Hi Jay,

I own an E100 and a DT-200VX, both of which are factory aligned. I've
compared them quite a bit, side by side, and my E100 has somewhat
better selectivity than my DT-200VX. The 1 kHz fine tuning gives even
more apparent selectivity, since one can tune a little up or down to
reduce interference, something that can't be done with other
ultralights.

The two radios are roughly equally sensitive at the low end of the
band, but the E100 is much better at the high end of the band. From my
location northeast of LA, often 1700 kHz produces no usable signal on
the DT-200VX during the day, but it is readable on the E100.

The main things I don't like about my E100 are the excessive tuning
knob friction (problem with my particular sample, now fixed, see
earlier post) and the internally-generated het near 640 kHz, which can
usually be avoided by tuning to 641 or 642 kHz (the het seems to move
down in frequency slightly as the radio warms up). The display on my
radio is off by more than 500 Hz and less than 1 kHz. Generally
stations sound best when the display shows 1 kHz above the actual
frequency.

It could be that your unit is showing the sample-to-sample variability
of Chinese radios.

Regards,
Gary

--- In ultralightdx@..., "Jay Heyl" <yahoogroups@...>
wrote:

Just this week I took delivery of a E100 from Durham Radio. I really
want to like this radio. It's a great size. It feels solid and well
made. But the barn door-wide AM filter is a huge negative. It makes
DXing on either side of a local station an extraordinary challenge.

It sounds to me like your E100 very likely has something wrong with
it. There are many E100 owners in this group and maybe some of them
also have a Sangean DT-200V. If you can I'd return it for an exchange.
I don't think stations that aren't blowing the doors off such as your
5 KW at least 20 miles away should be a problem for an E100.

73

--- On Sun, 9/21/08, Jay Heyl <yahoogroups@...> wrote:

I've not done extensive head-to-head tests, but I'd have to put my

E100 behind my DT200V. I've not used the DT400W so I don't know how
that compares.

--- On Sun, 9/21/08, Jay Heyl <yahoogroups@...> wrote:

I've not done extensive head-to-head tests, but I'd have to put my E100 behind my DT200V. I've not use the DT400W so I don't know how that compares.


*** If that's the case, you have a lemon. There's no way and E100 should have less selectivity than the DT200V/VX series!
 
 


Russ Edmunds
Blue Bell, PA ( 360' ASL )
[15 mi NNW of Philadelphia]
40:08:45N; 75:16:04W, Grid FN20id
<wb2bjh@...>
FM: Yamaha T-80 & Onkyo T-450RDS w/ APS9B @15'
AM: Modified Sony ICF 2010 barefoot

Jay - yours is the first complaint I've seen about poor selectivity on
an E100. How far away are these transmitter sites of your locals? I
have three 1 KW or less non-directionals (1290, 1340 and 1490) a
little more than a mile from me. My E100 (bought very recently from
Durham) doesn't handle the adjacent frequencies as well as most of my
other radios but it nulls very well which helps. Other than that the
selectivity is quite good and starts to behave normally around the
locals when I get about 5-6 miles away from them. It's amazing what
they've crammed into such a small radio. Selectivity wise it runs
circles around the Sangean DT-400W, a red hot receiver let down by a
barn door front end. It's a disaster with my locals until I'm at least
10 miles away, and they're non-directional! At night strong signals
hundreds of miles away sometimes spill over into the first adjacent
frequency up so badly that I can easily tell what's being said. I
haven't heard any other reports about that and would like to hear from
other DT-400W owners.

Either my E100 is hot or my DT-400W is a bit numb (I don't think it
is) but mine are equally sensitive all across the band. I've compared
them both in the middle of the day and at night. At full list price
($100.00) I don't think the E100 is a very good value. I was happy to
be able to take advantage of the Durham Radio price. Nor is the E10 at
$130.00; for just a few dollars more you can get the Sony 7600GR with
synchronous detection or an Eton/Grundig E5/G5. The only reason I got
the E10 was because it was $30.00 as a refurb. I like it a lot; more
than the E100 but it's way too big to qualify as an ultralight.

My main gripe about the E100 is the sound quality, which will be a
problem with any radio that has such a small speaker. Sometimes I have
to tune up 1 KHz. for better intelligibility.

73

--- In ultralightdx@..., "Jay Heyl" <yahoogroups@...> wrote:

Thanks for the welcome, Gary. I guess in some ways I was involved with
ultralight radio long before anyone considered it a category with any
distinction from just listening to the radio. For years I've taken

my DT200V

to the park with me at lunch to listen to local favorite programs and
sometimes see what else I could catch from greater distances.

