Hello Guys,

 

     With a sudden rare chance to get away to Grayland, WA  for an early morning of DXing on the ocean beach, I couldn't wait to try out the three top performers from the Summertime Shootout--  the DT-400W, a modified E100, and the tiny SRF-S84.  I was especially interested in seeing how the DT-400W would compete against the previous "sensitivity king," the SRF-T615.

 

     The SRF-T615 is an excellent, compact Ultralight, although very pricey compared to the DT-400W (about $120 including shipping compared to about $55).  So how did these two perform in an actual DXpedition environment?  Well, the two were similar on the low frequencies, and both could receive JOAK-594, JOIB-747 and JOUB-774 without too much trouble.  HLCA-972 was slightly stronger on the DT-400W, but not by much.  But on the receptions of HLAZ-1566 and VOA Thailand-1575, the DT-400W was really superior, making crystal-clear mp3's of both stations (that the SRF-T615 had at a pretty weak level).  The stock DT-400W was able to produce an mp3 of an ID from VOA-1575 (7,200 miles) that sounded like a local, and I'll try to upload the recording to the ultralightdx file section soon.  The Sangean managed to receive 7 DX "countries" in one early morning (Canada, USA, Mexico, Hawaii (KPUA-670), Japan, S. Korea, and Thailand).

 

     My modified E100 has been logging weak TP's since June 29, but it has very fanatical sensitivity and selectivity improvements, so it's not fair to compare it to a stock Ultralight.  During this trip to Grayland, it received North Korea-657, China-1593 and a presumed Taiwan-738, which would be its 22nd TP catch.  Developed here in Washington state together with John Bryant and Guy Atkins, this extremely effective E100 will be the subject of some upcoming technical DIY articles, so that everybody can have one of these "secret DX weapons."

 

     The tiny analog Sony SRF-S84 was also a blast to use, managing to log its first TP with a reception of JOUB-774. When properly aligned (for free, by me), this ridiculously small Ultralight has performance that can make even a paltry propagation morning seem like an absolute blast.

 

     If any of you feel like AM-DXing is not as much fun as it was before,  just take a few top-rated Ultralights to an ocean beach... and you'll be shocked and thrilled along with the rest of us.

 

     73,  Gary

Hello Dennis,

 

     Thanks for your comments on your new DT-400W.  It's true that its sensitivity is great, but for somebody used to the selectivity of the analog SRF-59 and SRF-39FP units, it may seem somewhat more susceptible to local slop, as reported in the Shootout (B for selectivity, compared to A- for the SRF-59 and SRF-39FP).

In general, high-sensitivity Ultralights perform best away from urban areas, and especially well on isolated ocean beaches around sunrise :>)

 

     Of course I have a stock E100, and have tested it out extensively against the DT-400W.  The stock E100 has superior selectivity to all other Ultralights, and by a pretty wide margin when compared to other digital units like the DT-400W.  Unfortunately, the stock loopstick is a classic case of corporate cost cutting, in my opinion. With the flat loopstick skimping badly on ferrite, the low-band sensitivity performance of a stock E100 is pretty humble, compared to that of the DT-400W.  Even when the E100's loopstick is aligned to peak a 600 kHz signal, it will still come in a poor second to the DT-400W on all frequencies up to about 1000 kHz.  On the higher frequencies, the stock E100 becomes more competitive with the DT-400W until they are equally sensitive on the X- Band.  The E100's stock loopstick just begs to be replaced with a more sensitive Amidon 7.5" model, which is what the hard-core experimenters have done here in Washington state to create a super Ultralight.

 

     Having personally received multiple TP's on California beaches (using modest portables) while I was in the Navy at San Diego, I can assure you that propagation is certainly adequate on many days of the fall DX season.  Your challenge, Dennis, will be to find some frequencies where your local Santa Barbara QRM doesn't obliterate the weak signals.  The six TP frequencies successfully used by the DT-400W yesterday might be a good starting point (594, 747, 774, 972, 1566 and 1575).  If any of these are relatively clear in Santa Barbara, take your new DT-400W to the beach about 15 minutes before sunrise, face the NW direction, invert the radio (remember the little quirk mentioned in the Shootout), and listen for a weak-sounding signal in a language other than English or Spanish.  Each of these TP stations has its own programming identity, so if you hear any clues at all, feel free to post any questions.  I'm sure the TP gang will be extremely happy to help you, or anyone else with enough confidence and determination to chase TP's with stock Ultralights.  Good luck!

 

     73,  Gary  

My DT-400W arrived yesterday. Wow! The MW sensitivity is indeed
fantastic throughout the entire band. I'm a little disappointed with
the selectivity but I don't have anything similar to compare it to
(except a Sangean DT-110, which is on the turkey list and rightfully
so) so maybe I'm expecting too much. I have five locals within seven
miles (three are only a little over one mile away) but none are more
than 1 KW at night.

