Category Archives: Accessories

Guest Post: Review of the Tecsun AN-07 whip antenna extender

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Nicolás Colla, who shares the following review:

The Tecsun AN-07 is a whip antenna extender that is approximately 65 cm long. I bought mine from eBay seller Anon-co, and it arrived from Hong Kong in approximately twenty days.

The first thing I noticed with my new antenna is that it probably works only with Tecsun radios.

The antenna on my Degen DE-13 self-powered radio is too thin for the extension; the one on my Panasonic RF-3500 kitchen radio is too thick. I have another Tecsun antenna, the AN-05, which is a 6 m wire with a clip on the end that can be put on the radio’s aerial. I hung the AN-05 indoors, in the place with the least amount of RFI (just next to a window), and decided to compare the performance of my Tecsun PL-310ET with the default whip, the longwire and my new extension, on shortwave and FM.

For that, I made a quick scan of the bands with the Easy Tuning Mode (ETM) function of this radio, between 1330 and 1355 UTC. The results were the following:

Shortwave

With the default aerial: 3 stations found.

With the AN-07 antenna extension: 9 stations found.

With the AN-05 longwire antenna: 23 stations found.

As you can see, the AN-05, which is 6 times longer than the AN-05 (the aerial’s height is 1 meter with the added extension), gives by far the best results. Ironically, another scan with the AN-05 AND the AN-07 at the same time, with the clip adjusted on the extension, gives 29 different stations. I don’t know why, but it works better!

FM

With the default aerial: 42 stations found.

With the AN-07 antenna extension: 57 stations found.

With the AN-05 longwire antenna: 35 stations found.

The AN-07 seems specifically designed for FM reception, and it really shines on this band. The signal of a local station increases approximately +12 dbµV on this set’s signal meter.

In short, if you would like to get outstanding FM reception, or if you want to increase your shortwave signal quality JUST A BIT and don’t want to mess with wires, the Tecsun AN-07 is ideal.

Click here to view the Tecsun AN-07 on eBay.

Thank you, Nicolás, for the quick review! As you say, that’s impressive performance on FM especially. What I like about the AN-07 is that it’s passive and requires no power supply or batteries. It’s also compact and easy to pack for travels. Many thanks for sharing your evaluation!

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New release of Win4K3Suite includes broadcast EIBI schedules

1 Reply

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,Randy (KS4L), who shares the following update via Tom Blahovici of Win4K3Suite:

There is a new release of Win4K3Suite.

This release adds a number of new features. One of these is bound to bring you back in time…Win4K3Suite now includes the ability to search and display Shortwave radio stations if you have the general coverage option in your radio. This is made possible by supporting the EiBi database (eibispace.de) which is published 4 times a year. Here is an example of this in use with the built in Panadapter of Win4K3:

In addition, there are a number of additional new features and improvements such as a 1kHz snap in the spectrum and quicker resets of the ClubLog window.

You can find out more about Win4K3SUite here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=win4k3suite and at the website va2fsq.com.

There is a free 30 day fully functional trial.
73 Tom

Thanks for sharing this, Randy! Since the KX3 and KX2 are some of my favorite portable broadcast receivers, this is a most welcome development. I may have to give Win4K3Suite a try!

An external battery pack for the Sony ICF-SW35?

1 Reply

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Adam, who writes:

Hi Thomas I enjoy reading your blog and often when I put a question in Google yours is the first on the list so I wonder if you’d mind if I ask you a question about the Sony SW35.

I’m interested to try powering it from a power bank but I have no idea what DC plug to buy for it as I bought it second-hand without an adaptor.

I thought about taking a couple of wires out of the battery compartment but it wouldn’t look as nice so any help you could give me would be much appreciated.

Great question, Adam!

You can certainly find a DC plug that will work with the ICF-SW35. I believe this same plug was used with a number of Sony Walkman type players back in the day. You might be able to find one at the local charity/thrift shop in their power cord jumble.

I do know that the coaxial type plug needs to have positive tip polarity (click here to read about this in the owner’s manual) and the radio requires 4.5 VDC . The OEM power adapter (Model AC-E45HG) provided 700 mAh, but I don’t know what the ‘SW35 actually requires (other than something equal to or less than 700 mAh).

