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Old 9th Oct 2018, 7:32 am   #1
GSBX1220
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Default JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

Hi Folks

Still considering what HF set to get as per my previous thread a month or so back.

I have seen the JRC JST-135 which is a bit of a leap from the Yaesu 757GXII I had in the final contender list.

Any thoughts on these? Apparently the build quality is second to none, and RX &TX top notch. Only fly in the ointment I can see is that JRC are no longer in this market and parts could be an issue. Probably same issue with ham gear of same vintage from Yaesu etc.

This set is not much more than the last 757 went for on eBay.

Cheers.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 8:03 am   #2
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

I've no experience of this transceiver, but I've owned and used a JRC NRD-525 receiver for the last 28 years and on the whole I've been very pleased with it.

My only gripe is that to fault find on it you really need outriggers, which aren't available although you can make your own.

Unless the rig contains custom IC's I wouldn't let availability of spares concern you.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 8:07 am   #3
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

Hello Richard

I considered the JRC range of receivers, having seen the prices they seem to fetch. This suggested good performance. However, further investigation showed the optional filters would be difficult to acquire & very expensive.

The other stumbling block for me would be the need for extender cards/looms for possible future fault finding.

As CW is a prime listening mode for me, I crossed JRC off my list.

Regards Pete
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 8:10 am   #4
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

In reality how often does quality stuff like this fail?
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 8:34 am   #5
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

I'd say the JRC radios are somewhat better than average in design, but not wonderful. They're made out of normal grade components.

For a CW user's rig I've always rated the old ~Ten Tec Corsair II. Made out of standard bits and Motorola power transistors. The filters sound good, the full break-in is superb. You can pick them up for next to nothing now. As long as the permeability tuned VFO isn't worn, they are eminently fixable.

One caveat, if you use the matching PSU beware that the americans see nothing wrong with running mains live up a ribbon cable and Molex connector for the convenience of an on/off switch on the rig itself. Self preservation suggests a mod in this area!

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Old 9th Oct 2018, 9:50 am   #6
Damien VK3RX
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

I've owned second hand at various times all models of their receivers i.e. 515/525/535/545. They were out of my price range when new, so when used ones became available I wanted to check them out.

I suspect the JST-135's receiver would be similar to the NRD-535.

I agree with David:

Quote:
I'd say the JRC radios are somewhat better than average in design, but not wonderful
Build quality was good but not outstanding, and same with their performance. They do seem to hold their value at this point so perhaps give one a try and see if you like it, and if not you shouldn't lose much if anything moving it on.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 1:33 pm   #7
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

Hi Richard. Wisely, you can't be said to be rushing at this important decision
This time you've got into JRC territory which makes it only the second occasion they've been mentioned on the Forum to my knowledge. Extra input on these sets is useful but even with an acknowledged difference of views since the 1980's they are still in demand.

The first reference was in a thread started by "Radio1950 [on 24/7/18] ie JRC 515 HF Coms Receiver, 1982, FM on VFO" which became a bit of a technical 'tour de force' well above my general grasp. I did intervene however to mention that I had a full TX/RX rig with computer control etc-even some original boxes. I was looking for a specific type of buyer who then turned up [living even much further North than yourself] but he was prepared to collect and didn't want anything powered up until he had possession! That suited me on all levels.

Anyone can read the full story so far on Radio1950's thread...at posts 18* 48* and 72* if interested. It's still on the market and I'm still looking for the right person and would prefer to avoid e-bay if possible. So forgive me for the "Hi-Jack"! I'm not repeating my info on this thread but there's more available. The same comment applies though. It's not been in "Sets Offered" yet [for the reasons given] but anyone interested is very welcome to PM me. Rather strangely, the original owner, the purchaser who had to withdraw in the end and yourself all share the same Christian name I'm a student of Synchronicity! The response I got prompted me to unpack and get everything together so it was a good experience for me at least, from that point of view.

Dave

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Old 9th Oct 2018, 2:41 pm   #8
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

How about an SDR, they are very good now.
 
Old 9th Oct 2018, 7:28 pm   #9
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

Hi folks

Thanks for the replies.

My budget for an HF trancevier was around the £350 mark, plus or minus a bit. The JRC looks far more bang for my buck over the FT 757. However, if the Yaesu goes phut, it may be easer for me to repair. The JRC may be tricky due to little support and needing extender cards and looms to fault find.

Lots to consider. I'm spending too much time on eBay looking at my options and going in circles!

