The DT-200VX has apparently been discontinued
by Sangean, but a couple of these models will live on as souped-up DXing
monsters.
Like the Eton E100 ultralight, the DT-200VX
receives a phenomenal boost in sensitivity when a 7.5" Amidon ferrite bar-based
sliding coil loopstick is transplanted into the front end
circuitry. The Slider DT-200VX sensitivity is fully equal to
that of the Slider E100's, which can run circles around many
full-sized portables.
Unlike the Slider E100 project, however, it is
not beginner-friendly. The four Litz wire soldering connections on
the RF circuit board include two that are extremely crammed, making it mandatory
to use a soldering iron bus wire attachment, to avoid frying adjacent
components. For this reason, these DT-200VX Slider monsters are
unlikely to proliferate, like the souped-up E100's.
The Slider loopsticks do not always provide a
phenomenal sensitivity boost-- they have proven to be Duds in the SRF-39FP and
ICF-S5W models, inducing a serious dose of necessary humility in the
transplant tinkerer. The DT-400W model should be another DXing monster,
however.
