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Re: HHB MDP 500 Portadisc

Subject: Re: HHB MDP 500 Portadisc
From: "jonnykontroletti" <>
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 06:03:35 -0000
Hello Walt!
Thank you very much for your detailed info.  You are right, ebay 
sometimes tends to be strange when it comes to the final price.  Did 
you ever see a Portadics for sale elsewhere?  The strap and carrying 
case do not matter much to me either.  However, I was hoping not to 
spend more than $900 for the recorder.  Next, I have to look for a 
good microphone that is suitable for nature reccording.  The same 
seller also offers a Sennheiser 816T on ebay (currently at $1!).  Do 
you happen to know anything about that mic?  Is there any other mic 
you could recommend?  I also looked at the Sennheiser K3 with various 
heads (ME 80, ME 40, ME 6?).  I liked that you could basically  
change the characteristic of the mic by simply changing the head.  I 
don't know anything about the quality though.  
Sorry to bombard you with all of these questions.  I would just love 
to get the equipment worries out of my head, be content with what I 
have and finally start to focus on recording ;-).  I just want to 
make sure that I will not ourgrow my investment in the near future.  
I guess thats why I liked the Portadisc.
jonny

  
--- In  Walter Knapp <> wrote:
> jonnykontroletti wrote:
> > Hello everyone!
> > I am new to this forum and new to recording.  I have heard many 
good 
> > things about the HHB MDP 500 Portadisc and wanted to know what 
you 
> > thought about this device.  Currently there is a Portadisc listed 
on 
> > Ebay (1392045558) and I am thinking about bidding on it.  How 
much 
> > would you say is it worth?  
> 
> It's worth it's list price and more as far as I'm concerned. I 
bought 
> one by preordering when they were first announced. Mine is out of 
the 
> first shipment to arrive in the US. I've used it through two 
recording 
> seasons, field recording frogcalls. Excellent recorder. Deserves 
the 
> title of the finest portable minidisc recorder. This is a recorder 
that 
> can handle the best nature recording mics in a worthwhile manner. 
Just 
> works well. Those that get them mostly don't turn loose of them.
> 
> Note this is a recordist's field recorder. Large feature list for 
> recording. Playback options are fairly simple by comparison, except 
for 
> all the output options. I hardly use the disk editing, I mostly 
record 
> on new disks and keep them. And playback is mostly just to transfer 
to 
> computer, I use it's optical digital output for that. Note that all 
> output modes are realtime, no high speed transfers, not even via 
the USB 
> connection. Just like any other recorder, DAT, Cassette, reel to 
reel 
> and so on in that.
> 
> The only items in the auction that did not come originally with the 
> Portadisc are the case and the mic. I don't know much about the 
mic, but 
> kind of expect it's more for music than nature recording. A Pelican 
1450 
> case, which is what HHb supplies in their reporter's kit version is 
> $68.75 here (though it lists for the price he's saying):
> http://www.all-pelican-cases-4-less.com/detail_pelican_1450.html
> Could probably get it less off ebay with a little watching.
> 
> The Portadisc also came with a shoulder strap and a fabric case. 
Neither 
> are shown in the auction. Both are kind of ho hum, not worth much 
to my 
> mind. I made a new strap for mine that's much nicer. Still have not 
made 
> a new case. I also did not see mention of the 2nd battery holder it 
came 
> with. Came with one set of 8 NIMH AA batteries, and two holders. I 
keep 
> the 2nd one full of a 2nd set of batteries. You get about 3 1/2 
hours 
> record time. There are higher capacity NIMH AA's available now than 
what 
> came with mine.
> 
> It's more what you will have to bid to get it. The auction will 
almost 
> certainly be decided in the last minute so you have to think it out 
in 
> advance. I'd not be too surprised to see it go for nearly list 
price for 
> the Portadisc. Maybe more. But you never know on ebay auctions. 
He's 
> right, these are very rare to see on ebay.
> 
> Note depending on the ROM in it you might have to have HHb update 
it. 
> There were a couple ROM versions that had problems. HHb has not 
been 
> charging for this, though I don't know on a used one. (Mine, with a 
ROM 
> older than anybody's has never had problems)
> 
> Walt
> 



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