[SFDXA] For all the over the hill DXers

[Norman Alexander]

New radio for all the over the hill DXers   

THE DRACOSONIC R-65

By Will Cedoux

The new Dracosonic R-65 is the first DX-quality radio designed  especially with 
the 65-and-over DXers in mind. It's not exactly a new  radio - Dracosonic took 
the well-regarded GxR43 and simply redesigned  the interface and added some 
features to make it user-friendly for old  farts like us. So, I'm not going to 
cover how the radio performs - there  have been enough reviews of the GxR43 
already. Instead, let's look at  what makes the R-65 special.

Dracosonic really has your health in mind. Let's look at what they're  doing 
just to keep your heart ticking. Every R-65 has a built-in heart  monitor which 
announces your current heart rate every ten seconds  through the speaker or 
headphones.. Even if the receiver isn't turned  on, it will be monitoring your 
heart rate as long as you are in range  and wearing the wireless wrist band. If 
your heart beat stops for more  than five seconds, the receiver will 
automatically dial 911 via the  built-in cell phone (or whatever emergency phone 
number you have  programmed into the receiver). After sixty seconds, an e-mail 
will be  sent to the Dead DXers' Stuff to alert them of the possible upcoming  
donation of your QSL collection.

Furthermore, if Heart Attack Prevention mode has been activated, the  R-65 will 
automatically shut down any time your heart rate reaches the  danger zone. For 
your protection, the receiver will not turn back on  until your heart rate has 
returned to the normal range. Use of this  feature is highly recommended to 
DXers with heart trouble who get easily  excited at new catches.

USA Only: In all units sold in the USA, the receiver will not operate  unless 
Heart Attack Prevention mode has been activated. To have this  feature made user 
controllable, contact the Dracosonic legal department  about a liability waiver.

Finally, every R-65 comes with a built in defibrillator circuit. Just  place the 
matching DEF-65 headphones across your chest and press the big  red "PANIC" 
button. (Just be careful not to push this button while  wearing the headphones 
on your head.)

http://www.blandx. com/bdx1/ gg1/R65.gif> 

As you can see, the R-65 has been ergonomically designed for our  generation! 
The frequency is displayed in large 3-inch high red digits.  Besides adding a 
sense of nostalgia, the antenna knife switch is a lot  easier to use that those 
tiny push-buttons so many receivers use  nowadays! And, when it comes to tuning, 
Dracosonic knows just what  arthritic fingers need! Instead of a tuning knob, 
there are two levers -  one for tuning up frequency and one for tuning down 
frequency. There's  no need to grab or hold anything. Just push down on the 
appropriate  lever and watch the frequency change!

One of the first things you will notice upon examing the rather uniquely  
laid-out front panel is that there is only one memory button. In  testing the 
receiver, it was found that more than one memory button  tended to confuse 
members of the target market. And, Dracosonic has  thoughtfully include an alarm 
that, when activated, will sound every ten  minutes to keep you awake while 
you're DXing. Another alarm  automatically goes off three minutes before the top 
of the hour.  There'll be a lot fewer missed catches now!

Since the R-65 weighs in at hefty four kilograms, Dracosonic installed  small 
pop-out wheels on the bottom right edge of the receiver and  provided a screw-in 
extendable handle. So, it's a breeze to move the  R-65 around the house. Still, 
you don't want to wear yourself out, so be  sure to get a shot of tonic from the 
built-in Geritol dispenser first.

For really serious DXing, or health monitoring, there's the optional  DP-R65 
spectrum display unit, which plugs into the back of the R-65. The  LCD screen on 
the DP-R65 shows band activity on a swath from 100 to  1000 kHz wide (user 
configurable) . The DP-R65 also doubles as a health  monitor. Set it to "heart 
beat" and watch a linear diagram of your heart  beats across the screen. 
Additional plug-in devices allow you to check  your blood sugar, blood pressure, 
or the condition of your prostate.  Yes, this is truly the receiver that meets 
all your needs if you're a 65  and over male DXer!

http://www.blandx. com/bdx1/ gg1/universallog o.gif> 

The R-65 is now available from The Geriatrics Divison at Universal Shortwave

And, for the next three months only, with all Dracosonic R-65 purchases,  
Universal will include a 20x30 inch full color poster of Barb in a long  flannel 
nightgown.

(At Universal, we know what you want. We also know what your heart can take.)

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