I've noticed a lot of folks getting swept up in the "ultralight" MW
DXing trend. I think the idea is to see who can snag the best DX with
the smallest radio.

I've always enjoyed playing the same game with HF DXing. I really
enjoy taking small portable receivers into RF-quiet zones to see what
kind of DX is possible. These endeavors inevitably involve
experimentation with reels and other simple external antennas, but
sometimes I restrict myself to just using the built-in whips.

So, I'd like to ask folks a couple of questions:

1. Which receiver is your favorite for portable DXing? I'm partial to
my Sony 7600G, 7600GR, Degen 1102 and 1103 and, of course, my Eton E5.
Do some of you have others that you prefer?

2. What is your best DX with a portable? I know I'm not likely to hear
the same things I do on my Icom R75, but I still think there's the
potential to snag some interesting DX. What's the best DX you've hears
on a small portable?

Hopefully, this will give us something to talk about other than this
silly election,

Mike
Louisville, KY
WA4009SWL

"Mike" wrote in message
...
I've noticed a lot of folks getting swept up in the "ultralight" MW
DXing trend. I think the idea is to see who can snag the best DX with
the smallest radio.

I've always enjoyed playing the same game with HF DXing. I really
enjoy taking small portable receivers into RF-quiet zones to see what
kind of DX is possible. These endeavors inevitably involve
experimentation with reels and other simple external antennas, but
sometimes I restrict myself to just using the built-in whips.

So, I'd like to ask folks a couple of questions:

1. Which receiver is your favorite for portable DXing? I'm partial to
my Sony 7600G, 7600GR, Degen 1102 and 1103 and, of course, my Eton E5.
Do some of you have others that you prefer?

2. What is your best DX with a portable? I know I'm not likely to hear
the same things I do on my Icom R75, but I still think there's the
potential to snag some interesting DX. What's the best DX you've hears
on a small portable?

Hopefully, this will give us something to talk about other than this
silly election,

Mike
Louisville, KY
WA4009SWL

I like the 7600GR do mostly to the selectable AM synch. I have that radio,
the G4000A, DE1101, KA-1102 and the Tecsun PL-550. I like to use the PL-550
a lot because it has an analog tuning knob. The audio quality on the PL-550
is also quite good. The audio on the G4000A is the best of the lot. The
only one of the stape portables that I dont have is the ATS-909. I like
that it has an analog tuning knob, but I'm not crazy about how poorly it
does off the whip. I wouldent sped 200 bucks on a portable that dosent work
good without an external.

Michael

"Mike" wrote in message
...
On Sep 12, 6:25?pm, "Michael" wrote:
I like the 7600GR do mostly to the selectable AM synch. ? I have that
radio,
the G4000A, DE1101, KA-1102 and the Tecsun PL-550. ?I like to use the
PL-550
a lot because it has an analog tuning knob. The audio quality on the
PL-550
is also quite good. ?The audio on the G4000A is the best of the lot. ? The
only one of the stape portables that I dont have is the ATS-909. ?I like
that it has an analog tuning knob, but I'm not crazy about how poorly it
does off the whip. ?I wouldent sped 200 bucks on a portable that dosent
work
good without an external.

Michael


Michael,

I know what you mean. Sensitivity is critical for a compact portable!
But, my experimentation with the DX-398 (same as the 909) has shown
that you don't need a very long external. Ten to fifteen feet really
seems to bring my 398 to life. It also performs well in conjunction
with the Sony AN-LP1 active loop. Another problem that I have with the
radio, however, is the way it eats batteries.

Mike

************************************************** *****************

Hiya, Mike..

What do you think of the audio quality of the 398/909 ??? How does it stack
up in general against the E5 ??? I've been considering buying the E5 for a
while. I really like the analog tuning knob. It is an important feature
for me on a portable.

Thanx in advance !!!

Michael

Location: North NJ
Primary Rig: R75
Antennas: 102' G5RV & 30' x 40' Inverted L
Portables: 7600GR, G400A, DE-1101, KA-1102, PL-550

On Sep 12, 7:47�pm, "Michael" wrote:

Hiya, Mike..

What do you think of the audio quality of the 398/909 ??? �How does it stack
up in general against the E5 ??? �I've been considering buying the E5 for a
while. �I really like the analog tuning knob. �It is an important feature
for me on a portable.

Thanx in advance !!!

