We’ve had a lot of information about some specific receivers the past couple of months, and those discussions included mentions of various other receivers there were questions about. This time I’m going to include various bits of information on a number of receivers, along with some follow-up on the earlier discussions, to present as much information as possible about these receivers.

Jim <K1ygg@aol.com>: Mike, how would you rate the RFB-45 as an AM DX machine on a scale of 1-10? Also the same for FM? I see them on ebay sometimes and the price seems fairly reasonable.

Mike Brooker <aum108@idirect.com>: The RFB-45 is a good entry-level receiver, and you certainly can't beat the price (I got mine for about $125 in 1993), but a serious DXer would soon get frustrated with its limitations. I would also recommend it as a compact travel portable, if you don't want to schlep around your main radio. Notwithstanding that I have gotten some good sunrise and sunset skip on it over the years, it's not really a serious AM DX machine like Sony's ICF-2010 or even my trusty 1978 Panasonic RF-2200. Overall, I would give it a 7 out of 10. Can't say much about the FM, as my FM DXing experience is next to zero. The only FM broadcaster I listen to here in Toronto is CILQ-107.1 in the mornings, i.e. the CRTC- bowlderized version of Howard Stern.

I would be very careful about buying a used radio on ebay. I've seen so many e-mails from folks who have gotten stuck with lemons from e-bay.

Kevin Redding: <amfmtvdx@qwest.net> What’s an FT-840? (In response to an observation by Thomas Giella in one of the recent columns-db)

Randy Stewart <jrs555t@smsu.edu>: It's a Yaesu FT-840... a 160-thru-10-meter ham transceiver with general-coverage (longwave 100kHz all the way to 30 MHz) receive. In fact, you can even look at one at the Yaesu website: http://www.yaesu.com/amateur/ft840.html (I was just checking to see if it's still in current production, and to look up the specs).

Thomas Giella, KN4LF <kn4lf@tampabay.rr.com>: I have looked at the Drake specs and of course they are very good and yes the specs that Yaesu lists on the FT-840from the early 1990's are under reported. For some reason Yaesu always under reports the performance of it's rigs. The ARRL checked specs. on the FT-840 and they are comparable to the Drake R8A! I've found the FT-840 to be very stable, selective and sensitive, plus I DX on USB or LSB, so sensitivity is around 0.1 uv on SSB on the FT-840! Some non ham broadcast band DX'ers don't like buying the transmitter part of a transceiver but you get as good or better a receiver in a transceiver as a stand alone dedicated communications receiver.

Patrick Martin <mwdxer@webtv.net>: I have been doing a bit of DXing with the Kenwood R-1000 the past couple of mornings with the TPs coming in. I have found in the AM mode, anything the R8 hears the R-1000 hears just as well, maybe a bit better at times.

I made several of the mods on the R-1000 so I can use the Murata 2.7 kHz filter in AM. Does anyone know what the shape factor of the 2.3 kHz filter in the R8 is compared to the 2.7 in the Kenwood R-1000? It would be interesting to compare the two. They seem pretty close, except the 2.7 on the Kenwood is not quite as muffled. I don't think the.4 kHz difference would make that much difference.

At first I did not think the R-1000 did as good of a job as the R-8. But I had used the R-8 for so long I did not check out the R-1000 all that much. I find if you tune about a 1 kHz off, per the digital readout on the R-1000, the signal is there pretty decent. I found JOOR-1179 holds it's own next to 1180 very nicely in the mornings.

Anyway, the R-1000 makes a good back up receiver for the R8. If I could make one change to the R- 1000 I would add passband tuning, but that would not be easy.

Willi Passmann <dj6jz@compuserve.de>: Hi Patrick, if (the Murata filter) is one of the CFJ 455 K types, I should have the data, just tell me the exact name.

Bruce Conti <BACONTI@aol.com>: I'm late entering this conversation, and this might have already been covered, but the Drake R8B 2.3 kHz filter shape factor calculates to less than 1.96 based on published specs of "2.3 kHz at -6 dB, less than 4.5 kHz at -60 dB."

