RECEPTION TIPS |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| RECEIVER NEWS IN 2002 ISSUES OF DX LISTENING DIGEST: 2-205, 2-196, 2-195, 2-192, 2-191, 2-190, 2-189, 2-188, 2-182, 2-181, 2-179, 2-174, 2-170, 2-166, 2-165, 2-163, 2-161, 2-160, 2-158, 2-157, 2-154, 2-153, 2-141, 2-140, 2-139, 2-137, 2-136, 2-128, 2-118, 2-117, 2-113, 2-110, 2-094, 2-091, 2-090, 2-089, 2-085, 2-084, 2-078, 2-071, 2-064, 2-062, 2-054, 2-034, 2-022. These are toward the bottom of each file after the alphabetical by- country news section. Direct hotlinks to each issue since June 30, 2002 are at http://www.worldofradio.com/dxldmid2.html Or find them in the quarterly html archives. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| November 3, 2001: [last entry for 2001] BOO--BOO--BOO--BOO--BOO--BOO--BOO--BOO--BOO--BOO--BOO--BOO--BOO PREVIOUSLY OWNED RADIO MARKET: The following is a compilation of advertised "sell" prices for used receivers. Prices for receivers either not in working condition or highly modified or accessorized are not included where this is clearly stated in the ad. Prices are average of ads from various media over the past year. Alternative averages are calculated where there are values 25% higher or lower than the overall average. Prices may or may not include shipping charges. Canadian ads are included at the exchange rate current at the time of the ad. Actual average "sold" prices are probably less than the averages noted. e-Bay prices are not included. Latest update: 31-Oct-01 Average Without Overall +/-25% Number Receiver Average Values High Low of Ads --------------- ------- ------ ---- ---- ------ Alinco DJX10 302$ 298$ 450$ 175$ 8 AOR AR3000A 596$ --- 700$ 500$ 6 AOR AR8200 450$ --- 550$ 375$ 5 Bearcat 200XLT 145$ --- 175$ 125$ 10 Bearcat 235XLT 109$ 113$ 125$ 75$ 9 Bearcat 245XLT 167$ 162$ 214$ 125$ 11 Bearcat 760XLT 138$ --- 155$ 120$ 5 Bearcat 780XLT 305$ 316$ 375$ 217$ 9 Bearcat 895XLT 144$ --- 165$ 125$ 16 Bearcat 9000XLT 256$ 241$ 350$ 200$ 7 Collins R390A 511$ 488$ 650$ 425$ 7 Drake R4A 179$ 175$ 275$ 100$ 7 Drake R4B 203$ 222$ 250$ 110$ 6 Drake R8 555$ 561$ 850$ 400$ 16 Drake R8A 635$ 622$ 800$ 500$ 13 Drake R8B 801$ --- 900$ 650$ 9 Drake SW8 439$ 444$ 575$ 275$ 9 Grundig YB400 75$ 75$ 100$ 50$ 7 Grundig YB400PE 119$ --- 135$ 100$ 5 Hallicrafters SX100 283$ 272$ 500$ 200$ 15 Icom R2 153$ 141$ 250$ 130$ 9 Icom R10 228$ 222$ 350$ 165$ 11 Icom R70 328$ --- 375$ 275$ 5 Icom R71A 429$ 416$ 650$ 325$ 19 Icom R75 524$ 514$ 700$ 415$ 19 Icom R7000 706$ 683$ 915$ 575$ 10 Icom R7100 889$ --- 1100$ 750$ 5 Icom R8500 1129$ --- 1300$ 900$ 7 Japan Radio NRD545 1575$ --- 1700$ 1400$ 5 Kenwood R600 193$ --- 225$ 165$ 6 Kenwood R1000 217$ 214$ 350$ 100$ 7 Kenwood R2000 345$ 333$ 450$ 250$ 12 Kenwood R5000 488$ 472$ 850$ 250$ 10 Realistic DX375 44$ 42$ 75$ 25$ 7 Realistic DX394 161$ 161$ 220$ 100$ 9 Realistic DX398 135$ --- 155$ 110$ 11 Realistic PRO43 178$ 172$ 225$ 130$ 10 Realistic PRO91 106$ 100$ 135$ 85$ 6 Realistic PRO92 149$ --- 170$ 125$ 7 Realistic PRO94 160$ 160$ 200$ 120$ 11 Realistic PRO2004 194$ 183$ 250$ 150$ 12 Realistic PRO2005 202$ 195$ 300$ 150$ 9 Realistic PRO2006 259$ 244$ 400$ 150$ 24 Realistic PRO2037 89$ --- 100$ 70$ 6 Realistic PRO2042 238$ 216$ 350$ 160$ 12 Realistic PRO2052 206$ --- 250$ 180$ 7 Realistic PRO2067 226$ 216$ 300$ 175$ 9 Sony SC1PC 164$ --- 200$ 135$ 8 Sony ICF2010 227$ 225$ 300$ 185$ 24 Sony ICF7600G 128$ --- 150$ 110$ 7 TenTec RX320 239$ 240$ 325$ 150$ 8 Yaesu FRG7 230$ 224$ 375$ 145$ 11 Yaesu FRG100 348$ --- 415$ 300$ 6 Yaesu FRG9600 339$ --- 400$ 275$ 8 Yaesu VR500 224$ 229$ 275$ 155$ 14 -- Michigan Area Radio Enthusiasts, Inc. mailto:MARE_Inc@hotmail.com PO Box 530933 || http://detroit.freenet.org/mare Livonia, MI || a 501(c)(7) non-profit organization USA 48153-0933 || devoted to promoting *all* radio hobbies |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| August 29: Dear Glenn, I have enjoyed having my Becker-Mexico in my car for the past couple of years and have had some nice DX even with a very less than optimum antenna system. The other evening as clear as a bell came Voice of Vietnam and routinely it is easy to pick up usual BBC, DW, VOA, and various incarnations coming out of WWCR. This unit is much easier to use than the Philips DC-777 mainly because of an infrared remote control that I was smart enough to get when I bought the unit. When I first had the 777 I had a remote control but stupidly sent it back to Universal Radio for a refund as it was hard wired. Trying to get it back proved impossible for me, even with the internet to search from. The Mexico only covers the usual discrete bands including broadcast FM/MW so out of band stations cannot be tuned in which is about my only complaint. A cassette deck is also standard. There is much control of the device and its settings (including how sensitive the search feature is) that make it very easy to listen to as well as set up to search while driving. With the remote control in my hand resting on the arm rest of the car it is a breeze to tune around the bands without becoming a danger on the highway. The antenna set up in the newer GM cars (at least the Buicks) are some kind of amplified box that resides in the trunk - not in the windshield as I thought. If I get bored some day I would try to figure out how to have a split between the "Box" and an antenna that I would install on the outside of the vehicle. There seem to be a lot of new antennas that may not have been intended to be put on a car but would do just fine with some creative installation. Grove and Universal both have antennas that are under 3' long that claim to be good from .5 to 30 Mhz. Ccrane has their loaded coil antenna for cars that seemed to work better than just the original. People looking for or waiting for the Becker-Mexico to come down price- wise from $450-$495 should probably give up and buy one as Ron Goodman with Becker of America has verified they have discontinued the unit (contrary to some Spectrum chatter) and there are probably only 200 of the units left world wide. The only place I know that has them is Ccrane that will sell them alone or with a 6 CD outboard changer (in the trunk). Hope all is well with you. Thank you for your wonderful reports. (LeRoy Long, Aug 23) [referenced on WOR 1094] ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| May 31: New article in the Los Angeles Times about portable SW receivers! http://www.latimes.com/business/cutting/ttimes/20010531/t000045549.html (via Kim Elliott) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| May 21: Two notes about receivers available at Universal Radio: First, the Icom R75 communications receiver continues to sell at $569.99, after the $200 coupon discount. This offer has been extended to June 30. (Keep in mind that Universal has Icom's discount coupons on hand, so if you do order the R75 on the web or via the mail they will issue the discount for this item.) Second, Sony's new ICF-SW7600GR is now available at Universal. Tom Sundstrom ordered this receiver from Universal and has done a test report on it for Radio Netherlands, which is now available for viewing on the Media Network web site (Joe Hanlon in Philadelphia, May 20) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| May 18: Radio Netherlands has published their review of the brand new Sony ICF- SW7600GR. http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/icf-sw7600gr.html In short, they like it very much. Ricky :) Leong, QB May 18: In response to user demand, we've now added a one-click link to the Radio Netherlands Receiver Shopping List on the RN Home Page at http://www.rnw.nl. Click on the "Receiver Tests" graphic on the right hand side in the blue column. BTW yesterday we added Tom Sundstrom's review of the new Sony ICF- SW7600GR portable. You can still access the Receiver Shopping List with a single click from the Media Network home page at http://www.medianetwork.nl (Andy Sennitt) |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| May 4: Glenn: Here's the poop on the Oregon Scientific weather radio recall I just read about in SWL Talk. [WR-122 model ONLY] Glad it's not my little WR-8000 (Alan Bosch) http://www.websitetoday.net/osi/ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| May 4: Glenn, I do have a web page up on my web site for the new Sony ICF-7600 "GR", and will post comments from users as I receive them. If anyone owns one of these new sets and has comments to share, please send those to my e-mail address as listed on my web page. ************************************************* "Dave's Radio Receiver Page" at: http://members.fortunecity.com/swradios ************************************************* Regards, Dave Zantow |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| May 3: Glenn, Sony is replacing the ICF-SW7600G receiver with a new portable receiver with more memories and a silver casing, the new ICF-SW7600GR, which will be available next month. Universal Radio has the full info on the '7600GR available on their website, use this URL to go directly to the info: http://www.rffun.com/catalog/portable/0360.html Universal Radio is not posting the price for this or any of Sony's other world band receivers, per Sony policy, so contact Universal or ask for the updated catalog for pricing information. What are your initial thoughts on this new portable, Glenn? Hopefully Larry Magne might have some good opinions on this unit in Passport 2002 when that book comes out this fall. More on the new Sony ICF-SW7600GR. Universal Radio sent me an e-mail saying that this new receiver will be in stock come June, has 100 memories instead of the 22 that were in the ICF-SW7600G, and the price, surprisingly, is the same as it was for the '7600G, $169.95 + shipping. Catalog number for the 'GR is 0360. You can find the info on the new unit at http://www.universal-radio.com or http://www.rffun.com, but not in their current catalog (Joe Hanlon in Philadelphia, April 23, 2001) |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| March 20: RECONDITIONED SATELLIT 800s Hi, Glenn, Heartland America (the place I previously referenced that was selling the Grundig Classic, and which still is) now has reconditioned Grundig Satellit 800 radios in its new catalog. Item # S4-95441, at $399.99 plus $8.50 shipping. Note says "Factory serviced to meet original quality standards. May have slight cosmetic blemishes." I am struck by this statement, as the "original quality standards" had the reputation of being somewhat variable, or should one say "low"? But maybe serviced & checked out is better than new out of the box with random selection of the Chinese output? I am also amazed that there are enough of these requiring factory reconditioning to make them salable from a mass-market catalog house like Heartland. Where do these come from, anyway? Are hundreds of people buying these and sending them back? Is the original QC *that* bad? Or are these from an importer checking out them before releasing them to the regular dealers' channels? I don't know how this price compares with that charged for reconditioned 800's from the regular radio suppliers. Is it the same or noticeably lower? Heartland America is at 1-800-229-2901 and is in Chaska, MN. See my earlier message for more address details. Regards, Will Martin, MO |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| March 19: Glenn, take a look at Universal Radio's website and they have discount offers on the Icom R-75! They are offering this receiver for $200 off until June 30, and also, until April 15 they are offering the DSP unit for the receiver at a discount price, when ordered with the R75. Worth mentioning on your next program (Joe Hanlon in Philadelphia) |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Feb 28: Glenn, The February and March 2001 issues of QST have an interesting article on "How to Maximize Your Receiver's Effective Selectivity". The article presents interesting and useful techniques. I have tried the recommendations and they actually work. 73, (-.. . Kraig Krist, KG4LAC) |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Feb 28, originally in DXLD 1-026: SONY CAR SHORTWAVE REVIEW ========================= by Tom Roche, Atlanta, (C) 2001 DX LISTENING DIGEST May I share some ruminations on the past year with a Sony shortwave receiver in the car with your readers. Every now and then someone mentions car shortwave on rec.radio.shortwave, especially in the last few weeks. You can check some of these messages sorted out at http://groups.google.com/groups?q=Car+rec.radio.shortwave&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&btnG=Google+Search&meta=site%3Dgroups Am I about the only one in the US who`s discovered that these recent Sony models are relatively cheap, relatively easy to install, and work surprisingly well? Some background: I was looking for a car stereo to replace the abysmal factory-installed deck that came with my Toyota Cressida. This has been a radio with pathetic AM sensitivity, buzzes, and a crummy amplifier stage. About this time the power antenna died. Replacing it with a non- automatic type, and thereby disconnecting car voltage to the antenna, cut down on the AM buzz a good deal. A friend had bought a Sony AM/FM/SW unit from a gray-market 220 volt shop here a few years back, and it had a bunch of bells and whistles and worked very well, but it had run him over $400 which was out of my range. (An old Sept `99 page from that Atlanta shop showing a surprising variety of Sony car shortwaves - most now discontinued - is at http://www.radiocity.net/new_site/company/sony_cass_tuner_series.htm but I can`t say they have the best prices or service.) Still, at his suggestion I started looking around to see if the price landscape had changed. And it turns out it has. I was looking at the AM/FM Sony XRC 5120, which was selling here for $129. Doing some web-searching on keywords "car shortwave" brought me to a site in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at http://www.jackys.com. There I found a non-US version of the exact same unit, the XRC 5200, with AM/FM/SW and ports for optional remote and MD/CD. Surprisingly SW seemed to not cost any more: their price was $129 also. But with their shipping and insurance add-ons the price grew to $181. Still this was a lot better than $400 plus. (Both these models are now discontinued.) I then looked around for more info on this radio, and on Jacky`s. On the Radio Netherlands receiver shopping list I found info on a XRC 5100 (not 5200) that seems to be essentially the same radio, at http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/xr-c5100.html but with slew buttons rather than the easier-to-use knobs. The RN page also had a link to Jacky`s, and indicated that they were reputable, and seemed to ship promptly. I took the plunge and gave the distant site my Visa number, and promptly got confirmation via e- mail. To my relief they put me through a few security hoops, such as making me fax ID showing my Visa billing address was the same as my shipping address. The $50 shipping fee bought me traceable air freight via DHL. The unit arrived in 3 days from Dubai, without any customs hassles (possibly the purchase was below a ?-dollar-amount threshold?) and has the same standard installation procedures as any Sony in-dash system. Some specs: Six band settings, six presets per band: FM1, FM2, FM3, all 87.5 to 108.0 SW1 is 2940-7735 kHz and SW2 is 9500-18135 kHz, tunes in 5 kHz steps only MW is 530 to 1710 kHz and is 9/10 kHz step switchable Detachable face plate Auto Reverse cassette, various scan/seek modes I expected poor-to-mid-level quality, but to my surprise I must say the SW functions very well. Pretty good sensitivity, very clear. Clean amp for the FM and cassette, plus wide treble and bass ranges. I sometimes get a bit of spark plug noise on the weaker stations only on lower freqs, but again on strong stations there`s not a problem. As I own a Sony 2010 it takes some getting used to having just 12 SW presets - be prepared to keep a lot of presets "upstairs." And just scanning around midday one is reminded just how much religious crap is out there... but I`m - pardon the expression - preaching to the choir in this regard. But BBC, DW, and of course RCI come in great, stable, minor fading... and even Radio Australia fairly well as I drive to work. Scanning features are a little awkward at first - you can`t tune up channel by channel... to go up even 5 kHz you have to use scan albeit real real briefly, but over time I got the hang of it. It is designed to tune stations in a hurry and has mostly basic pushbutton functions - you are driving after all and if you mess with it endlessly you could get killed. There`s a 3-stage "bass boost" function, ideally for spring-break cruising of course, but this really helps SW music programs sound richer than they might otherwise. MW sensitivity (the unit displays "MW" rather than AM) is excellent, no interference, some clear channels coming in at 4 PM in January, plus semi-distant daytimers I couldn`t get before. Best AM reception I`ve found on a car radio, ever, but lacking synchronous detection it does have trouble with high power adjacencies. FM reception fine, unexceptional. 