I recently came across an SGC SG-2020 Ham Radio transceiver on the used market. I've now had a good opportunity to evaluate this unique rig. Here's what I found.
I won't tell you about the deal I got on the matching tuner when I was walking down the very next aisle at Dayton...OK yes I will...the MAC-200 matching tuner for $55. And it works! Might have used up all my luck with those two.
Had two 2020 rigs. I liked them very much. Never had an operational problem. More than effective early DSP. Built like a brick. Travelled well in my Pelican case during international travel. When the original founder passed away, the problems began.
👍Thanks for video Tracy. I do remember these being advertised in UK radio magazines years ago. The rx audio in the video sounds very nice and clear. I suppose many commercial rigs have limited appeal to hams because commercial users will not be using them like hams do - most commercial users probably just want a rig with a few channels that can be quickly selected and they tend to be more rugged than ham sets.
Thanks for the comprehensive review of the SG-2020. Now I REALLY want to find one. Although I do have rigs with panadapters, I also enjoy using "older" rigs, FT-817/8nd, IC-706MKIIG, and others. Hope to catch you on the airwaves sometime soon. Best, Marc (N1QGM)
Some of us have heard of this radio..hi.. I purchased an SGC-2020 new from HRO in Oakland, CA around 1998 for ~ $550 and used it in the field off and on for about a year. After performing the internal MW mod, and making a small operational cheat-sheet, I found the navigation and operation from MW thru 10m straight forward. The radio was built like a tank. This was one of the first portable sub-100 watt pa units to offer ~15-20 watts output for a 5-6dB gain over a qrp rig. I had two issues with the radio. One was the loud "popping' sound from the speaker while tuning thru or selecting a band, regardless of if shift/pass band or bw adjustments. Second, the audio output from the built-in speaker was fairly poor and sounded a bit pinched. I eventually traded it for a nice 144MHz and a few bucks.. 73,n6spp
Great video, as usual. I learned a lot about the radio. I remember when that radio came to the market. I wanted one but, for me, it was not a good time to get one. It's still a neat little radio. We need more radios in the 20 watt class. It's an idea power level for portable. 20 watts is only 1 S unit down from an S9 signal report and you save so much on current drain from you battery. Barry, KU3X
Thanks for the episode, Tracy! Make sure you incorporate that SG-200 vintage radio coupler into the 2020's operation. I have a sg-200 as well, however, I have been using my 2020 with lighter, smaller "packable", tuners, I also have incorporated a Rig Blaster Advantage for use on digital modes (using the Kenwood IC Round) to connect to the 2020. Sort of teaches an old 2020 new digital tricks! Just remember to wait the warm-up time before you x-mit. PS no need to do over 12 watts while on digital... careful the finals.
Really nice review Tracy! I am lucky enough to have found a nice example which is probably one of the very few that made it here to VK. It is an older version with the SO239 mounted to the chassis and no DSP. Unfortunately the rubber VFO knob surround had perished along with the other two knobs, so they were replaced with modern equivalents albeit in black aluminium. It is a great little radio which still works very well and gives the full rated output on all bands. I will be keeping mine too, as I like the smaller all band portable rigs and it is very military looking as well as very rugged. If you can find one in good condition, then I recommend buying one as they are something different to the other manufacturers offerings even if the 2020 is getting rather long in the tooth.
You definitely HAVEN'T lost your mind. The very first radio I bought after obtaining my General license was the SGC SG-2020. I fell in love with it, and it's been my favorite radio to operate ever since then. Unlike you, I paid full price for it and its Power Supply at the HRO in Denver, Colorado. I'm not sure how much I paid at that time(over 30 years ago), but it's a great radio, and I don't care about that now. I'm thankful for their help in choosing my first radio, and I'm glad that they did so. I wish there was a new, resurrected SGC company. They had some higher-powered mobile radio equipment, a 150 watt radio and a 600 watt amplifier, and antennas for mobile use. They even had diagrams for setting up a sailboat with their equipment. Good folks. I sent it in to them to add their new ADSP, since I had bought the rig before they offered it.
Its a great little radio, I have used it many times out of the show room of the radio shop that was selling these. They were offered as a rig to replace the Spillsbury bush radio. It really is a tough and good bush radio, we loaded up all kinds of things with it. Tough!
...nice evaluation Tracy.... worked my bro on his sailboat way down to near Nuka Hiva (French Polynesia) with an SGC radio, VE0MWA... they made good stuff... My current 'qrp' radio which isnt really QRP (20 watts) a Xeigu G90 into an EFHW serves me well... Richard VA7AA
Loved this SGC Line... especially the Antenna Coupler with a built in 4:1 Balun to run 300 or 450Ohm Ladder Feedline and the Line Out fr Single Wire Antennas. The SGC-220 in a cosmetically similar shape like yours goes in Europe for 400.- Bucks + another 250.- for the MAC-200 Antenna Coupler. I know this is way over priced but hat's how much Sellers are asking and getting for it. Hey I tell you what...YFUG never needs a PAN Adapter...I prefer a portable Refridegrator filled up with Beers instead. And something that keeps off the Yellow Jackets and Moskitos in the hot Summers. Tnx for the nice Video racy, happy Thursday & 73 de Your Friend Uncle Günter💯🙋♂
i think that is a really cool radio, I would love to have one, I remember SGC from back in the 90's, they used to advertise in all the magazines, thanks for the video 73's ZS1AEW
Thanks for your demos in multiple POTA locations. I like that SGC SG-2020 for ruggedness and fast memory selection tuning. There's a learning curve and two handedness to deal with; but, I too would trade a panadapter for the love and feel of rugged old gear. With POA activation what's so great about a waterfall? (I'm new to the hobby. Starting up with a Yaesu 891 found a place my go-to list.)