No rush for this. Need to get my VHF running properly too!
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 8:14 pm   #10
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

Just go for it!
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 10:07 pm   #11
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

Have you considered more compact (ostensibly mobile) radios like the Kenwood TS-50 (HF only) or the Alinco DX-70 (HF plus 6 metres?). I believe both radios were reasonably fondly regarded in their heyday, although neither have any of the modern gimmicks like DSP, etc. Both are about 100W maximum output, with at least one lower power setting (the TS-50 is 10W / 50W / 100W).

My TS-50 is the only full coverage HF transceiver I have ever owned, still going strong more than 20 years after I bought it, and it was already second hand then.

Being mobile radios, neither of these includes an integral PSU so you would need to marry one or the other to a reasonably chunky 13.8V power supply, but maybe you already have one?
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 10:19 pm   #12
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

Hello Richard, I've had a 135 for about 15 years, I like it very much, i',s one button per function, which I prefer to a menu controlled radio, great receiver, I get good audio reports, use it mainly on 40 and 80, antenna is a nested Marconi as designed by G7FEK and built by me, had an issue with RX about 4 years back and Geoff at Castle Electronics sorted it out for a reasonable fee, hope this helps. Merv G6NJJ.
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Old 9th Oct 2018, 10:56 pm   #13
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

Quote:
Originally Posted by GSBX1220 View Post
Hi folks

Thanks for the replies.

My budget for an HF trancevier was around the £350 mark, plus or minus a bit. The JRC looks far more bang for my buck over the FT 757. However, if the Yaesu goes phut, it may be easer for me to repair. The JRC may be tricky due to little support and needing extender cards and looms to fault find.

Lots to consider. I'm spending too much time on eBay looking at my options and going in circles!

No rush for this. Need to get my VHF running properly too!
1) you'll have a fair choice of radios in that price bracket, some of them quite good

2) Aargh! avoid the FT757. They look neat, they sold well, they are fairly clean on transmit, but the receiver is a dirty little horror. A ;ot of people say nice things about them, but if you try one in slightly difficult conditions you'll find bands sound fuller than they really are and the apparent noise floor goes up. This usually gets blamed on conditions and you need a good receiver alongside for comparison to really see the FT757 in a true light.

3) You can get by without extender cards. Solder a wire onto a point you're interested, shove the board back in and attach your probe. Not difficult, but tedious but it will get you there. Lack of extenders is an inconvenience not a showstopper. And you shouldn't need to do it often.

4) If you shop carefully, anything you buy on the second-hand market can be resold for what you paid for it if you don't get on with it - unless you get caught with something dishonest. If you wonder about the JST135, get it. Decide whether it's a keeper and sell it again if it isn't. You can have some fun and learn a fair bit along the way for very little outlay and it's recoupable. It can be fun.

David
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Old 10th Oct 2018, 6:40 pm   #14
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

Well, I hung around thinking and the JRC is gone

However, as I said I'm in no desperate hurry and no HF antennas sorted. Another may pop up, or I may see something else.

David, you said some other good sets are around at that price point. What's your thoughts? I'm no brand snob and tbh I don't really know who builds the best gear!
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Old 10th Oct 2018, 7:39 pm   #15
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Old 10th Oct 2018, 8:45 pm   #16
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

Various things. I reckon the Corsair II is what I'd go looking for if I had to start all over again on a tight budget, especially with a CW inclination.
Some of the not-too-early Icoms are OK - EG IC735. But dodge the IC751 as it keeps its software in battery powered RAM. When the battery dies, the software blows away. You can put a new battery in but if the code has gone..... IC761 is good but trying to find one within your budget would need luck. One with a dead internal PSU ought to be cheap and you can graft in a 13.8v feed. The IC765 is even better, but they still fetch real money.

It all hinges on what turns up. Yaeso FTone is junk FT980 is orrible, but the FT990 is rather good. The old FT1000D is worth having and I've seen them go cheaply.

Luck is the best thing, but the ability to fix a dead 'un will save you a lot. Radio amateurs aren't in general as skilled as they used to be, sets are more complex and the repairers have vanished. This leaves bargains for the technically capable.

Still, the old Corsair will run rings round a lot of the above.

David
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Old 11th Oct 2018, 10:33 am   #17
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Default Re: JRC JST-135 any thoughts?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler View Post
The old FT1000D is worth having and I've seen them go cheaply.David
I worked in Winchester fixing radios some years ago. . . . . . .

Beware of the 1000D, driver failures are not uncommon and the devices are extinct, some we tried from the Internet and all proved to be 3 legged zener diodes.

There's a mod to the driver supply too with a series high wattage ceramic resistor, details that I have now forgotten, but probably to increase driver life.

The ultimate fix to the last ever 1000D accepted for repair was to steal two drivers from a new and the last ever PA board spares kit.

There might be alternates out there and some mods needed to accommodate them, I don't know, not something you could do under the makers name.

R.
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