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Re: Differences in "ETM" versions?
microcode@...
On Mon, Dec 29, 2014 at 12:40:18PM -0500, David McCormick davidin@... [ultralightdx] wrote:
Perhaps I missed this, but what are the differences in the standard Tecsun PL-310 vs. the "ETM" version besides the quick tuning feature. I assume this is the same for the 360 and 380 models? Are the DSP circuits the same?I am not sure what the quick tuning feature is but the main feature of ETM is the alternate set of memories. I don't know if the radio is an upgrade of the original 310 because I didn't have one. But I don't notice any hets or images or soft mute effect on mine so I do wonder if anything has been changed since many people reported these issues on the original 310. Your site is great btw. Thanks! |
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Re: CC Skywave Vs. Tecsun PL-380-- MW Daytime DX Fight to the Finish
microcode@...
On Mon, Dec 29, 2014 at 10:54:20AM -0800, theod438@... [ultralightdx] wrote:
Huh? All of Gary's attached pix in recent messages have appeared for me, accessing the group on-line.. so mebbe it's a problem at your end?The emails for the group don't contain any attachments. So mebbe it's a problem with yagoo hoops ;-) |
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Re: CC Skywave Vs. Tecsun PL-380-- MW Daytime DX Fight to the Finish [2 Attachments]
theod438@...
Huh? All of Gary's attached pix in recent messages have appeared for me, accessing the group on-line.. so mebbe it's a problem at your end?
Theo |
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Differences in "ETM" versions?
David McCormick
Perhaps I missed this, but what are the differences in the standard Tecsun PL-310 vs. the "ETM" version besides the quick tuning feature. I assume this is the same for the 360 and 380 models? Are the DSP circuits the same?
Dave M. |
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Question for Radio Jay Allen or anyone else who knows...
microcode@...
Hi,
I have been reading the articles on your site shootout trying to decide which portable to get next for MW DXing. Am I reading you correctly that the Superadio III is just too hit or miss to be a good candidate? I'm also confused by what I'm reading on the Sangean PR-D5 and PR-D15. Everybody seems to agree the 1 KHz steps on the D15 are helpful but I believe you had discussed comments and I read other places that maybe the D15's sensitivity is slightly down relative to the D5. It looks like you are saying those impressions are likely to be incorrect and that you don't believe Sangean's Q/C would allow that much variability in sample to sample differences but instead maybe people just didn't test enough. Did I understand your comments correctly? Of these three radios if sensitivity uberalles is the main factor which one would you suggest if somebody can only by one? And how would you rank them? Thanks for the help and happy new year to everyone. |
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Re: CC Skywave Vs. Tecsun PL-380-- MW Daytime DX Fight to the Finish
policow6@...
Great report Gary and I agree the Skywave is a nifty little package...I think both it and the Eton Traveller III are significant improvements over many earlier DSP portables in terms of AM performance. . Jay |
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Re: CC Skywave Vs. Tecsun PL-380-- MW Daytime DX Fight to the Finish [2 Attachments]
microcode@...
Gary,
I am looking forward to listening to your MP3s. Thanks for doing such a complete test and sharing your results. As usual yahoo strips the attachments so we didn't get to see your pic of the sizes of the two radios. Would it be possible for you to host it on your mediafire along with the other info? If so I would be interested in seeing it. Thank you. On Sun, Dec 28, 2014 at 11:57:24PM -0500, D1028Gary@... [ultralightdx] wrote: -- |
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Re: CC Skywave Vs. Tecsun PL-380-- MW Daytime DX Fight to the Finish
microcode@...
