I'm getting a Satellit 700 - what can I expect?
Jeff Wilson
in Germany, birthed in Portugal, the S700 will be delivered to me tomorrow
with rays of light shining down from heaven upon the UPS man delivering it.
A heavenly host of angel's voices will sing as I unwrap the package...blah
blah blah
I already have an ATS909 for my portable needs. My wife uses that radio more
than I do to tune into the local NPR station. Can I expect better SW/MW
perofrmance from the S700 than the 909?
I can't find enough pictures of it- what kind of antenna input does it have?
Audio out I hope? You think I would have researched this more before buying,
but it's really just going to be my primary portable. My RX-320 and S800 are
my main rigs.
Any other comments?
Thanks!
--
Jeff Wilson
Newhall, CA
- Grundig Satellit 800
- Ten-Tec RX-320
- ATS-909
Donald Reeve
<jeff....@santamonicalofts.com> wrote:
>It's supposedly THE legendary portable SW/MW radio. Immaculately conceived
>in Germany, birthed in Portugal, the S700 will be delivered to me tomorrow
>with rays of light shining down from heaven upon the UPS man delivering it.
>A heavenly host of angel's voices will sing as I unwrap the package...blah
>blah blah
>
>I already have an ATS909 for my portable needs. My wife uses that radio more
>than I do to tune into the local NPR station. Can I expect better SW/MW
>perofrmance from the S700 than the 909?
Well, I've had a Sat700 for around 15 years but have never had one of
the 909s so I can't compare them. Gobs of memories, especially if you
outfit it with the optional memory chips which bring things up to
2,048 memory presets. Mine seems to hear everything using the
telescoping antenna that my RX-320 does with a random-wire antenna, so
sensitivity is pretty good if the thing is still in alignment.
>
>I can't find enough pictures of it- what kind of antenna input does it have?
It's got a European "PAL" antenna input, a bit of an oddball, but you
used to be able to get adaptors at Radio Shack that would convert
things to something more standard. I never got much advantage of
using outside antennas with my 700, though, and ended up just using
the whip.
>Audio out I hope?
Lots of options there--it's got an headphone jack, an external speaker
jack, plus two RCA line-out jacks that you can use to get stereo FM
out to any amplifier you have handy. Oh, and another jack that can be
programmed to start up a tape recorder at preset times....
For pictures and additional info you might try:
http://www.geocities.com/grundigradioboy/index.html
and....
http://www.geocities.com/grundig_satellit/
If you're going to be a real Sat700 freak, Universal Radio sells a
nice book about it--it's got a full schematic and alignment info.
http://www.rffun.com/catalog/books/1524.html
>You think I would have researched this more before buying,
>but it's really just going to be my primary portable. My RX-320 and S800 are
>my main rigs.
>
>Any other comments?
>
You may find that the BFO is off somewhat, 200 Hz seems to be a common
misalignment for some reason. Not a problem if you're listening to
just the large broadcasters but becomes aggravating listening to
utilities and have to program them into the presets 200 Hz
off-frequency because of what seems to be a common problem. It also
seems to make the synch detector not as good. The problem aggravated
me enough when I got my 700 way-back-when that I figured out an easy
don't-have-to-open-it-up fix for it and a fellow 700 owner in the UK
liked the fix so well that he put it up on his website:
http://freespace.virgin.net/gary.sawyer/tune700.html
If yours doesn't have the problem, you're in good shape. The fix
mentioned, though, does make the synch detector track better as a
bonus and is quite easy to do.
This ought to get you started and I hope you enjoy your radio--I've
never thought for a minute about selling mine, it's a keeper.