Michael

Location: North NJ
Primary Rig: R75
Antennas: 102' G5RV & 30' x 40' �Inverted L
Portables: 7600GR, G400A, DE-1101, KA-1102, PL-550

Michael,

The E5 has good audio. I never liked the audio of the 398/909 -
sounded kind of wooly (is that a word?). So, I'd clearly say that the
the E5 has better audio than the 398/909. The closer call is between
the audio of the 7600G/GR and the E5. I think the E5 has better sound,
while you'll get more volume out of the Sony.

Overall, it's a close call between the E5 and a Sony 7600GR. The GR's
selectable sync would probably give it a slight edge up.

Mike
Louisville, KY

"Mike" wrote in message
...
On Sep 12, 7:47?pm, "Michael" wrote:

Hiya, Mike..

What do you think of the audio quality of the 398/909 ??? ?How does it
stack
up in general against the E5 ??? ?I've been considering buying the E5 for
a
while. ?I really like the analog tuning knob. ?It is an important feature
for me on a portable.

Thanx in advance !!!

Michael

Location: North NJ
Primary Rig: R75
Antennas: 102' G5RV & 30' x 40' ?Inverted L
Portables: 7600GR, G400A, DE-1101, KA-1102, PL-550

Michael,

The E5 has good audio. I never liked the audio of the 398/909 -
sounded kind of wooly (is that a word?).

I take that to mean too much mid range. Could also mean poor definition in
general. Either or probably a result of the audio section and not the
speaker.

Michael

On Sep 12, 9:50*pm, Mike wrote:
I've noticed a lot of folks getting swept up in the "ultralight" MW
DXing trend. I think the idea is to see who can snag the best DX with
the smallest radio.

I've always enjoyed playing the same game with HF DXing. I really
enjoy taking small portable receivers into RF-quiet zones to see what
kind of DX is possible. These endeavors inevitably involve
experimentation with reels and other simple external antennas, but
sometimes I restrict myself to just using the built-in whips.

So, I'd like to ask folks a couple of questions:

1. Which receiver is your favorite for portable DXing? I'm partial to
my Sony 7600G, 7600GR, Degen 1102 and 1103 and, of course, my Eton E5.
Do some of you have others that you prefer?

2. What is your best DX with a portable? I know I'm not likely to hear
the same things I do on my Icom R75, but I still think there's the
potential to snag some interesting DX. What's the best DX you've hears
on a small portable?

Hopefully, this will give us something to talk about other than this
silly election,

Mike
Louisville, KY
WA4009SWL

Hi Mike, my portables always accompany me on my travels as I don't DX
with them from home QTH.

I've had a lot of fun with my very old, circa 1984, Sony 7600D. When
in foreign speaking countries it did a great job of keeping me in
touch with English stations. When I visited my son in Atlanta a few
years ago I used to DX from his deck and managed to get BBC news
regularly and got some lovely MW DX on it.

At home here in South Africa I travel by car and use a larger
portable, firstly the GE SRIII. One year I was in the beautiful
Mountain Zebra National Park in a nice hut, I was doing a bit of DX at
dawn and to my astonishment in came WWKB Buffalo NY quite clearly. At
the same time a rare riverine Karoo rabbit came to my door and in this
early dawn light it was a truly magic moment.

Two years ago I got a Redsun RP2100 and took it on a trip to Joburg.
On a farm in the middle of nowhere I got "Big L" clearly and that was
amazing as usually it is a difficult catch with a 1000 ft beverage on
a big tabletop. I got several other European stations that morning - a
thrilling session.

In 1990 I travelled with my Sony 2001D and was able to demonstrate to
a friend, who lived in a remote rural area in Natal, some very clear
aero ATC traffic over Hong Kong on 8942 and Nandi Fiji on 5643 working
Continental 11 from LAX. He was most impressed, as this was barefoot
without an extended antenna. Sadly those days of marvellous long
distance reception of the 1989/90 solar cycle have never been
repeated.

Have fun, enjoy your portables and good DX.

John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa
South 33 d 47 m 32 s, East 20 d 07 m 32 s
Icom IC-7700, Icom IC-756 PRO III with MW mods
ERGO software
Drake SW8. Sangean 803A
Sony 7600D, GE SRIII, Redsun RP2100
Antenna's RF Systems DX 1 Pro Mk II, Datong AD-270
Kiwa MW Loop.
http://www.dxing.info/about/dxers/plimmer.dx

On Sep 12, 9:02*pm, "Michael" wrote:
"Mike" wrote in message

...
On Sep 12, 7:47?pm, "Michael" wrote:





Hiya, Mike..

