Quoth (MossadAgent86) in
:

What modern (new or used) AM radio can I buy that can pull in distant
stations?

I want to pick up from here to ask another question -- has anyone here played
with any old marine AM DF radios for MW DXing? Someone elsewhere suggested
it, and it sounds like a great idea to me, especially as most of them have
built in loops.

--
"I am afeard there are few die well that die in a battle; for how can they
charitably dispose of anything when blood is their argument? Now, if these
men do not die well, it will be a black matter for the King that led them
to it; who to disobey were against all proportion of subjection." - W.S.

SNIP
What modern (new or used) AM radio can I buy that can pull in distant
stations?

Hiya...

I can hear most of the 50 kilowatt AM stations here in NJ with the exception
of the ones that go directional and transmit in a direction that nulls
towards my location. The three that really come in great here are 1100 WTAM
Cleveland, 1110 WBT Charlotte and 1090 WBAL Baltimore. Those three
stations always sound great here.

The radio I almost always use for medium wave is my GE Superadio III. If
the conditions are good enough for me to be able to heard them with my GE
Superadio III, I can also hear them with most any other AM radio. The
difference being, how well the radio handles the noise that is typical of
occurring on a weak signal while down low on the medium wave part of the
band.
My GE Superadio III does great with noise but the draw back is that it is
does not have digital tuning for rock solid stability.

I also have a small portable digital tuned SW receiver that I use for MW
sometimes; the Kaito KA-1102. I have found that little radio does very good
with MW DX'ing too. Very little noise on weak AM signals and it is stable
too. The draw back for this is that it doesn't have the tremendous rich
audio quality of the GE Superadio III.

I also use my tabletop R-75 from time to time when I want to use ecss ssb
tuning for DX'ing medium wave when images are an issue, but I have found the
R-75 to be very noisy. So, even a relatively expensive tabletop is not the
answer for ideal AM DX'ing.

A close friend of mine has the CC Radio Plus and the GE Superadio II. He
tells me the GE Superadio II has better audio definition, but the CC Radio
Plus being a digital tuned receiver is better for AM DX'ing in general.
From what he tells me, the two radios are about equal in sensitivity, but,
he still prefers the CC Radio just for the stability of digital tuning.

As far as making or using a new antenna to improve the reception of a
current radio.... Once again... If the radio that you have tends to be
noisy, adding an external antenna will also magnify the noise as well as the
usable signal. If your current radio is unstable, you'll still have to
fiddle with the tuner regularly regardless of what kind of antenna you hook
up to it. I've seen this antenna system advertised many times, but I have
no idea of how effective it is. I'd love to hear from anyone that has used
it.
http://www.ccrane.com/am-antenna.asp

So... My best advice... If you want to spend in the area of $50.00, I'd
recommend the GE Superadio III. If you can spend up to $160.00, get the CC
Radio Plus.

--

Respectfully,

Michael

Location: Northern NJ
Primary Radio: R-75 with full Kiwa mods.
Antennas: 200ft "Frankenstein" roof wire, G5RV
Additional Radios:GE Super Radio III, PL-550,
KA-1101, KA-1102, Kaiwa KA-989, Info-Mate 837,
Westinghouse H-104 (seven tube)
Home Page: http://md_dxing.tripod.com/

Now the modern AM radio's I buy are all crap, esp
car radio's. They can not pull in stations, for nothing.

That's why I have a 60,000(original miles from the aunt) 1983 Dodge Omni. Well,
that's not why, she gave it to me, but it has an AC Delco radio in it, that has
either five or six (I think five) preset push-buttons.

But they aren't 'buttons'..they're slants (I call them, real thin.) That is one
good AM car receiver. I don't know if it has a tube in it, I wouldn't think.
But when you turn it on, the backlight will come on but the sound won't for
about five seconds, and it says that in the original radio manual in the glove
compartment. The one speaker is directly above it, all I need, a good DXer for
a cruise.

It has just two knobs, but the on/off/volume knob also has a pull-out
attenuator which works like a dream. My suggestion is, if you're truly wanting
a good AM radio (I don't do music-so loss of FM isn't a biggie) go to a 'good
reputable' junkyard and get you one that is strictly just for the BCB.

The one up here where I live, actually two of them,as soon as you walk in they
have hundreds that they've pulled and have in a glass cabinet. They don't cost
that much either and your problem is solved.;-)

~^Monitoring The Spectrum^~
Hammarlund HQ129X /Heathkit Q Multiplier
Hammarlund HQ140X
Multiple GE P-780's(GREAT BCB Radios)
RCA Victor *Strato- World*
RCA Victor RJC77W-K(Walnut Grain)
1942 Zenith Wave Magnet 6G 601M
Cathedral/ Ross#2311/Rhapsody-MultiBand
DX100/394/*SUPER*398/399/402
OMGS Transistor Eight/Realistic 12-1451
Henry Kloss Model One/Bell+Howell
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Alpha Delta DX Sloper 57ft.
500ft. 12AWG. (non-terminated)
120ft. 12 AWG Sloper
2 Radio Shack Loop Antennas
Radio Shack Amplified Antenna
30X30 DiamondLoop(six section 830pf Cap)
* Diamond Loop mounted to Lazy Susan TurnTable*
*21/2X2ft.FiveSpoked~Penta-Loop~PancakeLoop*

In article ,
says...