I can walk to the beach but I don't know anybody in California looking
for TP's so I don't know if hearing any from here (Santa Barbara) is
even feasible. I'd like suggestions on which frequencies I'd be the
most likely to find TP's on.

Are a stock DT-400W and a stock E100 even in the same league or fair
to compare to each other? I'm still thinking about getting one but I'm
hesitant because the MW on my E10 isn't that great. It was refurbished
so maybe that's why it was returned but it isn't aligned properly.
Gary has offered to have a look at it so maybe I'll let him. I guess
if I want an E100 I'd better get it while the single conversion type
is still available.

What type of batteries are you guys using? A friend says his SRF-59
isn't great with NiMH's but is really great with alkalines. I use
NiMH's in radios that charge them internally (Kaito KA1103 and E10)
and alkalines in everything else. Maybe my E10 would work better with
alkalines.

Thanks again to Gary for all of his hard work and imagination.

--- In ultralightdx@..., D1028Gary@... wrote:

Hello Guys,

With a sudden rare chance to get away to Grayland, WA for an

early

morning of DXing on the ocean beach, I couldn't wait to try out the

three top

performers from the Summertime Shootout-- the DT-400W, a modified

E100, and

the tiny SRF-S84. I was especially interested in seeing how the

DT-400W would

compete against the previous "sensitivity king," the SRF-T615.

The SRF-T615 is an excellent, compact Ultralight, although

very pricey

compared to the DT-400W (about $120 including shipping compared to

about

$55). So how did these two perform in an actual DXpedition

environment? Well,

the two were similar on the low frequencies, and both could receive

JOAK-594,

JOIB-747 and JOUB-774 without too much trouble. HLCA-972 was slightly
stronger on the DT-400W, but not by much. But on the receptions of

HLAZ-1566 and

VOA Thailand-1575, the DT-400W was really superior, making

crystal-clear mp3's

of both stations (that the SRF-T615 had at a pretty weak level).

The stock

DT-400W was able to produce an mp3 of an ID from VOA-1575 (7,200

miles) that

sounded like a local, and I'll try to upload the recording to the
ultralightdx file section soon. The Sangean managed to receive 7

DX "countries" in one

early morning (Canada, USA, Mexico, Hawaii (KPUA-670), Japan, S.

Korea, and

Thailand).

My modified E100 has been logging weak TP's since June 29, but

it has

very fanatical sensitivity and selectivity improvements, so it's

not fair to

compare it to a stock Ultralight. During this trip to Grayland, it

received

North Korea-657, China-1593 and a presumed Taiwan-738, which would

be its 22nd

TP catch. Developed here in Washington state together with John

Bryant and

Guy Atkins, this extremely effective E100 will be the subject of some
upcoming technical DIY articles, so that everybody can have one of

these "secret DX

weapons."

The tiny analog Sony SRF-S84 was also a blast to use, managing

to log

its first TP with a reception of JOUB-774. When properly aligned

(for free, by

me), this ridiculously small Ultralight has performance that can

make even a

paltry propagation morning seem like an absolute blast.

If any of you feel like AM-DXing is not as much fun as it was

before,

just take a few top-rated Ultralights to an ocean beach... and

you'll be

shocked and thrilled along with the rest of us.

73, Gary

There must be QC issues for the E-10s and E-100s. My e-10 (e-ten)
performs above average and had excellant sensativity on MW. In fact it
does something other radios wont do. It allows MW DX without shutting
of power at the main in this noisy QHT. It also allows access to
jammed 1st ajacents o IBOC staitons with its excellant nulling abilty
and low MW noise floor. It has performed better then the Kaito 1103 on
MW. This one must be above average on QC. My eton e-100 perform aabout
average very sensative on high end of MW band with high noise floor
not bad on he lower end. As far as the DT-400 (yellow one) i was
thinking about it but i really don't need to "collect" any more
radios. I push them aside as new ones arrive like the srf-59 is
obsolete to me.
--- In ultralightdx@..., "Dennis Gibson" <wb6tnb@...>
wrote:

My DT-400W arrived yesterday. Wow! The MW sensitivity is indeed
fantastic throughout the entire band. I'm a little disappointed with
the selectivity but I don't have anything similar to compare it to
(except a Sangean DT-110, which is on the turkey list and rightfully
so) so maybe I'm expecting too much. I have five locals within seven
miles (three are only a little over one mile away) but none are more
than 1 KW at night.

I can walk to the beach but I don't know anybody in California

looking

for TP's so I don't know if hearing any from here (Santa Barbara) is
even feasible. I'd like suggestions on which frequencies I'd be the
most likely to find TP's on.

