https://app.box.com/s/e1hfplf3m7xli8i2891z6mmog8cnx5br
Gary DeBock (DXing in Kona, Hawaii)
7.5" loopstick CC Skywave Ultralight +
5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL antenna
531 had an LR network program apparently with the same content and announcer as 630-4QN, presumably from 6DL (although the two stations didn't seem to be exactly in parallel, maybe because of a programming delay due to a time zone difference). 693 had an unfamiliar station around 1602 after the sign off of NHK2, which didn't sound like English speech to me (657 was checked for NZ propagation, but it only delivered Pyongyang at a blistering level). Finally, 1566 had a mix of a Christian music station (apparently HLAZ) and an unknown foreign language station with a male-female news format at 1604. These three frequencies will again receive serious attention starting at 1545 in a few hours.
531 6DL? Same apparent program and announcer as 630-4QN below, but didn't seem exactly parallel
https://app.box.com/s/687gka04sy6l3qkx6oci9jvi599j6iip
630 4QN Townsville, Australia LR network program at a good level at 1544; used for comparison with the above
https://app.box.com/s/dzu6vffidlrkjjquixekfyufimebqddy
657 Pyongyang BS Pyongyang, N. Korea Bizarre music at blowtorch strength at 1555
https://app.box.com/s/ha5gbqxopp780xfm8u7as0f952o5k7yu
693 UnID-TP Male voiced speech in apparent foreign language alone on frequency after NHK2 sign off at 1604
https://app.box.com/s/8yabwqs7llyac52tsfv4taannfuggedq
1566 UnID-TP Male and female foreign language speech mixing with Christian music at 1609
https://app.box.com/s/m66yi638bm6r1vrigiewo9680yuydvk6
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Kona, Hawaii)
7.5" loopstick CC Skywave Ultralight +
5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL antenna
From: Tony King tonyzl@... [ultralightdx]
To: ultralightdx
Sent: Sun, Apr 9, 2017 10:59 pm
Subject: [ultralightdx] Re: Kona, Hawaii Ultralight DU's for 4-9 [3 Attachments]
A four day mini-DXpedition to Kona, Hawaii kicked off last night with several S9+ signals from Pacific Islands on 540, 621, 1098, 1440 and a few others. I was able to bring a 5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL antenna along with two 7.5" loopstick CC Skywave Ultralights, and they are tracking down Pacific Island and Asian DX like gangbusters. No real time to go into detail yet, but I'll post a few MP3's from last night's midnight (local) session. This morning I went after the "big game" on 693 and 1566, and came away with fair-level exotic signals on both. Not being any expert on Bangladesh or India, I'll probably run the MP3's by some Japanese Ultralight radio fanatics before claiming anything. This place is awesome!
540 Samoa Blistering level Samoan worship music at 0930
https://app.box.com/s/u7m3e9vljqyjwfa2kstwgea5zdt8um15
558 Fiji Male speech at fair-good level at 1002
https://app.box.com/s/27nb6r85k2fd9kw6d19gu6ia3zukrbru
621 Tuvalu Sign off with national anthem (apparently) at 0959 (no time to remove het yet-- sorry)
https://app.box.com/s/0wnskqc8ae21pp84lq6tthdf6fqo8y8s
1017 A3Z Tonga Good level island music at 0945
https://app.box.com/s/gw9czrjhfr2ib7l6j0f5sy8qejsyxpnb
1098 Marshalls Booming island music at 0956 (no time yet to remove het-- sorry)
https://app.box.com/s/sbancp2ycptgfem0y29j67m8j57qtcl4
1440 Kiribati Female foreign language speech and four bong time signal at 0930
https://app.box.com/s/tgxzytajhpjbculadx60lpz7zmt9y08v
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Kona, Hawaii)
7.5" loopstick CC Skywave +
5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL antenna https://app.box.com/s/2lixzaly97goivq7i3qqj6etrr0ce109
From: Scott Nelson kg0gd@... [primetimeshortwave] <primetimeshortwave@...>
Date: Fri, Apr 7, 2017 at 6:14 PM
Subject: [ptsw] Radio Free Whatever
To: "primetimeshortwave@..." <primetimeshortwave@...>
From: ptfqiqhb7oidhqyo7sl5kawsml7druvi4wbcqn6a@... [icf2010] <icf2010@...>
Date: Wed, Apr 5, 2017 at 9:21 PM
Subject: [icf2010] In Depth Review & Comparison to ICF 7600G
To: icf2010@...