What modern (new or used) AM radio can I buy that can pull in distant stations?
Is there a way to boast the strength of a common AM radio (by placing a pipe
alongside it...or some such)? Lately, I buy cheap (old transistor) radio's at
yard sales, hoping that some of them will have good AM reception. Very few do
have.

How much are you looking to spend? What do you consider distant? I've
pulled in stations from 1000 miles away on a modern pocket radio, but I
still wouldn't consider it much of a DX machine by itself. (Hook up a
decent external antenna and it's a different story.) Are you just
looking for the big guys (50kW) or are you fishing for the small fry? It
makes a world of difference in which radio would be most appropriate.

(MossadAgent86) wrote in message ...



Hey Moss, go to eBay item #2243069341, there's a GE P-780 for auction right now.

Grumpus


I want to rant a short while and then ask a question about AM reception.

Years ago (I think) all radio's had superheterodyne circuits which allowed for
great sensitivity and selectivity. I figured that, for all time, all radio's
would be superhet circuitry. Now the modern AM radio's I buy are all crap, esp
car radio's. They can not pull in stations, for nothing.

What modern (new or used) AM radio can I buy that can pull in distant stations?
Is there a way to boast the strength of a common AM radio (by placing a pipe
alongside it...or some such)? Lately, I buy cheap (old transistor) radio's at
yard sales, hoping that some of them will have good AM reception. Very few do
have.

The type of AM reception you remember was probably centered on dusk-to-dawn
hours.

GE has a portable ($50 to $60) called a Superadio which is VERY good on AM.
Just remember to turn it on its axis to find your station's strongest signal
because the internal antenna is directional.

Most automobile radios are very good on AM too, plus they have the benefit of
digital tuning and readout. They work best with a 30" rod antenna. You can buy
a junk radio from a Chrysler for !$15 at a junkyard; all you need then is a
12volt power supply (1 amp), and speakers.

If you want a table radio with a real DXing "feel" to it, go on EBay and look
for a Hammarlund HQ receiver (140, 145, 150 or 180) but these will cost $200 or
so + shipping.

Just remember that during sunlit hours you'll only get local and semi-local
stations.

Radioman390 wrote:

The type of AM reception you remember was probably centered on dusk-to-dawn
hours.

GE has a portable ($50 to $60) called a Superadio which is VERY good on AM.
Just remember to turn it on its axis to find your station's strongest signal
because the internal antenna is directional.

Most automobile radios are very good on AM too, plus they have the benefit of
digital tuning and readout. They work best with a 30" rod antenna. You can buy
a junk radio from a Chrysler for !$15 at a junkyard; all you need then is a
12volt power supply (1 amp), and speakers.

If you want a table radio with a real DXing "feel" to it, go on EBay and look
for a Hammarlund HQ receiver (140, 145, 150 or 180) but these will cost $200 or
so + shipping.

Just remember that during sunlit hours you'll only get local and semi-local
stations.



Radioman's right, and one additional thing you might want to
consider:


The "Select-A-Tenna" (about $50) is a noticeable help at night.
Noticeable - not awesome, but I still use it for nightime DX with my GE
Superadio III - it helps. But for *daytime* DX, it is awesome! A
faint, scratchy station you can barely make out in the daytime can
become adequately listenable with the Select-A-Tenna. And considering
that the basic Select-A-Tenna (the best buy of the lot, IMHO) is totally
passive (no batteries or plug-in), and will last a lifetime if you don't
throw it off a cliff onto the rocks. I think it's the best $50 I ever
spent on AM DX.

Tony

I have the HQ-180, R-390A and the SP-600 and I have found that each has pros and
cons with regards to AM reception. When I was back east (in Montreal) I found that
the phasing control on the SP-600 gave an advantage for chasing down Europeans and
Middle Eastern stations (ie. Saudi Arabia on 1521 kHz vs Buffalo on 1520 kHz).
Phasing sent Buffalo in the dirt and the Saudi station came through nicely. I use
the KIWA MW loop for AM DXing.

Regards

John Barnard

Radioman390 wrote:

The type of AM reception you remember was probably centered on dusk-to-dawn
hours.

GE has a portable ($50 to $60) called a Superadio which is VERY good on AM.
Just remember to turn it on its axis to find your station's strongest signal
because the internal antenna is directional.

