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Author Topic: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios  (Read 6210 times)

Offline CoolAM Radio

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #15 on: June 05, 2020, 1043 UTC »
Is it maybe an idea - to buy - a cheap - old "vintage" tube radio
and do some adjustments to make it a good receiver on MW ?
(Service Manuals are for 99% of most known brands available Online!)

These oldies mostly have great RX on MW !



André
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Offline CoolAM Radio

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #16 on: June 06, 2020, 0349 UTC »
Check out also this website :

http://wundr-shop.com/search/radio+world+receivers


Maybe you'll find some item of your interest!


André
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Offline alpard

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #17 on: June 06, 2020, 0650 UTC »
Thanks for the suggestion and links to eBay.
I noticed the Radio Shack 392 is exactly same as my Realistic DX-392.
It is a good receiver. But I think Sangean ATS-803A is a little better.
They are very similar in performance.
From the eBay listing, they look all more or less the same.
Nothing really stood out.

But I have found the best MW / LW DX radio.
It is a vintage Hitachi DF radio with huge rotatable loop antenna on the top.

It has also RF gain / attenuator and BFO.
The BFO is not very efficient for normal SSB and CW reception, but I think that they are added for receiving beacons in the sea from the ships.

Anyhow, I just got hold of the Hitachi Radio, and found out that it is the most sensitive and capable MW/LW receiver for DXing from what I have had.  Maybe there might be other more excellent MW LW DXing Radios. If you know one, or own one,  please list them here in this thread.

It is quite handy to rotate the loop on the radio for the signal you want to receive on the band, because most of the MW signals are directional.
You don't need to rotate the actual radio to receive the weak signals off directions.

But most of all, the receiver must had been tuned most sensitive and selective for the MW / LW bands.
FM is also very impressive in reception capability on this set.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2020, 0721 UTC by alpard »
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Offline CoolAM Radio

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #18 on: June 06, 2020, 0731 UTC »
Nice that you've found one!

But maybe you'll check the following site also!

https://www.retekess.com/categories/FM-Radio

(link says "FM-Radio" but also MW/LW/SW available!)

Which Hitachi model is your favourite? Is it the KH-1170E model?




or maybe the WH-1160 ?




Anyway goodluck with the item!

André
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Offline alpard

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #19 on: June 06, 2020, 0811 UTC »
Yes, they are the ones.

I have both, and I like them both equally.  They are both excellent on MW / LW.
The 2nd one is a real vintage from 1960s I think, but has no FM.
The 1st one has FM, which is also super sensitive.
I love the nice circular shaped S meter.  It is very functional.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2020, 1022 UTC by alpard »
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Offline ThaDood

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #20 on: June 06, 2020, 2012 UTC »
Still have the neat reads from Radio Jay Allen,     https://radiojayallen.com/    His go-to radio is still the Panasonic RF-2200. (Yeah, I want one as well.) Be aware, you can easily get lost on Radio Jay's site. To my surprise, he didn't have a Sangean ATS-803A / Realistic DX-440 portable. So, I had to fill him in about that portable. He's tried several Part #15-type transmitters as well, like the Curthbert C-QUAM AM Stereo kit. (Enjoy that!!!!) Oh... Follow up on using an MFJ-956 Preselector on your ATS-803A, I believe that it's spec'ed down to 150kHz. So, should be good for LW and MW.
I was asked, yet another weird question, of how I would like to be buried, when I finally bite the big one. The answer was actually pretty easy. Face-down, like a certain historical figure in the late 1980's, (I will not mention who, but some of you will get it, and that's enough.) Why??? It would be a burial that will satisfy everyone: (1) My enemies will say that it will show me where to go. (2) On the same point, I can have my enemies kiss my butt. (3) It will temporarily give someone a place to park a bicycle. See??? A WIN / WIN for everyone.

Offline alpard

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #21 on: June 06, 2020, 2237 UTC »
Thanks for the info on MFJ - 956 preselector, and also the link to JayAllen's site.
It is a very interesting site, and has good info on SWL radios I think.
His shelf is filled with radios I could see in the photo.

I couldn't believe that he has no Sangean ATS-803A either, because 803A has been  very popular radio for SWLs for years and years, and it still is sought after radio in used / 2nd hand radio markets.

ICOM R71E, Lowe HF-225, YAESU FRG100, TECSUN PL-330, PL-320, XHDATA D-109, D-808, MSi001 SDR, AOR AR3030, Sangean ATS803, ATS-909X, Antenna= Random Wire+ATU, Active Miniwhip

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Offline BoomboxDX

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #22 on: June 10, 2020, 0239 UTC »
Your 803A is a good MW receiver... You just need an external loop antenna to boost signals to the radio. The DX-392 is similar.

Even a very good MW radio can receive signals better with an external loop antenna.

So I would get a MW loop antenna before getting a new radio, for MW.

LW is a different issue, because there aren't many Longwave loop antennas available to buy. You would have to build one. All you need is a frame (a plastic crate will do), 30 meters of wire, and a 365 pf tuner capacitor.

Using a long-wire antenna with either the 803A and DX-392 (for Longwave) is not a terrific idea, unless you have very good static electricity protection, because the RF transistors on those two radios can zap easily from thunderstorms, or even you touching the radio's whip antenna with your hand during the winter and zapping it with static discharge.

An AM radio Boombox DXer.
+ GE SRIII, PR-D5 & TRF on MW.
The usual Realistic culprits on SW (and a Panasonic).

Offline alpard

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #23 on: June 10, 2020, 0859 UTC »
Your 803A is a good MW receiver... You just need an external loop antenna to boost signals to the radio. The DX-392 is similar.

Even a very good MW radio can receive signals better with an external loop antenna.

So I would get a MW loop antenna before getting a new radio, for MW.

LW is a different issue, because there aren't many Longwave loop antennas available to buy. You would have to build one. All you need is a frame (a plastic crate will do), 30 meters of wire, and a 365 pf tuner capacitor.

Using a long-wire antenna with either the 803A and DX-392 (for Longwave) is not a terrific idea, unless you have very good static electricity protection, because the RF transistors on those two radios can zap easily from thunderstorms, or even you touching the radio's whip antenna with your hand during the winter and zapping it with static discharge.

Great info and advice, BBDX. Yes, I am trying to get an active loop antenna.  It is likely to be the MLA30, but I am also looking into other options too such as getting a better RF Amp, and making the loop element by myself etc.

Yeah, I read about the RF transistor zapped on the DX-440 type radios by static.  When I got the Sangean and the DX-392, I was suspecting if they were zapped, because they sounded a bit deaf on HF.  But it was very poor condition on HF bands.  When the evening came, they came back to life thankfully.  In fact, I found them very sensitive on HF on side by side comparison with other radios.  But on MW / LW I wasn't sure, as I haven't tried with these radios yet.

I will need some active loop antenna for them sooner than later for MW and LW reception.
« Last Edit: June 10, 2020, 0906 UTC by alpard »
ICOM R71E, Lowe HF-225, YAESU FRG100, TECSUN PL-330, PL-320, XHDATA D-109, D-808, MSi001 SDR, AOR AR3030, Sangean ATS803, ATS-909X, Antenna= Random Wire+ATU, Active Miniwhip

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Offline BoomboxDX

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #24 on: June 11, 2020, 0152 UTC »
Even a passive loop will work on MW (and LW). I use a plastic crate that is about one foot square (33 meters, roughly), and it has 110 turns of wire around it, with a 365 pf tuner capacitor to tune it. For LW, one would add more wire. I forget how long a piece of wire it would take -- maybe 30-40 meters of wire, and you cut to fit maybe?

They're easy enough to make if you have the tuner capacitor and wire.

My crate loop boosts any of my MW radios by at least 2 db or more.


Edited to ADD: it's 33 meters, NOT .33 meters, as the original post stated. The ".33 meters" was a typo. Woops.
« Last Edit: June 26, 2020, 0324 UTC by BoomboxDX »
An AM radio Boombox DXer.
+ GE SRIII, PR-D5 & TRF on MW.
The usual Realistic culprits on SW (and a Panasonic).

Offline alpard

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #25 on: June 21, 2020, 2239 UTC »
Great idea and info thanks !!

Yes, I think it will work, and easy enough to make one.
I am planning to make one for my radios MW DXing.

What I have is a 30-40 cm long square plastic box.
I will wind thin wire around it trying to get the right length to cover the MW band reception.
And I will connect the wire to a variable capacitor, and secure it all together.
I think it will work.  But not sure how different from the active commercial magnetic loops with preamps.

It will be definitely better than the built in ferrite core loops in the sets for sure.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2020, 2241 UTC by alpard »
ICOM R71E, Lowe HF-225, YAESU FRG100, TECSUN PL-330, PL-320, XHDATA D-109, D-808, MSi001 SDR, AOR AR3030, Sangean ATS803, ATS-909X, Antenna= Random Wire+ATU, Active Miniwhip

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Offline BoomboxDX

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #26 on: June 26, 2020, 0325 UTC »
^^^^^ Sounds like a good plan. And remember, my previous post was off in wire length... 33 meters or so of wire around the box, not .33.
An AM radio Boombox DXer.
+ GE SRIII, PR-D5 & TRF on MW.
The usual Realistic culprits on SW (and a Panasonic).

Offline N0TLD

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #27 on: June 27, 2020, 0850 UTC »
Awesome. Good luck with whatever you use. Keep us posted on what that will be, please!

Just my experience -- my best single-antenna MW catches (single as in 'not phased/combined multiple antennas') have come from *passive* loops, not active.

Good active loops are best for broadband use, where their amplification helps overcome lower signal capture, boosting signals from below MW up to 30MHz. The best of them are really fantastic antennas -- the Wellbrook 1530LNP is spectacular, with excellent signal to noise over wideband reception.