What do you think of the audio quality of the 398/909 ??? ?How does it
stack
up in general against the E5 ??? ?I've been considering buying the E5 for
a
while. ?I really like the analog tuning knob. ?It is an important feature
for me on a portable.

Thanx in advance !!!

Michael

Location: North NJ
Primary Rig: R75
Antennas: 102' G5RV & 30' x 40' ?Inverted L
Portables: 7600GR, G400A, DE-1101, KA-1102, PL-550
Michael,
The E5 has good audio. I never liked the audio of the 398/909 -
sounded kind of wooly (is that a word?).

I take that to mean too much mid range. *Could also mean poor definition in
general. *Either or probably a result of the audio section and not the
speaker.

Michael- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Can be fixed (the audio) with a mod from that Chris Justice fellow at
RadioLabs - if they are still in business? I didn't think it would
make that much of an improvement but it really did. I just keep it set
on the "Music" tab for everything unless dxing on 60 meters - then I
put it on normal. If it's a good enough signal I go back to "music".
All the mods that can be done to that radio actually does improve the
total package IMO. Just my 2 cents.

On Sep 12, 3:50*pm, Mike wrote:
I've noticed a lot of folks getting swept up in the "ultralight" MW
DXing trend. I think the idea is to see who can snag the best DX with
the smallest radio.

I've always enjoyed playing the same game with HF DXing. I really
enjoy taking small portable receivers into RF-quiet zones to see what
kind of DX is possible. These endeavors inevitably involve
experimentation with reels and other simple external antennas, but
sometimes I restrict myself to just using the built-in whips.

So, I'd like to ask folks a couple of questions:

1. Which receiver is your favorite for portable DXing? I'm partial to
my Sony 7600G, 7600GR, Degen 1102 and 1103 and, of course, my Eton E5.
Do some of you have others that you prefer?

2. What is your best DX with a portable? I know I'm not likely to hear
the same things I do on my Icom R75, but I still think there's the
potential to snag some interesting DX. What's the best DX you've hears
on a small portable?

Hopefully, this will give us something to talk about other than this
silly election,

Mike
Louisville, KY
WA4009SWL

The Degen DE1103 is doing a good job of portable AM dxing.

"Mike" wrote in message
...
On Sep 12, 7:47?pm, "Michael" wrote:


I couldnt get squat to come in on the DX392 last weekend in Wisc. Not sure
if the constant rain had anything to do with it. I was just using the whip.
I'm gonna bring up the DX402 this weekend to see if its any better. Perhaps
the 392 is just getting tired. Hopefully get the long wire up as well.

Mike:

For portable DX'ing I still like the Sangean 606A .

true, it doesn ont have SSB, aside from that, it's small size makes it
perfect for travel.

Then there is the shirt pocket sized Degen DE1105. I've taken this
baby up into " The Woods"
( Harriman State Park , NY ) and, using a 30 foot antenna , picked up
all kinds of stuff from Far, far away.

I use headphones, which increases battery life and clarifies the audio
part of the signal.

BarnegatDx





On Sep 12, 3:50*pm, Mike wrote:
I've noticed a lot of folks getting swept up in the "ultralight" MW
DXing trend. I think the idea is to see who can snag the best DX with
the smallest radio.

I've always enjoyed playing the same game with HF DXing. I really
enjoy taking small portable receivers into RF-quiet zones to see what
kind of DX is possible. These endeavors inevitably involve
experimentation with reels and other simple external antennas, but
sometimes I restrict myself to just using the built-in whips.

So, I'd like to ask folks a couple of questions:

1. Which receiver is your favorite for portable DXing? I'm partial to
my Sony 7600G, 7600GR, Degen 1102 and 1103 and, of course, my Eton E5.
Do some of you have others that you prefer?

2. What is your best DX with a portable? I know I'm not likely to hear
the same things I do on my Icom R75, but I still think there's the
potential to snag some interesting DX. What's the best DX you've hears
on a small portable?

Hopefully, this will give us something to talk about other than this
silly election,

Mike
Louisville, KY
WA4009SWL