eHam
eHam Forums => SWL (Shortwave Listening) => Topic started by: K1QQQ on February 22, 2023, 08:24:47 AM
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Radios. Usually you get what you pay for. Broadcast Band..Shortwave.. etc.
Long ago anybody meets the 'JUNK'. Migrated to China. (was once Japan,Taiwan etc.) Usually the 'cheap' meant the radio would not work to begin with or did for a short period of time. Reception ? grrrr To my observation cheap Chinese radios (thinking of portables) have evolved into --- AM band is almost worthless (530-1700 khz) but FM (88-108 mhz) is not that bad. Sometimes even sounds good. Watching reviews on YouTube and idiots promoting cheap radios I decided to try several 2023. Got the dynamite one yesterday. Review- Mostly DSP hisses and groans. FM band not bad. Even sounds good. AM band ? Come on !!!! YouTube miracle. AM fine for your very local stations.
So nothing much has changed 2023. Except FM has seemed to get good in about everything. AM ?
Try a $6.00 radio ? (shipping it comes to $11) https://xhdata.com.cn/ -----
I think I already sit on this radio but it looks a little different. A $10 +_ radio ? If you just want to listen to your local stations and not waste using up (?) a more expensive radio it fits the agenda. Not bad on AM..not too bad... At least the radio seems built rugged. Remember Baofeng's usually have a FM radio..if you can get it to launch...) I'd bet some of these radios in link serve just fine for 'local listening'...
https://xhdata.com.cn/ (no affiliation)
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I guess I have been real lucky because I have several of those cheapo radios and no problems with any of them. I have a Tecsun about 3 years old, 2 Sangean radios and a couple others. Never a problem with any of them. All from Cheapo China. Your mileage may vary.
73. Jim. W5JJG
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I have bad luck with Chinese radios.
I bought two Degen 1103 a few years ago and both began to fail, then I bought a Tcsun PL-660 and it also failed.
Two years ago a nephew who lives in the USA bought me a Sangean ATS-803A at a garage sale, the best 20 dollars spent. It's running perfect so far.
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I do not know why I posted that but !!! I actually ordered one of the $6 ones because I guess it is good for local radio listening and ? (try it out) I chose another one BUT I got my senses and removed it. I could have used one of their lithium batteries for things I have around here but the same price as elsewhere on Ebay. (battery good for other radios)
As said I have been surfing YouTube and radio reviews and all the EXCELLENT new radios. Chinese ones with endless brand names. This guru promoting many does not know or he did not that 9khz spacing on AM BCB is tuneable with an analogue radio.-- or he did not know what 9khz spacing was,,, BUT all these new fancy radios.. I have to admit they seem to be built more rugged and FM seems to sound and tune better but AM forget it. A Retekess TR-604 a shining example so I bought one. About $20. Sounds good on FM and sensitivity seems ok but AM..only your strongest stations...
I bought a TECSUN PL-310 several years ago and although some rave about it mine stunk. Audio garbled and those band filters do nothing. Mine was probably made in the wrong factory. The TECSUN PL-880 seems a nice radio but you have to pay for it. I have bad luck with Chinese stuff. If it is made in China but a company from elsewhere as most radios are now things seem mostly ok. Alinco a Japan company but rumored 'made in china' now. All their new stuff just says Alinco Jaoan on them.
So I said pay the money and get something you like and enjoy it as to AM/FM radios. (I like the Eton Executive but look at the prices now !! ) I get frustrated by #1 sensitivity but even then if bad selectivity ? Sangean makes good radios. Their PR-D4 is about the best you can get for an AM/FM portable. CCrane good stuff. Grundig now Eton. Tecsun PL-365/368 sort of OK. The PL-330 that came out people rave about it but next to a 365/368 the latter is more sensitive. Tecsun has so many radios out anybody could get mixed up. Sony had good radios but I think they are out of making them for shortwave listeners etc. Whole bunch of old Japanese names that are gone.
