From: rja@newbirth.Eng.Sun.COM (Robert Allen)
Newsgroups: rec.radio.shortwave
Subject: Re: Should I get a 2010 or a Drake?
Date: 26 Jan 1993 03:25:23 GMT
Organization: Sun
NNTP-Posting-Host: newbirth

In article <1jsf6iINNbj4@meaddata.meaddata.com> dem@meaddata.com (David Myers) writes:
>frank> For months I have been struggling with deciding what radio to
>frank> get.  I have narrowed it down to either a portable: Sony 2010
>frank> or a table-top: Drake R8.  I am leaning towards the portable.
>
>   Well, the R8 sure isn't portable.  You'll have to decide how much
>portablilty means to you.

    The Lowe HF-150 (sold by Universal and EEB) is a nice
    compromise.  Similar number of cubic inches as the Sony
    (different shape), but offering some features of the R8.
    Also the Lowe is made with a mostly solid alumnum case,
    which is better than the Sony or the Drake.  The Lowe has
    dual antenna inputs (wire or SO-239), record out, audio
    out, 12vDC in.  It can run off any 12V DC battery.  I use
    7 aH gelcells which I recharge.  The Lowe also takes 8 internal
    AA nicads *OR* disposable batteries.  It will recharge the
    nicads with a builtin recharger if you plug it into an external
    power supply.  It's a nice semi-portable radio.  It has a
    few ideosyncracies, but you might want to look at it.
>
>   As a happy owner of both an R8 and a 2010 I thought I'd offer some
>comparisons between the radios.  Really, the radios aren't in the same
>class.  The R8 is head and shoulders above the 2010 in terms of
>features and performance, but the 2010 isn't too shabby.  Of course,
>you'll pay significantly more for the R8.
>
>   Here's a quickie comparison table, with editorial comments thrown
>in here and there to give you an idea of what you get when you pay
>more for the R8.  I sort of ordered these depending on how valuable I
>think the feature is.  I didn't list scanning features, as both radios
>have plenty of them.  There are lots of other features I haven't
>mentioned, too.
>
>FEATURE			R8			2010
>
>Sync detector		Yes			Yes (better than the R8)

    HF-150: Yes, with synch. selectable sideband, and "Hifi", which
    is AM shifted down a bit so you get better treble response, used
    on good signals.

>Notch filter		Yes (excellent)		No

    HF-150: no.  I'd point out however that the notch on the
    Drake is an audio notch, not an RF notch.

>Passband Shift		Yes (great feature)	No

    HF-150: no.

>Filter bandwidths	5 (all modes but FM)	2 (for AM, 1 for SSB/CW)

    HF-150: 2, wide (6-7 kHz), and narrow (2.5 kHz).  Filter
    selection is automatic by mode, and there are a number of 
    modes:

	USB and LSB modes - use narrow filter.
	USB and LSB sync. modes - use narrow filter.
	AM - uses wide filter
	AM sync. - uses wide filter
	AM sync Hifi. - uses wide filter

>Direct frequency entry	Yes			Yes

    HF-150: yes, if you buy the ridiculously priced $90 optional
    keypad, which you should.

>Finest tuning step	10 Hz (great for SSB)	100 Hz

    HF-150: 8 Hz :-).  Yes, that's right.  Unfortunately the
    display only reads to the nearest kilohertz.  There is however
    a wonderful, solid aluminum, dial which allows you to tweak
    the frequency by ear.  It's actually digital of course, but
    it's fine enough to feel analogue.

>Stability		Like a rock		Like a rock

    HF-150: as good as the Drake.

>Memories		100			32

    HF-150: 60, storing freq and mode.  A slight bummer is you
    have to manually tweak the dial up about 8Hz after recalling
    a memory due to a bug/feature in the software.  This is only
    noticeable when listening to DX in sync. mode, as the sync.
    may growl if it's off zero beat (wow, lots of buzzzwords eh!)

>Adjustable AGC		Slow, fast, off		No

    HF-150: Auto AGC, defined as excellent to superb by the RDI
    white paper folks.

>Synthesizer "chuffing"	Very slight		Noticeable

    HF-150: none.  That's because if you spin the dial fast enough,
    you are momentarily dropped out of sync. mode and into AM mode.
    When you stop twiddling the dial, you get sync back.

>Front end preamp	Yes			No

    HF-150: yes. Plus an attenuator.  On the downside, they are on
    the back of the radio.

>Noise blanker		Wide and narrow		No

    HF-150: no.

>Squelch			Yes			No

    HF-150: no.

>FM reception on SW	Yes			No

    HF-150: no.  You can sort of listen to FM by tuning to the
    edge of the signal, but it's probably no great shakes.

>FM Broadcast band	No			Yes

    HF-150: no.

>Timer settings		1			4

    HF-150: none.  Further, there are no auto-scan features at
    all.  You tune by using the dial and the keypad.

>RS-232 interface	Yes			No

    HF-150: reportedly coming if not already here.  Probably
    overpriced like the keypad, since it uses the keypad socket.
    The protocol and hardware is defined in the service manual
    (expensive at $40.00) if you want to try and build your own.

>Ease of use		Good			Excellent

    HF-150: good to very good, maybe excellent.  There are only
    4 controls on the face of the radio: volume/on-off, tuning
    dial, and 3 buttons.  The 3 buttons are dual purpose, and
    allow you to either store/recall memory channels, select
    reception mode, or move around the bands in 100kHz increments
    by spinning the dial.

>Air band		No			Yes

    HF-150: I forget what freqs this is, but the radio gets
	30kHz-30MHz, and I've listened to military air freqs.
-- 
Robert Allen, rja@sun.com		DISCLAIMER: I said it, not my company.
		    Samuel Addams: Brewer, Patriot.															        "The right to brew beer is the right to be free!" - me
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