Hi Radioactive..Thanks for the note. Sounds like you have the same addictions as me
I'd love to get a R8..great radio. My Icom is a IC-R7000 which is a UHF/VHF general coverage receiver that tunes from 25-2000MHZ. I put a heat sink on the metal back as it got really warm.
I've always had allot of audio gear but 99% solid state. The last 5 or so years I've got the tube stuff to about 50/50 with the solid state. I had to get a storage unit about 7 years back as I have too much junk and it's almost filled. Problem is I collect antique jukeboxes and soda machines as well and they can take up allot of space fast. I'll never restore all the stuff I have and I should just sell most of it and buy restored stuff that I can use and enjoy
How do you like your Alpha Delta antenna? I've heard their really good and at 20 feet up it should perform great. I wish I could raise an antenna 20 feet. I have to keep them low and in my back yard as I have an association in my housing track. I use a Discone for the Icom, a long wire with traps for the bedroom Kenwood R-5000 and the Collins R-390A, and a rotating wellbrook loop for the other R-5000. The Zenith transoceanics I have all work surprisingly well for standard broadcast DX'ing with their internal antenna. If I hook them up to a long wire they pick up way too much AC noise. The R-390, when working well is an amazing DX machine. 30+ tubes and the most amazing mechanical and electrical tuning section I've ever seen. I got hooked on the Collins by a friend of mine that lives in Hawaii. He has 2 completely rebuilt and aligned R-390A's. He uses 2 separate beverage antennas spaced a certain distance apart. When he 's DX'ing a faint signal that drifts, he tunes both to the same frequency and the drift is greatly reduced by having 2 receivers and 2 antennas. One's clear when the others faint and vise versa. I had to have one when I saw his. Hawaii is a much better place to DX from. Lots of electrical noise in the city where I'm at.