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Reviews For: National NC-303

Category: Receivers: Amateur Radio

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Review Summary For : National NC-303
Reviews: 17MSRP: 449.00
Description:
160 thru 10 Meters amateur bands with converter bands for 6, 2 and 220 Mhz with direct dial readout. Converters are optional.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00174.5
K7NG Rating: 2021-07-28
Quite a piece of equipment to admire Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I had a HQ-170 for quite a while, and I got an RME45 on permanent loan. When I found and bought a Central Electronics 200V transmitter I took stock of the shortcomings of these receivers in terms of being able to interface them to the transmitter for best operating capability - and their overall performance - and decided to look for a receiver that the 200V deserved. There are a lot of old receivers out there. I had no prior exposure at all to the NC-303 but the history of the product and the comments from others who knew the receiver well prompted my to acquire a NC-303 when one showed up.
It is a ham-band-only receiver. The main tuning knob isn't the 'HRO' type, but it's a big, weighted knob that spins smoothly and is pleasant to use. For a top-of-the-line receiver, it has surprisingly few controls. It doesn't seem to need very many to get good results even in moderately crowded band conditions. The frequency display is a LARGE sliderule type, and the different bands spin into view with turning of the bandswitch. Even though I got the receiver from a trustworthy source, I wasn't expecting much when I turned it on (right after I got it out of the boxes it came in). I was surprised to have set the dial to the frequency a regional net uses and... there was the net control!
I haven't gotten very far in rehabbing this radio, so the sensitivity as it is at the moment is not up to snuff, but using it for several accumulated hours I can see that it's going to be outstanding later on! Even now, it's stable as the Rock of Gibraltar. All but one of the bands are spot on for calibration. I don't have a full set of replacement (known good) tubes for it but soon I'll try one-by-one replacement to see how that shines up the sensitivity. It's going to take a little time to make it so, but this receiver obviously is one of the best of its time.

It doesn't have a built-in crystal calibrator, but the plug-in calibrators that were available as options are still around if you look. The idea of having 3 dial scales for 6M, 2M, and 220 MHz is fascinating in concept, but in this day & age is pointless to try to utilize. I mean, 4 MHz across that dial is waaay to coarse for narrow band signals, crowded bands, and there's no narrow band FM capability (you could build that, I suppose). It would be hell to try to tune SSB or FT8. The converters that were designed to work with this receiver are VERY rare as well.
I have the feeling I'm going to have a lot of fun with this receiver.
N8FVJ Rating: 2016-03-06
Super after Alignment Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My review is below. In this post I aligned the receiver per the manual for greatest output in the 2215kHz and 80kHz per the National manual. I was not pleased with the result. I went back and aligned per the best signal to noise ratio. What a difference.

The NC-303 has plenty of gain. And, with using a 6GM6 vs the stock 6BZ6 the gain was higher than stock. After alignment I can hear about any signal on 75 meters after other radios have given up. Not exactly aligned per highest signal, but best signal to noise ratio.

The QRM fighting tools on the radio is excellent. The tone control has low & high audio response cut, bandwidth on AM is either 8kHz or 3kHz. The Further, the Q multiplier will remove noise.

I believe this National NC-303 is the best AM receiver for tough band conditions. While on the DX-60 net today I could hear everyone. Others nearby reported some signals could not be copied. I understand my quiet location is stellar for receive performance, but the NC-303 plays a part. These radios are selling right now in excellent condition for around $250-300. You cannot find a better bargain anywhere. If you can buy one, do it.
AA6QQ Rating: 2013-08-24
Big and Beautiful Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I picked my NC 300 up a few weeks ago from the estate of a silent key, it was the last item left and to my good fortune he was overlooked by everyone else and came with two (2) NC 300 parts rigs for the bargain price of $100.00. He's beautiful, that two tone paint is bright and shiny and looks like I just pulled him out of his ginormous box, he only needed a little cleaning of the switches and pots and he fired right up. Speaking of switches, the band switch is an engendering masterpiece.

He came with the original manual, I particular like the line in the manual that National left off general coverage to make a more compact, efficient receiver. Compact? He's the size of a motel refrigerator, and with the chrome he looks like a 50's fridge. But I wouldn't want him any other way.

I won't get into all the tech stuff because that has already been stated here.

