Category Archives: Portable Radio

Tropical Band DXing at home with Elad FDM DUO and Wellbrook ALA1530 active loop

Recently I have spent a little more time listening out for Tropical Band stations from my shack in Oxford UK, attempting to emulate some of the very nice signals I have previously recorded out on DX’peditions. The obvious problems with this (and they are numerous) include the relatively weak signal strength of many tropical band stations, the ubiquitous blanket of QRM, resulting in generally poor SNR, lack of space for a large antenna……need I go on?! Fortunately, the Elad FDM DUO has proven to be a very senstive and selective receiver, capable of, at times, incredible SNR, coupled with almost limitless signal conditioning options and SSB, SYNC, ECSS etc. Throw the Wellbrook ALA1530 active loop into the mix (not literally!) and you have a very powerful Tropical Band receive set-up. The Wellbrook is able to null most (although not all) QRM in my shack and that really can make the difference between simply observing a carrier and actually hearing audio. Clearly one cannot expect to hear DX at home under heavy QRM as well as you might outdoors, however, the following stations were logged in the past month or so, with respectable signals, with the ALA1530 indoors:

Video links also follow below, thanks for reading/ watching.

Direct link to Oxford Shortwave Log video; Radio Logos 4810 kHz, Peru

Direct link to Oxford Shortwave Log video; Radio Cultura Ondas Manaus 4845 kHz, Brazil

Direct link to Oxford Shortwave Log video; AIR Bhopal 4810 kHz, India

Direct link to Oxford Shortwave Log video; Rádio Educação Rural 4925.2 kHz, Tefé, Brazil

Direct link to Oxford Shortwave Log video; Radio Mosoj Chaski 3310 kHz, Bolivia

Clint Gouveia is the author of this post and a regular contributor to the SWLing Post. Clint actively publishes videos of his shortwave radio excursions on his YouTube channel: Oxford Shortwave Log. Clint is based in Oxfordshire, England.

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Gary’s Arvin Model 61R35 brings back memories

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gary Wise (W4EEY), who shares the following guest post:

It’s funny how much we radio folks share in common. The recent posts on Arvin radios made me smile because I have an Arvin radio too. An Arvin transistor was my very first radio, and here she is:

This is the Arvin Model 61R35 in Ice Blue (it also came in black). My parents bought it for me in roughly 1962 or 63. It was the first radio that was mine (though we did have an older Crosley tabletop in the living room of our house in Midland, Michigan that we all used). Mine had seven Germanium (!) transistors (as silicon transistors were not yet in wide production in the early 60s).

And Made in America! Arvin was an Indiana company as I recall.

It used a Round 9V battery. They were hard to find even back then, and I expect impossible to find today.

I used to love to put my fingers on the PC board while the radio was on and listen to the buzzes and noise that I could create. Unfortunately, I think this is what killed the radio and required my folks to mail it off to the big city (Flint, Michigan) to have it repaired. No one in my “little” town could fix solid state radios back then.

I was fortunate not to lose this radio in my many moves throughout the years. I display in proudly in my ham shack.

Thanks for the memories!

73,

Gary
W4EEY

And thank you for sharing your memories and the great photos of your Arvin Model 61R35, Gary! What a cute little radio–I’m glad you’ve taken care of it all of these years.

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Myanmar Radio, Yangon, heard in Oxford UK on 49 and 41 metres

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Hi there, I thought some of the readers of SWLing post might be interested in my reception of Mayanmar Radio, Yangon, during a late-night DX’pedition in Oxfordshire, UK. I managed to catch them on 5985 and 7200 kHz; the latter was a personal first and perhaps further confirmation that my 200 metre longwire is contributing in a positive way to my mobile listening post. Subscribers and regular visitors to Oxford Shortwave Log on YouTube will know that I am forever trying to push the performance of my vintage portables to the limit of what’s possible, in the hope that I might hear something very exotic. it’s happened once or twice and thus worth all the effort in the small hours. Thanks for watching/ listening.

