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Grundig Satellit 3000

Manufactured by Grundig, Fürth.

In 1977, Grundig launched the first receiver from the „Satellit“ family with a digital frequency display. Grundig stayed with the proven receiver design: a turret tuner to switch the shortwave bands, switchable band spread for the broadcast bands, single conversion on the low frequencies, double conversion in the shortwave bands above 5 MHz, a digital frequency counter for frequency display, a quartz digital clock serves to display the time, but it cannot be used to switch on the receiver.

Grundig Satellite 3000

Technical data

Power supply

Dimensions

  • 500 x 290 x 120 mm, weight 8.9 kg

Accessories

Operation

The Grundig Satellit 3000 has inherited the bulky format from its predecessors, with its 50 x 29 x 12 cm and a weight of 8.9 kg without the 6 UM-1 batteries required for battery operation, it's definitely not a leightweight set.

The front panel is divided into three parts. On the left is the large loudspeaker, a tweeter can be switched on if reception conditions are good.

The three fields in the middle contain, one above another, the large field strength meter, which unfortunately is not calibrated in S-steps, in the middle field the digital clock, the antenna trimmer for external antennas and the triple bandwidth switch, and the digital display of the frequency counter with its large red LEDs and the general coverage ↔ bandspread switch in the bottom field. At the right part of the front panel, the dials for VHF, for the LW / MW / tropical band ranges and for the turret tuner with the spread shortwave ranges K3-K10 are arranged one above another with the respective tuning knobs.

In the bottom row of switches, from the left you find the headphone jack, the volume and tone controls, the main switch, switches for dial illumination, tweeter and the frequency counter. Further right are the switches for the BFO for single sideband mode, the noise limiter, the RF gain control, the sideband selector and the BFO pitch control.

On the top face, there is a large push-button unit. With the pushbuttons the ranges are selected, and the FM 1-6 buttons are used to select 6 FM stations preset by spiral potentiometers on the back of the radio. The push button unit tends to fail because of dust or corrosion, a common problem with the Satellit 3000 / 3400.

The operation of the Grundig Satellit 3000 is uncomplicated. After the set is turned on, the frequency range is selected with the push buttons. The shortwave bands covering the international broadcast bands are selected with the turret tuner, so the position SW3-10 is the correct one. With the big rotary switch on the left side of the unit, the 49 m broadcast band is selected, if the switch is in position BAND, the 49 m band is spread over the whole dial length, the frequency 6155 kHz can tuned easily, and soon you will hear the Austrian external service from Vienna. For general coverage operation, the switch can be set to RANGE, the tuning knob must be operated carefully. In case of adjacent channel interference, the toggle switch next to the digital clock can be used to switch to the medium or narrow IF filter.

On the ranges from longwave to the tropical bands (KW1, KW2), the Satelit 3000 is in single conversion mode and is susceptible to mirror frequencies. Since the receiver tends to tends to drift because of the analogue oscillators, the frequency display accuracy is only 1 kHz, and SSB reception is realised by means of a BFO, the reception of SSB signals and radioteletype transmissions is more then challenging.

The VHF tuner has an excellent sensitivity and dial accuracy. Even today, the Satellit radios of the 3xxx series are among the sets with the best sensitivity and selectivity and a choice for VHF DXing, the AFC can be switched off.

In summary, the Grundig Satellit 3000 is still a usable receiver. Its role in the 21st century is best described as a secondary radio for casual listening to the major shortwave broadcasters are to distant Fm stations. For FM broadcast band DXing the Satellit 3000 is still among the sets of first choice in my eyes.

The sets can be found on the second hand market from time to time, check the function of the band range selectors, the turret tuner and the sensitive IF bandwidth selector which tends to have contact problems. Quite often, the switches in the buttom row are broken. And don't try to find out how to use the digital clock in timer mode to automatically switch on the set, there is no eletric connection between the clock and the receiver and electronic timer mode was only possible in the shortwave listeners dreams in the late seventies.

Technical principle

Double conversion on the shortwave bands, single conversion LW - KW2; digital frequency counter.

Components

The set is equipped with semiconductors.

Technical documentation

Development

Further information

en/satellit_3000.txt · Zuletzt geändert: 2021/05/03 21:42 von mb