On Mon, Dec 29, 2014 at 09:54:41AM -0000, 'Michael' michael.setaazul@... [ultralightdx] wrote:
I sense that we may be at the crest of what this family of Si chips can achieve.I agree LW coverage missing is disappointing but LW performance with a short stick doesn't really seem worth pursuing unless you live in an area with LW broadcasts. I mean to say LW DXing with these radios is poor unless you go to a super he-man Gary type of back to the future antenna. If you do live in a place where there is LW broadcast coverage that would explain the lack of interest in NOAA coverage ;-) If I were back home I would be very glad to have NOAA coverage on ANY portable because this information can be life saving in most of the country since various serious storms can pop up. And I wouldn't be the least bit interested in LW coverage in a micro portable. Crane is in America and doubtless most of their radios are sold domestically. A lot of people buy atomic clocks and watches. I have no interest in those because there is no signal here. Everything depends on the target market. In marginal situations, the improvements in AM reception doubtless explainI doubt that very much. There aren't enough MW DXers to justify putting out a specialty radio that's marginally better on AM specifically for DXing. I would bet money the vast majority of these are sold to outdoor people like campers, hikers, fishermen, hunters, generic woods bums etc. and those groups outnumber radio hobbyists by many orders of magnitude in America. When the PL-310 and 380 came out they were also expensive. Crane radios are always more costly than comparable Tecsun models. Perhaps the Crane will move to a more reasonable price but R&D is expensive and Crane wants a premium product reputation and those things mean they have to charge more. The longer ferrite is valuable, but reproducible as mods to earlierBut how long is the ferrite in the newer PL-310? And does that radio do better against the Skywave or are other factors still in control (new chip, etc.) Most people are not capable or motivated to make the kind of comparisons and multi-radioo slugfests Gary has been doing. Most people are going to choose a radio based on cost and marketing info and what few reviews they might happen to see, and a better product does not automatically mean people are going to pay a big premium for it. The hardcore people will, but that group is very tiny. |
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Re: CC Skywave Vs. Tecsun PL-380-- MW Daytime DX Fight to the Finish [2 Attachments]
Michael <michael.setaazul@...>
Thanks for all the info on the new Skywave.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I sense that we may be at the crest of what this family of Si chips can achieve. For aficionados outside the obvious target area, the lack of LW is a serious disappointment, and the addition of US weather channels is not relevant. In marginal situations, the improvements in AM reception doubtless explain the price-tag. The longer ferrite is valuable, but reproducible as mods to earlier models, such as the PL380. If I had the bench and the skills, I would love to experiment with the bare chip and produce a "breadboard" 100kHz-30MHz bloated uldx receiver. But... So for now, the PL380 remains my most favoured rx, with the modded AR1377 not far behind. Michael ----- Original Message ----- From: D1028Gary
CC Skywave Vs. Tecsun PL-380-- MW Daytime DX Fight to the Finish With clear weather and lots of open space in our back yard, it was time for a full Shootout between the Si4734-chip-powered Tecsun PL-380 and the new Si4736-chip-powered C.Crane Skywave portable. Both stock models were checked out for normal operation before the contest, with new batteries and an equal chance to receive six fringe MW stations just after local noon. The new Skywave is significantly smaller than the Tecsun PL-380 (see attached photo), and at $89.95 (before shipping) costs about twice as much. The Tecsun PL-380 stock model was chosen for this Shootout because it has become the favorite of Ultralight radio Transoceanic DXers, with a generous range of functions combined with "toned down" soft mute. Its stock loopstick places it near the top of the ULR class in sensitivity, and with DSP filtering doiwn to the 1 kHz level it provides fairly representative performance of all the Tecsun Si4734 DSP chip Ultralights. . . . Verdict: The Si4736 DSP chip in the Skywave is a major improvement over the Si4734 chip in the Tecsun DSP Ultralights. Although there may be some jokes about the Skywave's cost being "sky high," the radio seems to be everything claimed by C.Crane, at least in its MW performance. This model should see a lot of action among Transoceanic MW DXers, where its superior audio and heterodyne-free reception should make a significant difference in split-frequency results. |
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CC Skywave Vs. Tecsun PL-380-- MW Daytime DX Fight to the Finish
Hello All,
With clear weather and lots of open space in our back yard, it was time for a full Shootout between the Si4734-chip-powered Tecsun PL-380 and the new Si4736-chip-powered C.Crane Skywave portable. Both stock models were checked out for normal operation before the contest, with new batteries and an equal chance to receive six fringe MW stations just after local noon.
The new Skywave is significantly smaller than the Tecsun PL-380 (see attached photo), and at $89.95 (before shipping) costs about twice as much. The Tecsun PL-380 stock model was chosen for this Shootout because it has become the favorite of Ultralight radio Transoceanic DXers, with a generous range of functions combined with "toned down" soft mute. Its stock loopstick places it near the top of the ULR class in sensitivity, and with DSP filtering doiwn to the 1 kHz level it provides fairly representative performance of all the Tecsun Si4734 DSP chip Ultralights.
Rather than tell you immediately how the Shootout went, I will let you form your own opinion by posting six MP3's of the relative reception by the PL-380 Vs. the Skywave in receiving the daytime DX fringe stations. In each MP3 both the PL-380 and the Skywave were set on the 1 KHz DSP setting, and both were pointed in the same direction. In each MP3 the PL-380 receives the fringe station for the first 20 seconds, and the Skywave receives the same fringe station for the final 20 seconds.
