Want to buy a Receiver, any suggestions?

[ecarfar]

I know this question was asked a few times, I have about $1500, give or take a few hundred, to spend on a receiver. I was really interested in the Drake R8B but I saw Universal Radio listed it a discontinued. I also went to the Drake website and saw they have pretty much abandoned SW receivers altogther. Anyone know why?

The ICOM R75 looks like a bargain but I don't want to spend $600 and then have to buy something better, more capable, later. I'd rather just buy it from the start. Are there any limitations I should know about with the ICOM? It's the only SW receiver they make and that too has been discontinued. The AOR broadband unit looks nice too, but it's over 2K. The 2005 Passport lists the Drake as best

Why are the picking getting so slim with this genre of radio. should I look at some rx/tx models?

 

[n4voxgill]

The AOR 8600 is a good receiver and is less than $1,000. When you get to HF, the antenna is very important. I have had great reception using a ham G5RV long wire, it is 102 feet long. I have used them for over 15 years. I have heard interesting stations and called ham friends with beam antennas and verticles like the Cushcraft R8 and they could not pick up the stations I was hearing. Bottom line, make sure you can get a decent antenna before you put that kind of money into a HF receiver.

 

[ka3jjz]

What wasn't mentioned here is what you will use the receiver you byy for; SWLing, broadcast DX, AM DXing, ect. That will greatly influence the kind of radio you look to purchase.

My buddy Ulis Fleming's RadioIntel site has 2 pages that are just chock full of receiver reviews and other stuff. You've already taken the right step about getting Passport (and I might mention, it's a dirty little secret within the DX community, but Passport's reviews are hardly unbiased, their claims notwithstanding.....). The Drake is one of the best SWBC radios out there, and does a very nice job on other services, too - but there are others...

Take a look at:

Radio Intel receiver page

Then click on the globe on the upper left. You will be taken to a page with a HUGE list of links pertaining to receivers. Once you decide on a model, see if there's a Yahoo group associated with it - no better way to find out about a radio - short of buying one - then to talk to folks that have it.

If you're a ham, most transceivers today have a general converage receiver already in them, so unless you want to get real specialized, that will work fine for most applications, particularly for any digital apps that you might try.

73s and GL on your search....Mike

 

[ecarfar]

Thanks Mike, that was helpful!

What wasn't mentioned here is what you will use the receiver you byy for; SWLing, broadcast DX, AM DXing, ect. That will greatly influence the kind of radio you look to purchase.

My buddy Ulis Fleming's RadioIntel site has 2 pages that are just chock full of receiver reviews and other stuff. You've already taken the right step about getting Passport (and I might mention, it's a dirty little secret within the DX community, but Passport's reviews are hardly unbiased, their claims notwithstanding.....). The Drake is one of the best SWBC radios out there, and does a very nice job on other services, too - but there are others...

Take a look at:

Radio Intel receiver page

Then click on the globe on the upper left. You will be taken to a page with a HUGE list of links pertaining to receivers. Once you decide on a model, see if there's a Yahoo group associated with it - no better way to find out about a radio - short of buying one - then to talk to folks that have it.

If you're a ham, most transceivers today have a general converage receiver already in them, so unless you want to get real specialized, that will work fine for most applications, particularly for any digital apps that you might try.

73s and GL on your search....Mike

 

[ecarfar]

Duplicate message, deleted.