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Sony SRF-M37V vs. Sony SRF-M37W
Carl DeWhitt
I noticed that my 2 SRF-M37,s were different.The first one i bought
was the v model with the soon to be useless tv audio band(actually , it is already useless but will certainly be useless after the conversion to DTV).The W model is minus the tv audio but still has the weather band(which is useless on SRF M37 ).Has anyone noticed any difference on performance on the am band ? I plan to compare them myself to see if i notice any.
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Re: Sony 7600GR (was Stock Sangean DT-400W Receives 6 TP's at Grayland)
Gary Kinsman
You're welcome, John.
One thing to keep in mind is that the 7600GR is about the same size as the E10, so it's a lot bigger than the E100 or G6. Hopefully it's still small enough for your needs. --- In ultralightdx@..., "John H. Bryant" <bjohnorcas@...> wrote: future, too.
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Re: Sony 7600GR (was Stock Sangean DT-400W Receives 6 TP's at Grayland)
John H. Bryant <bjohnorcas@...>
Thanks for the comments, guys! Sounds like there is a
7600 in my future, too.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
John B.
At 11:43 PM 8/31/2008 +0000, you wrote: Hi John,
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Re: Sony 7600GR (was Stock Sangean DT-400W Receives 6 TP's at Grayland)
satya@...
Hey John:
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
I'm in agreement with everything Gary says. I also like the 3-point-something khz SSB filter for ECSS work - SSB is quite usable after the BFO has 15-20 minutes to stabilize (initially, it is nothing but warbling..). I also like the continuously-variable RF gain, which makes passive phasing of locals easier, as I can knock them down a bit to find the null. The 910 khz images can be annoying, but would not be an issue out at the beach. My synch doesn't have a muffled sideband - not sure how common that is (or maybe they both are muffled, since regular AM mode has noticeably better fidelity...). Kevin
Hi John,
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Sony 7600GR (was Stock Sangean DT-400W Receives 6 TP's at Grayland)
Gary Kinsman
Hi John,
Yes, the 7600GR has "real SSB." There is a switch on the side of the radio to select USB or LSB. The smallest discrete tuning step (and display increment) is 1 kHz. There is an analog SSB fine tuning control wheel that permits very clear reception of SSB for such a small portable. It actually receives SSB better than a 2010, because the latter uses 100 Hz steps, but on the 7600GR the SSB fine tuning is "stepless." Here are some other pros/cons of the 7600GR: Pros - Very good build quality (made in Japan, believe it or not) - Selectable sideband sync detector (not as good as that on the 2010, Sat 800 or E1, but still useful to reduce selective fading distortion or interference) - Couples very well with the Quantum Q-Stick (I believe Gerry Thomas designed the Q-Stick for use with his 7600G, which preceded the GR) - 100 memories (10 pages of 10) Cons - Sound quality is somewhat muffled on AM (especially compared to the E10 or E100) - No tuning meter (only a "Tune" indicator on the LCD) - No tuning knob (just fast/slow buttons -- 10/9 kHz or 1 kHz on MW, 5 kHz or 1 kHz on SW) - One side band is usually more muffled than the other in sync mode, as delivered (this can be adjusted fairly easily) I hope this helps. Regards, Gary --- In ultralightdx@..., "John H. Bryant" <bjohnorcas@...> wrote:
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Re: DT-400W Alignment (was Stock Sangean DT-400W Receives 6 TP's...)
Hi Guy,
Thanks again for the suggestion of
drilling small holes in the DT-400W's digital board, to gain access to the
1400 kHz trimmer and AM IF transformers on the RF circuit board.
Unfortunately, after completely disassembling one
of the DT-400W's and observing the circuitry and foil traces on the digital
board where the holes would need to be drilled, it is obvious that such drilling
would be the electronic equivalent of a total lobotomy, destroying many
components and foil traces essential for the digital board's proper
function. The only practical solution appears to be the construction of a
14-pin plug-in jumper cable for connection of the two boards while providing
space for alignment access, and also the construction of two smaller 2-pin
plug-in jumpers for the other two connecting jacks between these boards.
