tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292661452024-03-14T04:26:35.857+00:00Nick B's SWL BlogShortwave listening and technology musings mainly using a selection of portable radios from the trailing edge of technology. You may find the odd SDR starts to creep in too.
Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-57735566685936408522024-02-20T23:43:00.000+00:002024-02-20T23:43:34.324+00:00Sony ICF-EX5MKII<p> I was going to post <i>Nothing much of interest on the modern radio front recently</i> but then I remembered I'd refurbished a few 60 year old Channel Master germanium transistor sets as well as a more recent Panasonic RF1650 and RF1680. </p><p>I've always been curious about the Japanese market Sony ICF-EX5MKII. Not generally available in the UK or US but plenty of (expensive) stock from Japanese resellers. Then I managed to get one via eBay in the US, but unfortunately it arrived looking like it had a hard life and with a detached speaker (despite the seller packaging it well).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBn2dlr3qjZAVCosCBI8Gkl2Dw-m2OADqeAt8x0C0dGOrGGuRY44sf44W8WvCt1yuptukpKCpmH-l_BVAW4LxxMpwE21tL9tx0fpy3FB8V7OAhhTq9HmuQtLRieycr8dpTvhYmy5OZXbYhF5pSjLSKb_LC4Ww4xKFcGKn0-oKcdVZAwXpxDZgA/s4080/PXL_20240215_175601385-EDIT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBn2dlr3qjZAVCosCBI8Gkl2Dw-m2OADqeAt8x0C0dGOrGGuRY44sf44W8WvCt1yuptukpKCpmH-l_BVAW4LxxMpwE21tL9tx0fpy3FB8V7OAhhTq9HmuQtLRieycr8dpTvhYmy5OZXbYhF5pSjLSKb_LC4Ww4xKFcGKn0-oKcdVZAwXpxDZgA/s320/PXL_20240215_175601385-EDIT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Speaker dropped out!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZkoPONMp5oTTwpooNoOgXAZaBYp7ZiElsA6CiRUWJkAG95E9E4n0Pupj_AOCQv715nax7kzYeAG35IDUkk_Vg3r5qNczJFSNY2Y5jadzXYXQahx01zGSlT12ZnunCtyV5pT2ocJadXBzqiFGKr3EIeJtYpfK_DZOZbQBtwn0cIlFz2Ms9a1j/s4080/PXL_20240215_212720272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZkoPONMp5oTTwpooNoOgXAZaBYp7ZiElsA6CiRUWJkAG95E9E4n0Pupj_AOCQv715nax7kzYeAG35IDUkk_Vg3r5qNczJFSNY2Y5jadzXYXQahx01zGSlT12ZnunCtyV5pT2ocJadXBzqiFGKr3EIeJtYpfK_DZOZbQBtwn0cIlFz2Ms9a1j/s320/PXL_20240215_212720272.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That's torn it!</div><br /></div>Fortunately It's a standard 4" boom box speaker so I've ordered a (JVC) replacement. <div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile I re-assembled it and it gives a reasonable account of itself. Not convinced the sync detector is the best I've used but it sounds nice even with a torn cone.</div><div><br /></div><div>I noticed reading <a href="https://radiojayallen.com/sony-icf-ex5mkii/" target="_blank">Jay Allen's blog</a> that he had a similar speaker detachment issue but his appears to have survived better than this one. <br /><p><br /></p></div>Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-29387287701006846542021-11-19T18:16:00.002+00:002021-11-19T18:16:19.310+00:00Sangean ATS-606A filter could be narrower<p> Just making some comparisons between the Roberts R809 (ATS-808) and Roberts R867 (ATS-606A). These radios don't have any SSB detectors but they perform well on AM and sound nicer than a DSP Tecsun.<br /></p><p>The 808 has two bandwidth positions but the 606A only has one (and it sounds wide!). Let's compare the service manuals parts listings...</p><p> </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxyHBXdChv7jymi00V51oG-ABYgfCmfL4WIoPb1S_yRIwpAAJbCvZobxYfYmUUK5gA_0KSx7vSiSreXC0h5nzSM7SAWsx4RUR6iz4LRdlxvG_lfsTprFlqmm8VZCmeV4_-6qn/s476/ats808_450_filters.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="40" data-original-width="476" height="34" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxyHBXdChv7jymi00V51oG-ABYgfCmfL4WIoPb1S_yRIwpAAJbCvZobxYfYmUUK5gA_0KSx7vSiSreXC0h5nzSM7SAWsx4RUR6iz4LRdlxvG_lfsTprFlqmm8VZCmeV4_-6qn/w400-h34/ats808_450_filters.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ATS-808 filters<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaCkr6Cvs99JqK8dVT3rDbLJPe-mSJX-2qNjofUbNkLwXq-dG9lIR4R3uOLyBsQaFR86nYEuQO3GQAelQOrI7UmOT7HbFxfahg9j37qeoP7pExLBWtoamxcrlCDaefGAIHgbW/s544/ats606_450_filters.