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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
m_a_schuster
I've always been a bit puzzled why your opinion of the AR-1733 is so much better than mine. Your statement that you own 3 of them prompts me to post again.
I ordered one from Australia months ago (it took a month to arrive in the US via "airmail") and after unboxing I went straight to the MW band. My first benchmark is a daytime fringe area station and I was astonished to find that it was barely audible with the volume set at maximum (even with headphones). It was so unexpected that I kept poring over the manual and menus to see if there was a DX/Local signal attenuator setting that I had missed and need to disable. No such luck. The AR1733 has been sitting, in the box on the shelf, ever since. Strangely I had a remarkably similar experience with the first production run of the CCrane AM/FM pocket radio which also claims "DSP" functions. In that case the problem was a poorly designed AGC algorithm which, to their credit, CCrane fixed on the second production run and swapped a new one for me. I was so interested in the Skywave that I wrote to Ccrane and pointed out the deficiencies of the AR-1733. They assured me that they were well aware of those issues and that the Syywave's circuit design was completely redesigned to address such performance issues. I now have the Skywave and compared them side by side. The difference in this area is truly like night and day.
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
microcode@...
I thought I posted a link in that post also but I don't keep old mails. Just
in case, it should be stores.ebay.com/anonco and I am a happy customer no other relationship. Their service is excellent. On Sun, Dec 21, 2014 at 11:44:11AM +0000, microcode@zoho.com [ultralightdx] wrote: If you were referring to my post I believe I wrote $80 plus shipping (IOW--
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
microcode@...
If you were referring to my post I believe I wrote $80 plus shipping (IOW
not including shipping) this was to compare with Gary's price point for the Skywave at $89.95 + shipping. Anon Co is now selling them for $85 + shipping and shipping here is 29 bucks according to ebay...YMMV. Aliexpress often has specials with great prices and free shipping but it's often a PITA dealing with Aliexpress vendors because of language barrier, slow handling, slow boat from China shipping, etc. I would recommend Anon Co for the extra 5 bucks. On Sun, Dec 21, 2014 at 03:29:40AM -0800, policow6@comcast.net [ultralightdx] wrote: Where did you get a PL-660 for $80 delivered? I just did a search and couldn't find it for less than $128. There was one eBay link that showed it at about $80 but when I clicked that link it turned out to be a PL-600...not a 660.--
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
policow6@...
Where did you get a PL-660 for $80 delivered? I just did a search and couldn't find it for less than $128. There was one eBay link that showed it at about $80 but when I clicked that link it turned out to be a PL-600...not a 660. Jay
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
Paul Blundell
I am a big fan of the AR1733, I have had three now and love them. Following on from my previous MOD attachment for LEGO Technic set 42030 I have just finished my next attachment, a grabbing claw.
This attachment is normally used in forestry type work but can also be used for general lifting and loading. I spent about 5 hours over a few days working on this, the most amount of time was on testing the claw to get the opening and closing working correctly. I have used the same mounting points as the standard bucket and my other attachment which can be easily swapped over as needed. A photo: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UFhMN8kc3TQ/VJZGjpXdPPI/AAAAAAAAFL4/O9kydX9A1Ds/s1600/42030_GrabbingCLaw_Dec2014%2B(1).JPG A Video and more photos: Pauls Technic: LEGO Technic 42030 - MOD Grabbing Claw
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
m_a_schuster
Gary, you're welcome to my AR-1733. Seriously.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
After upgrading to the CC Skywave I have absolutely no use for it. ---In ultralightdx@..., <D1028Gary@...> wrote : Thanks Marc, I have set up a purchasing account at Jaycar Electronics, and plan to place an order for at least one AR-1733 radio. Thanks for your help! 73, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
-----Original Message----- From: Marc Coevoet sintsixtus@... [ultralightdx] <ultralightdx@...> To: ultralightdx <ultralightdx@...> Sent: Sat, Dec 20, 2014 12:56 am Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW Op 20-12-14 om 04:19 schreef D1028Gary@... [ultralightdx]: > Hi Marc,Hi Gary, I bought my sample from here: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AR1733 I bought it together with this small unit: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AR1738 (probably silabs for fm). Marc -- The "Penguin" has arrived - and he's not going away - ever. What's on Shortwave guide: choose an hour, go! http://shortwave dot tk 700+ Radio Stations on SW http://swstations dot tk 300+ languages on SW http://radiolanguages dot tk
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
Michael <michael.setaazul@...>
Gary, I ordered my AR-1733 via jaycar.co.uk and it was mailed from Australia
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
without a problem, so hopefully the US would be no problem. Michael
----- Original Message -----
Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW . . . Actually Paul Blundell of Launceston, Tasmania (in Australia) has already written a very favorable review of the Digitech AR-1733, and posted in in our Ultralightdx message system at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ultralightdx/conversations/topics/20048 . . . I'll see if I can track down an Australian seller willing to export a Digitech AR-1733 radio to the USA. Gary DeBock
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
Thanks Marc,
I have set up a purchasing account at Jaycar Electronics, and plan to place an order for at least one AR-1733 radio. Thanks for your help!
73, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
-----Original Message----- From: Marc Coevoet sintsixtus@... [ultralightdx] To: ultralightdx Sent: Sat, Dec 20, 2014 12:56 am Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW Op 20-12-14 om 04:19 schreef D1028Gary@... [ultralightdx]:
> Hi Marc, > In order to investigate the model, I'll see if I can track > down an Australian seller willing to export a Digitech AR-1733 radio to > the USA. Hi Gary, I bought my sample from here: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AR1733 I bought it together with this small unit: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AR1738 (probably silabs for fm). Marc -- The "Penguin" has arrived - and he's not going away - ever. What's on Shortwave guide: choose an hour, go! http://shortwave dot tk 700+ Radio Stations on SW http://swstations dot tk 300+ languages on SW http://radiolanguages dot tk
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
Marc Coevoet
Op 20-12-14 om 04:19 schreef D1028Gary@aol.com [ultralightdx]:
Hi Marc,Hi Gary, I bought my sample from here: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AR1733 I bought it together with this small unit: http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AR1738 (probably silabs for fm). Marc -- The "Penguin" has arrived - and he's not going away - ever. What's on Shortwave guide: choose an hour, go! http://shortwave dot tk 700+ Radio Stations on SW http://swstations dot tk 300+ languages on SW http://radiolanguages dot tk
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
Hi Marc,
Thanks for the link photo of the AR-1733. It seems that many different companies have rebranded these radios, which are almost certainly made by the Redsun Company in China.
Actually Paul Blundell of Launceston, Tasmania (in Australia) has already written a very favorable review of the Digitech AR-1733, and posted in in our Ultralightdx message system at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ultralightdx/conversations/topics/20048
Paul states that the narrow DSP bandwidth works very well on MW, which sounds like the performance of the C.Crane Skywave in the 1 kHz DSP setting. In order to investigate the model, I'll see if I can track down an Australian seller willing to export a Digitech AR-1733 radio to the USA.
73 and Thanks,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
-----Original Message----- From: Marc Coevoet sintsixtus@... [ultralightdx] To: ultralightdx Sent: Fri, Dec 19, 2014 2:47 pm Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW Op 19-12-14 om 23:39 schreef D1028Gary@... [ultralightdx]:
> Hi Guy, > Thanks very much for the useful link to the Elpa ER-C57WR's Owner's > Manual. Hello, This Elpa looks like the AR 1733 http://www.jaycar.com.au/ShowLargephoto.asp?id=16316&PRODNAME=PLL%20World%20Band%20Radio&IMAGE= This ar 1733 has a "strange" feature: on sw, it will whistle when the antenna is bend close to the ferrite ... Marc -- The "Penguin" has arrived - and he's not going away - ever. What's on Shortwave guide: choose an hour, go! http://shortwave dot tk 700+ Radio Stations on SW http://swstations dot tk 300+ languages on SW http://radiolanguages dot tk
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Re: Rech?- most directional ferrite
Rik
Thanks. I had an idea, and wondered if it would help to space matching ferrite antennas a foot or so apart. end to end and connect them to a single cap for tuning. -FARMERIK
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
Marc Coevoet
Op 19-12-14 om 23:39 schreef D1028Gary@aol.com [ultralightdx]:
Hi Guy,Hello, This Elpa looks like the AR 1733 http://www.jaycar.com.au/ShowLargephoto.asp?id=16316&PRODNAME=PLL%20World%20Band%20Radio&IMAGE= This ar 1733 has a "strange" feature: on sw, it will whistle when the antenna is bend close to the ferrite ... Marc -- The "Penguin" has arrived - and he's not going away - ever. What's on Shortwave guide: choose an hour, go! http://shortwave dot tk 700+ Radio Stations on SW http://swstations dot tk 300+ languages on SW http://radiolanguages dot tk
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
Hi Guy,
Thanks very much for the useful link to the Elpa ER-C57WR's Owner's Manual. Fortunately, I learned to read basic Japanese while living in the country as a high school student (from 1967-69).
