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Reviews For: Palstar R30

Category: Receivers: General Coverage

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Review Summary For : Palstar R30
Reviews: 44MSRP: 749. USD
Description:
LW/MW/SW Shortwave Receiver
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.palstar.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00444.2
REZ Rating: 2003-07-30
Nice portable Rig! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Instead of a mass production portable,I decided to buy a small simple well made portable tabletop. I looked at the 4lb.discontinued bomb proof lowes hf-150,classic radio but it had no backlight,unless you can find an updated hf150 europa version,which is very tough by the way.also the drake SW8 is nice, but still kinda oversized compared to the Palstar R30 which is half the weight of both. and just as simple to operate and well made with excellent electronic stability. the minute you turn it on,you hear the quality of the audio.I'm mostly a shortwave listener and must say it really pulls in a strong sw signal.the sensitivity is excellent.It seems alot of thought and planning went into the design of this Gem! my only complaint is the batteries has to be inserted by removing the cover which has 5 screws.but I guess I can live with that. also very important is service. the designer Paul is a great guy. I called him for a simple minor annoyance and he gave me the remedy and the optional part number from Radioshack.now that's service!I did purchase mine with the Collins filter,I probably wont use it but I guess the name collins associated with the radio adds prestige. good luck! happy listening!
Ciao!
W2VD Rating: 2003-03-05
Great SWL RX Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've owned my R30 for some time now. It is a great SWL receiver, for both base and portable use. I had mine fitted with the Collins filter. The audio sounds very nice, and the receiver does well in my high RF environment (NYC). No bells and whistles, just a solid little receiver. I'm hanging onto this one.
NZ7C Rating: 2003-03-05
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is my second commentary. I just ordered my second R30 from Paul (really nice guy - the designer).I had to sell my first R30 to help finance a Ham radio that had general coverage. I've since sold the general coverage receiver and gone back to Ham band only Ten Tec Omni VI+ and an Elecraft K2/100. Then I ordered another R30 for the SWL fun - I rechecked the market etc and I still believe this is the best rig on the market for very high quality basics, small footprint and portability. The money was put where it should be as far as my needs may go. The Palstar is not for everyone, but those who appreciate quality will appreciate the R30. I do wish it had a circuit for using a smart charger to recharge batteries without removing the top - but that's my only "wish" - otherwise I think it's perfect. BTW it fits really well next to a K2!
TGOLL Rating: 2002-10-25
The best of 4 RX Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Added the Palstar R-30, which in Europe is also available under the Lowe HF-350 label, to my collection of a Yaesu FR-101, a Yaesu FR-8800 and a ICOM IC-PCR1000. There are a number of factors and characteristics that set the R30 apart from the others:

a) no front end overload, even on a loop skywire (the PCR1000 reacts hopelessly, the FRG-8800 needs the attenuator engaged, the FR-101 copes almost as well as the R30)

b) Crispness of reception and audio

c) Simple but effective tuning procedure

The proof is the taste of the pudding - I use the R30 more often than any of the other receivers.

What would I like to see improved ?

a) would like to see a heavier tuning knob

b) would like to see a means to re-sort memory positions e.g. by frequency and to selectively erase memory positions

c) frequency range extended down to 10 or 20 kHz

There are one or more two items on the wishlist (e.g. remore control by a PC) but I realize this would add greatly to what at least here in Europe was a very attractive price
HLH41 Rating: 2002-10-24
Best I have used! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Best SWL receiver I have used up till now.
Does not have all the bells and whistles, just
outstanding quality and performance.
My TenTec RX-320 is great but tied to the computer.
I love my FRG-7, but use the Palstar R30 when not
at the computer. The ssb reception is likewise
solid as a rock.
Cannot find anything, to gripe about, Even love
that so called wobbly tuning knob. It just works
great!
W2DAP Rating: 2002-05-31
Wow that audio! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The R30 is a wonderful little radio with big features; Paul and the crew really thought this one out.

The receiver looks good, is solid as a rock mechanically and stable electrically. Mine has the Collins filter option and I strongly recommend it. The shape factor appears close to ideal for most sideband work and because the filter is well integrated there appears to be minimal leakage, if any at all; the result is great selectivity, superior audio and excellent dynamic range. This unit is quiet.

The design is a no frills straigtforward one providing what you need and omitting what you usually don't. Quality is evident when you examine the beautiful wiring and well laid-out boards. I like the analog meter, I find the memories easy to use and to get in and out of and the large LCD display is readable even if you choose to conserve battery power and not use the lamps. I have had mine for a couple of days and am using 10 internal alkalines. A cube is provided for AC operation and, of course, you can use an external gel cell for portability.