One option would be to find a 12VDC to 4.5 VDC converter like the Sony DCC-E345 and plug it into a 12VDC source (there are a number of high capacity 12V battery packs on the market).

Of course, you could also build your own external source by purchasing an appropriately sized external battery holder. I would use a D cell holder (I assume one to hold 3 cells at 1.5VDC x 3 = 4.5 VDC) which would provide much better capacity than a AA cell holder. (Something like this.)

I haven’t been able to determine the +/- voltage tolerance of the ICF-SW35, so I would keep the supply voltage figure at or below 4.5 volts.

One crucial number I’m missing is the coaxial plug size. I can’t seem to find a spec for OEM Sony AC-E45HG. I hope a reader might be able to help us here.

Post readers: Can anyone confirm the DC plug size for the Sony ICF-SW35? If you have any other advice or tips for Adam, please comment!

More info about Eneloops and avoiding counterfeits

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Following our post yesterday regarding Eneloop rechargeable cells, SWLing Post contribtors Guy Atkins and Ivan Cholakov both warned of numerous fake and counterfeit batteries available from sellers on eBay and elsewhere. Ivan notes:

Please be aware Eneloop batteries are widely copied and there are many many fakes out there. You should only buy them from a reputable source.

Thank you for that warning, Ivan!

Guy also comments:

I use Eneloop Pro AA batteries in small portables. The newest version of the “Pro” comes in a 2500 maH size and retains 85% of the charge for one year. The downsize is that this model is “only” good for 500 recharges. A useful comparison chart is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eneloop

[…]Here is a FAR more comprehensive page of Eneloop model & version comparisons, charts, FAQs, tips, warnings, etc.: https://eneloop101.com/batteries/complete-lineup/. This web site also contains warnings about Ebay fake Eneloops, and other useful details…probably more than most people want to know but if you want to make the most informed choice, check it out!

Many thanks to both of you for sharing. I agree that purchasing Eneloops from a reputable seller is incredibly important. For one thing, if you plan to invest in Eneloops, there is no rationale to buy something sub-standard. Additionally, I do worry about counterfeit cells having an unstable chemistry which could result in overheating or fire.

Click here to read our original Eneloop article with links to reputable sellers.

Marcus recommends Panasonic Eneloop rechargeable cells

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Marcus Keulertz, who writes:

I use these special rechargeable batteries [Panasonic Eneloop cells] for almost everything especially in household appliances and think what else?

In my energy hungry portable radios and active Loop Antennas. They are reliable power sources, especially in the cold weather period right now. They are quite expensive but worth to have them with you, when travelling.

Thanks for sharing, Marcus! Like you, I almost exclusively use Eneloop cells in my portable shortwave radios (save when I’m doing an evaluation and use fresh alkalines for comparison consistency). I even use Eneloops in my Elecraft KX3 transceiver. They’re brilliant! For daily use, Eneloops are simply invaluable as they hold a charge much longer than standard AA cells.

We’ve purchased three of the Eneloop starter packs in the past–two via Amazon.com (affiliate link) and one via Costco (who no longer sells them). I’ve also purchased these multi-packs of AA cells since they’re the most widely used battery in our household. The great thing about the starter packs is that they include AAA cells and D and C cell adapters.

True: Eneloops aren’t cheap, but I think they’re worth the price. Once I invested in them, I gave my other rechargeable cells away.

Thanks for your comments, Marcus.

Click here to shop Eneloops at Amazon.com (affiliate link). Also shop Walmart and B&H Photo.

DXtreme Station Log 14

Product Announcement DXtreme Station Log 14

DXtreme SoftwareTM has released a new version of its popular logging program for Amateur Radio operators: DXtreme Station Log 14TM.

New Features in DXtreme Station Log 14

DX Spot Checker Now Has Two Presentation Modes — Users can switch between Rich Site Feed and Grid Feed by clicking a tab on the window. The Rich Site Feed displays the actual, continuous feed from the Telnet server, and lets users interact with the server to set options like server-side filters and to perform queries. The new Grid Feed displays 10 to 50 rows (user’s choice) of DX spots in a structured, resizable, alternating-color grid. Grid-Feed spots can be displayed on a rotating basis (erase then continue) or by overwriting spots already displayed, as selected on the DX Spot Checker toolbar. Users can set fonts and colors for both feeds.
Suppress Verified Spots by Mode Per Band — When activated in DX Spot Checker Options, this client-side filter lets users suppress the display of spots for modes already verified within band plans defined on the Modes-Per-Band Plans tab.
JT Log Entry Processing — Users can have DXtreme Station Log 14 manage the pre- and post-log-entry population of the WSJT-X and JTDX log files, letting users perform all logging operations on the Station Log 14 window while keeping their eyes glued to the WSJT-X or JTDX interfaces for worked-before status indications. This feature is important when using quick modes like FT8.
Digital Application Assignment — When users add a JT log entry via JT Log Entry Processing, the Digital Application Used field is populated automatically with either WSJT-X or JTDX as appropriate. When using other applications, users can edit this field manually. And they can assign digital applications to pre-existing log entries by mode globally, filtered or unfiltered by date and band.
Club Log Record Creation — Users can create Club Log records in a special workfile automatically when adding or modifying log entries. The workfile can be viewed and edited, if needed, and uploaded via the Club Log web site. A Batch Upload to
Club Log function is available when Club Log does not contain all log entries.

Standard Features in DXtreme Station Log 14

DXtreme Station Log 14 lets hams log their contacts and import ADIF files from other programs. It supports major call sign subscription services, and offers the following multimedia and advanced functions:

DX Spot CheckerTM — Receives DX spots from Telnet-based servers and determines whether QSOs are needed for new or verified DXCC® entities, band-entities, mode- entities, or VUCC grids. Information displays on Rich Site Feed and Grid Feed tabs.
Automatic LoTW Upload — Users can set Station Log 14 so it uploads each log entry to LoTW automatically when added, capturing and saving QSO Record Status from the LoTW server as part of the process. Modified log entries can be uploaded as well. If desired, users can disable automatic uploading and can upload log entries to LoTW semiautomatically and manually in batches whenever they want to.
LoTW Reporting — Users can perform searches and run reports filtered by LoTW QSO Record Status, which indicates whether log entries are On, or Not On, the LoTW server following upload or QSL-updating. Users can also perform searches and run reports filtered by LoTW QSL Record Status, which indicates the date of each LoTW QSL record processed by DXtreme’s LoTW QSL Update Utility.
DX Atlas Integration — Performs Afreet DX Atlas azimuth plots from the user’s location to that of a spotted or logged station. Also creates maps for reports.
Rig Control — Tunes/retrieves frequencies and modes from supported rigs through integration with Afreet Omni-Rig.
QSL Processing — Creates QSL and address labels for physical QSLs, and supports the ARRL’s LoTW facility, including capturing LoTW QSL records as digital images.
QSL ImagingTM — Lets users scan and capture QSL cards and electronic QSLs into their log entries for browsing and viewing any time they want to.
Improv ImagingTM — Lets users associate adhoc images with their log entries separate from our popular QSL ImagingTM facility. Users can capture, scan, or paste any image and save it as a single-page .jpg, or single- or multi-page .tif. Improv images popular with users include signals on a spectrum analyzer or waterfall, QSOs conducted on ATV and data applications, and equipment used during contacts.
Audio Facility — Records and plays QSOs.
Reports — Provides a wide range of performance and station reports to let users see how well they’re doing. Reports can be filtered and sorted. Includes DXCC® and WAS AnalyticsTM tools for analyzing and enhancing DXCC and WAS standing.Operating System and Requirements, Pricing and Support

DXtreme Station Log 14 runs in 32- and 64-bit versions of Microsoft® Windows® 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista®, and Windows XP. It retails for $89.99 USD worldwide for Internet distribution. Reduced pricing is available for upgrading users. All prices include product support by Internet e-mail.

About DXtreme Software

Based in Nashua, NH, DXtreme Software produces powerful and easy-to-use logging applications for all kinds of radio enthusiasts — from short-wave and medium-wave listeners and DXers to Amateur Radio operators. For more information about DXtreme Station Log 14, visit www.dxtreme.com or contact [email protected].