Radio World features a tribute to the Zenith Transoceanic

Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post contributors who’ve shared a link to this excellent article by Denny Sanders in Radio World Magazine about the history of the Zenith Transoceanic:

Zenith Trans-Oceanic Radio in War and Peace

This iconic portable receiver was known for durability and quality

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Nothing proves this more than the story of how the iconic Zenith Trans-Oceanic portable radio receiver came into existence.

Commander Eugene McDonald (1886–1958), the founder of Zenith Radio, was a stickler for quality and insisted that any Zenith product represented cutting edge technology and design integrity.

He was also an accomplished yachtsman. During his many ocean voyages, he constantly was frustrated with the inability of any portable commercial radio set to perform reliably at sea. In about 1939, he ordered the Zenith R&D department to come up with a rock-solid, portable AM receiver sensitive enough to pull in signals from great distances. He insisted that the radio be a multi-band unit including shortwave, marine and aircraft bands.

The Zenith crew came up with a gem: the Trans-Oceanic, a gorgeous piece of engineering housed in a robust and dramatic cabinet designed by the brilliant Zenith industrial designer Robert Davol Budlong.[…]

Continue reading the full article at Radio World Magazine online.

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Ham Radio Friedrichshafen 2018 Vendor Photos

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mehdi Asgari (DF2HF / NM9A), who shares photos from the Friedrichshafen ham radio convention this year. Tomorrow, we’ll post his photos of the flea market area!


Ham Radio Friedrichshafen 2018

by Mehdi Asgari (DF2HF)

Mehdi is a software engineer and SDR lover working in Berlin. He’s a licensed ham (DF2HF & NM9A) and also a member of EP2C club.

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Test the MegaDipole MD300DX wideband active dipole via a KiwiSDR

In reply to our post about the Bonito MegaDipole MD300DX wideband active dipole antenna, SWLing Post contributor, Mark, comments:

Dennis from Bonito kindly sent me a sample megadipol and I’m truly impressed with it. The SNR is amazing right through the shortwave spectrum and really helps pull out weak signals.

I was particularly impressed to be able to pick up World Music radio on 5840 kHz all the way here in Ireland with just 100 watts in the evenings.

It’s also quite excellent on LW/MW.

See for yourself on my KiwiSRR just check out the SNR !!!

Click here to load Mark’s KiwiSDR in a new web page.

Thanks, Mark, for hooking the MegaDipole up to your live KiwiSDR!

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Radio Deal: Eton/Grundig Field BT on sale for $84.51

The Eton/Grundig Field BT

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

Hi Thomas…just an fyi that the price of the Eton Field AM/FM/Shortwave Radio w/RDS and Bluetooth has dropped to $84.51 shipped on Amazon.  I grabbed one hoping it’ll be a “poor man’s” S-8800. Like you say that price could go up at any time…it is Amazon after all. You might want to post this soon.

Click here to view on Amazon.com (affiliate link).

Thanks, Marty!  I think you’ll be quite happy with the Field BT’s performance. Troy made an excellent post comparing it with the Tecsun S-8800 last year. He and I met to compare the two units and I was pretty impressed with it.  It has its quirks (mainly with tuning), but the audio is amazing and sensitivity is impressive.

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The evolution of a radio shack…and parting ways with my Elecraft K2/100

[Update: One of our readers purchased the K2/100! Thanks!]

I freely admit it: a lot of radios enter and exit my radio shack––especially portable receivers and SDRs of all stripes.  It’s just the nature of doing gear reviews and evaluations. I also keep a fairly robust arsenal of radios here at SWLing Post HQ for future comparison reviews and evaluations as models are upgraded.

But amateur radio transceivers that I personally use at home and in the field––? These come and go much less often.

I feel lucky in that I get exposure to most of the radios currently on the market. Yet I’m also cursed in that I simply can’t turn off that internal reviewer when I use a radio! I’ve become a bit extra-critical, hopefully constructively so, of radio ergonomics, user interfaces, functions, and of course, performance.