Hi
For posting to Files
Sony ICF-2001D/2010
In Depth Review and Comparison to ICF 7600G
In Feb 2009, Helmut G. Vogel generously lent me his early production ICF-2001D, S/N 30809 (mid/late 1985 or thereabouts), for evaluation purposes.
Intro
How does one review a receiver legend?
Well, let's start with the basics: This model (along with its North American counterpart ICF-2010), first available early 1985, was Sony's top shortwave portable and the first ever consumer-level set to feature synchronous AM detection. While the ICF-2001D was discontinued when the ICF-SW77 arrived in about 1991/1992, the '2010 remained available until 2003 at a typical US$379 (MSRP US$449). An18 year production run may well be a record for consumer electronics. (Only the ICF-EX5, a Japan market set, still beats that – also introduced in 1985, it didn't begin to disappear from store shelves until early 2009, only to be replaced by an updated "Mk2" model later that year.)
What we're looking at is a lap-size portable measuring an official 28.8 x 15.9 x 5.2 cm³ (a longish shape) and weighing about 1.8 kg including batteries – which would be three D cells (main) and two AA cells (backup). There is a slide-out telescopic antenna which measures an impressive 120 cm in length while still making a fairly robust impression. A magnetically retained (!) flip stand allows for a low angled position on the desk. A shoulder strap for carrying the set can be attached and was originally supplied.
Tuning ranges vary depending on version. There is an AM range potentially extending from 150 kHz to 29999.9 kHz (but limited to 26100 kHz in e.g. German version) covered in 1 kHz or 100 Hz tuning steps, the FM band is covered from 76 MHz (or 87.5 MHz) to 108 MHz in 50 kHz steps, and there may be an aeronautical (air) band ranging from 116 to 136 MHz, tuned in 25 kHz steps.
For cruising the waves, you get a number of tuning options: First there is a tuning knob at the side, with two user-selectable step sizes and thus speeds on the AM ranges. Then there is a numeric keypad for direct frequency entry. Finally you get no less than 32 individual buttons for presets, which double for things like direct broadcast band selection.
On the AM ranges, you have the choice among several modes: Wide and narrow IF bandwidths can be selected, synchronous detection toggled on and off, and finally you can also set up the receiver to tune in SSB transmissions in either the upper or the lower sideband.
There is a two-part LC display with a clock / timer and a frequency section. Frequencies are shown to 100 Hz on the AM ranges and to 1 kHz elsewhere.
Antennas for both AM and FM(/AIR) ranges can be connected (3.5 mm jacks), as well as a power supply and headphones (mono). A (mic-level) line-out is also provided. The set was supplied with an antenna adapter that takes coax.
Comparison The main opponent in reception will be the venerable ICF-SW7600, freshly recapped by aforementioned gentleman (his third "patient" in a row, all with the caps measurably dried out and with PCB corrosion on one sample). Two fairly full backup AAs and three 4000 mAh D size NiCads (also rather full) were installed in the 2001D.
Operation
Display viewing angles are best when looked at from the bottom. Seemingly the tilted position is preferred.
The frequency numerals have about the same size as on the ICF-SW7600(G) or E100. This is not incredibly large for a set this size. But then this also is a mid-80s set.
The display back light is microprocessor controlled and automatically delays its timeout if any of the (electronic) controls are used while it's on. However, the lighting itself with a single green LED on the right-hand side can only be called pitiful – dim and uneven. Even the ICF-SW7600G (which does not win any prizes for back lighting to begin with) does better than that.
The buttons seem to be microswitches behind a rubber mat. Thus they don't feel as precise as on newer sets, but it's OK nonetheless.
The recessed sliders and switches are not a joy to operate. I always have trouble finding the attenuator switch.
The smoothly turning tuning knob with an optical encoder (at least it feels like one and is not jumpy) is nice to operate. Its position at the far right of the set is not ideal for left-handed people though, it pretty much has to be spun with the right hand.
Carrying the set is a little awkward. This one came without the shoulder strap but I wouldn't consider that to be terribly useful either. A handle would have been useful. (In fact, some people have modified their '2010 with one.) As-is, the set is a little clunky.
On the AM ranges, the presets also store reception mode and IF bandwidth settings, which is fairly neat.