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="25" data-original-width="544" height="18" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaCkr6Cvs99JqK8dVT3rDbLJPe-mSJX-2qNjofUbNkLwXq-dG9lIR4R3uOLyBsQaFR86nYEuQO3GQAelQOrI7UmOT7HbFxfahg9j37qeoP7pExLBWtoamxcrlCDaefGAIHgbW/w400-h18/ats606_450_filters.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ATS-606A filter<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>As I have a R809 with a dead display, I might transplant the filter into a R867 to improve the performance.<br /></p>Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-18222457977429538972021-11-02T23:06:00.001+00:002021-11-02T23:11:12.472+00:00Sony ICF-2001D - Another One!<p>Just when I said I would <a href="https://nickb333.blogspot.com/2018/04/blast-from-past-sony-icf-2001d.html">never purchase another 2001D</a>, one just happened to turn up on eBay. So I bought it. </p><p>So far, it seems to be in reasonable working order. I found some minor damage to the bottom of the main PCB in the vicinity of Q21. I'm also concerned that the MW/LW sensitivity is not as good as it should be so I need to investigate that further. It does have Sony's legendary synchronous AM detector though!</p><p>The original Sony AC adapter was also absent so I'll have to find a candidate for that.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBNxCBRLbpFkVquXLgEv2ATQq4ZxP4qfSYjxoITFQV8pQlGO_-a4DrOVPxVJDIlQc-xovuIp93FPlaKH1uzSoIk_KY_6Lr9-Lld7wb1wcZeHfvaGYR-9erIh1PcB6Lm3Zvkhg/s4096/IMG_20211029_154223181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBNxCBRLbpFkVquXLgEv2ATQq4ZxP4qfSYjxoITFQV8pQlGO_-a4DrOVPxVJDIlQc-xovuIp93FPlaKH1uzSoIk_KY_6Lr9-Lld7wb1wcZeHfvaGYR-9erIh1PcB6Lm3Zvkhg/s320/IMG_20211029_154223181.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7LHZXk10nwdr_JG9gHDr7EEc6DdPi8SD0D6aq7Xqlt6uY59zidlaUWmEJ30DG8FiltmYsH7VIcvOWjA57yvZvX6inhMrd7DZpPhWADEmw-3S4xoShf0xz3L_QyIybxDqNNyl/s4096/IMG_20211029_151340972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7LHZXk10nwdr_JG9gHDr7EEc6DdPi8SD0D6aq7Xqlt6uY59zidlaUWmEJ30DG8FiltmYsH7VIcvOWjA57yvZvX6inhMrd7DZpPhWADEmw-3S4xoShf0xz3L_QyIybxDqNNyl/s320/IMG_20211029_151340972.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Here are some pictures of the antenna PCB where Q302 and Q303 are located, and the ferrite rod antenna connections.</p><p>For the best 2001D/2010 resource on the web, visit the <a href="https://groups.io/g/SonyICF20102001Dusergroup">User Group at groups.io</a>.</p>Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-65194264835003604272021-04-29T22:37:00.007+01:002021-04-29T22:37:42.287+01:00Tecsun PL-330 Arrives<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0PhaSW7ntb0tLK8u20zpTSgwmNucwyIpl9c5QrC7b_2dCahFvrg8UM5mCsRG8gCMsHqcPBX7qhgwhEoCRp6uNuJVhUhRRSYS1gse-iJMYfV7toJo8buAGLuNAeW4eSkRN_Fu/s1024/unboxing_pl330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0PhaSW7ntb0tLK8u20zpTSgwmNucwyIpl9c5QrC7b_2dCahFvrg8UM5mCsRG8gCMsHqcPBX7qhgwhEoCRp6uNuJVhUhRRSYS1gse-iJMYfV7toJo8buAGLuNAeW4eSkRN_Fu/s320/unboxing_pl330.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /> <p></p><p> New toy for this summer. Order placed with Anon-Co on 21st April with expedited shipping (which included the battery), delivered on 28th April. Arrived with a UK Royal Mail postage label and a return address in Manchester, maybe it was shipped from stock already in the UK? I paid $71.44, inclusive of shipping and tax, which worked out at 53.44 of my British Pounds.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Undocumented functions</h3><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Press and hold 3 with power on: CH-S displayed selects whip antenna, CH-A displayed selects internal ferrite bar antenna.</li><li>Press and hold 7 with the power on: Sets maximum volume for selected band using volume knob.</li><li>Press and hold 9 with power off: Alternates between ON and OFF. Unknown.</li><li>Press and hold 9 with power on: Number adjustable between 1 and 30 using tuning knob. Unknown.</li><li>Press and hold VF/VM with power off: Segment test followed by firmware version. Mine is 3305.