I used to have a healthy selection of transceivers in my shack as well, but over the years I’ve found it necessary to distill them down to just a few––almost all of which, if you’re curious, are Elecraft models.

My Elecraft KX1 in the Pelican 1060 case which fit it and its accessories perfectly.

One of the first Elecraft rigs I owned was the KX1, the ultimate handheld field portable 4-band CW radio of its time. I believe I acquired it in 2008. SWLs will be interested to know that I could even tune to broadcasters on the KX1, using ECSS.

The Elecraft K1 (Source: Elecraft)

I loved the KX1 so much, in fact, shortly thereafter I purchased a K1.  The latter I ended up keeping for perhaps one year or so.

Soon thereafter, I purchased an Elecraft K2/10 (the “/10” stands for 10 watts).

I should note here, for those who are not familiar, that almost all of Elecraft’s products are available in kit form. The K1, KX1 and K2 are proper kits. You can’t buy them factory built at Elecraft. With that said, I’ve never had the pleasure of building any of these models from kit form because I purchased them second hand.

The Elecraft K2

The K2 has been in production now for twenty years (!!!) and it still has a healthy market and dedicated community. The K2 must be one of the best documented, benchmark performance through-hole kit transceivers ever made. Because of the robust user base and the fact Elecraft still produces it, it’s also one of the easiest radios on the market to diagnose and repair. The thing was designed to be a “hands-on” radio–to be pulled apart and serviced–there’s no mystery meat inside.

I used my K2/10 for many years…and assured myself I’d never sell it.

Grundig G3 shortwave portable (left), Elecraft KX3 general coverage transceiver (right)

Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men…! In 2011 Elecraft introduced the venerable KX3 and I fell head over heels for that radio (just read my review). All of a sudden, my trusted K2/10 wasn’t getting as much air time and started collecting dust, so I (reluctantly) sold it to free up some radio funds.

Then, within weeks of selling my K2/10, someone posted a K2/100–a 100 watt version of the K2–for sale on our local radio club’s email group. No one in the group showed interest. The sale was for a late local ham, now SK (silent key), and his friend who was selling off the equipment really wanted to unload it quickly for the benefit of his family. I expressed interest, and only two weeks after selling my K2/10, I was a K2/100 owner.

I figured this must be the universe intervening because, had I not sold the K2/10, there’s no way I would have had funds to purchase the K2/100.

After purchasing the K2/100, I sold my only other 100W rig:  my beloved Ten-Tec OMNI VI+. I had been the owner of the OMNI VI+ for more than a decade and it was a radio I dreamed about in the 1990s. Still, it took up way too much table space in my modest little shack and, yet again, I needed to consolidate.

Activating PK01 (The Appalachian Trail) with the KX2 during the amazing National Parks On The Air event.

Fast forward a few years to the day before the 2016 Hamvention:  Elecraft announced their new field portable radio, the Elecraft KX2. The Elecraft team gave me early access to the KX2 and once again, I was head over heels for this new rig. When I started my review of the KX2, I already knew I wanted one, so didn’t even bother reaching out to Elecraft for a loaner––I just bit the bullet and purchased it. Click here to read that review. Shortly after making this purchase, I sold my KX1.

If you’ve been keeping track thus far, you’ll note that I currently have: an Elecraft KX3, an Elecraft KX2 and an Elecraft K2/100.

You’d think I was an Elecraft fan, but that’s not entirely the case. Elecraft KX series transceivers simply suit my operating style and meet my performance expectations. Why?

  • excellent ergonomics
  • benchmark performance (just ask Rob Sherwood)
  • general coverage SW broadcast reception
  • accessible, friendly customer service
  • regular updates and upgrades
  • and brilliant portability!

Recently, I’ve come to realize that although I still love the K2/100 in so many respects, I reach for my KX3 and KX2 more often…even though the K2 is my only 100-watt transceiver.

For this reason, I’ve decided I must sell the K2/100 so that I can fund the purchase of the (rather pricey) Elecraft KXPA100 amplifier. With the KXPA100, both my KX3 and KX2 will have a 100-watt linear amplifier at their disposal. Integration is seamless, and the amplifier is quite portable. With the KXPA100, I’ll be able to run a “full gallon” on Field Day on two radios I know like I know the back of my hand (especially the KX2!).