Shortwave reception
Manual tuning can be carried out in either 1 kHz (FAST) or 100 Hz (SLOW) steps on the AM ranges. While the tuning knob has a good feel, the momentary muting upon each step (up to a certain tuning rate) makes things rather "chuffy". The muting behavior is reminiscent of the ICF-SW7600. Single 100 Hz steps show noticeable "plop" noises as the PLL locks (something which is said to be quite annoying in the ICF-SW77 with its yet smaller steps). Tuning speed in FAST is fast enough for band cruising, quick rotation of the tuning knob will get you along at about 160 kHz per second. (The band cruiser may be annoyed by the chuffing, however.) 5 kHz steps are only used during automatic search. When you have reached the end of a band, there is no automatic wraparound – the set's age is showing here.
Raw sensitivity is extremely close to the ICF-SW7600 over most of the shortwave spectrum (both running off rechargeables). This was to be expected given the very similar frontend circuitry – I've been calling the SW7600 a "mini 2001D" due to the similarities in architecture. Interestingly enough, the '2001D/2010 enjoys a good reputation for sensitivity even off the whip – I'd guess operation with proper grounding (e.g. mains supply) plays a role here. The 2001D did, however, show better antenna matching near the bottom end of the shortwave range – weak pirates slightly above 1.6 MHz (as well as 160m ham stations) came in much weaker on the SW7600, but attaching a bit of wire to the latter's telescopic antenna evened out the difference (while having no effect on the 2001D). A whip antenna tuner makes a handy accessory for either set.
It be noted that this particular set has seen a preamp FET repair, a very common defect in this model since protection diodes are installed for the telescopic antenna but not the external antenna input. Here the dead 2SK152-1 was replaced by a 2N3819. Improved protection for the FET was eventually implemented in the early '90s (prior to 1992).
AGC action at low levels is as good as you'd expect in a top-flight portable, slightly improving upon the ICF-SW7600. (The improvement might, however, also be due to a better-performing AM detector – Sony's synchronous detection ICs appear to be using a pseudosynchronous detector for envelope detection.)
As far as selectivity is concerned, the two bandwidths do what they say – wide (seemingly a nominal 9 kHz, 6-element filter?!) is fine for listening to strong undisturbed stations, but hardly first choice for 5 kHz separation, while narrow (a nominal 3 kHz, 6-element filter, with some additional audio lowpass filtering kicking in as well) gives a nice and tight filter bandpass for tricky cases at the cost of fairly muffled audio. The wide filter appears to be slightly off-center or asymmetrical, as sound in sync USB and LSB is noticeably different.
The three-position tone switch is effective. The middle position engages a high-cut, and the lowest position gives a stronger high-cut combined with a low-cut.
Synchronous detection works very well. Its locking range is limited to a few hundred Hz around the carrier frequency, but it really takes a lousy signal for it not to lock. (In that regard it's more similar to the AR7030's synch detector than the ICF-SW7600G's which cannot keep up here.) It does have its quirks, like the lock and USB/LSB indicator not always being lit even if lock has in fact been obtained (this is coupled with operation of the 2nd s-meter LED – press BATTERY CHECK, and you'll see the sideband LED light up!), or the sideband selection by tuned frequency. Sync detection is very effective against hectic selective fading distortion as well as AM detector distortion in general, especially to be noticed in the wide bandwidth setting. Even for rather weak stations it frequently makes things more listenable, thus giving the set the edge over the ICF-SW7600. (The ICF-SW7600G does not do that much worse on halfway strong signals, but its "communications-quality" audio response hides much of the sync detector's benefits while bringing out the noise.) You may want to back off the RF gain on very strong stations though, or else distortion may creep back in. Opposite sideband suppression is not breathtaking but OK. Drifty pirate or clandestine stations with some frequency wobbling are a problem for the sync, as they will drift off tune after a while (but that's no different from the 2nd-generation sync in the ICF-SW7600G).
SSB reception, with the narrow filter and a sideband-selective product detector (as usual for Sony sets with synch detection), works well, with no wobbling or such. 100 Hz steps are a little on the coarse side of things, however. Strong stations will have a bit of distortion at the beginning due to the AGC rise time. In addition, the audio is somewhat muffled as the carrier frequency always is right in the middle of the filter bandwidth – an offset of +/-1 kHz für LSB/USB would have been useful.
