Dear Sir,

Unless there is something radically wrong with your Drake R8, I see no
real reason to "get rid" of it in favor of any other radio, other than
just being "tired" of it. (Note that many people "get tired" of their
possessions. People like me, who keep equipment for decades, are rare.
I still own [and occasionally use] my Lafayette Model HE-10
Communications Receiver/HE-11 Loudspeaker which soon will be 45 years
old, though, of course, I routinely use a much more modern table-top
receiver; most of my "hi-fi" equipment was purchased in the 1980s and
my system still sounds as good to my ears as anything else I have
heard, regardless of price.)

I believe that if it was top-quality "then," it is still top-quality
"now." (This would not be accurate if new technological advances were
incorporated in a newer piece of equipment, but this does not apply to
the R8/NRD-545 comparison, DSP processing notwithstanding.)

I do not believe the JRC NRD-545 would satisfy you any more than does
the Drake with the exception of the "good feeling" one gets when one
buys a new toy.

But that "good feeling" generally passes quickly.

And consider that there is also the possibility of "buyer's remorse"
which is actually far more common than generally acknowledged.

If you consider logically, the performance of a properly-working Drake
R8 should perform as well as a JRC NRD-545, and probably even better,
certainly in the opinion of those who review for PASSPORT TO WORLD BAND
RADIO (they gave the R8 in all its incarnations "5 stars" and the
NRD-545 "4½ stars") and there are several other considerations.

Should your Drake need service, it is quite easy to ship it to Drake in
Ohio. They have a superb repair facility and offer fair prices and very
quick turnaround. While Drake no longer manufactures shortwave radios,
the company appears to be healthy and should therefore be "with us" for
quite some long period of time. Also, if you took the precaution of
buying the service and repair manual for your radio, this would make
having repairs effected locally practical.

The JRC NRD-545 has been recently discontinued and the company appears
to be in some financial difficulty. Plus its main office is located in
Japan. This is a situation which should be a cause for concern, or at
least major consideration.

My recommendation to you is: if your radio is in need of even minor
service, send it to Drake right now. If it does not need any service,
then so much the better. Once you have your Drake R8 in first-class
shape, investigate and invest in a new, possibly better, antenna, or,
if your antenna is already excellent, then add a second antenna. (One
can't have too many of them!)

We're in the doldrums of shortwave reception, this being the "bottom"
of Sunspot Cycle 23 and reception will not be as good this season as it
will be within a couple years from now. Of course, reception in
difficult conditions is the entire reason for having a top-notch
table-model shortwave radio in the first place, along with a top-notch
antenna (and remember that the antenna is ALWAYS much more important
than the radio!). With a "top" combination, you'll hear as much as is
possible to hear. (My reception this season, with my table-top, has
been really excellent, much better than I had anticipated, though
please take note of the fact that I live on the US East Coast, an area
in which SW signals are stronger than on the West Coast. However, my
portables are, relatively speaking, "dead.")

Frankly, regarding your receiver, I really don't think you could do any
better. You already own one of the very best. Putting it in first-class
shape, if actually necessary, is far less costly than buying a new
radio. You could invest the money saved into a new antenna or even a
new portable, and you'd still probably have a lot left over!

Obviously, the above is my opinion only.

Best,

Joe

I Love LA wrote:
I am thinking of getting ride of my Drake R8 which I have had for
about 13 years and buying a JRC NRD-545.
Would you do it? If so why or why not.
Please don't recommend the r75 or the AOR7030+. I have already ruled
them out.