Are a stock DT-400W and a stock E100 even in the same league or fair
to compare to each other? I'm still thinking about getting one but

I'm

hesitant because the MW on my E10 isn't that great. It was

refurbished

so maybe that's why it was returned but it isn't aligned properly.
Gary has offered to have a look at it so maybe I'll let him. I guess
if I want an E100 I'd better get it while the single conversion type
is still available.

What type of batteries are you guys using? A friend says his SRF-59
isn't great with NiMH's but is really great with alkalines. I use
NiMH's in radios that charge them internally (Kaito KA1103 and E10)
and alkalines in everything else. Maybe my E10 would work better with
alkalines.

Thanks again to Gary for all of his hard work and imagination.

--- In ultralightdx@..., D1028Gary@ wrote:

Hello Guys,

With a sudden rare chance to get away to Grayland, WA for an

early

morning of DXing on the ocean beach, I couldn't wait to try out

the

three top

performers from the Summertime Shootout-- the DT-400W, a modified

E100, and

the tiny SRF-S84. I was especially interested in seeing how the

DT-400W would

compete against the previous "sensitivity king," the SRF-T615.

The SRF-T615 is an excellent, compact Ultralight, although

very pricey

compared to the DT-400W (about $120 including shipping compared to

about

$55). So how did these two perform in an actual DXpedition

environment? Well,

the two were similar on the low frequencies, and both could

receive

JOAK-594,

JOIB-747 and JOUB-774 without too much trouble. HLCA-972 was

slightly

stronger on the DT-400W, but not by much. But on the receptions

of

HLAZ-1566 and

VOA Thailand-1575, the DT-400W was really superior, making

crystal-clear mp3's

of both stations (that the SRF-T615 had at a pretty weak level).

The stock

DT-400W was able to produce an mp3 of an ID from VOA-1575 (7,200

miles) that

sounded like a local, and I'll try to upload the recording to the
ultralightdx file section soon. The Sangean managed to receive 7

DX "countries" in one

early morning (Canada, USA, Mexico, Hawaii (KPUA-670), Japan, S.

Korea, and

Thailand).

My modified E100 has been logging weak TP's since June 29,

but

it has

very fanatical sensitivity and selectivity improvements, so it's

not fair to

compare it to a stock Ultralight. During this trip to Grayland,

it

received

North Korea-657, China-1593 and a presumed Taiwan-738, which would

be its 22nd

TP catch. Developed here in Washington state together with John

Bryant and

Guy Atkins, this extremely effective E100 will be the subject of

some

upcoming technical DIY articles, so that everybody can have one of

these "secret DX

weapons."

The tiny analog Sony SRF-S84 was also a blast to use,

managing

to log

its first TP with a reception of JOUB-774. When properly aligned

(for free, by

me), this ridiculously small Ultralight has performance that can

make even a

paltry propagation morning seem like an absolute blast.

If any of you feel like AM-DXing is not as much fun as it was

before,

just take a few top-rated Ultralights to an ocean beach... and

you'll be

shocked and thrilled along with the rest of us.

73, Gary

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   

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.

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

 

       

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:

Are a stock DT-400W and a stock E100 even in the same league or fair
to compare to each other? I'm still thinking about getting one but
I'm hesitant because the MW on my E10 isn't that great. It was
refurbished so maybe that's why it was returned but it isn't aligned
properly. Gary has offered to have a look at it so maybe I'll let
him. I guess if I want an E100 I'd better get it while the single
conversion type is still available.

Gary,

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. 

I figured out why my E10 wasn't working up to expectations. I realized
that I hadn't charged the batteries for quite awhile so I did that
(inside the radio) and everything seems fine now. I remember being
pleased with the performance on MW when I got it last November. That
is after charging the supplied batteries in an external charger. They
were all .70 VDC and refused to charge inside the radio, which is a
refurb from Fry's. After doing that I've never had trouble recharging
them inside the radio.

I ordered an E100 from the Shortwave Store, which is Durham Radio's US
store. I don't need another radio but does that ever seem to stop me
from buying them? Of course not!! Does it come with rechargeable
batteries? I had to laugh when I saw that the batteries the E10 came
with were 1100 mah NiMH's. That was after being amused by the 1300 mah
NiMH's that the Kaito KA1103 came with. When they first came on the
market the first NiMH's I bought were 1600 mah.

The KA1103 must be too big to qualify as an ultralight. That's too
bad; it's a really nice radio. I'd say it's the best buy in a PLL
portable radio with SSB. I was really disappointed with the Sony
ICF-SW7600GR and more or less stopped using it (except for when the
synchronous detection, which isn't nearly as good as on the ICF-2010,
was needed) when the Kaito arrived.

73

Hi Dennis,
we had a different feeling with the 7600s.
I consider my own 7600G, very similar to the GR one, only second to the super 2010.
The YB400 and the 1103 are also very good and even more sensitives but the "true ECSS" with inviduals LSB and USB controls and a very smooth fine tuning wheel are not common features into a pocket radio.
The synchro it's also good, but the locking window it'a a bit too wide for the real dx work into a crowded AM band, for my taste.

