Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who notes that CountyComm has announced a 48 hour sale on the GP5-SSB (read our review here).
The price is currently $71.99 US plus shipping.
48 Hour Sale: CountyComm GP5-SSB (Gen 3)
8 Replies
Yearly Archives: 2017
The Zastone ZT-D9000 dual band mobile includes HF and LW coverage
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Cap Tux, who writes:
The Zastone ZT-D9000 radio has actually been out for a while and is a Dual Band Mobile (Triband with option), nothing fancy there and bears a striking resemblance to the Icom IC-2820H (clone?). Options include GPS, Bluetooth, 220Mhz and LW (The latter is really weird!).
What caught my eye is the 2.3-30 MHz Shortwave coverage, a quick search on YouTube turns up a video showing Shortwave working!
Yes, probably as wide as a barn door with no filtering except the 12kHz default but an extremely useful feature if you did need a dual band mobile in your jeep/car.
Two other noteworthy features are a dedicated RX BNC antenna socket and a built in FM Transmitter so you can listen to it on the FM Radio in your car/jeep, very cool. A bit like a pimped IC-2820H. Also has all the bells and whistles a Dual Bander should have,
This is the OEM site:
http://zastonetech.com/2-7-mobile-transceiver/291931This site has the spec:
http://radioaficion.com/cms/zastone-d9000/YouTube video showing Shortwave in use:
Click here to view on YouTube.
Some Specs:
A/B Band RX:
136-174MHz
200-260MHz (OPTION)
400-470MHz
470-520MHzB Band RX:
153-279kHz (AM) (OPTION)
0.5MHz-1.8MHz (AM)
2.3-30MHz (AM)
64-108MHz (WFM)
113-137MHz (Airband – AM)TX:
136MHz-174MHz
222-225MHz (Type USA 200-260MHz) (OPTION)
400-520MHzChannel Steps: 1.5, 6, 6.25, 10, 12.5, 15, 20, 25, 50, 100kHz
Frequency Stability: +-2.5ppm
Repeater Shift: +-600kHz(144MHz), +-5MHz (430MHz)
Emission Type: F1D, F2D, F3E
Antenna Impedance: 50 ohms
Supply Voltage: Nominal: 13.8VDC, Neg Gnd, Operating: 12-24V Neg Gnd
Operating Temp: -40F to +-1400F(-20C to +-60C)
RF power Output: UHF: 40W/25W/5W VHF:50W/25W/5W
Case Size: (WxHxD) 6″ x 2.3″ x 1.3″ (Panel w/o knobs and connectors)
6″x6″x 1.8″ (Rear chassis w/o connectors)
Weight: 3.7 lbsTransmitter:
RF Power Output: UHF: 40W/25W/5W, VHF: 50W/25W/5W
Modulation Type: Variable Reactance F1 D, F2D, F3E
Maximum Deviation: +- 5KHz
Spurious Emission: at least 60 dB below
Microphone Impedance: 2 k ohmsReceiver:
Sensitivity Radio Band:
B Band:
5uV TYP for 10db SN (153-279 KHz, AM)
5UV TYP for 10 db SN (0.5-1.7 MHz, AM)
2uV TYP for 10db SN (203-30 MHz, AM)
2Uv TYP for 12db SINAD (64-108 MHz, WFM)
0.8 uV TYP for 10 db SN 9113-134 MHz, AM)A&B Band:
0.2 uV for 12db SINAD (136-174 MHz, FM)
0.2 uV TYP for 12db SINAD (200-260 MHz, FM)
0.2 uV for 12 db SINAD (400-470 MHz, FM)
0.2 uV TYP for 12 db SINAD (470-520 MHz, FM)
Squelch Sensitivity: 0.16 uV (144/430 MHz Band)
Selectivity: NFM, AM 12 KHz/30KHz(-6dB/-60dB)AF Output:
6W@4 ohm for 10% THD (@13.8V) EXP SP
3W@ 8 ohm for 10% THD (@13.8V) Normal EXP SP/CH
AF Output Impedance: 4-16 ohm
3 SpeakersIncluded in Purchase:
– Radio
– Microphone
– Power Cables
– Remote Install Kit
– Software CD
– Programming Cable
– All Mounting Hardware
– 1 Year WarrantyOptions:
– Bluetooth
– GPS
– Barometric altimeter and thermometer
– 220MHz
– LW Band
Very interesting, Cap! Thank you for sharing. Honestly, I have a very difficult time keeping up with the radio equipment being produced and sold out of China.
And you’re right: what a surprise to find HF coverage on a dual-band mobile radio and especially longwave coverage! Like you, I wouldn’t anticipate stellar performance. The price is certainly “bargain basement” at $210 US shipped.
SWLing Post readers: Has anyone purchased and tested the ZT-D9000? Please comment!
BBC and Marketplace to launch new global business broadcast
(Source: Talking Biz News via Howard Bailen)
Marketplace and BBC World Service announced Tuesday a new daily global business broadcast, “Marketplace Morning Report” from BBC World Service.
The new broadcast launches Tuesday, Sept. 5 on U.S. public radio stations nationwide. The program will be hosted live from London by the BBC’s Anu Anand, who has more than two decades of experience as a global journalist.
