Portable radio AM dxing

Status
Not open for further replies.

VA3TFC

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2020
Messages
54
I got the Sony ICF-S10mk2 on Monday and this morning before dawn I received WACK on 1420khz from Newark N.Y. a 500 watt station (at night) about 250 miles from my QTH. For some reason my bathroom is an excellent place for MW DXing. :D

I also ordered another Sony ICF-P26 from eBay for $25 shipped to me just to see if it's any different the the one I picked up at Best Buy for $46.
 
Joined
Jan 16, 2010
Messages
288
Location
Buckeye, AZ
I got the Sony ICF-S10mk2 on Monday and this morning before dawn I received WACK on 1420khz from Newark N.Y. a 500 watt station (at night) about 250 miles from my QTH. For some reason my bathroom is an excellent place for MW DXing. :D

I also ordered another Sony ICF-P26 from eBay for $25 shipped to me just to see if it's any different the the one I picked up at Best Buy for $46.
Awesome, you can listen while you poop! Lol
 

VA3TFC

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2020
Messages
54
I got the new Sony ICF-P26 on Friday (delivered) and this unit is much better than the one I returned. The volume control works better. The AM and FM selectivity seems much better on this radio too. I was able to easily tune in my local CBC FM station where as on the other radio I could not due to the other FM stations it's in between on the dial. I also enjoy the audio using earphones. Using the ICF-P26 this morning at 05:00 eastern time I logged WPTX on 1690am from Lexington Park M.D. It's a 1000 watt station at night 600 miles (1000kms) from my QTH. It's now my new bedside (and bathroom) AM radio for late night casual DX'ing.
 

Boombox

Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2012
Messages
1,469
I tested my Sony ICF-P26 after reading about your poor experience with it earlier on. Mine works great. The selectivity, understandably, is wide for a DX radio but it still will DX. I think it's using the standard Sony CXA1019 / ceramic filter configuration used in their ICF-38 and other radios, although the ICF-38 has a noticeably narrower bandwidth than the P26 (possibly a different ceramic filter, or maybe higher Q in the loopstick or other circuitry somewhere). That said, if you want to DX with the P26 than hold it further away from a loop antenna than you normally would with other radios. This will enhance selectivity. You can do the same with Walkmen radios and get good results the same way.

Two nights ago I received KGB-AM (the former KFMB) San Diego on 760 khz, on my ICF-P26. In my location, there is a strong local on 770 and a strong regional on 750 khz, so KFMB / KGB is difficult to hear normally. On most radios there is a lot of splash from the two adjacents. On the P26, without the loop, the splash covered 760. With the loop, and the P26 placed away from the loop, I could hear KGB-AM clearly, with some splash. I had to keep the P26 six inches or more away from my Select-A-Tenna to hear KGB-AM. Any closer the radio's ceramic filter was swamped by 770 and/or 750.

Unaided I can hear most of the regionals and some DX stations with the P26. The CXA1019 IF chip has a full RF amp built in. The P26 radio's main deficiency is probably the short loopstick. Otherwise, it's a capable radio for most listening and some DX uses. I would think it's good on batteries, too -- which would be of use in disasters and emergencies. Sounds pretty good through the headphones (momo, of course, although the jack is stereo).

Key point: If you really want to DX with it, use headphones, and manipulate the loop / radio, keeping the radio six inches or so from the loop when you need the selectivity.
 

VA3TFC

Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2020
Messages
54
I use the Sony ICF-P26 and all my radios with earphones while DXing (which is most of the time). I just got the Tecsun R-9012 AM/FM/SW analog radio and I very impressed with the performance! It was easily pulling in the WWV time signal on 5 Mhz from just the whip antenna in my basement apartment! It's also a little monster for portable AM DX reception. For a little $15 radio it has remarkable sensitivity. Apparently it will also run forever on 2AA batteries. I have heard up to 400 hours of continuous use.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top