{"id":6757,"date":"2013-06-24T18:52:41","date_gmt":"2013-06-24T22:52:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=6757"},"modified":"2013-06-24T18:52:41","modified_gmt":"2013-06-24T22:52:41","slug":"a-review-of-the-tecsun-r-2010d-shortwave-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/06\/a-review-of-the-tecsun-r-2010d-shortwave-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"A review of the Tecsun R-2010D shortwave radio"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>

The Tecsun R-2010D (click to enlarge)<\/p><\/div>\n

SiLabs DSP chips are now in the bulk of the newest portable shortwave radios on the market. And it\u2019s no wonder: these small chips offer more features and improved performance, when properly implemented. Manufacturers love them, of course, because these little chips allow them to produce radios at a much lower cost\u2013some of which they pass on to the consumer\u2013for widening their profit margins.<\/p>\n

While there are a few other mechanically-tuned DSP portables on the market\u2013the Degen DE321<\/a>, DE32<\/a>, Kchibo KK-9803<\/a>, to name a few\u2013the Tecsun R-2010D stands apart in that it has a digital frequency display. Tecsun was able to achieve this by building the R-2010D around the SiLabs Si484X<\/a> chip set. The Degen and Kchibo models actually use the Silicon Labs Si4831\/35-B30<\/a>, which lack a provision for digital display.<\/p>\n

Tecsun first announced this receiver three years ago with the model number R-2010. Since then, I have received a lot of questions about this particular radio, so when I first heard that the R-2010D was available for purchase, I ordered one immediately from Anon on eBay<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Unpacking<\/h2>\n

I received the R-2010D in less than two weeks via airmail from Hong Kong. It was packed in a padded envelope, and while the postal service wasn\u2019t terribly gentle with the package (the R-2010D\u2019s box had damaged corners) the radio inside was perfectly fine.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Tecsun R-2010D compared with my Sony ICF-SW7600GR (click to enlarge)<\/p><\/div>\n

My first surprise after pulling the R-2010D from its box was the discovery that it was much<\/em> bigger than I thought it would be. I had assumed it would only be marginally bigger than the Degen models listed above; instead, it\u2019s almost identical in size to my Sony ICF-SW7600GR (one of my largest true portables).<\/p>\n

Immediately, without even turning the radio on, I noticed that Tecsun had put more thought behind the R-2010D mechanics and ergonomics than either Degen and Kchibo had in their comparable models.<\/p>\n

First of all, the larger size means that the analog display is relatively large. One of the problems with the smaller portables is the difficulty in reliably tuning in a station on a tiny analog dial. With the larger dial, I could tell the R-2010D would be easier to tune accurately.<\/p>\n

The telescopic whip antenna is another strong point. Like pricier portables, it is fairly robust, long, and fully rotatable. This is a welcome departure from many portables I\u2019ve seen lately that have puny, fixed-position telescoping antennas. I was even further shocked to notice a dedicated FM & shortwave antenna jack on the left side of the unit. Wow.<\/p>\n

\"(click<\/a>

(click to enlarge)<\/p><\/div>\n

My R-2010D also came with a nice carrying bag and a pair of headphones. While it lacked a set of Ni-MH rechargeable batteries (which can be charged internally), I was pleased with Tecsun\u2019s choice of AA batteries instead of the thin Ni-MH proprietary battery pack the Degen models use. I\u2019m one radio listener that is content having a slightly larger radio in exchange for powering my receiver with standard AA cells. Plus, I have a large collection of Ni-MH AA batteries and a charging station specifically for use in my portables (and you should, too\u2013check out my previous post on the topic<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Performance<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve had the R-2010D on the air for a few days, and have formed some initial impressions. I may follow up in the near future with corrections or further observations [spoiler alert: especially since there are serious issues<\/em> with this model] but I feel pretty confident about my assessment, even with only a few days on the air.<\/p>\n

First, let\u2019s talk about the positives…<\/p>\n

What a difference a digital display makes<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"(click<\/a>

