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Elad USA Inc.
618 Cummings Chapel Road
Ridgeville, SC 29472 [email protected] or call 312-320-8160 (10am-6pm)
PRESS RELEASE
Elad S.R.L. Italy and Elad USA Inc.
Elad are pleased to announce the ELAD FDM-S3 is now in production and shipping to distributors world-wide.
The ELAD FDM-S3 is a 16bit state of the art Software Defined Radio, for radio enthusiasts, shortwave listeners and radio hobbyists and test labs. The S3 contains several exciting options. It will allow for reception of up to 24Mhz of bandwidth across the frequency range of 9kHz to 108Mhz as standard. (Extended range from 9Khz- 2Ghz will be available later in the year with an optional internal downconverter.)
Oscillator features:
Standard Oscillator version with TCXO 0.1ppm lockable to GPS (included) need only GPS antenna
Optional Oscillator OCXO with less phase noise and accuracy lockable to GPS. Includes GPS Antenna.
The radio can be used with Elad’s famous SW-2 software or third-party software, like SDR- Console from Simon Brown.
The radio has Bias-T power on two of the three antenna ports, one for HF and one for VHF to enable items like powered LNA/Filters
Connects to PC via USB3.0 cable (supplied) and GPS can also be interrogated via UBlox software.
Elecraft had hoped to start shipping the new K4 flagship transceiver this week and I’m sure it’s been a real challenge realizing this goal in the day and age of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This morning, Elecraft posted the following photo on their Twitter account with the caption, “New K4s in production 🙂“:
I’m sure this is a welcome sight for those who have pre-ordered the K4.
The following information regarding orders and availability was taken from the tinySA Wiki Page:
Buying the tinySA
There are currently (September 1st, 2020) no clone tinySA. All are genuine and manufactured by hugen.
Various persons bought some small amount of tinySA and are now selling them on various sites. The sellers listed below are official partners and are guaranteed to deliver good service in case of problems.
The tinySA is on pre-order at Alibaba.com
For other payment methods, such as Paypal, hit the “chat now” button and Maggie will help you.
At the right top of the browser window there should be “my messages” where you will have a better overview of your messages
Thank you again, Paul, for sharing this tip! I love how the tinySA developers recognize it’s only a matter of time before clones appear on the market. Sadly, a true sign of the times…
Caught in light rain while operating from South Mountains State Game Land.
I shipped the lab599 Discovery TX-500 I’ve been evaluating to HRO yesterday. I’ve had it on the air now for a week with intense use. I’ve activated a total of 8 parks in 7 days–via the Parks On The Air program. I’ve operated CW, SSB, and spent time listening to HF broadcasts.
I’ve gotten a number of questions from readers in comments and via email. What follows are my answers to the most frequently asked questions. Note that this will be a “living” FAQ post for the TX-500–I will update it periodically with new questions/answers:
TX-500 Frequently Asked Questions
Q: The TX-500 looks so thin and flat. Is it durable?
A: The TX-500 chassis is made of CNC-machined aluminum alloy. Without a doubt, it’s the most durable and rugged portable ham radio transceiver I’ve ever tested.
Q: Why did lab599 choose multi-pin connectors for the mic, speaker, and CW ports instead of standard 1/8″ plugs? Are they proprietary connectors?
A: Their goal was to make the TX-500 water-resistant. The TX-500’s connectors help prevent water intrusion. These are not proprietary connectors. While they’re uncommon in the world of amateur radio, they’re often used in aviation, commercial, and military applications.
The connectors are GX12mm in various pin numbers–refer to the port/pin configurations from the diagram above (taken from the TX-500 manual).
A: It’s my understanding that the TX-500 is sealed to the point of being water and weather resistant. Meaning, if it gets caught out in the rain, it should be fine. If you’re operating maritime mobile and it falls in the water? All bets are off. To my knowledge, the TX-500 is the most weather-resistant amateur radio transceiver currently on the market (please comment and correct me if I’m wrong on this point).
Q: Does the TX-500 have a built-in antenna tuner?
A: No. If you’re using the TX-500 you’ll either need a portable external antenna tuner, or operate with resonant antennas. In the field, I actually prefer using resonant antennas to get the most mileage per watt. At home, I employ an external ATU. In the field, I’ve used my ZM-2 ATU (see photo above) to tune my resonant antennas on other bands.
Q: Does the TX-500 have full break-in QSK for CW operators? Does it have pin diode switching?
A: No. The TX-500 uses a relay for transmit/receive switching. In my videos, you’ll hear the T/R switch as I’m keying. I keep the delay set to the shortest amount of time. At this setting, I can’t hear between characters, but I can hear between words. Some may call this “semi break-in.” The relay clicking, for what it’s worth, is the softest I’ve heard in a portable transceiver. I believe this is due to the fact the TX-500 is solid and sealed so thoroughly. You can hear it, though.
I believe this video will give you a good impression of how the relay sounds when set to the shortest delay/recovery time:
Q; How hot does the radio chassis become after continuous use?