Patrick Martin: I found a site on the internet showing the ratio numbers of receivers including the R8A and R1000, plus others.

Drake R8A 2.3 kHz -6DB/4.5 kHz -60 dB is shown at 1:1.95

Kenwood R1000 2.7 kHz -6DB/5 kHz -60 dB is shown at 1:1.85

Others shown include:

Drake R7 2.4 kHz -6 dB/4 kHz -60 dB is shown at 1:1.66

Icom R71A 2.3 kHz -6 dB/4.3 kHz -60 dB is shown at 1:187

The R-1000 is not a bad number at all. of course receivers might vary a bit.

Kent Plourde <kplourde@home.com>: I own both the CC Radio and the Sony 2010. I like both radios, but I prefer the Sony for serious DXing.

Pros of the CC Radio:

I like the style of the radio. It is pleasing to the eye with rounded corners, large speaker grill and large LCD readout. It is a good bedside clock radio because the LCD is continuously lit up. I also like the Weather Band with alarm feature, which can be a flashing light or audio siren. Contrary to other posts, I find the FM selectivity excellent. During FM skip conditions, I have no problem hearing stations that are adjacent to my locals. On the TV Band, channels 2-6 come in better than channels 7-13. I pick up New York channels 2 and 4 regularly even though I am about 10 miles from Hartford channel 3's tower in Avon. What about the AM? Well it is very good, especially during the day hours. Which brings me to....

Cons of the CC Radio:

There are problems with the AM. As mentioned in previous posts, it does overload on stations very close by. My local, WPRX 1120 (1000 watts day and 500 watts), does splash from 1090 to 1150. However, my major problem with the AM is the intrusion of the 49 meter shortwave band starting in the late afternoon through the evening. These shortwave signals are funny because they pop up in 1kHz increments. I can get Radio Espana on 675khz but nothing on 674 or 676. There is a shortwave station that regularly pops up on 870 and I can hear an utility station behind WBZ 1030. They are all over the place. I also have heard Radio Habana on 1710 as others have, but I'm sure it was their shortwave popping up on the CC Radio. Another major problem is the LCD readout. Last year I had to send the radio back to California because the LCD readout became unreadable. The diodes were all jumbled to the point that I could not make out what frequency I was on. The technician on the phone said that it was probably a loose cable connecting the LCD display. I had it repaired at no charge and it worked great until last week when the same problem appeared. I'll call CC Radio tomorrow and see what they say this time.

Bottom line with the Sony 2010:

I'll stick to the Sony for serious DXing. The synch feature is great not only for reducing adjacent channel interference but also for reducing fading. The New York 50000 watt powerhouses like WFAN and WCBS are subject distortion at night due to the groundwave and skywave canceling each other out (I think I got that right, I am very low tech) from my location about 80 miles away. It is the radio I use when listening to the lowly Mets.

With the Select-a-tenna, the Sony is the best for me. The 10 position red LED tuning meter makes using the Select-a-tenna a snap.

Rick Kenneally <woodlandview@yahoo.com>: Also, heard Croatia-1134 on my second Sony 2010 up against semi-local Bloomberg Radio on 1130. This is noteworthy because I realized that I had unplugged my loop from this radio. So I was getting good audio on a TA 4kHz from a nearby blowtorch with a totally stock Sony 2010. This audio was possible only with the sync on - with sync off, there was no discernible audio. Once again, the Sony 2010 gets my vote as the king of portables for mediumwave DX. Great night!

Dave Marthouse <dmart@lynchburg.net>: Hi Rick, Congratulations on your DX with the 2010. I had a similar experience when I lived in Metuchen New Jersey and picked up Norway on 1314 about a half a dozen times during the 1996 winter DX season. I love my 2010 and plan eventually to get the Kiwa mods.