550 KARI Blaine, WA (5 kW at 127 miles)
690 CBU Vancouver, BC (50 kW at 148 miles)
750 KXTG Portland, OR (50 kW at 117 miles)
1070 CFAX Victoria, BC (10 kW at 100 miles)
1420 KITI/ KUJ Centralia and Walla Walla, WA (5 kW at 46 miles and 202 miles)
1470 KELA Centralia, WA (5 kW at 46 miles)
Comments: The Si4734 DSP chip in all of the Tecsun Ultralights tends to clip off the higher audio frequencies in the 1 kHz DSP setting, leaving the audio with somewhat of a "muddy" sound. Obviously, the Si4736 chip in the Skywave not only solves this issue, but solves the heterodyne issue (audible in the 1420 kHz MP3) as well. As for why the Skywave seems to have a slight sensitivity edge over the PL-380 (except on 550, where it smokes the PL-380), it could either be the result of a superior loopstick, or superior sensitivity of the Si4736 chip. Further testing should reveal the cause.
Verdict: The Si4736 DSP chip in the Skywave is a major improvement over the Si4734 chip in the Tecsun DSP Ultralights. Although there may be some jokes about the Skywave's cost being "sky high," the radio seems to be everything claimed by C.Crane, at least in its MW performance. This model should see a lot of action among Transoceanic MW DXers, where its superior audio and heterodyne-free reception should make a significant difference in split-frequency results.
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
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Pictures of AR1733
Marc Coevoet
Hello,
I wanted to put some pictures on yahoo, but I don't get a result, and maybe they will appear tomorrow? I also put them here, look how they resemble the CC radio, or they do not ... http://dl.free.fr/iz5hCtkfg 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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Eton Satellit final thoughts via Tom Stiles
josephrot
Those considering or ruminating on the new Eton Satellit receiver might do well to view Tom Stiles "series" of YouTube's on the unit, and also note that after a crash-and-getting-it-working-again, he's apparently positive that it's being sent back for a refund.
The unit isn't all one might expect, but it would "pay" to judge for ones-self, and also note that his YouTube files also carry comments from a few other initial users as well as non-Eton users: TRRS #0452 - Eton Satellit Shortwave Radio - Crashed Joe Rotello / Knoxville, TN / USA
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Re: My first 15 minutes with the CC Skywave
Hi Dave,
<<< Thanks for the great information as always. I assume you saw this data as well?
No, this is the first time I've seen that file, which seems to be SiLabs' promotional material for selling the Si4736 and Si4737 chips. Thanks for posting the link.
I'm still reviewing the detailed SiLabs technical document (linked by Paul, "P A Texnote") giving the full details on this new Si4736 DSP chip (as well as the Si4737, 4738, 4739) posted at
73, Gary -----Original Message-----
From: davidin@... [ultralightdx] To: ultralightdx Sent: Sat, Dec 27, 2014 5:26 pm Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] My first 15 minutes with the CC Skywave
Hello Gary,
Thanks for the great information as always. I assume you saw this data as well?
Perhaps we will see RDS included soon as well.
Best wishes to all and good DX for 2015.
Dave M.
From: D1028Gary@... [ultralightdx]
Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2014 6:54 PM To: ultralightdx@...
Hi Stan (and all),
<<< My understanding is that the Skywave is a custom build for CCrane. >>>
That is correct, Stan. Full disassembly here indicates that the CC Skywave is custom built for C. Crane by the Redsun Company in China, with both the RF and Digital circuit boards stamped with the C.Crane name and revision number. There doesn't appear to be any comparable radio currently for sale by any other company, including Redsun itself.
The CC Skywave is also the first Ultralight radio found to be using the new Si4736 DSP chip, which apparently solves both the heterodyne and "soft mute" issues.
73, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
-----Original Message-----
From: stanzepa stanzepa@... [ultralightdx] <ultralightdx@...> To: ultralightdx <ultralightdx@...> Sent: Sat, Dec 27, 2014 2:47 pm Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] My first 15 minutes with the CC Skywave
My understanding is that the Skywave is a custom build for CCrane.
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Re: My first 15 minutes with the CC Skywave
David McCormick
Hello Gary, Thanks for the great information as always. I assume you saw this data as well? Perhaps we will see RDS included soon as well. Best wishes to all and good DX for 2015. Dave M. From: D1028Gary@... [ultralightdx] Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2014 6:54 PM To: ultralightdx@...
Hi Stan (and all), <<< My understanding is that the Skywave is a custom build for CCrane. >>>
That is correct, Stan. Full disassembly here indicates that the CC Skywave is custom built for C. Crane by the Redsun Company in China, with both the RF and Digital circuit boards stamped with the C.Crane name and revision number. There doesn't appear to be any comparable radio currently for sale by any other company, including Redsun itself.