It has the latest firmware and includes all modifications. It’s fully-loaded, too–here are the options:

  • KPA100 K2/100 Internal Integration Kit
  • K160RX 160M and 2nd RX port
  • KDSP2 SSB Adapter (which is now discontinued)
  • KNB2 High Performance Noise Blanker
  • KSB2  SSB option

The only option it lacks, as far as I can tell, is the K60XV (60M and transverter adapter).

I’m hoping to sell the K2/100 for about $900 shipped (unless you, gentle readers, advise otherwise).

My K2/100 will be on view at the Winston Salem, NC hamfest this weekend, where I plan to hold down a table with my buddy, Vlado (NC3Z). I doubt I’ll sell it there, so will likely post it online later.

Here’s the thing, though…I look at this awesome little radio and wonder why I’m selling it! And then I close my eyes….take some deep breaths…and remember that it’s all about consolidating the shack and maximizing the potential of the KX3 and KX2.

And, who knows? Maybe the universe will intervene once again, and I’ll own another K2 in the future.

Post Readers, weigh in:  What radios have you bought and sold?  Any regrets?  Which have been, or are still, your favorites––and why?

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Tom notes $14.99 closeout pricing on Sennheiser MM 50 iP ear buds

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

Just a quick note to allow SWLing blog readers to check out a nice pair of lightweight ear buds to use for listening for only $14.99.

I found these on Amazon from a Marketplace seller getting rid of discontinued stock. They are headsets for iPhone but seem to work just fine in any radio I plugged them into. The voice quality is very slightly on the bright side, which seems to help with hearing voice, especially if you have chosen a narrower bandwidth. There is good bass response, perhaps too much for shortwave listening but one can easily just unseat each ear bud from your ear canal slightly until the excess bass is gone.

Most bad ratings are of people too impatient to notice that the right ear cable is longer than the left for a very good reason. The right side drapes around the back of your neck to help hold the ear buds in place and you plug it into your ear from behind. This is by design and it works well without having to clip it to anything like a moving shirt collar! Great idea, wish other manufacturers would do the same.

They are comfortable to wear for long times. Just used them over the long weekend for a couple hours at a time and never noticed them. They use Sennheiser’s rubbery and removable ear cups that come is three sizes. I left the Mediums on but the Small and Large are in the package if you want to experiment.

I have also used them to listen to radio reviews on YouTube and hear great depth and separation in the video depending on what kind of video recorder the reviewer used and can really hear what the radio sounds like. Very nice.

Finally, in a pinch, you can use these on your smartphone as a backup headset. The mic input hangs right below the left of your jaw.

Get them while they still have stock. There are white and black versions but no choice allowed. I ordered two (I keep misplacing my CX-475 Sennheiser ear buds!!!) and they are both the black version, which is fine by me. Enjoy!

Click here to view on Amazon.com (affiliate link).

Thank you TomL! I just purchased a pair. I use in-ear headphones every day. I use them to listen to the radio, to podcasts, and as hearing protection when I’m operating my lawn mower, chain saw and trimmer. (When using them with equipment, though, I tuck the cord underneath my shirt so no wires hang out to get snagged).

I keep a spare set of in-ear headphones in my EDC pouch.

I always have a pair in both my right pocket and in a pouch in my EDC bag.  The ones in my EDC bag are Panasonic Ergofits and aren’t quite as good at sound isolation, but have decent audio and are very comfortable to wear while sleeping.

I’m looking forward to checking out the Sennheisers!  Thanks for the tip!

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Alan Roe’s updated A18 season guide to music on shortwave

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan Roe, who notes:

I have now updated my Music on Shortwave listing for A-18, and attach version 2.1.version 2.0.

Alan, thanks so much for keeping this excellent guide updated each broadcast season and for sharing it here with the community!

Click here to download a PDF copy of Alan Roe’s Music on Shortwave A-18 v2.1

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