Good first HF receiver?

[AZScanner]

OK, the HF band is probably the only chunk of spectrum below 2GHz that I have not explored yet. I bought a little $10 all-band radio that included the shortwave bands on a lark and, well, it works like a $10 paperweight - no big surprise there. :roll: So it's time to get serious.

What do you seasoned pro's recommend? I'd like to monitor milair and other interesting fun stuff. Also I live in an apartment, so that apartment antenna thread made for some good reading - thanks to all for that. I'm looking to get started for less than $200 - that's about all the Budget Master (AKA my wife) will allow right now.

Thanks,
-AZ

 

[n8gni]

There are lots of good HF receivers made by Icom, Kenwood, Yaseu, and
AOR. They range in price from $500.00 to $3000.00 or more. I have a AOR 3000a, a receiver /scanner, it's in the $1000.00 range and does very well as an HF receiver. I also have a few HF transceivers that are general coverage and work great as HF Receivers, maybe you can find an hf transceiver that has a broken transmit ,dead finals, for a good price. Grundig makes a YB-400 that is a good general coverage receiver that cost new about $150.00. The YB-400 includes ssb as well as FM and AM.
The Grundig comes with an AC adapter and an addon yoyo type antenna.
It also has a built in telescoping antenna and will run off AA batteries.

 

[mciupa]

Trying to work with the parameters you gave, I figure you would probably
be pleased with this one :

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0800.html

ya,ya, I know it's over-budget but I'm sure you'll be happy.

Better brush up on you sweet-talkin' AZ :wink:

If my suggestion is a no-go , the YB 400 will get you by.

 

[AZScanner]

Trying to work with the parameters you gave, I figure you would probably
be pleased with this one :

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0800.html

ya,ya, I know it's over-budget but I'm sure you'll be happy.

Better brush up on you sweet-talkin' AZ :wink:

If my suggestion is a no-go , the YB 400 will get you by.

The one you selected is a good choice, but a bit pricey - it's not just the wife's say-so (I reserve final veto rights) but it's a bit expensive for an entry into something I may or may not be ultimately interested in (I know, just wait until I try it, I'll be hooked. I can see it already. )

The YB400 looks like just the ticket right now:
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0400.html

Perfect price point, and looks like it got good reviews also. Think I'll be going with this one.

Thanks all!
-AZ

 

[LarrySC]

Most of the Ham radio outlets have trade ins. I bought a Yeasu 8800 20yrs ago just outside DC from Dick Robinson. I have it rack mounted and use it at least 4 days a week. At that time the price was just over $400 and it was the best $400 I ever spent. There are better units on the market today with more memory channels but my selection of freqs is limited. There are some real deals out there if you really look hard. Good Luck.

 

[K2KOH]

I don't know...I think the Icom ICR75 is good for a beginner. I think it still has the free UT 106 DSP board...for a few sheckels more than a high end portable, I would go with this baby.

Check it out www.icomamerica.com

Click on receivers

 

[ka3jjz]

Personally, if I had a few more bucks to spend, the RX320d from Ten Tec would be my choice hands down. Lots of software (much of it free), works just fine for digitals, DRM capable, a good choice for Military HF (you want LOTS of memories for holding frequencies), more filters than you can shake a stick at (up to 32 seperate filters, depending on the software)...it's a fine little black box. And all this for under USD400.

Put a good antenna on it (even in an apartment, it's possible; I've lived in them for 20 years...) and have fun.

Interesting little side tidbits; TenTec engineers actually put this little beauty together to interest the computer people in HF and ham radio. They never expected it to become as popular as it is. In addition, some of TenTec's newer DSP radios use the RX320's design as a baseline.

There are tons of links and some reviews at the RX320 Yahoo group if you're interested.

73s Mike

 

[mr_hankey]

my choice is definitely the ICOM R75 - i still scour ebay for them at discount prices...

i've recently seen ICOM R75's on ebay with DSP installed for under $400!

big, sure, but big WORKS when it comes to HF...

