Re: [IRCA] Kenwood R-5000 vs. Drake SW-8: Image rejection, sensitivity, and selectivity factors

[George Sherman <georgesmn@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Rick, I had a SW8 & would not recommend it for FM. Selectivity is not all that it could be & no RDS. It is a good unit on other bands but I started to have a problem with part of a digit disappearing. It also quit working on batteries.

My favorite overall for FM DX is the new Sangean CL-100 FM/MW/WX table radio about 7" long by 5" deep by 2" high. Comes with AC adapter & can use 4 AA. No signal strength indicator & a 2 second mute changing frequencies, but excellent performance with RBDS & DSP. I paid about $66 (from Amazon).
Receives adjacent to non-IBOC FM locals. Amazon has easy returns but this radio has 4 or 5 star ratings from everyone on there.

The CL-100 comes with a magnetic mount antenna that plugs into RCA jack, at the end of a 6' cable. AM ant & ground screws. 

MW is good but only 10 kHz steps & seems only a single selectivity. Gets adjacent to locals. Has 3" speaker, 1 watt amplifier, bass & treble controls, external antenna connections. Gets a fairly decent signal from your local 590 all day with internal antenna. 

For pocket radio, I use the Tecsun PL-310. FM performance like Sangean but no RDS. Does have LW (poor) MW/SW OK with selectivities of 12/8/6/4/2 kHz.
Numerical signal strength reading. Only about $60 from Ms. Joyce (anon-co on eBay) & she checks them before shipping in case the factory let a lemon go out. Volume is jumpy on weak fady signals. Got unreadable audio on MW f/W Eu, NW Afr & Japan. 

The Kenwood R-5000 I read has internal temperature of 114 degrees, don't know if that's cause for worry. I only had the R-1000 & don't recall it getting hot. The Sony tuner also runs hot. Reviews online of many radios. eham.net is pretty good for that & Amazon for current models.

The very new Sangean ATS-909X might be excellent ($260). I expect online reviews to be appearing in the next week or two. 73, George S., MN



--- On Mon, 2/28/11, Rick Dau <drummer1965usa@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Rick Dau <drummer1965usa@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [IRCA] Kenwood R-5000 vs. Drake SW-8: Image rejection, sensitivity, and selectivity factors
> To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, am@xxxxxxxxxxx, abdx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Monday, February 28, 2011, 10:23 AM
> As you can probably surmise by the
> subject line, I'm doing some comparison 
> shopping.  My 2010 is dying (it's practically useless on
> LW and SW now, and it's 
> always been so on FM), and I've narrowed my preference for
> my next set-up to two 
> options: 
> 
> 
> a) the Kenwood R-5000 + an FM tuner to be named later 
> 
> b) the Drake SW-8 
> 
> Would like to find out from people who own either of these
> receivers how they 
> perform, and I'm especially interested in how the SW-8 does
> on the FM side (if 
> I'd be better off with a tuner, I'll go that route, but I
> would be quite happy 
> if I could get a LW/MW/SW desktop that also has exceptional
> FM reception so that 
> I don't have to pony up more $$$ for something that'll
> take up more space).  And 
> as far the the image rejection, the sensitivity, and the
> selectivity go, I want 
> to know how both radios do in these areas on ALL bands. 
> 
> 
> 73,
> Rick Dau
> South Omaha, NE
> 
> 
> 
>       
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