The Japan Radio Co. JRC
NRD-545 DSP Receiver

JRC's discontinued NRD-545 "DSP" HF Receiver.
(Photo by DaveZ)

Comments have been at the extremes from really good to "poor" with the JRC NRD-545. Of course it has more to do on how sensitive YOU are to the DSP noises (overloading) that this set can emit under certain conditions. Actually it's "Audio Recovery" , that is pulling a person's spoken word out of the mud, is quite good. This is a "Real" DSP receiver , DSP is used in the IF / DETECTION / AGC etc.. It's not a quazi DSP box that so many amateur set makers seem to still be making, that is still using audio DSP. Listen to my "Real Audio" files below and make up your own mind if the weird sounds that the 545 can emit. I have owned 2 samples, both being the latest firmware.

A few off the newsgroups have indicated that I do not have my NRD-545 receiver set up correctly, so I'm hearing those noises that I have below. NOT TRUE !!! I have quite enough hours using this set over the last years to tell you that these sounds (DSP overloading) are no joke no matter how you adjust it. It very well depends on where you are, what antenna you are using, what time of day you use the set, signal activity/strength around the tuned frequency...etc. Many factors play in this and will not be the same for all. It's of course up to YOU if you wish to beleive what you hear on these audio files as below...but they don't lie. It catches the set in the act !! Again, just be aware if you plan on making a purchase of one in the used market.

Discontinued Receiver

Two samples were tested for this report

Why a JRC NRD-545 ??

What really made me go for this receiver was the number of bandwidths that are availiable. Seeing a range from 10 hz to 9.99 Khz in 10 Hz steps was like..”you have to be kidding “ (ALL filters being independent of mode of course) ?? Also many of the other functions being done within the DSP, including the “Notch” and “Detection” circuits hit me as being performance pluses.

First Impressions

The quality of construction is in the usual JRC tradition, "excellent" inside and out. The "internal" power transformer is of good quality too, I think the same one that was used in the NRD-525/535. It is very quiet and normal amount of heat. No excessive buzzing sounds (unlike the power transformer in the NRD-301A, which buzzes like a hive of mad bee's,also runs very HOT).

Also JRC did a excellent job with the rest of the power supply as well. They are feeding the input voltage to the 545's regulator's at a perfect level (as was the case in the NRD-525-535 sets), so they run at a very good "warmish" temperature. I have heard of Drake not doing so well in this area with the R-8 series.....you will not have to resort of having to use a external DC power supply to run this receiver (as some Drake R-8x owners have done) because of excessive heat and or excessive "buzzy"noises. UPDATE : JRC has changed the transformer in more current production, see green block below.

The encoder that has been chosen for the "BWC" control has a very good feel to it. The tuning knob also has a very good feel to it, no weird play or grizzly feeling. It indeed uses a very good optical type encoder, and at this price point it should.

Push buttons all have a OK feel and are of the "tact" variety. Thank goodness no "Rubber/Soft Plastic" key's ! A bit of "loosness" and key wobble which is normal using this system.Yes, the 545 has the painted pushbuttons just as it was on the NRD-535. I wish manafactures would get away from the use of painting the surface of the actual button that we will be placing our paws on. You know these will show wear and worst case this paint will get totally removed with use. I know this is to make it look "pretty"..but hey JRC..on the next set down the road (if there is to be one) lets forget the paint on the buttons. Save yourself a few pennies, just put the number(s) / lettering on the keys.

General ergonomics are of the usual JRC stature, superb. The “Tuning Knob” speed is much improved over the NRD-525 and 535. I can set it to the speed what I like. It was just too S-L-O-W on these other JRC”s sets. My old NRD-93 also suffered from a even slower “turtle” speed knob. Much better JRC...thank’s. JRC is still using a nice standard 3-wire AC plug socket for the power input, another great item to see.

The NRD-545's display is a Negative Type LCD and uses a Fluorescent Tube behind it. But I’m a bit concerned on the life of this tube before it burns out ? It does not look like it would be easy to replace and would more than likely cost a pretty penny to have it done if one was not handy with electronics .

When you first turn on the NRD-545 from a cold start, the display brightness will be dim for the first couple of min's or so. This is normal for this type of backlighting system and is not a fault.

