| GW4RWR |
Rating:    |
2003-01-31 | |
| The old 'Frog'. You have to love it! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have good memories of the FRG-7. This wireless introduced me to amateur radio, when I was fourteen. I used it for my introduction to contesting, a two hour SWL contest on 7MHz. I came last!
For:
Very nice audio, both on AM and especially on strong SSB signals.
Pleasing tough metallic finish.
Plenty of room within for modifications. I added a VHF converter, with selectable antenna feeds. I recall someone converting this into a transceiver, although I think that was going too far. I removed the cylindrical kHz dial, replaced it with digital readout.
Uses the internal battery without switching, if AC power fails.
Against:
455kHz filtering is too wide for SSB, leading to high pitched of 'chatter' in the background when the band's full of signals. COnversely, S/N ratio is noticeably poor when copying weak signals.
Rather fiddly to set up on frequency, for those of you who've never had the pleasure of this radio, apart from turning the VFO, you must:
-choose one of four band segments,
-choose the MHz segment by ensuring PLL LED off,
-peak the preselector.
This quickly becomes second nature, and isn't really a hassle. At least it wasn't for me, but then I didn't know any better at the time.
Useless 'Automatic noise limiter' for AM. Does yours work?
Useless audio filtering - 'narrow' and 'wide' don't help listening.
Strangely named 'local' or 'dx' attenuator. I recall that they offered about 20dB & 6dB of loss.
AGC speed was too fast.
Volts to the panel lamps are not regulated, with the volume up, they will dim at syllabic rate!
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| TIMSWL |
Rating:      |
2002-08-16 | |
| Never to part with my frog |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I bought my frog used from a local ham radio store back in 1983 and will never part with it.
I know that digital readouts and all that new stuff is "better", but there's just something about spinning those dials and the world falls out of your speaker that endears the FRG-7 to one's heart.
That and the superlative reception that I get with my very basic set up... I'm running the random wire antenna(s) that came with the unit, push-pinned around the ceiling of my room, with a simple ground to water pipe out the window. WOW! Great reception with such a crummy antenna set up!
One of these days I'll get an outside antenna and a digital readout radio, but in the meantime I have absolutely no complaints... just hours and hours of great fun DXing up and down the dial.
If you don't have a frog, get one! Kudos to Yeasu. |
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| G4SGI |
Rating:      |
2002-07-28 | |
| Truely a classic |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I got my FRG-7 as a young lad of 16, so that makes it 22 years old now. I make no apologies for being dewey-eyed over this classic receiver - it was the first radio I ever owned and is very dear to my heart. It's been left unused for years (with my parents for several years) but I have recently plumbed it into my HF antennas alongside modern radios for use once again.
On revival after storage it needed a good clean of the mechanical capacitors to clear them of dust so the LO worked and the PCBs needed to be unscrewed then tightened back down so that GND made proper contact - that was all after the best part of a decade dormanant.
I had fitted the Timestep FM board when the radio was still new and this still works fine (it replaces the AM-NB position on the mode switch). It seemed such a shame to tear out the mechanical dial, so I still have the original dial.
I have owned many SWL radios over the years (tabletop and portable) and only recently have modern designs returned to the audio quality you get with this simple circuit. It needs some TLC from time to time and is getting every more fragile as the years go by, but this sturdy and simple design should go on for a lot longer.
Of course, I will never part with this great radio despite its limitations (VFO drift, poor strong signal handling, no synchronous detector, no digital display or memories, no choice of IF filter, etc...) - who really needs all these features anyway :-) I like this radio because of the old style Wadley loop based design which makes you to use three knobs to tune it, the great audio quality, and the robustness and staying power of this design (how many modern designs will still be around in 20 years). |
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| G7NVL |
Rating:      |
2002-04-26 | |
| Fantastic radio |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
The FRG-7 was my first "proper" short wave radio.
I bought mine new whilst at college in 1982, one of the last to be produced. Sadly I sold it in 1988, still in mint condition, and have regretted it ever since.
Since then I have aquired 2 second hand FRG-7's and will keep them forever!
Despite having radios that cost ten times the price of my FRG-7's, I keep going back to the old Frog.
The speaker gives good audio and the sensitivity is good.
