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Reviews For: Lowe HF-150

Category: Receivers: General Coverage

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Review Summary For : Lowe HF-150
Reviews: 26MSRP: 750.00
Description:
Solid, Simple Little Receiver with Excellent Audio Quality
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.lowe-electronics.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15264.5
BXLISTENER Rating: 2012-02-25
Simple radio with very good performance. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought my HF150 second hand. The power supply was toast so I use a supermarket plug-in-the-wall adapter with a ferrite clamp to soak up the buzz. 12v, 500mA, 6VA so it doesn't run too hot. Batteries are great but it EATS them (8xAA). The loudspeaker was rattling around inside the case when I bought it so I had to disassemble the set to get at it. The only way in is through the base and all the boards have to come out. There is a particular way of getting them out and back in again. You have to sort of "fly" them back in, pitching and yawing as you go. The biggest shock was when I found the loudspeaker was held in place by GLUE. Yup, no clips, bolts or screws. GLUE. Go figure. The tuning knob was sluggish so I shot some WD40/Duck Oil into where the spindle enters the set. Bingo! Smooth flywheel style tuning! There is no built in S meter so you have to use your EARS instead. No backlight on the display either. I use about 60ft of end fed wire straight in with no tuner and no problems. The bedroom radiator is my earth/counterpoise. I also have a telescopic whip with a PL259 on the end for portable use and indoor use during thundery weather. The narrow bandwidth works well on a crowded broadcast band and the audio is not too muffled. The sync detector is great for really tough conditions. It does tune slowly in sync and SSB mode. What I do on the Ham bands is tune around in AM mode then switch to SSB when I find a signal. I wasn't blown away by this radio when I first had it but it's grown on me now to the point where it's a keeper. NOT FOR SALE! It has a good record out level (3.5mm mono), ditto for external speaker. SO239 socket plus clamps. Pre-amp/norm/att switch. At first I missed the S meter, tone controll, keypad, backlight, AGC fast/slow etc but it IS kind of nice in a "back to basics/K.I.S.S." way. Oh yes, and the fact that it is actually BRITISH (!!!) just makes it that bit extra special for me personally. Of course there are better radios out there but if, like me, you don't specialize in any particular type of listening and just like tuning around for anything (broadcast, Ham, utility, number stations etc etc) it is a nice little all-rounder.
N5JRN Rating: 2010-10-22
An amazing receiver for broadcast listening Time Owned: more than 12 months.
It's an absolutely amazing receiver FOR BROADCAST LISTENING. Keep that latter part in mind and you won't be disappointed in it.

I've had one for years (original owner, bought it on closeout when Lowe was discontinuing them about a decade ago) and have only recently done some serious comparisons with other receivers, which underscored how well designed it is for its intended purpose.

Which, despite the "communications receiver" wording in the front panel, is as a receiver for broadcast listening. Mainly because of the incredibly slow tuning rate on SSB (which makes it virtually impossible to tune around and scan for signals), it cannot be considered a fully usable receiver for receiving ham or utility signals. (It works for such in a pinch, but you'll wish you had something better-suited.)

It has NO noticeable birdies. Disconnect the antenna and tune around and it's simply dead-quiet.

Biggest annoyances are the lack of an S-meter and no backlighting on the display. And, if you live in an area with strong signals, you'll want a preselector for it.

The one problem I've run into with mine (and it's apparently a fairly common one) is that the BFO gave up the ghost. This broke any reception mode that relied on the BFO (including synchronous AM detection). Symptom was a harsh "motorboating" sound. I fixed this myself by replacing the MC14569 frequency divider that generates the BFO signal, as detailed here:
http://www.radiobanter.com/showthread.php?t=66256

Oh, and it's built like a tank. The only radio sets I've seen with more sturdy construction than the HF-150s aluminum case are military-grade receivers.
VR2XMQ Rating: 2009-10-30
Great little radio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a great little radio and many before have covered what I would want to say about it.

If you get one, you need to pair it up with the matching PR-150 for strong signal handling and to get the most out of it.

Besides my JRC NRD-515 and Kenwood R-820, this receiver gets the most use in the shack.

Nice minimalist design, no need for bells and whistles, just pure fun and performance.
JRT3 Rating: 2009-01-28
A classic - great audio! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had many SWL/DX rcvrs over the years - still have my modified NRD525 & R8. I bought the HF-150 and PR-150 from EEB years ago - what a listening bargain - feeding a Minimus 7 speaker. Audio and detector selection is exemplary. Power demand (no illumination in my model) on NiCd gave 6+ hr - now on 2.5+ A-hr NiMH, I don't take the AC PS on vacations. The '150, Sony MDR-V6 'cans, RS AM Loop, and the NRC MW notes and I have something to do sitting on the condo's balconey - any time of the day - while my wife 'enjoys' the Gulf Shores, AL beaches. If you find one in nice shape, grab it!

