LOWE HF150 vs. HF225

[ORAWA01]

How are they different? Are they totally different receivers, or similar or same receiver with less facilities on HF150? - such as the S meter, and the buttons?
On the internet radio a few review sites, for some reason HF150 seems getting better reviews for its reception quality and also the build. But it is supposed to be a lessor receiver than HF225?
Do you own one or both? How do you find them? Which is better? Any known problems? How do they fair on the DXing capability?
Also I recall reading that the HF225 has weakness on the front end, where the diode keeps blowing, if static noise was fed through the antenna. Is HF150 same, or different?

They both seem very popular and sought after HF receivers in used market. I wonder why they have ceased making them. tnx 73s

[G6Tanuki]

I guess they stopped producing them because Lowe Electronics closed down a couple of decades back.

(Also, wasn't a particular Plessey SL-series chip a rather crucial part of the design? With Plessey also having disappeared continued radio production would be somewhat problematic)

[Radio Wrangler]

The Lowe HF125 came first and the HF225 is an updated version of the same thing. The HF150 came along as a 'look how small we can make it' derivative. All by the same designer.

If I remember, none of them have sub-octave filters limiting the entry of stuff from other bands.

The same designer did a later set with a very high level mixer, which got sold as the AOR 7030 and is definitely a step above the others. People like the audio quality. It's one of the better general coverage small receivers on the market.

Maybe the weak point of all these small sets is the small number of knobs and buttons making them somewhat painful to use.

So, I'm not sure how the HF225 and HF150 compare. I don't expect any large difference. The AOR 7030 is definitely a step above them, and after that you're looking for something with RF preselection.

David

[G6Tanuki]

Relevant thread here: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=166913

[Julesomega]

The HF-225 is the successor to the HF-125. Both are transformer-coupled from the input socket and terminals and are not at all susceptible to 'static' damage. Both are excellent for dx and general Broadcast listening from LW to 30MHz and will perform well for Amateur listening on SSB and are very respectable on CW. The Synchronous AM demodulator is wonderful for actually "listening" to programmes, and was improved on the 225. For the best user experience look out for one which includes the keypad for direct entry

For a discussion on the AMS demodulator see the thread Lowe HF-125 synchronous AM detector

[CambridgeWorks]

Are you looking to buy one?
Rob

I had a 7030, the menu structure looked odd to start with but after a very short while made perfect sense (unlike most menus). Fantastic RF performance. I suppose it was the HF 525. All those sets are good, much better than your average "amateur" transceiver.

[frsimen]

The HF150 had less front end filtering than the HF125/HF225, perhaps just a low pass filter. What it did have though was a greatly improved synchronous detector, which allowed the upper sideband or lower sideband or both sidebands to be selected on AM, along with a Hi-Fi mode, which gave wider bandwidth audio. It was also built like a tank compared to the HF125 and HF225.

Paula

[SiriusHardware]

It's a shame ORAWA01 didn't post this a couple of months earlier, I would have been happy to drop my HF-150 off for a week as I passed by both ways on the way to and from my usual summer jaunt up to Scotland in late August

I haven't used the other receivers so I can't make comparisons, but in terms of features on the HF-150 the main negatives are the lack of an S-Meter and the lack of display illumination. The latter could at one time be remedied with an after market illumination kit, probably no longer available. Also all the features are accessed through three small buttons and the tuning encoder, such a degree of 'menu-drivenness' may not suit everyone's taste.

To partly remedy that, I made a home-brew frequency-entry keypad using a PIC microprocessor which works nicely, it would probably work for one or more of the others in the HF... range as well.

[ORAWA01]

wow, great posts thank you. Very interesting indeed.

I just picked up a HF150, and was using it for a few days now. Without any manual instruction, it was a bit weird to find out how to operate the radio. But soon I found it out by trial and error, and I am quite comfortable using it.