My only wish is to have a narrower filter for SSB/CW as the standard 6Khz filter is too wide. |
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| KD6JLS |
Rating:      |
2002-04-22 | |
| Best radio I ever had |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| When my parents moved us to a spanish speaking country as a kid in the mid 70s, my father's FRG-7 replaced our television as the center of family entertainment. I spent every afternoon and evening listening to the BBC, Radio Nederland, and Radio Japan. I still have it hooked up in my office after all these years. It probably did more to form my view of the world than any teacher in a classroom, and it still picks up SW stations better than the digital radios I have purchased since. I'm saving it for one of my nephews or my neice when they get old enough to appreciate it. If you can find one of these babies, buy it. |
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| KU2US |
Rating:      |
2002-04-22 | |
| Owned for 22 years |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I bought my Frog in 1980 New. Have been using it ever since on a regular basis. My antenna is a trapped long wire, 10 meters to 160 meters-73' long. I added 130' more to the end-WOW. I listen for Medium Wave AM DX broadcasts. I had the aportunity to use the Grundig Satelite 800. Here are my findings. While the '800 has better filtering, My FRG-7 actually outperformed the Grundig on the AM bands? Better sound, selectivity, and VALUE..Maybe I am partial, but I just cannot see a big difference for an approx. $600. price difference (MSRP). I am not knocking the Grundig-it is a great radio, but Yaesu had a great circuit in mind when they used the Wadley Loop. A classic-YES, A Great performer for the bucks-YES, easy to up-grade-YES, Good looking-YES, readily available on the aftermarket, YES, for now, but not for long. If you have a FRG-7, Keep it, If you want one-Get it now. They are up to about $200-$250. on ebay. Remember one thing, The Frog is a great radio, BUT, it is only as good as your antenna, same for any rig. For the $$$ I paid for it new in 1980, 22 years later-now, I give it a 5 out of 5..I know many agree-Thank You Yaesu... |
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| VE3WBE |
Rating:      |
2002-03-10 | |
| Habitforming |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I also bought mine second hand and enjoyed using it for years. It rekindled my interest in radio and lead me to get my Ham licence. I then passed it to my brother in law who has since purchased a newer radio and is contemplating his ham licence.
These radios work well, are inexpensive and easy to set up with a minimal antenna. Be warned-an FRG-7 will just be the start. |
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| G7VAK |
Rating:      |
2002-03-10 | |
| Brilliant Receiver |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Having seen an FRG-7 in use in a friends shack in the early 70's I always wanted to buy one. Just over a year ago I purchased a model second hand at Pickett's Lock. The receiver works well and efficiently, its only negative point being a coating of nicotine from the previous owners habit.
The receiver maintains frequency accuracy as one would expect, stability is excellent and drives a Data Reader without drift. The audio reponse is also good.
Having analogue tuning could be a handicap but I cut my teeth on valve equipment that needed the skills of 'accurate estimation'. The almost linear tuning scale takes the hard work away.
If this receiver has any design fault it is with the Fine tuning control, which is too near the main tuning and too harsh for its job. Personally I do not use it. Second-hand it may be, value for money it certainly is. [£50 Picketts Lock]. |
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| GRANT |
Rating:      |
2002-01-31 | |
| AMAZING! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Just got mine today and I am absolutely amazed! I've got the Sears version of the Yaesu FRG-7 (same radio - just has Sears on it) and its pulling in EVERYTHING on a "20 inch" piece of wire attached to a metal bed frame indoors! I can't wait to hook this bad boy up to a proper longwire antenna and start reeling in some good ones. Having never operated a radio like this one (and not having a manual), the first 10 minutes consisted of me turning a knob then scratching my head then turning another knob then scratching again, but, its really easy to figure out after a few minutes and its amazingly accurate for a non-digital model. If you can get one of these - DO IT! I read the reviews on here and at other sights, and strangely, this seemed to be the ONLY SW radio every reviewer seemed to LOVE! Now I know why - it pulls in the signals, is LOUD and CLEAR and is just plain FUN! Not bad for a radio over 20 years old. I LOVE it! : ) |
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| KG6GLN |
Rating:      |
2001-06-05 | |
| Excellent, cool, retro receiver |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
| This is an excellent analog receiver. If you don't mind having to switch a knob and rotate 3 dials to bring in a station, it's great <g>. That being said, it really pulls all the stations in with ease, does not overload and sounds smooth and clear with the large front firing speaker. They are still widely available (good looking ones are getting a little scarce), but if you notice the prices, they are still highly prized pieces of hardware. For a fully analog unit, it is extremely accurate in its tuning and very stable with the Wadley Loop system. Using and listening to this receiver is just plain fun! |
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