Choosing a Third Radio (?)

[ditto1958]

I’ve recently gotten into SW DXing with two portable radios, first an XHData D-109WB and then a Qodosen Dx-286. Both are really nice and excellent performers.

I quickly realized I would soon get new radio-itis and “need” more and more new ones. This time, though, unless something new pops up, it will be awhile before I get another one. Why? Because the next one either needs to either do something the old ones don’t at all, or it needs to do something better than the old ones do.

So… I don’t have SSB capability or airband. So, those are possible features I might want. Other things might be to try a radio with analog tuning, like a Tecsun PL-660 or 880. Another possibility is a more expensive model, with a nicer enclosure and bigger, better sounding speaker. The Tecsun PL-880 and PL-990 seem very nice… but I’d like them better if they were more sensitive as radios. I’ve read and watched a lot of reviews and, nice as both radios are, they seem to get somewhat wishy-washy scores for radios that cost a lot.

I kinda think maybe the radio I want is not made yet. And I fear economics may cause it not to be made. What I would buy if they made it would be a nicer Qodosen. Put it in a slightly larger case, with a bigger and better speaker. An extra knob for fine tuning, and maybe a few more buttons so that fewer settings require weird combos to access. See if there’s a way to add SSB. Add Bluetooth and mp3 capability.

But hey- doesn’t a Tecsun or a C.Crane already do some or all of that? Arguably yes, but they don’t seem to have kept up when it comes to sensitivity.

Last thing is SDR. Perhaps these radios are the future. But so far, they’re made in people’s basements and, while many seem to work well, they’re not really my thing. Someone needs to do a more polished job of putting one in a nice case, ironing out the bugs in them, and sell them with good documentation, warranty, etc. Meanwhile, they do look interesting…

 

[W8WCA]

Look at SDRPlay - Anything they make will be a good improvement over what you have.

The PL880 is a fairly sensitive Receiver. It has a lot of bang for the buck.
Not sure where you got the idea it is not sensitive

Last thing is SDR. Perhaps these radios are the future. But so far, they’re made in people’s basements

 

[ditto1958]

Look at SDRPlay - Anything they make will be a good improvement over what you have.

The PL880 is a fairly sensitive Receiver. It has a lot of bang for the buck.
Not sure where you got the idea it is not sensitive

The SDRPlay seems to get a lot of positive feedback, but it’s exactly what I don’t want/need. I guess I’m an “ultra-light” DXer. I use portable radios, using only the whip antenna and/or a wire set up in my house. No, not the most optimum setup for catching weak and far off signals, but it’s what I do. It might have been a different story a few years back, but now I don’t want to have a radio shack, and I don’t want to build anything or tinker much. As such, I’m very happy with what can be done with small and inexpensive receivers.

As for the Tecsun PL-880, yes it’s a very nice radio, and it is sensitive, but newer and less expensive models seem to match it or even edge it out. It just seems as though it’s a bit over priced.

 

[Token]

As for the Tecsun PL-880, yes it’s a very nice radio, and it is sensitive, but newer and less expensive models seem to match it or even edge it out. It just seems as though it’s a bit over priced.

A comment or two about sensitivity. Be careful getting wrapped up in sensitivity. Other factors of a radio are at least as important as raw sensitivity. Things like image rejection, dynamic range, filter selection, etc, all as, or more, important than sensitivity. Don't get me wrong, sensitivity is important, but it is not the only factor to consider. And it is also sometimes easy to misunderstand when it comes to printed specifications.

Let me give an example. Per their manuals, the Qodesen SR286 has a sensitivity of better than 10 uV on SW, the Techsun PL990 has a sensitivity of better than 20 uV on SW. Lower numbers are better, yes? Sounds like a big win for the SR286, twice as good, right? However, the 286 manual uses an S/N of 20 dB, and the 990 manual uses an S/N of 26 dB. This makes them two different ways of quantifying sensitivity, and they cannot be directly compared. The reality is that they are saying almost exactly the same thing, in two different ways.

I would pick a radio based on other factors first. Size, form factor, sound, desired features, and then look at published sensitivity as maybe a tie breaker or final decider. And make sure you are using apples to apples (same units, standards, measuring techniques, etc) for a comparison of any quantifiable values.

T!

 

[Boombox]

Sensitivity and radio performance is a mixed bag. For example, my XHDATA D-328, off the whip, is relatively insensitive on SW, compared to my other portables. But when I clip my indoor 25 ft wire to the whip, my D-328 matches my Radio Shack DX-398 and other, higher quality radios on SW broadcast. So there's always the antenna factor that comes into play. You can have a radio with a real hot chip and if you add wire the radio will overload. But it may work great off the whip. But sometimes you need that extra wire to bring in stations that the radio that is great off the whip won't bring in well. With that, a radio with a less hot RF amp might work out perfect. It's usually YMMV. I think it's one reason a lot of us have more than a couple radios.

 

[ditto1958]

See, now that’s the problem. There’s always good reason why I need more radios. Thanks, Boombox. 🙂

 

[TAC4]

Sdrplay or Sangean ATS-909X2 is the next performance radio
for you. This will open a whole new world of SSB and air band
listening as well as unmatched performance and features from
the radios you have now.

Performance is not just about sensitive it is also about filtering, RF gain control, audio, ease of tuning and how they handle long wire antennas etc.

 

[ditto1958]

I don’t go by reviews alone, but I do watch and read them. That Sangean gets a lot of negative reviews. Positive ones, too, but a lotta bad ones, nonetheless.

In fact, one thing I’ve noticed pretty much across the board about reviews of higher priced portables (Tecsun PL-880 and 990, C.Crane Skywave SSB2, Etons…) is a feeling that people who buy and review them are hesitant to really open up about them. I suspect maybe they think they have a good radio- but maybe not as good as they expected for the price- and they hold back a little for fear of being flamed by fans of a brand for posting negative comments.

Then there are grumpy old time radio guys who write long essays with paragraph after paragraph of things they’ve found wrong with a radio, but if you read until the end and look close at their conclusions, they end up saying it’s good.

After all that? It may be a little while before I do anything, but I’m thinking my next radio will likely be a higher end one. Maybe even the Sangean…

 

[Boombox]

I don’t go by reviews alone, but I do watch and read them. That Sangean gets a lot of negative reviews. Positive ones, too, but a lotta bad ones, nonetheless.

In fact, one thing I’ve noticed pretty much across the board about reviews of higher priced portables (Tecsun PL-880 and 990, C.Crane Skywave SSB2, Etons…) is a feeling that people who buy and review them are hesitant to really open up about them. I suspect maybe they think they have a good radio- but maybe not as good as they expected for the price- and they hold back a little for fear of being flamed by fans of a brand for posting negative comments.

Then there are grumpy old time radio guys who write long essays with paragraph after paragraph of things they’ve found wrong with a radio, but if you read until the end and look close at their conclusions, they end up saying it’s good.

After all that? It may be a little while before I do anything, but I’m thinking my next radio will likely be a higher end one. Maybe even the Sangean…

I'd get a 909X2 if I had the money. The only negative I've heard about it -- aside from the nature of the volume knob -- is lower volume on SSB. If the radio has a decent AF amp, you just boost the volume. I have the Sangean 909 (DX-398), Great radio.

You're right that some reviewers go into a lot of detail. Really, between the radios listed in your post above, I don't think you could go wrong with any of them.