Lowe HF-235

The Lowe HF-235 is not that well-known as the HF-225 or the HF-150. Also is it hard to find. It is a professional receiver. Although the electronic internals are almost identical to these in the HF-225.

The installed filters of 2.2 kHz, 4 kHz, 7 kHz and 10 kHz are equal to those in the HF-225. In the 19 inch version are a build-in keypad, a loudspeaker, a RS-232 board (optional) and the power supply. Also optional is the synchronous detector board (build-in) and a TXCO (high stable main quartz) board. All functions are equal as on the HF-225 with the exception that the HF-235 has an adjustable IF-Gain and on on-off switch for the AGC instead of the tone controls.

How does the HF-235 sound:

One can be said from the start: better and less noise. The HF-235 is in comparison to the Perseus SDR an old receiver. The Perseus is superior what concerns reception quality, audio and noise. The HF-235 has a nice fine noise which allows listening with headphones for hours to stations without getting tired. I compared it also to the AOR 7030. The sensitivity is very good. The HF-235 is without doubt on the same level as the Perseus SDR and AOR 7030. The HF-235 and AOR 7030 are very similar, but the HF-235 sounds better. From the HF-235 is said that it does not withstand very well active antennas. The HF-235 withstands the ALA1530+ without problems.

In the night hours could some interference be heard on the 60 m band. When switched to a 20 m long-wire do they disappear. This indicates that the HF-235 prefers passive antennas. The synchronous detector cannot be compared with the one in the AOR 7030. The synchronous detector in the AOR 7030 is definitely better. In some conditions can the synchronous detector of the HF-225 still improve the reception.

Shortwave listeners like to have PBT (Pass-Band Tuning) and notch-filter. But the HF-235 does not have these. Here we find again the Lowe-philosophy: good reception, few buttons. Even when the bandwidth filters do not have a high quality does it still makes fun tuning through the shortwave bands. Final comment : its audio is very nice to the ears.

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