The PR-150 preselector is a great find, too. Very good Q - needs often repeaking - adds a balanced input, if needed, but no HiZ 'whip' pre-amp, a la the bare HF-150. Helps with overloading & TOIP. It's pre-amp doesn't appear to add any problems, especially with the preselector in line (a wideband pass through is available). Sadly, power must be routed through PR to HF-150, negating portable use from the internal batteries(May be remedied by jumping polarity protecting D14 diode.). Simple to operate receiver - lacking a keyboard is offset by it's simplicity. Selectivity could be better - Collins mechanical filters would make it even better. My rating is for the HF/PR-150 combo - probably 4.5 for just the receiver.

My last new receiver - over ten years ago. Next - a Palstar R30A... an 'S-meter'... those Collins filters... how novel!
26HS103 Rating: 2009-01-14
Brilliant Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Got this second hand and find it brilliant and great sound expecially when going through PC.
W6UXB Rating: 2006-12-19
Buy one Never Sell It! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
After reading all the reviews I had the chance to buy a Lowe HF-150 here on eHam with the rare backlight for the display, I am so glad I did I will never ever sell this radio, it is a pleasure to use, some people complain about the ALPS encoder but mine works great. It does have a wide open front end so the PR-150 pre-selector is quite a necessity, together with the Autek QF-1A audio filter and the Palstar SP30 speaker I now have my ideal shortwave receiving set up. The sync detector on AM is the best ever, now saving up for Palstar's MW pre-selector/antenna for some great MW dx'ing.
G7TOK Rating: 2005-10-17
Solid Time Owned: N.A.
Simple operation.
Built like a tank.

But the real standout is the synchronous AM mode.
It is the finest available, no contest.
Forget your Drakes, Ten-Tecs, AORs, etc etc.
Nothing locks on like this receiver, and it hangs in there too.
Receiver performance is pleasing too, with tremendous receive audio.
The only thing missing is the ability to narrow the bandwidth for SSB etc.
K2JN Rating: 2005-10-16
Simple and sturdy gem! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought mine new over 10 years ago from the defunct Electronic Equipment Bank store in Virginia. I love the overall construction and simplistic operation. The only negative is that the original Lowe 12V power supply can be a bit noisy. Other users have found substitutes with better regulation. However, NICAD operation is quiet and almost a must if you want to preserve your memory settings.

I recently picked up the IF-150 computer interface as a clearance item from Lowe in the UK. The IF-150 software is fairly simple and is written for DOS. However, there are several vendors selling Windows-compatible control software that will operate the IF-150.

Overall, I love this radio and will probably own it until it falls apart.
7J1ALV Rating: 2005-10-08
Terriic audio! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought one of these on eBay that was advertised as having only been "lightly used" but a few days after receiving it the Volume ON/OFF switch broke and I later discovered that the rear External Speaker jack had had so much use that it no longer held a plug firmly. Although both of these faults suggest heavy use, they really shouldn't happen in a well-built set.

I also have an HF-225. Its audio seems to me to be every bit as good as the HF-150, certainly when hooked up to a good external speaker (I use an old Kenwood SP-930), and because it has more controls I find it easier to use. But it's bigger, doesn't have quite as impressive a case, and doesn't seem to do more than the HF-150 although it's easier to get it to do it.

So if you get a chance to pick up an HF-150 you should so. Sonically and electronically it's a marvel; the heavy-duty alloy case is a joy to behold, especially in these days of cheap and nasty lightweight plastic enclosures; and the audio is fantastic -- but watch out for worn switches and sockets.
2E0WPZ Rating: 2003-07-05
Top notch Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought second hand for £110 with keypad. Does this little gem have any competition ?? i think not. No bells and whistles but with my DSP unit in line the audio is about as good as it gets. Up against my Icom756 I would say that it is a quieter receive with just as good a selectivity. Charges up a set of 2,000 mAp hr batteries within the radio and(probably because of the lack of backlit display)last a long time between charges(which is done when the radio is turned off but still connected to the mains)To be able to walk out in the garden with just a length of wire and no power is superb.Getting back to the audio quality from such a small internal speaker"if they can do it then why not others" you just don`t need an external speaker with this rig. My Icom R75 beats it only through having TPBTuning. Come to think of it! doesn`t the MFJ 784B have a form of PBT?? put that with the 150 and I think it could easily become my favourite SWL rig.