Image rejection is very good, much better than in the ICF-SW7600(G). (That was to be expected.) It even beats my previous image rejection champs, E100 and DE1102 – where those will show weakish audio, there's no more than a weak het in SSB.
Spurious signals also showed to be well-suppressed. The strong ones are audibly weaker than on the ICF-SW7600(G).
The signal strength indicator, carried out as a line of LEDs, covers a fairly large and useful range. For most of the shortwave range, about 4 lit LEDs are the equivalent of the ICF-SW7600's TUNE LED being on.
The RF gain control is a bit of a joke. While it is effective (it's an attenuator in front of the 2nd mixer btw), its effect abruptly sets in about halfway from the top. (It be noted that this may not be typical but rather a problem of this sample; pot cleaning had been required in the past to make it work again at all.)
The attenuator, similar to the RP2000 (or – at least early-model – DE1103), is located after RF preamp stages for the whole AM range.
AM audio is somewhat lighter in the bass when compared to the ICF-SW7600 but not unpleasant otherwise. The 3-position tone switch is fairly effective but doesn't turn the wide bandwidth into a compromise bandwidth either.
I noticed a few weak interfering signals / hets which seem to be internally generated as other sets did not show them. Compared to later samples, you still see less shielding on the back of the circuit board of this one if you take a peek inside, so I guess this was improved later on.
MW/LW reception
MW sensitivity is somewhat better than on the ICF-SW7600(G), with less noise on weak stations, overall more in line with the ICF-7600A (my current sensitivity champ in its size class) – that was to be expected with the somewhat larger ferrite rod. The narrow filter position and better weak-signal AGC action) also play in, however.
Nearby strong-signal handling, as tested with inductive coupling to my "AM loupe" and the strongest MW local, is somewhere between ICF-SW7600 (very good) and ICF-SW7600G (middle of the road), as I did manage to overload the IF stages (splatter and cross-mod on neighboring channels)... closer to the SW7600G I'd say (The SW7600 remained unimpressed in this case, in spite of its wider filter.) Backing off the RF gain or switching in the attenuator brought things back to linear operation, with the attenuator being more effective at higher preserved sensitivity. This would point towards the 1st mixer as the likely culprit, which according to the schematic has a fairly low supply voltage and thus was possibly running into clipping. In the ICF-SW7600G, the attenuator helps only a little at best, so the intermod is probably generated by the 2nd mixer or the preceding IF amp.
2nd-order intermod seems to be somewhat better controlled compared to other portables with a wideband MW frontend. That makes sense given that the higher signal levels from the ferrite rod allow for some source degeneration (for better linearity at reduced gain) at the RF amp. Don't expect any miracles though.
FM reception
While the set does appear to be decently sensitive, selectivity with the two stock 280 kHz filters (barn doors) is hardly to be called exciting. Some modern-day low-loss 180's or 150's would work wonders here.
Air band reception
In terms of real signals, I caught one (1) volmet station. I could hardly conceal my excitement. Seems like this is not a terribly interesting region in terms of air band. There were only a few spurs and mixing products, but then FM band signal levels aren't exceptionally high here either.
Sound
Speaker audio, while frequently criticized, is perfectly fine for the speaker size (looks like a 10 cm / 4" job and consequently outclasses my sets with smaller speakers). Nice balanced portable audio, maybe not breathtaking but perfectly adequate on FM. Even on the AM ranges where the low end is noticeably reduced, it still manages to sound somewhat more "grown up" than the ICF-SW7600 overall, although the difference is smaller.
There is some handwritten data on a label on the back of the speaker driver, including a resonant frequency of 175 Hz, impedance of 4.2 ohms and a 1984 build date.
Hiss levels on headphones are average, maybe a touch more than on the ICF-SW7600 if only one channel is used, but lower if it's split to supply both drivers.
Quirks
There are a number of documented quirks on this set. One is the battery-to-circuit-board contacts for both sets of batteries (solder pads which contacts press against, aided by the back case), which if subpar may cause "Error 3" messages or loss of time and memory contents. The backup batteries do not sit terribly firm either. While there is a main supply voltage line that goes to the control PCB for display lighting, this was not used for implementing a "backup backup" supply, i.e. supply of the control circuits from the main batteries if backup supply is out. This is all the more surprising considering that the older ICF-7600D/2002 has it.
Many of these sets suffer from reduced sensitivity on the shortwave bands due to a blown Q303 (2SK152-1) FET. Protection diodes are effective for the telescopic antenna but not the external antenna input!