According to the manual the model obviously uses a completely different DSP chip than the C.Crane Skywave model. It provides Longwave coverage from 153-279 kHz (absent in the Skywave), but only two DSP filtering options on AM, LW, SW and AIR. There is a "wide" option and a "narrow" option, with an icon on the display showing which of the two is selected. No mention is given of the bandwidth value of either of these. Of course, if the "narrow" bandwidth option of the ER-C57WR turns out to be equivalent to the 1 kHz DSP option of the Skywave, it would still be fully acceptable for excellent MW-DXing. The "Skywave's" 1 kHz DSP option is the only one which is really suitable for MW-DXing, anyway. At the Amazon Japan price of 5,780 Yen, the ER-C57WR costs the equivalent of about US $48, making it about half as expensive as the C.Crane Skywave model. We may need to import a couple of these for an investigation, Guy :-)
73, Gary DeBock (in the Valley)
-----Original Message-----
From: dx@... [ultralightdx] To: ultralightdx Sent: Fri, Dec 19, 2014 11:26 am Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW Hi Gary,
Here is a link to the ER-C57WR's owner's manual:
It appears that this radio indeed has the AIR band (but now WX), as well as some preset R. Nikkei frequencies. I see mentions of an "AM BW" too, but I couldn't spot a listing of the bandwidths.
73 from your cross-town buddy,
Guy Atkins
Puyallup, WA
---In ultralightdx@..., wrote :
Hello Rommel
,
Thanks for the information on your ELPA ER-C57WR, which does indeed look very much like the new C.Crane Skywave portable.
If you look closely at the photo in the Amazon Japan listing for the ER-C57WR posted at
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%A8%E3%83%AB%E3%83%91-ELPA-%E3%83%AF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B8%E3%82%AA-%E6%9C%9D%E6%97%A5%E9%9B%BB%E5%99%A8-ER-C57WR/dp/B00O0Q9H4K (5,780 Yen) , however, you will notice that the model lacks the "WX-SW-AIR" pushbutton that the "Skywave" model has (under the Band Width pushbutton, at the lower right of the front cabinet), indicating that the ER-C57WR does not have the Weather Band or Air Band coverage provided by the C.Crane "Skywave" model.
But of course, this opens up another very interesting question-- does the ER-C57WR model have the same excellent MW band performance of the Skywave model? If it has a DSP chip which deletes WX and Air Band coverage but provides the same innovative MW band improvements (over the Si4734 chip) as the Skywave model provides, the ELPA model might be useful to North American MW-Band DXers as a lower-cost alternative to the C.Crane Skywave model (assuming that an exporter in Japan can offer them with reasonable shipping charges). My own impression of the Skywave model is that although it really does provide breakthrough MW-Band performance in the Ultralight radio class, the $89.95 cost (before shipping) will be a deal-breaker for many DXers who might otherwise be interested in it.