Kent Plourde <kplourde@home.com>: Hi everyone, I recently celebrated my 40th birthday and received some Radio Shack gift cards. After reading some of the comments from the group about the performance and sale price of the DX-398, I decided to treat myself with the set on Monday. I quickly rolled up my selves and opened the operating manual. I soon mastered setting the presets with station call letters along with setting the timer.

I thought the audio was slightly distorted possibly due to the speaker size or bandwidth filter.

Unfortunately on Tuesday night, I could not get the radio to power up. I checked the batteries and AC adapter to no avail. The light switch worked along with the key lock. I had the timer set for 5:30 a.m. and wouldn't you know it, the radio came to life this morning. I could not shut it off or cancel the timer.

I will return the set on my next day off. I am a little disappointed.

Wally Wawro <WWawro@wfaa.com>: I'm very impressed with the DX-398. My 2010 may be a bit tired since it's 14 years old but I still consider it a benchmark. The DX-398 reminds me that good radio receivers are still being built.

Kevin Redding <amfmtvdx@qwest.net>: I love my DX-398. Its not as good as the 2010 but its really good.

Thomas Giella, KN4LF <kn4lf@tampabay.rr.com>: Can I change the pre-programmed shortwave broadcaster memories in the receivers 28 pages? The manual says no which I suspect may be incorrect but I was unsuccessful in trying to reprogram the frequencies myself. Help please! The directions on David Moison's site don't work.

Kent Plourde <kplourde@home.com>: Tom, Yes, you definitely can change the shortwave presets on the DX-398. I just picked up a DX-398 last month. The way I change the presets is to press M(memory) then the preset # then C(cancel). Now you can program a new frequency in the cleared preset number. I hope this helps. I have programmed entire pages to my liking. For example, I have a page for VOA frequencies heard afternoons and another page for BBC frequencies heard after during the evening.

Thomas Giella, KN4LF <kn4lf@tampabay.rr.com>: This procedure works, thanks!

Eric Floden <Eric_Floden@pch.gc.ca>: Actually, I think you can skip a step -- tune to the frequency you wish saved; press M; then the preset #, and HOLD IT UNITIL IT REGISTERS (a few seconds)

Eric Floden <Eric_Floden@pch.gc.ca>: Is there a good walkman-size set with killer AM-reception? I ask as I was out for a run in Canmore (Alberta) on the weekend, and at 70 miles away from Calgary, I could not raise any of the AM stations well enough to listen as I ran. For me, I don't need a tape or CD player (but that would be OK), just something compact and tough enough to run with. (Currently: I have 2 similar Panasonic tape players with AM-FM pushbutton tuning, from 1990 or so.)

Kevin Redding <amfmtvdx@qwest.net>: Sangean DT-200V. The thing kicks-@$$. I get AM/FM/TV on it. The strength is AM reception. It is not a GE SR III. Its a small radio. It is the best receiving walkman sized radio I have ever owned. If you want to do AM, this is the walkman sized radio to get. Its at www.ccrane.com.

The Sangean DT-200V is 2.5" X 4.375" X 1". Its the best AM walkman sized thing you are going to find. Second best....Sony SRF-M35.

Bob McCoy <n0sce@alltel.net>: The responses to the Walkman question have been interesting. If one can get ahold of an old SRF-M30 Sony, I recommend it wholeheartedly. I think it is more selective than the later M35. It is almost my sole AMBCB DX tool. It would be interesting to try the Sangean.

Patrick Griffith, N0NNK/ WPE9HVW <AM-DXer@webtv.net>: I just checked pricegrabber.com and found that the SRF-M35 is selling for $29.00 to $34.95. That certainly seems reasonable. Is the AM side in stereo Kevin?

Eric Floden <Eric_Floden@pch.gc.ca>Date: Saturday, October 20, 2001 12:03 AMI ordered my mini-receiver last Friday, and it arrived (regular shipping) from C.Crane one week later. Wow! I am very impressed. At sunset, it was pulling in very clear signals from Calgary 1010, 1060, and 960; Vernon-940, and others. Conditions seem to be good tonight, so we'll see how it performs over a bit of time.