Much more recently I picked up a SRF-59. Initially I was very put

off by the

awkward tuning and the virtual impossibility of knowing where you're

tuned

from the dial reading. Then I gave it a couple more chances and

eventually

realized what a truly awesome little radio it is. I bought two more as
refurbs from the Sony store with the idea of modding them. One is

just as

good as my original one, but the other is barely average at best. One of
these days I'm going to cut the case open and glue on a much bigger

tuning

knob.

Just this week I took delivery of a E100 from Durham Radio. I really

want to

like this radio. It's a great size. It feels solid and well made.

But the

barn door-wide AM filter is a huge negative. It makes DXing on

either side

of a local station an extraordinary challenge.

Not an ultralight, but another fairly recent acquisition I'm very

happy with

is the Sony ICF-S5W. I got it off ebay, formerly owned by a little

old lady

from Sarasota. The tone and volume switches were dirty to the point

of being

non-operational. I took it apart, hit the switches with some

De-Oxit, and

now it's almost good as new. If anyone is interested, I took some

photos as

I disassembled the S5W and annotated them with things to look out

for when

taking the radio apart. You can see the photos
here<http://public.fotki.com/JayHeyl/radio/>.
Be warned that the full size images are VERY large. I uploaded the

originals

so anyone wanting to get a good look inside could zoom in without

everything

going fuzzy. If you click on the "Get Original Uploaded Photo" link

you may

be in for a wait if you don't have a fast connection.

I'm looking forward to loads of fun with these little radios.

-- Jay

--- On Fri, 9/19/08, Jay Heyl <yahoogroups@...> wrote:

Thanks for the welcome, Gary. I guess in some ways I was involved with ultralight radio long before anyone considered it a category with any distinction from just listening to the radio. For years I've taken my DT200V to the park with me at lunch to listen to local favorite programs and sometimes see what else I could catch from greater distances.

Much more recently I picked up a SRF-59. Initially I was very put off by the awkward tuning and the virtual impossibility of knowing where you're tuned from the dial reading. Then I gave it a couple more chances and eventually realized what a truly awesome little radio it is. I bought two more as refurbs from the Sony store with the idea of modding them. One is just as good as my original one, but the other is barely average at best. One of these days I'm going to cut the case open and glue on a much bigger tuning knob.

Just this week I took delivery of a E100 from Durham Radio. I really want to like this radio. It's a great size. It feels solid and well made. But the barn door-wide AM filter is a huge negative. It makes DXing on either side of a local station an extraordinary challenge.

Not an ultralight, but another fairly recent acquisition I'm very happy with is the Sony ICF-S5W. I got it off ebay, formerly owned by a little old lady from Sarasota. The tone and volume switches were dirty to the point of being non-operational. I took it apart, hit the switches with some De-Oxit, and now it's almost good as new. If anyone is interested, I took some photos as I disassembled the S5W and annotated them with things to look out for when taking the radio apart. You can see the photos here. Be warned that the full size images are VERY large. I uploaded the originals so anyone wanting to get a good look inside could zoom in without everything going fuzzy. If you click on the "Get Original Uploaded Photo" link you may be in for a wait if you don't have a fast connection.

I'm looking forward to loads of fun with these little radios.



Hi Jay - I remember having the opportunity when the S5W first came out back in the 1970's to test drive one for a week as part of a group test. It was a great radio for its time, but I didn't buy one, being somewhat short of cash at the time and also as I had the RS TRF still and also the Hammarlund HR-10 so I couldn't justify a third portable.


Russ Edmunds
Blue Bell, PA ( 360' ASL )
[15 mi NNW of Philadelphia]
40:08:45N; 75:16:04W, Grid FN20id
<wb2bjh@...>
FM: Yamaha T-80 & Onkyo T-450RDS w/ APS9B @15'
AM: Modified Sony ICF 2010 barefoot;
Stock Sony SRF-59 & Sangean DT-200vx barefoot;
Hammarlund HR-10

Hello Guys,

 

     Our Ultralight Radio enthusiast group continues its booming growth, as we enter the new DX season.  Welcome to new members Tom Welch, Jay Heyl and K.J. Tunnsky.  We hope you will enjoy the close comradery of our Ultralight DX group, which stands ready to answer any questions you may have, and assist you in choosing the best pocket radios for your DXing goals.

 

     Please also take advantage of the extensive Ultralight Radio-related files on dxer.ca, including the latest Ultralight Radio Summertime Shootout review, which gives full competitive details on all the top-rated pocket radio models.  We are happy to have you all in our special group, as we enter our first full Ultralight DXing season. Prepare for some great DXing fun!

 

     73,  Gary DeBock