I wish JRC would have included at least a basic set of schematic's with the set . It's another "shame on you JRC thing". All we get in the owners manual is a lousy block diagram. Certinally a step back here as they used to on all other previous sets (except the NRD-345). The excuse "well just purchase the service manual" does not wash with me !

CHE-199 Converter Blues !!!

On my first NRD-545 sample, I purchased the CHE-199 VHF/UHF Converter Unit. It installed very easy with no real tools. Just a slide in board and one little coax connector that pops on fast. Well after doing the required reset, It did indeed come to life, on the display that is. As far as RF performance, it was as deaf as a french fry. This was connected to high performance antenna’s as well. It barely received my local 20 kw FM broadcasting station . For any local amateur radio signals...Nothing !!...Nada. I have heard of others with this same problem. But good news is for most the replacement did indeed work just fine (I did not get another one to find out for myself).

It seems that JRC just has an above average “dud” rate with the CHE-199 converter ? So if you experence “Nada” instead of your Local PD....you could have one of those bad ones ?? I hear the performance is nothing to scream about when it does work right, and I would rather not tie up a HF receiver to listen to VHF/UHF signals anyway. Better with a separate radio or scanner.

CGD-197 TCXO, Beep Level and Adjustment.

First job I wanted to tackle (after dealing with the converter DOA business) was to install the CGD-197 TCXO option. Be sure to remove the little foam strip that all JRC owners all know about which hold the boards in place during shippment. But what hit’s you the fastest is the fact that ”where are innards” ?? It certainly has fewer boards than previous JRC receivers. More of the sets power is being done within the DSP so the parts count is much less.

I found that the "Beep" level was too loud for my ears. There is a "Beep Level Volume" adjustment (RV3) located on the top of the CGK-160 REF/DDS. Of course you must have the set powered on and connected to an external speaker to make this "tweak". This is covered in the owners manual as well. I wish to have a beep feedback, but not so loud.

NOTE : If you do make this adjustment, be very careful NOT to adjust with the 2 'line output' trim controls by mistake that are right next to this "Beep" adjustment. Will be very hard to get these back to factory specs without test equipment. Use a flashlight and be sure that your are on the right control in the first place !!

View of the NRD-545 with top cover removed (before I installed the CGD-197 TCXO).
(Photo by DaveZ)

“Frequency Display a bit off.....out of the box”

This is a gremlin with receivers that drives me nuts, and was the first item I corrected before I put the set to real use.

On the 2 samples that I have owned ,both were off out of the box by around 20 to 30 Hz. This is not a nasty problem, but if you are off by 20 hz at 5 Mhz, it will be worse at 15 Mhz. So if you are dead on at 15 Mhz...will should also be so at 5 Mhz (well it should work that way). So if you are off a bit and wish to be at least closer to dead on you need to adjust CV-1 on CGK-160 board (as indicated on page 31 of the manual). Note: The higher you do go up in frequency the more touchy the adjustment (CV-1) gets. But try and adjust using WWV at 15 Mhz.

WARNING: You want to pass on this adjustment if you do not have lots of patience. It can be very time consuming and end up with it even being worse !! As usual...Doing ANY of these adjustments are done at YOUR OWN RISK !!! This "standard" adjustment is not going to void any warranties, however anything else that you might do "oops" in the process...more than likely will !!

I use a bit different method to achieve this adjustment than listed in the manual. You must use a "Strong" signal on WWV on 15.000.000 Mhz as they are transmitting those nifty tones (don't try if it's weak or during a quiet periods in the hour), being selected at the "Local" SSB shift (default anyway), and using USB/LSB (NOT CW as in the manual), I turn the BWC to a W-I-D-E bandwidth of at least 6 Khz or above (might as well open it up and use 9.99 Khz). Then you are able to hear the "off beat" tones real well. Makes adjusting CV-1 alot easier. Allow the set warm up at least 1 hour before you do this. Of course use a hi-fi pair of headphones or external speaker to hear the output. You should hear NO difference what-so-ever between USB and LSB when it's adjusted correctly. If you cannot hear WWV (or WWVH) well at your location..sorry to say I don't have any other idea's for you.