But for MW-band-only reception, I find simple passive loops are superior. Easily inductively coupled to your receiver's internal ferrite antenna (no bias T- power supply coupled down the feedline, etc.), and with no active components to amplify any signals and therefore to amplify any noise at the same time, passive loops are generally a lot quieter, cleaner. They can have sharper tuning, higher Q and better, deeper nulls, than many wideband active antennas... and are usually MUCH cheaper!

That said though, I love 'em all. They each have their place in the radio lover's toolbox. You can't go wrong having both. I mean, if I am not using larger outdoor antennas, and I am bandscanning over HF at night, I most often want my active, amplified loop... but if I'm really digging into MW DXing with a single loop, I want that loop to be *passive*, quiet and easy to move around for best noise-fighting, signal-peaking ability.

Just my needless 2 cents.  ;D

Mike
N0TLD
Kenwood TS940s/at; Kenwood TS450s/at; modified Icom R75; modified Sony ICF2010; Panasonic RF2200, RF2600, RF2800, RF2900; Zenith Trans-Oceanic R-7000-2; numerous other vintage multi band receivers; Silvertone 4565, Grundig 2440U, Hallicrafters S38 and numerous other vintage tube radios; numerous homebrew crystal sets; numerous homebrew long/randomwires and loops including a 290' Loop On Ground with a homebrew 9:1 transformer; Par EF/SWL sloper; Wellbrook ALA330 and ALA1530LNP loops; 5/8 ground plane vertical.

Offline alpard

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #28 on: June 28, 2020, 1654 UTC »
Thanks for your info and advice BB and Mike.  They are invaluable  to me.
At the end of the day, these real life info and advice what we are coming here for, to read and learn.

I still haven't managed to build MW Loop yet. I am planning to order some wire first. I was looking for some thin wire for the turns around the plastic box, but the lengths of the wires I have is not enough. And I must find a variable capacitor from the tool box too.  I think that is all I need for the parts.

But I managed to buy a PALSTAR AA30 Active Antenna, and connected the random wire into it, and I was listening to XHDATA radio with it.  It definitely makes huge difference in reception. I am really happy that I got the AA30, and recommend it to any HF DXing SWLs.

What it does is, it brings out weak signals from the noise and make them audible. And when the weak signals are fading or unstable, this AA30 makes it more stable to listen to. Sometimes the difference is phenomenal. Sometimes it is only marginal.  If the signal is already strong, then the AA30 will not make much difference, but when the signal is weak, and when powered on, it then gives noticeable boost in the reception in most cases.

If the signal is just too weak and the QRM is too bad, then it will not be much help. But then nothing will help in that case. I am not sure if most up to date design receivers with best functions and devices and parts in their bells and whistles will do the job even without any aids, for the signals under most poor propagation situations. But on 70 usd XHDATA radio, it is not bad, the AA30 works great.

But yes, I get Mike's point where passive loop antenna works better than the active ones. I feel that any MW DX antenna must be rotable ones too. Because most of the MW signals are very much directional, my random wire simply doesn't work well even with the AA30.  But even builtin ferrite core antenna works better when positioned to the direction where the signals are coming from.

I read some of your reviews on the NRD 545 535 radios on eham, and glad that I didn't buy them.  They are very pricey radios, and of course they might be excellent radios, but when they develop faults, it is impossible to repair them by myself. And when they are no longer supported by even the manufacturer, what chance have we got?  I am not sure if they can hear the signals that this 70 USD XHDATA cannot hear on the same antenna? I doubt it.

I once had an old NRD525, and yes it was an excellent radio. But it wasn't much different from other radios I had at the time. It was just NRD name, and nice looking and good ergonomics, and yes it received great, but so did other radios too.  Anyhow, you could tell us more about your thoughts and experiences from the high end radios compared to low end or vintage radios on the performance comparisons.

Thanks & 73
Al
ICOM R71E, Lowe HF-225, YAESU FRG100, TECSUN PL-330, PL-320, XHDATA D-109, D-808, MSi001 SDR, AOR AR3030, Sangean ATS803, ATS-909X, Antenna= Random Wire+ATU, Active Miniwhip

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Offline alpard

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Re: Please recommend some good MW and LW DX radios
« Reply #29 on: June 28, 2020, 1927 UTC »
The AA30 active antenna has been used for HF reception only, by the way.  It is not very effective for MW band reception, due to my random wire in the garden is not rotatable.  It is in fact, not workable most of the times due to the non directional random wire element.
« Last Edit: June 28, 2020, 2228 UTC by alpard »
ICOM R71E, Lowe HF-225, YAESU FRG100, TECSUN PL-330, PL-320, XHDATA D-109, D-808, MSi001 SDR, AOR AR3030, Sangean ATS803, ATS-909X, Antenna= Random Wire+ATU, Active Miniwhip

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