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My ULR test
Powell
My ULR test to see what the RF-032D Panasonic "Mr.Thin" is really
like. I expected it to do pretty well. But it handily beat out these:
Sangean DT-400W Kaito WRX-911 Tecsun R9012 (Gary modified) Sony SRF-59 (Gary Modified) Eton / Grundig G8 CC SWP It was about equal or slightly better than my Eton E-10 which I do not consider that much of an ultralite. Powell
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Re: IBOC and ssb or sync detection
Powell
I was told the sync on the 2010 will automatically pick which sideband to switch to in a strong selective fade. That's when I am in regular wide AM and press the sync button. Until WTAM and KMOX started running IBOC that was "**THE"** only way WBT was listenable at night and I'm 80 or so air miles from the transmitter. Now, at night 1110 is just FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF I am lucky to be close enough to hear the WBT-FM on 99.3 from Chester, SC . Powell POP email is powell at backroads DOT net
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Three more for the Log and it's my 1st year ULR anniversary.
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Traverse City, MI Loggings, All Times Eastern
Antonios Kekalos <akekalos@...>
2.18.10, 2030, AM 1370, WSPD, Toledo, OH, 242mi/390km, 5k/5k, Sony SRF-M37V
2.18.10, 2034, AM 1380, WPHM, Port Huron, MI, 204mi/328km, 5k/5k, Sony SRF-M37V 2.19.10, 0658, AM 1640, WKSH, Milwaukee, WI, 173mi/279km, 10k/1k, Radio Disney, EX-WAZI, Kaito WRX911 2.19.10, 0700, AM 1600, KGYM, Cedar Rapids, IA, 354mi/570km, 5k/5k, ESPN Radio, EX-KCRG, Kaito WRX911 -- Tony Kekalos Traverse City, MI SWLR-RN072 EN74es
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Piles of Ultralites
Powell
I had been looking for one I could listen to on my daily dog walk I call "The Morning Mile". ALL of the current UltraLights had something negative that made them a bit inconvenient. A friend of mine reminded me of the Panasonic "Mr.Thin" series from around 1980, and he has 3 of them. He recently got a RF-032D to replace the one he has that is worn out. He said it was very hot, and I remembered mine, which got stolen. I got a one yesterday on Ebay, and it's in great shape, and yes it is smokin' hot. It is thin enough to be in my shirt pocket and not be a pain. It plays loudly and I can do the dog walk without having to continually do something to the radio..... like HOLD it. I will be testing it against some of the new whiz bang ones I have now.
Powell NNNN POP email is powell at backroads DOT net
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Re: IBOC and ssb or sync detection
Powell
That's the way mine works, and if you have the sync on and there is a selective fade with IBOC .... WHOOO boy you get the digital rushing noise that reminds you of a train running through. It's better in narrow, but PFFFT I would rather listen in wide.
Powell NNNN POP email is powell at backroads DOT net From: gkinsman1 The 2010 shouldn't "automatically" be selecting the sideband in sync mode. Mine doesn't work this way. Also, listen to the 2010 in sync mode on an IBOC station, and you'll hear digital "rushing" noise, no matter which sideband is selected. On the E1/E1XM, in DSB sync, this noise is absent.
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Re: IBOC and ssb or sync detection
Gary Kinsman
The 2010 shouldn't "automatically" be selecting the sideband in sync mode. Mine doesn't work this way.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Also, listen to the 2010 in sync mode on an IBOC station, and you'll hear digital "rushing" noise, no matter which sideband is selected. On the E1/E1XM, in DSB sync, this noise is absent.
--- In ultralightdx@..., "Powell E. Way III" <w4opw@...> wrote:
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Re: IBOC and ssb or sync detection
Powell
Then, [ on the 2010 ] when I have, lets say WLAC tuned in and I press sync and there is a severe selective fade, the radio automatically finds the best sideband to switch to.... on super bad strong selective fades I've seen the red LED switch back and forth rapidly. A standard AM radio was totally unlistenable, while the Sony was fine. The G3 does NOT do this and will drop out of sync mode MOST ungracefully.
 Powell
POP email is powell at backroads DOT net From: "jaypolicow@..." The 2010 does not have DSB (Dual Sideband) sync...you select either Upper or Lower sideband sync by fine tuning until either the Upper or Lower Led lights up. Jay Allen
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Re: IBOC and ssb or sync detection
Powell
That's strange as there IS sync on mine in the AM DSB mode. The Sony 7600 has sync also but it's not as good. Sync detection should be standard on ALL radios made that have an AM section!
