The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver
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The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver
 
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Hi, Group,
Those of you who enjoy SWLing and have considered purchasing the KX3 might want to check out my review of the KX3 as a SW receiver (spoiler: I like it!): http://swling.com/blog/2013/07/a-review-of-the-elecraft-kx3-a-world-class-transceiver-superb-shortwave-receiver/ 72, Thomas K4SWL http://QRPer.com "Less is more!" ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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Hi Tom,
I just read and like your review. I don't know for sure, but my understanding is that the "4.2 kHz" filter actually corresponds to a conventional 8 KHz filter. My understanding is that all signals between "carrier frequency minus 4.2 kHz" and "carrier frequency plus 4.2 kHz" are demodulated, thus the receiver should sound like an analog receiver with a 8kHz filter. Vy 73 Ralf, DL6OAP Am 14.07.2013 um 20:57 schrieb Tom Witherspoon <[hidden email]>: > Hi, Group, > > Those of you who enjoy SWLing and have considered purchasing the KX3 might > want to check out my review of the KX3 as a SW receiver (spoiler: I like > it!): > > http://swling.com/blog/2013/07/a-review-of-the-elecraft-kx3-a-world-class-transceiver-superb-shortwave-receiver/ > > 72, > Thomas > K4SWL > > http://QRPer.com > "Less is more!" > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Tom Witherspoon
great review! i read most every review and article you post.
i ordered the kx3 mostly because of your review and partly because i'd been looking for a self-contained radio of adequate quality for several years. the price takes your breath (or at least my breath) away but i wanted to make sure i got all the accessories and options i'd need in case some went suddenly out of stock. i'm seriously disappointed that this isn't really what my definition of an 'sdr' radio consists of, i.e., one that uses only a single usb cable for programming, control, and power. i blew a couple hundred bucks trying to get an icom ic-r20 to accept its computer overlord and that was an exercise in frustration with cobbled together and custom made cables and interface boxes and it was just a nightmare. and even when i did get the radio connected, it was barely functional. it is far easier for me to look up a sw sked on my iphone and type the freq out on the keyboard than to get the sdr app to do it. anyway, even if i can't get the kx3 working the way 'real' sdr radios such as the bonito radiojet do, at least i can know that i can carry it away from my computer with a portable antenna and be fully functional with a receiver every bit as good. tks again for the review. keep up the good work. /guy (73 de kg5vt) |
Re: The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver
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Guy
Please go into the archives and do some reading about connecting the KX3 to an iPad I do this and its "GREAT". Just using the free programs out there much less those from the store apps. 73, Fred/N0AZZ K3 Ser # 6730--KX3 # 2573--K2/100 # 6470-KAT100 P3/SVGA--KPA500--KAT500--W2 -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of gteague Sent: Monday, July 15, 2013 8:41 PM To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver great review! i read most every review and article you post. i ordered the kx3 mostly because of your review and partly because i'd been looking for a self-contained radio of adequate quality for several years. the price takes your breath (or at least my breath) away but i wanted to make sure i got all the accessories and options i'd need in case some went suddenly out of stock. i'm seriously disappointed that this isn't really what my definition of an 'sdr' radio consists of, i.e., one that uses only a single usb cable for programming, control, and power. i blew a couple hundred bucks trying to get an icom ic-r20 to accept its computer overlord and that was an exercise in frustration with cobbled together and custom made cables and interface boxes and it was just a nightmare. and even when i did get the radio connected, it was barely functional. it is far easier for me to look up a sw sked on my iphone and type the freq out on the keyboard than to get the sdr app to do it. anyway, even if i can't get the kx3 working the way 'real' sdr radios such as the bonito radiojet do, at least i can know that i can carry it away from my computer with a portable antenna and be fully functional with a receiver every bit as good. tks again for the review. keep up the good work. /guy (73 de kg5vt) -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/The-KX3-as-a-shortwave-broadcast-receiv er-tp7576726p7576768.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.2904 / Virus Database: 3204/6492 - Release Date: 07/15/13 ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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hi fred:
yeah, i saw a youtube video of someone connecting to an ipad and i plan to do that--i have all the materials except i might have to get another griffin imic--i haven't used mine in years and have misplaced it. i did find some free ios sdr apps and have installed those. but i still want to connect via computer and since i posted i've found a guy online that has mac native software with ios versions (hamlog) and also sells a connection device that creates a wireless network so that anything you can get onto that wifi network can control your rig called 'pigtail' or 'piglet'. thanks! /guy (73 de kg5vt)
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Re: The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver
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Guy,
I use the iPad and pigtail and it's great. I cannot recommend it too highly. 73 Stephen G4SJP Full of typos from my iPhone On 16 Jul 2013, at 11:04, gteague <[hidden email]> wrote: > hi fred: > > yeah, i saw a youtube video of someone connecting to an ipad and i plan to > do that--i have all the materials except i might have to get another griffin > imic--i haven't used mine in years and have misplaced it. i did find some > free ios sdr apps and have installed those. > > but i still want to connect via computer and since i posted i've found a guy > online that has mac native software with ios versions (hamlog) and also > sells a connection device that creates a wireless network so that anything > you can get onto that wifi network can control your rig called 'pigtail' or > 'piglet'. > > thanks! > > /guy (73 de kg5vt) > > > Fred Smith wrote >> Guy >> >> Please go into the archives and do some reading about connecting the KX3 >> to >> an iPad I do this and its "GREAT". Just using the free programs out there >> much less those from the store apps. >> >> >> 73, >> Fred/N0AZZ >> K3 Ser # 6730--KX3 # 2573--K2/100 # 6470-KAT100 >> P3/SVGA--KPA500--KAT500--W2 > > > > > > -- > View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/The-KX3-as-a-shortwave-broadcast-receiver-tp7576726p7576775.html > Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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i sent the guy like 3 emails asking why in the heck he eliminated the battery from the piglet when he discontinued the pigtail. but i went ahead and ordered the piglet and his serial cable as well despite grave misgivings about how i'm going to power the damm thing--what was just posted here is the sum total of my knowledge of those anderson posts--first i've ever heard of them.
why would you yank a perfectly good 9v battery out of a device designed from the ground up to accompany a battery powered radio and battery powered ios devices and leave the user to carry yet another device around just to power the interface? hopefully he'll ignore or forgive my sarcasm and tell me what the solution is to allow for portable operation without carrying an outboard battery with tangling wire dangling. it's a complete mystery to me.
/guy (73 de kg5vt) On Tue, Jul 16, 2013 at 6:42 AM, Stephen G4SJP [via Elecraft] <[hidden email]> wrote:
There is only one God--His name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: 'Not today'. Syrio Forel - A Game of Thrones ~George R.R. Martin
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Re: The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver
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Most people when operating portable use a small external 7-10ah battery to
power everything the 9v makes little difference and IMHO not needed. Here I have a KX3/Griffin iMike/iPad + 10ah battery = quite a few hours of operation even at 10w with logging/spotting program/Panadapter almost like being at home. 73, Fred/N0AZZ K3 Ser # 6730--KX3 # 2573--K2/100 # 6470-KAT100 P3/SVGA--KPA500--KAT500--W2 -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of gteague Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 6:56 AM To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver i sent the guy like 3 emails asking why in the heck he eliminated the battery from the piglet when he discontinued the pigtail. but i went ahead and ordered the piglet and his serial cable as well despite grave misgivings about how i'm going to power the damm thing--what was just posted here is the sum total of my knowledge of those anderson posts--first i've ever heard of them. why would you yank a perfectly good 9v battery out of a device designed from the ground up to accompany a battery powered radio and battery powered ios devices and leave the user to carry yet another device around just to power the interface? hopefully he'll ignore or forgive my sarcasm and tell me what the solution is to allow for portable operation without carrying an outboard battery with tangling wire dangling. it's a complete mystery to me. /guy (73 de kg5vt) On Tue, Jul 16, 2013 at 6:42 AM, Stephen G4SJP [via Elecraft] < [hidden email]> wrote: > Guy, > > I use the iPad and pigtail and it's great. I cannot recommend it too > highly. > > 73 Stephen G4SJP > > > > Full of typos from my iPhone > > > On 16 Jul 2013, at 11:04, gteague <[hidden > email]<http://user/SendEmail.jtp?type=node&node=7576777&i=0>> > wrote: > > > hi fred: > > > > yeah, i saw a youtube video of someone connecting to an ipad and i > > plan > to > > do that--i have all the materials except i might have to get another > griffin > > imic--i haven't used mine in years and have misplaced it. i did find > some > > free ios sdr apps and have installed those. > > > > but i still want to connect via computer and since i posted i've > > found a > guy > > online that has mac native software with ios versions (hamlog) and > > also sells a connection device that creates a wireless network so > > that > anything > > you can get onto that wifi network can control your rig called 'pigtail' > or > > 'piglet'. > > > > thanks! > > > > /guy (73 de kg5vt) > > > > > > Fred Smith wrote > >> Guy > >> > >> Please go into the archives and do some reading about connecting > >> the > KX3 > >> to > >> an iPad I do this and its "GREAT". Just using the free programs out > there > >> much less those from the store apps. > >> > >> > >> 73, > >> Fred/N0AZZ > >> K3 Ser # 6730--KX3 # 2573--K2/100 # 6470-KAT100 > >> P3/SVGA--KPA500--KAT500--W2 > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > View this message in context: > http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/The-KX3-as-a-shortwave-broadcast- > receiver-tp7576726p7576775.html > > > Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > > ______________________________________________________________ > > Elecraft mailing list > > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > > Post: mailto:[hidden > > email]<http://user/SendEmail.jtp?type=node&node=7576777&i=1> > > > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this > > email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden > email]<http://user/SendEmail.jtp?type=node&node=7576777&i=2> > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email > list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > > > ------------------------------ > If you reply to this email, your message will be added to the > discussion > below: > > http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/The-KX3-as-a-shortwave-broadcast- > receiver-tp7576726p7576777.html To unsubscribe from The KX3 as a > shortwave broadcast receiver, click > here<http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?mac > ro=unsubscribe_by_code&node=7576726&code=YWNjdHNAZ3R3ZWIub3JnfDc1NzY3M > jZ8MTczNzUzMjk1OQ==> > . > NAML<http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?mac > ro=macro_viewer&id=instant_html%21nabble%3Aemail.naml&base=nabble.naml > .namespaces.BasicNamespace-nabble.view.web.template.NabbleNamespace-na > bble.view.web.template.NodeNamespace&breadcrumbs=notify_subscribers%21 > nabble%3Aemail.naml-instant_emails%21nabble%3Aemail.naml-send_instant_ > email%21nabble%3Aemail.naml> > -- *There is only one God--His name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: 'Not today'.* Syrio Forel - A Game of Thrones ~George R.R. Martin -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/The-KX3-as-a-shortwave-broadcast-receiv er-tp7576726p7576778.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.2904 / Virus Database: 3204/6492 - Release Date: 07/15/13 ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Re: The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver
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In reply to this post by gteague
On 7/15/2013 6:41 PM, gteague wrote:
> great review! i read most every review and article you post. Those looking for a broadcast receiver would do well to look at the Tecsun product line, imported by the same folks who import Kaito. There are a dozen or so models ranging in cost from about $45 to about $100. About half of them are DSP radios using a Silicon Labs chip, and yield excellent performance on both AM and FM. Most of them cover LW (below the AM broadcast band), all of them cover "short wave" broadcast bands, and a few cover the part of the VHF spectrum used by aircraft. A few models have detectors for SSB. AM bandwidth is switchable to provide audio bandwidth in several steps between 1 kHz and 6 kHz. I have three radios using the Silicon Labs chips -- a $100 Sony (discontinued, selling for $500 used if you can find them), a Tecsun 380 ($45), and an Insignia FM-only HD radio sold by Best Buy ($50). The RF performance can only be described as amazing. Here in the Santa Cruz mountains, I wanted to hear KQED from San Francisco, with a mountain between us. With a long Yagi pointed at it, KQED was noisy on both my Technics ST9030 and Carver TX11B, but nearly full quieting on all three DSP radios. More impressive, the Technics and Carver heard full quieting signals from 1,000 W stations 50 miles away on 91.5 and 91.9, and nothing but noise on 91.7. All three DSP radios hear a station on 91.7 nearly full quieting from near San Luis Obispo, and off the back of the Yagi! The Tecsun and Insignia radios run on AA batteries or a wall wart, can be connected to an external antenna with a clip lead, and have a headphone output that can feed a high quality audio system. .BTW -- I also own three of the GE Super Radio III, which is one of the best AM broadcast receivers around. It was designed by a consortium of broadcast engineers in the 70s, when they were trying to "save AM." It has a 10 kHz notch filter, and the IF bandwidth is switchable to >20 kHz. It's been out of production since the marketing turkeys who bought the RCA name bought the division of GE that made it, but the original GE Super Radio is still around on the auction sites. Very thorough engineering reviews (and a lot of other great material) by Brian Beezley, K6STI, of the Technics, Carver, and Sony receivers can be found at http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/index.html 73, Jim K9YC ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Re: The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver
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In reply to this post by Tom Witherspoon
Jim wrote:
> Those looking for a broadcast receiver would do well to look at the > Tecsun product line... > About half of them are DSP radios using a Silicon Labs chip, and yield > excellent performance on both AM and FM. Most of them cover LW (below > the AM broadcast band), all of them cover "short wave" broadcast bands, > ...AM bandwidth is switchable to provide audio bandwidth in several > steps between 1 kHz and 6 kHz. > > I have three radios using the Silicon Labs chips -- ... a Tecsun 380 > ...The RF performance can only be described as amazing. I agree. I expected only passable performance...but AM and FM broadcast band performance is better than anything I've used in 45 years as an avid AM listener (and FM is equally impressive). The 390 is noticeably better than the 380 on AM. It is a wider radio than the 380, so it has room for a significantly longer ferrite rod antenna. It also has FM stereo and a very handy line-in jack, both of which the 380 lacks. > The Tecsun ... radios run on AA batteries or a wall