[Premium-Rx] Fairhaven RD500

[Michael O'Beirne]

Dear Martin

I really don't really think that Fairhaven products would count as premier 
receivers.

For a genuine premier receiver it would have to incorporate not only a 
microprocessor but also come within the expensive professional class of 
receivers typified by the big names such as Racal, Redifon, Marconi, 
Rockwell-Collins, Telefunken, Daimler-Aerospace, Rohde & Schwarz, Siemens, 
Plessey, Watkins-Johnson, Cubic, Harris, ITT, Tandiran, Thomson-CSF and 
similar, all with an original price starting above about UD$7,000 (and some 
a great deal more).

Considering that a second hand 25 year old R & S EK0.70 sells on eBay for 
well over 1,200 UK pounds, you will get the general idea.

For me a professional receiver has also to be solidly built into a large 19 
inch rack and to come fitted with a decent professional frequency standard 
with a stability of at least 5 parts in 10^8 per degree C and to have inputs 
and outputs on the rear for
    1st and 2nd local oscillators
    frequency standard
    IF output
    600 ohm line output
    RS232 (or more sophisticated) for computer control.

The only exception for me is the Racal RA1772 because despite its lack of 
"frills" it is still such a good radio for all the reasons we have discussed 
this last week.

73s
Michael
G8MOB



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Martin Cook" <martin_cook at ihug.co.nz>
To: <premium-rx at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, August 20, 2010 2:51 AM
Subject: [Premium-Rx] Fairhaven RD500


> Greetings - I don't know if this receiver falls into the "premium" 
> category.
> It does seem to be very well spec'd from the sparse info that is available
> but I have never seen one or know anyone who has. Some data is here -
> http://radiopics.com/Fairhaven/Fairhaven.htm - and that site infers that
> they are no longer in production.
>
>
>
> If anyone has any info or better still any knowledge of it's performance 
> (or
> lack of!) I'd be pleased to hear about it. Would it be worth pursuing?
>
>
>
> Best regards and tnx in advance - Martin ZL2MC