</li></ul><p> I'll update the article when I figure out what they all do.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Performance</h3><div style="text-align: left;">Early days but initial performance on MW and 75 meters seems <span>quite good. CW reception on the 80 meter amateur band using the 0.5kHz bandwidth selection.</span> <br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHWnAb023L8pMfEWmkFRsARz1j1csK5j9hGLNftvffij8qRb77JyCEWGMuWRZGUuaqcIqpDnoBFjpf49Kvaco2sAc-ul49laammRmwo0YiRbNzvXbWvufHjoxPzqTl-Crnyxl/s1024/pl330_front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHWnAb023L8pMfEWmkFRsARz1j1csK5j9hGLNftvffij8qRb77JyCEWGMuWRZGUuaqcIqpDnoBFjpf49Kvaco2sAc-ul49laammRmwo0YiRbNzvXbWvufHjoxPzqTl-Crnyxl/s320/pl330_front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0flw5WXUtAbg_JojmQaR5PMVNFCRTMXTIJk6CCZ02hIaivD_3kZT1ndRLE1Mt5HWsUjhnr5aWiz17Xv-4HEvBV0B_pNpB3OgwKtZYmWQ8g0ME7eCahaIKHuvTN4CeVervrDY/s1024/pl330_rear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0flw5WXUtAbg_JojmQaR5PMVNFCRTMXTIJk6CCZ02hIaivD_3kZT1ndRLE1Mt5HWsUjhnr5aWiz17Xv-4HEvBV0B_pNpB3OgwKtZYmWQ8g0ME7eCahaIKHuvTN4CeVervrDY/s320/pl330_rear.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilF5Pu4TBBTrfxhW75lyu84EDjIAOB5Yv00-09XqDsPLT0UcYSy0TgCeY72URBPrNMoBpZiyANQkNn6ssul1VzAQ3j_QqOJcT-CDIDQlqt2LzHTcfgxxp69fTA2vUeD0uYdgIB/s1024/package_pixellated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilF5Pu4TBBTrfxhW75lyu84EDjIAOB5Yv00-09XqDsPLT0UcYSy0TgCeY72URBPrNMoBpZiyANQkNn6ssul1VzAQ3j_QqOJcT-CDIDQlqt2LzHTcfgxxp69fTA2vUeD0uYdgIB/s320/package_pixellated.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-IAf92MxcpJtduOQgv1c1qm2tAKMi3EIFnz1d8PDvCZ-GCVHI1-LwgKIms9qhmN1tJw2z7iHkOWeWSOQ3corBglfsQWTWIIBNZWXIrt4qNNHIcahFgoe2zJTcyc1_Y37TE2gC/s1024/pl330_accessories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-IAf92MxcpJtduOQgv1c1qm2tAKMi3EIFnz1d8PDvCZ-GCVHI1-LwgKIms9qhmN1tJw2z7iHkOWeWSOQ3corBglfsQWTWIIBNZWXIrt4qNNHIcahFgoe2zJTcyc1_Y37TE2gC/s320/pl330_accessories.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-6974785092572973662021-04-10T17:52:00.004+01:002021-11-16T14:43:38.160+00:00Tecsun PL-310ET - MW/LW Antenna Coupler<p>After carrying out the external antenna connection modification to the PL-310ET, I built an external antenna coupler for MW and LW. </p><p>The coupler uses (obsolete) Toko 10mm inductors which are tuned on the primary side by the varicap diode on the SI Labs IC. The secondary side provides a low-impedance coupling to an external antenna.</p><p>MW uses a Toko RWR331 230-300μH primary, 1.75μH secondary.</p><p>LW uses a Toko 98299 2.9-4.0mH primary, 46μH secondary.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTtUzk9ZX0MQgKAf0Aurke8YkGJg3ET8ARO4YFgfEmhyCrf3bfa3Ye6a-uuCwI92hgTBFxvc7fRqCQsAij18Blx-qvPXHpmKc6-hdwypCMzH2tu6TDu3uq3PPSiPh_BBXlq41/s4096/IMG_20200910_220145981.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTtUzk9ZX0MQgKAf0Aurke8YkGJg3ET8ARO4YFgfEmhyCrf3bfa3Ye6a-uuCwI92hgTBFxvc7fRqCQsAij18Blx-qvPXHpmKc6-hdwypCMzH2tu6TDu3uq3PPSiPh_BBXlq41/s320/IMG_20200910_220145981.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyioMeH-EokkidCe4jfdAkLkgiZ_SWDxUoGvtnJJ1GjXTne_uh8AQRcXbHKgu6u13kN_H43aPLiFqwe2Wch3CjhISZ-S5Tp_9QnOJ6b2qXEBWWexw7P0S5l18B9fdCVjky8El/s4096/IMG_20200822_182957720.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyioMeH-EokkidCe4jfdAkLkgiZ_SWDxUoGvtnJJ1GjXTne_uh8AQRcXbHKgu6u13kN_H43aPLiFqwe2Wch3CjhISZ-S5Tp_9QnOJ6b2qXEBWWexw7P0S5l18B9fdCVjky8El/s320/IMG_20200822_182957720.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0olVY4egeec0KLQWt_huayT0rxa8EmYg9UqydxjQQha1oiHwnf8OsOF0isv-mDp44_B0wt9Snml4zio1KXFMy3YW4Dw_BKlVQqZAP3v3mFj6U16j77Wz1oSeYy9-as7JtS6aw/s4096/IMG_20200822_183121485.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0olVY4egeec0KLQWt_huayT0rxa8EmYg9UqydxjQQha1oiHwnf8OsOF0isv-mDp44_B0wt9Snml4zio1KXFMy3YW4Dw_BKlVQqZAP3v3mFj6U16j77Wz1oSeYy9-as7JtS6aw/s320/IMG_20200822_183121485.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikwH2Yqcp8li0rNtDqrGP_4sELYsA8zTGmU0yNGxRHlvnCdIgcafHasmZq5hCb2AV-2UWM9Fr3dI2Sxrg3lWry_OcJs3hAvn9_hrGrLmuipB599j2ENweEBEtvEeAM6aiRgEg/s4096/IMG_20200823_185938832.