Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, TomL, who notes:
Not sure if you had anything posted for this but I stumbled on BHI having a summer sale until August 16. So, I went onto YouTube and listened to a number of user demos and chose to buy the Compact Inline model. So, I get 10% off using the special code plus the British Pound has gone down against the US Dollar over the last few months by about 15% or more. Shipping is a bit more expensive but overall seems worth it. Just thought I would pass it along!
TomL from noisy Illinois
Thank you, Tom! I know DX Engineering also stocks BHI products here in the States, but I imagine with the currency conversion and summer sale, it might even be less expensive to order directly from BHI.
I hope you report back and let us know how well the Compact Inline filter works for you!
I had one of the very first models, a small speaker with ‘Dip Switches’ at the back, You had to set these switches in certain combinations to achieve levels of noise reduction.
It was horrible and complicated to use, you had yo use a tiny cocktail stick to change these switches. Lasted 2 weeks before being banished to the attic junk box. Never botheread agin with BHI stuff. hi hi
Mine also had that “mouse piano”. I had not so much problems with the settings – these were obviously intended to be made once. But our results were about the same.
Thanks, Guy, for the copper foil tip. I have some and will apply it if I notice hash with my Sony 2010.
Also, forgot to mention, this kind of device suppresses music. So, it is only for human voice enhancement, not music!
FYI. The 10% summer sale code until august 16 is SUMMER10 to use at checkout. With shipping to USA is about $201.
I chose the Compact Inline model because of two channel input/output and it (and the Dual Inline) uses the latest algorithms. It is also portable using two AA batteries! Purely got it just to make the very high noise levels more tolerable at my QTH. Should also help counter summer storm crashes too. I am also doing some MW listening as well.
Until everything has been converted over to pure digital broadcasting (DRM, HD Radio IBOC, etc.), this kind of device can be useful for making a more pleasant, relaxing experience.
I’ve had BHI Ltd. noise reducing modules and accessories in use with a number of receivers, and think they work great… even better than the NR built into the SDR programs I’ve used.
My favorite stand-alone BHI device is the their DSP Desktop Speaker, but I wasn’t particularly impressed with the Compact In-Line Module. It just emitted too much RFI trash which directly radiated into portable receivers. It’s use with communications receivers hooked to external antennas was fine, but I bought it to use with portables like the ICF-2010 and PL-880. Even with a communication receiver, if the antenna’s not far enough away there is still noise that makes its way into MW and the HF frequencies.
The eventual solution was effective: I disassembled the In-Line module and carefully lined the inside of both case halves with copper adhesive-backed foil. This eliminated the directly radiated noise. I feel that BHI should sell this device with a RFI shielding spray coating on the inside to avoid this problem.
BTW, if anyone wants to add a BHI noise reducing module internally to a Eton E1XM receiver, I’ve created a detailed “how to” PDF posted here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3lhmy1jqHQ6RjN2aU9nZ0tKeXM
I have both the BHI Compact Portable Unit and the Gap In Line Module that I use daily for DXing SW bands. The one in my radio shack is invaluable on toning down noise levels whenever I am scanning the tropical bands for weak South American stations. Without it there are many stations I wouldn’t have been able to ID or hear the audio. The portable unit is great and very compact. I just slip two batteries in it and away we go. It too is a valuable piece of equipment for my DX Kit. I’m surprised more US DXers haven’t found this equipment to use as it does work amazingly well. Of course I’ve never used the portable unit for driving and listening to SW, that’s not what it’s for. The above author isn’t talking about the two units I am. Yes they are both an expensive piece of kit, but one that’s worth it for me.
I described how I intended to use a BHI device and what I found as shortcomings. The NES10-2 has been upgraded to MK3. Possibly they have addressed my issues in the meantime. In their Web site they specify 2.5 W of audio output which is way beyond what my unit was able to provde.
You have a different usecase where the BHI units might work better. As far as I see it they have one technology that they market in different forms. Or do you find other information at http://www.bhi-ltd.com?
Those BHI units do one thing well: They reduce the background noise (QRN). They are quite handy if you wish to leave a radio on until a transmitter comes on and the radio has no squelch.
But that is nearly all you should expect. I had hoped to be able to reduce the audio level of my SW mobile station relative to the driving noise. But that did not happen unless I set the DSP level so high that much of the wanted signal was removed as well.
A few years back I bought a BHI NES-10-2 (or perhaps its predecessor) for my mobile station. I returned to my passive speaker within a few weeks: The BHI unit was not loud enough and the effect was not worth all the bother with the supply cable and additional controls.
The AF amplifier of the unit was built around a very cheap chip that not even allowed for a bootstrap capacitor. So the output voltage was limited to less than 8 Vpp or 1 W into the 8 Ohms speaker. This may be enough for the shack but not while driving.
The compact unit costs 149 British pounds (ex VAT), reduce the cost by 10% and the cost is now 135 British pounds. Converting 135 pounds to US dollars comes to about $175.
DX Engineering offers the compact unit for $255. Assuming shipping is under $80 it would be less expensive to buy direct from England.