Please help me choose a Receiver

[radioray108]

first radio

Yes if you want to vew any of a few of my radios working. They are posted on you tube
raymondbrown108

That is my you tube name

 

[ridgescan]

wow I never saw this either^^ I wouldn't mind having a crf320.

 

[Intellifax]

Having had quite a few different HF receivers, I found out that a lot should go into your antenna system and grounding system. The best receiver out there cannot do a good job if it doesn't get the signal to it, or if it is covered up with noise. Had an HQ-180, best AM BCB receiver I've ever had the joy to operate. Quiet and very sensitive. Right now have an Icom 8500 and the NRD-525. The 525 is a bit quieter, and the sensitivity is about even on both. Had both the Icom R71A and R75, I'd go with the R75 if I had to choose between the two, but both are getting long in the tooth now. Also had the Icom R-9000, and was extremely disappointed in it, and its a $3000+ receiver.

 

[Jimepage]

Thanks Ray you been a big help Im going to take a gander now. Yea ridge I know right? I never saw one before and am very intrigued! Why cant I be rich id buy all the ones suggested lol.

Wow intellifax! I always heard the HQ 180 is amazing on BCB and always planned on grabbing one! I had a halli sx99 it was a great first tube radio but that hq 180 would run circles around it. thanks for the info buddy

 

[Robertkoa]

I have a grundigg sat 8000. It is nice. Also have a sat 700. A very nice working reciever. But if you can get youre hands on a sony crf230 or crf320. Now you have a real reciever. The crf320 is a little pricy. But you can get the crf230 for a resonable price. The ICF2200 by sony is very sensitive also. I own all of them. Just like the big radio sitting in front of you, whith all those antennas comming out. And gobbs of audio at youre fingertips. These radio work very well on the AM Band. I like to DX at night on AM Broadcast band. Good luck radio hunting!!!!!

Hey Ray ...I just got a Satellit 700 which works quite well and looks great...
Question- IF I have it recapped and gone over by a PRO - will I have a very sensitive SW- ?

I like to listen to an DX SSB and wanted to upgrade from a Grundig G3...I know the Sat 800 is really cheap and has good features and Sensitivity-
CAN the Sat 700 be made as sensitive as 800 ?

I don't like the size of 800 - huge lol . And I wonder with no fine tune IF it will be great for SSB with a longwire anyway.
The weakness of MY Sat 700 appears to be not super sensitive and ALSO the BFO seems weak compared to GRUNDIG G3.
Weak in that the range is limited on BFO so you can't
Offtune slightly with Main Tuning Knob and 'bring it back' with BFO-

I did balance with little tiny screw thru back the LSB/ USB and got them close AND BFO now centered ..

BUT I wish BFO was wider and 'deeper' - biting into signal more- will this be fixed by Recapping/ Realigning by a PRO or is it a design weakness ?

Is overall Sensitivity on your Sat 700 equal to to the 800 or a step down ?

My guess is it is a step down from what I read and hear on mine BUT a very old Receiver.

IF I could hear a GOOD Sat 700 next to an 800 or Drake SW8 - I would know instantly.

I can sell the Sat 700 and get a Drake R8 maybe a
R8 B if it has AM / FM etc.

I love the form factor of Sat 700 and have a guy who can bring up to spec or slightly beyond POSSIBLY...

But wonder if the 800 or a later version SW8 with whip Antenna and full SYNC or even R8 will be a more sensitive platform to start from...

Mostly interested in DX HAM / SSB ...
Not too interested in getting the SDR thing with a Computer then wondering why it doesn't work.

You see this in Pro Audio...guys get Pro Tools and spend 2 to $5000 and STILL don't sound like a Pro Studio...

I know Recording but not Radio...

IF the Sat 700 could be modded to be as sensitive as Sony 2010 BUT have a good BFO - THAT would do it for me...

OR is a later SW8 ( 6 serial number )already 'there'?

Thanks ...your opinion especially with those Radios in front of you will tell me a lot.

This Sat 700 is beautiful and very well made- but sentimental value won't cut it here...lol.

There are Guys with old Fender Stratocasters who think they are Greatest...but in Reality we have MUCH better more versatile more accurately tunable
Guitars TODAY ...IF you remove the sentimentality...
Thanks if you try to answer these questions.

I do like SYNC for occasional AM DX especially selectable sideband SYNC...G3 can actually do this even on AM...
Sat 700 has a slightly different SYNC but decent on my version ...not super noisy ..no rumble but has a TONE around middle C...that is audible when engaged.

 

[majoco]

I have a Sony CRF 230 and although it's an impressive sight, it's not a really good HF receiver. Mine was in a bad way when I bought it from our local auction site and needed a lot of work - it must have in a fast food outlet above the deep fryer by the amount of grease! It's a great performer on the broadcast bands, but unfortunately that's all it does - 19 500kHz segments of the HF bands, only one ham band and that's 160m! My Sony CRF 5090 is actually a better receiver, but still lacks the precision of a digital display.

I have a Barlow-Wadley XCR30 that is spot on frequency, the forerunner of the Yaesu FRG7. The "Frog" is a good receiver, cheap, stable, looks the part, still easily available, a bit quirky in it's operation - you really need three hands!

If you can get an NRD515 at a good price - grab it, especially with the 96 memory unit and external speaker. Built like a tank and electronic parts are still available - very sensitive receiver, stable and with a couple of essential bells and whistles.

 

[N8IAA]

Hey Ray ...I just got a Satellit 700 which works quite well and looks great....

RadioRay hasn't been on in four and three quarters years. Doubt he will read your post. Please try not to wake up old posts
Larry

 

[highwayman1224]

RadioRay hasn't been on in four and three quarters years. Doubt he will read your post. Please try not to wake up old posts
Larry

Why shouldn't someone reply or ask questions to an old post? If they have a question that pertains to the post then don't worry about it.....

Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk

 

[Robertkoa]

Well..
if a Moderator asks me not to revive old posts I will abide by 'Rules' of course.

I sometimes forget to check times or years of Posts.

And of course Posts from the late 1800s are interesting because Radio was not invented / discovered yet.
How did they know ....?

 

[mikewazowski]

The rule regarding reviving old posts is that you add relevant information not already offered or you ask a relevant question.

In your case, you asked a relevant question although the member hasn't been around for a while. Hopefully someone else will have an answer for you.

 

[Boombox]

Hey Ray ...I just got a Satellit 700 which works quite well and looks great...
Question- IF I have it recapped and gone over by a PRO - will I have a very sensitive SW- ?
.

On another site where guys fix transistor and tube radios for a hobby, generally they don't recap a radio unless it's from the 70's or earlier, or it obviously needs it.

You say the radio "works quite well". The 700 is a recent model of radio, it's highly doubtful the capacitors would have deteriorated enough to need recapping.

I have several SW comm receivers from the 70's and 80's era and none of them need recapping. They work as well as they did back then.

Rather than get a fairly recent model of radio recapped, if I were in your shoes I would concentrate on the antenna. A good antenna can make a lot more difference than recapping.