18 FM presets are such overkill in my view but there you are. So it was a very good unit, the XRC 5200. The model that replaced it, as far as I can tell, is the XRC 5600X, and it is about $40 more, but seems to have a more elaborate/trendy design (see weblink info below, and I`m told the new unit gets a long but good review in the 2001 PWBR.) Two other models are available from Jacky`s, and they are cheaper but lack the volume knob and other conveniences in favor of cheaper slew buttons. Knowing what we know about Sony, the same good SW tuning circuitry is likely within all three, as they are at most $30 or so apart. I say spring for the good one. I`m really happy I did. As local FM formats just get worse and worse, car SW is now semi-inexpensive, and it works better than I expected. And Jacky`s seems to have their act together. I`d also note there was a slight installation problem at Circuit City, not Jacky`s fault, due to an inept installer. While I sorted it out Jacky`s showed great concern and offered prompt service (offering to pay my repair bills) before the problem got resolved here in Atlanta. Jacky`s gained my respect in the way this slight problem was handled. Here`s links to the 3 units they offer presently: Sony XRC5600X $145.80 http://www.jackys.com/product/product.asp?prod_id=823&cat_name=Car+Audio Sony XR4900 $115.02 http://www.jackys.com/product/product.asp?prod_id=183&cat_name=Car+Audio Sony XRS888 $114.75 On Sale http://www.jackys.com/product/product.asp?prod_id=823&cat_name=Car+Audio Perhaps there are other sites you can find out there too by doing searches on the model numbers. And check your local 220v shops too. Write me if I can provide any other info at RastaI@soon.com (Tom Roche, Atlanta, Feb 24, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ### |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| February 2: Remember that "retro-look" Grundig analog-tuned "Classic 50th Anniversary" radio that was widely advertised in newspapers and general-circulation magazines a couple years back? It wasn't all that great a radio, but it did have SW and was reported to sound pretty good. Well, it is now available for $100 instead of $250. That makes it competitive with the new Kloss radio and gives at least some SW capability in addition to AM & FM. This is a "factory reconditioned" model and is available from Heartland America, the catalog house that appears to be a clone of Damark. It's item #S2-9861 at $99.99 with free shipping. Call 1-800-229-2901 to order or look at http://www.heartlandamerica.com US Mail is 8085 Century Blvd. Chaska, MN 55318-3056 For catalog requests call 1-800-486-1549 and specify "CAT REQ" code. I just got this catalog in the mail a week ago so it is a current offer. Regards, (Will Martin, MO) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| January 8: E-GROUP for Sony ICF-2010: http://www.egroups.com/group/icf2010 (Dave Stockdale) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| January 8, 2001: AN ALTERNATIVE TO RATSHACK I go out of my way to buy items from HOSFELT ELECTRONICS rather than Ratshack. Better quality, better prices, and fast delivery. http://www.hosfelt.com/ People who like to save $$$ by eating ice cream with Polysorbate 90 and cellulose gum shop at Rat Shack (Jeff Kadet, WTFDA list, Dec 8) FYI; I don`t know them (gh) |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| December 27: Neat radio trick -- recording on a VCR (David Hodgson) I have been using a conventional cassette recorder, while DXing, to keep a record of what I hear. I have just discovered a far better method. Before going on, I would like to say, I am sure people have thought of this a long time ago, and therefore, it`s not a new idea, and no big deal; however, I’ve never come across this method. The ultimate DX recorder is a video cassette recorder. I just take the audio output from the receiver and plug it into the audio input of the VCR, and set it to AV. I then patch the VCR into a stereo receiver, equalizer, tape deck, or whatever. Here are the advantages of the VCR over a tape deck: 1. Up to 6 hours record time on one tape, on the SLP mode, as opposed to 1 hour maximum for conventional audio cassette (without flipping it to the B side). 2. Superior recording sound quality. 3. The VCR has automatic gain control for the audio recorder, which keeps the audio hot even during deep fades, and also acts as a compressor, which noticeably enhances the readability of weak signals, over the receiver`s audio. With my VCR, it does not even have to be recording, for me to monitor it through the power amp. 4. The VCR can be programmed for multiple record times, no fooling around with wall timers. 5. The VCR comes equipped with a clock timer, so it is a simple matter of just adding the time according to the timer to the initial start time to get detailed time measurements for program details. This is of course vital for QSL purposes. 6. Smoother operation. The controls of a VCR are set up for reversing, fast forwarding, playing, and stopping much more efficiently, and of course can be operated with a remote. It also is swifter then a tape deck when set on SLP mode. 7. Video cassettes are much cheaper for the record length, than audio. I bought some at Walmart recently, for a dollar apiece!!! With this method, one can DX a station over many hours, without being at home or awake. Make accurate reception reports, and have enhanced audio to boot. To program it, I just attach some coax from the RF output of the VCR to a TV set, so I can monitor what I'm putting into the memory. I can program my receiver for 2 different times and frequencies, but it is not that fancy a radio, and I imagine a lot of radios, have much more capacity than mine does. Like I said, this is probably not a new idea; I just thought I’d pass it on in case, like me, you had never thought of it. 73, David Hodgson, Nashville, TN Yes, this is a neat trick everyone should be aware of. I still can`t get over how cheap VCRs are getting, as well as video tape, $1 or less on discount, which amounts to a lot less (per minute) than the average audio cassette costs. My VCRs won`t display timer while playing, however, unless there is some video input other than black, which you typically get on the AV mode with no video input. Some VCR models introduce noise on some SW frequencies while on, or even just by being plugged in (perhaps from the display window, which for some reason puts out RF), so beware (gh) |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| December 22: Kloss Model One AM-FM Table Radio Your website under Reception Tips asked, "Anybody tried one of these?" My observation after several days of use indicates that indeed this miniature marvel has absolutely breathtaking sound for its size (three inch long-throw speaker in tuned ported enclosure). Every bit as room-filling as my Bose Wave Radio; albeit in mono. FM sensitivity and selectivity is quite good (not in the Grundig 700 class, but more than satisfactory). AM is mediocre at best. My primary use is the playing of my mono minidisc recordings of old-time radio and time shifting shortwave programs through the aux input. Kloss has also thoughtfully added headphone, audio out, and external antenna "F" connector for FM. However, there is no provision for external AM antenna. My Select-A-Tenna provides good AM reception. Manufacturer information is available at http://www.tivoliaudio.com I purchased mine from http://www.crutchfield.com for their low shipping rate and liberal return policy. Rod Williams, Rossville, Georgia, USA ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Dear Glenn, 10/21/00 Although I am lucky enough to have some nice radio equipment to listen to I am always on the hunt and have sort of an obsessive problem regarding inexpensive radios, the smaller and cheaper (less expensive) the better. Most of what I end up with is trash as you might suspect. I have come across a company called "The Sportsman Guide" that I think catered to the y2k people at the end of last year when they first showed up (at least to me) although they may have been around for 100 years, I don't know. They seemed to have few of these left over and it's time for them to go. The Luke Dynamo and Solar Radio What I do know is they offered for $29.97, a "7 Band" Shortwave radio, including FM stereo (via earbuds) and MW to 1610, which includes an AC adapter that doubles as a charger for 3 included Ni Metal Hydride, and 3 regular AA batteries 9 (included) that if all else fails the radio can be cranked by a handle ("Dynamo") that will play at a ratio of 1 to 8 - so less than 4 minutes of cranking will get you through 30 minutes of a show. To further complete this little (6"X4"X1") jewel it is solar powered too and will charge internals if radio not being used. There is no external antenna outlet but the telescopic whip with a little wire wrapped around it a few turns does wonders. Expecting