73

Roy
AA6QQ
W8JI Rating: 2010-10-04
Good receiver Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Around 1970 or so, someone brought an old homebrew transmitter in huge rack (pair of 4-125A) and a NC300 into my shop. I couldn't believe how good the NC300 was compared to my SX101 and other receivers.

A few years ago I bought a NC303 on eBay, and I was equally impressed with it in comparison to my other old tube radios. It far outdoes my HQ180, and is better than my SX101. It's not quite the receiver my SX117 is, but it is darned good for the era in which it was designed. It is head and shoulders above my HRO60.

We have to keep in mind the era of these old radios, and compare them to the technology of that time. Doing that, this is a stand out radio.
W6OU Rating: 2010-06-05
A bruiser Time Owned: N.A.
This is a bruiser of a receiver--large and heavy. I like the large tuning knob which can be spun with a flick of the wrist. The receiver gain is quite high and the product detector tends to overload so I usually have to turn the rf gain down on ssb. AM reception sounds better than most other receivers. Many boatanchor power supply electrolytic capacitors tend to suffer from excessive current leakage but the ones in the NC-303 tend to open up and cause a blast of hum from the speakers. The NC-303 audio output transformer is undersized so the primary winding tends to fail open. Having to install an accessory unit for 100 kHz crystal calibration is another negative. For ssb, I would recommend the NC-303 but not the NC-300.
N5LB Rating: 2010-01-10
Very Good CW Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I am on my second one. My first I owned in the 70's and did a lot of 10 meter CW. I traded it (and its partner an Invader 200) for an SB-102. I have a second one acquired about 10 years ago and it is my favorite BA receiver. My R4C is far superior but the ol'303 sounds so good on CW. Reasonably stable once warmed up and sensitivity is more than adequate below 15 meters.
KE4PWE Rating: 2009-01-05
I Love my 303 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I just read someone in this list that toss a 303 in the dumpster, so sad, I love this radio and would rescue any of them that needed a home. That's why I have a office full of boatanchors that I have fun with. There's a lot of work to do the cap replace and wiring to make it look original but it's worth it. The NC-303 is a great receiver of it's day, I have used mine for over 25 years since my mentor gave it to me, he was an old CW only kinda guy and it also has the converter addon with 2 1/4, 6 and 2meter. I have used the converters but find that they are very simple and could use some improvement in circuit design, I'm using drake converters and downeast micro now but it's still fun to use the older equipment and know that it will always work. There are simple fixes to the dial string and light bulb problems. The biggest problem is keeping the plastic from cracking on the band display but if your creative it will last forever.
WB2WIK Rating: 2006-10-24
Loved it Time Owned: more than 12 months.
It seem silly writing a review on a product that is as old as I am, but I just read a new review on this and thought I'd add two cents.

I owned an NC-300 in '65, then an NC-303 in '66, as a kid. They were used, even then, probably third hand but in great shape at the time.

Loved that flywheel weighted tuning mechanism -- wheeee! Big, heavy, solid. Builds strong bodies more ways than Wonder Bread.

I installed my 50, 144, 220 and 432 MHz Nuvistor receiving converters *INSIDE* the NC-303, there's so much spare room in there! I just screwed the converters to the vented rear panel and cabled them up, using power from the Accessory socket on the '303. Golly, I loved it! Something about working AM using a real AM receiver (303 is okay on SSB, but AM-CW is where it shines) that has the audio power to drive a 10" loudspeaker and fill the room with its volume...

If I could find one in mint condition today for what I paid for one in '66, I'd buy it. But it won't happen. I paid $150 for my '303 in 1966, and it was like new.

Of course my first car cost $250...

WB2WIK/6
KA8DLL Rating: 2006-10-24
super nice radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Certainly equal to a Sx101a. Large and heavy. This is a man's radio. Very attractive front panel. Quality construction. Plenty of chrome,just like it should be from the 50's.
K7UA Rating: 2006-02-02
Nearly the best in 1960s Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had a NC300 as my general class receiver in the early 1960s. It was a terrific receiver. I also had a Johnson 6N2 converter and the National 220 MHZ converter. Unless you could swing a Collins S-line the 303 was as good as it got. It also made a great 2M AM receiver. Much better than any transceiver of the day. A rating of 1 out of 5. You have got to be kidding!