I have an SGC SG-2020 I purchased it from an SK estate (a friend WA0DIM) and I have never used it. This video has given me some ambition to get out and use it.
I owned the QRP Plus as well as an SG-2020. But the 2020 had to go in for repairs multiple times. It was a great unit but had it's share of issues when in its infancy. Their tuners were by far some of the best. 73 Fred VE3FAL
I knew a couple guys who bought these when they first came out. SGC had some good ideas, but unfortunately those ideas weren't implemented properly. Mostly just little things, but the biggest problem was drifting. They even sent them back to the factory and SGC couldn't fix it. They finally sold them. If yours works well consider yourself lucky.
I had IC-7300, then FTDX-10, now sold and just got FT-891. So yes, I am fed up with all these waterfalls... If I would need one I will turn on my RSP1A SDR RX.
Tracy, my Canadian brother! I HATE to see you struggle with such a feature deprived old radio! How about I give you $300 and take it off your hands so you can hunt a "better" rig? After all, the one you have is a right handed unit and you need a left handed one! Of course I am joking, always wanted to try one of those radios but finance and license class never allowed me to do so. Glad to see you enjoy it! Hope it always serves you well!
That's a very kind offer you've made me, and it proves we certainly are brothers! Good point about the left-handedness 😂 Thanks for your message, i laughed out loud when I read it. 72!
Ive owned a few 2020’s & hands down it’s the punchiest rig out there for 20 watts, you can do a two component lift and add a Heil 4 element no one will believe you’re using 15/20 watts because of the VOGAD circuit, built like a tank, problem is LSB as the xtal starts to drift in some examples, on sunspot minimum with a LWIRE I worked ZL/VK from Toronto on the same evening, built like a tank, try and get one with ADSP2 fitted world of difference and it’s got a built in SWR circuit most don’t know about also get the rubber face guard & finally swap the pig tail out for a N type. 73. Best.
That looks like a really neat radio. Im a fan of 20w rigs. I still wont sell my 897, and also own an 891 among others. I find that QRO isn't usually needed. Especially as an activator.
No! You haven't lost your mind! Or if you did, I lost mine too. I own one and I've fallen in love with it the second I made my first QSO. I picked it up about a year or so from a friend, but unfortunately it was not in a very working condition, however the price was veeeeery good. The guy who sold it did tell me all the problems it had and I gladly took it with a restoration in mind. So I did, and after two months I was on the air. Mine apparently outputs 20W on all bands, and about 40 on Pmax. Bottom line, I love it and I think it will never leave me. Chris, YO2BIP.
I bought one of the last ones at AES …..what a tank and depending on the band conditions, this thing can make contacts seem like they are in the next room ! The last time I took it out to exercise it though, either I have forgotten how to work the buttons and got it into a mode I can’t get out of, or it has developed the symptom of sounding like it is in LSB mode, when I should be in USB mode or vise/versa. Does anyone know who services these in the states so I can send her out for repair?….Thanks
SGC made some great stuff but it takes a little time to get use to. I have the SGC 2000 as my shop transceiver and it works great; the early DSP is a little funky. Shame SGC does not support these unis any longer.
I have one myself and have had high expectations and indeed find this a very cool little radio. However, mine has a malady of insufficient carrier null begetting reports of 'carrier' during transmit. I spent hours trying to run down the cause for this. Best I can tell the BFO is not shielded enough to avoid getting into the IF stages. Otherwise I made some nice mobile QSOs with Ham Sticks. I did have reports of 'chirping' in my CW keying. I found a slight voltage drop within the main circuit board durig key-down in the CW mode. It is now relegated to after retirement second attempts to fix the lack of carrier nulling.
Nice review, thanks. Did you every figure out how to get the scanner working? The manual isn't clear on how to set the start and end frequencies, would be nice to get it scanning 20m. The DSP noise blanking on my SG2020 which I bought in 2001 is fabulous, it uses the Analog Devices ADSP chipset, was ahead of it's time and works incredibly well (pre ADSP2 version).
I had a few QRP+ rigs even one that I bought USED but was NOS. I also had a few SG-2020, again my last one was mint, with box, sold it too. Regret selling both those rigs. The SG2020 was cool but really left a lot to be desired with RX.
almost bought one back in the day but didnt. still kicking myself,,,,by the way, as a radioman in the Coast Guard we use Shure microphones at the station.
Too bad they lost focus on the potential. I have one. Have lent it out a few times. Still works great. Only 20 watts but utterly simple layout. Reminds me of the old Atlas 180’s from early 70’s. Great solid state movie for it’s time. I still have a hump mount stand for an Atlas 180.
The 2020 PBT is similar to the PBT on an IC-7200, or even a Xiegu G90; you can narrow the Pass Band to sharpen up the receive audio from your DX station. Sometimes its use is a necessary thing. 73s and have fun experimenting with this rig. DE AG4KN@@OutdoorsOnTheAir
First, put another rig in place of the SG-2020 and see if you get similar results. If yes, there is something else at play (e.g. antenna system). If no, then it could be the rig. Also confirm the power supply is a good one and is providing what the rig needs. If the issue lies with the rig, check the So-239 as they have a tendency to be less than sturdy. Wiggle the coax to see if there is an intermittent connection. If all else fails, seek out the Groups.io SGC group and ask there. Some very knowledgeable hams who hang out there might be able to provide assistance. Good luck, but it's worth pursuing to get that rig working well!
I've had two and never should have sold either. Especially the latter DSP model. Quirks? Yes! Odd multi button controls? Yes! Only communication grade xmit and receive audio? Yes! Still! I'm sure I'll buy another.
My content is of no value if few people see it. Titles, like the rest of my channel, are in a constant state of experimentation. Hope you can understand that.