This obviously would involve some time and effort, but if a significant number
of new DT-400W owners report alignment QC issues similar to that reported
by Richard, the enthusiast group would certainly benefit from having
such an alignment resource. If Richard's DT-400W sensitivity
issue proves to be a rare aberration, however, the more logical
solution would be for these DT-400W owners to return the unit to Sangean
reporting inadequate AM sensitivity, and requesting a full AM alignment under
the 90-day warranty policy (which I would recommend for Richard as an interim
solution). Sangean obviously is capable of aligning all these DT-400W
units to a very high level of broadband AM sensitivity, so why not allow them to
do so, under the warranty policy? As long as our enthusiast group
lacks full DT-400W alignment capability, that would be my suggestion as an
interim solution for the unfortunate recipients of marginal DT-400W
units.
73, Gary It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here.
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Re: Stock Sangean DT-400W Receives 6 TP's at Grayland
John H. Bryant <bjohnorcas@...>
Gary,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Thanks for your comparison of the 7600GR, the E10 and the E100. Very interesting. I'm still looking for a small spotting receiver and I know that Gary DeB really likes the 7600GR. Could you help me out by describing a couple of things: Is the SSB on the 7600GR a "real SSB," allowing the selection of USB or LSB??? What tuning rates can you use to tune across MW in SSB??? Please be 0.1 kHz as one choice :>) THANKS! John B.
At 07:50 PM 8/31/2008 +0000, you wrote: Hi Dennis,
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Re: E100 "birdies" near 640 kHz
Gary Kinsman
Hi Kevin,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
I live in Simi Valley, about 50 miles from KFI's location. I was originally thinking along the same lines, but I don't have a strong local on 1550, and rotating the radio doesn't change the intensity of the het. BTW, I think my E100 display is off in the opposite direction. When the display shows 1 kHz high, the radio is tuned closer to the desired frequency than when the display shows on frequency. In other words, for 640 kHz, the display will show 641 kHz when tuned for best reception. Regards, Gary
--- In ultralightdx@..., satya@... wrote:
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Re: Stock Sangean DT-400W Receives 6 TP's at Grayland
Gary,
Just another
thought on this. What I did on another radio I've owned (can't remember
which model), I noted that there was a small amount of unoccupied PCB directly
above the trimmer. That is, the portion of the upper PCB that is directly above
the trimmer on the lower board did not have a component or a circuit
trace...just bare board. I drilled a small hole through the top PCB, big
enough for the small screwdriver needed to make the adjustment. Ta da! easy
access to the trimmer for alignment.
Even the
relocation of a trace (jumper around the hole) or relocating a simple component
like a resistor is not too tough if it is in the way of the hole needing to be
drilled.
Guy
Atkins
Puyallup,
WA
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Re: E100 "birdies" near 640 kHz
satya@...
Hi Gary:
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
I see you're on pacbell.net, which probably means that KFI-LA on 640 is butting heads with an image from KYCY-San Francisco, KXEX-Fresno, or KWRN-Apple Valley on 1550, depending on where you are in California. 73 - Kevin
Hello all,
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Re: E100 "birdies" near 640 kHz
satya@...
