Hello Andy,

 

     After a full disassembly and alignment of my Grundig Mini 300 (procedure details available on request), I am convinced that there's no way to make this Turkey perform well on AM.  Tecsun apparently tried to copy the SRF-59 series analog design for the AM section (if you take off the back panel, the circuit board looks almost exactly like an SRF-59 board), but lacking Sony's CXA1129N IC chip, the result was a miserable failure.  Peaking the loopstick coil on 600 kHz helped a little, and peaking the 1400 kHz trimmer on the tuner assembly also made a slight difference, but collectively they just made an awful AM radio a little less awful.  Even after alignment, the Mini 300 still can't receive any of the fringe test stations used for Shootouts here, and the jittery digital readout is pretty much of a joke.  The tuning "resolution" down to the half kilohertz level is profoundly amusing, considering that the radio's sensitivity and selectivity are really hopeless for serious DX .

 

     Shortwave listeners might find this model acceptable as a cheap, stripped-down travel radio, but AM-DXers who are serious about DX should seriously consider something else, in my opinion.  This is a classic AM Turkey, possibly the worst AM performer in Tecsun's entire lineup.

 

     73,  Gary DeBock 

 

 

Just FYI folks, these units seem to have some QC problems that may be causing some of the issues people are seeing. I have several of these (for dubious reasons). I can line them up side-by-side and tune in the same station. About 1 in 3 of them will bring it in loud and clear. About 1 other in 3 will hardly get it at all. Go figure. Other units (like the e100 or the SRF-59) are hardly different in performance from one to the next, but the Grundig Mini 300s have a lot of variability. I have one of them that out-of-the-box will not even operate properly - you put the batteries in and the radio comes on but the LCD is blank - and the power button does nothing. Everybody should call up and complain.

James A. (Andy) Moorer
www.jamminpower.com

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: wpe2bsw

To: ultralightdx@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 9:07 AM

Subject: [ultralightdx] Re: Grundig Mini 300-- Mini AM Performance

I like the idea of a "turkey" category. I picked up a China Orange Eton Mini 300 at the LLBean
outlet store for $20. a couple of years ago. I've had more than the equivalent of 20 bucks
worth of fun playing around with it. Sometimes I find stations on my R-75, then go see if I
can dig them out on the Mini 300. And in last fall's Ultralight Follies contest, I didn't do too
badly with it either. I heard around 80 stations with out spending time looking for locals. It
may not be a DX machine, but it can provide the unexpected catch that makes DXing fun.

Nick
WPE2BSW/1
Vermont