What was the last "high-end" analog (non-synthesized) receiver of merit?

[devicelab]

I received my first "real" SW rig the day before Thanksgiving 1994. The Drake R-8 was an absolute joy to use..

Any [decent signal] AM broadcast station sounded beautiful and the controls were so simple to use. No silly menus to worry about. It was my first true USB/LSB receiver that answered a lot of my HF questions. Tuning around the HF spectrum was enlightening. I connected it within minutes of receiving the package -- at around 1030AM. (I had the antenna ready to go.) I was trying to tune HAM stations in the 20m band and couldn't understand why no one was talking. Ah the joys of propagation.

I vaguely remember tuning in HAM stations in the 80/40m HAM bands. A couple hours later, I finally read the manual (which I had already done 100 times online) -- but you know how it is when it's actually in your hands. I even had my initial memories already decided on. Put in WWV for the first few (that way I'll always know the HF conditions) and lock them out from scanning. Then scan only my cool USAF and utility stations. I think my list was only about 25 strong at the time.

Other than some of its nitpick issues, the only real criticism I had was its size. Back then it was a huge receiver -- lightweight -- but its footprint was pretty large. It is/was still an amazing receiver.

The Drake R-8 with a simple 60ft longwire (connected to a 9:1 Palomar balun) was pretty hard to beat back then.

 

[Token]

SDR was defined in the early 90s and possibly earlier. I had the fortune to work with one of the first SDR radios designed in the early 90s by Hughes Aircraft. It could transmit and receive from AM broadcast to over 800MHz. Back then SDR is defined as performing typical receiver functions like IF BW, AGC and demodulation using computer simulation IE, digital signal processing.

Yeah, I get that. If the radio replaces traditional analog circuits with DSP, it is SDR or at least hybrid. But, to many people, particularly in the hobby community, an SDR is something that has to be hooked to a computer. That was why I phrased my statement the way I did.

T!

 

[prcguy]

Yeah, I get that. If the radio replaces traditional analog circuits with DSP, it is SDR or at least hybrid. But, to many people, particularly in the hobby community, an SDR is something that has to be hooked to a computer. That was why I phrased my statement the way I did.

T!

External computer control has nothing to do with being an SDR and people need to get over that. DSP in the audio chain for noise reduction or EQ is not SDR, major receiver functions replaced with computer simulation is SDR.

BTW my last job at Hughes on the aerospace side was building test stations and equipment for a dept that designed and manufactured probably the fastest A/D converters on the planet at the time and those were at the heart of the Hughes SDR transceiver in the early 90s. I was also tasked with designing and building out a wide band antenna system to feed several labs and installed a couple of KRECO Discones on the roof to cover 30MHz to 1GHz feeding 7/8” Heliax throughout the building. I had our paint shop disassemble the antennas then prime and paint before they went up. That was later supplemented with a Dorn & Margolan UHF satcom panel antenna for an SDR satcom radio project.

Part of the demo setup for the Hughes SDR for showing off to the industry was a Hughes PRC-104 HF manpack that they would use to talk to the SDR while it simultaneously received local airport traffic on VHF and received cell phone calls at 800MHz. That SDR was pretty mind boggling at the time.

 

[mountainrider]

It would sure be nice to find a great receiving DESKTOP radio without breaking the bank

Last October I purchased a Reuter RDR52. I've had a couple Sony ICF-2010s, a couple different versions of Sony's ICF7600, Grundig S-800, and I use an Eton E1, a Tecsun H-501x, an Airspy HF+ Discovery, and a JRC NRD545 everyday, along with the Reuter. No radio I've ever used can recover audio like the RDR52. It is quiet, and I don't pretend to understand much of its tech. Spectrum-based Signal Processing (SBSP) and Time-based demodulators. The Time-based demodulators simulate analog reception. SYNC is the main Spectrum-based demodulator. The Spectrum-based SyncSB demodulator allows single sideband demodulation of an A3E signal. Somehow, it doesn't sound like SSB, it sounds like the full bandwidth while negating an interfering signal on the other sideband. Manual or automated notch filter. Onboard FSK decoder. The SBSP performs four times faster than an FFT display. The bottom line is I hear more; I can listen to weak signals that other radios can't resolve.

