Category Archives: Portable Radio

Details Emerge: The PantronX Titus II DRM Portable Receiver

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Harald Kuhl (DL1ABJ), who shares more details about the new Titus 2 DRM receiver via the DRM Consortium Chairman, Ruxandra Obreja:

NEW DRM RECEIVER UNVEILED at HFCC MEETING IN MIAMI, FLORIDA THIS WEEK!

The HFCC meeting is being held 22-26 August in Miami and on this occasion there was a live DRM transmission form Radio Vaticana received on the new Titus2 DRM receiver (pls. see attached document with picture and details) http://www.drmna.info/.

Here is also a little testimony of how this prototype to be sold “at under 100 dollars” performed from Ray Robinson, Operations Manager at KVOH (Voice of Hope / Voz de Esperanza):

I’m currently at the HFCC conference in Miami, and reception of the DRM broadcast here this afternoon was very successful. Reception was made outside the hotel on two receivers – a NewStar DR-111 and a brand new pre-production receiver from Pantronix called the Titus 2, with a cluster of attendees gathered round taking photos and videos. The latter receiver is based on an Android tablet in a stereo radio format with one speaker each side of the central horizontal tablet. Reception on both radios was solid throughout, on a day when analog reception on 16m was plagued with a lot of atmospheric noise. We haven’t done detailed calculations, but figure there were probably at least three hops from Italy to Miami, and for a daylight path, the reception quality was nothing short of astounding.

Click here to download the Titus II PDF brochure.

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200 metre longwire: Radio Verdad 4054.9 kHz, Guatemala, unprecedented reception in Oxford, UK

Sticky radios? John shares yet another solution.

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John Figliozzi, who writes:

Sean at Universal Radio in Reynoldsburg, OH put me on to another terrific product that does the job fabulously and quite easily. It’s called MaxPro Ink/Adhesive Remover and is a citrus-based cleaner/solvent that won’t harm the radio’s plastic casing. You can get it on eBay for around $11 with free shipping:

Click here to view on eBay.

It took me a total of less than 3 hours to clean both my E1s. I used a lot of paper towels, working a section of the radio at a time, spraying the solvent onto the towels and then rubbing the surface free of the degraded and sticky rubberized coating. After removing the coating, I simply wiped down the radio with a wet paper towel to remove any residual solvent. They are now clean and smooth and look like new with all the white print intact. And my hands didn’t suffer any from contact with the solvent.

A reminder if you do this: It’s important to seek out citrus-based solvents and avoid petroleum based solvents. It was so easy with this product that I wished I had done this a long time ago and wasn’t so nervous about taking it on.

John Figliozzi
Halfmoon, NY

Thank you, John! I just noticed that a few of my rubber-coated receivers are starting to get tacky. I like the idea that this adhesive remover is gentle on the chassis. Click here to search eBay for MaxPro Ink/Adhesive Remover.

We’ve posted a number of solutions for sticky radios. Click here to view past posts.

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DX’pedition: first test of deployable 200 metre longwire antenna by Oxford Shortwave Log

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A view looking toward Oxford Shortwave Log DX’pedition territory; a wood in rural Oxfordshire

Regular viewers of my youtube channel will know that I spend much of my shortwave listening time out in an Oxfordshire wood where QRM is negligable and Tropical Band stations can be heard with, at times, unprecidented signal-to-noise. Regular viewers will also be aware that I enjoy experimenting with different antenna set-ups, particularly pushing the boundaries with longwires coupled to portables. Having applied my rather modest practical skills, I constructed a 200 metre deployable 200 metre longwire antenna and finally got around to testing it, with my Elad FDM DUO and Sony ICF-2001D. There are a number of reception videos still to be uploaded to the Oxford Shortwave Log youtube channel, howvever, the immediate information and entertainment of SWLing Post readers, I have included two here. 🙂

The first is the more commonly heard Emisoras Pio XII from Boliva on 5952.5 kHz using the Sony and the second, the much more rarely reported Radio Chaski from Peru on 5979.9 kHz using the Elad. Both reception videos were very encouraging. In fact, I would go so far as to say they demonstrated excellent reception witihin the framework of their respective contexts. Emisoras Pio XII was almost booming with unprecidented signal strength and clarity, whilst Radio Chaski was heard with discernible audio. Neither station had been received as well at my QTH or the woods, previously.

Direct link to reception video of Emisoras Pio XII from Boliva on 5952.5 kHz

Direct link to reception video of Radio Chaski from Peru on 5979.9 kHz

I hope this gives other DXers ‘food for thought’ with regard to experimenting with antennas and perhaps more importantly, making significant improvements to SNR by removing themselves from the ubiquitous blanket of QRM generated by all of those devices at home that are intrinsic to modern life. Thanks for watching. 73.

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Warsan Radio 7750 kHz Baydhabo Somalia; on the Sony ICF-2001D telescopic antenna

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Hi there, great to hear this new station broadcasting from Somalia, during an early evening DX’pedition at my usual spot – a local Oxfordshire wood! Even better to hear it with just the telescopic antenna!

The ICF-2001D is renown for being extremely well ‘tuned’ to it’s own telescopic and this has been demonstrated many times over the past year or so that I’ve been using it. This signal from Somalia was recorded on 08/08/16 at 19:15 hrs UTC using just the ‘whip’. Please click on the image below to access the reception video.

Alternatively click here to watch the reception video on Oxford Shortwave Log

I have another video of the same signal which I will upload soon, demonstrating reception with a 50 metre longwre and the ICF2001D. Until then, I wish you all excellent DX!

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Radio Guinée 9650 kHz Conakry, Guinea; a strong signal with clear ID received in Oxford, UK

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A strong signal with a clear ID from Conakry, Guinea, heard in Oxford UK on 08/08/16 at 18:04 hrs UTC using my trusty Panasonic RF-B65 and a 50 metre longwire. No SYNC of course, but once again, the vintage Panasonic performs very well for this personal-first reception. I do have another recording of this station using the Sony ICF-2001D, from which a performance comparison can be made at a later date. Great to hear Radio Guinée by the way; I believe they had been off-air for around 5 years, until earlier this year. Click the image below to watch the reception video on Oxford Shortwave log.

Radio Guinée 9650 kHz Conakry, Guinea, heard by Oxford Shortwave Log