Luck with Sangean ? They make good radios and I think they have 'quality control' but the bottom line seems to be price. Up to $100 or so not exceptional but over that things get better. I would not pay over $200 for a portable. (although they are crossing that price now) Communications Receiver. Nobody makes them. ICOM for a fortune ? Probably the radios in most transceivers are far better than any portable. SDR radios ? (an on-going thing)
So surf the zillions of new Chinese economy radios.
The https://www.amazon.com/Tecsun-Digital-PL368-Worldband-Receiver/dp/B08ZY9GTJV/ref=asc_df_B08ZY9GTJV/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309885973562&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12207297614542746807&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003434&hvtargid=pla-1434409762748&psc=1 seems OK and the 365 but on Ebay you can get larger rotatable ferrite antenna that fit right on it.
The Tecun PL-330 https://www.amazon.com/Tecsun-Digital-PL330-Worldband-Receiver/dp/B0921HN6QM/ref=sr_1_3?gclid=CjwKCAiAl9efBhAkEiwA4TorimkNTATMkfnY43RVzuOgC0FG3oqtRZ36jEZOTwiQnjQeyZOjsk7BDhoCNzYQAvD_BwE&hvadid=617766205654&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9003434&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=5137561258710550835&hvtargid=kwd-1361881436870&hydadcr=3671_13539093&keywords=tecsun+pl+330+radio&qid=1677100615&sr=8-3
The Sangean https://www.amazon.com/Sangean-PR-D4W-Portable-Bandwidth-Narrowing/dp/B00PBWV5Q0
I'd say that is good for AM BCB. Sangean's many alike but the D4 good.
I am sure there are other 'under $100 radios'. CCrane EP like the old GE SuperRadio.
https://www.amazon.com/C-Crane-CCRadio-Operated-Portable/dp/B07F46R5XT/ref=asc_df_B07F46R5XT/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312099670269&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12732215999904258020&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003434&hvtargid=pla-493028958403&psc=1
As to Tecsun if I say..it is good !!! the next one might not be so.
Years ago I had a Radio West Ferrite Antenna 'rotatable' and it was amazing. Many Ferrite bars super-glued together and a pre-amplifier. Anybody still sell something similar ?
Enough fro me.. (I am/was never an expert !)
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I think an email subscription to the National Radio Club is only $10 a year. (IRCA?) For BCB listeners one should read their bulletins and comments and receptions by members and observe the radios various people use !! Even that Shortwave ?? website that shows up on Google searches as to radio reviews often give info that is more useful than getting such elsewhere.
https://nationalradioclub.org/ https://swling.com/blog/resources/shortwave-radio-reviews/ https://www.ircaonline.org/default.php
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I have only had one dud shortwave radio so far. I bought a Kaito radio from Amazon a few years ago that was a P.O.S. You could tune up and down the dial, and I swear to you, the radio would receive only the same station all the way up and down the dial. I got a refund. I have owned all sorts of shortwave radios from about 1989 when I was a 14 year-old high school student. I think the best quality radios from the time period of between 1989-2010 were the Panasonic, Sangean, and Sony. I have a CC Skywave SSB as well as a couple of Sangean ATS-818 radios. Once you do the anti-cuffing and static protection mods on the 818's, they are good radios. I wouldn't say they are GREAT radios, but they are good radios. I may recap the radios later on so that they will continue to work for many years to come.
73,
KU4UV
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I have only had one dud shortwave radio so far. I bought a Kaito radio from Amazon a few years ago that was a P.O.S. You could tune up and down the dial, and I swear to you, the radio would receive only the same station all the way up and down the dial. I got a refund.
I've owned a few simple $10 special AM/FM radios that were TRF designs. These were not like the multi-circuit designs of the 1920s that worked as well as they could at that time. These had a single tuned circuit at the antenna. Better selectivity at the low end, but only the strongest signal could be received above 1000 kHz -- all over the top end of the dial. Pure garbage. FM was little better. They'd overload in the presence of strong signals to the point where only noise could be heard if any antenna was connected.