the worst I have been surprised as I have been picking up at least the old standbys like BBC/RN, etc. during the day even while being around the computer. Having gone to their website before writing you tonight I noticed they have gone up $10 to $39 so perhaps they have realized this cheap radio performs better than the Chinese label suggests. Their earl is http://WWW.sporstmansguide.com [search on electronics - solar; catalog number is W99-39768 -gh]. So far what little trouble I have had with The Sportsman Guide has been taken care of very quickly and professionally. Let me assure you however that the Becker Mexico radio I have in the car is much better off than this little anomaly. Best regards and thank you so much for all you do for us listeners. LeRoy Long ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Posted here October 21: SW CAR RADIO : SONY XRC-7300 At the last SWL fest, Ralph Brandi hipped me to a car radio made by Sony (XRC-7300) which covers SW. Two months ago a friend of mine went to Thailand and asked me if I needed anything from there. A light bulb went off and I told him to keep an eye out for this radio. Sure enough he picked it up for me for about $200 US. I installed it in the car and with surprising excellent results. With the standard stock car antenna I can motor down the road and listen the major broadcasters. I believe this model has been discontinued but you can pick and a different model at http://www.jackys.com out of the UAE. It's a shame that they don't sell these types of radios in the USA. Have fun playing radio..... (Ulis Fleming, MD) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Posted here Oct 20: GRUNDIG SATELLIT 800 UPDATE John Norfolk, OKCOK I was under the impression that the second version of my review posted in July would be the last word, but early purchasers of the Satellit 800 need to be made aware that Lextronics has changed the AC adapter that comes with the radio. The original version was a multi-voltage unit with two detachable two-prong power cords, one for North America and one for Europe. The new version, which Lextronics started shipping with the radios in July, is a smaller single voltage (110 volts) unit with an attached power cord with a three prong grounded plug for North America only (since there are no plans to sell the Satellit 800 outside of North America, the multi-voltage unit really isn't necessary). I have seen remarks that it does improve reception on the medium wave band, and I have noticed a decrease in noise on that band using the new adapter, although reception of distant AM signals is almost impossible here due to local QRM. If one has an early version of the AC adapter, Lextronics will replace it without charge. Just call the toll free number mentioned in the owners manual and give them your name and address, place and date of purchase and the radio's serial number (which is found inside the battery compartment). ### |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Posted here Oct 12: NEW CHEAPER WORLDSPACE RECEIVER (Where World of Radio is satcast) DX Information from the British DX Club (BDXC-UK). You might be interested to know that one of the Worldspace receivers - the Hitachi KH-WS1 - is currently being offered for just £99.99 (yes 99 pounds 99p) mail order, including delivery, from http://www.simplyradios.com (formerly Purley Radio). The previous price they say was £229.99 This is a portable receiver approx the same size as the World Radio TV Handbook with Worldspace plus SW, MW and FM coverage. It has a stereo headphone socket as well digital output. See their website for full details. Thanks to Chris McWhinnie for spotting this! The above information may only be reproduced if full credit is given to the original contributor AND to the British DX Club (BDXC-UK). |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| GLENN`S DX-375 SAGA Radio Shack DX-375 (catalog number 20-212): Decided to get one on clearance $40. The one and only RS in Enid did not have any but phoned Tulsa for one to be delivered in a day or two. A month later, I finally got the thing. In the meantime management changed at the Enid RS, and the new manager was much more interested in pleasing customers; picked the unit up in Tulsa himself on his day off (tho he probably had other reasons for going there). In the meantime there were wasted trips to RS and then countless calls to check on the situation. Evidently they got one for me at one point but it was a returner or display unit in poor condition; I had insisted on a new one in the box. By now the price had declined another $10, which covered 2/3 of the price of an AC adapter. I was under no illusions about its drawbacks (5-kHz steps, no SSB, coverage gap 6250-7100, no dial light, no external antenna jack, muting when scanning and stepping, no clock or timer funxions) but felt I could use a cheap but digital SW portable. I`m still getting acquainted, but first impressions: It overloaded quite a bit when I clipped on the external random wire I use on other receivers. Back on the whip only, quite pleased with sensitivity. RFPI on 15049 (er, ``15050`` the dial insists) was coming in at great listenable level when on the comparison DX-390 next to it (also with AC, no external antenna, which I also got on clearance a while back, has a much longer whip, and much bigger speaker and better audio), the same signal was barely audible. Around 1245 UT Oct 12, the DX-375 was getting something exotic on 5060 (no problem from WWCR 5070) which I figured was Tashkent. Not bad. Tuning down, I found a Scandinavian language on 4945. What?! Soon proved to be Radio Denmark closing at 1255, reopening as R. Norway at 1300. Parallel to 15735 which sounded about the same, and 17535 which was weaker. This is a receiver image, probably from 15735, which is to North America, but not super-strong at the moment, and no other images from 15 MHz were noted around 5 MHz. The 4945 signal sounded genuine, and could surely have fooled a neophyte. So beware of strange ghosts on the DX-375. Can anyone explain how the circuitry would make a 15735 signal show up on 4945? [Later: here is the formula: 3 x 4945 = 14835. 14835 + (2 x 450) = 15735. Sometimes on 4950 I get WEWN image from 5850, which is much more straightforward, 5850 - (2 x 450) = 4950. But how does the DX-375 convert this strong signal into a fadey one which would pass for DX?] Selectivity and sensitivity on AM seem pretty good. I find myself tuning 1280 for KXTR AM classical music from Kansas City, or 1250 for KVOD Denver while it lasts – both fade up from time to time with distinctive format. More about this later? Check back here (gh) Later: the DX-375 provides phantom signals to occupy the otherwise rather vacant 120m band! 2300 RTI (from 5950 WYFR?) 2305 R. Japan via RCI 5960 at 0315 2310 WWCR 5070 2370 RCI //9640, 13650 at 1218 2390 DW English at 0315 //9535 Here is one possible computation, for 2305: 2 x 2305 = 4610. 4610 + (3 x 450) = 5960. The IF must surely be 450 kHz, tho it seems odd that triple it would be involved rather than double. Also, 2310: 2 x 2310 = 4620. 4620 + 450 = 5070. 2300: 2 x 2300 = 4600. 4600 + (3 x 450) = 5950. But the same formula would get RCI on 6090 and DW on 6130, no good. It did not happen at first, but now when I hit 7, one of the as yet unprogrammed SW memory buttons, which originally defaulted to 2300, the radio dies except for a slight buzz if I turn the volume up. No funxions work, not even off/on, until the AC is disconnected. Low battery might be the cause, as I did not have fresh C`s on hand to install, but the radio resumes funxion on the battery, and still when the AC is plugged back in. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| NEW KLOSS AM-FM RADIO FOR $100 Henry Kloss has just come out with a new table radio that is superior to the Model 88 for only $99, go to http://www.tivoliaudio.com/index.html for more info (Tom Welch, TX) Also http://www.tivoliaudio.com/info.html Claims superior sensitivity and selectivity, no frills analog, external antenna jack for FM (but not AM?) Anybody tried one of these? (gh) |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| WEATHER RADIO RECALLED One model of a weather radio has been recalled because it does not function properly with emergency overrides, per announcements on National Weather Service stations heard by Ron Trotto in IL and gh in TX. Details from an inconspicuous link at the bottom of the home page of the manufacturer, http://www.oregonscientific.com ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| RECEIVER SHORTS (John Norfolk, OKCOK, September 15, 2000) RADIO SHACK. I am finally getting around to looking at the new Radio Shack Catalog and I found that there are a couple of radios that tune shortwave that are not part of their regular line. (All prices are rounded to the nearest dollar.) Catalog number 12-808 is said to tune AM, FM, weather stations, world shortwave broadcasts and channel 2-13 TV sound. No frequency range is given for shortwave. It is a digital readout radio with direct entry keypad, and 50 memories, 10 per band. Price $70. There is also a special order radio, catalog number RSU 12113015, which is described as a wind-up, solar cell, weather and world band radio. 