Powell NNNN POP email is powell at backroads DOT net
From: gkinsman1 To: ultralightdx@... Sent: Thu, February 18, 2010 10:32:05 PM Subject: [ultralightdx] Re: IBOC and ssb or sync detection Hi Powell, Actually the Sony 2010 has SSB sync (USB or LSB), but not DSB sync. I've owned one for about 24 years.
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Re: MI LOG
jim_kr1s <jkearman@...>
--- In ultralightdx@..., "wa8lcz" wrote: > 1360 WMOV Ravenswood WV 0723 EST 5k day only newstalk 256 mi Best of the bunch, Byron! This is a real WV logging. WWVA's transmitter site is, I believe, actually in Ohio. 73, Jim, KR1S http://qrp.kearman.com/
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MI LOG
wa8lcz
Feb 17
1410 WRMN Elgin IL 1800 EST 1k 500W NEWSTALK . Feb 18 1360 WMOV Ravenswood WV 0723 EST 5k day only newstalk 256 mi 1240 WATT Cadillac MI 1754 EST 1k k 171 mi 1240 WCBY Cheboygan MI 1756 EST 1k 1k 228 mi 1230 WGRY Grayling MI 1959 EST 750w 750w 171 mi Had some strange conditions last night at sunset, heard many MI graveyard stations, but little DX outside the state. Cheboygan is in northern MI close to the Mackinaw bridge going to the Upper Penisula, Grayling in north central mi, Cadillac is north western mi. And i'm in south eastern mi. i listened for the usual LA and GA stations but they were weak copy. heard many others i couldnt ID, 2 Grand Rapids mi, pittsburg pa and others. someone mentioned arora conditions, that may explain it. After 8 pm signals flattened out. Conditions this morning are back to normal. WATT = great call sign Byron wa8lcz nr Detroit Mi stations heard 242 Kenwood TS450S litz loop 34 in sq and Sony SRF-M40W
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Re: IBOC and ssb or sync detection
jaypolicow@snet.net <jaypolicow@...>
The 2010 does not have DSB (Dual Sideband) sync...you select either Upper or Lower sideband sync by fine tuning until either the Upper or Lower Led lights up.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Jay Allen
--- In ultralightdx@..., "Powell" <w4opw@...> wrote:
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Re: basic facts on DX-receivers
jim_kr1s <jkearman@...>
--- In ultralightdx@..., "Wolfgang H" > The DX-specialist receivers are not at the market till now. We should wait for them and demand them. The classical DX-receiver producers will die because of their historical technique. The Icom R-9500, at only US$16,o00.00. This receiver can be produced because there is a large market beyond hobbyists. At 20 kg, it sure isn't an ultralight! This top-performing receiver has features that can't be implemented in DSP alone, such as roofing filters and LC bandpass filters. SSB alone doesn't make a DX radio, and real DX-ability won't fit in a ULR-sized box. Some things can still be done better with lumped analog components. ULRs are fun, but there are good reasons why some DXers use ICF-2010s etc as spotting radios. For less than US$100 and their small size, you get a lot of performance, but I think we're approaching the upper limit. 73, Jim, KR1S http://qrp.kearman.com/
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basic facts on DX-receivers
Wolfgang Hartmann
Hello
Ultralight Radios There is a big step in the technique of radios generally by: Software Defined Radio DSP receivers We have the advantage that by newer technique there is a lot of progress working - Sharp shape factors in overall filtering at hf and audio - Freqency-stability by comparison to a xtal-frequency within software (in a programm or chip as DSP-chips) - Working in digital mode with a lot of advantages The new chips, SI4734, SI4735, work in DSP-mode. They are in use at Kchibo or Tecsun in China for the purpose to generate a very cheap production price. They too work in Navigation Advices. There are similiar ics too. The main purpose till now, is the reducing of production costs. To have very little effective radios for the chinese market. Till now, they are working perfectly under FM. SW-working needs generally a wire some few meters long connected to the antenna. MW und LW working with a ferrit-rod antenna connected to a long wire antenna. There is not at the moment a DSP-receiver for DX-interested people. Some features should be built in as SSB, LSB, USB maybee others too as specialities as DRM, DRM+, DAB. Kchibo announced a receiver KK-S7600L with SSB-features. And we should wait for more receivers for DX-specialists. The DX-community all over the world has a special interest in receiving even weak stations all over the world. The new factor on the market for our interests are the normal DSP-receivers, which we are able to use to a certain content. The DX-specialist receivers are not at the market till now. We should wait for them and demand them. The classical DX-receiver producers will die because of their historical technique. I love old tube receivers from the time before World War II. One has to ask, why those old renovated receivers are so fascinating even more than „modern" DX-receivers. The future will show, that we give a lot of classical receivers to radio-museums or collectors (a fascinating hobby)! Wolfgang Hartmann, Nürnberg
