There are a couple of threads about reduced sensitivity of the 436HP vs 396HP at low VHF. I have been one of the posters. But I thought this deserves a new thread. Administrators: Move to correct place if necessary.
I had my headphones on this morning listening to 436HP in office. Usually I just listen with the speaker. For some reason, the 436HP seemed a bit more sensitive. OK, put it away, and brought it home for some testing this evening.
The gist of the other threads, been experiences by several people, is that since the update to ver 1.03.00 on 436HP, that sensitivity has dropped on VHF reception.
For the last couple of hours, I have again been comparing the 396XT vs 436HP on low VHF and weak weather channels about 80 to 100 miles away. As I reported previously, the 436HP does not hear as well as the 536HP. This is across the board with RS Coil antenna, Austin Condor, and Diamond RH77CA on both scanners for comparisons.
However, with each of the above antennas attached, when I put my headphones in jack of 436HP (good set of headphones I use for CW DX), any slight background noise on the 436HP seems to drop to nothing, and the sensitivity for the weak stations on VHF/Wx seems to be more in line with the 396XT. I had to do a couple of double takes, I repeated this with each antenna and the headphones (cord length about 4 feet) and each time the sensitivity on 436HP seems to pops up a few dB.
Trying the same thing with the 396XT, no difference with headphones in or out. Same good sensitivity.
But repeatedly, when could not hear distant Wx stations on 436HP without headphones, plug the headphones in, and signals pop up to about same level on 396XT.
Before someone says, well you hear better with the headphones, maybe true, but I have been around radio for 52 years, and I tell you, plugging the headphones drops any noise on the 436HP and seems to improve this lower sensitivity issue that we have discussed since ver 1.03.00
Can someone else with similar issue confirm this with a "plug in headphone (at least 3 or 4 foot cord) test." If this is true, wonder why it is so. But if it is true, it may also be good news.
Steve AA6IO
I had my headphones on this morning listening to 436HP in office. Usually I just listen with the speaker. For some reason, the 436HP seemed a bit more sensitive. OK, put it away, and brought it home for some testing this evening.
The gist of the other threads, been experiences by several people, is that since the update to ver 1.03.00 on 436HP, that sensitivity has dropped on VHF reception.
For the last couple of hours, I have again been comparing the 396XT vs 436HP on low VHF and weak weather channels about 80 to 100 miles away. As I reported previously, the 436HP does not hear as well as the 536HP. This is across the board with RS Coil antenna, Austin Condor, and Diamond RH77CA on both scanners for comparisons.
However, with each of the above antennas attached, when I put my headphones in jack of 436HP (good set of headphones I use for CW DX), any slight background noise on the 436HP seems to drop to nothing, and the sensitivity for the weak stations on VHF/Wx seems to be more in line with the 396XT. I had to do a couple of double takes, I repeated this with each antenna and the headphones (cord length about 4 feet) and each time the sensitivity on 436HP seems to pops up a few dB.
Trying the same thing with the 396XT, no difference with headphones in or out. Same good sensitivity.
But repeatedly, when could not hear distant Wx stations on 436HP without headphones, plug the headphones in, and signals pop up to about same level on 396XT.
Before someone says, well you hear better with the headphones, maybe true, but I have been around radio for 52 years, and I tell you, plugging the headphones drops any noise on the 436HP and seems to improve this lower sensitivity issue that we have discussed since ver 1.03.00
Can someone else with similar issue confirm this with a "plug in headphone (at least 3 or 4 foot cord) test." If this is true, wonder why it is so. But if it is true, it may also be good news.
Steve AA6IO