Monthly Archives: February 2021

AM Dxing with the Sangean PR-D15

Guest Post by Troy Riedel

Since the demise of my Sony ICF-SW100, I’ve decided to do some AM Dx’ing. A few years ago I purchased a Sangean PR-D15 as my dedicated “AM Dx Radio”. Despite owning it for a few years, I hadn’t yet really put it through its paces.

Note: My 1994 Gründig Yacht Boy 400, with its 150mm (5.9″) ferrite rod antenna, performs splendidly on AM and until this purchase, the YB400 was the radio I grabbed for AM Dx.

At the time of my purchase – if my memory is correct – the other models I had considered were the CC Radio 2 (now discontinued), the CC Radio 2E (it was a relatively new release at the time), and the Original CC Radio EP (now discontinued & replaced by the CC Radio EP Pro).

Admittedly, part of my decision was based on cost. At the time, the CC Radio 2 & 2E were priced over 2x the cost of the PR-D15 and the CC Radio EP was $15-$20 more when shipping was added. Besides the cost, I chose the PR-D15 based on a few things I had read online. But the aspect that really appealed to me is the 200mm (7.9”) Ferrite Rod Antenna and that compared favorably with the C. Crane offerings (yes – ferrite size isn’t everything, but it is an important consideration). So after having read online comments (reviews, discussion boards, etc.) about the PR-D15, I felt very comfortable with my decision and it wasn’t based on cost alone.

Frankly, I don’t really care how well my AM radio performs during the day (I hope this isn’t sacrilege). Why? During the day whether I’m in the car, working in the garage – whatever – I’ll typically stream my favorite station (NYC) via radio.com on my iPhone so I can pause, rewind, or pick-up where I left off. Until my Sangean PR-D15 can do that, I prefer to daytime stream. My “hobby” of AM Dxing is in the evening – to relax and have fun (and isn’t that what a hobby is supposed to be?). Keep that in mind as I reveal my results.

I intended to do my AM Dx Nighttime Test in one night, but I was getting so may stations that I had to extend it over two nights. I started each session around 8PM and they lasted until 11:30PM – 12AM (over 7.5-hours of testing on consecutive nights late this week). I had my PR-D15 on a lazy susan turntable and I had two nearby laptops – one to aid as an AM Station locator and the other I used to stream. Stream? Yes – to count as a recorded station I had to get a positive station ID. However, many radio programs are syndicated. Syndicated radio (and ESPN radio) can go on seemingly forever between station IDs. If I didn’t get a station ID within 15-minutes, I used the second laptop to go to the web site of the station I believed it to be to “listen live” to see if the radio and the stream matched-up (luckily live web streams are slightly behind live terrestrial radio so the IDs were easy). Often by the time I had given-up and gone to my 2nd laptop, I’d finally get an on-air station ID. I just didn’t want to waste too much time on one station and miss other stations.

Since my test extended for 2 nights, on night two I quickly dialed-through nearly all of the stations I confirmed on night one to make a quick re-confirmation they were still audible on the 2nd night.

Since I captured so many stations, I was overwhelmed trying to finish and thus I feel this test is still incomplete. My wife typically ends all of my radio playtime (my man cave is a “sitting room” off the side of the master bedroom & there is no wall – no door – so it’s completely open). But my wife and my step-daughter have a weekend out of town in mid to late March. And that means I can stay up all night and do one non-stop test session. Is it bad to say that I cannot wait to be alone?

My QTH is ~ 35-miles east of RIC (Richmond, VA) Airport. The tables below (broken into three files) are my results. Some frequencies have multiple station IDs – since when turning the radio and nulling signals, sometimes one station disappeared and another jumped onto the dial. If/when I post an update of my all-nighter, I’ll add another column to the spreadsheet to include the transmitter strength for better context. It should also be noted that I recorded straight-line distances & not driving distances (via an online straight-line/GPS calculator).

I was impressed that I successfully captured three Iowa stations. And though I find it almost unfathomable, I truly believe I was on the verge of successfully logging a station in Sandy, UT which is over 2000-miles away (there are only six stations assigned to the 1640 frequency, and given the content I [barely] heard, all indications are that it was KBJA)!

I also believe I captured at least one Super-Clear Channel station from Mexico, but unfortunately I just couldn’t successfully verify the station ID. I hope to have a future opportunity to add it to my list.

My ultimate goal is to: (1) compile & maintain a spreadsheet of every AM station that I am able to successfully ID; and (2) maintain a record of the most AM stations I was able to ID in a single one-night, non-stop session.