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikwH2Yqcp8li0rNtDqrGP_4sELYsA8zTGmU0yNGxRHlvnCdIgcafHasmZq5hCb2AV-2UWM9Fr3dI2Sxrg3lWry_OcJs3hAvn9_hrGrLmuipB599j2ENweEBEtvEeAM6aiRgEg/s320/IMG_20200823_185938832.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWoxW1CcL1myL8dqisd2YNRcF79NJMLLTh2NnxJnKuSF_zvy9mjlPhGJnMheTiLRVtNmhyphenhyphenwFmGmLxQqJ_iNCsu9HJrbe43VKtwzoWLXKQbi4Yh07iiXERQqlJ9Pi_TfuJehio/s4096/IMG_20200826_221436229.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWoxW1CcL1myL8dqisd2YNRcF79NJMLLTh2NnxJnKuSF_zvy9mjlPhGJnMheTiLRVtNmhyphenhyphenwFmGmLxQqJ_iNCsu9HJrbe43VKtwzoWLXKQbi4Yh07iiXERQqlJ9Pi_TfuJehio/s320/IMG_20200826_221436229.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Some excellent results have been achieve, particularly on Long Wave.<br /></p>Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-24815548734987577672021-04-08T00:26:00.001+01:002021-11-19T17:47:38.112+00:00Sangean Equivalents<p>As I've collected a few Sangean-built sets over the years, I've put together a list of badge-engineered equivalents.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In the US sets were sold under the Radio Shack brand.</li><li>Here in Britain they were sold under the Roberts Radio brand.</li><li>In Germany, sold under the Siemens brand. <br /></li></ul><p></p><div>You can <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRMUPisDvqewveck-Skh_4XGtM802mtiVPN4UKFcqmEtfetCajRADn9G15s_dBe3XXPhyH8dcp0MhpI/pub?gid=1287413276&single=true&output=pdf" target="_blank">download the list in PDF format</a> and it will get updated as I discover any new re-badging. </div><div><br /></div><div>For example:</div><div> </div><div>ATS808 was sold as the Roberts R808 and R809 (CE marked)</div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FzH0A8OthKpj8LIeusfvBezLNOrvyQBTsIJ-fdME2RMnbElzuHeyELEVpxxJvDFgSCvLM-rrmjD6AjsomUCGy5y4dDm8DagzKh4W6qPh_vVdSm9IvUG9xTIeo8HrmXXvu0TA/s802/sangean_sheet.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FzH0A8OthKpj8LIeusfvBezLNOrvyQBTsIJ-fdME2RMnbElzuHeyELEVpxxJvDFgSCvLM-rrmjD6AjsomUCGy5y4dDm8DagzKh4W6qPh_vVdSm9IvUG9xTIeo8HrmXXvu0TA/s320/sangean_sheet.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-83562591238346053352020-09-14T22:19:00.001+01:002020-09-14T22:19:46.661+01:0010 inch MW LW Ferrite AntennaLarge ferrite antenna for the PL-310ET all packaged up and ready for action!<div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6138YhWUF2fmLZTq07p9l9jDsZMUew-0MBEYUTOSkriO5mZuUgbIDTHCATC2JptXH4Zb2WamdDWXHmyo4FVxBCIiNmAL6Q61tp2N8do4up6hATHN70Cuftvw6AxjQ9V6GCyTK/s1600/1600118381459579-0.png" width="400">
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</div></div>Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-14008704565393999282020-07-01T14:18:00.001+01:002020-07-01T14:18:53.962+01:00Recordings moving to OneDriveI filled all my free space on SoundCloud so I've decided to upload new recordings to OneDrive. Seems like the logical step as I'm already paying MS for a Terabyte of storage.<br />
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New <a href="https://1drv.ms/u/s!At2UutJy8RxQjuFMMLbpH3ker3ErYA?e=rHABz2" target="_blank">shared recordings folder</a>. Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-76786477437373443842020-06-25T16:52:00.001+01:002020-06-25T17:17:56.634+01:00Loop antennas for DSP Portables.Over at the <a href="https://radio-timetraveller.blogspot.com/2020/03/mediumwave-loop-efficiency-for-dxer.html" target="_blank">RADIO_TIMETRAVELLER blog</a> there are some excellent articles about connecting loop antennas to Tecsun or similar portables. This ought to be my next step after tinkering with the larger ferrites.<br />
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I need to study the SI labs data sheets for these radios again to see if it is possible to add a loop to the <b>shortwave</b> antenna connection, for use on the <i>Tropical Bands</i>. The SW input doesn't have a varicap tuner so it would probably require an additional variable capacitor to tune manually. Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-36470195209813864322020-05-22T18:06:00.000+01:002020-05-22T18:06:09.830+01:00Tecsun PL-606 External Ferrite Loopstick Mods<br />
