Newcomer to DX, SSB etc... help please

[paperboy]

Greetings, I'm about to acquire my first communications receiver. A lot to take in eh? I don't have the expertise to recap/upgrade one - I'll keep the soldering iron for the Murphy baffle set that's on the bench - so I'm looking for one that I can almost plug and play. I saw a couple of Target HF3 (AKD) on ebay for under £100. Kenwood Trio R1000 and FRG 7700 would also seem to be good entry level sets. I'm interested in general AM, MW DXing and SSB listening. I have about 50ft for a line antenna from the set to a tree. The shack will be the attic so the chimney could be a convenient site for an antenna. Would a reasonable-cost antenna tuner be worth the investment? Where the seller does not take returns, is the ebay "money back guarantee" sufficient protection in members' experience when having to return a set sold as working but which on arrival turns out to be a dud? Maybe in future I'll be able to upgrade from my current plans for a rig but I thought it might be better to dip a toe in the water with a modest set first. Thanks in advance for your help. Cheers, Paperboy.

[Andrew2]

Hello Paperboy. I've been a radio enthusiast since I was about 8 years old (I'm now 62 so that's quite a while!) and one of the finest receivers I've ever owned was the Trio R1000. Launched in the late 70's, it was a significant step up from the usual hobby receiver. It uses a partial synthesis system to provide digital readout with a 'stepless' genuine VFO tuning system and is extremely stable.
The IF filter widths are automatically switched for the mode in use (AM, SSB etc) and there is no preselector to fiddle about with. The R1000 got good reviews in the radio press and was widely respected for its clean performance. It is also simple to use. The only problems you might encounter are dial lights out and a crackly MHz switch if the radio has been resting for a long while.
These days the main limitation to reception is noise generated by nearby electronic appliances like TV's, phone chargers and LED lighting etc and it is important to get your antenna well clear of the 'field' of noise that surrounds our houses. For now I would leave the ATU for future consideration. Hope this helps, I'm sure others will be along soon with more advice. Good luck!

[Biggles]

Hi Paperboy. I have an AKD HF3 and although it's not a bad performer, the frequency steps are limited to 1KHz, which is a bit of a pain if you are scanning through the bands on SSB. You have to constantly adjust the BFO to resolve signals. A radio with a smaller tuning step i.e. 10Hz is much easier to use. I also have a Yaesu FRG100, which is a good all round receiver. The small tuning steps enable continuous tuning across the bands and it has a real moving coil S-meter which I find better than the bar graph versions. The Realistic DX394 is probably what I'd class as an entry level receiver but the one I have isn't a particular favourite of mine. I hope this bit of info helps you make a choice. There will be lots of other forum users with more experience than me on this subject.
Alan.

Don't bother with 'entry level sets' new SDR (software defined radio) ones are remarkable value for money unless you really want to go 'vintage'. There is the old adage "Buy cheap, buy twice" and it applies in bucket loads here. Having a poor radio will put you off ever doing it again.

A list of SDR sets I have and use with comments...

FunCube Dongle Pro Plus, For the size and (almost) DC to light coverage with quite good performance, can't be beaten for the price.

Perseus (microtelecom.it) top of the range a few years ago, only up to 40MHz.

The two above need a computer to work.

ELAD do brilliant radios and software, not cheap, their FDM-DUO has on board processing so you can use it like a real radio with knobs. This one can also use a computer at the same time as the knobby front panel.

A good aerial is important, I use a Wellbrook loop, never looked back.

Ebay, you are on your own!

[AC/HL]

As Merlin says, with eBay it's Caveat Emptor. Please bear Forum rules in mind.

[paperboy]

Absolutely. No breach intended. Paperboy.

[timewave]

An antenna matching unit for receive only is very easy to make. There are some ideas here http://www.mds975.co.uk/Content/aerials2.html and you might find the section on loop and frame antennas interesting too.

John G4IJD

[Radio Wrangler]

For a receiving ATU you can u.se broadcast receiver variable capacitors and a coil on a toroid with a load of taps taken off it.

Building an Rx ATU is a rite of passage.

Another factor to think about is haw far do you intend to go in the radio lark? If you think you may go as far as getting a transmitting licence then you could look for a transceiver with a general coverage receiver. You can always temporarily disable transmission. For some odd reason you can find second hand transceivers for sale cheaper than pure receivers.

David

[paperboy]

Thanks for those suggestions. Very helpful. Cheers, Paperboy.

[HamishBoxer]

Trio 1000 are excellent sets, certainly mine was, I had it from new.

[deliverance]

The Trio 1000 is a cracking set. I think you should consider a R5000, more money but an excellent receiver.

[paperboy]

Thanks everybody. I'm now fixed up for a Trio R2000 set. I'll be back again for more advice on an antenna though. Mods may want to close this thread now. Cheers.