I would like to see a NR circuit and a heavy-weighted tuning knob but as it is, the Palstar is a winner and outperforms many high end receivers and transceivers.

Using the built in speaker, the audio is fine...add the external unit offered by Palstar and if you like AM, it will knock your socks off!

You can talk to or write the company owner....he is a real person who cares about customer satisfaction; how many companies can you deal with today and find this kind of courtesy?

I heartily recommend this unit and am thinking about purchasing a second!
N8YV Rating: 2002-05-01
Well-made, BUT... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I owned this receiver and I agree with most of the good things that have been posted about it. I cannot, however concur that it is a 5/5 product.
What keeps me from assigning it a full "five stars", are a couple of points.

First, the receiver's total lack of noise-fighting ability is a definite drawback to me (and presumably, to others using it in high-noise areas). No noise blanker and no noise limiter means that you get everything out there, including the signal, noise from power lines and appliances, RF "hash", clicks, pops, crackles and buzzes of every conceivable sort coming out of the speaker.

Secondly, my R30 exhibited an annoying tendency to "creep" in frequency over time. I'm not concerned with "warm-up" drift, which is common to nearly all non-TCXO-equipped rigs to one degree or another. This is normal, and usually stabilized after about 30-45 minutes. What I had trouble with, was that the frequency gradually, over a period of about 10-14 days, would move noticeably around 2-3 KHz.

In many other areas of performance, however the R30 is a great-performing receiver with the moxy to stand up to the best. Its mechanical construction is first-rate, with a very rugged cabinet and simple, uncluttered design.

N1LF Rating: 2002-04-11
Amazing Radio-Exceptional Value! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
After getting heavily involved with AM BCB DXing last fall, I quickly found out that my Icom 746 wasn't up to the task.

After asking lots of questions about which receivers to purchase on both the National Radio Club and IRCA E-mail lists, several experienced
DX'ers pointed me towards the Palstar R30. At first glance, I was skeptical...however, upon
purchasing the unit and trying it out, that quickly faded.

This radio is rugged, no-nonsense, and easy to
operate. The IMD specs and audio quality compare
very well indeed with even "dream" receivers like
the Drake R-8.

Every dime of the unit's cost has been put into
quality components, not bells and whistles.

The audio is a thing of beauty when coupled to a
decent external speaker...in fact, I often use
this receiver to judge the audio quality of
SSB signals since it's passband is virtually
DC to 6khz.

I also own an Icom R75, a Kenwood R-5000, and an Icom PR-100...this receiver is a better performer than all of these and at a very nice price. Could it use things like computer control,
sync AM, internal battery charger, etc. Sure!
But it would also raise the cost and likely not
net you any more DX.

I've used it with loops, longwires, and active
whips..both portable and fixed, including DXing from a cruise ship. It outperforms every portable
I've owned (including my Sony) and also all but the most expensive base receivers.

Like other reviewers, I recommend tuning DX in ECSS mode...and I've also found that it's helpful if you fill the memories with the BCB
channels skipping every other one. For example, start with 530khz, then 550khz, 570khz, etc. This saves a lot of time turning the knob.

I use a small gel cell when operating porable. The entire outfit, including a small active whip antenna fits nicely in a camera bag, and you've got near base station performance.

If you're fan of this little gem, we've started
a discussion group about it on Yahoo. To join visit:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/palstar/

(Other discussion groups mentioned in these reviews have been terminated. This group remains
active.)
AB0HI Rating: 2001-10-14
Great Radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a great radio. I have owned one for over a year with no problems. It stacks up to some of the best shortwave radios costing $300-$400 more. No bells or whistle. This radio is based on and built with quality craftsmanship. Customer service is the best in the industry. Great for AM band dxing also.

If you are too lazy to spin a dial this radio is not for you. Also, if you want your radio to look like the cockpit of a 747 this radio is not for you. If you want a great sounding radio and simple to operate, this is it.
KC2GKL Rating: 2001-08-29
I'm generally impressed Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Palstar R-30 Review by Gary Wilt

After reading Gerry Thomas's excellent R-30 review, as well as
many others on Eham.net, I decided that it may be time for me
to go ahead and purchase an R-30, since I've read more positive
then negative reviews about it. So I went ahead and purchased
my R-30 from Grove Enterprises. I decided to order from Grove,
mainly because they had the R-30 on sale at the time, and their
return policy is second to none. I was very happy to receive the
receiver just two days after placing the order.