“There are large scale shifts underway in the global economy, and our expanded relationship with the BBC will provide millions of public radio listeners in the U.S. with a fresh global perspective to start their day,” said Deborah Clark, senior vice president and general manager, “Marketplace,” in a statement. “We see this collaboration as an important element in realizing our goal to increase the economic intelligence of all Americans by applying global context and tying it together for U.S. audiences.”
Continue reading the full article at Talking Biz News…
Many thanks for the tip, Howard! Marketplace with Kai Ryssdal is one of my favorite radio broadcasts–I rarely miss it. I’m looking forward to the new Marketplace Morning Report collaboration.
Jeff seeks crowd funding for HAARP experiment
Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Jeff Dumps (KL4IU), who writes:
I was wondering if you would be interested in sponsoring my amateur radio science experiment at HAARP. I am a new ham, and have participated in the February HAARP campaign, assisting Dr. Chris Fallen. It has inspired me to try an experiment. My experiment is designed to analyze the modulation frequencies and their effect on ionospheric cross modulation (Luxembourg Effect). Not only would this be a great opportunity for me, but also it could help the HAARP facility with more positive media coverage. It could also get other amateur radio folks interested in HAARP and the science behind it. As far as I know, there hasn’t been a crowd funding campaign for HAARP time – so that would also be a very cool first if it is successful.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could share my campaign with the SWLing Post folks. I’ve raised $100 so far from one donor, only $900 more to go!
Here is the link to my crowd funding campaign page. On the page it has more details and a link to my experiment outline which details exactly how the experiment will be conducted.
https://igg.me/at/haarpradioexperiment/x/17133291
Thanks for your time!
You are most welcome, Jeff! Good luck!
New Mediumwave Facility for Fiji
There’s an interesting YouTube documentary released by the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation on the refurbishment of both transmitters and antennas for the mediumwave outlets of 558 and 990 kHz. This was completed with the financial and technical assistance of the Japanese government. It will be very interesting for MW DXers to see how well the new facility will be heard beyond the Fijian borders.
https://youtu.be/VTLKeW-TmoQ
There is also a somewhat less interesting YouTube video of the Fijian dictator Prime Minister Bainimarama at the official launch of the revitalized service, which can be found at https://youtu.be/kOza_Ov7f48
It was fascinating to hear Prime Minister Bainimarama talking about democratic freedoms in the broadcasting media….This from a man who for many years has done his level best to suppress and control the Fijian media on countless occasions!
(My thanks to Mauno Ritola and Bruce Portzer for alerting me to the above links)
73, Rob Wagner VK3BVW
Rob Wagner, VK3BVW, is the author of this post and a regular contributor to the SWLing Post. He also blogs at the Mount Evelyn DX Report.
Digitech AR-1780: unboxing, photos and initial impressions
[UPDATE: Click here to read our full review of the Digitech AR-1780.]
Yesterday, prior to heading out the door for two days of travel, I received the Digitech AR-1780 I ordered ten days ago from an Australian eBay vendor. I’m very pleased with how quickly the order was processed and delivered via the post. The radio arrived in a rugged mail pouch and was double boxed inside.
I’ve had no time to evaluate the radio’s performance yet, but I thought I’d post a few photos I took while unboxing the AR-1780.
There’s not much in the box: just the radio and an owner’s manual. There are no batteries, no charger, and no case or carry bag. That’s okay though as the AR-1780 takes standard AA cells and I have an assortment of bags that can protect it in my suitcase.
The buttons all have a responsive, tactile feel. The hard plastic chassis feels durable.
I really like the dedicated fine tune control on the right side of the radio. Nice touch! But 7 VDC in? That’s an odd voltage for a power supply. That’s okay by me as I never use wall wart type power supplies due to inherent noise–rechargeable Enloop AA batteries are how I power all of my portables. 
Bonus! There’s also a dedicated external antenna jack! One odd thing, though, is the AR-1780 breaks the convention of having the volume control on the right side of the radio–it’s on the left instead.
Last night, I tuned around the 31 meter band and the AM broadcast band. I listened to the French language service of Radio Romania International from inside a noisy house–armchair copy.
The AR-1780 has an impressive 7 AM bandwidth settings: 6, 4, 3, 2.5, 2, 1.8 and 1 kHz. My radio defaulted to 2.5 kHz, so you’ll want to widen that to 4 or 6 kHz before listening to most broadcasts.
I really like the display–it’s compact, yet contains quite a lot of info and even has a dedicated line for FM RDS content.
This morning, I took a couple shots of the AR-1780 next to the venerable CC Skywave. The Skywave is slightly smaller in every dimension. 
Stay tuned! Though this is a very busy week for me–with travels and total solar eclipse preparations–I plan to put the Digitech AR-1780 through the paces. I’ll try to post updates as I have time. Follow the tag: Digitech AR-1780
Radio: “One of history’s most important inventions”
(Source: CNN)
There are few more important inventions in the history of the world than the radio.
While in recent years it may have become less popular than television or the internet, it could be argued that the radio was the first electronic gadget to play a prominent part in people’s lives.
Radio is where the world first heard Britain declare war on Germany, where Orson Welles accidentally fooled the public into believing a real alien invasion was under way in his “War Of The Worlds” serial and where young people first heard Billy Haley’s “Rock Around The Clock,” spreading popular music around the world.
But it is not just an aural medium. Like all important pieces of technology, design has had an essential part to play in its evolution.[…]