Donald Reeve
Thal70
functions/features this radio has. The frequency on mine was off a little
too but was a sinch to adjust. If you take the time to get accustomed to
this radio, it is awesome! I have found the filters to be ideal and the SSB
reception is excellent. It has very powerful memory features and if you take
the time to program and use these functions, it'll make a big difference. I
am always amazed at the number of people who sell the S700's and I guess it
always comes down to personal tastes, like everything else. If the radio has
any downfalls, it's the manual tuning function. This radio just isn't the
best for bandscanning but makes up for this limitation with it's autoscan
feature. One interesting thing about my personal S700...the clock is
incredibly accurate. Apart from adjusting the time for daylight savings, it
is always within a few seconds from WWV.
"Jeff Wilson" <jeff....@santamonicalofts.com> wrote in message
news:b9eair$4...@dispatch.concentric.net...
radiok3pi
It's a great radio. I hate the damn rays of sun that always shine
down on it though. It is super on SSB. Quite good off the whip
antenna...much better than the 909 in that regard. Audio excellent.
The biggest problem I have with the 700 is that it is not at all
intuitive. If you are like me (hopefully not), you'll be in the
manual all the time. Some parts of the display are a bit tough to
see. It is my favorite portable for SSB. Synch detect not in the
same category as the 2010, but effective. Battery life pretty good.
There is a rechargeable lithium battery buried deep in the 700 which
looks like a real job to replace. You'll want to keep that baby alive
as long as you can. Maybe some other owners can weigh in on that one.
The 700 book sold by Universal has photos detailing how that battery
is to be changed. You basically have to dismantle the radio so I plan
not to remove the D cell batteries - in order to keep it charged.
Some day I will do a 2010 vs 700 review. The 700 is better on SSB
and FM. The 2010 is superior on MW. Audio better on the 700. Synch
detect better on 2010. Both great for SW program listening. 700 more
portable with the built in handle (vs the goofy 2010 strap). More
features on 700. 2010 a snap to use.
Let us know how you like it. Congrats on finding one. Not that
plentiful on the used market.
Russ
"Jeff Wilson" <jeff....@santamonicalofts.com> wrote in message news:<b9eair$4...@dispatch.concentric.net>...
grumpus
ever conceived. Donald Reeve is right, visit Grundig Radio Boy's
website for a comprehensive tour of what the 700 has to offer--also
very good is Knut Otterbeck's site devoted to Grundig. Two features
which elevate its performance which I don't think have been mentioned
are its manual gain control for evening out fluttery signals and its
tuning preselector which peaks the received signal (just press 'mono'
and manually tune by ear--sometimes makes a dramatic difference on
moderately strong signals). Do the SSB alignment (here I am wondering
if you can't tune in a strong local AM broadcast band signal as a
reference as opposed to the suggested SW major?). To combat the
rumble which occurs when using the sync detector, turn the bass way
down. Although I have never done so, the 700 will trickle charge
NiCads (Duracells provide approximately 80 hours of operation at low
to moderate volume, so you may or may not see a need to use
rechargeables). There is a switch inside the battery compartment to
select what type of batteries you intend to use. Make sure this
switch is set correctly. There is a dx/local switch on the left side
of the radio. Do a Google search on the subject of additional memory
chips for the 700. There are parts places where you can buy them for
about $1 apiece ($5 minimum order). No need to pay the Ebay bandits
$14.95 for three plus S&H or to pay Universal's price. Illumination
of the LCD is full-time when operating from the mains. Eventually
you'll burn out one or both bulbs (Universal wants a minimum of $40 to
replace them); I believe full-time illumination on the mains can be
defeated if you climb up the menu tree the correct way, but check your
manual for this. Finally, I think you'll find that the audio coming
out of the 700 is every bit as good, if not better, than that coming
from your 800. Love it, learn it, cherish it. As Grundig Radio Boy
opines, it was way ahead of its time when it was released, and in many
respects, especially in terms of its total integration of many
sophisticated features, it has yet to be matched by other portables.
If nothing else, take good care of it and it will appreciate in value
just sitting on your shelf. Let us know how you like it!