What to expect when it arrives....

The receiver is fairly well packaged. The entire package consists
of a heavy duty outer cardboard box. The radio itself is wrapped in
clear plastic and is then wrapped in an additional inner heavy
cardboard type sleeve. The supplied AC adapter is housed in its own
smaller box, and is then inserted into a heavier weight small
cardboard box and is then laid across the face of the radio. The
outside of the box only indicates the receiver's name and serial
number on one of the end flaps, otherwise, the box is rather benign.
You'll find no large company logo names or model numbers, as is so
often the case by other manufacturers.

At First Glance....

After seeing many photos of the R-30 on the Internet, I was
truly amazed at just how small the radio is. The pictures I have
seen can make one believe that the radio is much larger then
what it actually is. In my opinion, the R-30 is in the same league
with the size of a Lowe HF-150, but is somewhat wider, and much
lighter. Construction quality appears to be fairly good overall,
but not up to the tank like exterior of the HF-150.

Quite honestly, the R-30 isn't the prettiest receiver available, but
this isn't the reason why I purchased it. My main concerns were how
well it performs, as well as, the ability of it to become portable.

There are very few good performing radios available that allow
portability. Yes, there are many portable radios out there, but
many of them must be discounted as they are poor performers.
Undoubtedly, the best of the bunch is the famous Sony 2010, but this
radio is fairly heavy, especially when you add the "D" cell batteries
inside of it. It is also notorious for having overloading problems.
The Lowe HF-150 would be my ideal choice, but it doesn't have a
backlit display, unless you're able to find the newer Europa model,
and there's no S-meter. The original HF-150's front end also leaves a
little to be desired.

This is where the R-30 really seems to stand out. It sports a nicely
backlit display, as well as a clear and accurate analog S-meter. It
is also lightweight, and from what I've read has a very good front
end. These features alone seem to make it the perfect "carry along"
radio, especially one that's capable of performing very well.

Initial Impressions....

Upon first inspection it's apparent that the radio has a minimum
of front panel controls. There's the obvious VFO knob, which when
pressed, changes the tuning rate between 500 Hz or 20 Hz steps.
While I'm now on this subject, I'd like to comment further about
the VFO knob. It appears that it is manufactured from a plastic
material that feels lightweight to the touch. I also noticed a
slight wobble when it was turned. I'm not sure if the knob itself
is off a bit or if it's the shaft that its mounted on that gives this
wobble effect. Otherwise, it does spin very smoothly, and seems
to perform well. There's also no indicator light that lets the user
know if the tuning rate is set for 500 Hz or 20 Hz steps. The easiest
way to find out I found, is by looking at how rapidly the digits
change on the display. I also found the switch portion of the VFO
knob that selects the tuning rates, to be a rather clumsy method of
doing so. At first, I wasn't sure if I had pressed the knob or not,
as it's a momentary type of switch and one without much feel. But
with a little practice I did become more accustomed to how this
feature functions.

Elsewhere on the front panel, there are 5 small push buttons located
below the LCD display that control Memory, Mode, Bandwidth, Attenuator,
and AGC. There are also two more small push buttons to the right of
the VFO knob that control Up/Down frequency stepping, in 500 Khz
increments/decrements. There are also small LED indicators above the
Attenuator, Bandwidth, and AGC buttons. These are used as a reminder
of their settings. Another 3 small red LED indicators are located just
to the left of the LCD display. These indicate the current operating
mode, i.e. AM/LSB/USB. The only other control is the Volume/Power
switch. A 1/4" headphone jack is also provided on the front panel, and
lastly there is the very nice analog "S" meter, which is very clearly
labled from S1 to +60dB.

The radio also features a heavy tilt bail located on the bottom panel.
This helps aid in the viewing of the front panel when it's extended.
The radio does have feet on the bottom, the front ones of which are a
bit taller then the ones in the rear. This also helps to elevate the
radio a bit, but the tilt up bail really improves front panel
viewability.

The LCD display is easy to view from most angles and is adequately
backlit. Likewise, the analog "S" meter is also very easy to read
and clearly lit. The backlighting on both can be turned off via a
pushbutton switch located on the rear panel of the radio. This
certainly will help conserve battery consumption while the radio is
powered via the non-supplied internal "AA" cell batteries.

