[IRCA] Fw: Grundig Satellite 750 comments

["Steve Ratzlaff" <steveratz@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I know Raph on the ULR list and wasn't sure if he was on the IRCA--he's not 
so I've obtained his permission to forward his comments on the SAT 750.
Hopefully they will be useful to Jim, and anyone else interested in the SAT 
750.
73,
Steve

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> From Raph Pollock:

I am not technically adept and do not have any electronic measuring 
measuring equipment or facility. However, I would be happy to forward my 
opinion about the SATELLIT 750, which I really enjoy using.

Physical size and weight: The receiver is very portable and has two rack 
mount type vertical handles and a fold-down horizontal handle.  It is easy 
to move from one location to another. It is a miser on batteries (4 D 
cells)--these have lasted me for > four months per battery set with one-two 
hours of listening four to five times per week.

Layout and controls: Convenient for the MW DXer. I have not used for SWLing. 
There have been complaints about the fragility of the whip antenna. I don't 
know because I have never attempted to extend it. The main tuning knob has a 
nice solid feel; can be set for fast or slow rotation. I am interested in 
loop antennas for MW DXing, and for these purposes it is a great receiver. 
It is easily as sensitive as my Sony 2010 and also my Eton E1. The quality 
of the sound is appreciably more appealing to me than the Sony. Although the 
750 does not have synch detection it does have SSB so ECSS is possible. I 
like it better than the E1 because it has a much quieter noise floor. For an 
antenna experimenter it is great. It has a good 7.5 or 8 inch rotatable 
ferrite rod antenna with a jack to directly couple another antenna to the 
ferrite rod as well as jacks for high impedance and low impedance antennas. 
I use a homebrew ferrite rod antenna that I place immediately alongside the 
rotatable ferrite rod antenna of the 750--inductively coupled. The ferrite 
is 19" 125 mu (Stormwise) with a tightly wrapped 660/46 Litz center-placed 
pick up coil (to see in action please go to You Tube and search under 
"ferrite rod antenna"). Slight detuning of the outboard antenna works better 
than a synch detector to both narrow the band width, improve sound quality, 
and eliminate or at least attenuate interference. The other really strong 
plus about this radio is the presence of a genuine RF gain control. I use 
this with the volume control as a means of decreasing interference without 
loss of intelligibility by turning down the RF gain and compensating for the 
loss of volume by turning up the volume control. So for the MW DXer the 
rotatable ferrite rod, with a jack to attach another antenna like a long 
wire, for example, the low noise floor, the presence of a high and low 
impedance antenna jacks, the RF gain control, and the accessible positon of 
the ferrite rod such that inductively coupling home brew antennas...these 
are all major pluses. I use it in strong preference to my 2010 or 
E1--ultimately, I can hear more and better MW DX.

I bought mine for $250 at Fry's last summer and also bought the $30 three 
year warranty so that if I had problems I could get a replacement unit with 
(I hope) minimal hassles. So far, so good. Hope this is useful information, 
and would be happy to address any additional questions or concerns.

Raph Pollock
rpollock@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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