Messages

106

MW Loggings / Re: Radio Progreso 640 AM 0530 UTC 19 Nov 2020

« on: November 22, 2020, 0650 UTC »

Don't forget to check 1180 from time to time. Radio Rebelde can be heard during good conditions under KOFI. You can parallel the audio with the Rebelde outlet on 5025 khz. I've heard them on just a portable, more than once, and I'm in the PNW.

107

General Radio Discussion / Re: RIP Universal Radio

« on: November 22, 2020, 0647 UTC »

I'm a bit surprised no one is purchasing the online store. I'm sure the website gets a lot of traffic.

Not a good harbinger for the radio hobby in general.

108

General Radio Discussion / Re: Inside The FCC’s Plan To Allow AMs To Switch To All-Digital Broadcasting

« on: October 13, 2020, 0618 UTC »

It will save some stations, perhaps, 15 years hence. Most will stay analog or go off the air -- or a combination of both.

I say kudos to the FCC if they are indeed granting stations the option. Few will take it. Those that do may have some reason to have done so.

For DXers and casual users of the AM band, we probably won't see much difference when we tune the band. With the economy as it is, I don't see many -- if any -- AM stations investing in any new equipment, much less the equipment needed for all-digital.

As for potential interference to adjacents, I have a local 50 KW analog station that makes the two adjacent channels virtually unusable on most radios. I can't see where digital would be any worse.

109

Equipment / Re: Sangean ATS-909X2 Launch + Pre-Order

« on: October 13, 2020, 0611 UTC »

I read elsewhere it just might be all DSP. Can't confirm that, though.

(the present 909X is DSP only on the FM band -- the original 909, of course, was all analog).

110

Propagation / Re: Effects of fires and high altitude smoke on propagation?

« on: September 24, 2020, 0350 UTC »

To truly affect ionospheric propagation, the smoke would have to be 50-100 miles up, I think.

111

General Radio Discussion / Re: Football matches in short waves

« on: September 12, 2020, 0928 UTC »

Radio Nacional Da Amazonica (usually audible on 11780 khz here in North America -- and often on 6180 khz -- when SW conditions are decent) used to do play-by-plays of Brazilian soccer matches, in Portuguese. Not sure if they still do. They used to be audible in S5 or S4 signals, earlier last decade.

112

Equipment / Re: Radio Jay's AM & FM Mega Shootout 2020 Updates!

« on: September 10, 2020, 0948 UTC »

The SRIII is my nicest sounding portable but it does have a problem with touchy tuning at the high end of the AM band.
Don't know whether it is a very slight mechanical backlash that is unnoticeable  at the low end of the scale but more pronounced at the more
compressed high end of the scale or if it is a varactor tuning issue. 
Otherwise a hot performer on AM DX and probably deserves more than 3 stars.

My SRIII is also touchy between around 1300 and 1600 or so. I think it's the way the varactor tunes, plus the mechanical backlash of the dial string set-up. I zero in carefully when tuning that range... 

Some SRIIIs were quite good, and if you got a good SRIII you got a great performer.

Only drawback on mine is a bit of overload in two spots on the dial, seems to mostly dissipate at night, except near 1360, but I live with it...

113

Propagation / Re: Updated Prediction for Cycle 25

« on: September 09, 2020, 0222 UTC »

Yes. It is quite dismal at the time, but at least there's some good catches here and there. Relative to the poor conditions.

I think a lot of the differences in what people are hearing depends on their latitude. The northern tiers of states in the US probably are seeing more nuclear winter conditions right now than, say, Texas or California.

RE: Lower frequencies: when 49 meters is next to dead, and even Rebelde on 5025 is marginal compared to the way it was even 4-5 years ago, I think that decent catches are still a few years away. But then I'm farther north. For those of you farther south in the US (no idea how it's racking up right now in Europe) it will probably get better, sooner.

114

Equipment / Re: Radio Jay's AM & FM Mega Shootout 2020 Updates!

« on: September 09, 2020, 0212 UTC »

I'd place the Sony ICF-38 a lot higher than Jay Allen did. It's a very good AM performer. Mine will bring in every station my GE Superadios bring in, although not all of the DX stations are as readable.