As the PL-606 has the same antenna jack as the PL-310ET I though I'd take a look and see how easy it would be to carry out the modification.<br />
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Actually more straightforward on this set. Unfortunately, when I removed the rear cover, I found the internal ferrite bar in two pieces. I've repaired this using superglue which has worked for me on other ferrite rods.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmk7d3FHaAHgC0g-zmRBfJ1Gp1T9Jvb5phK935v3y6-I9s0yCJmtjY-RWEY3VZrIdpMnVehXtLn8ep9AKdI84myb5TJLJmkE3VnsFlvanVZTExKG08or2b1mW5x4hxVGR8C4d/s1600/IMG_20200522_160411130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmk7d3FHaAHgC0g-zmRBfJ1Gp1T9Jvb5phK935v3y6-I9s0yCJmtjY-RWEY3VZrIdpMnVehXtLn8ep9AKdI84myb5TJLJmkE3VnsFlvanVZTExKG08or2b1mW5x4hxVGR8C4d/s320/IMG_20200522_160411130.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4geXU3c7WZUQgOxEocombenk-9ZAw8jmCPU8HkF5DHv5OGHdi25ushVeMMIWnuifhAYDXNkz0fPOY8kHgG1Gy3kjP5GW95abLUv5QXeKCcRkVndiispHirv3nILAfaLrqBYla/s1600/IMG_20200522_160355034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4geXU3c7WZUQgOxEocombenk-9ZAw8jmCPU8HkF5DHv5OGHdi25ushVeMMIWnuifhAYDXNkz0fPOY8kHgG1Gy3kjP5GW95abLUv5QXeKCcRkVndiispHirv3nILAfaLrqBYla/s320/IMG_20200522_160355034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The end results on LW are as impressive as the 310. On MW, despite trying two different coils (500µH and 200µH), results at the lower end of the band showed an improvement but at the top end the performance appeared worser than the internal ferrite bar.<br />
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Conclusion? Definately needs the mod for LW but quite adequate for MW.Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-2624314566916737172020-05-20T14:06:00.001+01:002020-05-20T14:06:30.265+01:009700kHz 0519UTC - RNZ Pacific (weak audio, noisy reception)<br /><br />
RNZ Pacific moved their 04:59 transmission from 11725kHz to 9700kHz on 18th May. Always difficult to copy from home, here is today's attempt on a quiet 31 meter band. The transmission disappeared abruptly at 0624.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/srNuu8oYlII" width="459"></iframe><br />
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<br />Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-622545819421398722020-05-19T22:14:00.000+01:002020-05-19T22:14:47.755+01:0013760kHz 15245kHz Voice of Korea - Another Diversity Reception Demo.<br />
For some strange reason, VoK always lends itself to my diversity reception experiments, this time with the XHDATA D-808 and RADIWOW R-108, recorded on 29<sup>th</sup> June 2019.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6zJqKgrtS1M" width="480"></iframe>
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Enjoy!
<br />Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0Stathern, Melton Mowbray LE14, UK52.8723159 -0.855125552.862731399999994 -0.8752955 52.8819004 -0.8349555tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-39693947865711607642020-05-16T23:25:00.000+01:002020-05-17T08:04:47.993+01:00Roberts Sensitive Sangeans<div>
A couple of Roberts branded Sangean sets that are both faulty, but still manage to bring in the DX. I already have the R816 (ATS-909) so my curiosity got the better of me to see how the lesser models from that era perform.</div>
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Roberts R617 is the Sangean ATS-606, early version with a DISPLAY button. The later models have a FINE tune in this position instead which allows 1kHz tuning steps. This one runs OK for a while and then the PLL circuit will lock up. At present, proving elusive to find the cause.<br />
