Seeking Thoughts on a Radio for a Beginner AM DX'er

[cistercian]

My CCrane Radio EP (bought about 8 years ago) tunes smoothly through the stations just like an old fashioned analog set with no apparent "locking in" or soft muting. For example, this morning, tuned in CFZM 740 Toronto, then WSB 750 Atlanta, then 50kw local WJR 760 smoothly one to the next. One would fade out as the next tuned in just as one would expect with a true analog set. Also, haven't noticed any overloading but AFAIK my nearest AM BCB station runs only 5kw and is 10 miles away.
However, it appears as though the Radio EP has been superseded by the EP PRO. The PRO, although outwardly similar to the original EP, may be an entirely different animal internally. The reason being that the PRO has a 9kc-10kc select switch (the original EP does not). This makes me wonder if the PRO could be a digital radio that looks like an analog set... what would be the need for the 9-10 select switch on an analog radio?
IDK, have never myself used the PRO so can't say how it compares exactly to the original EP but my guess is that something has changed.

The EP Pro is a digital radio and tunes in steps...hence the 9/10 kc switch. It has an led that lights when it is tuned.
I don't understand the appeal of the low res dial format when a simple LCD display would work.
It is a fully digital Si chip radio bereft of a display. But sweet twin coil antenna, good audio, excellent sensitivity.

 

[Grunddiigg]

Go on ebay and find a GE Superradio II. That's the real way to go for AM DX.
Or if you're lucky, a Panasonic RF-2200, the abxolute best but prices are delusional.
Forget Tecsuns. All of mine from soup to nuts are horrible unless you use a loop.

I have an RF-2200 that I had cleaned and all caps replaced. Thing pulls in AM from Winnipeg on some evenings (I'm in Colorado). The sound is excellent as well. It's a freaking great radio but, yeah, the costs people are selling them for are outrageous.

 

[cistercian]

I have an RF-2200 that I had cleaned and all caps replaced. Thing pulls in AM from Winnipeg on some evenings (I'm in Colorado). The sound is excellent as well. It's a freaking great radio but, yeah, the costs people are selling them for are outrageous.

They are excellent. For literally decades I tried to find a better portable than my old GE. I had no idea...that my radio was nearly reference grade already. The 2200 is fantastic. I find the prices ridiculous as well.
Not my pic but what my GE looks like. https://www.eham.net/data/classifieds/images/324341.jpg

Mine is mint as I bought it new. It is a Panasonic RF2600 that is "improved" according to old GE advertisements.
2200 has a 200 mm ferrite vs 120mm ferrite in mine as well as a better IF section according to RadioJayallen.
Its ok on SW great on FM and EPIC on AM BCB. But it's HUGE!!!!

 

[Boombox]

My CCrane Radio EP (bought about 8 years ago) tunes smoothly through the stations just like an old fashioned analog set with no apparent "locking in" or soft muting. For example, this morning, tuned in CFZM 740 Toronto, then WSB 750 Atlanta, then 50kw local WJR 760 smoothly one to the next. One would fade out as the next tuned in just as one would expect with a true analog set. Also, haven't noticed any overloading but AFAIK my nearest AM BCB station runs only 5kw and is 10 miles away.
However, it appears as though the Radio EP has been superseded by the EP PRO. The PRO, although outwardly similar to the original EP, may be an entirely different animal internally. The reason being that the PRO has a 9kc-10kc select switch (the original EP does not). This makes me wonder if the PRO could be a digital radio that looks like an analog set... what would be the need for the 9-10 select switch on an analog radio?
IDK, have never myself used the PRO so can't say how it compares exactly to the original EP but my guess is that something has changed.

The EP Pro has a DSP chip. Your EP featured an analog IF chip. CCrane could no longer procure the analog IF chips they had used in the analog EP, so they had to go DSP with the mechanically tuned SiLabs DSP chip. They wanted to keep the radio analog dial because a lot of people prefer analog dials.

SiLabs makes a DSP chip in the Si4xxx series that will tune off of a potentiometer. They used it in the Radio Shack Pocket Radio. and it works well in that radio, although the Pocket Radio does actually have soft mute -- a feature that can be 'switched off' in the programming of it at the factory.

The EP Pro otherwise appears to be similar to the EP, the case is similar, the twin coil 200mm loopstick is apparently the same, and the twin coils are still tunable. I'm not sure the 9kHz/10kHz makes much of a difference. I've seen at least one comment elsewhere to that effect, but not having ever used an EP Pro, I have no clue as to how that feature works. The datasheet for the only SiLabs, mechanically tuned DSP ship I could find info on doesn't mention 9 kHz / 10 kHz switching. Maybe it's a new chip with that feature?

 

[cc333]

I showed my PR-D4W to a friend this evening, and while he's not a DXer (he just wants to listen to a handful of local NewsTalk stations), he was impressed by how good it sounded. So much, in fact, that he wanted to get one for himself!

c

 

[Boombox]

If you use an external loop with your Sangean PR-D4W I've found mine works best with the loop either off to the side (which I don't do with mine because of space) or with the loop at least 3-6 inches (5-8 cm or so) from the back of the PR-4DW. Mine seems to peak the best way with the loop somewhere near that distance. If I retune to a frequency 100 khz away or so, I might have to 're-up' the tuning on the PR-D4W (where you kick it down a channel and then back up, so the radio re-adjusts to the frequency and antenna).