The CC Skywave is also the first Ultralight radio found to be using the new Si4736 DSP chip, which apparently solves both the heterodyne and "soft mute" issues.
73, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
-----Original Message-----
From: stanzepa stanzepa@... [ultralightdx] <ultralightdx@...> To: ultralightdx <ultralightdx@...> Sent: Sat, Dec 27, 2014 2:47 pm Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] My first 15 minutes with the CC Skywave
My understanding is that the Skywave is a custom build for CCrane.
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Digging at 1070 AM in the North East. -FARMERIK
Rik
This is somewhat connected to a previous thread about WTIC 1080 IBOC blocking 1070 but not 1090.
I tried an analog tube tuner which has a 'Whistle Filter' which if you are not old enough to remember those, it is a sharp filter 10 Kc. above and below your tuned AM frequency to cut interferance. That did not work, but I did hear a promo on KYW 1060 AM that THEY are HD, which I think means IBOC from both above 1060 and below 1080 on 1070 which may be why 1090 WBAL is not effected by IBOC from WTIC. Not sure how precise a ICOM R-75 is in tuning read out, but here are the freq range I hear the three stations on.- KYW 1054-1062 WTIC 1074-1083 WBAL 1084-1093 I don't have the radio theory knowledge to draw conclusions, but maybe some one else here does. It's just an idea and some little tests. - FARMERIK |
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight-- Disassembly and Tech Report
microcode@...
Gary, received and thanks again. Glad you are not relying on yahoo groups
files area but rather hosting all your stuff on your own mediafire account etc. It is a lot safer than betting on when yahoogroups will burp or disappear! And a lot easier for those of us who don't have yahoo email ids. Best wishes to the group for a new year full of super DX catches! On Sat, Dec 27, 2014 at 06:59:39PM -0500, D1028Gary@... [ultralightdx] wrote: -- |
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Re: C.Crane Skywave Ultralight-- Disassembly and Tech Report
Hi Microcode,
<<< Gary, thank you for all the detailed info on this new radio. Unfortunately
yahoo groups appears to strip all attachments. >>> No problem, Microcode. I will send you (or anyone else) the seven CC Skywave photo attachments directly.
73, Gary
-----Original Message----- From: microcode@... [ultralightdx] To: ultralightdx Sent: Sat, Dec 27, 2014 10:24 am Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] C.Crane Skywave Ultralight-- Disassembly and Tech Report Gary, thank you for all the detailed info on this new radio. Unfortunately
yahoo groups appears to strip all attachments. |
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Re: My first 15 minutes with the CC Skywave
Hi Stan (and all),
<<< My understanding is that the Skywave is a custom build for CCrane. >>>
That is correct, Stan. Full disassembly here indicates that the CC Skywave is custom built for C. Crane by the Redsun Company in China, with both the RF and Digital circuit boards stamped with the C.Crane name and revision number. There doesn't appear to be any comparable radio currently for sale by any other company, including Redsun itself.
The CC Skywave is also the first Ultralight radio found to be using the new Si4736 DSP chip, which apparently solves both the heterodyne and "soft mute" issues.
73, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
-----Original Message----- From: stanzepa stanzepa@... [ultralightdx] To: ultralightdx Sent: Sat, Dec 27, 2014 2:47 pm Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] My first 15 minutes with the CC Skywave
My understanding is that the Skywave is a custom build for CCrane.
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Re: Christmas Score- a Tecsun PL-360
ppasteur@...
John, Glad to hear the 360 is doing well for you! Hopefully this is not considered a hijack... but I have been meaning for sometime to consult the collective wisdom of the group on an issue that I have with my PL-360. I have had it for what seems like a couple of years now. Gary helped me out by making up both a MW and LW 7.5" Amidon antennas for the radio. I don't listen to it that often due to lack of time, but have had many hours of enjoyment using both of the antennas over the years that I have had it. Until just recently. I now have no audio out of the thing. Neither through the speaker nor headphones through the jack. It is clearly tuning. It gets many stations and the signal strength and noise meters work fine. In fact everything seems to be working just fine... except one. No audio! I have made sure that I have fully charged batteries in it...and used good quality alkaline batteries. I have cleaned the jack using deoxit (dto a headphone mini plug and worked around the jack many times). Still no audio. Does anyone have any suggestions for additional troubleshooting or repair steps. OR, is it just time to get a new one? Thanks, Phil |
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Re: My first 15 minutes with the CC Skywave
Stan Horzepa
My understanding is that the Skywave is a custom build for CCrane. 5 On Dec 27, 2014, at 4:53 PM, davidin@... [ultralightdx] <ultralightdx@...> wrote:
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