Hey Gary:
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
You may be hearing an image two IF freqs (2 x 455 = 910) down from a strong local, which is heterodyning with another station on 640; do you have a fairly strong local station at 1550? I have two locals at 1590 and 1680, and I get strong hets (if not audio) on 680 and 770, respectively, especially during the day. If I null 1590 and 1680, the hets down-band go away. So, maybe try tuning to 640 and rotate the e100 to minimize the het, which might tell you what direction the offending local is in? Note also that the digital display on the e100 has been known to be a khz off, so what appears to be 638 or 639 could actually be 639 or 640. 73 - Kevin S Bainbridge Island, WA
Hello all,
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E100 "birdies" near 640 kHz
Gary Kinsman
Hello all,
While comparing my E100 to my 7600GR and E10 -- all of which have 1 kHz tuning steps -- I hear hets near 640 kHz only on the E100, not on the other two radios. So these hets are internally generated noises or "birdies." In the last day they've occurred on 637-639 kHz or 638-640 kHz, and are strongest on the middle frequency (i.e., 638 or 639 kHz). Does anybody else notice birdies near 640 kHz on their E100 units? Thanks, Gary
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Re: Stock Sangean DT-400W Receives 6 TP's at Grayland
Gary Kinsman
Hi Dennis,
I compared the performance of several of my MW radios today, including the 7600GR, E10, E100 and DT-200VX (all of which are stock with no post-factory alignment). The E10 is much better than the E100 on the low end of the band (probably due to its much larger ferrite bar), while the E100 is somewhat better than the E10 on the high end of the band. The 7600GR is better than the E10 or E100 on both ends of the band. The E100 is better than the DT-200VX on the low end of the band, and much better on the high end of the band. So here are the overall rankings: Low end: 7600GR, E10, E100, DT-200VX High end: 7600GR, E100, E10, DT-200VX Both the E10 and DT-200VX underperform on the high end of the band, relative to what I would expect. Regards, Gary --- In ultralightdx@..., "Dennis Gibson" <wb6tnb@...> wrote:
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New file uploaded to ultralightdx
ultralightdx@...
Hello,
This email message is a notification to let you know that a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the ultralightdx group. File : /Galassi, Italy/WEGP 1390.rm Uploaded by : tropicalband2000 <w.matilda@...> Description : 1390 WEGP, SRF-59 and Moroni Monoloop You can access this file at the URL: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ultralightdx/files/Galassi%2C%20Italy/WEGP%201390.rm To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit: http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/groups/original/members/web/index.htmlfiles Regards, tropicalband2000 <w.matilda@...>
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Re: Stock Sangean DT-400W Receives 6 TP's at Grayland
Gary,
Is it possible to
adjust the 1400 kHz trimmer by alternating between disassembly as needed to
access the trimmer, making a small tweak to the cap, and reassembling it enough
to check? With enough repeats of this cycle it should be possible to zero
in on the best trimmer setting without soldering in 14 jumper wires. The only
downside I can see is that too much flexing of the stock jumper wires might
break a wire or solder joint.
Guy
Atkins
Puyallup,
WA
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Re: Stock Sangean DT-400W Receives 6 TP's at Grayland
Hi Guy,
Thanks for your suggestion about a possible 1400
kHz trimmer adjustment procedure for the DT-400W.
As we recall, when you developed your
DT-200VX alignment procedure, on the DT-200VX RF board the 1400 kHz trimmer and
AM IF transformer adjustments are just barely accessible in the operating
configuration (with the 14-lead plug in jack between the RF and digital circuit
boards just barely making contact, as the boards are separated enough to provide
access to the two adjustments). On the DT-200VX, both of these adjustments
have a "hair trigger" adjustment tendency, in which slight changes throw the
whole AM alignment seriously out of the optimum position.
On the DT-400W, however, the RF board has been
completely redesigned, with the 1400 kHz trimmer and AM IF transformer
adjustments relocated to a completely inaccessible position whenever the 14-lead
connection jack has continuity. As such, these hair-trigger
adjustments cannot have optimum alignment without a technician-constructed
alignment jig, connecting the 14-lead jack with enough space to provide access
to the two adjustments. This assumes that the extra RF lead lengths would
not act as small "antennas," throwing off the whole AM alignment due to stray
oscillations. I assume that Sangean has such an alignment setup, so
it must be possible to align the radio this way. Unfortunately, with
multiple hobby projects having higher priority here (E100 Slider Loopstick
article, etc.), I haven't really had time to construct such a DT-400 alignment
jig, and ensure its proper function.
