I just got my hands on this great little radio last week. I was very fortunate to get a 50% discount from the retailer because the box was badly damaged. Fortunately the radio is in pristine condition and is well worth the money. I find that my outside long wire antennas perform the best on shortwave band as compared to the built in whip. Although there is some interference that the 909X2 picks up inside the house I still have very decent reception on all bands while it is powered by AA batteries. The problem comes in when I plug in the power adapter and run the radio on AC. I get a very loud buzz that pretty much overtakes the incoming signal and leads to a lot of frustration. I don't mind running the radio off of batteries but they tend to drain awfully fast especially when the light is on. I suppose high capacity nimh batteries would be an option but seeing the 909X2 is a mainstay in my shack attached to external antennas it will rarely be used as a portable. Any idea on how to overcome the noise issue? I don't know if I'm the only one seeing this problem as I did not see it mentioned in the forum before.
Sangean ATS-909X2 Noise Problem
- Thread starter SatHunter
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Your problem likely lies in the AC adapter. In general, inexpensive switching power supplies are known to be very RF noisy - especially in the HF/SW bands. You may wish to try a different (but compatible) adapter. Alternatively, you might consider the use of a good quality regulated DC power supply and a power cord appropriate to your radio. Be mindful of the voltage that your radio requires.
You may be able to clean it up a bit with a couple of clamshell Ferrite Cores (around the output of the wallwart)
But best is a better AC Adapter
But best is a better AC Adapter
Thank you for your quick replies! I see the Sangean adapter is 9V and 1.2 amps. I have several 9 volt adapters from older electronics. How critical is the amp rating? None of the units I have on hand match the 1.2 amp criteria. Also I believe the ferrite cores are available locally but was shocked to find out they were selling them for $4 each.
It can be more than the 1.2 Amps
Thanks - that's great to know. I'll try a few things out and report back soon.
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
I read in the reviews that the power supply was quiet, but I guess that wasn't the case for you.
One thing - make sure your supply has a positive center pin.
As for running on batteries, here's David Zantow's take on it from his website showing the total current draw...
One thing - make sure your supply has a positive center pin.
As for running on batteries, here's David Zantow's take on it from his website showing the total current draw...
Thank you very much for this very useful information on battery use (and for a reminder on the polarity). Most of the adapters I came across today are under 500ma and many have the negative center pin. I might have to order a new one but first I'll try the supplied adapter with the radio in several different power outlets throughout the house to see if that changes anything.
Have you thought about buying another one from Sangean? I have three Sangean radios, purchased between 2013 and two years ago, all with Sangean provided AC adaptors, and none have noise from the adaptor. Sangean appear to be generally pretty good about providing noise free, switching power-supply AC adaptors for their radios.
Yes, I was definitely considering this. But the funny thing I noticed last night is that the noise is generated as soon as the adapter is inserted into the radio even before I plug the brick into a power outlet. I've never seen this happen before with any radio I own. I was listening to a strong signal on 40m and I noticed that the batteries were running low. I grabbed the adapter and plugged it into the radio. Immediately the signal dropped and I heard a loud buzzing. I hadn't gone near the AC outlet yet. I pulled the plug out of the Sangean and the noise was gone. Not sure what to try next.
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