Conclusion
Overall, in spite of several idiosyncrasies, this is a fairly decent upperclass portable. With some better IF filters and a tunable antenna (I'd also suggest an audio mod for some more bass in the wide AM mode at least), it's likely to be good for some fun on the short waves. It improves upon lesser sets not so much in terms of pure reception capability but rather reliability (image rejection, frequency readout and tuning steps) and flexibility (e.g. bandwidth selection). A notable exception is the synch detector which does improve reception even on weak signals. Overall, it's no surprise that the '2001D turned out to be a popular platform for modifications – good basic substance with a few quirks.
Would this be the ideal receiver for me? Well, it's a little clunky, and I don't have a charger for D cells (and still no mono adapter for headphones either, believe that?). A number of people use it as a nightstand radio, and indeed it seems to be well-suited for such semi-stationary use.
Notes
There is a host of information on these sets available on the web. Just a few helpful links:
MARE ICF-2010 FAQ (also see linked resources)
Apparently late-production ICF-2010s (post-1998 or thereabouts) are equipped with AM IF filters sourced in China which show less good quality than the previously-used Murata filters and may exhibit asymmetry in particular (see icf2010 group message 2779).
Alignment notes
First off, unless you're exactly sure you know what you're doing and very careful to boot (it seems very easy to damage the ferrite antenna wires), better leave alignment to an expert!
The sync / SSB alignment procedure as outlined in the service manual aims to accomplish the following:
First of all, VCO mid-point tuning frequency is adjusted to 3640 kHz (via CT601) at 1.5 V (VT1 setting) in SSB mode. The VCO runs at 8 times the 2nd IF.
Following this, the USB/LSB switchover point is adjusted in synch mode via VT2 (which controls a comparator's switching voltage).
Finally VCO mid-point frequency is checked again to make sure that there has been no PLL reference induced error (which would have to be corrected via CT4).
Carried out like this, there is no way to accomodate non-centered IF filters. You can tweak VT1 afterwards for a symmetrical response in SSB, but then displayed frequency will be off and there will be no change in synch mode. Alternatively you could choose main tuning frequency a few steps higher or lower than nominal at the beginning until you get a symmetrical response in USB and LSB, but then this display offset will be present all the time. (On more advanced receivers like the venerable AOR AR7030, the displayed frequency is corrected by the offset required.)
If you notice a slight frequency shift towards the higher shortwave bands (i.e. you had things adjusted to zero beat on MW/LW yet there is an audible offset up there), a tweak of the 6.275 MHz PLL reference xtal is needed (CT4). Try adjusting CT4 for zero beat on the highest-frequency (reliable) shortwave broadcast or time signal station you find (taking into account the previously found frequency offset, of course), then check back at MW/LW. Chances are there will be a slight offset down there now. Using CT4, aim for the same offset on both frequencies (best stored in presets), then zero beat again via CT601.
I had been wondering why they chose to make the 2nd LO frequency non-adjustable. The answer is quite simple: It doesn't matter! Not within a few kHz at least. This is because it is also used for pre-mixing in the PLL for the 1st LO. If it's off, the 1st LO will be off by the same amount. This merely shifts the effective 1st IF, which doesn't matter much because the filtering up there is relatively wide (15 kHz or thereabouts) and thus quite tolerant. This approach also reduces frequency errors introduced by the PLL reference oscillator being off. At the same time, it introduces the aforementioned problem of not being able to cater for off-center IF filters as easily.