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Roberts R809 is the Sangean ATS-808. This one came to me faulty as it's obviously suffered display damage. Also had a 1kHz tone present on all the LW/MW/SW signals. Applying an unmodulated test signal, the tone got louder as I increased the RF level! After testing some suspicious capacitors around the PLL circuitry and finding them to be OK, I found contamination in various places on the microprocessor/keypad board which I've cleaned up and it now works. Another parts donor is on the way. <br />
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Given the difference in sizes, the electronic design seems to be very similar. Both of these sets have poor front-end selectivity on MW - I found a signal on 576kHz which, after the initial <i>"a new station!"</i> excitement, turned out to be an image product of CWR on 1476kHz! (twice the second IF 450kHz). Happy to say that I don't notice that on the R861. They also accept an external antenna for LW and MW.<br />
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Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-89714615952507542302020-05-13T00:19:00.001+01:002020-05-13T00:19:45.734+01:00YouTube :: Radiwow R108m2<br />
So while I've been carring out a trivial mod to improve the PL-310ET, YouTube user <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvIgmgK_dQZYLeQf4EoplVw" target="_blank">66vds</a> has done a great job of improving the Radiwow R-108 by removing the internal ferrite and modifying the external antenna connecotor to work on all ferequencies.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4WWAX2F1NNE" width="480"></iframe>
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Here are links to the details:<br />
<ul>
<li>Internal photo: <a href="https://cloud.mail.ru/public/5z6s/35cewkshm">https://cloud.mail.ru/public/5z6s/35cewkshm</a></li>
<li>Schematic: <a href="https://cloud.mail.ru/public/4oRK/DQjW2h9pK">https://cloud.mail.ru/public/4oRK/DQjW2h9pK</a></li>
</ul>
It is believed the R-108 was based on the design of the CCrane Skywave and the Digitech AR-1733. The stock radio is an amazing performer.Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-10434718743377947932020-05-12T20:46:00.001+01:002020-05-12T21:52:01.120+01:00Tecsun PL-310ET Ferrite Rod - Part IISo I decided to try the mod <a href="https://ultralightdx.groups.io/g/main/files/6%20Alignment%20&%20Modification/PL-310%20External%20LW%20MW%20Antenna%20Mod.pdf" target="_blank">originally documented by Laurie Mann</a> to utilise the spare connections on the antenna jack to bypass the internal antenna when an external one is plugged in. I suspect this is how the Tecsun <a href="https://www.anon-co.com/product/tecsun-pl360-radio" target="_blank">PL-360</a> works which has the option of internal or plug-in external ferrite antennas. The PL-606 also has the external antenna jack so maybe it is mod-able too.<br />
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Rather than remove the rod and swap wires, I drilled a hole and mounted a 1.3mm pcb pin to use as a solder point for the wire from the ferrite rod.<br />
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Run the first wire:<br />
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Then the second wire to the new PCB anchor point:<br />
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Showing the new wiring in position:<br />
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Don't forget to cover the base of the whip antenna with some insulation tape to prevent it shorting across the new connections.<br />
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So now I can connect my new external ferrite monster rod, with a selector switch for MW and LW sections of the coil. I found that it was necessary to change the coil switch before the Tecsun MW/LW band change otherwise sensitivity was poor. I presume this is because the SI Labs DSP chip calibrates the tuning when the band is selected and expects to find a certain inductance value thereafter.<br />
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Here are some results using the LW coil:<br />