The rear panel of the radio features the typical SO-239 low
impedance antenna connector, spring terminals for the attachment
of higher impedance antennas, the pushbutton switch which turns on/off
the LCD/S-meter backlighting, (as was mentioned above). Also provided
is a switch that allows power to be applied onto the SO-239 antenna
connector, and the connection for the supplied AC adapter. A 1/4"
jack is also supplied for connection of an external speaker, and
there's also a Ground screw terminal, which allows for proper
grounding of the radio.

Powering it up, or "So how does it perform, you may ask"?.....

Please understand that I'm only sharing how the radio performs in
my part of the world. Your mileage may vary. I live in what's known
as a highly "polluted" RF environment. So what do I mean by this? I
live only a few miles north of the infamous Meadowlands here in
northern NJ. Many high power AM transmitters reside here. Also, to my
north I have WABC 770, which has its transmitter located in Lodi, NJ,
another problem for me. So my DXing experiences are a real challenge
for myself, especially when DXing the BCB band. I also am using a
home made loop antenna for MW DXing, so that must also be considered.
For the HF bands I use a long wire sloper antenna and my Cushcraft
multi-band vertical antenna.

Tuning Around....

A. MW Band

I soon attached my home made loop, and decided to try to pull
in a few of the harder to hear long range daytime MW stations. My
first stop was on 640 Khz. There is a low power daytime station in
Connecticut. This one for me is pretty difficult to hear. I was happy
when the R-30 managed to pull it in with about an S-1 and nice clear
audio. In fact, after tuning around a bit more I was generally very
impressed how well the R-30 managed to pull in more of these long
range daytime stations, even if they were located on a frequency
next to or nearby a strong local station. I was able to hear stations
up to 150 miles from me with crisp, clear audio.

A few nights later I tried my hand to see if I could hear some TA
(Trans-Atlantic), stations. I did manage to hear hets on 890, 1090,
1250, and 1520, and then even heard some Arabic chanting audio on
1521 from Saudi Arabia. I've only done this previously with my older
Drake R-8 and with my Kenwood R-5000 receivers. This was a great
thrill for me and clearly shows that the R-30 can hold its own with
the bigger communication receivers.

I don't have any test equipment to perform accurate test measurement
evaluations, but I do have extensive experience with many types of
receivers that I have once owned. Over the years I've had the pleasure
of owning the following communication receivers; Drake R-8, Kenwood
R-5000, Lowe HF-150, and a Drake SW-8. I'd have to rate the Palstar
R-30 right up there with those as far as sensitivity and selectivity
is concerned.

The R-30 is rated at 2uV sensitivity, and has been measured as low
as 0.5uV by some reviewers. While these are an excellent numbers,
many good DXers know that sensitivity is not the only important
factor for snaring good DX. Selectivity is also a very important
specification in how well a radio can separate adjacent stations.
In my opinion this spec is even more important then sensitivity. I
found the R-30 to be very good in this aspect. I was able to
clearly listen to many stations that were located right next my
stronger locals. Readability only improved when I switched into ECSS,
(exalted-carrier) mode. I noticed that it's also possible to tune
away from a neighboring interfering station when in the AM mode. This
also helped to reduce nearby splatter and allows one to hear the
desired station much more clearly. I did notice that my R-30 was
slightly off frequency when I used ECSS, by around 150 Hz, but this
was later corrected by myself. I also tried using the narrower
bandwidth while in the AM mode, but it appeared to significantly
muffle the audio, more so then what I had expected. I did expect
some degradation of audio, but not as much as what I had experienced.
My best results were obtained when tuning in ECSS, or when I tuned
away from the interfering station in the AM mode.

Audio quality is also quite good with the internal built in speaker,
and seems to improve dramatically further with the use of an external
speaker. I personally enjoy using Radio Shack's little OPTIMUS video
cube speaker. They're designed for voice frequencies and seem to match
up well with just about any radio I have ever used it on. I believe
their still available today, but now carry the RCA brand name on them.

A major factor in my decision to purchase the Palstar R-30 was that
most of the reviews I found stated that it had a very good front end,
one that was good at handling strong signals. I've experienced
overloading problems with many receivers in the past, but I can
honestly say that I've experienced no overloading problems
what-so-ever with this receiver. The front end on the R-30 really
is well designed.


B. HF Bands.....

Tuning around on the HF bands, I was able to copy many of the
International broadcasters. Radio New Zealand was very strong on
17.675, as was Radio Australia during the early morning hours. In
fact, many of the International broadcasting stations were easily
heard with great sounding audio emanating from my external speaker.
With the R-30's clear, low distortion audio, anyone could listen to
program content hour after hour without becoming fatigued.