73 de Jordan ve7jjd
From Universal Radio The Select-A-Tenna 541M (with Antenna Jack) is your ticket to improved AM Band performance on your portable radio. This is the original Select-A-Tenna used for the past 28 years by hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers. It provides the AM radio signal strength improvement required by most users. The Model 541M produces a signal gain of +30 dB when used with most AM radio receivers which have internal ferrite rod antennas. The Model 541 is a passive device that requires no wires, no batteries, no plugs, etc. It works by simply placing it next to your radio and tuning the knob to the same station frequency as your radio. The Select-A-Tenna functions by concentrating the radio station signal energy in the near proximity of the 541M. If your radio has an internal antenna and is placed in that same near proximity, it shares the same signal concentration and gain improvement. While the +30 dB signal gain improvement from the Select-A-Tenna is underway the radio's automatic gain control will also reduce the signal above a threshold level. The net effect is to make very weak signals +30 dB stronger and yet have no perceivable effect on already strong station signals along with everything in between exceedingly improved. Select-A-Tennas are approximately 11 inches in diameter and 2.5 inches deep. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Radio Intel Select-A-Tenna vs. Terk AM Advantage HOW DO THEY COMPARE? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From C.Crane Description and Instruction Manual The SELECT-A-TENNA is a highly sensitive AM radio antenna that requires no connection to your radio. It uses no batteries nor external power source of any kind. Used with your radio it creates a super-sensitive radio-antenna combination better than the most expensive radio on the retail market The SELECT-A-TENNA works by focusing radio waves like a magnifying lens focuses light. When positioned correctly, the SELECT-A-TENNA focuses the signal from a distant broadcaster onto the built-in antenna of your radio. Long distance nighttime reception depends on the sky wave signal. The sky wave generally fades in signal strength causing periodic interruptions in service. The SELECT-A-TENNA boosts the weak signal and in most cases almost completely eliminates signal dropout. For daytime listening, the SELECT-A-TENNA effectively doubles the normal listening range of a radio station anywhere in the country. Our experience has shown that at distances of 700 miles the antenna reduces nighttime fade out almost entirely. Also the SELECT-A-TENNA usually helps in rejecting an overriding station of similar frequency. The SELECT-A-TENNA works by focusing radio waves like a magnifying lens focuses light. When positioned correctly, the SELECT-A-TENNA focuses the signal from a distant broadcaster onto the built-in antenna of your radio. AM antennas (the SELECT-A-TENNA included) are directional. They work best when aimed toward the station you are trying to receive. The position of your radio and that of the SELECT-A-TENNA next to it are very important for maximum performance. Maximum signal strength is obtained when the back face of the SELECT-A-TENNA is parallel to a line drawn toward the desired station (See drawing with arrow). Keep this in mind as you follow the operating instructions below. 1. Tune your radio to any very weak AM station. It is important that the station be weak so you can clearly detect the improvement in reception. The SELECT-A-TENNA has no noticeable effect on strong stations. 2. Place the SELECT-A-TENNA next to the radio as shown in Drawing “A” (see over). Adjust the tuning knob on the SELECT-A-TENNA and listen for changes in reception. Reception should improve immediately. If not, try another position as shown in drawings “B”, “C”, or “D” (over) and continue with step 3. 3. Move the SELECT-A-TENNA to various positions near the radio. You are looking for the ``sweetspot'' where improvement is greatest. Once found, this will be the set-up that works for ALL STATIONS with your radio. To fine-tune for stations in different geographic locations, rotate the radio and SELECT-A-TENNA as a unit until you find the position that gives you the best results. 4. Finally, re-tune both the radio and the SELECT-A-TENNA (using their knobs) for best performance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- IINSTRUCTIONS SELECT-A-TENNA DIRECTIONS (Also helpful for the Terk AM Advantage) With most radios the best position for the SELECT-A-TENNA will be similar to one of the illustrations below. The best location for the SELECT-A-TENNA depends somewhat onthe location of the radio's built-in antenna. Boom Boxes and other large radios usually benefit from using the configuration shown in drawing “C”. A few radios have their antennas on the left side of the radio. On these radios try placing the back of the SELECT-A-TENNA about one-half inch away from the left-hand side of the radio as shown in drawing “D”. The Baygen Freeplay radio has an antenna that is mounted at right angles to the front of the radio. The Baygen is the only radio where the back of the Select-A-Tenna can go directly against the back of the Baygen. A tiny minority of radios have shielding which makes the SELECT-A-TENNA ineffective with those radios. Try the SELECT-A-TENNA with a different radio (a small portable is best) to see if this is the case with your radio. Further hint: Chances are you have a specific station in mind already and will feel satisfied when you've improved your reception for that one station. But don't pass up the empty spots on the radio dial. Test them by tuning the SELECT-A-TENNA and the radio together across the dial. You may be pleasantly surprised to hear distant radio stations where you thought there was no signal at all. OPERATION HINTS ABOUT RADIO NOISE Radio noise is an annoying buzz or whistle which is sometimes heard along with the station you are trying to receive. This may be caused by many things: home computers, dimmer switches, automatic night lights, fluorescent lights, televisions, and electric motors (drills, blenders, even aquarium pumps). Either turn off the offending device or rotate your radio and the SELECT-A-TENNA with respect to the device to nullify the buzz or whistle. If you are expe- riencing a buzz across the entire AM band, there may be too much interference for the antenna to beeffective. Please read the section in our catalog about radio noise. Copyright © C. Crane Company, Inc. 2001 Selantin.qxd Rev 1/00
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I have a MTM Scientific kit built AM Loop, and there is a picture of my Loop on the
customer's page at the MTM site.