I have owned all sorts of shortwave radios from about 1989 when I was a 14 year-old high school student. I think the best quality radios from the time period of between 1989-2010 were the Panasonic, Sangean, and Sony. I have a CC Skywave SSB as well as a couple of Sangean ATS-818 radios. Once you do the anti-cuffing and static protection mods on the 818's, they are good radios. I wouldn't say they are GREAT radios, but they are good radios. I may recap the radios later on so that they will continue to work for many years to come.
The "Golden Age" of cheap shortwave radios was the 1955-73 time frame. I'm talking about the Hallicrafters S-38D and E, which, unlike the mechanicaly-superior S-38A, B, and C, had cheap slide-rule dials. Performance was just as bad, though. It was replaced by the S-120 (rather than calling it the S-38F) around 1960.
Then there was the Panasonic-made solid state S-120A and S-125 (there were only cosmetic differences), marketed by several vendors besides Hallicrafters -- Lafayette and Midland come to mind immediately -- in the 1969-73 era. They were sensitive enough, but they were less selective than the average 2-tube regenerative set and overloaded in the presence of strong FM signals. I started my ham career with an S-120A. Unfortunately.
Then there were the All-American Five (or Four if they had a selenium rectifier) conversions from Allied, Heathkit, and Lafayette. Other than the Heathkits that had a power transformer, not only did they suck but were a shock hazard as well.
Have a look in the RigPix database for these "classics." We're not talking about even basic Novice receivers here. They were for consumers who wanted to listen to shortwave, nothing more.
https://www.rigpix.com/
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It's always been YMMV with radios. I got a Realistic TRF, made in Taiwan, in 1979 or 80. In '85 if developed a bad solder joint and I had to get it repaired. I've had better luck with Hong Kong and Chinese made Superadios (1, 2, & 3). Some of the multibanders of the 70s and earlier weren't that hot on any band. My DX-160 developed a bad solder joint on the bandswitch (LW was dead).
I've had decent results with the Sangeans, and Grundig and Tecsun, that I've bought over the past 10-12 years or so. They all work. The AM band works well enough on most of them (the Grundig is OK but needs a loop to DX).
If you account for inflation, you probably get more performance now off a budget model AM-FM-SW radio than you got 30 or 40 years ago. DSP chips make a big difference. And with digital tuning, you never have to guess where you are on the dial like you had to with a lot of analog radios in the 70s and 80s.
It's always been a mixed bag.
You got a good listing there, K1QQQ. I think your take on the modern portable AM-FM-SW scene is pretty accurate. I've been tempted to try a Sangean PR-4W, but haven't yet.
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I wanted a Heathkit general coverage receiver, but luckily, by the time came for me to get one, they weren't available!
Instead I got a HR-1680 which turned out to be a pretty nice receiver. I used it to make a lot of 10M CW contacts.
Ham bands only. 5 bands 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters.
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I wanted a Heathkit general coverage receiver, but luckily, by the time came for me to get one, they weren't available!
Instead I got a HR-1680 which turned out to be a pretty nice receiver. I used it to make a lot of 10M CW contacts.
Ham bands only. 5 bands 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters.
Our HS electronics class ham station had an HR-1680, HW-16, HG-10 VFO and a DX-60.
All pieces were sourced by our instructor Stan (WB8WDQ) at local 'fests.
They were all broken. If we wanted to use the stuff on the air we had to diagnose and repair - both electrically and mechanically.
We did. I made a BUNCH of contacts with that station during my senior year.
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Like many I have had my assortment of radios. Some have died just sitting around. I got into radio as a kid. Then onto amateur radio where I could be my own radio station !! 160 meters mostly. At least got DXCC #26 160 meters when it was kind of hard back then. Fewer countries and often severe power limits.