"Adding the CGD-197 TCXO"

Now you might say well, just add the CGD-197 TCXO option and that should clear up that problem...well not quite. I have installed a couple of these and both were off, a bit closer to the stock ref.xtal....but not by much. Still about 20 Hz off (high). I can understand how this can happen..too many factors that can throw off a part like this and it's going to vary from set to set that it is installed into, bounced around in transit as well as normal aging of the crystal itself . Remember the TCXO was standard in the old NRD-525 .

As you can see in the picture below, there is indeed a trimmer cap on the CGD-197. But how do you get to it ?? CV-1 trimmer only works on the internal xtal. Well it can be done (I do not have any test equipment..) , but it's the old ..PULL THE POWER PLUG FROM THE WALL SOCKET EVERY TIME !!! (MOST IMPORTANT)...pop the CGK-160 board out..do your adjustment..and stick it back in and see how you did. Of course allow a few mins here for the xtal to reach correct temp. You of course have to keep doing this until you get it right....huffda..!!!

Another WARNING here...this is a VERY VERY touchy variable capacitor. Again this can be a very time consuming and mind straining procedure. Avoid this if you have problems with ventures like this, leave it with it being a bit OFF.

The CGD-197 TCXO option, backwards from what you are thinking for adjustment.
(Photo by DaveZ)

Now after installing a 2 CGD-197's and these adjustments....on the second time around I had it "Dead On" in a record 15 mins.Now if I select 10,000.000 MHZ..I actually get it. This is a big plus tuning manual ECSS (using USB/LSB), provided the station is on frequency. And of course I can check a station's frequency quickly and really see if they are off which can help to ID a station.

(But alas, even after an additional time peroid (4 years since I installed it), it has again moved up in frequency almost 10 hz, so it appears a touchup every once in while will still be needed).

1000 Memories, 32 User Defined Functions, User Defined entries a bit tricky to the novice, Speed up the BWC step.

We have 1000 memory channels available on the NRD-545. A CR2032 lithium battery backs these up. I wonder why JRC is still using a outdated battery backed system here and not EEPROM, but perhaps for reasons that I do not totally understand?

Each memory channel stores: Frequency, mode, IF Filter Bandwidth (what you have stored in the WIDE, INTER or NARROW buttons), AGC, ATT and Tuning Steps. It does NOT store the ECSS function.

For the “IF Filter Bandwidth” in each memory entry, it will store the WIDE, INTER or NARROW button. So what you have entered in these 3 is what will end up in the memory channels.

You can easily change these from default for the 3 bandwidths. My favorites are listed in the charts at the bottom of this report (no suprise that they are on the wider side). See page 9 of the owners manual for the details, but every mode has different default settings. You can make the Bandwidth knob "steps" move at a faster rate (100 hz steps vs 10 hz default) by pressing the FUNC buton and then BWC. Whew, now that's much better.

These Bandwidths defaults are changed by hitting the FUNC key then push the BANDWIDTH button that you wish to change (WIDE, INTER or NARROW), next rotate the BWC knob to your desired bandwidth and finally push ENT/kHz to seal the deal. Again, every mode has it’s own settings.

32 User defined functions are found on the NRD-545. The chart at the bottom of this page covers what these are. But these can be a bit confusing for PROPER entry in the NRD-545 for the “greenhorn”. The manual is a bit confusing (at least it was to me for the first time), and if one does not do this in the correct procedure, the entries will not take. It’s a piece of cake once you get use to it.

First press the FUNC button, followed by ENT/kHz. You will see 001 FLASHING on the left and what ever number is stored in this User Defined entry in the middle-right. Next rotate the AGC/BWC knob to the desired entry number (number at left, it should be flashing as you rotate it). Press the ENT/kHz button again, now the flashing number with move to the Middle (ok lets call it to the right). Rotate the AGC/BWC knob to the desired number. Press ENT/kHz again. The Left number will be flashing again (this is what will be changed when your rotate the knob).

Repeat for other entries, but when you are finished be sure to end up with the left entry numbers flashing. NOW the important part, hit the CLR button when totally finished. Maybe this is not totally correct, but is what works for me.

IMPORTANT: With any entry like this (either “user defined” other entries) on the NRD-545, one needs to keep in mind is if you go 15 seconds without a keypad “press” or knob rotation, it will revert back to a normal display and you will need to start over. If you allow this to happen, none of the entries that you have made may not take?

