WR-G303i Reviews

The WiNRADiO G303i receiver is truly groundbreaking and innovative: It is the world's first commercially available software-defined shortwave receiver. It sets new standards of cleanliness (in terms of suppression of interference and spurious signals) despite the fact that it is used in a potentially noisy PC environment.

The excellent sensitivity and dynamic range of the receiver are being noted by many customers and reviewers world-wide, as are its many unique features such as continuous IF bandwidth adjustment and real-time spectrum scope which, until now, have been available only with receivers costing orders of magnitude more.

The WR-G303i receiver was reviewed by the Short Wave Magazine, Monitoring Times, Radio & Communications, Radio Active, WRTH, as well as in other international magazines with very impressive conclusions.

The most comprehensive and detailed review appeared in the Short Wave Magazine.

Their product reviewer, John Wilson, is the world's leading authority on shortwave receivers. Here are the highlights of his findings:

On spurious signal rejection: "As far as I can remember I have never found any receiver, analogue or digital, which had such cleanliness, and the WR-G303i has set a new standard for others to emulate."

On S-meter: "... amongst the best I've seen outside of professional measuring receivers."

On sensitivity: "... higher than necessary in a receiver of its type..."

On variable IF bandwidth: "... a very useful feature and allows you to exactly match the filter bandwidth to the incoming signal ... once experienced never to be forgotten."

On documentation: "... clear and easy to understand, and has a detailed appendix on the use and setting up of the Professional Demodulator so that the user can investigate various software configurations - this is almost a hobby in itself."

The verdict: "If I had to choose between a Collins 95S-1 and the WR-G303i (ignoring the obvious fact that the 95S-1 tunes to 2 GHz), I would take the WR-G303i."

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Radio and Communications

"This is a beautifully manufactured card, and should be indeed so, in order to properly illustrate what I always believed, that good shortwave receivers are not merely technology, but works of art."

"What is most astonishing about this receiver is how well the software demodulator works."

"The experience of being able to finely tune selectivity to suit a particular signal you are listening to is truly incredible, especially if you have been used to having just a few fixed bandwidths on your old radio."

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Radio Active

"Puts many traditional receivers to shame."

"The engineers at WiNRADiO have achieved a minor miracle in screening technologies to produce a top flight receiver with virtually no spurious pick-up from the computer."

"It's relatively easy for anyone with programming skills to produce customised enhancements to the receiver. The key to this flexibility is in WiNRADiO's Extensible Radio Specification, known as XRS".

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Passport to World Band Radio

"Superb stability, almost unexcelled. Tunes and displays in ultra-precise 1 Hz increments."

"Excellent shape factors (1:1.6, 1:1.8) for 5.0 kHz and 3.6 kHz bandwidths."

"Image rejection excellent. Spurious signals essentially absent."

"Spectrum display shows real-time signal activity, performs commendably and in particular provides signal strength readings to within plus or minus 3 dB."

"Screen, and operation in general, unusually pleasant and intuitive."

"Large signal-strength indicator highly accurate as good as we've ever tested; display is both numeric and a digitized "analog meter"; reads out as "S" meter, in dBm or in microvolts."

"Continuously adjustable bandwidths from 1 Hz to 15 kHz (single side-band/ECSS 1 Hz to 7.5 kHz), with bandwidth presets, aid greatly in providing optimum tradeoff between audio fidelity and adjacent-channel interference rejection."

"Superior and timely free factory assistance via email, seemingly seven days a week."

World Radio TV Handbook

"Extensive tests and measurements coupled with a good deal of listening and comparative evaluation suggested that the G303i is a remarkably good performer despite its relatively low price."

"Indeed, the G303i's price/performance ratio is remarkable. The display is commendably clear and uncluttered, and for those who are used to interfacing with a PC, the receiver is remarkably easy to set up and use".

"The infinitely adjustable bandwidth is a delight, allowing the user to make the best of a wide variety of transmission quality."

"The G303i sets the new standard for PC-receivers and is the first to make extensive use of the power of the modern IBM-compatible computer. We congratulate the manufacturer on a fine achievement."

"Overall rating: 5 stars"