SWL
(Short-Wave-Listener)
It was a really nice hobby but through the digitalization has lost much substance !
Earlier (in the 70s-80-90s) there were plenty of coastal radio stations, press radio, research-expeditions and military-stations on the hf-bands, nowadays there are only radio- stations,amateur-radio and some aircraft-radio stations, everything else is digital and almost all encrypted, a real pity ...
I'm listening frequently inbetween 10kHz-30MHz.
But I also have equipment for up to 3.6 GHz.
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This is the equipment I am currently working with.
Reuter RDR52
A very good receiver with the best spectrum
( for a standalone RX )
and now with the new firmware even the waterfall funktion is very good !
It is one of the quietest receivers I have had in recent years !
Nevertheless, the monitor is too small for my taste the RDR52 deserves at least a 7" monitor !
The falsh recoder funktion (8GB) is very nice but an upload to a computer takes forever, but Mr. Reuter is working on a solution...
15.01.2023 News from Reuter
New firmware for the RDR52
Some new functions have been added to the user interface of the RDR52. Especially a remote control possibility to use the RAP1 as an automatically running preselector, the often requested adjustment of the waterfall diagram to "common" colors, as well as a preparation for the installation of decoders for "digital" modes. The decoders are gradually built into the software and are available as an additional option via activation code. Which operating modes will be supported is not yet decided. Of course different ASK and FSK modes, possibly CW. Since our devices do not contain a (PC-compatible) CPU and no text processing software, decoders for purely PC-tailored modes (e.g. FT4/8) are not possible.
Well, good news but still no control of the RDR52 from a computer and no Time (MEZ/UTC) shown, you still have to go in the GPS menu ...
One of my biggest complaints was the bad quality of the waterfall display !
But after the new firmware update the waterfall ist very good now !
Same as good as on a pc based SDR !
What I find less good is the power supply via a hollow plug. It would have been much better with a power pole or as in the RDR51 a Lemo socket installed !
My volume control on the RDR52 was bent after just a few days. Something like this should not happen in this price range and these hardware shortcomings are a reason for me to upgrade the RDR52 with a new housing!
I was really close to sell my Reuter RDR 52, because I was a bit frustrated.
But now, after the installation of the new firmware, I will keep him. There are still some points in the firmware that are not yet ideal, but I think that Mr. Reuter will also change that for the better ( I hope ) !
Sooner or later I will get a truly professional RX from R&S in the shack e.g. the EB-500.
This would finally end the search for the ultimate receiver ... ;)
The market for consumer receivers is very limited anyway, the companies unfortunately do not think outside the box like the professionals like R&S ...
After extensive testing, I can really say that the RDR52 is top class in terms of pure reception. It is quieter and more understandable than all other receivers I owned and I owned a lot... ;)
It is worth to give him a bigger housing and a new 7" monitor. The now installed 4.3" monitor is way too small!
I will install my RDR52 in a decent 19" case and modify him as much as possible!
Well we will see...
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AOR AR-5001D
One of the best Professional Grade Communications Receiver
40kHz - 3.15 GHz
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ICOM IC-PCR2500
The IC-PCR2500 covers 0.01–3299.999 MHz in AM, FM, WFM, SSB, CW, DV and P25 modes on the main receiver, while the sub-receiver can simultaneously cover 50–1300 MHz in AM, FM and WFM modes.
Perfect RX for mobile use !
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JRC NRD 545DSP & JRC NRD-515
JRC NRD 545DSP & JRC NRD-515
100 kHz - 30 MHz
Great receivers !
They are still very good receivers but in times of SDRs they have lost their top place...
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Dedicated DSC receiver
The JRC NRD 220.
This DSC watch-keeping receiver continuously scans the six distress channels in rotation 24/7
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SAILOR R1119 SHIP-Receiver
Still not running yet , I have no suitable power supply, the original one is hard to find !
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RSPduo
I like the company and there products very much !
The RSPduo is a high performance dual-tuner 14-bit SDR receiver. Housed in a high quality steel enclosure, each tuner can operate individually anywhere between 1kHz and 2GHz with up to 10MHz of bandwidth or both tuners can operate simultaneously anywhere between 1kHz and 2GHz with up to 2MHz of bandwidth per tuner.
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Dedicated ADS-B receiver SBS-1 from Kinetic Avionic
Kinetic Avionics SBS-1 Base Station Virtual Radar System
The SBS-1 is a portable Mode-S/ADS-B receiver that decodes transponder signals from aircraft.