Despite being somewhat incomplete, I’m impressed by my results. I’m interested to see what you think so please post your comments below!

I should note that my results are strictly off the internal ferrite antenna – no external antenna, no passive loop antenna was used to enhance any signal.

To save column space, please click on each table below. A larger & easier to read image will open in a separate window or tab (depending upon your browser setting).

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What’s your favorite general coverage transceiver for shortwave listening?

The Elecraft KX2 doing a little coastal SWLing.

Yesterday, at the (Virtual) 2021 Winter SWL Fest, I gave a presentation about QRP general coverage transceivers that I regularly use for shortwave broadcast listening (SWLing).

My discussion was limited to QRP–or low-power–transceivers designed for portable use, but they only represent a small fraction of the new and used transceivers on the market.

So what is “general coverage”––?

A ham transceiver with “general coverage” means that the receiver portion of the radio is not limited to the ham bands only; these receivers typically receive between 100 kHz and 30 MHz (i.e., the full medium and shortwave radio spectrum). Many transceivers, starting in the 1980s, employed a general coverage design as a feature of the radio. Some radios implemented general coverage receiving better than others. In most cases, there was a compromise to performance when the receiver was opened to general coverage reception, so many manufactures held to a ham-band-only platform to optimize performance where hams sought it most. Today, receiver architecture can better accommodate general coverage without compromising sensitivity and selectivity on the ham bands. This is especially true with new SDR-based transceivers that employ direct conversion or a hybrid architecture.

My favorite?

My current favorite is the new Icom IC-705. I purchased this rig last year and have done a tremendous amount of SWLing and MW DXing with it. I love its overall performance, portability and recording/playback features.

What’s your favorite?

 

I’m betting a lot of us use transceivers for shortwave broadcast listening.

What’s your favorite general coverage rig and why? I’m also curious how many of you almost exclusively use a transceiver for SWLing. Please comment!

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Radio Emma Toc World Service: March 2021 Schedule Summary

RADIO EMMA TOC WORLD SERVICE – SCHEDULE SUMMARY – MARCH. 2021  www.emmatoc.com

Programme Contents –  A look at the value of radio, Scandinavian Weekend Radio, Radio Sweden’s ‘The Saturday Show’, & lots of hellos to listeners, – followed by a 30 minute trial vintage music programme ‘The Wireless Years’.

Ways to listen…   Radio Emma Toc World Service – programme no. 11 – March 2021

You can listen online – www.emmatoc.com  – visit the ‘World Service’ page.

You can listen to our shortwave or MW or FM broadcasts via our relay partners as follows:

Happy listening! If you are outside the transmitter coverage areas, why not listen via the broadcasters’ online services. Website details for the above stations are listed on our own website www.emmatoc.org/worldserviceindex

If you don’t have access to receivers & aerials you can try using an online SDR receiver – ve3sun.com/KiwiSDR – experience the enjoyment of tuning around shortwave from worldwide locations online.

We are happy to issue eQSLs for reception reports sent to – [email protected] – & will gladly include for online reports. If using an online SDR, please give us the SDR location.

If any stations wish to relay our programme a download link is available on our website. Please advise us of times & dates so we can publicise in our schedule.

Thank you!

Jim Salmon  –  Radio Emma Toc

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Building Radio Bridges: Audio Letters between Lockdown NYC and the Zambezi Valley

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Thomas Miller, who writes:

This Saturday at 5 pm Eastern Standard Time / Midnight Central Africa Time, Wave Farm and WGXC-FM present a special radio edit of “Building Radio Bridges: Audio Letters between Lockdown NYC and the Zambezi Valley.” More than 100 people in Africa, North America, and Europe participated in this north-south co-production in radio solidarity, produced by Tom Miller (aka Sonic Anthropology) and Claudia Wegener (aka radio continental drift) with CUNY Brooklyn College students, members of Zongwe FM in Zambia and Zubo trust for women’s development in Zimbabwe.

Feb 27, 2021: 4pm – 6pm
WGXC 90.7-FM: Radio for Open Ears
90.7-FM in NY’s Upper Hudson Valley and wgxc.org/listen everywhere
http://www.wgxc.org/

https://wavefarm.org/radio/wgxc/schedule/2gd7yb

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New Icom IC-7300 and IC-9700 firmware updates add features/enhancements

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ray Novak, who notes that Icom has issued the following firmware updates for the IC-7300 and IC-9700:

Icom IC-7300 Update

Changes from Version 1.30

[Spectrum scope is improved]
– A Scroll mode that can seamlessly change the displaying scope range, depending on the operating frequency, is added.
– A popup screen that displays when SPAN or EDGE change is added.
– The number of FIX EDGE memories is expanded to 4.
– Each band independently memorizes the Reference level.
– Improved the Scope function of the RS-BA1.