“# 32” User Set-Up Function

One item that you might wish to change in the “User Set-Up Functions” right away ?

On # 32 Filter setting I made the selection as 1: DSP LOOSE filter. It is set out of the box (Default) as...0: DSP SHARP filter....I found the audio more harsh, more so with fading distortion (even with ECSS) in default "0". However "SHARP" does give slightly better audio recovery to my ears. So depends on what type of signals you are listening to? With broadcasting stations (MW or SW) "LOOSE" was better for me in the AM or ECSS modes. Using the wider bandwidths this is less of an issue.

What's that "Serial Number" business again ??

NRD-545's with a serial number of RG 04665 and above have the latest ROM firmware (both DSP and operation EPROMS). If you have a older set, you should contact the JRC office in your country to see about purchase of the latest EPROM firmware chips. The eariler samples had dreadful audio quality. What you read in this report/review were with 2 sets that have serial numbers above RG 04665, and of course the latest firmware.

"Audio in the Ruff”...DSP Limitations ?

But the first time I really listened to the audio of this set...I was very sad indeed. But now that I’m more used to it’s different traits, it’s not as much of a factor..but it still can be a major quirk.

The 2 types of weird sounds that the NRD-545 emits are a bit hard to explain. One being more of a burp sound, the other is of a “Tick Tick” sound.

A comment made by Chris Lobdell explains a bit more on this:

"Another flaw--and I have no idea what the cause is--is a "clicking" sound that occurs while listening in the AM mode. It does not occur on all signals, but tends to show up on signals that are moderate in strength. The clicks tend to be about two per second, and are loud enough to detract from the enjoyment of listening. I'm assuming this to be a software defect of some sort."

3 "Real Audio" files below recorded by me of both of the sounds. I must stress that I did NOT have on the "AMS" button on either (or any other filter/NB on for that matter) ,which turns on the AM Stereo, which can give you it's own clicky sounds when signals are weak. Below are 3 recordings made from a 545..serial above RG 05200.

Have a listen.....Now to be fair, these gremlins only appear on ..oh I would say 1 in 20 signals, not on all . But when it does, the DSP garbage really shows it's ugly head. 2 types of "weird" sounds !!! There was NO local interference at all when I made these recordings and again NO NB or Notch filters were on !! ECSS was off as well. Most important...if you switch over to ECSS (manual or Auto)..most of the time (but not always) the gremlins can go away. So sometimes a way around it...but really should we have to hear this at all coming out of near $ 2000. radio ??

The Analog Devices ADSP-21061 "Sharc" DSP Chip as seen in the JRC NRD-545.
(NOTE: The ADSP-21061 was the same DSP chip used in the Icom IC-756 PRO, PRO II and PRO III Transceivers)
(Photo by N9EWO)

“More Audio Gremlins”

Adding to the audio blues in the virgin AM mode...fading distortion sounds very harsh than with others receivers I have ever used. Another "hard to explain" problem which I can only notice on stronger signals (and still only once in awhile) with a certain fading patterns, is what sounds like an overloaded audio signal for a second or two. Manual or Auto ECSS can (but not always) clear up these problems.

So for any AM Broadcast signals , you need to use ECSS (manual or automatic)...otherwise it can be very irritating indeed. There is hiss coming from the audio amp in the set too. And can be a bit annoying depending on the speaker (or headphones) being used, but does not creep out of the line outputs.

The ECSS circuit in general works well, only looses lock for a split second on the worst of fades..not very often. But the best ECSS in a JRC set so far. As you can remember the ECSS circuit in the NRD-535 "D" was a awful performer. The "Sync" (non-ECSS) in the NRD-345 is another poor circuit. Tip: The closer you are to the "CENTER" of the carrier, the better it will hold lock. Do not try and use the ECSS if you are not tuned correctly tuned to the center of the signal.

After a bit more experience using the ECSS on the 545, it can indeed loose lock for a split second on strong signals very deep "sharp" fades.It seems that the stronger the signal, it will have more of a chance to loose lock for that split second ?? Weird is right. This is not a serious flaw...but can be annoying on certain strong signals. More times than not, it works just fine. ECSS is still better than any previous JRC receiver.

