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write your own review of the JRC NRD-545.
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KB8QEN
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Rating: 0/5
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Sep 25, 2009 19:25
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Bottom of the heap !
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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Sorry but this is one of those great looking radios that does not come close to it's asking price. I bought one of these brand new from Universal, ( A fine company) I had expected a new receiver that would rival my old Drake R-8 and R-8A receivers. Not quite! The layout is gorgeous, the ergonomics are fine, the performance and reliability are NIL .THe concept was actually quite good but the execution was miserable. Pity too. THe continuously adjustable bandwidth coupled with it's passband tuning showed real promise. The limitations on AGC in the AM mode were dissapointing. The noise floor is near deafening when there is no signal present , the DSP overall is down right nasty . To top it all off the receiver is prone to just quitting , the DSP cards fail and JRC offers little or no support. Mine quit after but a couple of months. It was returned for service and came back "working" but not quite . When sent back for correction it needed a new DSP card. JRC would not supply the card and the radio purchase price was refunded . No problem there. I was glad to get the money back. It seems within less than two months from ending production JRC, Japan had decided to no longer support the 545 !
Unlike the mighty Drake R-8 series which is very well supported by the fine folks in Ohio. Then again I have owned 3 R-8 series Drake and never needed to service them. Recently a friend bought used R-8 that required service due to abuse by the former owner. The R-8 was promptly serviced and returned with a very low service fee charged. And yes, the Drake is a fine performing receiver that is still supported years after production was halted prematurely when the new owners took over.
If you want a very impressive looking radio that has a pretty display and are not the least interested in the actual performance nor longevity suffer the JRC.
Looking for a good high end receiver? DRAKE ! Not JRC, Not LOWE.(especially not LOWE)...DRAKE!
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G0UUT
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 13, 2009 12:35
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fantastic 10/10all the way
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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the pepole who give this 0/5 or3/5 don't know how to use this pro rx or they do not know what DSP IS
i have x2 of them and it is great rx for all used ham sw etc well made you still can buy them but not in the US .
AND jrc HAVE A VERY GOOD SUPPORT IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT e-mail address it is a very big company .
thank you JRC for this nice rx
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KE5CBG
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 11, 2009 16:54
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A NICE RADIO
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I sold my first 545 and regretted it.I was lucky and found a very clean example from Universal Radio.It is well made and the controls feel as it is of professional caliber.I strongly disagree with the negative remarks about the audio. I have been a SWL for 35 years,and the audio is fine for utility and ham monitoring,and using the ecss function is good for am swb dxing. It is very sensitive and selective with a very attractive display.A keeper in my shack 73.
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M1SPY
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 20, 2008 17:23
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Summit
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I now own something like 20 receivers and can say this is the best! Not my favourite but the most capable I have owned. Are professional receivers better?
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KE7GSK
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 13, 2008 07:28
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My favorite HF Receiver
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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This is my review of the JRC NRD-545 Serial 20XXX. This is my second JRC NRD-545 and after selling my first I regretted it so I figured I’d better grab another one before they ran out of stock. JRC stopped production of this model in January 2007 with no successor on the radar. Rumor had it that they had maybe two years of stock on the shelves.
I’ve owned numerous higher-end amateur shortwave rigs to include the the AOR 7030+, JRC NRD-525, AOR 5000AU+3 etc., and have owned the Yaesu FT-2000D and Mark-V, Icom ProIII and 746Pro.
Likes:
· The manual notch is superb and the notch-tracking feature is very effective.
· An incredible 990 DSP bandwidth choices. In comparison, the Icom 756ProIII has 51 choices in two formats, Sharp and Soft. In the venerable Ten-Tec Orion II there are 590 (100 Hz-6kHz in 10 Hz steps), but in the JRC there are 990 (10 Hz to 9.9 kHz in 10 Hz steps) in either your choice of Sharp or Loose in AM/SSB/CW and RTTY modes all controlled from a front dial.
· Fantastic AGC flexibility. The 545 has a front dial that can be adjusted in 20 m second steps ranging from 0.04 to 5.1 seconds for USB, LSB, CW, and RTTY modes.
· In my opinion the display is second only to the Icom 756 series with large lettering and numbers in various colors. All the information you’d need is provided.
· A very well laid out front panel with quality encoders, dials and large buttons. Quality cabinetry. Nothing cheap here, this is a quality rig.
· I’ve never lost a lock in the AM mode so I’m very impressed with the ECSS system (AM synchronous detection).
· The sensitivity is outstanding. This rig hears very well and in this regard it is second only to my AOR 7030+.
· 1000 memory positions, RTTY Demodulator and PBS.
