Which Receiver to monitor HF with???

[RainbowSix]

Hi all,

I am new to the HF World and to this forum.

I'm just wondering which receivers or scanners would be best to monitor HF?
I would like to listen to military type comms.

I live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

I opperate the following units

-Icom IC-R3
-Icom IC-PCR100
-RS Pro-96
-YUPITERU MVT-7100
-RS - DX-399 (protable receiver)
-Uniden SC230
-Uniden BC 235 & 245
-RS Pro-92

Thanks

 

[ka3jjz]

The question becomes 'what can you afford'? In most cases a portable SW receiver won't cut it when the signals are in the mud or are surrounded by interference. A desktop (or a good computer driven radio like the TenTec RX320) will do the job. Many folks like the Icom R75, but that's a bit pricer than the 320 - which is still under USD400, even tho TenTec raised their prices recently.
On the other hand, some of the older radios may be up your alley - the FRG100 or R71a (with the passband tuning active), for example (altho the 71 does have some component issues, as has been noted in previous threads).
There are Wiki pages for the FRG100, R71A and R75 on this site. In addition, I'd highly advise going to the Utility Monitoring wiki and using the receiver reviews section to get some ideas about what's out there. That page will also serve you well to introduce you into what utility DX is all about.

73s Mike

 

[Thunderbolt]

I personally recommend either an ICOM R-71A or a Kenwood R-5000. You can find them used on e-bay or maybe a local Ham swap. Likewise, even a Kenwood R-2000 would be ok, but the R-5000 is much better.

Interestingly enough, my old Hallicrafters WR-600, which was made in 1963, is one of the best analog HF receivers I have ever owned. I used it for all of my shortwave QSL loggings, and it was really good for SSB activities. I used an indoor wire dipole made out of an old power extension cord, which had a short, so I cannibalized it for a makeshift antenna.

I was able to hear Radio Australia, Radio New Zealand, some military ops, and a lot of low-power stations in the tropics. In fact, my first QSL card came from Radio Australia and its a prized possession. Moreover, I was really impressed with its overall reception on the regular AM Broadcast band, as I could hear many of my favorite stations across the USA at night.

The bottom line is your pocket book and how much you are willing to spend on a good quality receiver. However, keep in mind that no matter how good your receiver is, it's only as good as your antenna you're using. The better the antenna, the more your radio receive.

There is no substitute for cubic centimeters!

73's

Ron

 

[KC4ZEX]

In my opinion your best bet will be with one of the newer portables. Sangean ATS 818, ATS505, ATS909. ETon E10. Grundig YB400. Are good units, and with a 15 to 25 foot wire antenna they do a great job.

 

[RainbowSix]

Thanks to all for your insight.

I guess it's time to start saving!!

Have a safe a happy Christmas.

 

[K4GPB]

I too agree with the used Icom R71A recommendation.
I have been licensed since 1961 and this is by far the best current value for listening to AM and SSB.

Or, if you can find the Icom-703 used for about the same cost. It's an HF transceiver with quite a hot receiver. Just use the receiver portion. Much smaller footprint than the R71A, and easy to run on battery.

For some reason HF transceivers with general coverage receivers built-in are often better deals than the receiver-only deals.

Gary
K4GPB

 

[vince48]

I have a Kenwood R-5000. It is still going strong after 15 years.