I also spent a good deal of time on the amateur bands, in
particular 20m. The band was open one night and I was able to
easily copy many operators from all over Europe with no problems.
The receiver is very stable after a short warm-up period, and
once a station is tuned in, it stays rock steady, without the
need for any additional re-tuning. Even many of the utility
stations and WX-FAX stations were stable and clear. It's good to
see that Palstar has made a good quality stable receiver for serious
SSB and Utility work. Best stability appears to be after the receiver
has warmed up. This generally takes place after about a 10 minute
period when the radio is operated in a room temperature. It may take
longer if the radio is used outdoors in cooler weather.

The AGC also performs as expected. The slow setting performs
very well and the time constant is just about right. I found myself
using the fast setting when tuning around high power or local stations,
and I used the slow time setting for SSB, utility stations and after
I tuned in a station I wanted to listen to.

Portability....

Another important factor in purchasing this radio for me was it's
ability to be operated as a portable. The R-30 can operate from
internally inserted "AA" cells. This is a great feature, and makes
it easy for taking the R-30 along with you during DXpeditions, hiking,
or just lounging in the park or a backyard.

In this section I will try to describe how to install the batteries,
because it does require a bit of work. The first step is to remove
the 4 screws which secure the top cover. They are located in pairs
on each of the lower sides on the radio. After removing all four of
them, carefully lift off the top cover, taking special care of the
wires connected to the top mounted speaker. I found it easiest to lay
the cover on its side and placed towards the back of the radio.

Next, remove the screw that holds down the battery retaining bar, and
then lift the bar from right to left. The left side of the bar is
inserted into a notch. (It appears that the function of this bar is
to prevent a battery from popping out of the holder while in transit.)
Next, install 10 'AA' batteries, preferably Alkaline type, and be
careful to insert each of them noting their correct polarity.
Replace the battery bar, screw, top cover, and 4 cover screws in
that order.

The radio appears to perform very well when I operated it on the
internal batteries. From what I've read battery life isn't the
best, but this is to be expected. Battery life will suffer greatly
if the backlight is on, so be sure to turn it off to help
conserve battery drain. I'd expect several hours of usage from
a fresh set of alkaline batteries, probably long enough for one good
DX session.

My Closing Comments....

Overall I found the Palstar R-30 to be a very good receiver.
Certainly one sensitive and selective enough to pull out weak
DX. Whether you enjoy DXing the medium wave band, International
Broadcasters or Utilities on the HF bands, the R-30 should serve
you quite well.

The audio quality is among the best I've heard. I would rate it
up there with the Drakes, though not as bassy, and not as bold
as the HF-150, but very good sounding indeed. The radio is built
solidly, though I would still take care when carrying it with you.
I did find a nice little carrying case at my local Radio Shack store
which seems to hold the radio and the adapter securely in place.

The radio is certainly small enough to take along with you
on DXpeditions or while monitoring on the go. While it does not
have all the features that a "real" DX radio may offer, the R-30
seems to get along without them just fine. The excellent, low
distortion audio quality is really an added bonus, and seems to help
the readability of stations in many situations. ECSS mode does work,
though I found I had to shift the frequency just a little bit, which
I later corrected. The audio in the ECSS mode does seem to decrease
somewhat, but was remedied by increasing the volume slightly.

In conclusion, this is a very fine offering from Palstar. I must
commend them for the fine job they've done. The receiver seems well
priced, performs very well and is built solidly. I would recommend
it to anyone looking for a bare bones work horse that's capable of
pulling in DX with great sounding audio, and for a radio that can
be taken along on those outdoor adventures. It's certainly smaller
and lighter then Drakes now retired SW-8 and it's lighter then the
harder to find Lowe HF-150.

I do wonder if Palstar will offer an upgrade for this receiver
sometime in the future. Most preferably, I'd like to see them
change the VFO tuning knob to a heavier type material. I'd
also like to see them change the way the Memory function works, as
there doesn't seem to be an easy way to go back to the VFO mode
once your in it, other then to retune. I'd also like to see Palstar
add an outboard keypad if possible, as was done with the HF-150.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review. I hope it is of
some benefit to someone out there. I'd also like to invite those of
you who own an R-30, or those of you who are thinking about the
purchase of one, to join the R-30 discussion group that I started by
going to here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Palstar_r30


Best wishes and Good Listening to all,
Gary