· AM-Stereo. Haven’t used it but it’s available with the correct set-up. From what I hear the AM Stereo feature works across the NRD-545’s tuning range, in Long/Shortwave as well as the AM broadcast band.
Dislikes:
· I do not like the 545’s DSP Noise Reduction and have used various configurations with the DSP and AGC to get it right but no matter what, it just doesn’t do it for me. The background hash does decrease but so does the volume and the signal frequently becomes muffled or, in some cases, sounds like a person with bad dentures. My 756ProIII, 746Pro and FT-2000 had the technological edge in this regard. Maybe in time I’ll figure out the perfect combination. In all fairness I seldom ever used the DSP Noise Reduction in any of my rigs but even more rarely in the 545.
· In order to change your DSP and BC settings you must dive into the menu. With all the real estate available on the front panel of this rig you would think they could have added one additional dial.
Negatives I’ve read in different reviews:
· There were comments made concerning low-level AC transformer humming in later samples which would include mine. I do not hear any humming in this 20XXX serialed 545.
· Negative comments aplenty about the wideband CHE-199 converter. My first JRC NRD-545 did have the converter installed. Please understand that after you’ve owned the AOR 5000AU+3 almost anything will pale in comparison. That rig is what I consider the best for VHF/UHF right up to 3000 mHz but for $3K it had better be that good. The 545 wideband converter was selling for around $400.00 so how does it stand up against scanners in that price range? I still would rather go out and spend it on a separate scanner. I experienced the same as others dissatisfied with the converter. Deaf with multiple birdies. I’ve heard that it is hit and miss in getting a good converter and mine was “miss”.
After a 10-year production run, the 545 still holds its own in regards to features and performance. With everything considered the JRC NRD-545 remains my favorite HF receiver. If you’re thinking of buying one of these I would do so soon.
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KE7JIP
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 25, 2007 09:01
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Great Receiver!
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I have owned many general coverage receivers in the 30+ years that I have been a shortwave listener and this is by far the best! I am a JRC fan, previously owning both a NRD-345 and selling a NRD-535D to purchase this receiver. I have also owned, over the years, several other table top communications receivers by Icom and Kenwood, but this is by far the best that I have ever used. The choice of filters, AGC rate and bandwith is incredible. It is extremely sensitive, but does not overload easily (I can see the transmitters of a 50,000 watt AM station from my window). Overall, a great receiver!
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N1KPR
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 29, 2006 08:35
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It does what they claim
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've reviewed my 515 and 535, so I figured it's time to add this one: The NRD-545 does everything that JRS says it's supposed to do. It sounds great (especially with external speaker), the bandwidth selections are fantastic, and it can sniff-out signals like a blood hound. For the price, its value is at least 2 to 3 times more. I've played with all the biggies: Racal, Harris, Watkins-Johnson, and even the venerable Collins R-390 and Icom R-9000 -- all that stuff is classic in operation and function, but comes at a heavy price. Frankly, the 545 is right up there with them, in my opinion. Okay, maybe some of the commercial stuff is built more robustly, or is slightly more stable, or some such nuance, but for the cost, this radio is a dream come true.
As I have mentioned in other JRC reviews, those fellows really have their ergonomic design down pat. All the controls are logically placed, the display is a joy to behold, and the fit and "feel" are superb. I love to diddle with the 535 and 515, but when the chips are down and you just got to dig out the weak or rare ones ... this is the one!
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MIKEAMIC
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 9, 2006 07:30
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Great Radio
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I was reluctant to buy the 545 because of the negatives comments that I've read on the web. But after careful consideration, and the realization that no radio is perfect, I decided to buy a fairly new, but used, 545 on e-bay.
I'm sure glad that I did because using this radio is just plain fun. Much more so than some of the others that I've tried. I especially like the way JRC lays out the controls with dedicated functions. I dislike all of the nested options and dual function knobs and buttons found on some of the other brands.
Despite the drawbacks and bugs accurately identified in the web reviews, the NRD-545 is a real keeper for me. It's good looking, well built and a joy to use. I certainly hope JRC produces additional receivers in the future.
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KC9FNZ
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 24, 2005 14:03
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Can't get any better
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I have owned more radios than I care to think about,This one takes on the WHOLE spectrom and does it better than anything I've ever owned,limited only by your antenna
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W8AMR
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 6, 2004 07:34
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Really NICE!
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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One of the nicest sounding, most convenient to use receivers I've ever used. It works great for SSB and enhanced SSB and can't be beat for AM. The synchronous detector is superb and provides solid AM reception in the worst conditions. The only receiver that I have had my hands on that would give it a run for the money would be the TenTec RX-340. Since the NRD-545 is less than half the price of the 340, it's clearly the "price performer".
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