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Reviews For: Yaesu FRG-7

Category: Receivers: General Coverage

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FRG-7
Reviews: 53MSRP: 300.00
Description:
General Coverage Receiver
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.crocuta.com/FRG7/index.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00534.7
K9EUI Rating: 2007-12-09
Not too bad for its age Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I am on my 2nd FRG-7. I'd say for when it was designed, and for the price, it is a good receiver. I won't comment on the bandwidth/filtering - it's pretty much all been said. If you want to get picky, the tone switch is pretty useless as is the attenuator (unless you have a matched antenna).

Mine has some warm-up drift (more than a solid state receiver should have in my opinion). I am not sure yet if it is the VFO or BFO that is drifty but will find out.

But for the design it is a pretty hot receiver.
MI3LVZ Rating: 2007-10-31
Good old girl Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I was given a FRG7 by a fellow ham and all round nice guy (MI3WJO) Billy. With this old lady there's none of this lets push a button and away we go! You have to work the old girl and the results are very satisfying, a little bit deaf on the weak stations but then i am using an improvised length of wire as an antenna at the moment. When listening with the cans on you can here a difference of sorts when using the tone switch. The meter can be a bit optimistic but we can live with that. As iv no more room in the shack, i have mine in the living room and it will take you right back to the 1970s just by looking at the old lady, once The Generation Game and Z Cars are over i reach over and turn her on and listen to what the world has to say for its self.
Thanks Billy.
KE5KGA Rating: 2007-10-21
Excellent general coverage receiver that is also servicable Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased a nice FRG-7 on eBay for $187.00, it works super except I had to repair the input pad. Last owner had keyed into it. I will also buy another FRG-7 as a spare.(can't get enough) Today it would be cost prohibitive to mfg these receivers as Yaesu once did. This unit is very serviceable.

Bruce
KE5KGA
AARON2007 Rating: 2007-06-10
Radio Awsome! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have just purchased the FRG-7 and it is in excellent condition. It has 3 mods and an excellent filter in it. This radio picks up most frequince around the world. I would recommend it to anyone!
JLH63UK Rating: 2007-05-19
ebay special 60 quid Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
good radio and is very sensitive and covers all the hf.set is a joy to use and is built to last and will go on for ever.
it may be old but this one is as good as new and all original inside came with owners manual.
now the bad points one, that is the filter is far far to wide at 7khz max, pathetic,but it can be changed as i am going to use it on ssb only i will fit a 2.5khz ssb filter i have no use for AM,all in all quite good.JEFF..... ENGLAND>>uk
G4KKI Rating: 2006-08-04
had one sold it regretted it. Time Owned: N.A.
I always wanted an frg7 when they first came out in the 70's but could never afford one. Then in the 80's i got one in mint condition and loved it. For some reason i sold it and regretted it not long after. Recently i bought another one on ebay. It was not very well when it arrived, been got at. But it did have a 2khz filter fitted and after a bit of work it is now allmost back to how it should be. This receiver might be old hat these days but they are still highly thought of and have stood the test of time. I will not be selling this one and it will be used daily as general coverage and as a seperate rxer on the amateur bands along with simple cw transmitters. I waited a long time to get another one but it has been well worth the wait.
SHEETS_GUY Rating: 2006-07-13
A Steal Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just got the FRG-7 I purchased on e-bay. Of course, it wasn't quite as described and needed an alignment but once that I got that taken care, I was blown away.

The most sensitive radio in my shack, particularly on MW, dusting my 535D, R8-A and R390A. I was shocked at how daytimers 250 miles away sounded almost like locals. Of course, for $200 you don't get it all. Selectivity through the 6khz filter isn't so hot. Cubans sandwiched between 2 locals were unreadable on the Frog while clearly heard on the other 3. My guess is it's more the bandwidth than the dynamic range. I'd love to add-on a couple of filters and see what this baby can do. I know Kiwa does a mod that's adds a 4 khz filter but ideally I like to add a 4khz and a 2khz one. I also had a few issues with the Kiwa mod to my 535D so I'm not sure about using their mod for the FRG-7. (If anyone's got any ideas on who might put in a couple of filters and replace the caps please e-mail me at c-i.meyers@att.net).

All in all, a gem of a performer and a fun radio to just tool around with.

P.S. While the fidelity through the internal speaker isn't up to R8 standards, it's not bad. Better than the stock 535D.
N4UE Rating: 2006-03-30
Kiwa modifications Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just finished installing the Kiwa modifications in my FRG-7.

I installed both the Audio Update and the Mini Filter Switch Board.
Cost for both (including shipping) was $91.

Quality of the parts was excellent and the instructions were very clear. Kiwa even supplies solder wick (the best I have ever used) and some high quality solder.

Removal of a couple of the old caps was slightly difficult due to the connection of jumper wires to the solder pad side of the audio board, but it is pretty simple.

The IF bandwith seems near perfect (I would have liked a CW bandwidth also).

These mods along with the mod to the 'fine tuning' control, have turned this already impressive receiver into an excellent performer.
The radio still amazes me, since there are NOT a whole lot of components inside!

ron

N4UE
PARTICRACY Rating: 2006-01-04
Fun to Drive Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Over 20 years ago when I first got interested in SWLing, I used to read about the exotic DX that was captured by other people. My modest receiver at the time was not up to the task. When I finally took the plunge and bought second hand FRG 7 off ebay two decades later I have to say I was delighted. The preselector combats noise to some degree and the main tuning dial was a delight to use, more so after I added a couple of drops of oil in the relevant places.
The audio is great, and the cosmetics of the radio just 'look' right.
I was so impressed that I went on to buy a second FRG 7 off ebay. When I received it it was not in great condition, however some careful cleaning work and replacement of the burned out bulbs with white LEDS made radio look great.
It too is now a pleasure to drive. I am so glad I have a spare FROG7 if i need it.

It is in use most days and I never get bored with it.
KB3LYP Rating: 2005-08-22
I always wanted one! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I started DXing back in the mid-1970s and was very active in the old SPEEDX club. Back then, it looked like all the serious DXers were using a FRG7. This was before the days of widespread digital rigs. I was only a teenager and couldn't hope to ever afford one, but that never stopped me from wanting one.

I finally bought one off eBay for about $195. Mine is an earlier model without the fine tuning knob, but that isn't much of a distraction. The senstivity is fine but the selectivity could be better. But I have few complaints against the old classic. It is serving me well in my DXing, both on the ham and SW bands. Everything they said about it 30 years ago was true!