The AD's that JRC has floating around on the NRD-545 indicates that the AGC decay rate is adjustable in the ECSS mode. Well if they are talking about the auto "ECSS" button/mode..they are DEAD WRONG , as it most certainly is not. It is fixed as it is in the AM mode.

Slight ECSS "OFF" Gremlin

One note I need to pass along in regards to the ECSS mode. IN SOME CASES, when you turn off the ECSS and start to tune with the knob, you may notice that it may not be totally OFF (you may hear hets). So once in awhile it can take about 5 seconds for other circuits in the ECSS circuit chain to totally turn off. So 2 or 3 "mississippi's" you will hear the "het's" go away. This is not a fault and is totally normal.

What is the "AMS" button for ?? (for you first time pepole to the NRD-545), SW stereo ??

On the "AM" mode button, you see AMS printed along side of it. The owners manual gives very little information on what this function really does. Well first it appears to give a even wider IF bandwidth over what the normal BWC control gives at max (10 kHz). I would say about 12 kHz here, but that's a guess as no real spec's exist.

If you are tuned to stronger "in the clear" signal with no fading (say a MW station) it can make for a real aural treat. If not , well that break up distortion can create a painful experence. Also the ECSS does not work when AMS is on, so no way to tackle the problem other than to turn it off.

But the real reason for the AMS button is the fact that it toggles the AM STEREO function (Motorola C-Quam system) Again, you have no ECSS function when the AMS button is on, so is not always good news here.

But overall it's fun. However, to hear this Stereo output (also goes for FM stereo when the converter is installed), you MUST connect the L and R line outputs to a EXTERNAL amplifer (or amplified computer speakers will work too).

Of course this was intended for MW stations, but IF a SW broadcast station were to ever throw out a C-QUAM signal over the airwaves, the NRD-545 should be able to decode it. Maybe that's one for WBCQ to try if the FCC would allow it ??

Tone Control affects “Line” Output

The "Tone" control affects the "Line" audio outputs. Yep..you could have knocked me over with a slight breeze when I first discovered this. Not a bad thing here...if you have a signal in the mud and are trying make a recording of it..this can be a big plus. Now that I see after doing a bit of reading in the brochure, the tone control is indeed adjusted via the DSP chip. Good idea here and works well.

General “Volume” quirk

One little minor quirk is that on certain "Broadcast" stations that are low in the audio dept (say Libya etc), the 545 seems to have a hard time keeping up . That even with the volume control at 3 o'clock, you still may not have enough audio to hear it right. So the comment "It can run out of volume control"..seems to be a very true statement. The very expensive (discontinued) JRC NRD-301A "Super Set" that I tested also has this trait. This is the first 2 receivers that I have ever encountered that is weird in this way ?? Again, only a minor problem that should not make you shy away from this receiver...but for the record, you now know about his.

Is that 4 or 8 ohms with the speaker output ??

Well could be a part of the above "volume" problem ?? Just about all JRC receivers are rated 1 Watt at 4 OHMS . Yes 4 Ohms !!! Using a 8 ohm speaker is not going to hurt a thing (other way around could be). Matter of fact the matching NVA-319 speaker is using a 8 ohm speaker inside . But the output might be cut back at least a bit using a 8 ohm speaker, where a 4 ohm might give a extra kick ?? I have yet to test this out, but could be something to look into ??

The only JRC set that I have noticed that is NOT listed at 4 ohms is the NRD-345. It is listed as 8 ohms. Weird to sat the least, and I'm not sure how much I want to beleive this ??

But could be one of the reasons why some JRC owners (me included) have had sour luck in making some external speakers work right ??

I use a SMALLER OLDER 2-way die-cast hi-fi speaker (the Realistic Minimus-77 cat # 40-2054 from the early 90's), the tweeter helps very much here. NOTE: I have tried all of Radio Shack's (RCA) more current metal die-case 2-way speakers and they all requied too much audio power to drive them (so that was a total bust). These older 40-2054's do not have this problem for some reason.

"Quick Toggle" of Front End Filters

Something that I discovered that was not indicated in my 545's owners manual. This was on my NRD-545 with a serial number a bit over RG 06400 and may or may not exist on older or latest versions (not sure) ??

