On 3/06/2010 10:40 PM, dave wrote:
Mike wrote:


And Gregg, as usual, is wrong about sync. It is very important to
DXers trying to hear weak signals adjacent to much stronger signals.


A serious DXer would not use a crappy plastic portable.

I use my Sangean ATS 505 (aka crappy plastic portable) for AM broadcast
only. I mainly use it when I'm out in the shed when I'm working on my
cars. It has better sound quality than my 7600 but that's its only
redeeming feature. Needs a wall wart most of the time though as it
really chews through batteries.

My Sony 7600 was the one I used to take whenever I travelled overseas
and that happened a lot in the 80s and 90s. With its whip antenna and
the supplied extendable longwire, it would pick up as well or better
than my Yaesu 7700 and 8800 desktops. There was a time I used to cart an
old FRG7 around on my overseas trips. Took up a lot of room in my
luggage but it was worth it as I could keep in touch with events back home.

Krypsis

On Jun 3, 8:40*am, dave wrote:
Mike wrote:

And Gregg, as usual, is wrong about sync. It is very important to
DXers trying to hear weak signals adjacent to much stronger signals.

A serious DXer would not use a crappy plastic portable.

Dave,

How DXAcish of you!

1. Not everyone has your vast resources.
2. Some of us just like cheap crappy radios.
3. DXing with a portable is a skill unto ittself, kind of like
UltraLite DXing.

Now go decode some .01 watt PSK from the opposite side of the planet.

Mike

Mike "I'm a college professor with a PhD" Bryant wrote:

On Jun 3, 8:40 am, dave wrote:
Mike wrote:

And Gregg, as usual, is wrong about sync. It is very important to
DXers trying to hear weak signals adjacent to much stronger signals.

A serious DXer would not use a crappy plastic portable.

Dave,

How DXAcish of you!

Stuff a sock in it, 'tard boy.

Mike wrote:


And Gregg, as usual, is wrong about sync. It is very important to
DXers trying to hear weak signals adjacent to much stronger signals.


A serious DXer would not use a crappy plastic portable.

Mike wrote:
On Jun 3, 8:40 am, wrote:
Mike wrote:

And Gregg, as usual, is wrong about sync. It is very important to
DXers trying to hear weak signals adjacent to much stronger signals.

A serious DXer would not use a crappy plastic portable.

Dave,

How DXAcish of you!

1. Not everyone has your vast resources.
2. Some of us just like cheap crappy radios.
3. DXing with a portable is a skill unto ittself, kind of like
UltraLite DXing.

Now go decode some .01 watt PSK from the opposite side of the planet.

Mike

A $50 boatanchor like an S-38 would outperform any of those radios for
weak signals. I have a National NC-125 with a Q multiplier that'll
out-HFBC DX almost all transistor radios. It drifts a litlle, but what
do you want for $50?

I'm not being a snob, but there are physical realities to deal with
here. All but the very finest solid state front ends suck. They appear
slightly deaf. That's all. I'm not trying to insult anyone.

dave wrote:

Mike wrote:


And Gregg, as usual, is wrong about sync. It is very important to
DXers trying to hear weak signals adjacent to much stronger signals.


A serious DXer would not use a crappy plastic portable.
My Panasonic RF-2200 is the best"plastic" portable for AM DX'ing. With its
swiveling ferrite antenna, it will pull in stations that my other radios
won't.

On Jun 3, 11:06*am, sctvguy1 wrote:

My Panasonic RF-2200 is the best"plastic" portable for AM DX'ing. With its
swiveling ferrite antenna, it will pull in stations that my other radios
won't.

My GE Superradio does almost as well as my RF-2200. The 10kHz MW
spacing really helps. When dealing with SW broadcast separation of 5
kHz or less, the RF-2200 can't hold a candle to some of the portables
with sync whn it comes to selectivity.

Mike

On 6/3/2010 11:04 AM, dave wrote:

A $50 boatanchor like an S-38 would outperform any of those radios for
weak signals. I have a National NC-125 with a Q multiplier that'll
out-HFBC DX almost all transistor radios. It drifts a litlle, but what
do you want for $50?