11 bands, including AM, FM, TV, NWS, foreign, more. 4-way charging/auto switch. Car lighter, AC/DC wall adapter, solar and wind- up. Price $100. As far as their regular shortwave line, there are two new radios: the DX-402 (with SSB) for $150, which is probably their answer to the Grundig Yacht Boy 400, and the DX-396 (without SSB) for $100. GRUNDIG. It will be a couple of weeks before the October QST hits the newsstands around here, but I have seen a posting on rec.radio.shortwave that says that that issue has a favorable review of the Satellit 800. ### |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| August 31: More on the DX-375; see below for Zantow`s original item. FYI- In the three RS which I checked, the only $39.95 DX-375's I saw were display models/scratched up.... Well, I bought one for the car a few weeks (attached to an external rod antenna via alligator clip) anyway, so that I can throw it around without worrying about breakage. I was surprised that it takes C cell batteries. Needless to say, it's not in the new 2001 catalog... (Doni Rosenzweig, August 31) From World of Radio 1049, starting August 30: The discount chain "Big Lots" (for store locations call 1-800-269- 9571), in their new ad (effective today), shows the BayGen windup AM/FM/SW radio (listed as model #R1A7R5/R6) for only $29.99! I hope to get a ride by one of their stores here and see if I can get some or presents and one for me. Sadly, I bought the clear AM/FM only model for me and for a present a few months back for $50 mailorder. Well, 73 for now (Will Martin, St. Louis MO, August 30) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| August 29: Subject: DX-375 for $ 39.97 Glenn, A great value for those who can still find one in the Radio Shack stores. More than likely not too many around. Those who are intrested, have a store do a "look-up" for samples left within your district. The DX-375 (cat 20-212) has been de-valued down to $ 39.97. I grabbed one of these and for a low cost "cheapie" its whip sensitivity is quite good. Did a bit of testing with a friend`s DX-398 (both using own whips and on batteries) and the DX-375 won the contest every time with no problem. FM broadcast works good as well. A word of warning with using AC Adapters on the DX-375. The RS 2000 catalog states to use RS cat # 273-1755. Well if one tries to use this adapter..the radio will drop out in just a few mins. This unregulated adapter supplies too much voltage (current consumption never reaches its rating of 500 ma, so the voltage is much higher than the rated 3 volts). The manual lists a 273-1654; this "regulated" adapter is no longer in the RS line. The cure is to spend an additional dollar and purchase the RS cat # 273-1756. Rated 3 volts at 700 ma, BUT is regulated. So the set only sees 3 volts, and keeps the internal DC-DC converter happy. The only bug that I do not care for, is that "muting" as you tune up and down the bands. But I found a cure via the newsgroups. But requires you to a bit of semi-nasty "tech" work, 2 wires need to be removed (I attached the message below). But after I did this mod, this makes the set much better for bandscanning. Only one very small trade off, it gives you a bit louder "second" of audio as you tune a frequency. So the reason for muting. Much better without it to me. Regards, David Zantow N9EWO, Janesville, WI ********************* DX-375 Mute Mod Remove the batteries and then remove the back cover by removing the 4 retaining screws. DO NOT remove the screw about an inch directly below the whip antenna base! It holds the whip on. There will be a certain amount of "fiddling" to get the back off due to the plastic section that the volume control is inserted thru and other annoying "binding" do-dads. Also, do not lose the tone switch plastic slide mechanism when the back is removed. When the back is removed the rear of the main pc board should be visible. Remove the 2 silver screws that secures this board. Unclip the lower part of the board from the plastic snap clips. It is not necessary to do this on the top side where the ferrite loopstick is. Carefully lift the lower part of the board up until you can look under it on the component side near the volume control. There are two wire jumpers about a half-inch long with black sleeving on them that are located on either side of a 9 pin SIP IC package (one of the audio amps). They are parallel to the SIP package and run along each side of the IC. These are the mute lines to each SIP audio IC. Carefully cut both of them and you're done. Now put the thing back together and you will find the tuning much faster and easier. Don't forget to replace the silver screws on the main PC board and the tone switch slide mechanism. [original source not given] ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| July 19: Here's a revised version of the Sat 800 review. There will probably be no more followups. This appends the comments of several other reviewers at the bottom, not previously posted here. {See followup above posted October 20) GRUNDIG SATELLIT 800 MILLENNIUM John Norfolk, OKCOK (C) 2000 WORLD OF RADIO [requests for reprinting may be directed to wghauser@hotmail.com ] [jn: The original version was first posted on June 14. Any observations added later are in brackets. Revised July 19.] After a delay of some months, the Grundig Satellit 800 Millennium radio is finally available. As most of the comments on the newsgroups about this radio have been favorable, I decided to go ahead and buy one. Although the radio is not available over the counter here in Oklahoma City (at least at this time) Sharper Image offers the option of shipping one direct to your home. This is the description found in the owners manual: "The SATELLIT 800 MILLENNIUM is a microprocessor controlled, synthesized world band receiver with continuous coverage capability from 100 kHz through 30 MHz which includes the AM broadcast and shortwave bands. Reception also includes FM broadcast (87-108 MHz) and Aircraft (118-137 MHz) bands. The SATELLIT 800 MILLENNIUM offers excellent sensitivity, selectivity, dynamic range and features that permit easy tuning of desired stations. Conveniently located from panel controls allow for rapid operator programming and ease of use. The unit can be operated from either the supplied AC ADAPTER or from 6 "D" cell batteries (not supplied) for portable operation. A low battery voltage indication is displayed when that condition exists. "Three electronically switched IF filters are provided. "The front panel liquid crystal display provides feedback of the current status of the receiver. The seven digit frequency display provides resolution to 100 Hz accuracy in the AM broadcast, Aircraft and Shortwave bands. Resolution to 20 kHz is displayed in the FM broadcast band mode. Backlighting of the display is selectable by a from panel button. To prolong battery life with internal battery operation, the backlighting automatically turns off after a short delay following a function change or retuning of the receiver. "Reception modes include Lower/Upper Sideband (LSB), (USB), and AM in the Shortwave, and AM broadcast bands. For the Shortwave and AM broadcast bands, a selectable sideband synchronous detector (SYNC) allows for enhanced reception by eliminating or reducing distortion due to fading signals. During FM broadcast use, stereo reception is available through the use of headphones. "Other built-in reception aids include selectable slow or fast AGC, RF attenuator for use in strong signal handling conditions, as well as treble and bass controls. "Two independent, real time clocks provide a local and alternative time selection. Also provided is a two event timer. "A programmable memory area allows for 70 independent receiver set up memories. These memories do not require battery backup and are thus unaffected by power interruptions. All parameters associated with a particular memory channel are stored including the frequency, mode, bandwidth, fast or slow AGC, RF attenuator and synchronous detector. These memory channels may be accessed manually or through a time scan with each channel monitored for a 5 second period." My observations: This radio