Your suggestion of adjusting the 1400 kHz
trimmer by a slow incremental method would certainly work well on a radio
without such a hair-trigger adjustment tendency, Guy, although the risk of
degrading the existing sensitivity due to an inability to "hit the
peak" would be too great in the case of the DT-400W, in my opinion. Long term,
the only real solution is to tackle the problem head-on, build an alignment jig,
and assuming that it is reasonably similar to the equipment that Sangean
itself uses, hopefully have a resource where the entire enthusiast group
can have optimum DT-400W alignments. The RF design itself has a lot of
promise, and with the exception of Richard's unit, quality control does seem to
be above average for factory alignments. All three test units here had
fine sensitivity, straight from the factory. The price is very reasonable for
such a high-sensitivity design, and after using it at Grayland two days ago, it
has become my favorite TP-chasing stock Ultralight.
73, Gary
It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here.
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Re: Stock Sangean DT-400W Receives 6 TP's at Grayland
bbwrwy
Gary: I got the DT-400W that isn't as sensitive as my SRF-M37W and
SRF-59 (my third) I use for DXing. It is only better at the lower end of the AM band than the E100. I guess I'll order another DT-400W and see if it's better. As we've all discovered from using these little wonders there seems to be misalignment issues with all of them. Sensitivity aside, the DT-400W is the easiest of my little ultralights to use. It's ability to null interfering signals is almost equal to the Sony receivers. For example, I was able to log five new stations (and a new state) by nulling WKY-930 (5 kW @ 92 km/57 mi). This morning I nulled WWLS-640 (5 kW @ 122 km/75 mi) and heard three new stations in a half-hour. One being KTIB, Thibodeaux LA reading orders to evacuate the area ahead of hurrican Gustav. In my opinion the DT-400W is a very worthwhile receiver, and I look forward to seeing how it be modified. Now if I can figure out a way to block out the IBOC jamming! A half a century ago they made color TV compatible with black and whire, so why can't they figure out how to get HD right??? But they wouldn't be able to sell those new newfangled receiver they want us to buy!!! Have a good DXing holiday everyone. Richard Allen.
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Re: Stock Sangean DT-400W Receives 6 TP's at Grayland
Hi Richard,
I'm sorry that your new DT-400W isn't performing
to your expectations, and yes, with other models there has been a wide
variation in quality control at the Chinese factories for AM
alignments. Being aware of this, before recommending the DT-400W as a top
performer, I ordered three units from Amazon and tested out all three to
ensure that the high sensitivity wasn't a rare fluke. They all performed
equally well here, although it's certainly possible that all of mine were from
one factory, and that other factories may not be so diligent in ensuring
top sensitivity. Other DT-400W users have seemed pleased with the
sensitivity so far, but there certainly could be some yellow-colored lemons
around.
Any DT-400W can be easily aligned for optimum
low-band sensitivity simply by peaking the loopstick coil on a 600 kHz weak
signal, but this new unit's redesigned RF board has the 1400 kHz trimmer in an
inaccessible position when in the operating configuration, which makes it
impossible to align without multiple jumpers (which I'm sure Sangean uses for
its own alignments). Normally I would attempt to construct such an
alignment setup, but with 14 close-spaced jumpers required, I decided to wait
until my schedule isn't so crammed.
If you order another DT-400W and it also
doesn't perform to your satisfaction, Richard, please let us know
ASAP. We may need to keep a serial number data base for inadequate units,
like John did for the inferior "new" E100's.
73,
Gary It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here.
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another great evening propagation wise
Allen Willie
Now with a new friend-happy design! Try the new Yahoo! Canada Messenger
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Re: Inside a G6 + Review Comments
starship20012001 <starship_2001@...>
Thank You John. I was thinking about this one back in June at the
begining of summer but passed after seeing not too great reveiws about issues. Your review puts a final coffin nail on it. --- In ultralightdx@..., "Gary Kinsman" <gkinsman@...> wrote:
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