Regards,
Grumpus
"Thal70" <var...@tampabay.rr.com> wrote in message news:<KyAua.105001$My6.1...@twister.tampabay.rr.com>...
starman
>
> Jeff,
> It's a great radio. I hate the damn rays of sun that always shine
> down on it though. It is super on SSB. Quite good off the whip
> antenna...much better than the 909 in that regard. Audio excellent.
> The biggest problem I have with the 700 is that it is not at all
> intuitive. If you are like me (hopefully not), you'll be in the
> manual all the time. Some parts of the display are a bit tough to
> see. It is my favorite portable for SSB. Synch detect not in the
> same category as the 2010, but effective. Battery life pretty good.
> There is a rechargeable lithium battery buried deep in the 700 which
> looks like a real job to replace. You'll want to keep that baby alive
> as long as you can. Maybe some other owners can weigh in on that one.
> The 700 book sold by Universal has photos detailing how that battery
> is to be changed. You basically have to dismantle the radio so I plan
> not to remove the D cell batteries - in order to keep it charged.
> Some day I will do a 2010 vs 700 review. The 700 is better on SSB
> and FM. The 2010 is superior on MW. Audio better on the 700. Synch
> detect better on 2010. Both great for SW program listening. 700 more
> portable with the built in handle (vs the goofy 2010 strap). More
> features on 700. 2010 a snap to use.
>
> Let us know how you like it. Congrats on finding one. Not that
> plentiful on the used market.
Is there a sync' detector mod' for the '700'?
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Jeff Wilson
fine, I've got patience, after all that's one important component of SWL-
Patience!
--
Jeff Wilson
Newhall, CA
- Grundig Satellit 800
- Ten-Tec RX-320
- ATS-909
"radiok3pi" <k3...@arrl.net> wrote in message
news:53da5b99.0305...@posting.google.com...
grumpus
DXing, there are many fans of the 700, myself included, who believe it
is among the top two or three portables ever made for this use. The
other two are also Grundig Satellit models (naturally), but it is a
bit of a stretch to call the 650 a portable unless you are Shaqish in
both strength and stature. (I don't think the term 'portatop',
favored by Passport, best describes the 650 either. To my mind, the
term 'portatop' connotes a machine which is not well suited to travel
because of its unusual ergonomics, i.e., the lack of a whip antenna,
an unhandy shape factor, difficulty in swapping out depleted batteries
or no battery operation at all, etc. The reason why the 650 doesn't
travel well is simply its sheer size and weight, not because one needs
to bring along accessories to make it work or it is inconvenient to
operate away from your home station.) It might more aptly be
described as a 'luggable' as it most closely resembles a small but
heavily packed piece of luggage in terms of its mass and volume. Even
the Satellit 210 (6001) weighs twenty pounds when equipped with a full
complement of alkalines. In the strictest sense both of these are
portables as they both have handles and can be lugged from place to
place, but extreme care must be exercised in the transport if one
wishes to avoid knocking down walls, small children, the elderly and
infirm, chipping the Chippendale, etc. As the 700 won't sag under its
own weight, it is an excellent candidate for travel if packed with a
reasonable amount of care. For more information on the 700's FM DXing
prowess, do a Google search. For starters, look up the posts of Brent
Reynolds (JBR) in the archives of this group and others.
Regards,
Grumpus
k3...@arrl.net (radiok3pi) wrote in message news:<53da5b99.0305...@posting.google.com>...
Jeff Wilson
- What a joy to tune it is. Good tactile feed back on the tuning knob and
all the other knobs.
- Solid, built to last. THe plastic casing is better quality than the S800,
not by much, but it's still better
- FM Sensitivity: Wow, picked up the local NPR station clearly, RDS system
was much faster than the 808 I have
- Audio! Who could think such great audio could come from this. Awesome
This weekend, I'll be giving her the full run through. I just dug up an old
IBM 486/33 laptop with 4megs of ram on it and installed the ILG software for
Dos on it. Who needs DRM, I'm going retro! So I'll be going out to some
quiet location with my radio and laptop and log book, and give it the full
run through. Pictures on Sunday if you're interested!