I find it excellent receiver, but as you have pointed out, it has no S meter, and no lights on the frequency display, so under not too brightly illuminated room, it can be difficult to read the frequency on display. But they are minor problems.

I thought HF150 was designed and produced for mobile and outdoor operation. Looking at the casing made of sturdy metal, and all controls are kept to minimum.

The received audio is very nice, and the sensitivity and selectivity are all good I found.

I just wondered how it compared with HF225 and even HF250.
And how you find the LOWE radios compared to the more recent ones such as TECSUNs, ICOMs and well there are not many Makes under production now apart from a couple of radio companies.

Yeah, I should have looked for used LOWE radios in this forum wanted page for better deal, rather than the well known auction site - the price for the HF150 was not cheap or low.

But it is a classic HF receiver still in great demand by the die hard BCLs and SWLs for sure.

[SiriusHardware]

No point in my telling you more about the HF-150 then. .

I've just dug out my homebrew HF-150 keypad and it consists of a standard 0-9-#-* keypad, a PIC microprocessor, three resistors and a VN10 FET. I probably still have the PIC code somewhere.

[Julesomega]

Originally Posted by SiriusHardware

I probably still have the PIC code somewhere.

..without which not

[Radio Wrangler]

Originally Posted by ORAWA01

And how you find the LOWE radios compared to the more recent ones such as TECSUNs, ICOMs

Haven't got a clue about Tecsuns, I've not used one.
I have a collection of Icom Racal, Eddystone and RCA receivers.

The ICOM ones are somewhat aimed at SSB and Morse reception on HF. They lack the synchronous demod of the later Lowes so HF broadcast listening isn't so good, though my latest Icom is DSP for bandwidth definition and demodulation, so that is essentially a sync demod the way it's done. I have IC-765 and IC-7700 which are very good transceivers for amateur radio purposes, as well an IC-R9000 30kHz to 2GHz receiver. These all sport sub-octave or preselection filters to limit the total signal power reaching the front end.

My RACAL RA1217 has a tuneable preselector and my RA1792 is wide-open.

The eddystone is bandpass tuned, the RCA AR88s are narrowband tracking preselector single-superhets down-converting to 455kHz IF.

I've used most of the Lowe receivers. They worked well for listening to signals, but the user interface I found fatiguing after a time and i quickly found the limitations of their low cost IF filters.

I'd rate them as very good for the price and size, but eventually frustration takes its toll

David

[SiriusHardware]

Originally Posted by Julesomega

..without which not

Well, there was nothing to stop me from reading it out of the chip which is in the working homebrew keypad come to that, but after I posted the above I found I did have both the 'C' source code and the compiled code as well.

[John KC0G]

The HF-150 was developed as a cost-reduced version of the HF-225. The initial target prices was GBP 299. IIRC the price at introduction was GBP 329.

The history was provided by John Wilson, G3PCY, in his article "Lowe HF-150 - A Retrospective", Short Wave Magazine, December 1997, pp 32, 33, 38 & 39. He discussed the history of the HF-150, and particularly the initial price target. Then requests appeared for additional features such as an S-meter, 100Hz resolution on the display etc. Apparently John Thorpe pointed out that the receiver would then cost much more and become like an HF-225, and in which case you would be better off buying an HF-225. The main request which was addressed was to improve the second order intermodulation performance, which led to the development of the preselector and later the HF-150E. Further on in the article, John wrote: "In my opinion, what really went wrong with the HF-150 was the insatiable drive to make it into something it was never meant to be, and I have to take some of the blame for that. Mea Culpa. J.T., (John Thorpe) you were right all along."

The basic differences between the HF-150 and HF-225 were:

1. The HF-150 has very little front-end filtering. For instance this could mean medium stations breaking through in the short wave bands. This led to the development of the PR-150 (preselector), and later the HF-150E.

2. The HF-150 has no S-meter.

3. The HF-225 has an FM mode (requires the optional FM / AM Synchronous detector board), and a CW mode with a 200Hz audio filter. The HF-150 has neither.

