R.I.P. Icom R75?

[ridgescan]

Here's my mess.

 

[ridgescan]

...and the antennas that make it all happen.

 

[a29zuk]

I like the cool looking tires on your DX-160!

Jim

 

[GB46]

What make is this German radio, ridgescan? I couldn't make it out in the photo even when I zoomed it in. It seems to start with an N, so is it Nordmende?

I've always liked the older German radios, such as Nordmende, Telefunken, Blaupunkt and Grundig.

 

[ridgescan]

What make is this German radio, ridgescan? I couldn't make it out in the photo even when I zoomed it in. It seems to start with an N, so is it Nordmende?

I've always liked the older German radios, such as Nordmende, Telefunken, Blaupunkt and Grundig.

Forgot to tell you guys if you click on each photo you'll get a description of the radios/antennas.
That radio is a
Körting

Delmonico Novum-you see the "novum" badge on it and it was made in west Germany.

 

[ridgescan]

I like the cool looking tires on your DX-160!

Jim

Makes for much better fine-tuning Jim!

 

[GB46]

Forgot to tell you guys if you click on each photo you'll get a description of the radios/antennas.
That radio is a
Körting

Delmonico Novum-you see the "novum" badge on it and it was made in west Germany.

Thanks for clearing that up. Körting was a brand I was unfamiliar with, but I see from the description that it was typical of German radios of that era, as they all had great audio. I liked their appearance, as well. You could always tell a German radio from those rounded corners, and they often had highly polished wooden cabinets, too. I used to know someone who had a Grundig combination record player and radio. You pushed a button and out slid the turntable from the cabinet. Neat stuff!

 

[ridgescan]

Thanks for clearing that up. Körting was a brand I was unfamiliar with, but I see from the description that it was typical of German radios of that era, as they all had great audio. I liked their appearance, as well. You could always tell a German radio from those rounded corners, and they often had highly polished wooden cabinets, too. I used to know someone who had a Grundig combination record player and radio. You pushed a button and out slid the turntable from the cabinet. Neat stuff!

You would love the crisp, LOUD audio in this thing. It has an 8" full-range oval speaker and a 5" midrange at the front, and two 3" tweeters, one at each side of the cabinet. This tabletop can crank as hard as a bigger console did and has full bass/treble controls as well as voice, orchestra and jazz settings. It's at the kitchen table and I run it about every week to keep things going.

 

[mbott]

I rearranged my tabletop. I just might have room for one now. I was able to get my FRG-7 off the shelf and I just might have room the an R75, too ... if I come across one reasonably priced. Who knows. Good thing "need" has nothing to do with this.

--
Mike

As I was able to come across a reasonable priced R75 a rearrangement will not be possible. The FRG will have to come back off the table to free up an antenna connection for the Icom. This was an older unit with the synch detector but no DSP. The DSP was a quick fix, but then I decided to send it to Kiwa Electronics for the synch upgrade, the AGC mod and the audio mod. It's currently on Craig's workbench.

--
Mike

 

[ridgescan]

As I was able to come across a reasonable priced R75 a rearrangement will not be possible. The FRG will have to come back off the table to free up an antenna connection for the Icom. This was an older unit with the synch detector but no DSP. The DSP was a quick fix, but then I decided to send it to Kiwa Electronics for the synch upgrade, the AGC mod and the audio mod. It's currently on Craig's workbench.

--
Mike

If you could possibly spare the space for both rigs, why not get a coax switch to switch between both rigs like I have? I run three Alpha Delta switches here and there's no problem with loss. One of the patch coaxes runs 25' from the switch in my living room all the way to my R8600 at the desk in the bedroom.
Running your FRG and the R75 can be fun!

 

[mbott]

If you could possibly spare the space for both rigs, why not get a coax switch to switch between both rigs like I have? I run three Alpha Delta switches here and there's no problem with loss. One of the patch coaxes runs 25' from the switch in my living room all the way to my R8600 at the desk in the bedroom.
Running your FRG and the R75 can be fun!

I'm already using 1 coax switch for the SDRs, one Stridsberg Multicoupler, one Cross Country Wireless Multicoupler and a SP-1 splitter. Don't think I can keep track of another coax switch.

--
Mike

 

[WA8ZTZ]

Ridge,
Really nice selection of receivers.
Your antenna farm is a good example of what can be done in a limited situation
by using a little imagination.

 

[ridgescan]

Ridge,
Really nice selection of receivers.
Your antenna farm is a good example of what can be done in a limited situation
by using a little imagination.

Thank you!

 

[mbott]

Woohoo! My "new-to-me" R75 ships from Kiwa today. Thinking it should arrive Thursday or Friday at the latest. Looking forward to getting it on the table. Now, if conditions will only improve and the local QRM would go away, all would be right with the (SWL) world.

--
Mike

 

[ridgescan]

Woohoo! My "new-to-me" R75 ships from Kiwa today. Thinking it should arrive Thursday or Friday at the latest. Looking forward to getting it on the table. Now, if conditions will only improve and the local QRM would go away, all would be right with the (SWL) world.

--
Mike

This will be interesting! I never Kiwied mine, I'd like to hear your take on it when you get into it.

 

[mbott]

This will be interesting! I never Kiwied mine, I'd like to hear your take on it when you get into it.

Craig worked on my 1991 Sony 2010 a couple of years ago. No major mods, just swapped one of the filters and a bit of TLC work. Got the FedEx shipment notification earlier today and it should be returned here on Thursday. I'd have no issue with using him, and Mike Alexander at Affordable Radio Repair again. Both are class acts.

--
Mike

 

[gcopter1]

...and the antennas that make it all happen.

What's that round thing underneath your Wellbrook?

 

[ridgescan]

What's that round thing underneath your Wellbrook?

It's a 1:1 air-wound "Ugly Balun" I did years ago as an extra measure for common-mode noise. I read somewhere that this thing could help with receive antennas-can't recall where. These loops work better close to earth and mine being up so high and active, tends to pick up more noise than I like. I never really could solidly determine how much good it did, if anything at all. But I never took it down either as the wound part of the feedline I figure, is probably weathered into its shape permanently.

 

[ridgescan]

BTW that Wellbrook appears kinda "bent over" because that day I shot that pic the winds were at about 35MPH. You're seeing the coated pine wood mast doing its flex thing.
I need to get up there on a calm day and re-shoot

 

[mbott]

Well, the R75 is back and has received most of the radio time tonight ... well, after the storms passed through central Ohio. Nice to have the hole on the table top filled. The most noticeable improvement is in the audio. I remember thinking the first thing I had to do with my original R75 was to get an external speaker. No such urgency at the moment. Whether that is due to Craig's audio mod or not, I'm not sure. But the radio sounds good right now. The synch deterctor works as I believe all of them "should" and I didn't have it long enough prior to sending it off to Kiwa to note any glaring issue. He did have to recap the DC to DC converter in order to do the RF AGC mod.

Is it a better radio than what I sent off to Kiwa? I don't know if I will be able to answer that. But I can say it's doing a very good job at the moment.

Overall, I'm happy with what I'm hearing.