Recently I bought an older Grundig AN-200 AM loop. This same antenna is sold
as the Eton-Grundig AN-200, Kaito AN-200, and Tecsun AN-200.
I also have one with the Tecsun label.
(There is a similar look sold as the AN-100 by a number of companies, same loop,
different base.)
The AN-200, under whatever label, performs well. Not quite as good as the much
larger MTM Scientific, but very close. With the price and no construction, it is a
good buy. And the black plastic base looks good stacked on top of black stereo
gear.
And the price is certainly right... under $30 USD.
Paul C.
Well, it's definitely a new feeling to get smoked by another FSL user in TP-DX reception! Congratulations again to Craig Barnes in not only mastering the 3.5 inch "Baby FSL" model, but in using it to track down an astonishing number of Asian stations on the ocean coast at Kalaloch, WA this morning. At around $100 construction cost that model has some serious potential, and it is probably small enough to avoid TSA hassles when passing through airports. We will know for sure when Craig returns to Colorado!
My TP-DX results were nowhere close to Craig's (or Walt's, or Nigel's), mainly because I needed to go elsewhere during most of sunrise enhancement. My general impression was that some of yesterday's Japanese big gun strength got diverted to Nigel in Alberta, but the Koreans on 972 and 1566 were just as strong as ever. Needing tp cut the DXing short at 1315 I set up two of the 5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL models to record on 657 and 972, which resulted in some fair peaks from Pyongyang (including the 3 + 1 pips at 1330) and some booming peaks from 972-HLCA's bizarre singing practice program. But of course the main thrill this morning was vicarious, enjoying Craig's excitement and astonishment in receiving 16 TP signals on an antenna not much larger than his PL-310 Ultralight. Just imagine what he will be able to do on the Hawaii coast on Kauai Island next month, with one of the 5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL models?
972 HLCA Dangjin, S. Korea Booming female pop music during the singing practice program at 1333; best Asian signal of the session
https://app.box.com/s/3haz1hdkx6mq2g6aem74fbnq5fss3g0j
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
7.5" loopstick C.Crane Skywave Ultralight +
5" FSL antenna
My TP-DX results were nowhere close to Craig's (or Walt's, or Nigel's), mainly because I needed to go elsewhere during most of sunrise enhancement. My general impression was that some of yesterday's Japanese big gun strength got diverted to Nigel in Alberta, but the Koreans on 972 and 1566 were just as strong as ever. Needing tp cut the DXing short at 1315 I set up two of the 5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL models to record on 657 and 972, which resulted in some fair peaks from Pyongyang (including the 3 + 1 pips at 1330) and some booming peaks from 972-HLCA's bizarre singing practice program. But of course the main thrill this morning was vicarious, enjoying Craig's excitement and astonishment in receiving 16 TP signals on an antenna not much larger than his PL-310 Ultralight. Just imagine what he will be able to do on the Hawaii coast on Kauai Island next month, with one of the 5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL models?
972 HLCA Dangjin, S. Korea Booming female pop music during the singing practice program at 1333; best Asian signal of the session
https://app.box.com/s/3haz1hdkx6mq2g6aem74fbnq5fss3g0j
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
7.5" loopstick C.Crane Skywave Ultralight +
5" FSL antenna
<<< First off what an amazing experience DXing with an FSL for the first time! The dial was alive with signals this morning. I started listening at 1326.
594 JOAK w/ male & female in JJ; I estimate an S6 signal
657 Pyongyang booming in with female singing; approx. S7
693 JOAB weaker with male speaking
702 China? with weak audio and flutter fading
792 with weak audio
828 JOBB with time pips, female speaking in JJ, rapid fading earlier, more stable signal a bit later
972 HLCA with female singing, rapid fading early, more stable signal later
1017 CRI (I think) male speaking, quick fades
1053 Pyongyang? with female speaking, weaker signal
1287 JOHR? with two men speaking, about an S6 level
1296 CRI? with weaker audio
1323 CRI? Music with quick fading
1386 with weaker audio & long, deep fades
1422 with weak audio
1566 HLAZ with hymn at armchair level, sounded like an antenna pattern switch at about 1515, signal dropped noticeably
1593 CNR1 with male speaking, short, deep fades
What a terrific TP morning for this "dry-lander"!! Many thanks to Gary DeBock and his amazing baby FSL. And this is the small one!!! Wow! Thank you Gary! I'm amazed at what this little FSL can do in conjunction with an ultralight!