Jeff
--
Jeff Wilson
Newhall, CA
- Grundig Satellit 800
- Ten-Tec RX-320
- ATS-909
- Grundig Satellit 700
Donald Reeve
<jeff....@santamonicalofts.com> wrote:
>Well, I just got it. Initial observations:
>
>- What a joy to tune it is. Good tactile feed back on the tuning knob and
>all the other knobs.
I think the only thing that used to aggravate me was that it muted
while tuning, though somebody (C. Crane?) offered a no-mute mod for
the thing. (I learned to live with it....)
>- Solid, built to last. THe plastic casing is better quality than the S800,
>not by much, but it's still better
Yeah, it's a tough radio. I guess I got mine in '92 or so, and I was
very impressed with the quality of the thing. When I ran into the BFO
being off-frequency problem I thought they must have made provisions
for dialing it in from outside the radio (given the apparent amount of
thought that went into the design) and that's when I discovered the
Magic Holes in the rear of it.
I managed to break off the end of antenna through carelessness and
wear the markings off some of the often-used keys on the keypad--I
used it a LOT for years. And somewhere along the line I blew out one
of the little lights for the display by leaving them on all the time
while powering it from the AC supply--that's about it.
>- FM Sensitivity: Wow, picked up the local NPR station clearly, RDS system
>was much faster than the 808 I have
Come to think of it, that was also one of the things (FM performance)
that also impressed me initially and I remember actually writing Bob
Grove at Grove Enterprises a letter telling him how much the radio
impressed me.
I used to use it to receive weatherfax, RTTY--had a ton of fun with
that radio....
>- Audio! Who could think such great audio could come from this. Awesome
Now, that's one of the reasons I hang on to the thing. It's a bit
large sometimes for travel purposes, but the sound--don't think I
could drop down to one of the more modern--and smaller--portables and
be happy with it.
Think about it--I saw one offered on this group a little while ago for
$400, what I paid for mine new back in '92....
Donald Reeve
grumpus
your BFO adjustment to the Sat 700, can you use a strong local AM
broadcast band station as a reference point instead of one of the SW
majors?
Thanks,
Grumpus
Donald Reeve <don...@nojunkprodigy.net> wrote in message news:<nrdlbvc0ecphn8u3h...@4ax.com>...
Donald Reeve
>Hey Donald, let me pose this question to you directly. When doing
>your BFO adjustment to the Sat 700, can you use a strong local AM
>broadcast band station as a reference point instead of one of the SW
>majors?
>
>Thanks,
>
> Grumpus
>
Don't know--didn't try it that way. I guess you missed the follow-up
I made about me actually using WWV as a reference point when I
initially did it. (Just seemed if you were going to bother going for
precision one should start out with something guaranteed to be on
frequency.)
Gary Sawyer in the UK--who put the tweak on his website--couldn't
receive WWV over there so wrote it up for the sake of fellow
Europeans, guessing that the major broadcasters would be pretty close
to right on frequency--and they usually are.
I would think using a local AM station might cause problems because
the usual high modulation levels might make it hard to hear a beat
tone, though one can do the LSB/USB switcheroo repeatedly and try and
balance things out that way. Me, I went for zero-beat with WWV with
the bass turned up during one of their silent periods--just a tick
with no accompanying tones. And a good ten years later my radio still
seems to be dead-on to my ears.
So, best I can tell you that I've never tried it with MW stations--or
Gary's way for that matter--using international broadcasters.
Donald Reeve
K.S.Blake
my 2010, But I live in England and the shortwave conditions here may be
different from where you are situated.
All the same a bloody excellent radio, I am sure you will love it.
regards
--
K.S.Blake
MW1001SWL
MW1FCP
.
"Jeff Wilson" <jeff....@santamonicalofts.com> wrote in message
news:b9eair$4...@dispatch.concentric.net...
K.S.Blake
Here in England I always use the Royal Air force volmet on 5.450 USB and the
Civilian aircraft Shannon volmet on 5.505 USB when tuning the BFO on my 909
and the sat700.