Well, the S-38 may be a bad example to choose and sounds like you may
have never used one.

On a fundamental level, there are three key characteristics of a
receiver, the three S's: sensitivity, selectivity and stability.
Unfortunately, the S-38 has "None of the above". No insult intended, the
S-38 was a nice (and nostalgic) radio, typical of the most very basic
entry level radios of the day.

I hesitate to speak in general terms because there are so many
exceptions, but most modern, inexpensive solid state radios (what you
call 'crappy'), have better sensitivity and stability than the
inexpensive old-timers, while sorta kinda lacking in selectivity.

Just my 2 cents...

P.S.

You say above the S-38 would perform well with weak signals -- implying
they had good sensitivity. I would disagree, as they had -NO- RF stage,
just dumped the antenna into the mixer/oscillator stage like the typical
"All-American Five" because, well, that's what they were, but just
re-tuned to cover short wave.

On Jun 3, 11:04*am, dave wrote:
Mike wrote:
On Jun 3, 8:40 am, *wrote:
Mike wrote:

And Gregg, as usual, is wrong about sync. It is very important to
DXers trying to hear weak signals adjacent to much stronger signals.

A serious DXer would not use a crappy plastic portable.

Dave,

How DXAcish of you!

1. Not everyone has your vast resources.
2. Some of us just like cheap crappy radios.
3. DXing with a portable is a skill unto ittself, kind of like
UltraLite DXing.

Now go decode some .01 watt PSK from the opposite side of the planet.

Mike

A $50 boatanchor like an S-38 would outperform any of those radios for
weak signals. *I have a National NC-125 with a Q multiplier that'll
out-HFBC DX almost all transistor radios. *It drifts a litlle, but what
do you want for $50?

I'm not being a snob, but there are physical realities to deal with
here. *All but the very finest solid state front ends suck. *They appear
slightly deaf. *That's all. *I'm not trying to insult anyone.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I hear you. When I want to try an copy some dude from Guam keying
three watts from a coat hanger mounted to his pie pan plate - - I can
copy it with the HQ129X with the Q Multiplier. If I want to DX the BCB
I use either the 129X or 140. Hammarlund knew what they were doing
when they made certain receivers no doubt.

Joe from Kokomo wrote:
On 6/3/2010 11:04 AM, dave wrote:

A $50 boatanchor like an S-38 would outperform any of those radios for
weak signals. I have a National NC-125 with a Q multiplier that'll
out-HFBC DX almost all transistor radios. It drifts a litlle, but what
do you want for $50?

Well, the S-38 may be a bad example to choose and sounds like you may
have never used one.

On a fundamental level, there are three key characteristics of a
receiver, the three S's: sensitivity, selectivity and stability.
Unfortunately, the S-38 has "None of the above". No insult intended, the
S-38 was a nice (and nostalgic) radio, typical of the most very basic
entry level radios of the day.

I hesitate to speak in general terms because there are so many
exceptions, but most modern, inexpensive solid state radios (what you
call 'crappy'), have better sensitivity and stability than the
inexpensive old-timers, while sorta kinda lacking in selectivity.

Just my 2 cents...

P.S.

You say above the S-38 would perform well with weak signals -- implying
they had good sensitivity. I would disagree, as they had -NO- RF stage,
just dumped the antenna into the mixer/oscillator stage like the typical
"All-American Five" because, well, that's what they were, but just
re-tuned to cover short wave.

On 6/4/2010 9:08 AM, dave wrote:

I align my own tube radios, and the S-38 can be wrenched to where it'll
hear just about anything. I consider its major flaws to be the hot
chassis and the drift. Rock steady stability is not necessary for weak
signal AM DX.

Interesting, but...you can "wrench" all you want, but no RF stage is
-still- NO RF stage. And yes, the "hot" chassis, metal cabinet and 50
year old crumbly rubber insulating washers are definately a safety issue.