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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:
This review of the ATS-120 is quite good and should be of interest to SWLing readers. This is a feature packed portable, with some quirks such as lack of FM mode on shortwave. It has a LNA amp feature that appears to duplicate the Hi-Z function on Malachite portables. It has a very good feature that enables vertical or horizontal screen display. And it has both BT and WIFI.
On the downside the reviewer notes cross modulation from AM/FM signals which appears even with the LNA pre-amp off. I would say that for anyone interested in this receiver, perhaps waiting until design changes address this and other downsides.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Eric (WD8RIF), who notes that the 29th episode of TX Factor was recently released. Here’s the show summary:
Welcome to our new episode!
TX Factor Calling – TX date 8th July 2023
We’re beaming (almost) live across the airwaves with microwatts of broadband energy to bring you the long-awaited show 29 of TX Factor. In this programme we increase the power to a few tens of Watts when Bob, Dave and Noel head to the Wiltshire hills with a pair of Icom IC-905 all-mode transceivers to see what can be achieved.
Bob takes the TX Factor cameras to the heart of England to the UK’s last remaining shortwave transmission station and ramps up the power to a staggering 250 kilowatts. Woofferton, near Ludlow, is the home to some venerable Marconi senders from the 1960s still beaming programmes across the globe.
Oh, and there’s a free-to-enter draw – details below.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Frans Goddijn, who writes:
Hi Thomas:
I bought a vintage antenna tuner, one that does not need a power source, very basic just a box with some beautiful coils and nice big variable capacitors and it works for the big magnetic loop antenna here.
I have four GRAHN loop antennas which each have their box with dials to fine tune the signal but the big loop didn’t have that yet.
The tuner works well, filters out some noise but I must say the iCOM radio also managed to select good signal from the loop with its own tuner system and the DSP noise filter at the speaker end of the system further clears up the voice sounds.
The internals of manual antenna tuners are simply hypnotizing, aren’t they? You’ve a beautifully-built tuner there that is functional and will outlive us all!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Nick Booras, who writes:
Hello Thomas
I recently got a new Icom 9500 and have made several in depth videos on it for my YouTube channel including multiple direct comparisons to other premium receivers.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark (AE2EA), who writes:
One of our AWA Members recently made this video on the Foreign Broadcast Monitoring Service (FBMS) and the Radio Intelligence Division (RID) during World War 2. I think it might be of interest to your SWLing enthusiasts: