AOR AR-7030+ RX HF 0-32MHZ

At least once per decade a new receiver design comes along which breaks the mold of conventionality and causes a flurry of discussion among radio hobbyists. Such was the case with the Drake R-7/R-7A of the late 1970s, the ICOM R-70 in the early 1980s, and the Watkins-Johnson HF-1000 at the beginning of the 1990s. A case could be made for other receivers, but these three caused a stir in the areas of performance, features, and price point. In 1996 the British have come up with their own notable-- and controversial-- communications receiver. How well does it perform for the mediumwave and tropical bands DXer? This article will present an overview of performance and features, and provide a "hands-on" report.

Behind the scenes

Talented designer John Thorpe is the individual responsible for the AOR AR7030. He became known to hobbyists as the man behind the "HF" series of receivers for the UK's Lowe Electronics, including the highly-regarded HF-225 Europa. Many had expected Lowe Electronics to continue the progression, but the HF-350 was never produced (remember the mysterious "Project N"?). Thorpe and Lowe Electronics parted ways in a not-so-amiable fashion, with Lowe going on to produce the traditional--and "comfortable"--HF-250. Thorpe took the road less traveled by joining forces as an independent designer with the AOR Corp. and creating the unconventional AR7030. This receiver is manufactured at AOR's new UK facility in Belper, Derbyshire.

Well-balanced performance, sturdy construction, and minimalist controls are qualities that have marked John Thorpe's previous receiver designs. These characteristics are present in the AR7030 as well but there are unusual features sprinkled liberally throughout. Among these are auto-tuning synchronous detection, onboard filter calibration and measurement, automatic RF attenuation for extremely strong signals, and a comprehensive alphanumeric display of virtually all receiver parameters. Despite the automatic features available, the AR7030 is highly flexible. The operator can disable them if desired and be in full manual control. An infrared remote is supplied with the receiver, providing control over all commonly used functions.

• Unit
• Adaptor
• Remote
• Batteries