wart... I found it better to use NiMH rechargeable batteries and take advantage of the built-in recharge-from-USB circuitry. The radio allows one to specify that NiMH cells are installed instead of normal AA-cells. The 390 comes with a case with bottom pocket to store: (1) Stereo ear buds, (2) USB charging cable, (3) Clip-on wire antenna, (4) 3.5mm stereo cable to connect an external AF device to the 390's line-in jack (Great for using with an MP3 player). > I also own three of the GE Super Radio III, which is one of the best AM > broadcast receivers around. I have an *original* Super Radio (not model II or III), plus a model III. My original model always performed much much better than the III, but the model III had a terrible history of significant QA problems. All are very large portable radios by modern standards. My small Tecsun 380 and 390 grossly outperform these old units. I haven't been much concerned about the AM broadcast performance of the KX3. When a rather small SDR AM/FM broadcast radio like the Tecsun 390 is available at trivial cost, I don't require a ham rig to attempt to match it for broadcast reception. There are now many SDR radios available for give-away prices that have outstanding performance, ranging from these Tecsun BCB receivers to the Baofeng micro-size VHF/UHF HTs. Both are useful SDR-technology radios to supplement the SDR KX3. 73, Mike / KK5F ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Re: The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver
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In reply to this post by Jim Brown-10
I'd agree with you about the Tecsun radios, Jim. I bought a PL-660 last
year, before Christmas. The only gripes that I have are: a) the cheap Chinese batteries that came with it had a short life. I topped off the charge after installing the batteries, and the next time that I tried to use the radio, they wouldn't take a charge. b) no BFO. I was going to listen to the "Night of Nights" transmission Friday night, and I discovered the hard way that it doesn't do CW. Good thing that I had the K3 and KX3! 73 de Jim - AD6CW On 7/16/2013 7:37 AM, Jim Brown wrote: > > Those looking for a broadcast receiver would do well to look at the > Tecsun product line, imported by the same folks who import Kaito. > There are a dozen or so models ranging in cost from about $45 to about > $100. About half of them are DSP radios using a Silicon Labs chip, and > yield excellent performance on both AM and FM. Most of them cover LW > (below the AM broadcast band), all of them cover "short wave" > broadcast bands, and a few cover the part of the VHF spectrum used by > aircraft. A few models have detectors for SSB. AM bandwidth is > switchable to provide audio bandwidth in several steps between 1 kHz > and 6 kHz. > > I have three radios using the Silicon Labs chips -- a $100 Sony > (discontinued, selling for $500 used if you can find them), a Tecsun > 380 ($45), and an Insignia FM-only HD radio sold by Best Buy ($50). > The RF performance can only be described as amazing. Here in the Santa > Cruz mountains, I wanted to hear KQED from San Francisco, with a > mountain between us. With a long Yagi pointed at it, KQED was noisy on > both my Technics ST9030 and Carver TX11B, but nearly full quieting on > all three DSP radios. More impressive, the Technics and Carver heard > full quieting signals from 1,000 W stations 50 miles away on 91.5 and > 91.9, and nothing but noise on 91.7. All three DSP radios hear a > station on 91.7 nearly full quieting from near San Luis Obispo, and > off the back of the Yagi! > > The Tecsun and Insignia radios run on AA batteries or a wall wart, can > be connected to an external antenna with a clip lead, and have a > headphone output that can feed a high quality audio system. .BTW -- I > also own three of the GE Super Radio III, which is one of the best AM > broadcast receivers around. It was designed by a consortium of > broadcast engineers in the 70s, when they were trying to "save AM." It > has a 10 kHz notch filter, and the IF bandwidth is switchable to >20 > kHz. It's been out of production since the marketing turkeys who > bought the RCA name bought the division of GE that made it, but the > original GE Super Radio is still around on the auction sites. > > Very thorough engineering reviews (and a lot of other great material) > by Brian Beezley, K6STI, of the Technics, Carver, and Sony receivers > can be found at http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/index.html > > 73, Jim K9YC ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Re: The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver
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In reply to this post by Mike Morrow-3
On 7/16/2013 9:41 AM, Mike Morrow wrote:
> I haven't been much concerned about the AM broadcast performance of the > KX3. When a rather small SDR AM/FM broadcast radio like the Tecsun 390 is > available at trivial cost, I don't require a ham rig to attempt to match > it for broadcast reception. YES. This is the point of my post -- when I can buy a really good AM/M RX for $44 and let it live in my living room, I don't need to spend for options to a $900KX3 to get a VERY good AM RX. If you're backpacking in the boonies and want to listen to AM radio with your KX3, fine. But the Tecsun is a really good FM RX, which almost certainly provides better programming options with very little additional weight or cost. 73, Jim K9YC ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Re: The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver
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In reply to this post by Jim Brown-10
How well do they transmit for you if needed while serving as a SW Receiver?
