Anyone use 8200/8600 for HF???

[Fast1eddie]

Hello, am interested in hearing others experiences using the 8200/8600 receivers on HF. I'm using my 8600 connected to a indoor 15 foot NASA P-30. Band conditions are poor, but it gives adequate reception.

Your thoughts???

 

[ka3jjz]

You most likely wouldn't want to put too much more on it than that, Ed. Scuttlebutt says that the 8600 suffers from overloading if you put too much antenna on it.

It's probably adequate (barely) for hearing the more powerful outlets (BBC, VoA, Nederland, ect.) but if you want to dig into the mud, there are far and away better choices.

73s Mike

 

[Fast1eddie]

8200/8600

Yep, that's right! Have to use the attenuator, but get ok reception. Space and powerline issues prevent me from installing the antenna I'd like to have. I have other radios (5000 and FRG 7700) that I'll try out. My shack is in the garage, but it is not heated and am setting up inside. Thought I'd experiment and see what goes.

 

[smr]

Hi,

I sometimes use my 8200 mark 3 on HF. I have about 150 feet of wire attached to it and sometimes (not always) turn on the attenuator.

Here are two examples for local 80m talkgroup:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=4O4UYZn4KPw
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=X2vQ77JNT_A

 

[Fast1eddie]

Wow, very good. Excellent audio! Aside from monitoring strong USAF comms with a whip while on the beach, I have not used my 8200 extensively on HF. Nice!

 

[ka3jjz]

Yep, that's right! Have to use the attenuator, but get ok reception. Space and powerline issues prevent me from installing the antenna I'd like to have. I have other radios (5000 and FRG 7700) that I'll try out. My shack is in the garage, but it is not heated and am setting up inside. Thought I'd experiment and see what goes.

Ed, when you say '5000', I'm assuming that you are talking about Yaesu's VR-5000. That's a receiver that is overhyped, overpriced and underperforms. It could have been a real winner but is just plain loaded with problems. The 7700, on the other hand, is not a bad HF receiver at all. We have wiki articles on both radios indexed here

If you can be a bit more specific with your antenna issues in that forum, I'm sure we can come up with a solution. We also have extensive wiki articles on that subject, and at least for HF receive only, you really don't need to get fancy (although it's fun to try something new), and you won't damage anything more than your wallet. 73s Mike

 

[Fast1eddie]

My Clarifications

Mike, very good. Sorry, should have been more specific. I monitor with a AOR 5000 and the previously mentioned Yaesu 7700. Here is where it all begins-several years back, my wife threw me and my radios out...in the garage. I have a nice windom installed, but because it is unheated I tend to become inactive in the winter, which is when the band conditions are most favorable.

Just went through a major career change and really have not had much time to do anything! Now that my life is back on track, I've moved everything back inside and am looking to install a good inside HF antenna. Electrical lines and space prevent me from installing a decent sloper or such. We do not have a attic.

Been looking at a Apex vertical from Universal, covers .3-30Mhz that is low profile and appears to to the job. I'm on the second floor in a wooden framed house, do find that the 8600 does overload, and band conditions ain't the greatest.

I'll have to root through my junk, enjoyed a past career as a two way tech and brought home lots of stuff that was thrown away. Perhaps I can make a simple vertical as I save some $$$ and put something to use.

Oh, wifey never did really get rid of me...thanks for your comments, always enjoy reading your postings. I'm from Alexandria and would love to plan a monitoring trip someday sans wife and teenagers.

Ed

 

[ka3jjz]

This is going to get a little OT in a hurry, so I'll send you a few ideas later tonight - but that AOR5000 is a fine rx - we have a wiki article on it here...

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/AR5000

Can you at least get onto the roof (safely?) That would be a whole lot better than having an antenna indoors - although as you'll see, indoors can work too...verticals and nearby electrical lines don't mix. Verticals love to pick up noise....

73s Mike

 

[DaveIN]

My 8200 works well with a 20' long wire and an antenna tuner. However, it will overload with stronger signals. If I want to do serious listening to shortwave broadcast or utility stations, I use a dedicated HF receiver.

 

[gcgrotz]

Hook that '5000 up to a good active antenna up on the roof. Check out Universal Radio, get a copy of Passport to Worldband Radio at your local B&N and read their reviews of active antennas.