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Re: IBOC and ssb or sync detection
lrdheat
--- On Thu, 2/18/10, jim_kr1s wrote:
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Re: IBOC and ssb or sync detection
Gary Kinsman
Hi Powell,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Actually the Sony 2010 has SSB sync (USB or LSB), but not DSB sync. I've owned one for about 24 years. I owned several E1XM units, but never got one that worked totally right. The best sync detector of my current radios is on my Sat 800, but it doesn't have DSB sync. Both the E1/E1XM and Sat 800 have better sync detectors than the Sony 2010, but I doubt that these two models will still be working after more than 20 years. Regards, Gary
--- In ultralightdx@..., "Powell" <w4opw@...> wrote:
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Re: IBOC and ssb or sync detection
jim_kr1s <jkearman@...>
--- In ultralightdx@..., "Powell" wrote: > > You would think with all the DSP power that can be written into the chips they would have done a better job. I guess they don't think the market is there. I'd like to try an E1. What I've read makes me think you're lucky to get a good one, though. 73, Jim, KR1S http://qrp.kearman.com/
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Re: IBOC and ssb or sync detection
Powell
The Sony ICF-2010 has DSB sync, but I hear the E-1's is superior. I often get very strong selective fades on WLAC, and with the G3 it gets rather upset on these deep fades. It doesn't bother the 2010 much, but on really bad ones the upper / lower LED switches back and forth. You would think with all the DSP power that can be written into the chips they would have done a better job. Sensitivity on MW and SW need to seriously be improved. Of course I can use one of the tuneable loops on MW to perk things up, but I don't want to HAVE to unless I have to and WLAC is my strongest AM signal at night and on the G3 it's barely OK. At least WLAC and WCKY don't have their IBOC on right now.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Powell in the woods near Silverstreet, SC
--- In ultralightdx@..., "gkinsman1" <gkinsman@...> wrote:
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Re: IBOC and ssb or sync detection
Gary Kinsman
Hi Richard,
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
I believe the post on ABDX regarding the IBOC digital sideband layout, and the resulting interference, is correct. One other thing to keep in mind is that KNX itself is an IBOC station. It's a local for me, but using SSB sync to listen to it results in a lot of digital noise. DSB sync, like that on the Eton E1 series, solves this problem. I believe the E1 is the only portable with DSB sync. I wish Eton would have added this sync mode to the G3 as well. Regards, Gary
--- In ultralightdx@..., Richard Berler <lrdheat@...> wrote:
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Re: SSB decoding in SDRs and as procedure (algorithm) in the digital software
jim_kr1s <jkearman@...>
--- In ultralightdx@..., Richard Berler > The G3, by contrast, is sensitive below around 1100 KHz, and much less by the time frequencies above 1400 KHz are tuned in. The situation improves when tuning sync or ECSS style, but still remains less sensitive than the G5. How does the G3 compare with the G5 on LW? It sure sounds as though the antenna isn't tuning well at the high end of the band. If there were too many turns on the antenna winding, LW and low-MW reception would be good, and perhaps better on the G3 than on the G5. I'd be tempted to do an internal antenna mod in that case. What the heck it's not a legal ULR anyway, might as well. :) If the BFO is adjustable, then there is no need to align it. I can't explain why one sideband sounds different than the other, but whatever is causing that, combined with the IBOC protocol, would explain the effects you're hearing. I had an ICF-2010 many moons ago, and never found sync detection that useful on the BCB, with so many signals. Once you get two or more carriers on one frequency, the sync detector doesn't know what to do. ECSS sometimes helps on weak signals, but what I'd really like to see on the next-gen of SiLabs chips is a heterodyne detector that would recognize a continuous tone (I guess it would have to work at audio freqs) and notch it in software. Trans-oceanic listeners would love that! 73, Jim, KR1S http://qrp.kearman.com/
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