If after setting the BFO pot, you can enter the both frequencies and they
sound good, then I think that is about right. The World time beat or wwv
(whatever its called) can be heard in the UK, but it can sometimes fade
badly due to conditions etc, and at times the signal can be that weak it is
hopeless trying to adjust the BFO with that as a benchmark frequency.
--
K.S.Blake
MW1001SWL
MW1FCP
.
"Donald Reeve" <don...@nojunkprodigy.net> wrote in message
news:853rbvsepq0hk1d5l...@4ax.com...
grumpus
Regards,
Grumpus
"K.S.Blake" <ksb...@postmaster.com> wrote in message news:<b9l5hu$58r$1...@news6.svr.pol.co.uk>...
Ingo Rose
A) "1-2-3-4-5-6-ON" (when receiver is Off!) to get a promo
text on the display. To end the text on the display do the
same again: "1-2-3-4-5-6-ON" (when receiver is OFF!)
B) "0-5-0-2-5-1-STORE" (when receiver is Off!) to get
the display test. Test all segments with the white "Call"
-Buttons and "0", ".", "CL".
"MENU" will show all segments, "CL" will show no
segments and the other buttons "AUTO", "SLEEP",
"TIME I/II" "A-Z0-9" "O" and "." will show them partly.
You'll also get the preselector test by pressing "MONO",
it will show you normally "*PWM 25V" on the display.
To end this testfunction simply press "OFF"
C) To extend the FM-frequency range do the follwing:
Store on any place you like these two frequencys in this
order: "87,55 MHz" and 30,000 MHz. On ONE storing place
as frequency and alternative frequency!
In the following example the number of the "memory File"
is named as "X". Then do the following:
"X - MEMORYFILE - X - FREE - <SEARCH - CL"
and you'll get an extended frequency range of 40.3 to
750 MHZ, which can only be used by the Tuning Wheel.
Actually it will really work only at 78,3 to 109 MHz.
There is no sensitivity on the other Fqs.
The function will end immediately if you press any other
buttons.
Beside of these more or less useless functions there is
another one that may be of interest to you if you use
the RDS-signal (sorry for my technical english, I try to
desribe it):
D) It only functions in the FM-Mode!
- To change into the RDS-Mode & the RDS-Quality-
Continuous display: Press "SYNCH" for 3 seconds
to get into or out of this mode.
When you are in this mode the signal meter shows
to you not the signal strength but the RDS-signal-
quality. Instead of the RDS-name the display will
show to you the PI (Program Identification) and a
hint on traffic information broadcasts, i.e.
"D681 10".
In this case "D681" stands for NDR1 NDS and "10"
for "traffic info on this station - but not yet". It will
change into an "11" during a traffic info.
"00" is "no traffic info" and "01" stands for the
RDS-EON-function (Enhanced Other Network).
EON is not supported by the SAT700.
When you are in this mode you can also press
the following buttons:
- "(Bandwidth)" and you get two 2-digit-numbers
on the display. The left one tells you how many
percents of RDS-data could NOT be received.
The right one stores the most bad data measured.
To get back into the normal RDS-Mode press
shortly on "SYNCH".
- "USB" (1 x) shows you the RDS-name, also in parts
which is interesting. In case of a bad reception
the display shows you the parts of the signal which
could be received, i.e. the 1st, 2nd, 5th and 8th
character of the name.
- "USB" (2 x) shows the PTY-information (the
programme type) and the M / S (music / voice)
information.
On the display you'll see for example
"PTY 14 M" or "PTY 04 S".
I think M and S are clear.
14 = classics
04 = sports
01 = news
00 = no info is broadcast
- "LSB" (shortly pressed) gets you the alternative
frequency information which is broadcast by
networks in ascending order.
- "LSB" (longly pressed) gets you this info
in descending order.
To leave the whole RDS-Mode:
Press "MENU" (2x).
Ingo Rose