| GREAT BUT HAS SOME FLAWS |
This Sony portable has excellent sensitivity and selectivity. With about a 7 foot long wire at ground level, sitting on a patio, it picks up a lot of hams. The other basic specs are probably just as good. Well built, with good controls layout and feel. It's nice listenig to AM in the SSB mode, probably better then the sync detector. BUT----IT HAS FLAWS. 100 memories are provided, but you can only scan 10 at a time!! (it has ten banks), and after it scans the 10 channels, IT STOPS SCANNING! (I may be wrong, but when I hit scan it cycles once only.) They designed it so you can enter the frequencies of ten world broadcast stations, each in its own memory bank, and then scan it to see what channel is stronger. But then you can only enter 10 stations, right? If you listen to utility, you can do the same, as well as maybe hams on different bands. Being able to scan ALL 100 channels is best! However, moving the frequencies around, like from VFO to memory, scanning up and down from each memory, or entering a memory, or VFO setting, into the two very clever holding channels, is very good. Another flaw is that the SSB pitch control is on the side of the radio, like most radios. (I have an old Sangean that has the pitch control on the front.) Also, you can't plug in an external antenna in the jack because it supplies a DC current. It was designed for some Sony products. You are forced to clip the supplied roll up wire to the radio's whip. The audio quality on SSB is outstanding, almost as good as the old high fidelity McKay Dymek receivers. But the audio warbles-a little unstable. I hear that the older model 7600G was more stable. Of course you should get this set, especially if you like single sideband like me. A budget model would be the Kaito 1102, a little smaller, with decent sideband. The Eton 1 is the best, but it's very large and expensive. |
4 Rating
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| Not quite everything - but good! |
Plusses:
Great little receiver - not heavy, but light, thin and easy to pack.
The AA batteries do last a long time.
The timers work fine.
WAY more memories than you will ever need. Same with controls (see below.) Can put ANY station (once you find it) in any memory in 10 banks (see scanning.)
Picks up stations without needing the included extended antenna.
The LOCK slider prevents changes (and shuts off the wake-up timers.)
Minuses:
Display could be lots bigger. Night light should stay on all the time if plugged in.
Speaker/sound quality - not so hot - use headphones for short wave.
Be sure to get the 6vDC adapter for day-to-day desktop use.
Digital tuner is ultra-fine - means lots of button pushing to move through the bands.
Scanning function ONLY works in one bank (of 10 banks of 10 memories) saved memories - NOT just looking for stations in any band.
Actually, it only has two bands:
AM - tunes continuously from 150KHz to 30MHz (including SSB.)
FM - 88-108MHz only.
Could use NOAA weather (162-165MHz,) and Air (108-135MHz) might be nice.
EASY (too easy) to switch between AM & FM.
On/Off button right where you grab it to pick it up.
More tuning functions on both edges of unit.
Unfortunately, volume is jus another black dial along there somewhere.
Just wonder if the engineers tried to actually use this thing, or added controls where they would fit.
KEEP THE MANUAL HANDY! Build your own index when you find what you actually want in there - think 1970's Datsun manuals - NOT actually written in Engish - mostly translated, I think. Make a short cut checklist in how to save stations to memory.
Speaking of which, the included SW guide is pretty much totally useless. Get a White's radio log, if they still make them.
Bill in Milton-Freewater |
3 Rating
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