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| Reviews Summary for Drake R8 HF Receiver |
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Reviews: 14
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Average rating: 4.6/5
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MSRP: $980 - 999
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Description: All mode shortwave receiver
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Product is not in production.
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More info: http://
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AD4C2006
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 8, 2011 20:31
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Excellent receiver
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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For years I have been reading and hearing only good comments from friends and also from the net about this radio but one thing is what you read and a different one is what you hear in it.
I had the luck to find one on qth.com for a decent price that look like brand new and works great.
In spite what other reviewers say,for me its a pretty front panel with big numbers on the display easy to see from any where on the room.
Well it arrived,open the original box,feels very lite,then conect a 40M half wave dipole and first impression was WOW !! band is full of stations from Europe,all of them very strong with an excellent audio quality on SSB even with the BW filter set to 2.3 Khz,great selectivity for a LC bandpass filters and not been xtal filters as today modern receivers and transceivers use,audio quality is super and best of all its very stable,since the first minutes of warming,the tuned station did not move a hertz,after one hour use,it drifted just 10 Hz,the stability in freq is compared with higher price modern radios.I do have at my home two high end radios,the TT O2 and the Elecraft K3 and this radio is very close in performance than these two transceivers I own.
For two nights of use I am very impressive with this R8 that will make a good bed companion.
Only one dislike,why Drake did make a dual 24 hours clock instead of one for 12 hours and another for 24 hours.That don't make sense to me but other than that this radio is a keeper.
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EI4GMB
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 3, 2010 16:23
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Drake R8 Series Comparisons
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have been in touch with RL Drakes tech.dept over the years and in that time I've managed to get some interesting information about comparisons of all the models in the R8 series.The first notable difference between the original R8 and it's european counterpart the R8E is in frequency coverage. The R8E's coverage starts at 150khz as opposed to 100khz on the american R8 version. When comparing the R8(E) to the later R8A the latter was said to have a slight edge DX-wise but only marginally so. However, the audio was said to be better on the R8(E) than either the R8A or R8B. The tuning wheel, the optical encoder and the less busier facade of the R8(E) were also said to be better.
Although there were big improvements in the R8B, more incrementally so in the case of the R8A the men from Drake said that given the choice they would choose the R8(E) above the 2 other models because as they said there was very little spurious on the original R8(E) and that most of the money went into it making it a very well built and well made radio. So there you have some interesting information gathered over the years from conversations with the RL Drake technical department.
73
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EI4GMB
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Rating: 5/5
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May 20, 2010 10:22
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Oldie but goodie!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I purchased my R8 second-hand from a dealer in the U.K 8 years ago for approx.£400.It was pre-owned and in as new mint condition.Initially, I thought I had bought an inferior model as there was an R8A for sale also.How wrong could I be! In the 8 years I've owned the R8 I've had no problems whatsoever with it!The ergonomics are a bit of a let down but it's built like a tank and I expect it to go on forever!The sync detector is excellent but can be taxed by extreme fading on shortwave.The notch filter makes very little difference generally but seems to have an effect on white noise.The S meter can also be stingy on SSB. However the R8's selectivity and sensitivity are second to none.While SWL DX'ing, the rig has pulled in many weak stations over the years including some low powered AM stations from the Australian outback,all during sunspot minimum and using an indoor antenna.
The Drake R8 has certainly earned its reputation and place in the receiver DX Hall of Fame and punches well above its weight in this regard.
My advice is if you can get one in half decent condition go for it. Don't be put off by the ergonomics or aesthetics.It's under the cover where it matters!The R8 is indeed a great performer!
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N4OI
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 11, 2009 04:01
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Like Hi-Fi for HF Broadcasts!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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My R8 (not R8a or R8b) is over 16 years old now and is still used almost daily in the shack. Of course, you need to add a nice external speaker or use headphones (JRC ST3s are great)-- the poor internal speaker is like getting grits when you order breakfast -- no extra charge! While my Yaesu FT-920 is a fantastic receiver for CW or SSB, the R8 really outshines it when listening to HF AM broadcasts. Just open up the filters, ride the RF gain, turn on the synchro detector and set the tone all the way down -- then listen to some great music on the Voice of Greece. Priceless!