Using the powerful Basestation software the SBS-1 displays ADS-B aircraft on a VIRTUAL RADAR SCREEN and identifies Mode S traffic with squawk and altitude.
1090 Mhz SSR Mode-S/ADS-B receiver
(SSR = SecondarySurveillance Radar)
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For the NOAA Weather Sats
I work with the R2FU wich is a damn good RX
But my XAXERO SkyEye is the best you can get !
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For HF fax I work with the Furuno FAX 207
Avery good Fax Receiver !
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Precision GPS Reference Clock
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As headphones I use a Sennheiser HD 598, I am very satisfied with it !
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Active Antenna Signal Splitter
Active Antenna Splitter - 1 antenna 5 receivers.
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My Antennas
For 10KHz-30MHz I use a Mini Whip, HDWA ,Wellbrook 1530+ and a 45m longwire.
For above 30 MHz I use a Dressler ara 900, Hamtronic DX-HT701 and some other very special Antennas... ;)
And so much more equipment ...
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Over the years I had a lot of RX/TRX in my Shack.
Here are some pictures !
I wish I still had all my receivers and accessories... ;)
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The Reuter RDR is a very good Receiver! Since I wanted to use my Reuter mobile, I ask reuter what it would cost to swap my built-in 220V module against one with 12 V. The answer was 600, - Euro. And that in exchange for my perfect 220V module, which is more than outrageous ! I was very frustrated because otherwise it was a very good receiver ...
The RDR 54 was done for me, I sold mine immediately!
The AOR spectrum display is unfortunately no longer usable nowadays .
The AOR AR5000a & 5001DX are still very good receivers !
I really regret that I sold the W&S HF-1000 that was a big mistake! Also the Racal 6790/GM I should have kept...
I still have some JRC NRD in use, but there high time is over....
The RFT EKD 500 was a good unit, but it's hard to find someone who can still repair it these days, so I sold it again !
The ELAD DUO was not bad but the company is a service desert, he quickly went away !
The ICOM IC-R 9000 is still a really good receiver and I regret selling it ....
I sold my ICOM 705 to buy the Reuter RDR52...
The Wraase WRX-137 is a very good sat receiver for the NOAA satellites, but I have two other devices for these sats so the wraase had to go !
Sold my first AOR 5001DX, well I got a new one... ;)
The AOR AR is avery good receievr but the AOR AR5000a is the better one !
Very nice little Receiver but I had no use for it because no rx under 1,5 MHz...
The Afedri SDR was not as good than I thougt !
The Malahit SDR is not bad , but not a real Rx for DX...
The time of the JRC NRD 535 DG is over, ther are way better RX on the market now !
I sold the antenna RFA1 after a week again, its a good antenne but with ergonomic misshaps...
The Racal 1792 is still a very good RX but it is very hard to find anyone to repair him!
Same for the RA1778, a very good RX as long as nothing happens ...
The ICOM 8500 ist still a very good RX, good on SW and very good over 30 MHz !
The Comm Radio CR-1a is a very good RX, it was stupid to sell him
The Winradio SDR ist a very good RX and the Coompany Service is the best you can get !
The Perseus is still a very good SDR, but the company service is not good at all!
The Kenwood TS 480 is still a very good TRX !
Bonito's Radio Jet was a joke.
The RX was just re-labeled anyway, because the builder was NTi !
I ones bought a used RadiomCom software, but Bonito refused to unlock it because I did not buy it from them! What, bull Bonito!
But does not matter because the software is bulls... anyway as the company !
The ICOM 7200 is still a very good RX and I really regret to sell it!
The PK-900 was a good decoder !
The Telereader and POCOMTOR where good decoder in there time...
Well good in the old days, but now...
Pretty good RX !
The Yaesu 920 is still a good TRX !
The AOR AR3030 is a damn good Receiver !
The ICOM IC R75 is even today a good RX and I regret that I sold him, the service from ICOM ist very good,
Man that SAMYUNG SNX-300 was the best NAVTERX Receiver I ever had, and I sold it, damn that was more than stupid!
If you can get one buy it cant get better than that!
Well the good old R-1000 when I startet as an SWL that thing was top notch ......
If you have an old Rx without good filters, get an Timwave !
And so on...
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Continue with: Thanks to
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Only those who risk going too far, will discover how far they can go!
Expedition in USA, Alaska & Canada, Scandinavia with folding boat, motorboat, catamaran, motorcycle, off-road vehicle, bicycle ...