is HUGE, being 20 7/8" long, 9 1/4" high and 8 1/2" deep. I had a spec sheet for the old Grundig Satellit 650 that Daniel Alexanian gave me when he was selling Grundigs through his Classical Recordings store (sadly, long closed now) and, checking that, I found that the 800 is slightly LARGER than the 650. The 650 was primarily known for its excellent sound quality, and the 800 also has the best sound of any shortwave radio I have ever owned, including the Satellit 500. One remark on the newsgroups, comparing the 650 to the 800, said that the 650 had deeper bass but the 800 had better treble response. Of course, there is a vast difference in price: the 650 sold for well over a grand in the early 90s while the 800 has a street price of a few pennies under a semikilobuck (or, for those who do not understand Hauserspeak, $500) plus or minus. For power, it uses 6 "D" cells or an AC adapter (included). The 800 was designed by R.L. Drake (its circuitry is said to be nearly identical to their SW-8 portatop receiver, which costs about $300 more) and made in China [by Tecsun]. Accessories include a pair of stereo headphones and a copy of the 2000 PWBR. [The headphones are about the same quality as a $20 pair available at any department store.] The Satellit 800 has the usual keypad, but it has NO enter key! One must press the decimal and 0 or the decimal twice to enter the frequency, or wait a couple of seconds for the radio to do it automatically. When going from one frequency to another there is no muting as it changes, although it may take a couple of seconds for the signal to strengthen depending on which position the AGC is in. One cannot go directly from a shortwave frequency to one in the FM, AM broadcast or air bands via the keypad without first switching bands. (BTW, the LW and AM broadcast bands are combined into a single 100- 1799.9 kHz range.) [Later, I found that using the keypad, you can go directly from a shortwave frequency to an AM broadcast frequency, or from a FM broadcast frequency to an air band frequency, but not from an AM/shortwave frequency to an air band/FM frequency.] The tuning knob does not have the detents found on the Satellit 500 or the Radio Shack DX-398, but it doesn't need them. For shortwave it tunes in 100 Hz increments for AM or 50 Hz for SSB but the tuning rate is fast and it does not mute the audio as it tunes, a plus for bandscanning. And, unlike Radio Shack's DX-398 and DX-394, both of which had weird offsets for SSB operation, the 800's frequency readout for LSB and USB are dead on. [There are FAQs on the web for both the DX-394 and DX-398 showing how to adjust the offsets.] The up/down keys step in 5 kHz increments for shortwave. The time displays only when the power is off, or for three seconds when the "time" key is depressed while the radio is on. Very strange! Both the Satellit 500 and the Yacht Boy 400 had the time displayed while the radios are operating, and there is certainly room on the 800's LCD display for a separate time readout. After all, the display is rather large. And while the display does show which SW meter band the radio is tuned to, it does not show the amateur meter bands, unlike the Satellit 500 and Yacht Boy 400. [A chart showing the ranges for the various meter bands, both shortwave broadcast and amateur, is on the top of the radio. However, for the 40 and 80 meter ham bands it shows the allocations for Regions 1 and 3, which are different than those for Region 2.] Some comments on the controls: Air Band Squelch: too bad they didn't enable it as a FM mute on the FM band. [Actually, I would have preferred that the air band be omitted completely.] Attenuator: I would have preferred a variable RF gain control knob. LSB/USB: On the display, the "U" for USB is actually "LI"! Lock: Freezes all controls except the power switch, so it cannot be used as a power lock during transporting. Scan: Scans only the memory frequencies. [And then only in banks of ten, such as 00-09, 10-19, etc. up to 60-69.] Not mentioned in the manual's description is a signal strength meter, which is an analog type not found on most portable receivers today. The synchronous detector of the Satellit 500 was a disappointment, but the 800's does work, although not as well as I hoped. In fact, it got to the point where I didn't know what to think! On June 9 I managed to wake up at 0930 UT and so I checked WWCR 7435 for WORLD OF RADIO. There was a RTTY station audible in the background with the radio set to regular AM. With the synch on, the RTTY was still audible in USB but disappeared completely in LSB. However, a low pitched het then became audible, although it wasn't as annoying as the RTTY signal. On UT June 10 I listened to Spain on 6055 with the synch on, and heard occasional small changes in pitch, which sounded like brief growling noises. These noises were not heard during the previous listening session for WORLD OF RADIO. Spain's signal was flutterly so perhaps these noises were caused by the synch detector temporarily loosing lock. Later, on UT June 11, when reception conditions were not very good, I was listening to Budapest's DX Show after 0100 on 9560 and heard the same growls in both USB and LSB synch modes. I actually got better copy by turning off the synch and switching to regular LSB and the 2.3 kHz bandwidth. The signal wasn't quite at zero-beat, but at least it didn't growl. BUT...after Budapest signed off, I tuned to 6970 to listen to CONTINENT OF MEDIA, and even though RFPI's signal was weaker I did not hear the growls while listening in LSB or USB synch! I did hear a howling sound (like wind blowing) on LSB which was not audible in USB synch. BUT THEN...I listened to Communications World on WWCR 5070 at 0200 in the synch mode and the growling noises were back. BUT THEN AGAIN...I listened to Budapest again at 0230 on 9835 in LSB synch and there were NO growling noises during the entire transmission! Mein Gott, what is going on here? Perhaps there is some trick to it that I haven't discovered yet. Anyway, I would suggest that the synch be used only when absolutely necessary. [Since then, the noises have not been present during the times I have used the synch feature.] For FM stereo, one must have stereo headphones or a pair of external stereo speakers plugged into their respected jacks. If you have the radio plugged into a stereo recorder via the record output jacks, and headphones or external speakers are not connected, the output there will be in mono only. Using an indoor wire antenna [with the end wrapped around the top of the whip antenna], this radio outperforms all my previous radios in every respect. (For the record, they were, in order: DX-160, DX-302, DX-400, DX-440, Satellit 500, DX-390, Yacht Boy 400, DX-394, DX-398.) [The Satellit 500 and Yacht Boy 400 are Grundigs, of course, while the remainder are Realistic/Radio Shack.] I was concerned about reception on higher frequencies as the Satellit 500 was less sensitive on frequencies above 14 MHz than my other radios, but the 800 was more than up to the task. The first night I was scanning the 75 meter ham band and did hear very weak signals that was inaudible on the DX-398. The next day, scanning the 20 meter ham band I heard a conversation on the DX-398 that was very weak on the 800, but I discovered that I had accidentally pushed the attenuator switch to -20 dB -- easy to do, and another argument for having a variable RF gain control. Pushing the switch again restored full sensitivity, and everything was just fine. Also, there is a large TV in the living room, the operation of which I have no control over whatsoever, and when it is on it swamps my radios with RF noise. The 800 does very well in overcoming the noise and allowing the signals to come through. Speaking of RF noise, I thought I had a disaster on my hands on Sunday afternoon June 11 when the radio suddenly developed a loud tone between 4.5-7 MHz. It turns out that one of my VCRs must have suddenly gone bad and started putting out RF noise as the tone disappeared when I unplugged it. [In fact, most of the noises that I have heard on the radio has turned out to be RF noise generated by various electrical devices in my room.] My conclusion, at least after listening for a few days under less than ideal reception conditions, that this is by far the best radio I have ever owned. Despite the less than perfect synch detector and some of its operational oddities, it is a joy to operate and listen to. [I still feel that way.] Radio Netherlands' MEDIA NETWORK sent out a special newsletter on June 8 that included some comments on the Satellit 800. Mostly, it was about their frustration at being unable to obtain a radio for test. But it did have this statement: "It has been a long two or three years since the announcement of this new receiver. The first attempt was aborted when an integrated circuit chip was discontinued by its manufacturer..." Not so! The radio that was aborted was the Satellit 900, a supposed super radio that was engineered by Grundig in Europe. Rumors say that Grundig is still working on the 900, but so far nothing has been forthcoming about the possible future availability of this receiver. [Recent postings on the newgroups says the 900 is scheduled to be introduced in 2002, although (as usual) the posters didn't bother to say how they got this information. The 900 will probably be made at the same factory in China which manufactures the 800, since I believe that they have closed their facilities in Portugal.] [End of original review.] Not everyone has positive comments about this radio. On the Media Network web site, Thomas Sundstrom all but trashes this radio. While some of his observations are also noticeable here, such as the pulsing on 20 MHz (some speculate that this may be caused by the LCD display), others are not: "There is a significant 'tick' noise when tuning across every 100 kHz step on the shortwave spectrum. It is more noticeable in the quieter higher metre bands. To be fair, we also notice this problem in the Drake SW8..." I do hear an occasional tick, but it's not significant (to me), and it's not heard every 100 kHz. "There was a section in 88-89 MHz that was a jumble of mixed audio and static noise and spread across the several hundred kHz. The signal was strong enough to obliterate the local PBS stations." I noticed no such static noise, and local stations on 88.1 and 88.9 had no difficulty getting through. "...When we first unpacked the radio, we had a problem. After hooking up the power supply, we pressed the power button. No audio, no signal, just background static noise and what sound like a raging thunderstorm with occasional lightning strikes. The S-meter is half scale. "After a few minutes of fiddling with the radio, we set the radio on the floor, and the carry handle falls into place. The jarring of the handle did the trick. We have sound! Unfortunately the intermittent problem randomly appeared in the following days." This, and other comments ("We found the speaker grill ajar."), leads me to believe that Sundstrom may have had the misfortune to get hold of a defective unit, possibly damaged in transit. (He did say that all the boxes at the place he bought the radio showed signs of damage, and he had picked the least damaged box.) "Our performance findings...were sufficiently discouraging to cease testing this receiver and return it to the vendor. When at the store, we checked the store's display model for the oscillating or pulsing noise noted on SW and the noise on the FM band. Both difficulties were found on this second unit. "In our opinion, this could be a nice radio for the consumer. While Lextronix personnel told us "we have had no complaints," our findings and the comments seen in the Internet newsgroups suggest otherwise. We believe marketing, not quality control, is driving the train. "For now, especially for the knowledgeable listeners of Radio Netherlands, we cannot recommend the Grundig Satellit 800 Millennium at this time. "Accordingly we give this receiver two stars." Yet Media Network gave the Radio Shack DX-394, a receiver that is inferior to the Satellit 800 in nearly every respect, four stars. After Sundstrom's review was posted, there were some comments about it on the rec.radio.shortwave newsgroup. One dismissed Sundstrom's review and proclaimed that he was "100% satisfied" with the Satellit 800. (In case you're wondering, no, I am not 100% satisfied with it, but I have never been 100% satisfied with any radio I have ever owned.) But he conceded that there may be a quality control problem with the radio, as there seems to be wide variations between individual units. It appears that the Satellit 800 is going to be a controversial radio, with no consensus easily forthcoming. Grundig has always been geared more toward making radios for causal shortwave listening than serious DXing, and some people may be expecting more from this radio than it was designed for. Here's another negative from . I have no idea if this is an official Grundig site or a fan site, but whoever maintains it is also clearly unimpressed with the 800. Here is the complete unedited text, with its fractured English (this is the only English text in an otherwise all-German site) and "klick here to listen" links: "June 2000: The 2nd Satellite 800 arrived! Not to believe what hold in the hand. This receiver is not quality Made by Grundig. Some exampels: Deutsche Welle sends on 3.995 kHz, the native broatcast of Kirgistan ( Capitol = Bishkek ) sends on 4.010 kHz. Klick here to listen 4.010 kHz. The S 800 plays the 15 kHz remoted 3.995 kHz here on 4.010 !! Now here on 21.085 kHz. Klick here to listen. What you here is not the 13 mtr Band, it's a local FM Station, on 91.3 MHz. On frequency 2.315 kHz you can here the Deutsche Welle. Klick here to listen. Starting on 22.000 kHz and repeating every 2.000 kHz up to 30.000 kHz you can here this when you dial. Klick here. On AM when you dial you can here this. Klick here, recorded on 1.030 kHz. All records were made with akku, compared with a Satellit 500, 700 and 210. Every old Grundig i.e. Ocean-Boy sounds better on FM like the Satellit 800. Sat 800 isn't usable for DX. Sat 800 has been testet in laboratories by Grundig engineers. Manufacted under licence by Grundig AG / Germany without approval" From my point of view, the Satellit 800 is better than the 500. On the twenty meter ham band I can clearly hear ham stations on the 800 that are very weak or inaudible on the 500. German made radios may be okay for Europe where signals are loud and strong, but for America where signals are not as loud and strong, German made radios are sometimes lacking. If the cheaper Chinese-made Yacht Boy 400 can be rated better than the more expensive German-made-in-Portugal Yacht Boy 500 (Media Network gives the Yacht Boy 400 five stars while the Yacht Boy 500 gets only three stars), then perhaps the German engineers should think about making radios with greater sensitivity. Also, Grundig's German radios tend to be more costly in the US than in Europe. ### ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| VHF/UHF PROPAGATION BASICS -- an article we wrote 25-30 years ago, is still available, as Sheldon Harvey points out: http://www.anarc.org/wtfda/propagation.htm#top |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ADJUSTING THE ATS-909 = DX-398 LSB/USB OFFSETS [posted June 20, 2000; and also inserted into our original article below; follow the link for a great deal more info about this receiver!] Hi, Glenn. I was looking at the Sangean ATS 909/Radio Shack DX-398 FAQ and noted that it has a procedure for adjusting the LSB/USB offsets. It can be found at: http://www1.shore.net/~dmoisan/faqs/sangean/909tech.html#ssboffset I tried it and now my DX-398, instead of zero-beating about 800 Hz low, is now zero beating on the proper frequency! All one has to do is remove the cover over the LCD display and adjust one of two pots (the upper right one). The lower left is for the clock, so beware! (John Norfolk) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Radio Shack DX392 Clearance $130 [Posted January 20, 2000; outdated] I was at my local Radio Shack yesterday, and noticed that the RS DX 392 shortwave/AM/FM portable with a (mono) 1 event timed-casette recorder is now on clearance at $130. My store had three; the DC area stores had a total of 45, most of them display models. You should know that if the packaging, etc. is in bad shape or non-existent, you can get a year added to the full warranty (or a $20 discount)--at least I have. This 'rig' retailed at $250, and $199 on sale. I'm sure the Sangean version is still being sold at those prices. I currently have two (along with a 390, 398, etc), so I must like it! I always buy their TSP--4-5 year full warranty, since I'm rough on my units: it's not unheard of for me to get 1-2 free DX392 replacements in that time (if it's not made any more, you stand a good chance of getting an upgrade to a more expensive version to something roughly comparable, say, to the DX398), plus replacement antennas, etc. no questions asked. Getting the cassette serviced 'free' has also been welcome. Because of this, I avoid mail order radio stores (but then, many look down on R.S. products, esp. shortwaves... They can go on looking down, IMHO!). If I lose my warranty info, RS has it via their 800 TSP # which I've accessed myself but only because store clerks kept getting 'no TSP