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Reviews For: Multi-Elmac PMR-8 Amateur Radio Receiver

Category: Receivers: Amateur Radio

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Review Summary For : Multi-Elmac PMR-8 Amateur Radio Receiver
Reviews: 1MSRP: $50-$100 used.
Description:
The Elmac PMR-8 is the last model of a line of receivers from the Multi-Elmac company, and was offered new in the early 1960s. Previous receivers were the PMR-7 and the PMR-6A. These units were primarily intended for mobile use but offered good performance in the hamshack as well. Outboard power supplies were offered for both mobile and home installations, and an accessory S-Meter was also offered.
Product is not in production
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# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0014
K7LZR Rating: 2022-09-23
Good performing receiver even today Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a good little vintage receiver as such things go. My first receiver as a teenage novice was a second hand hand-me-down Elmac PMR-7, one model older than the PMR-8. And that PMR-7 was already many years old and far outdated when I got it but I was proud and pleased to have it and it did very well for me for about a year or two before I upgraded to a much more modern Kenwood rig. My PMR-7 was then traded to a local ham for a cup of coffee.

Since then, I've had a few more of the Elmac receivers - PMR-6A, another PMR-7, and a few years ago my first PMR-8 which I resold after a short time. I now have another PMR-8 which I use daily.

I should mention that all of these receivers require separate, outboard power supplies because they were primarily designed for mobile applications. Power supply specifications are readily available online. I built my own power supplies for them.

This time around, I've discovered that the PMR-8 is a pretty good performing receiver for casual MWBC and ham band listening. It is plenty sensitive and passably selective. Stability is acceptable after about a 20-30 min. warmup period. On AM, audio is a bit constricted but perfectly usable. SSB & CW audio are quite nice.

As with many receivers of the era, there is no product detector and so one must use the RF Gain control for best reception on SSB & CW.

If you like older tube equipment then I think that the Elmac PMR-8 is a good choice of receivers.