73 and Thanks,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
Hi Gary,
Here is a link to the ER-C57WR's owner's manual: It appears that this radio indeed has the AIR band (but now WX), as well as some preset R. Nikkei frequencies. I see mentions of an "AM BW" too, but I couldn't spot a listing of the bandwidths. 73 from your cross-town buddy, Guy Atkins Puyallup, WA ---In ultralightdx@..., <D1028Gary@...> wrote : Hello Rommel, Thanks for the information on your ELPA ER-C57WR, which does indeed look very much like the new C.Crane Skywave portable. If you look closely at the photo in the Amazon Japan listing for the ER-C57WR posted at http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%A8%E3%83%AB%E3%83%91-ELPA-%E3%83%AF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B8%E3%82%AA-%E6%9C%9D%E6%97%A5%E9%9B%BB%E5%99%A8-ER-C57WR/dp/B00O0Q9H4K (5,780 Yen) , however, you will notice that the model lacks the "WX-SW-AIR" pushbutton that the "Skywave" model has (under the Band Width pushbutton, at the lower right of the front cabinet), indicating that the ER-C57WR does not have the Weather Band or Air Band coverage provided by the C.Crane "Skywave" model. But of course, this opens up another very interesting question-- does the ER-C57WR model have the same excellent MW band performance of the Skywave model? If it has a DSP chip which deletes WX and Air Band coverage but provides the same innovative MW band improvements (over the Si4734 chip) as the Skywave model provides, the ELPA model might be useful to North American MW-Band DXers as a lower-cost alternative to the C.Crane Skywave model (assuming that an exporter in Japan can offer them with reasonable shipping charges). My own impression of the Skywave model is that although it really does provide breakthrough MW-Band performance in the Ultralight radio class, the $89.95 cost (before shipping) will be a deal-breaker for many DXers who might otherwise be interested in it. 73 and Thanks, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
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Re: Rech?- most directional ferrite
mediumwavedx
Only an opinion, but I'm convinced it has to do with: 1. Position of the winding (and turn spacing) on the coil. 2. The amount of interaction the ferrite has with surrounding circuitry in the radio itself. I have radios with short and long ferrites, and it doesn't seem to matter as far as length goes. And some of the cheapest radios seem to have pretty good nulling ability. Bill RADIO-TIMETRAVELLER http://radio-timetraveller.blogspot.com
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Rech?- most directional ferrite
Rik
What makes some radios have a much narrower 'beam' pattern on the AM ferrite antenna inside?
I think my PL-600 is my most directional portable and my R-9012 is second. I am curious if they have multiple windings closer to the ends of the ferrite? -FARMERIK
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
Hello Rommel,
Thanks for the information on your ELPA ER-C57WR, which does indeed look very much like the new C.Crane Skywave portable.
If you look closely at the photo in the Amazon Japan listing for the ER-C57WR posted at http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%A8%E3%83%AB%E3%83%91-ELPA-%E3%83%AF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B8%E3%82%AA-%E6%9C%9D%E6%97%A5%E9%9B%BB%E5%99%A8-ER-C57WR/dp/B00O0Q9H4K (5,780 Yen) , however, you will notice that the model lacks the "WX-SW-AIR" pushbutton that the "Skywave" model has (under the Band Width pushbutton, at the lower right of the front cabinet), indicating that the ER-C57WR does not have the Weather Band or Air Band coverage provided by the C.Crane "Skywave" model.
But of course, this opens up another very interesting question-- does the ER-C57WR model have the same excellent MW band performance of the Skywave model? If it has a DSP chip which deletes WX and Air Band coverage but provides the same innovative MW band improvements (over the Si4734 chip) as the Skywave model provides, the ELPA model might be useful to North American MW-Band DXers as a lower-cost alternative to the C.Crane Skywave model (assuming that an exporter in Japan can offer them with reasonable shipping charges). My own impression of the Skywave model is that although it really does provide breakthrough MW-Band performance in the Ultralight radio class, the $89.95 cost (before shipping) will be a deal-breaker for many DXers who might otherwise be interested in it.
73 and Thanks,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
-----Original Message----- From: Mela Custodio sessyargc@... [ultralightdx] To: ultralightdx Sent: Thu, Dec 18, 2014 3:17 pm Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
Mela Custodio <sessyargc@...>
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
microcode@...
On Thu, Dec 18, 2014 at 09:12:58AM -0800, joerotello@windowgroup.com [ultralightdx] wrote:
Ahh, so yes, in some places, the Tecsun PL-660 has dropped further than I thought...Can't go wrong with this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/TECSUN-PL660-PLL-FM-Stereo-MW-LW-SW-SSB-AIR-Band-BLACK-COLOR-PL-660-radio-/111031403557?pt=US_Portable_AM_FM_Radios&hash=item19d9fcc425
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight Radio-- First Impressions on MW
josephrot
RE: << Didn't Gary say the Skywave is $89.99 + shipping? >>
It is, over on the CCrane specific webpage: http://www.ccrane.com/Shortwave-Radios/CC-Skywave-Radio-With-AM-FM-Shortwave-Weather-and-Aviation-Bands RE: << Hmm, I paid 80 bucks plus shipping for my PL-660. >> Ahh, so yes, in some places, the Tecsun PL-660 has dropped further than I thought... Joe Rotello / Knoxville, TN / USA
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