"Breaking the bank" I guess varies. I think I must have spent at least a kilobuck or more on the used JRC back around 2005, because I wanted a great desktop receiver! I might have only one more solar cycle after this one, so the ~$1900 I spent to acquire the RDR52 was well worth it!

 

[K0WWX]

Now days there are too many synthesized receivers to count, some good, some bad. I know there were some analog tuners with digital displays, and other radios later that had DSP and adjustable filters. Some radios like the NRD 535 seemed like the end of an era, although I don't know for sure if the tuning was synthesized or if the filters were mechanical or not. But since RadioReference seems to have the largest collection of radio experts anywhere, I thought I'd pose the following questions...

1) What is considered the BEST (or one of) the last of the high-end consumer radios that were fully mechanical?
2) How would you rate it against modern radios (not SDR class).

Bumping this old thread because a couple of other posters mentioned the Kenwood R-820, and I acquired one not long ago after looking for one for a long time. It's not a general coverage receiver, but it covers the amateur bands other than the WARC bands, and most of the major shortwave bands.

I've had a lot of radios, and I'd say its the best non-SDR radio I've had. I've been comparing it to my other receivers using a coax switch with the same outdoor antennas. It can hang with an AirSpy HF+ Discovery. I admittedly have never owned any of the JRC radios, so can't compare it to those, but its considerably better than the R-1000 and R-5000 (two old favorites), and way, way better than the other standalone receivers I have now or have had in the past. Very impressed, but YMMV, as they say.

It dates back to 78-79, so it was quite the technical acheivement back then. Also has great audio in the Kenwood tradition.

A few days ago, I was looking around for some more information about it, because it seems to be a pretty rare rig. I had the old QST review from way, way back, but I found something brand new. There's a very positive retro-review article in the May 2024 issue of Practical Wireless:

Practical Wireless May 2024 - My Magazine Subscriptions

The HF-100 antenna kit reviewed, meet a whole family of hams, build an Arduino-based WSPR beacon, construct a simple ARDF antenna and more!

www.mymagazinesub.co.uk

Anyway, two thumbs up for the R-820!

 

[Omega-TI]

Bumping this old thread because a couple of other posters mentioned the Kenwood R-820, and I acquired one not long ago after looking for one for a long time. It's not a general coverage receiver, but it covers the amateur bands other than the WARC bands, and most of the major shortwave bands.

I've had a lot of radios, and I'd say its the best non-SDR radio I've had. I've been comparing it to my other receivers using a coax switch with the same outdoor antennas. It can hang with an AirSpy HF+ Discovery. I admittedly have never owned any of the JRC radios, so can't compare it to those, but its considerably better than the R-1000 and R-5000 (two old favorites), and way, way better than the other standalone receivers I have now or have had in the past. Very impressed, but YMMV, as they say.

It dates back to 78-79, so it was quite the technical acheivement back then. Also has great audio in the Kenwood tradition.

A few days ago, I was looking around for some more information about it, because it seems to be a pretty rare rig. I had the old QST review from way, way back, but I found something brand new. There's a very positive retro-review article in the May 2024 issue of Practical Wireless:

Practical Wireless May 2024 - My Magazine Subscriptions

The HF-100 antenna kit reviewed, meet a whole family of hams, build an Arduino-based WSPR beacon, construct a simple ARDF antenna and more!

www.mymagazinesub.co.uk

Anyway, two thumbs up for the R-820!

Oh, THAT is one beautiful radio! If it sounds nearly half as good as it looks a guy could be quite happy!

 

[pjxii]

I've decided that if you cannot beat them, join them.

That's what I finally decided with HF transceivers, but only because getting parts for the old rigs that I'm drawn to has become either expensive or impossible. Bought a brand new FT-710AESS being that they're on sale.
As far as receivers go, I love my Drake SPR-4. Also my Sony ICF-6800W (not the "Orange" WA). Both great analog radios.

 

[Omega-TI]

That's what I finally decided with HF transceivers, but only because getting parts for the old rigs that I'm drawn to has become either expensive or impossible. Bought a brand new FT-710AESS being that they're on sale.
As far as receivers go, I love my Drake SPR-4. Also my Sony ICF-6800W (not the "Orange" WA). Both great analog radios.

Ww, she's a beauty!