Most automobile radios are very good on AM too, plus they have the benefit of
digital tuning and readout. They work best with a 30" rod antenna. You can buy
a junk radio from a Chrysler for !$15 at a junkyard; all you need then is a
12volt power supply (1 amp), and speakers.

If you want a table radio with a real DXing "feel" to it, go on EBay and look
for a Hammarlund HQ receiver (140, 145, 150 or 180) but these will cost $200 or
so + shipping.

Just remember that during sunlit hours you'll only get local and semi-local
stations.

"John Barnard" wrote in message
...
I have the HQ-180, R-390A and the SP-600 and I have found that each has
pros and
cons with regards to AM reception. When I was back east (in Montreal) I
found that
the phasing control on the SP-600 gave an advantage for chasing down
Europeans and
Middle Eastern stations (ie. Saudi Arabia on 1521 kHz vs Buffalo on 1520
kHz).
Phasing sent Buffalo in the dirt and the Saudi station came through
nicely. I use
the KIWA MW loop for AM DXing.

I second John's praise of the SP-600. I'm not nostalgic for boatanchors but
mine was the best MW DX receiver I ever used. Among its other advantages was
its excellent shielding. Signals just couldn't get in anywhere but through
the coax from the antenna. I lived on a high hill with a direct view to a
50-kW MW BC station about 5 miles (8 km) away. I had a large radio room with
no foil insulation in the walls, and a 4-foot (1.1-m) square loop on a wood
frame, that tilted and turned. Working close in frequency to the local BC
station, the loop's ability to null wouldn't have been as effective if the
receiver had allowed the signal to leak in through other paths. There is
more to a good receiver than the oft-cited on rrs "sensitivity." True
sensitivity can be more curse than blessing. The receiver needs enough
_gain_ to make weak signals hearable, but more important is immunity to
strong, adjacent signals, steep-sided variable selectivity, low internal
noise (like synthesizer phase noise) and low-distortion audio. Short of the
Drake R8, you just don't get all those features in modern consumer
receivers, especially portables. Of course, the SuperPro was not a consumer
receiver, either. McSangeans are fine for _listening_. For serious DXing you
need more. To forestall reports of "Well, PM, I heard this and that on my
McSangean/McSuperRadio," yes, you can hear distant stations with almost any
receiver, sometimes. A high-quality _communications_ receiver (what's
inside, not what it says on the front panel) lets you hear more stations,
more reliably.

"PM"

Another good receiver for MW DXing was the R388/51J series. Also, a true
test of a receiver is how well it works in the daytime. With a loop antenna,
it should be possible to hear MW stations on the low end of the band up to
300 miles.
Here is Chicago, I can hear WLW on 700kHz all day, along with WJR 760, and
even the Iowa City beacon on 524kHz all day. The key is making sure that
your receiving system can hear the ambient noise in the first place,
although a larger aperture loop antenna does wonders for those weak signals.

Pete

"Paul_Morphy" wrote in message
...

"John Barnard" wrote in message
...
I have the HQ-180, R-390A and the SP-600 and I have found that each has
pros and
cons with regards to AM reception. When I was back east (in Montreal) I
found that
the phasing control on the SP-600 gave an advantage for chasing down
Europeans and
Middle Eastern stations (ie. Saudi Arabia on 1521 kHz vs Buffalo on 1520
kHz).
Phasing sent Buffalo in the dirt and the Saudi station came through
nicely. I use
the KIWA MW loop for AM DXing.

I second John's praise of the SP-600. I'm not nostalgic for boatanchors
but
mine was the best MW DX receiver I ever used. Among its other advantages
was
its excellent shielding. Signals just couldn't get in anywhere but through
the coax from the antenna. I lived on a high hill with a direct view to a
50-kW MW BC station about 5 miles (8 km) away. I had a large radio room
with
no foil insulation in the walls, and a 4-foot (1.1-m) square loop on a
wood
frame, that tilted and turned. Working close in frequency to the local BC
station, the loop's ability to null wouldn't have been as effective if the
receiver had allowed the signal to leak in through other paths. There is
more to a good receiver than the oft-cited on rrs "sensitivity." True
sensitivity can be more curse than blessing. The receiver needs enough
_gain_ to make weak signals hearable, but more important is immunity to
strong, adjacent signals, steep-sided variable selectivity, low internal
noise (like synthesizer phase noise) and low-distortion audio. Short of
the
Drake R8, you just don't get all those features in modern consumer
receivers, especially portables. Of course, the SuperPro was not a
consumer
receiver, either. McSangeans are fine for _listening_. For serious DXing
you
need more. To forestall reports of "Well, PM, I heard this and that on my
McSangean/McSuperRadio," yes, you can hear distant stations with almost
any
receiver, sometimes. A high-quality _communications_ receiver (what's
inside, not what it says on the front panel) lets you hear more stations,
more reliably.

"PM"