| K3ANG |
Rating:    |
2002-07-21 | |
| OK most of the time, but great with a decent antenna |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I'll explain. Although he was not a ham, my father was instrumental in getting my ham license.
He built a Allied Radio Span Master from a kit. Not a great set, but it did allow me to cut some radio teeth. As I monopolized the Span Master -and after it died-, I got my dad a new 1972 RS DX-160 as a birthday gift. It was better than the old Span Master. As time went on, the DX-160 eventually found itself in my room. I had my ham ticket by then. My main station antenna at the time was a random length of wire (@ 90 ft.) thru a MFJ16010 tuner with a Tempo One. When the '160 was downstairs in the kitchen, the antenna was a four-foot long length of wire. When it was in my station upstairs, I attached an alligator clip to a longer piece of wire from the '160 to clip to the center conductor of the PL259 at the station end of the random wire. The antenna now was @ 100 feet in that config. WOW! What a change that made. Reception was great and the major shortwave stations really pounded in. The biggest change was in the 40M band. I got up early one morning and could hear the VKs on 40. I was very amazed what it could do with a better antenna, in this case, a longer length of wire.
I still have it, with the matching speaker, and plan to restore it soon. Unfortunately, it's in the basement, but it's wrapped up, nice and dry with the dehumidifier running nearby. |
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| N5JOB |
Rating:    |
2002-07-21 | |
| What I remember and what I experienced now. |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Yes, the good old DX-160. I first got one new in the mid-70's. At the time it wasn't bad at all. I was a shortwave listener and soon to be amateur radio operator, and the DX-160 was definately a step up from my AM only shortwave.
I remember the sound was good (my ears didn't have as much mileage on them at that time) the controls were smooth, and the radio was relatively stable if there were no temperature variations. Turn on a ceiling fan or open a window in the room, and soon you'd notice it drifting though!
It was hard to tune if you weren't a "hands-on" guy. You had to work at it because of the analog dial and the very tight space on the dial. (I think at one point that 5 mhz is covered in about 2 inches of dial!) But that is fun for some people!
I recently got another one for nostalgia reasons. Big mistake because this one was in rough shape. A big problem with the old ones is that the main tuning multi-section capacitor is of a strange type. The stators on it are very thin, bendable metal that was insulated from the rotors by think plastic sheets. Now when the radio was new this made for smooth tuning, but with age, heat, and expecially if someone sprayed tuner cleaner on the capacitor, movement becomes inhibited! You'll give your hand a good workout rolling through the dial! Sometimes it will stick and you won't be able to use the radio. I doubt very seriously you could get a new cap to replace it either, which is what is really necessary to cure the problem. That cap is a real PAIN to get out of the radio, also!
These radios were probably assembled by hand. You'll find a lot of cold solder joints in these old radios, especially on the band switch. Even old DX-160's that have never been opened will show "sloppy" workmanship on the connections.
However, I think they're worth having and using IF you can find one from an original owner that has NEVER been stored in a hot garage or damp basement.
One good word of advice is to NOT buy one off of e-Bay. The prices get too high. Never buy one unless it is accompanied with the original manual, packing material and box. That is ALWAYS a sign of a better kept DX-160. You STILL should not pay more than $60.00 for it!
The DX-160 is primarily of interest to old guys who owned one back in the old days and have nostalgia for the times. It is NOT the radio of choice for a new radio hobbyist! There are too many nice used radios on the market with digital readout, better sensitivity and selectivity, memories, etc than the DX-160! You'd be better off getting that youngster a DX-440. |
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| RADIONUT53 |
Rating:     |
2002-03-02 | |
| this thing got ears! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
what more can one person say about this radio,
sure its old,outdated,and so on,but like the guys said you cant beat the price.i really enjoy useing this radio,i logged stations all over the world on this radio,it might be old,but she can certainly here those weak stations,i dont know but as far as i am concearned you cant beat those old analog recivers,they may drift,they might look old,but i would never say anything bad about such a fine radio,like the realistic dx-160. |
|
| W2TMA |
Rating:     |
2002-02-23 | |
| Good Entry Level Receiver |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Picked mine up a few years ago at a church sale for 15$, NIB. Added a second SP-150 speaker recently and it looks much better with a speaker on either side, though it does'nt improve the tinny audio. Very sensitive when hooked up to my 80 Meter Dipole. Does drift, but this is really not made to be a QSO quality reciever....it's intended for AM and it does that well. If you can pick one up for less then 50$ in good condition w/speaker, it's a worthy addition to the shack. Paying any more,unless you are a collector buying a pristine unit, is really getting ripped off. Some of those E-bay prices of over 100$ are laughable, but what are you gonna do? |
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| W8OB |
Rating:      |
2001-12-17 | |
| excellant sw receiver |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
i have owned the dx160 rx for over 12 years now, in fact last year i picked up another one off the
net. if you want a good receiver for longwave and lf beacons this is it. sure it is not a drake but
for the price you cant go wrong. let it warm up for 15 mins or so and its a very stable ssb/cw
rx that tunes easily. |
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| KB4BJM |
Rating:      |
2001-12-17 | |
| work horse |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I am the original owner of my 1978 DX-160. This radio has been through 3 lightning strikes,countless moves and time. To date..I have never had to do a thing to the radio. It has always performed well and it is the radio that got interested in Ham Radio.Thanks... |
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| MIKEHEIGHT |
Rating:      |
2001-12-17 | |
| i keep mind around because it works well on my solar system |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I keep mind around because it uses very litte power
if you use the 12vdc plug on the back of the radio it only draws 180ma so this makes it easy to
use on my solar system , and it works ok for hearing the larger broadcasters like the BBC
i live in calif where i paid 14cents a kw hour so this
old warhorse hAS FOUND I WAY TO LIVE ON. |
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| NZ5L |
Rating:   |
2001-12-16 | |
| attractive mediocrity |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| The DX-160 and its predecessors, the DX-150 and 150B, were among the earliest general coverage units marketed under the "Realistic" label. The attractively finished satiny aluminum front panel and pleasing knob layout made it a tempting acoutrement to many a ham shack in the mid 70's and 80's, including mine. The flat, unvented top makes a nice perch for small tuners, power supplies, etc. Performance wise, it rates somewhere between a moped and a Yugo. The lowest range, 150 to 500 Khz, is almost useless in this country but you may be able to identify your local airport LF beacon. The FET front end has plenty of RF gain and more than adequate sensitivity for the AM broadcast band. The audio output - 750 mW, - lacks low end, so even using a Hi-Fi speaker won't give hi-fi sound on music, but the audio is acceptable for voice range. Sensitivity is good up thru 20 Mhz, and even sufficient on Radio Refuse Row ("Children's Band"). Selectivity is fixed at 6 Khz, adequate for shortwave broadcast listening. So much for the plusses, now for the nits: Lack of sufficient stability makes CW copying a challenge, lack of selectivity makes it of dubious utility an the ham bands, despite the "bandspread" dial 80 thru 10. The main dial is inaccurate, prone to backlash, and lacks any kind of calibration points. I've saved the worst for last: the single conversion circuit is replete with birdies throughout the HF spectrum! They are as loud as the main signal and there is no way to tell it from the birdie(or any good reason to do so). That having been said, I'll have to admit, I still kind of like mine. It's more attractive than a bookstand and gives me the NYC radio stations (100+ miles)every afternoon while I'm waiting for my QRP rig to stabilize. These radios are ubiquitous at hamfests, usually for under $40, and could provide a nice, and safe, introduction to radio for a young person, despite its performance limitations. Besides, for relatively little money you could own what is quite possibly the most attractive mediocrity ever produced! |
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