On # 24 of the "User Setup Functions", we have a selection for front end filtering . This allows you to bypass the front end filters for perhaps a bit more sensitivity in cases where you need every bit to pull a signal out of the mud. Normally front end filters (preselector filtering) can give a few db's of signal loss. But of course you should NOT leave this in the bypassed mode for normal listening. The NRD-525's and 535's also have the same "pass" switch.

But during "scan" (scanning of the memories) function, leaving these filters on and as it chuffs over the memory channels...well it makes the filter relays chatter like a old car on it's last legs.

So to switch off the front end filters you have to dread to the "user setup function" mode. Select it down to # 24, and then switch it to 0. Of course after you are done with your scanning, you have to do this chore all over again.

Well here is the "quick toggle" that I discovered. Press the "FUNC" (function) key then the "ATT" key. You will hear one beep (not the usual error beeps). You will see NO indication on the display anywhere, even if you drop into the user setup mode and peek at #24 after you do this, it will not show it correctly. To toggle it back, just repeat "FUNC" and "ATT" again.

If you turn off the set and turn it back on again, it will default to whatever you have set in # 24. This quick toggle operation will not change this setting in any way.

I miss the "pass" indication on the display with the NRD-545. The NRD-525 and 535 had this of course.

(Yes.....Dave Z. with another neat finding on a JRC receiver. Remember the 99.999.99 entry with the NRD-535 ,as listed in October 1991 Monitoring Times ..."Display Test Mode"...entire display lights up...me again !!! By the way the NRD-545 display mode is selected by while pressing and holding the FUNC + DIMMER buttons , then power the receiver up. To switch back to normal mode, just rotate the tuning knob.)

I love bandwidths adjustable up to 10 Khz (or more). I hate receivers that stop at 6~8 khz which seems to be the trend these days !

So what's the word ?? This is a "Discontinued Receiver", Used Market If You Desire One.

The JRC NRD-545 just might be a fine receiver depending on what you enjoy to listen to ? Again..listen to the "Real Audio" files above and hear for YOUR OWN ears if the gremlins are of a concern ?. But for many it will still only be a set for "UTE" or SSB monitoring. The AGC set up in the 545 is very good, but only for SSB signals. For SSB work , this set is a good one...actually sounds much cleaner and less hisser than with the AR7030 (SSB only).

The JRC NRD-545 is a discontinued product (early 2007 in Japan, early 2008 in the USA) and no longer sold as new. It was a good 10 year run. I don't see a rosy future with tabletop communications receivers , even more so that have a good "INTERNAL" non-switching power supply" . R & D is not at the top of the list with shortwave tabletop communications receivers.

After reading these comments you are wondering if I'm totally aganist this set ? No. I actually enjoy the NRD-545 very much. I find myself using it more and more. Maybe I'm just getting used to it's strange traits ?? If I hear the DSP gremlins getting into a signal I'm really trying to hear right or even more important "record" to a mini-disc , and depending how serious it's destroying a signal....I might have to switch over another set. And really why should I have to do this right ??? But overall , I find the JRC NRD-545 to be a keeper even with it's warts.

In my view, reliability, the quality of construction, general overall design and parts used are all well above any other consumer tabletop set at time this report was being typed. With all of the problems the AOR AR7030 has had over the years (and still has to this day), it's just a more refreshing experience for your hard earned money even with the audio (DSP ?) issues.

UPDATE : Be sure and read the important note in regards with a change made with the AC power transformer in later production in the above text if you have not already. This may very well be important with a NRD-545 purchase in the used market place ?

Dave N9EWO
Ver 9.0

© 2008 N9EWO

Discontinued Receiver

Comments from others on the NRD-545 (click on link below) :

(JRC) Japan Radio Co. NRD-545 Receiver "User Comments"

Rear view of the NRD-545 with it's excellent internal "super quiet" power transformer.
(photo edited by DaveZ)

Tom AB9B (via Dave N2YII) offers the "Owner's Manual" for the JRC NRD-545.
(NOTE : Link posted here as FYI only . Subject to change without notice. In 5 zipped sections)

JRC NRD-545 Owner's Manual (link)

Dave's JRC NRD-545 Bandwidth Settings
(I changed from "out of the box" settings, "What does Dave use for his preset bandwidth settings ?")

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