I would also have rated the GE Superadio III a lot higher than the Sangean HDR-16.

I hate to say it, because I like Sangean radios generally, but the HDR-16 is useless for MW DX, as its LED readout is noisy on MW -- whereas a lot of SRIII's were definite DX machines. Mine is. It matches my GE SR2.... with SRIII's of course, YMMV, depending on factory run.

115

Equipment / Re: Finally!!! Radio Jay Allen covers the Realistic DX-440/Sangean ATS-803A portable

« on: September 09, 2020, 0202 UTC »

The tuning knob on my DX-390 is much smoother than the one on my 440.

The 390's like butter, there might be something wrong with my 440, it feels like there is sand in there.

It works great though

Nope. Different design. The DX-390 uses a potentiometer.  The DX-440's tuning knob is an older design, and uses actual rotating contacts. That's why they feel different.

116

General Radio Discussion / Re: Allan Weiner buys WHRI

« on: September 09, 2020, 0200 UTC »

Religious broadcasts are OK overseas, when you hear them in foreign languages with native language singing and the like.

I've tuned into some of the World's Last Chance broadcasts, and some of the bumper music (symphonic) is OK. The broadcasts themselves sound like they were produced in the UK. Not your typical US flamethrower preachin' stuff.

117

Propagation / Re: Solar cycle 25 . Very interesting? I have my doubts.

« on: September 09, 2020, 0157 UTC »

Well, so far, Cycle 25 is sucking, if that's any indication.

PS, Type O is no more. Singer / bassist Peter Steele passed away about 10 or so years ago, RIP.

118

Shortwave Broadcast / Re: Radio France International 15300 am 1652 utc 8 Sep 2020

« on: September 09, 2020, 0152 UTC »

Glad to hear that they're still on the air.... I remember back in the 1990's when they were on almost 24/7, with their cool bumper / IS music. Those were the days.

119

General Radio Discussion / Re: Vintage analogue/ tube receivers for BCL/SWL DXing?

« on: September 01, 2020, 0241 UTC »

I have a long wire in the garden about 60 m long, and when it connected to the radios, and tune about on the tropical bands 3 - 5 Mhz, there are always a lots of MW stations breaking in all over the place.  When I switch back to MLA30, the break through is less maybe 2 or 3. It  is OK when the wire is connected to straight to the radio, but when ATU is in between, and when the signals are peaked with the ATU, the MW signals becomes very strong too.

It is also worse between 8 - 11pm at nights. After that time, it gets a little better. I am not near any of the strong MW transmitters either.

I have a vintage single conversion receiver Lafayette HA-600, and yes it overloads even during the day. So have to make sure it is not fed with the large antennas.

A simple antenna tuner will help reduce MW local interference and overload. I have a Realistic DX-160 that also is single conversion, and a simple antenna tuner helped reduce the overload. In my case (I live in a low signals area) it actually eliminated it.

120

General Radio Discussion / Re: Vintage analogue/ tube receivers for BCL/SWL DXing?

« on: September 01, 2020, 0240 UTC »

Great detailed info about FRG7700, thank you Token.
Yes, I feel it is a good useable HF receiver for DX SWL / BCL from your  info there.

How would it compare with the more domestic looking yet popular receivers such as Panasonic RF-2200 and RF-3100?  Because I know a very serious BCL DXer who sold his other good radios to buy the RF-2200.  I was wondering if it was a good idea to sell more modern radios, and buying the ancient vintage like RF-2200? But I thought there might be something that I don't know about the RF-2200 that he knows.

The problem with getting a Panasonic RF-2200 is they are old radios, with horrible bandswitch mechanisms that did not age well. You could get a new Tecsun that had similar MW performance and had no such issues -- besides, a Tecsun would be cheaper. I know a lot of DXers rave about RF-2200's but I think their rep is overblown. They're great -- that is, when they are working. I have a Sony IC5900W that has similar switch mechanisms and they were impossible to fix. A lot of guys who get RF2200's find they have to either dig into them and try to repair them, or send them off to have them repaired. There are other older radios that are just as good, with more dependable switches. A GE SR2, for example.