A: Not hot at all. In fact, I’ve operated this rig up to two hours calling CQ at POTA sites and it just felt warm–not hot–which is exactly what I would expect. This radio was designed to be operated without any sort of cooling fan and the aluminum alloy chassis seems to do a fine job dissipating heat.
Q: How easily can the screen be read outdoors?
A: Very easily. Indeed, the LCD screen was designed for outdoor visibility. The screen has a sealed reflective covering that does produce some glare, but no more than any other field radio.
Q: How much current does the TX-500 draw on receive?
A: I’ve measured around 110 – 120 millamps with the volume level at a loud setting in the field. In a quiet environment like the shack, it draws 100 milliamps–I’m sure using headphones would be the same. This is very much a benchmark figure for full featured general coverage transceivers. It’s even a tad better than the Elecraft KX2.
Q: Who is lab599 and where do I send this radio if it needs repair?
A: Lab599 is a new radio manufacturer in Rubtsovsk city in the Altai region of Russia. See map:
Rubtsovsk city in the Altai region of Russia
At time of posting, I can confirm that there will be a US-based service center in Nevada. I don’t know yet if other service centers will be established across the globe.
Q: How much does the TX-500 cost and when will it start shipping?
A: According to Ham Radio Outlet and Pileup Communications–at time of posting, the only TX-500 distributors–they expect the TX-500 to start shipping mid-September 2020. The HRO price is $789.95 and Pileup Communications price is 890 EUR.
Q: Does the TX-500 ship with any accessories?
A: Yes. At least, the package Ham Radio Outlet is selling comes with a speaker/mic, and assortment of connectors–everything you need to get on the air. Click here for detail.
Accessory pack included with a Ham Radio Outlet purchase.
Q: Can I operate FT8, PSK31, and other digital modes with the TX-500? Does it have an internal sound card?
A: Yes, you can certainly operate digital modes with the TX-500. I did not have all of the connectors to do this with my pre-production demo unit. It does not have an internal sound card (so I would recommend something like the SignaLink USB), but it does have both CAT control and VOX capabilities in Digital mode. It should be simple to set up and easy to operate.
SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, and I have been evaluating a pre-production model of the Tecsun PL-990x portable shortwave radio–the same model which will be soon sold by Anon-Co.
Dan has just completed his initial assessment and included a long-format video. Many thanks to Dan for sharing the following:
I was able to spend some time outside my house here in Maryland, running the 990x and comparing it to the older receiver by Tecsun, the PL-880.
Tecsun undertook a thorough re-design of the PL-880, which among other things was known for its superb sound through a large speaker.
The 880 was available both on its own, or in a hard-case kit that also included (or includes assuming these are still purchasable) a separate Tecsun-branded solid state recording device, spare knobs and other accessories including Li-ion batteries.
So, the long-awaited PL-990, which we have been seeing in YouTube videos being tested by various individuals who purchased pre-production versions from Asian sites such as AliExpress, is finally here – or will be in coming weeks and months.
Those who view my videos know that I like to do fairly long hands-on tests of receivers, and this is no exception, at about 50 minutes. My test did not include medium wave or FM, focusing only on shortwave performance and using only the telescopic whip antenna.
Throughout the video, I do put the 990x up against the older PL-880, which had the well-known issue of poorly-implemented synchronous detection (SYNC was not an official feature in the older receiver).
IMPORTANT NOTE: On the 990x, hitting the “4” key while the radio is powered on activates DNR (Dynamic Noise Reduction) which then activates auto-bandwidth switching, a feature I found quite annoying in the PL-880 and would no doubt find just as annoying in the 990x. I can’t imagine why anyone would want bandwidths auto-switching on their own.
I always tell people who come to me for advice about radios that you don’t always have to have the latest receiver to enjoy what’s left of shortwave.
I am a big fan of classic older portables such as the SONY ICF SW55s, 7600GRs, SW100s, SW-07s, SW-1000Ts, SW-77s, etc along with other classics such as the Panasonic RF-B65. I own one or more of most of these – they’re a joy to use assuming they are in good condition.
One more thing – I did not compare the 990x to the Tecsun S-8800. I think they are really different radios – the 8800 has that gorgeous remote control and fantastic audio . . . I really don’t put it in the same category as the 880/990s or even the 600 series Tecsuns.
I will leave extensive tests of the 990x on medium wave and FM to others – there are already quite a few YouTube demonstrations online showing this. In the tuning I did on MW and FM, the radio did seem quite sensitive. I noted that whereas the 9 kHz bandwidth is not visible on shortwave, it is on MW.
Here is my list of high points and low points for the 990x. Since this receiver, and the still-to-be-released H-501, may in fact be the last we will ever see from Tecsun, it’s up to the individual to make a judgment as to whether to buy.
PL-990x High Points
A thorough physical re-design of the old PL-880
Tecsun has mostly fixed the problem with synchronous mode which is now a regular as opposed to a hidden feature.
