Rcvr: Tecsun PL660 w/ built-in ant rod

Location: Louisville, KYDate: June 22, 2012


11725 RNZI, New Zealand, in Engl at 0717. M w/ Pacific nx, good.

13710 CRI, Albania, in Engl at 0712. M w/ nx. Weak.

15300 RFI, France in French at 0708. Very weak, keeps losing sync. //13695, also weak.

15315 RFI, France, in Hausa at 0706. M w/ nx, weak. //13685.

15490 BBC, Seychelles, in French at 0703 in French. Nx, ID, Good.

15515 RA, Australia, in English at 0625. //15240, 13635, 11945 much stronger.

15580 VOA, Botswana, in Engl at 0657. Weak, but YL w/ clear VOA News Now ID.

15595 RV, Vatican , in Engl at 0635, and in Arabic at 0655 recheck. Fading fast.

17820 DW, Kigali, Rwanda, at 0640 in English. W w/ African features. Good, but fading.

17855 RFA, No. Marianas, in Chinese at 0651. M w/ interview of YL. Weak to fair.


Most of these were not audible at all on an Icom R75 with external antenna!!

On Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:23:55 -0700, Mike wrote:

Rcvr: Tecsun PL660 w/ built-in ant rod

Location: Louisville, KYDate: June 22, 2012


11725 RNZI, New Zealand, in Engl at 0717. M w/ Pacific nx, good.

13710 CRI, Albania, in Engl at 0712. M w/ nx. Weak.

15300 RFI, France in French at 0708. Very weak, keeps losing sync.
//13695, also weak.

15315 RFI, France, in Hausa at 0706. M w/ nx, weak. //13685.

15490 BBC, Seychelles, in French at 0703 in French. Nx, ID, Good.

15515 RA, Australia, in English at 0625. //15240, 13635, 11945 much
stronger.

15580 VOA, Botswana, in Engl at 0657. Weak, but YL w/ clear VOA News Now
ID.

15595 RV, Vatican , in Engl at 0635, and in Arabic at 0655 recheck.
Fading fast.

17820 DW, Kigali, Rwanda, at 0640 in English. W w/ African features.
Good, but fading.

17855 RFA, No. Marianas, in Chinese at 0651. M w/ interview of YL. Weak
to fair.


Most of these were not audible at all on an Icom R75 with external
antenna!!

Good catches with only the rod antenna. I just broke out my Hammarlund
HQ-145XC with the SelecTenna. Will try it out tonight.

On Friday, June 22, 2012 2:23:55 AM UTC-5, Mike wrote:

Most of these were not audible at all on an Icom R75 with external antenna!!

Are we to infer that the Tecsun PL660 is a better receiver than the Icom R75 or that your Icom R75 needs servicing?

On Friday, June 22, 2012 8:23:20 PM UTC-7, (unknown) wrote:
On Friday, June 22, 2012 2:23:55 AM UTC-5, Mike wrote:

Most of these were not audible at all on an Icom R75 with external antenna!!

Are we to infer that the Tecsun PL660 is a better receiver than the Icom R75 or that your Icom R75 needs servicing?

Or else that his external antenna is a dud. I can hear flea- power stations all across the globe with my R75 and 75 feet of wire.

On Friday, June 22, 2012 11:23:20 PM UTC-4, (unknown) wrote:
On Friday, June 22, 2012 2:23:55 AM UTC-5, Mike wrote:

Most of these were not audible at all on an Icom R75 with external antenna!!

Are we to infer that the Tecsun PL660 is a better receiver than the Icom R75 or that your Icom R75 needs servicing?

No, I think the PL660 on the rod can handle some of the local noise (heavy ATT U-Verse neighborhood) better than the R75 on a fairly weak external. The R75 was doing better in the 9 and 11 Mhz bands, but the PL660 really excelled in allowing some of these weaker stations on the higher frequencies to pop up slightly above the noise floor.

Nightime MW reception with the PL660 was much better than daytime reception.. Need to get out of the city to re-test the daytime MW reception of the PL660.

The R75 is in excellent condition with some excellent mods - voice frequency read-out, DSP, and baked crystal for frequency stability. Backup receivers include two Sony 2010s, both with dual KIWA filters,a newly re-conditioned SW77and an Eton E1XM. Dozens of other compact portables.

Mike

On Friday, June 22, 2012 9:27:10 PM UTC-7, Mike wrote:
On Friday, June 22, 2012 11:23:20 PM UTC-4, (unknown) wrote:
On Friday, June 22, 2012 2:23:55 AM UTC-5, Mike wrote:

Most of these were not audible at all on an Icom R75 with external antenna!!

Are we to infer that the Tecsun PL660 is a better receiver than the Icom R75 or that your Icom R75 needs servicing?

No, I think the PL660 on the rod can handle some of the local noise (heavy ATT U-Verse neighborhood) better than the R75 on a fairly weak external. The R75 was doing better in the 9 and 11 Mhz bands, but the PL660 really excelled in allowing some of these weaker stations on the higher frequencies to pop up slightly above the noise floor.

Nightime MW reception with the PL660 was much better than daytime reception. Need to get out of the city to re-test the daytime MW reception of the PL660.

The R75 is in excellent condition with some excellent mods - voice frequency read-out, DSP, and baked crystal for frequency stability. Backup receivers include two Sony 2010s, both with dual KIWA filters,a newly re-conditioned SW77and an Eton E1XM. Dozens of other compact portables.

Mike

So this is not not a radio problem, really, but again, an antenna problem, which is most understandable in a suburban place. I have the same issue here - put up a good antenna, and the electronic buzz all over the place ruins the signal. When I take the R75 radio to the outback and string up some wire, I can practically hear the whole global surface.

AS a last-ditch effort for home listening, a Wellbrook loop might be a solution - but it's a relatively expensive gamble at $300+ for the item.