[Premium-Rx] Racal 1772/78

[ik3glf at virgilio.it]

Hello to the list,if this can help, I would like to give my opinion on the 1772:no, I'm not an electronic engineer nor I have such electronic knowledge and instruments at the bench table to say if a receiver is better than another in term of electrical performances. I'm just a basic listener. An HAM.
All I have here is an HP8640B and an old HP410c... but I use my radios since I was "born" and now I'm close to 50.
Back in the 80s, in the nights I've hated the noise of the switching relays on my first serious radio, the ICOM IC720a. Later on, when I've got my first real money, I've purchased a wonderful 930 and I've loved it .. the tuning wheel was so smooth and the PBT was so nice to use that at the time it was a dream for me. I've never sold it. I've and still love the sound of my several Collins, including a 75A-4 that some times is even better than more modern ones, and also the Drake R4B is one of my loved. I did not liked so much the Drake R7 but I've enjoyed the small Lowe HF225 Europa.I still keep my pristine Collins R390a with its Sherwood SE-3 that I also use on both my WJ, the HF 1000 and the 8711... but when I've put my hands on the 1772 I've really and finally fallen in love.
Since I've purchase it, I've decided to put it in the center of my shack, surrounded by all the others, and it is always the first one I switch on.Of course, once it is arrived on my bench 2 years ago, I've done the only thing I'm able to do with my few instruments: after switching it on I've tested the sensitivity. And I was impressed.
Then I've searched for RAI stations and BBC and started to appreciate even more the sound.
It has a smooth tuning wheel, AM is coming out from the connected speaker (Bose) with a marvelous sound.., you can "read" signal that are so low that on other radios are simply noise. I know, it does not have double VFO, memories, notch, AM synchronous detection, lights, scopes and so on.
But I do not care. I still use my WJs as a "reference", when I need to easily switch from a frequency to another to listen at BBC relays on different frequencies or when I need to filter a low CW signal inside the noise, but I've hardly found a signal that my 1772 couldn't copy. This is why I've also added a 1778 closed to it!
Definitely, if you do not have one, I suggest you to give a try. I'm sure you will love it... as many here on the list seem to do.
73 to all
NickIK3GLF