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Next step will be to find a suitable enclosure to protect that monster piece of ferrite. They are extremely brittle if dropped! Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-89169035984820645522020-05-12T12:19:00.000+01:002020-05-12T12:45:30.349+01:00Tecsun PL-310ET Ferrite Loopstick ImprovementsCompared to other DSP radios of similar size (PL-380, R-108...) I find my PL-310ET to be extremely deaf on MW (AM broadcast band). The longwave band is even worse.<br />
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So let's take it apart and see what can be done.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ9BKjdVhHEgccoTDnNokHUrnYVpN7BI1NFYtGVVra7prxtRKDHna1tQ7o8eTwA1twlAbkK495JQXAmQ3fXHvDW4QtkPKRjsaMv2ETDjwnlLf7kksO4iKGlKjyT1Vhrsktx5C/s1600/IMG_20200511_165439971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ9BKjdVhHEgccoTDnNokHUrnYVpN7BI1NFYtGVVra7prxtRKDHna1tQ7o8eTwA1twlAbkK495JQXAmQ3fXHvDW4QtkPKRjsaMv2ETDjwnlLf7kksO4iKGlKjyT1Vhrsktx5C/s320/IMG_20200511_165439971.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The poor-quality ferrite bar is shaped like a banana.<br />
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I borrowed the ferrite antenna from a rotating loop desing I buit a few years ago. After removing the connections to the internal loopstick, I found it worked quite well on the LW coil section.<br />
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So I ordered a larger 10-inch monster rod which seems to work quite well on MW. Manx Radio on 1368kHz is a good daytime test signal, at the lower end of the band I can hear Carolone 648kHz and Spectrum 558kHz.<br />
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The radio design has been around a few years so I'm sure someone else will have tried this. There are certainly some mods documented for the PL-380. Sure enough, I found <a href="https://ultralightdx.groups.io/g/main/files/6%20Alignment%20&%20Modification/PL-310%20External%20LW%20MW%20Antenna%20Mod.pdf" target="_blank">an article</a> on the <a href="https://ultralightdx.groups.io/" target="_blank">Ultralights group</a> showing how the spare contacts on the antenna socket can be utilised to switch out the internal ferrite loopstick and use and external antenna.<br />
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Further updates may follow. Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-53104609477293083952019-08-18T22:16:00.002+01:002019-08-18T22:16:31.654+01:00BBC World Service steps up shortwave broadcasts in Kashmir during media shutdownSee the full article at <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/world-service-steps-up-broadcasts-in-kashmir">https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/world-service-steps-up-broadcasts-in-kashmir</a>Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-28884533739063167092019-05-24T22:16:00.003+01:002019-05-24T22:16:47.880+01:009700kHz 0459UTC RNZI Sign-on and News Bulletin<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ly8uBjWy57I" width="480"></iframe>
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When the bands are open, they're open!Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-53032786739741329572019-02-26T17:20:00.002+00:002019-02-26T17:23:43.741+00:00The Shortwave Radio Audio ArchiveCan't believe I only just discovered this site. A collection of amazing recordings that dates back to the 1960s. Slowly working my way through the podcasts and wondering if I have anything on cassette tape that I could contribute...<br />
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<a href="https://shortwavearchive.com/" target="_blank">THE SHORTWAVE RADIO AUDIO ARCHIVE</a>Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-50321860032822503592018-08-18T18:26:00.004+01:002018-08-18T18:28:56.229+01:00Real-World Amateur Radio: WSPR - Choose your magnetometers with care.Interesting article on <a href="https://mw1cfnradio.blogspot.com/2018/08/wspr-choose-your-magnetometers-with-care.html" target="_blank">MW1CFN amateur radio blog</a> on the availability of magnetometer data for radio propagation studies. I was looking for this type of data as signals from North Korea and Japan to my location in the UK take the high latitudes somewhere over Finland. <br />
