers under many
conditions and I just don't trust the ARRL figures.

There is much more the sensitivity to consider.
The Drake SW radios have a much lower phase noise
then the R2000 and this noise is like a thin vail bewteen
you and the signal. But any of the good Drakes are going
to cost much more then a R2000. And for most listening
the difference is minimal. For real weak signal work, after
you find a RF quite location then the Drakes will outshine
the R2000.
But not by that much.

Go to:
http://www.qsl.net/kc7bum/
for R2000 owners and service manauls and some usefull mods.

Terry