[Preset function is added for FT8 operation]
– A Preset function that can set each operation is added.

[Multi-function dial is enhanced]
– A Multi-function dial now works as a memory channel selector in the Memory mode.
– A Multi-function Menus Customization function is added.
– A function indicator for the Multi-function dial is added.

[Other changes]
– A Front Key Customization function that can change the function of [VOX/BK-IN], [AUTOTUNE], [?], and [?] is added.
– A MIC Key Customization function that can change the function of [UP] and [DOWN] is added.
– The Band Stacking Register window is added.
– While operating in the Data mode, the receive tone control is deactivated.
– The default setting of the CI-V USB Port is changed to “Unlink from [REMOTE].”

Refer to INFORMATION IC-7300 Version 1.40 for details.

The Scroll mode for the RS-BA1 Version 2 software will be added to Version 2.30.

Click here for full details and IC-7300 firmware update.

Icom IC-9700 Update

Changes from Version 1.24

[Spectrum scope is improved]
– A Scroll mode that can seamlessly change the displaying scope range, depending on the operating frequency, is added.
– A popup screen that displays when SPAN or EDGE change is added.
– The number of FIX EDGE memories is expanded to 4.
– Each band independently memorizes the Reference level.
– Improved the Scope function of the RS-BA1.

[Preset function is added for FT8 operation]
-A Preset function that can set each operation is added.

[Other changes]
– A Front Key Customization function that can change the function of [VOX/BK-IN], [AUTOTUNE/AFC], and [TONE/RX>CS] is added.
– A MIC Key Customization function that can change the function of [UP] and [DOWN] is added.
– A Touch function is added to the GPS icon.
– The “ddd.dddd°” format is added for the Latitude/Longitude display.
– While operating in the Data mode, the receive tone control is deactivated.
– A menu item that can return to the normal mode is added to the QUICK MENU of Terminal Mode and Access Point Mode.
– Fixed an issue where the time may not be displayed in the GPS POSITION screen.

Refer to INFORMATION IC-9700 Version 1.30 for details.

The compatible programming software for firmware update Version 1.30 can be downloaded here.

The Scroll mode for the RS-BA1 Version 2 software will be added to Version 2.30.

Click here for full details and IC-9700 firmware update. 

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Dan provides an update to his Sangean ATS-909X2 first impressions

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, DanH, who shares the following update to his first impressions of the Sangean ATS-909X2:


Update: Sangean ATS-909X2 First Impressions

by DanH

Sangean USA will offer a free software update to customers who have purchased the first USA mass production version of Sangean ATS-909X2. These radios are equipped with software VER-070. This is the same 909X2 version that I purchased last week and used for my “First Impressions” article. The software update to VER-073 will feature various bug fixes. Software VER-073 will be included with the ATS-909X2 shipment arriving at Sangean USA in March, 2021. These bug fixes are of a technical nature and beyond my ability to describe at this writing.

Sangean USA will offer 909X2 VER-070 owners a software update to VER-073 if they want it and as soon as Sangean USA receives the necessary update device from Sangean Headquarters.

So far, I have noticed no software bugs in 909X2 operation but like everyone else I am still new at using this radio. I hope to start entering saved shortwave station entries from my 909Xs into the 909X2 this week. In other notes, AIR band is working very well with my local international airport some 20 miles away. I also did a test on the 909X2 external antenna jack and confirmed that plugging an external antenna into this jack will disconnect the built-in ferrite bar antenna for MW and the telescopic whip for SW.

To display the 909X2 software version:

1. power up the radio
2. press and hold the INFO button for two seconds
3. turn the tuning dial until VER XXX appears on the display
4. to clear this information wait 10 seconds or hit the C button

Further details will follow as they develop.

May your shortwave listening be good and the geomagnetic field quiet.

DanH


Thank you for the update, Dan! 

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2021 Shortwave Shindig (in Exile) via WRMI

David Goren (left) and Richard Cuff (right) during the Shindig live broadcast at the Winter SWL Fest.

The Virtual 2021 Winter SWL Fest starts today and one of the Fest traditions–the Shortwave Shindig hosted by David Goren–will be broadcast via WRMI at 0200 UTC Saturday (9:00 EST Friday/Today) on 5,800 and 7,780 kHz. Please tune in!

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