Direct link to Oxford Shortwave Log for Mayanmar Radio reception video 5985 kHz

Direct link to Oxford Shortwave Log for Mayanmar Radio reception video 7200 kHz

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AM Mode: Comparing the Elecraft KX2 with the LNR Precision LD-11

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My new Elecraft KX2 tuned to Radio Australia this morning.

I’ve only had my Elecraft KX2 since Monday evening and have been so busy, I’ve only had an hour or so to tinker with this pocket transceiver. Monday evening, before putting it on the air, I updated the KX2 firmware to the latest Beta release which includes the new AM mode.

I’ve had so many questions from readers about the KX2’s AM audio already, I thought I’d do a quick comparison with the LNR Precision LD-11.

I set the LD-11 to a bandwidth of 9.6 kHz, and the KX2 to 5 kHz: their widest AM filter settings. Keep in mind, this is not an apples-to-apples comparison, but it does showcase each radio’s potential AM audio fidelity.

I tuned both rigs to the Voice of Greece last night on 9420 kHz around 00:30 UTC. VOG’s signal was strong into North America.

I made the following recordings with my Zoom H2N digital recorder, by feeding in-line audio patched from each radio’s headphone jack. I tried to balance the audio levels between the two rigs.

Here are the results:

The LNR Precision LD-11

Click here to download the audio.

The Elecraft KX2

Click here to download the audio.

The Elecraft KX2 in “Delay” audio mode

Note: Some Elecraft radios have an audio effects mode which includes a “delay” function. Elecraft describes it as “a quasi-stereo effect intended to provide depth and space to the received audio.” On an AM broadcast signal, it makes it sound wider and gives it almost a stereo depth.

Click here to download the audio.

I think the results from both radios are impressive. Since the LD-11’s bandwidth can be widened to 9.6 kHz, strong signals like this one sound pretty amazing. In truth, I actually prefer a filter width of about 8.2 kHz on strong signals, but VOG was wide enough to justify 9.6 kHz. I believe the LD-11 would rival many dedicated tabletop receivers.

The Elecraft KX2, in normal audio mode, sounds flatter and narrower than the LD-11 of course, but still very pleasant! In the KX2’s “delay” audio mode, the signal sounds much wider than 5 kHz, though the effect adds a little graininess to the audio. That’s okay, though–I love having the “delay” audio option in my tool bag.

Here’s what amazes me as an SWL and ham radio operator: both of these QRP transceivers offer excellent HF broadcast listening opportunities.

Please comment! Which audio sample do you prefer? Do you like the “delay” audio effect on the KX2? Keep in mind this is only one comparison and doesn’t address sensitivity or selectivity.

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Arvin Model 68R05: John’s 1967 transistor radio

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arvin_68R05

Many thanks to John Harper (AE5X) who shares the following in reply to our post about transistor radios:

Attached is a pic of a like-new transistor radio from 1967 [see above].

Remember the days when they bragged about how many transistors a gadget contained?! Sort of like bragging about RAM or clock speed today I guess.

That’s a cute little Arvin radio, John!

You’re right, too–radio manufacturers used to boast transistor compliment like nothing else. Crosley, Zenith and RCA did the same thing–boasting tube/valve numbers–in their 1930s consoles as well. Thanks for sharing the photo of your pocket radio!

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eBay find: Mint Panasonic RF-2200

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jeff McMahon, who writes:

There might be a bidding war on this “possibly never used” with box Panasonic RF-2200.

Click here to view on eBay.

Last night, when Jeff sent this link, the price was still under $300–it’s now over $400. I suspect this listing might achieve top dollar.

It’s certainly saying something that this RF-2200 even includes the original four Panasonic D cells in the supplied cardboard tube! (I wonder what their voltage would be after all of these years?).

For what it’s worth, the RF-2200 is the best mediumwave/AM receiver I’ve ever used. They’re widely available on eBay and one in decent condition will typically fetch $200-300 US. Money well-spent if you want a benchmark portable with amazing audio fidelity.

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