[R-390] OT: Other Radios You Like

[Tim Shoppa]

Scott asks:

>  Has anybody used the Watkins Johnson receivers? I want one but am
> afraid to spend the money. Some radios can be very expensive and still 
> be junk.

I have a WJ-8716 with the optional preselector.

With the preselector, intermod from local broadcast stations is not a problem.

Compared to a 390A, the crystal filters in the 8716 are brick-wall type things.

Sensitivity of the 8716 is superior to everything else I own.

AGC or even MGC on the 8716 is not well-adapted for ham-type uses.
I am used to receivers (either tube or solid-state) having some compression
and some form of blanking or ANL in
response to nearby QRM or big QRN impulses. Maybe spec-wise the 8716
looks wonderful (after all, spec-wise isn't compression something you want
to avoid?) but it is not so easy to just "listen through" in the
presence of QRM or QRN like I can with most of my other, simpler, receivers.

Tim.