(click to enlarge)<\/p><\/div>\n

One commonality in all my previous reviews of mechanically-tuned DSP radios is the quirkiness of a precise 5 kHz stepped digital tuner with a vague mechanical analog display as interface. The combination, especially with a little muting between frequencies, makes for a band-scanning chore.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m willing to bet that Tecsun realized this weakness and this is the reason they redesigned the radio around the Silicon Labs Si484X (sources tell me when Tecsun first announced the R-2010, they had planned to use the Silicon Labs Si4831 chipset). The Si484X chip allows the R-2010D to offer a precise digital frequency display next to the analog dial. Nice touch; you can accurately<\/em> confirm your frequency! Secondly, the R-2010D analog dial is large, making the space between tuning steps more broad and therefore easier to find.<\/p>\n

In fact, the Tecsun excels in the tuning category. While there is some noticeable muting between frequency changes, it\u2019s not as distracting as other models listed above. Additionally, the tuning wheel itself is silky-smooth to operate, much like higher-quality Sony and Grundig analog portables of the past. There is no lag time or \u201cplay\u201d in my R-2010D\u2019s dial. Another nice touch: the tuning needle is thin, making it much easier to precisely place the needle on your target frequency (you can then fine-tune with the digital display).<\/p>\n

Audio<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"(click<\/a>

(click to enlarge)<\/p><\/div>\n

Another strong point, of course, is audio fidelity. Being a larger portable means that the R-2010D has a larger front-facing speaker. Audio from the internal speaker is actually better than my Sony ICF-SW7600GR offers.<\/p>\n

Even better, the R-2010D has a three position tone control switch (low, medium, high). I find that for AM listening, the low position seems to strike the right balance, especially during summer conditions when high-pitched static crashes and pops are ever-present. On the FM band, I find that I keep the tone control set to medium. The high position is rather high and I find that I personally don’t use this tone position.<\/p>\n

FM performance<\/strong><\/p>\n

While still on the topic of clear positives, I can say that the FM performance of the R-2010D is above average. It can easily receive my benchmark distant NPR station with little static or fading. I can also hear all of my local FM stations with ease. Any distortion or noise seems to be very low on the FM band.<\/p>\n

Shortwave performance<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve spent the bulk of my R-2010D listening time on the shortwave bands. The following are my observations:<\/p>\n

Sensitivity: great<\/strong><\/p>\n

In terms of sensitivity, the R-2010D is great; very acceptable for a radio in the $40 US price group. I can hear stations with it that I cannot hear on my other mechanically-tuned DSP radios and, indeed, it seems to have sensitivity on par with my Tecsun PL-380. The PL-380 has a slight edge on the R-2010D, but only noticeable with the weakest stations. In fact, what probably gives the PL-380 an edge is its automatic gain control, which does a much better job of handling weak signal stations than that of the R-2010D. The R-2010D is not, however, as sensitive as my Sony ICF-SW7600GR (a radio three times the cost of the R-2010D).<\/p>\n

Selectivity:\u00a0unfortunately, terrible<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In my opinion, the biggest failing of the Tecsun R-2010D is its very poor selectivity.<\/p>\n

The second time I turned the R-2010D on, I tuned it to the morning broadcast of Radio Australia on 9,580 kHz. If you\u2019re a regular here at the SWLing Post, you\u2019ve probably heard one of the many recordings<\/a> I\u2019ve made of RA on 9,580; it has a blowtorch signal into eastern North America.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what happened: I tuned the R-2010D to 9,580 kHz, only to hear China Radio International (CRI)\u2013with beautiful fidelity, I might add. At first, I thought that perhaps the Radio Australia signal had gone off the air. I checked my WinRadio Excalibur SDR<\/a>, however, and saw that the Radio Australia signal was one of the strongest in my 30 MHz bandwidth display. It was being broadcast with its usual strength out of Shepparton. CRI, though, had a blowtorch signal as well on 9,700 kHz; only 10 kHz away. The CRI broadcast might have been ever so slightly<\/em> stronger than the RA signal.<\/p>\n

For some reason, the R-2010D could only<\/em> detect the CRI signal; there was not even a trace<\/em> of Radio Australia. I began to wonder if the R-2010D had poor alignment, so I tuned to other stations on the air, but found they were basically showing as broadcasting on frequency; alignment wasn\u2019t the issue.<\/p>\n

I grabbed a few other radios that were handy for comparison, and made quick recordings. Here is what I heard:<\/p>\n

The Degen DE32<\/strong> was being battered by the CRI signal, but I could still hear Radio Australia:
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