on file' one time: In that case it turned out to be because the selling clerk entered the wrong zip code, so it was filed there. (Chet Copeland/DC, Jan 30, 2000) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| SIGNIFICANT DIGITS, AND MEASURING FREQUENCIES ON THE ATS-909 (C) 2000 Glenn Hauser There was a discussion recently on one of the newsgroups about the merits of giving SW frequencies to 1 or 2 decimal places. I must agree with those who say it is useful and significant to do so! A station’s off-frequency is as much a signature as the language it is using, and if capable of measuring it, receivers and DXers should do so and report it. One must be sure one knows what one is doing, however. Some receivers with seemingly precise digital readout may be misleading. In any event, the concept of ``significant digits`` is important, as I learned in college physics (or math) sesquidecades ago but which I never see mentioned in connexion with SW frequencies. Basically, the final digit of a number, whether to the left or right of the decimal, should be taken as approximate unless followed by a zero. Thus: if one is sure a station is on exactly 9371, one may say 9371.00, but if it could be 9370.95 or 9371.05 one must only give it as 9371.0. If one said only 9370, that would actually mean it could be some tenths of a kHz above or below, tho we commonly assume `even` frequencies are more exact. Even with the ATS-909, which I am now using, one may measure frequencies with some precision. The following applies to my particular 909, and ``offsets`` upon others may differ – indeed, I hope some are lucky enough to have them with no offsetting, as this is a nuisance. To measure an AM signal, first punch up WWV or some other frequency you are SURE is exactly on frequency. Then switch to LSB or USB (does not matter which, but keep it the same throughout the process). The detent fine-tuner on the upper right side of the receiver has 25 clicks per kHz while in LSB/USB. That means each click equals 40 Hz. On my 909, I always have to run it about 10 to 12 clicks upward to zero-beat. It is that far off, and the amount varies for unknown reasons seemingly unconnected with warmup. So if the unknown signal also needs the same amount of clicks to zero-beat as WWV, you may conclude they are both on the even frequency. The offset does not hold, so you have to go to AM, switch to LSB/USB each time, and count the clicks, each time you change frequency. Go back to the frequency to be measured by turning off LSB/USB and punching it in again (or if very close to WWV or the standard, up/down 5 kHz steps work). If it is somewhere between 5 kHz steps, you will need to punch in the nearest kHz, such as 9371, before you switch to LSB/USB and count the clicks. Note: especially as the receiver wears, it may slip a click, i.e. no change in pitch. So do it slowly at least twice to be sure you have not missed a click. Go to the number of offset clicks you have previously determined. This will make the receiver actually tuned to the ``even`` frequency. If there is a beat, rather than a zero beat, this means the unknown frequency is in fact ``off``. Now count the number of clicks up or down it takes to get a zero-beat on it. 40 Hz steps are really rather wide, and it may well fall half-way between clicks, in which case you cannot get a beat lower than 20 Hz, which sounds like a rapid pulsing, called subaudible heterodyne. By toggling back and forth between clicks you may be able to determine which one it is closer to, if you are clear which way is up! Now you simply multiply the number of clicks up or down by 40 and you get the number of Hz between the kHz where the station lies. Depending on the offset, you can try doing it both from the next higher and next lower kHz, and see how closely they match. You may also repeat the entire process using the other sideband for additional comparison or confirmation. Of course, while you are doing all this, you cannot concentrate on what the station is saying, unless you have it on a second receiver. An additional complication, which I have not quite figured out how to deal with, is that when the display goes from one kHz to the next, there seems to be a greater than 40 Hz jump. So avoid measuring across this boundary. Perhaps someone else can go into this. So if WTJC, for example is on 9370.8, you would find that it is about 5 clicks (40 Hz x 5 = 200 Hz) below the true position of 9371.00. And I once reported on R. Africa, 15184.88, when I had 3 clicks below 15185 (40 Hz x 3 = 120 Hz), but I realized that the last digit could really be 7, 9, or maybe even 5 or 6 when measured with more precision than this method is capable of. Thus significant digits need to be understood (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ### ADDENDUM posted June 20, 2000: I was looking at the Sangean ATS 909/Radio Shack DX-398 FAQ and noted that it has a procedure for adjusting the LSB/USB offsets. It can be found at: http://www1.shore.net/~dmoisan/faqs/sangean/909tech.html#ssboffset I tried it and now my DX-398, instead of zero-beating about 800 Hz low, is now zero beating on the proper frequency! All one has to do is remove the cover over the LCD display and adjust one of two pots (the upper right one). The lower left is for the clock, so beware! (John Norfolk) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| WBCQ uses Shoutcast to stream. This works with http://www.winamp.com which was bought by AOL a few months ago and is freeware. Winamp was based on a free Unix player named AMP and there's also MacAmp for the Mac but I don't know if these work. With Winamp, the following location should work: http://www.live365.com/cgi-bin/play.pls?addr=216.32.166.89:8786&file=filename.pls In fact I think http://216.32.166.89:8786/ will work all by itself. There may also be some others--look on their web page. OOPS--shoutcast has a "no recording" bit. It can probably be hacked around but this won't work. WinAmp can record a stream to disk as a .wav file: (upper left hand menu button or right mouse click, options, preferences, output plugins, disk writer plug in) Joel Rubin Dec 5 ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| SW FADEOUT Quite a shortwave fadeout was in evidence Saturday afternoon, Aug 28, at 1800 UT check, impossibilizing the hearance of WOR 1000 on RFPI. I found not a single signal was strong enough to stop the ATS-909 scan -- at full gain with external antenna -- on the 21, 17, 15, 11 and 9 MHz bands -- not even WWCR 9475, normally overpowering; nor VOA with Greece on 17765, ditto. Only a trace of the latter signal could be detected. However, WEWN on 13615 was still pounding in! And lesser signal from WHRI 13760, Marti 13820, those improving after 1815. There's something about 13 MHz... Not a single WWV frequency was audible at 1818 when I was eager to hear what they had to say about the situation. Typically in the aftermath, higher frequencies came back first, with 21460-USB audible by 1840, but 15049 didn't catch up until about 15 minutes later. After 1900, the usual 21 MHz signals from all over were up to normal or supernormal levels. WWV reported at 1918: For August 27: Solar flux 223; A index 9. K index at 1800 UT Aug 28 4. Last 24 hours: solar activity high; geomagnetic field quiet to active. **A major flare occured at 1800 August 28**. Next 24 hours: Solar activity moderate to high; geomagnetic field quiet to active (gh) ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ELIMINATING DISTORTION FADING Savvy DXers are well aware of this technique, but I'd like to point it out for the record: if you have severe selective fading, causing distortion when trying to listen to a program, such as is the case here with WOR on WWCR 5070, UT Sun 0230, you can eliminate this problem by tuning to LSB or USB even tho the signal is AM. Selective fading occurs due to the fact that the lower and upper sidebands of the AM signal are at slightly different frequencies and thus fade independently, intermittently cancelling each other out when both are being heard in the AM mode. On a receiver such as the ATS-909, you can eliminate one of the sidebands and thus the mutual interference. With a strong signal it will be necessary to back off the RF gain while you are at it; and with tuning steps such as on the 909 of 40 Hz, it could be that you can't get an exact zero-beat on the carrier. It doesn't matter whether you pick LSB or USB (assuming the signal is truly DSB AM) unless you also have some interference on the other side to eliminate. Furthermore, listening to AM in an SSB mode can "even out" a heavily fading signal and depending on the receiver, may well invoke tighter selectivity and greater sensitivity (gh)