I going crazy watching you-tube videos I have been deluged by radio reviews often by idiots who know nothing. (no offense) (you-tube feeds things at me by their calculations) I was not aware there was something like Amazon Fire TV (and also Roku? Free nevertheless but you could pay Netflix and YouTube (videos and music..I pay $11 a year) I always thought TV was the opiate of he population !! Sit as a blob as your life goes by watching people with a better life than you !! Some spend hundreds a month to their cable company. (for almost nothing)(have to have a router/modem but that normal with an internet connection.
Anyway I try not to sink into a TV lazy brain.
The Chinese cheap portables. I recent tried a few. I'd swear this one I kinda like but only have had it for a few days.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804829231928.html?spm=a2g0o.order_detail.order_detail_item.3.3449f19c62Fi7o&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US
Now the price seems to change by the hour. It was just $12. Snoop for v115 radio. Often with snooping aliexpress the same thing will show up as a bargain. I would beware of aliexpress as you have to be certain what you select is actually the radio and free shipping. I thought I could use a Baofeng Tri-Band 220 HT and I got something else and it was my problem they say.
The v115 is digital and seems to get FM fine but AM dead as normal. Sounds pretty good also. They must have some cheap FM chip 88-108 or Europe 76 + mhz. I have not tried the record function..if it works. The chinese radios seem to be built better now as to falling apart. Like if you just want to listen to local radio etc. (at least for AM)
BUT if one is familiar with radios nothing like a better radio !! As said they seem to go by price range. $100 and up nice. Close to that sometimes nice. Like the Sangean PR 4 is under $100. Sangean has a whole selection and other PR's might be equal but they used to promote them by a LARGE ferrite antenna.
I missed out on some better radios of years ago but did end up with a GE super-radio plus 'digital' and a Sony ICF-5W. (both kinda of scarce)
Today I'd buy an extra CCrane EP as they remind me of the super-radio. (if anything was split frequency the digital 10kz no good) I wish I had bought extras of some things years ago but--- I don't know when they did but I try to put electricity in them off and on. --
Then of coarse those that really listen to things demand a communications receiver. SWL stuff I think stinks on most portables. Just look at that recent QST review of the new Sangean $500 radio. often the comment...this is a portable radio !!! (as to being negative)
I have never claimed to be an expert and not always wrong !!!!
Good radio reviews. He seems to give honest reviews and was into broadcasting at one time.
https://radiojayallen.com/
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I'm not on the same page as you. I bought a belka sw receiver, its nothing like the traditional looking chinese radios that you have been trying out.
I bet you wouldn't buy another portable as the belka will beat it every time. No fm or am broadcast band though.
You will only find good reviews on the belka.
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Just wrote a 500 mile post and went to another page and lost my post before submitting. c/c/p oddly nothing...
Maybe my error but trying a new 'chromebook'. Observed they can be fast as to just web surfing.
http://amdxer.com/ambc/ useful
http://www.mwlist.org/mw_linkpanel.php
http://mesamike.org/radio/cdbs/amdb.mvc
Had a 'rant' over ordering from China. The bargain radios go down in price when new..then every look they go up..tracking....try to delete tracking from your computer....
Not to keep this thread going but remember HD radio ? send in your dues. Don't even hear about it anymore. Station ID...and and and....
Tecsun radios ? They have endless varieties. Good-Bad. I think many have different luck. Made in different factories ? One thing is maybe their radios are getting better. (?) Last 2 Amateur I bought...50 watt dual band 440/144. Talk on a repeater and quit and listen. You hear something besides that frequency from your memory. Weather Channel. A G!M economy (80/40/20/15) ? The connections all bad. Have to dig and re-do. Quality Control ? Spend big money on HF radio ? Who services ? (nobody) Replace some chip ? ID? where o where
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All portables I have, once conneced to a signal generator have shown similar sensitivity. They are all sensitive. Using an external preselector none of them show signs of overload either, using an external antenna. Of course, if another ham is transiting across the street on the same band, use the RF gain or an attenuator. Building a dual conversion receiver is so easy that making it wrong is more difficult than making it right. And I found the Degen, the Redsun and the Tecsun made all right.