Hi folks,
I decided to check out my SW8 a little bit more. I measured the
wall wart voltage, and it measured 9.6VDC, so it seemed to be within limits.
Just for the heck of it, I checked the ripple voltage with a scope. 4.6V p-p
of ripple!
I opened up the supply, and discovered that the filter cap had exploded.
Just for the record, this isn't a regulated supply; it is merely a
transformer, four diodes, and a filter capacitor.
I decided to build up my own 10V supply, using a 1000uF cap and a 7810
regulator. I also decided to go with a 3-wire grounded power cord, using
single point grounding on the power supply board.
Now, all of the buzz on the low end of the MW band is gone, and the
sensitivity is much better. Also, the intermittent display backlight problem
is gone.
Still not quite as sensitive as my other receivers, but not bad. MDS is now
down below .1uV, which is pretty ok.

Pete