73 de Ken - N4OI
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KG8LB
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 17, 2009 03:43
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One of the very best
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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After looking at some of the very sorry receivers here that some how rated a 5 and having owned an R8 as well as 3 R8A Drakes I am giving this one a 5. For those who whine about the syncro detector I would have to say compared to the Asian offerings the syncro detector in the R8 is at least as good and likely better than most of them. Ergonomics are more a matter of operator adaptability. This is NOT a hard receiver to master or operate. It is a great performer all around. The build quality is excellent. Unlike my premium priced JRC NRD545, Drake still supports their product. JRC abandoned the people who bought the top end products they offer. The warranty agent was unable to service the JRC 10 months after purchase. The Drake has had no issues 10 YEARS after purchase and IF it had Drake is there!
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WI0H
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Rating: 3/5
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Aug 11, 2008 10:30
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A Decent Radio, but Not What it Could have Been
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've owned this receiver for about eight years now, and for the majority of that time it was my main radio. With the right antenna, it is a decent performer that will serve you well. As said before though, the ergonomics are pretty bad. Nothing on this radio is intuitive. The construction quality is also pretty lacking. The Drake-designed mega portable Satellit 700 has better feeling controls than the R8, which feel flimsy and second rate. The bottom line though is that, with the right antenna, this radio will do a decent job. Not fantastic, but not bad either. Just a good performer.
3.5 stars.
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SIERRAHOTEL
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Rating: 4/5
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Mar 20, 2007 23:06
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Overrated
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I bought my R8 from a friend who needed cash for a new PC. I have to say the basic radio performance was fine, but the ergonomics drove me nuts. Compared to a JRC receiver, the Drake's control layout, and feel is a joke. It's a decent enough receiver though, and if you can get used to the control layout, you will like it. Just don't play with any JRC receiver, they have ergonomics figured out, and switching back and forth showed just how bad the Drake's controls are. The R7's were even worse, but the R7 was a much better looking radio, IMO.
The case just screams "CHEAP", as does the display. The display is the worst looking one I can remember seeing in a very long time. The radio seems to be very warm, even when it's been turned off.
I sold it after about 8 months or so, and made money on it.
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K3GI
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 17, 2007 18:43
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Great Receiver
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Bought mine used in 1998 from the original owner. It has the VHF board installed. It's operated faithfully ever since I bought it. Never a problem whatsoever and still going strong. It has some ergonomic issues as noted in Passport, but the electronic side of it is excellent. It's definitely a keeper.
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K2MMM
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 10, 2005 21:23
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The Best!!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Have had a Yaesu FRG7700 and FRG7 and Icom R75 numerous Sonys and quite a few Ham rigs. Simply put-the R8 pulls in signals I never heard with the others. The R8 received signals that were audible and had clarity so I could copy thdm well.I wish I had this radio ten years ago. A lot of good SW stations have gone off the air in that time that I could have heard with the R8!!! 73 K2MMM
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KD7RDZI2
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 24, 2005 02:48
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it has all and good
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This rig has virtually everything necessary to have a good listening.
I could not overload, the rig, if not in rare cases even using wideband receiving antennas such as MTA by RF-Systems, DX1 by RF-System and a 20 meters long T2FD by Barker and Williamson put in clear on the roof.
Listening with SSB is pure pleasure.. you can shape the sound tuning the passband.. filters are good.. the unit is rather reliable as it has been operating since 1996 without any problem..
It has 4 antenna inputs.. 3 for HF (one of which is 450 ohm) and one for the 6 and 2 meters converters.. I am adding external hamtronic UHF to VHF converter for the 70 cm and a KEPS converter to vhf for the 2400 Mhz..
you can do virtually everything with this radio..
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