 

[SAR923]

I'd certainly go with a Yacht Boy 400PE as a first HF receiver. You can sometiomes get it on sale atr Best Buy and Circuit City for $149, an unbeatbale price for what you get. If you're looking for a good used first reciever, try for a Radio Shack 440/Sangean 803. Good sensitivity and selectivity although its the size of tank compared to the YB 400PE. If you plan on doing any travelling, the YBPE is a much better purchase since it looks like a normal AM/FM radio compared to the RS440/Sangean 803, which look like a communications receiver and is likely to attrack more attention from the TSA peopl and thieves in general.

 

[Waldo325mvfd]

Sounds like you will want to moniter the SSB(USB and LSB),AM, and WFM (for world wide radio stations). the R-75 is good. I would try to search ebay(you can get some awsomely low prices).

8)

 

[elk2370bruce]

In addition to my original boat anchor (Hammarlund HQ 180), I recently took the HF digital plunge and got the Grundig 800 Millenium. It's got AM and SSB capability on short wave. Hooked it up to my dipole and the results were super. Got it at Sixth Avenue since they will beat any published ad price. Somewhat heavy and about the size of a
Ghetto Blaster. Not sorry I purchased it. 8)

 

[chevyman]

I got an Icom R75 and it works great! My antenna setup is rather bad (just a longwire at the moment) but someday I hope to improve on that. Haven't installed the dsp yet, does it help much?

 

[KT4HX]

In keeping with your criteria (under $200), the Grundig YB-400PE that some have mentioned would be an excellen first one. Also, you might be able to pick up a Sony ICF-2010 used on Ebay for under $200. That is a good portable (big, but good). Then if you feel that is something you want to continue with on the long term and are ready to plunk down more change at a later date, you could certainly go with the R75 from Icom, or my personal favorite is the Drake R8A. Once you decide to make the big jump, your opportunities expand drastically. But start small and test the waters. If its not your cup of tea, you still have a nice radio for occasional use (both have FM too), or you can certainly sell it. Good luck and welcome to the world of longhaul propagation!

 

[mlevin]

Guys I'm in the same situation (exept for the wife part :lol: ) that AZ is in. I've seen the Radio Shack DX 394. Is this a good beginners radio? I can get one for around 150-200. Is this on the same playing field as the YB 400, and R75? TIA.

 

[SAR923]

A DX-394 should go for no more than $100. They are basically a scanner with HF guts. If you lived in the middle of Idaho, this might not be a bad buy since the sensitivity is pretty good. On the East Coast. this will work against you since there's basically only one bandwidth and you'll have to put up with a lot of signal overloading and intermod. Since you can find a new YB 400PE for about $150, this would be a much better deal for you than an old receiver like the DX-394.

 

[mlevin]

Thanks for the info. I think I'll go with the YP 400 then since I live in Baltimore. The R75 looks a bit too complicated for a beginners unit.. Does it make a difference if it's the pro edition or not?

 

[KT4HX]

There is no difference between the YB-400 and YB-400PE, other than the PE comes in a silver finish and the other in black. And the PE comes with some extra accessories. Here is what is said on the Radio Nederlands site:

"Electrically, there is no difference between the YB-400 and YB-400PE. A Grundig-brand AC adapter is included, as are stereo ear plugs, wind-up antenna, a re-written owners manual and vinyl carry case. "

I saw that Universal Radio has two YB-400PEs in their used euipment listing for $89.95 each. Unless you specifically want a new one, you can call them to make sure they still have them in stock and hopefully pick one up for a good price. There is always Ebay. Hope you enjoy it....Alan

 

[mlevin]

Will I need a power supply or will the AC adpter suffice? Sorry if this is a stupid question :?

 

[PanJurekMrJerry]

:arrow: http://search.ebay.com/Sony-ICF-2010_W0QQsokeywordredirectZ1QQfromZR8

:arrow: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Grundig+Satellit+800&spell=1

 

[KT4HX]

Will I need a power supply or will the AC adpter suffice?

If you get the YB-400PE the supplied power adapter is sufficient. The YB-400 did not come with the power adapter - that being one of the few cosmetic differences between the two.