Best 73s and good DX!
Giampaolo Galassi, Italy





Dennis Gibson ha scritto:

Hi Dennis,

I noticed yesterday that one of the Eton 1100 mAh batteries that came
with my Fry's refurb E10 has already gone bad. It wouldn't charge in
my Maha charger. I noticed that it's already corroded around the
positive contact.

Regards,
Gary

--- In ultralightdx@..., "Dennis Gibson" <wb6tnb@...>
wrote:

I figured out why my E10 wasn't working up to expectations. I
realized that I hadn't charged the batteries for quite awhile so I
did that (inside the radio) and everything seems fine now. I
remember being pleased with the performance on MW when I got it last
November. That is after charging the supplied batteries in an
external charger. They were all .70 VDC and refused to charge inside
the radio, which is a refurb from Fry's. After doing that I've never
had trouble recharging them inside the radio.

I've never needed to resort to an external charger after that first
time when the voltage was so low the radio couldn't charge them.

Gary - how long have you had your Fry's refurb E10? I got mine last
November. If I was going to have a corrosion problem it would have
happened already. I live about 1/4 mile from the beach and unless it's
raining the window facing the ocean is almost always open into the
room with the radios.

That gets back to a question I asked awhile back that I don't think
anyone answered. Are you using NiMH's or alkalines? Of course there's
a major difference in voltage. I only use NiMH's in the two radios
that charge them internally; the Kaito KA1103 and the E10. It seems
that they would be optimized for them but you can tell the E10 which
type you're using. I've never seen that in another radio nor the very
clever IF shift. I think a full price E10 ($130.00) is not even close
to being worth it; for another $20.00 you can have an ICF-SW7600GR or
E5/G5.

I ordered an E100 and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival so I can put
it up against a number of radios to see how it fares. I'm paying
$15.00 more for the E100 than I did for the E10! Of course it was a
refurb. Any other E10 owners out there?

I was going to go TP hunting this weekend with my new DT-400W but the
temptation to stay in a nice warm bed was too great. Maybe next
weekend. The ocean won't move between now and then.

Hi Dennis,

I bought my Fry's refurb E10 in August 2007. Other than a "jumpy"
tuning knob, similar to that on my E100, I'm pretty happy with it.

I generally use external chargers for all of my rechargeable
batteries. The Maha charger that I have charges each cell
individually, which can't be done if I charge them inside a radio
(in this case they are all charged in series).

Once one of the Eton 1100 mAh NiMH batteries went belly up, with
corrosion showing on the positive terminal of the battery, I
started using a set of PowerEx 2300 mAh NiMH batteries that I bought
for my PRO-96 scanner. It's possible that alkaline batteries, with
their higher voltage, may provide better performance. This is true
with the 7600GR -- the sync lock is better with a higher voltage.

I agree that the E10 is not worth $130, but at $30 I couldn't pass
it up. The 7600GR is more sensitive on MW, but the E10 seems a bit
more sensitive on SW. The E10 has far better sound quality than the
7600GR, but the latter is much more selective, with the selectable-
sideband sync detector and a true SSB mode. A combination of the E10
and the 7600GR would make a fine compact radio. Adding a good sync
detector to the E5/G5 would make a very nice unit as well.

Let me know if your E100 has any funny "hets" around 640 kHz (see my
other post). They seem to be internal to my unit (birdies), not due
to external signals.

Regards,
Gary

--- In ultralightdx@..., "Dennis Gibson" <wb6tnb@...>
wrote:

I've never needed to resort to an external charger after that first
time when the voltage was so low the radio couldn't charge them.

Gary - how long have you had your Fry's refurb E10? I got mine last
November. If I was going to have a corrosion problem it would have
happened already. I live about 1/4 mile from the beach and unless
it's raining the window facing the ocean is almost always open
into the room with the radios.

That gets back to a question I asked awhile back that I don't think
anyone answered. Are you using NiMH's or alkalines? Of course
there's a major difference in voltage. I only use NiMH's in the
two radios that charge them internally; the Kaito KA1103 and the
E10. It seems that they would be optimized for them but you can
tell the E10 which type you're using. I've never seen that in
another radio nor the very clever IF shift. I think a full price
E10 ($130.00) is not even close to being worth it; for another
$20.00 you can have an ICF-SW7600GR or E5/G5.

I ordered an E100 and am anxiously awaiting it's arrival so I can
put it up against a number of radios to see how it fares. I'm
paying $15.00 more for the E100 than I did for the E10! Of course
it was a refurb. Any other E10 owners out there?

I was going to go TP hunting this weekend with my new DT-400W but
the temptation to stay in a nice warm bed was too great. Maybe next
weekend. The ocean won't move between now and then.