RadioBanter - R75 & R8B

Wife is fine Greg and doesn't complain when I buy a radio now and then.
I'll probably keep her for another 25 years.

Michael,
R75 runs internal speaker for now. When using phones there seems to be
a little distortion that I don't hear on the Drake. I'm using a pair
of Rad Shack $19.95 phones with the impedance unknown. Maybe I will
save up and get a better pair of phones. Maybe Tony will advise me on
a pair. The phones may actually be better matched to the Drake which
may be part of the distortion prob on the Icom???? Can't readily find
the output impedance spec on either. Icom says 10% distortion at
2watts which means little.

And yes, the external speaker is just about useless. I'm not sure what
I'm going to do there. Most of the 75m AM guys I hang with tap off
their boatanchor detectors and run directly into a nice hifi audio
system. That's probably what I'll do someday with the Drake and Icom.
We also run real wide signals, but don't tell anyone.

Jim,
To tell the truth I am sure that others are better qualified to answer
any questions relating to performance. I am new to SWL and until I
bought the Drake in the spring I was strictly a boatanchor operator.

As far as filters go I am running stock ones for now, and not too sure
how they are called up in the menus. It appears the 9mc if has either
a 2.4kc or a 15kc filter selectable. Seems the 455kc If has same
filter options. Again, others would be more qualified to comment. SSB
and AM has been fine with the filters supplied. I am looking forward
to some CW work over the winter at 5wpm :-) Maybe more filters then.

I bought from HRO up in New Hampshire. I took David's advice and
haggled with them and paid about $570. I just pointed out that
Universal radio had them for $570. Guy went and checked and said no
prob - $570. I buy from HRO cause a nice bunch over there. Also I
just give em my callsign and they got my whole history. Also they are
so close that UPS ground gets here overnight anyway.

For what it's worth I think the R75 is a fine unit. I will agree with
others that it has some operating modes that just might give it the
edge over the R8B with messy DX work. The R8B with VHF and speaker
list price was very high. I think the R75 may be a good value for the
money. One went on Ebay for $405 yesterday. I asked guy history and
he told me he bought used over 2 years ago. So resale is still very
high and he made out ok.

73
Bob