But if I just tune up and down channel by channel, peaking the external loop as I go, I don't have to 're-up' the PR-D4W hardly at all.

And it's an amazing radio even without an external loop. I'm still figuring out the quirks. But the more I use it, the more I like it.

 

[radiomanjh]

Best bang for buck is the Sangean PR-D4W. Excellent audio, excellent sensitivity on AM, variable bandwidths. No tuning knob...up down switches and seek function. I paid 66 dollars for mine. Highly recommended.
I also have a Sangean PR-D15 which is also an excellent AM DX machine. The longer 200mm antenna in it produces better nulls than the D4W.
At the very edge in daytime testing it is a tiny bit more sensitive. Tuning knob also capable of 1 kc steps unlike the D4W. A bit wider than the D4W and has 2 speakers...BUT the audio quality is not very good. Volume changes via a knob but it is an encoder so it changes in steps.
With sensitive phones there is circuit hiss too. Audio via speakers is pedestrian...but that being said it is an excellent radio for AM DXing and has great audio recovery. AGC is slow so it is well behaved when the band is noisy and there is rapid fade. It also does not mute while tuning. It has soft muting but it is easily turned off via menu. Way faster to tune up and down the band fast manually than the D4W because the peaking function in the D4W is slow and takes 2 seconds minimum...per frequency change. The AGC in the D4W is fast...and the signal strength meter requires a huge amount of signal to indicate. It makes it more of a challenge when using an inductively coupled loop to tune the external loop well.

For program listening the D4W is epic and if you want to sit on a frequency and see what fades in and out it is excellent too.
I consider both receivers excellent for DXing but to listen to for extended sessions on cool programs the D4W is fantastic. Rapid fade sounds horrible with it though. The D15 cost me 88 dollars vs 66 for the D4W.
Google Radiojayallen and then choose either of the sangeans. And feel great at how much you saved over a much more expensive radio that is only a bit better.
I am glad I own both BTW. And together they cost less than a cc crane 3 or 2e.
I use tenergy centura NIMH cells in both of my radios and charge them with a Sky RC MC3000. They run a long time.

Either one of these radios will blow your mind performance wise. They are excellent receivers.

I hope this helps.

howdy, would the MLA 30+ loop antenna work well with the PR-D4W?

 

[MiCon]

Lots of info here. I've had only one portable MW radio, the DX-440. Like mmckenna, I've used this radio for over twenty years and it still sounds as good as new.

Features:
- Push button on/ off switch.
- Digital display.
- Slide controls for volume, bass, treble, balance.
- A lock switch to keep the frequency locked so as to not lose it.
- BFO knob for USB/ LSB, or to 'zero' a signal's exact frequency.
- RF gain knob to pull in the weak signals and decrease the overpowering signals.
- A switch that lets you choose mono or stereo for FM, or Narrow/ wide band for AM.
- A five step LED signal gauge.
- Power source is AC and DC (D batteries).
- Headphone jack.
- You can program nine frequencies for instant recall.
- Tuning is done manually (tuning knob), or digital entry (keyboard), or using up/ down buttons, or search mode.
- RE tuning: Tunes in 1khz steps, which is very useful for fine tuning a weak signal, or separating a weak signal from bleed from an adjoining strong frequency. This, and the external antenna jack, are the two features I find are the most useful.
- The internal ferrite antenna seems to do pretty good, but it also comes with an external telescoping antenna, and an RCA jack for connecting an external antenna.

 

[cistercian]

howdy, would the MLA 30+ loop antenna work well with the PR-D4W?

The MLA 30 is broadband I think. A tunable loop is very desirable so you don't amplify close stations.
Also, you would have to make an inductive coupler to get the signal into the PR-4DW.
So no, it won't really work. There is no antenna input on the sangean for an external antenna.

 

[radiomanjh]

The MLA 30 is broadband I think. A tunable loop is very desirable so you don't amplify close stations.
Also, you would have to make an inductive coupler to get the signal into the PR-4DW.
So no, it won't really work. There is no antenna input on the sangean for an external antenna.

ok thank you!

 

[SatHunter]

Go on ebay and find a GE Superradio II. That's the real way to go for AM DX.
Or if you're lucky, a Panasonic RF-2200, the abxolute best but prices are delusional.
Forget Tecsuns. All of mine from soup to nuts are horrible unless you use a loop.

Superadio II has been my AM radio of choice for over 3 decades. Superior reception, big loud speaker, zero interference of any kind. An analog radio gem 💎

 

[Boombox]

Superadio II has been my AM radio of choice for over 3 decades. Superior reception, big loud speaker, zero interference of any kind. An analog radio gem 💎

Tough radio, too, actually. My cat knocked mine off the top of the refrigerator. Still works. Not even a ding, although one of the tines on the AC plug went sideways a little when it was yanked out of the outlet (radio was off at the time). Easy to straighten... Good radio, those SRIIs.