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<i><a href="http://mw1cfnradio.blogspot.com/2018/08/wspr-choose-your-magnetometers-with-care.html?spref=bl">Real-World Amateur Radio: WSPR - Choose your magnetometers with care.</a>: I'm currently running a longer-term WSPR campaign, with a focus on the auroral zone. I'e been scratching my head in trying to rela...</i>Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-39153604950707296332018-04-15T20:49:00.000+01:002018-04-15T20:54:14.334+01:00Blast from the Past - Sony ICF-7600DS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was my first Sony portable. It was pushed into second place behind the ICF-2001D but it provided excellent service as my alarm clock prior to selling it in 2003. I do own the final model in the 7600 line, the ICF-7600GR which has the synchronous detector feature.<br />
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Lots of information on the 7600 series can be found over at Stephan's excellent website <a href="http://stephan.win31.de/sony7600.htm">http://stephan.win31.de/sony7600.htm</a>. Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-80973888885145773962018-04-15T19:44:00.001+01:002018-04-15T19:44:38.223+01:00Blast from the Past - Sony ICF-2001D<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is my Late Sony ICF-2001D. The station is BBC Radio Scotland 810kHz and the location is Embo, Sutherland in NE Scotland.<br />
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At the time I bought this (late 1990s) the ICF-SW77 and ICF-SW55 were current models but I chose to buy one of these. It served me well for many years (even as my daily alarm clock!) until it suffered terminal battery corrosion after being left in extended storage. The culprits were actually Duracell branded D cells, not exactly a cheap brand.<br />
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I considered buying a replacement but with the price these now fetch on the second-hand market and the abundance of modern portables, I am reluctant to spend the money and risk being disappointed.<br />
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The moral of the story - make sure your remove ALL batteries before placing in storage or if you're not going to operate for an extended period.Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-57262029592654148842018-04-04T21:36:00.003+01:002018-04-04T21:36:38.493+01:0015820kHz UNID 1138z<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DKkK37cMCnM" width="480"></iframe> Not sure what this could be, sounds like some kind of pager tone, maybe it's breakthough from another frequency. Or maybe it's <i>really</i> here?Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-76400693070613968852018-04-04T21:27:00.001+01:002018-04-13T22:11:10.264+01:00648kHz - 1960's style on the Dynatron Nomad<br />
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Check out those TWIN ferrite rods! Not bad performance for a radio that is almost 60 years old!Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29266145.post-82922777434010140682018-03-26T15:55:00.003+01:002021-04-14T17:53:27.068+01:00Tesco RAD-108 AM/FM/Shortwave portable radio review - American Style<p>I sent one of the RAD-108s over to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwTBus7CzIIVU1PoFLf8oJA" target="_blank">Two Hands and a Radio</a> for a YouTube review. Update - looks like 2H has taken his YouTube channel down so this is no longer available. Here is mine, a poor substitute.<br>
</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4vGfjjAVCmU" width="320" youtube-src-id="4vGfjjAVCmU"></iframe></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div><br> <p></p><p>It didn't do too well on the American AM broadcast band, probably due to tuning in 9kHz rather than 10kHz steps!<br>
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</p><a href="http://nickb333.blogspot.com/2018/03/tesco-rad-108-amfmshortwave-portable.html#more"></a>Nick B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17874157204732170096noreply@blogger.com0