recommendations for good, cheap hf radio?

[hjvan]

I'm seeking recommendations for a good but relatively inexpensive hf receiver - i will probably be looking in the used market (ebay). I need something that gets all basic modes - SSB, AM, FM, CW and covers 500 khz to 30 mhz.

Price range should be preferrably under $300.

Thanks,

Heath

 

[LarrySC]

I have used a Yaesu 8800 for 20 years. Mine has the VHF converter. No problems. Have 66' Windom antenna. Can hear a frog fart in Fargo. Antenna cost about $10. 4-Antenna mast maybe $40 Tonite I monitored several air trfc cntrls in North Africa on 11.300 USB Very good for summer. Always better in winter. I have photos if you would like to see. larryscan@charter.net

 

[wa8pyr]

I'm seeking recommendations for a good but relatively inexpensive hf receiver - i will probably be looking in the used market (ebay). I need something that gets all basic modes - SSB, AM, FM, CW and covers 500 khz to 30 mhz.

Price range should be preferrably under $300.

Portable or desktop? AC power, DC power or both? I assume you're looking for digital readout rather than analog...

Getting a desktop with all those capabilities for under $300 will be tricky. There is a Yaesu FRG8800 on eBay right now that meets most of your criteria, though.

Good quality portable models, on the other hand, can be had for less than $100. I have a Sangean ATS-505 that works great; it receives FM broadcast as well as mediumwave and shortwave (as well as some longwave), and with the built-in BFO allows CW and SSB reception.

Tom WA8PYR

 

[ka3jjz]

MT has had a couple of reviews - including one in this month's issues - of some portables. But we've got a couple of resources on the SW broadcast Wiki that should help a lot...

- the Eham general coverage user forums
- RadioIntel has 2 links for pages with a BUNCH of sets of reviews for both portables and other radios, as well as some information on the main page

I wouldn't ignore Passport to World Band Radio or the WRTH either. Even tho their schedule information is a tad dated by now, they both have been known to have receiver reviews. In addition, the Passport site on occasion has updated portables reviews.

If you don't mind analog tuning, a modified Yaesu FRG7 is a very nice radio. I had one for a number of years, and due to some serious financial problems, had to sell it. I'm regretting that decision....73s Mike

 

[Fast1eddie]

Anything Yaesu, Grove has a Kenwood R2000 in the bargain bin that would meet your needs. Icom R70, Sony 2010...lots of good used equipment out there, look at the major ham radio retailers...they often have good deals on radios they take on trade and have been checked out, and usually offer a decent warranty.

Best of luck!

Ed

 

[hjvan]

thanks for the suggestions guys...i'm going to look into these further.

And speaking of Yaesu....I understand that one can get ahold of a used vr500 fairly cheap these days. Can onyone speak to it's reception on SW/HF bands?

Thanks again,

Heath

 

[ka3jjz]

Avoid these wideband handhelds. I know they look tempting, but their design usually has taken shortcuts - and they usually show up on the HF side with poor performance, poor strong signal handling (can't put much of an antenna on them or they overload) and poor selectivity. Even the Yaesu VR5000 has these kinds of problems, tho the reports I've seen suggest that it can be erratic.
Way out of your price range, but the Icoms R7000, r71000 and r8500 are far better in this regard.
Stick with getting a seperate scanner and HF rx, you'll be much better off. 73s Mike

 

[eorange]

As an owner of a VR-500, I would NOT recommend it as a first-time HF receiver. That being said...

It's one of my favorite handhelds because it provides HF receive on the go. Yes it can overload easily, but I never have anything on it bigger than a whip, or a 25 ft roll-up antenna on the living room floor for HF, and it does fine. The HF selectivity is "fair", but that's an acceptable tradeoff for a small radio that covers 100 kHz to 1.3 GHz, including UHF mil air, with all modes (AM/WFM/NFM/CW/LSB/USB). I only wish it would scan faster (12 ch/sec).

Many times I have been outside (or inside) with the VR-500 with a Diamond whip, and I can easily hear USAF EAMs on 11175, phone patches on 13927, HF aircraft on 6622/6628, and so on. That's really neat with just a whip!

If you're not a beginner and you can accept the fact that it's not a perfect HF receiver, then it's a lot of fun to play with.

My 2 cents...

Erik
KA3FYU

 

[racin06]

IMO I would not purchase a wideband receiver to be used for a first HF receiver. If you need portability, I would look at buying a Grundig, Sangean or Sony portable HF receiver. I own the Icom IC-R20 wideband receiver. I purchased the R20 for its exceptional VHF/UHF performance, particularily for civilian and military aircraft monitoring. While the R20's HF performance is good for a handheld, it doesn't come close to my IC-R75 tabletop HF receiver. Just my two cents.

