Below follows a video for Stephen H, Loic, Paul W and others who have watched the video of the SSB receive and have asked me to make another video with some other radios in use side by side. So I will start of with a side by side with the Grant II and later in the weeks will follow the Lincoln II, Lincoln 1 and whatever else is here.
So to the run down of what is used.
Antenna Switch: CS600 Coax & Patch Leads: 15m antenna coax, 2 patch leads all supplied Rocket Radio
Radios: Albrecht AE-5890EU I believe V3 & President Grant II v2
Antenna: Thunderpole 5 located at 6ft above the ground level in the garden PSU: Maas SPS 350-II
Facts: In history i have had 4 AE5890EU and 3 of them had issues, they were from earlier production and indeed was the serial number 1 and it had issues in my eyes, plus the latter versions had different troubles. This is the first one that really does work well. The Grant II is the V2 with the SSB enabled in UK mode and has been export modified to rectify the same as the Grant II. I have had 3 version 1 and 2 version II of the Grant and all pieces have been the same, almost totally identical.
Thoughts:
Watch the video and make your own mind up. Today was a good day noise well and the Grant behaved better than normal days. The Albrecht was the same as the last video, conditions change, atmospherics are different. I am no fan of some Albrecht radios, those who visited Durmersheim will know my bench discussion with Marius from Albrecht (Markus, Henning and others witnessed it) and nor do we like being BETA testers for radios either. So no conclusion other than i do not like the white noise, it is too common in Grant II, Jackson II and Lincoln II and not the same makers. I also do not like being a BETA tester for some radios that are released to the public too.
Conclusion:
There is no radio that is perfect for all, it does not exist. Radios are personal to people. I like the quiet receive radios, there is no point calling to a station in Australia that is S2 when you have S4 of noise.
The Albrecht i think is still work in progress, receive and transmit good now with compressor audio and the build has got better. The President always had and will always have under Uniden superior design and build but i still stand by my comments from February 2014 the noise level needs be addressed. Years they had quiet receive radios. George, Lincoln, Jackson, Grant and now is the era of the noisy radio. Emails from Tennessee about noisy Grant II when used and fake mike key etc, Emails from Colorado, Miami, UK, Germany, Poland, Angola, Portugal all saying the same so there is an issue there.
There will come a new Grant II shortly and that is the time it will sink or swim. If the same with noise then what? Some radios we know come across as made in a shed and some are made in purpose built factories where radios are made each week and not microwave one week, TV a second week and telephone a third week. I am like all users, buy it, try it, do not like it then that is why ebay was invented.
Watch and make up your own minds. What is best? Each person has a very different idea.
And remember the blog is for all people, made a test, video it and send me the link and a story and we will add it here.
And i guess like me there are many changes in radio shacks at the moment. Mine for AM/FM is still the AE-6110 but i have also here now a Stabo XM4060e and that is really quite good. Noise level is around the same as the AE, but nice radio..
All Rights Reserved (c) http://www.simonthewizard.com 2013-2014-2015 Unathorised Use / Or Duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to simonthewizard and http://www.simonthewizard.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
I too had a Grant 2, I kept it one week before deciding that the receiver had some serious flaws. There is also the issue of them having poor TX audio if used with an Aftermarket microphone. If they can sort these issues I will consider buying one againn, but until then I will stick with my old classics (George, Richard and SS-360FM)
It is just a shame that they managed to make a new radio which didn’t work as well as a 35 year old design in the superstar 360FM.
Yes your right. Companies till today can copy original Uniden made PB boards into 3900’s etc. But old Jackson, Old Grant, old George no noise and then now all have noises and other “funny things happening” But these radios like Grant sell am sure super many pieces and with this no need kill the bugs.
there you go Simon two very good radios but I still like the 5890 ok its not perfect but is as good as it gets the grant needs lots of work to get it right the 5890 is all most there but need a little work the 5890 is ok its me I had a grant 2 and just hated it with all my radios at home about 0.005 noise which is very good grant on 2 to 3 sig noise so I give to a good friend, and he could not get on with it most of his mates are very low in the box so he missed or could not hear them with sig of 6 of noise so it went to, we have both been watching the tests on the 5890 and we say the same a good radio but need just a little work , this could be the bench mark for all radios to be like this now so lets see who follows the 5890eu to get there radios cleaned up in the real world there should be no noise so if one ,can do it so the rest can but lets see what comes he is going to buy a Albrecht I would but have just bought a new Walther rifle for the range so there is time yes thank for your tome Simon, best regards.