Selectivity options are still excellent.
Calibration function retained (but see below)
Audio is fairly full and powerful.
Sensitivity seems good
Tecsun has added mp3 play capability and a microSD slot
Tecsun has added bluetooth capability (NOTE: This is activated by pressing the RADIO/MP3 key in powered off state, and then toggling Bluetooth on or off with the PLAY/PAUSE button).
Tuning and other knobs remain of high quality as on the PL-880
Bandwidths given their own separate buttons
Line out retained and hidden feature can adjust line out level
Claimed “Triple Conversion” in AM mode
Timer functions
ATS (automatic station tuning) retained
Nice faux-leather case retained
PL-990x negatives:
Re-design appears to have come at expense of speaker real estate.
Synchronous mode improved, but there still seems to be some distortion which is more noticeable on some frequencies and in some reception situations than others.
PL-880’s wide AM bandwidth of 9 kHz is no more at least on SW, but it does appear when using MW.
Sensitivity seems good BUT in some situations, PL-880 sounded better and seemed to bring in stations better
MicroSD capability does not provide recording from broadcasts (likely due to copyright issues)
Method for re-calibrating radio is puzzling – more information needed on this
Birdies are present
Top element of telescopic antenna is VERY thin, vulnerable to bending and breaking
Number keys seem to be not as good as they could be – the white paint on the keys is certain to fade over time. On my test unit part of the “W” on the MW/LW key was already beginning to disappear.
Many thanks, Dan, for sharing your initial review with us. As always, your expertise as an experienced DXer is incredibly valuable.
I’ve tested every function on the PL-990 save some of the hidden features (yes, there will be hidden features). Dan and I are both trying to sort out the calibration sequence so that when these units hit the market, there’ll be a documented procedure in place.
We’ve been comparing notes along the way and are in agreement on all of the major points with this radio.Still more testing to do, but updated with be posted here with the tag: Tecsun PL-990x
The lab599 TX-500 Discovery is a general coverage transceiver with AM mode, which means it can do double-duty as a shortwave receiver.
If you’ve been following previous TX-500 posts, you’ve seen me take this near military-grade portable transceiver to the field. I’ve activated a total of 6 parks in 6 days with it and it’s been a load of fun.
At home, I’ve also been doing a fair amount of SWLing with it in the evenings. I have a pre-production model that doesn’t include all of the accessories that will be provided with the production model. I don’t have a good way to port the audio out of the transceiver for recording at present, but I have been listening to broadcasts in the shack using a simple battery-powered amplified speaker.
I made a short video demonstrating the shortwave listening experience with the TX-500. It’s not a deep-dive by any means, but I thought it might provide a little more context. Keep in mind, I recorded this with my iPad, so the audio is far from ideal.
In general, the TX-500 is a fine radio for shortwave radio listening. It has the sensitivity and selectivity even a demanding DXer would seek. The TX-500 has a very low noise floor and an effective RF gain for mitigating summer QRN (static crashes) here in North America. I wish I had the time to tinker with the audio and see what sort of fidelity is possible. I’m not sure I’ll have time to cobble together a connection to my station monitors before I need to send it on.
Speaking of which, I’ll be sending this TX-500 to Ham Radio Outlet within the next two days. If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask now!
I will write-up a comprehensive review of the TX-500 in the October issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine (my IQ32 overview is in the September issue).
This week, I received a pre-production unit of the Tecsun PL-990x.
You might have noticed the “x” in the model number which is used to specify the particular model that will be exported and distributed by Anon-Co.
It’s my understanding that the PL-990x is essentially the same as the PL-990 when the MW tuning steps are set to 10 kHz. When set to 9 kHz steps, however, it differs. I was sent the following chart showing the differences between the models:
PL-990x photos
Click to enlarge the following photos:
The side ports have small, protective inserts installed. They’re tiny and not attached in any way to the chassis so could be easily lost.
They can be a bit finicky to put back in as well. I’m sure I’ll simply remove the one from the headphones port permanently and leave the others in.
It’s a nice option to keep unused ports free of dust and dirt.
The radio comes with rubber pads installed on the tuning, fine-tuning and volume knobs. This does add a little extra grip while rotating the knobs, but I don’t personally think they’re necessary. Fortunately, they’re very easy to remove if you don’t like them.
Another thing I love about the PL-990 are the dedicated mechanical switches on the front of the radio for functions like antenna switching, gain/attenuation, and back lighting:
The keypad layout is very logical and in keeping with previous Tecsun models.
I’ll soon be putting the PL-990 through the paces! So far, I’m very impressed with the build quality and built-in speaker audio. I’ve yet to properly evaluate performance.
Funny: I’ve been so eager to check out both the PL-990 and the lab599 TX-500. Both have been held months up due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This week, on the same day, I received them both. For a radio geek like me, it’s almost overwhelming.
(Source: Elad USA)