 

[trimmerj]

Sony 2010 is a good starter hf radio, and it's portable....sorta

 

[hjvan]

Thanks guys, you've given me lots of points to consider.

Just a quick note - I'm not really a beginner when it comes to SWL - but on the other hand, I'm certainly not an expert either. I used to own an Icom 738 many years ago, but I never ended up operating on HF much (mainly due to antenna restrictions).

Another question to throw at you - I've seen several references to the Icom R75 on other threads. If I could pick a used one up on the cheap would it be a good choice? Is the DSP (which is optional I guess) a must?

Thanks,

Heath

 

[hjvan]

bumpity bump

 

[hjvan]

If I were to raise my budget max on this radio to say $500, then would the Icom R75 be my best bet?

 

[KT4HX]

If you are looking for a desktop and you have a budget of $500, I would seriously consider a used Drake R8. It has five selectable bandwidths, and is a good solid radio. They are regularly sold on Ebay for under $500, and you might even be able to get the R8A model for a little over $500. It has some improvements over the R8. Also, as you mentioned the R75 is a good choice as well. I have owned the R75 and I now own an R8A and I prefer the Drake personally.

For a portable the Sony ICF-2010 is a very solid choice. Its a little bulky for a portable, but I have carried it with me internationally. Just be careful when buying them and try to determine from the buyer if they have used it on an external antenna. They have a problem with a front end diode getting zapped by static build up from outside antennas and this will lessen the reception on LW, MW and the low SW bands. I got a very good one on Ebay a couple years ago for about $275. They work very well with their whip antenna, do SSB, and have two selectivity settings, and even have FM radio and air band reception as well.

Good luck in your search and hope you enjoy whatever you decide on. Looking is a part of the fun!

 

[elk2370bruce]

Having used both, I also prefer the Drake R8 although the R-75 is certainly a step up from Yacht Boy and other mini radios. Either way, you need the best antenna you get get away with to get the most out of your invested dollars. As the old hamshack saying goes, "You can't work em if you can hear em." There are lots of good antennas you can build just by looking at the antenna forum below and you don't need to hock your first born to have a servicable antenna.

 

[wesct]

Anything Yaesu, Grove has a Kenwood R2000 in the bargain bin that would meet your needs. Icom R70, Sony 2010...lots of good used equipment out there, look at the major ham radio retailers...they often have good deals on radios they take on trade and have been checked out, and usually offer a decent warranty.

Best of luck!

Ed

the icom r71 was a nice radio. at this age, i would make sure that the memory battery was replaced, otherwise, it will need a trip to icom for replacement.

wesct

 

[fasteddy64]

Frg-100

I have a very nice Yaesu FRG-100 for sale.
Looks and works great.
Asking $300 shipped, OBO
Ed

 

[mrjon]

The Sony ICF-SW7600GR can be had new for under $200. It is a nice, quality radio that is made in Japan. Contrast that to one of the cheaply made Grundigs from China and there's no comparison. I also own a Grundig YB400, and while it is not a bad radio, the Sony can run circles around it.

With the Sony you get the range of 150 - 29,999 kHz with full AM, SSB, and CW capabilities, as well as synchronous detection that makes regular AM mode reception better. For example - listening to WWL 870 from New Orleans on both the Sony and Grundig - while I can hear it on both radios, the Sony has less fading and interference due to the way sync detection works.

Unfortunately they're rumoured to be discontinued, and will soon become harder to find. Amazon still sells them (which is where I bought mine only a few weeks ago), and you can always hit Froogle or similar to look for a deal somewhere.

 

[FreqMgr]

Used Radios on EBay

Be vewy, vewy careful buying a used receiver on eBay. Despite what the item description reads, it's still used and may well need work in one respect or another. Or it may not need work. It's a gamble. If it does need maintenance, get ready for some stiff, perhaps prohibitive costs. If you're willing to go $300 now, I'd sure hold off until you had another $200-$300, then get a new rig with warranty. I have an R-75, which fully meets my needs and is a well-designed, durable radio. Others mentioned in previous posts such as the Drakes, are good also. In summation, buying a used radio, especially one you can't try out first, is no different than buying a used car before you test drive it, or proposing to a sweet thing on your second date.

 

[ka3jjz]

There are some reputable used dealers, such as Universal and HRO. You might pay somewhat more, but places like these have online used lists, and most times have a return policy as well. As is always the case, you get what you pay for....73s Mike