I have several Grundig,s and a Sangean excellent radios but cannot serve a dual purpose or have the receiver of the KX3. 73, Fred/N0AZZ K3 Ser # 6730--KX3 # 2573--K2/100 # 6470-KAT100 P3/SVGA--KPA500--KAT500--W2 -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Jim Brown Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 9:38 AM To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver On 7/15/2013 6:41 PM, gteague wrote: > great review! i read most every review and article you post. Those looking for a broadcast receiver would do well to look at the Tecsun product line, imported by the same folks who import Kaito. There are a dozen or so models ranging in cost from about $45 to about $100. About half of them are DSP radios using a Silicon Labs chip, and yield excellent performance on both AM and FM. Most of them cover LW (below the AM broadcast band), all of them cover "short wave" broadcast bands, and a few cover the part of the VHF spectrum used by aircraft. A few models have detectors for SSB. AM bandwidth is switchable to provide audio bandwidth in several steps between 1 kHz and 6 kHz. I have three radios using the Silicon Labs chips -- a $100 Sony (discontinued, selling for $500 used if you can find them), a Tecsun 380 ($45), and an Insignia FM-only HD radio sold by Best Buy ($50). The RF performance can only be described as amazing. Here in the Santa Cruz mountains, I wanted to hear KQED from San Francisco, with a mountain between us. With a long Yagi pointed at it, KQED was noisy on both my Technics ST9030 and Carver TX11B, but nearly full quieting on all three DSP radios. More impressive, the Technics and Carver heard full quieting signals from 1,000 W stations 50 miles away on 91.5 and 91.9, and nothing but noise on 91.7. All three DSP radios hear a station on 91.7 nearly full quieting from near San Luis Obispo, and off the back of the Yagi! The Tecsun and Insignia radios run on AA batteries or a wall wart, can be connected to an external antenna with a clip lead, and have a headphone output that can feed a high quality audio system. .BTW -- I also own three of the GE Super Radio III, which is one of the best AM broadcast receivers around. It was designed by a consortium of broadcast engineers in the 70s, when they were trying to "save AM." It has a 10 kHz notch filter, and the IF bandwidth is switchable to >20 kHz. It's been out of production since the marketing turkeys who bought the RCA name bought the division of GE that made it, but the original GE Super Radio is still around on the auction sites. Very thorough engineering reviews (and a lot of other great material) by Brian Beezley, K6STI, of the Technics, Carver, and Sony receivers can be found at http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/index.html 73, Jim K9YC ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2013.0.2904 / Virus Database: 3204/6492 - Release Date: 07/15/13 ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Re: The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver
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In reply to this post by Tom Witherspoon
Jim wrote:
> If you're backpacking in the boonies and want to listen to AM radio with > your KX3, fine. But the Tecsun is a really good FM RX, which almost > certainly provides better programming options with very little > additional weight or cost. Exactly. The PL-380 is very small...a negligible increase in carry weight and bulk, even when backpacking with a ham QRP rig. For even better AM reception than the excellent PL-380 presents, the PL-390 has a significantly better (longer) ferrite rod antenna. Battery life in these small SDRs is very very good as well. In the past 34 years, I've never been on any camping, backpacking, or day hiking trip without carrying an AM/FM radio, even when carrying a QRP rig...and I never will. It's especially welcome late at night on a solitary trip in some wilderness area during the winter off-season. 73, Mike / KK5F ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Re: The KX3 as a shortwave broadcast receiver
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In reply to this post by gteague
You might want to check out TRX-Manager. I've used the software to computer control several ham transceivers, including a JRC-525 and Yaesu FT-900AT. It's set up to use the USB cable that comes with the KX3 and completely computer-control the rig, including adding panadaptor waterfall capabilities. It's far more powerful than HamRadioDeluxe, but that works well for the KX3 as well. What I like about TRX Manager is that it lets me have unlimited memories. I also cotrol the dial with a Griffin PowerMate and use a big 28" monitor.
TRX-Manager.com larry St. Louis |
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