Selectivity seems good, with CBU-690 wiping out most of the adjacent channels, but KBOI-670 and KIRO-710 coming in with no slop -- ditto for the other powerhouses here on 730 & 1130.

One feature it has that I wish others have is that the 19 presets can be mixed in however you want, from the 3 bands (AM, TV 2-13, FM).

Kevin Redding <amfmtvdx@qwest.net>Date: Saturday, October 20, 2001 12:13 AM

Hey Eric! I would never steer you wrong. I love that radio. Its the best pocket radio I have ever had. Its better than the legendary Sony SRF-M40W and the Sony SRF-M35 both are hot little radios. The Sangean DT-200V though is way the best. You can't go wrong with it. FM is ok but AM is REAL nice for small radio. Its not a GE SRIII but its better than a lot of larger radios.

You will like it more as time passes. Don't try to DX FM with it because it ain't gonna happen. I like the TV it won't TV DX but I get Tucson 125 miles away.

It’s worth the money. Its even better than the DT-300VW with the WX band. My friend has one of those and he likes it but its not as good on AM as the DT-200V. I have had mine for about 2 years and it still kicks ass. I think the thing is smokin for a small radio. It will not do what the CCRadio will do but it does a lot for what it is.

Tom Dimeo <tjdx@earthlink.net>: Has anyone heard how the new Ten-Tec RX-350 receiver might stack up against the Drake R8B on the AM broadcast band?

Bruce Conti <BACONTI@aol.com>: A cursory comparison of published specs indicates that the Drake R8B is a better receiver for down in the dirt DXing. Sensitivity, image rejection, IF rejection, and dynamic range look better on the Drake. However the Ten-Tec RX-350 comes with more bells and whistles, definitely representing advancements in DSP technology at a lower price. Some of the interesting features include spectrum analyzer display, 34 filter bandwidths, a wired remote control, and upgradable flashrom via Internet file downloads. Chassis dimensions are roughly the same as the Drake. Compare specs at the Universal Radio web site; www.universal-radio.com.

Rich Harrison <R2000Harrison@aol.com>: I read (Harry Helms’) review of the CC Radio in the October 22, 2001 issue of DX News. (The) comment about the 20% return rate on Grundig 800's prompts this note. My return rate on 800's is 100%. Last January, I got my first one from Grundig Direct, their Lextronix outlet in the Bay area. The shortwave performance was fine, FM pretty good, but inferior in sensitivity and selectivity to my 1981 vintage Grundig 3400. The AM portion showed good sensitivity and selectivity, but the internal noise level progressively increased over four weeks time to the point that it became virtually useless. I called Lextronix, shipped the radio to Drake in Ohio, with a list of problems. It came back two weeks later with no improvement at all.

So I called Lextronix again and arranged for a second radio, under the condition that I could get a refund if I was not satisfied. The second one was no better than the first, high AM noise level from the get go, despite the fact that Lextronix promised to thoroughly check it out. I then called and asked for a refund, which I got upon the return of the second unit.

The high return rate was visible from the "Return Authorization Numbers" assigned to each of my transactions. Quality control is indeed an issue, as I have seen reports from various quarters showing serious defects, including poor assembly, inoperative switches, mechanical failures as well as atrocious

performance on some bands (the longwave and air bands on both my sets were totally useless). There are "reconditioned" sets available from many sources, further indicating major problems that apparently can be resolved by others.

I have gone back to my Grundig 3400, Bose Wave Radio and Sony 2010. As far the CC Radio is concerned, I have seen ads where their rejects are sold with SCA and SCS modifications. This also confirms (the) view on QC problems with radios made in the PRC.

We’ll continue next time with a variation on this theme – as members tell of their best DX catch on a portable receiver.

I have a lot of antenna information and other subjects waiting in the wings – but if you have any comments on the subjects you read about here, or subjects you would like to see more information on, let me know.