4. The HF-225 has four IF filters, ie 2.6, 4, 7, and 10kHz (2.6, 3, 4 and 7 kHz on the HF-225E). The HF-150 has two IF filters, ie 2.6 and 6.5 kHz.

5. The HF-150 had whip antenna capability built in. It was an optional board on the HF-225.

6. As noted above, synchronous detection on the HF-225 required the optional board. You can tell if it is present by looking at the rear of the radio and seeing if there is an adjustment pot for the FM squelch. Synchronous detection came as standard on the HF-150 along with the ability to select which of the AM sidebands you want to listen to. This can be useful in getting rid of interference from adjacent channels. .

7. Because of the lack of front-end filtering, the first mixer in the HF-150 is sensitive to static discharges. On the the HF-225 you typically damage a couple of diodes, if anything. However the damage in either radio can be more severe.

That pretty much sums up the differences.

IMHO unless you need something that the HF-150 uniquely offered, ie the small size, or the selectable sideband synchronous detection, the HF-225 is probably the better radio.

Finally, I would not buy an HF-150 which has had battery leakage. This was caused by the radio trying to charge the internal batteries if they were present. Alkaline cells do not take kindly to this. Ask specific questions about this before you buy one. Once you get battery acid onto a printed circuit board, you can get problems which are almost, impossible to fix.

HTH and 73

John
Owner of the Lowe group at https://groups.io/g/LoweHFReceivers

PS. There were several differences between the HF-125 and HF-225. If somebody wants to know the details, we should probably start another thread.

[ORAWA01]

Great info on the radios John, much appreciated.

My HF150 sounds excellent, and it works well for copying DX weak signals too.
But as David pointed out, the interface can be a bit awkward. But then, there are 60 memory channels, which can be called on instantly and navigate my pre stored favourite frequencies.

There are various modes which is selectable by the centre button and then toggle with the both side buttons, and it even has various synchronous AM modes too. But I am quite happy just using AMn or AM mode most times.

And once I get more used to the way it tunes, I think I can get by without any other accessories for the HF150. My HF150's battery compartment is immaculate, clean and like NEW. It seems never had been used with batteries.

It is such a small radio about the size of my small SWL ATU, and looks quite stylish and classy with uncomplicated simple minimalist look. I like my HF150, and it is a keeper. But I was wondering what HF225 would be like. It sounds that HF225 is even better in reception quality with more facilities and better front end. I will keep look out for a used HF225 in good price in the future, when I manage to find some spare cash

I used to visit the Lowe shop in Glasgow in the early 90s to see radios and transceivers, and used to have a chat with the manager and play with the radios in the shop too. I recall seeing brand new HF225 and HF150 in the showroom, but now I cannot remember much about them apart from the fact that they were just far too expensive for my budget, and I used to just drool over them.

I cannot recall seeing any HF125 in flesh, but saw people advertising used HF125s in the SWM magazines.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by ORAWA01

Any known problems?

I own an HF225 which gets occasional use on 80m AM, where the synchronous detector is useful. Not as useful as the one in the Sony ICF2001D though, which allows you to select the best sideband to use (as , I gather, does the HF150). Mine has never had its input zapped, even by the 400W PEP AM transmitter sat next to it. The only fault seems to be a very slow AGC recovery when switched on after a long period of non-use (S-meter initially hard over). I'm guesssing a capacitor needs replacing somewhere.

What was the "cheap ripoff" of the 150 called, AKD lurks in my mind.

[Radio Wrangler]

AKD was Armstrong Kirkwood Developments. Don't recall them doing a receiver, but sales of the HF150 might have made others realise there was a market.

David

[frsimen]

The AKD receiver was the HF3. It used a homodyne type synchronous detector for AM, using a TV video detector IC.

Unlike the Lowe receivers, the HF3 tuned in 1kHz steps with fine tuning provided by varying the second local oscillator, a similar arrangement was used in the Sangean ATS803A.

Paula