Craig Barnes
DXing from Kalaloch, WA
PL-310 with a "baby" 3.5 in FSL >>>
I was pretty busy this morning so there wasn't really enough time to fully investigate the band, but the Japanese big guns seemed somewhat down in strength compared to yesterday, while the Koreans on 972 and 1566 were just as strong. At 1300 I set up two of the 5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL's in the back yard tuned to 657 and 972 kHz while I had to go somewhere else, and came away with some fair-level peaks from 657-Pyongyang, as well as several S9 peaks from 972-HLCA . You obviously did much better in Kalaloch with the baby FSL and salt water propagation, which makes me convinced that you are more than ready to "graduate" to the 5 inch "Frequent Flyer" model during your trip to Hawaii next month. I'm obviously thrilled with your success, and look forward to more of your TP-DXing reports from the ocean coast in the next few days. Good luck, Craig!
Gary DeBock (stuck in landlocked Puyallup, WA)
(For those interested, a demonstration video of the 3.5 inch "baby FSL" model is posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYuikQj7yPA )
,
While I can't claim any FSL experience, I can say that I used a smaller version of the Nelson design on a 2' diameter loop, with link coil, but without any amplifier at all and found the basic design to be also very high performance.
I've also used a number of other air core loops of varying sizes and construction, none of which came close to either.
No measurements, but I'm not ready to agree that the amplifier deserves all of the credit.
Russ Edmunds
WB2BJH
Blue Bell, PA
Grid FN20id
Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2017 6:05:48 PM
To: ultralightdx@...
Subject: [ultralightdx] Re: Loop Antenna Circuit Q Selectivity Response
Yes Chuck, Gordon Nelson's 4' NRC loop featured very high tuning Q, although it also included a specially constructed amplifier to isolate the main tank coil. The electronics is the reason why the 4' NRC loop was so selective. Take away the isolation amp, in terms of selectivity, it is just a garden variety 4' loop. The tilting feature was useful for nulling local signals.
The Japanese and Korean big guns were setting the pace again this morning during a session from 1300-1400, with 594,693, 972 and 1566 especially potent. As reported previously 657-Pyongyang and its bizarre programming hung around for practically the entire hour, along with some fair peaks from 738-BEL2. 657-Pyongyang apparently has a somewhat reworked TOH routine, with a few seconds of soft female vocal music before the 3 +1 pips. As usual, the 3 + 1 pips seemed much stronger than the TOH routine before and after the pips, and of course North Korea's "TOH" is on the half hour (apparently by order of the "Eternal Leader"). All the previous DX was received on an "airport friendly" 5 inch FSL (which Craig and I plan to test out in Hawaii next month, TSA permitting).
657 Pyongyang BS Pyongyang, N. Korea 3 + 1 time pip TOH routine at a fair level at 1330
https://app.box.com/s/s8m9pjdvwy7ehgdmfo6nrwne6ha5nzi7
Incessant stern-voiced female tirade at 1353, dragging on until she was thankfully silenced by the propagation crash at 1358
https://app.box.com/s/18gh8btr9hx7wd6hpqzzxy3new1c9cfy
693 JOAB Tokyo, Japan Very good strength female news at 1353; typical of Japanese big gun strength this morning
https://app.box.com/s/8kcvn4jf9ncmtrk585ucjqpd1zf5y3sf
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
7.5" loopstick C.Crane Skywave Ultralight +
5 inch "Frequent Flyer" FSL antenna
.
Regarding long-haul Asian DX into Puyallup, WA, USA, either an FSL or air core loop antennas will provide the sharpest Q response for resolving signals less than 5 KHz from strong US or Canadian signals. I assume the FSL designs exhibit higher Q. Lower coil resistance for a given L/C circuit corresponds to higher selectivity, hence sharper loop tuning. As loop users are aware, the low end of the MW band (i.e. lower C, and higher L) requires precision tuning accuracy due to the circuit Q being so high.