FM DX radio suggestions
russ...@my-deja.com
Curious what suggestions the NG would have for radios/receivers that do
a good job of long distance FM reception. Interested in models that are
currently being sold.
Any recommendations in the following categories:
-portables
-moderately priced stand alone receivers
-higher end stand alone receivers
This is an area that I have zero knowledge in, so any comments
appreciated. If there is a NG that is better suited for this, please
direct me to it.
Thank you
Russ Johnson
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Stephen M.H. Lawrence
lunch, and climb a hill - you can find them on ebay for around five
bucks.
S.
--
Stephen M.H. Lawrence
Omaha, Nebraska - home of STRATCOM
"People generally quarrel because they cannot argue." - G.K. Chesterton
garya...@aol.com
russ...@my-deja.com wrote:
> Sorry if this is a bit off topic.
>
> Curious what suggestions the NG would have for radios/receivers that
do
> a good job of long distance FM reception. Interested in models that
are
> currently being sold.
>
> Any recommendations in the following categories:
>
> -portables
>
> -moderately priced stand alone receivers
>
> -higher end stand alone receivers
>
> This is an area that I have zero knowledge in, so any comments
> appreciated. If there is a NG that is better suited for this, please
> direct me to it.
>
important specifications are sensitivity, selectivity, and capture
ratio. I have an older Denon tuner that has 3 bandwidth positions -
wide, narrow, and super narrow. The super narrow bandwidth completely
eliminates any adjacent station interference.
Another important factor would be the antenna. For super dxing, you
need an outdoor antenna - preferably the Channel Master model 3025
(which is what I use) or the even larger (and MUCH harder to install)
APS-13 which is sold by C. Crane Company, or the smaller APS-9. Either
antenna would need to be installed as high as practical and with a rotor
as both antennas are very directional.
With a good tuner and directional antenna with rotor, you will find you
can pick up 2, 3, 4, or sometimes even more stations on the same
frequency.
I doubt you could find a portable radio that is good for FM dxing as
they are all poor on selectivity - even the GE SuperRadio is only fair,
at best. The only exception is the old Grundig 650 which, with it's
whip antenna, outperformed my top-of-the-line Fisher AM/FM Receiver WITH
a 5-element FM antenna on a rotor.
--
SERVING THE UNIVERSE ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB
http://members.aol.com/agencies
red_...@my-deja.com
Zondlo, which is available from Universal Radio for about six
bucks. "Here are some 'hot' units you may want to check out: Pioneer
TX9100, Akai AT-V04, McIntosh MR-78, Onkyo T-9090, Carver TX11A. If at
all possible, use an outdoor antenna for FM DXing...Two important items
to consider when buying an FM antenna are directivity and gain...The
favorite of FM DXers is Channel Master's Stereo Probe 9 (model 4408)."
Now, I have not used or own any of the above. Stephen's advice in
recommending the GE SR2 is good. Also, the good ole classic Sony 2010
works well in this area too. When I had my Drake SW-8, I was impressed
with the FM sensitivity in pulling in distant stations clearly. With a
good antenna, even the 803A/818(modified)series can be pleasantly
surprising in this area. I even read a short article in Popular
Communications some time ago which suggested that the old Rabbit Ears
from RS could do a fine job on the cheap. Check out CCrane's website,
they have some good suggestions as well. I hope this helps. Let us
know your future findings. I know I would be interested. Regards, Red
Pony
In article <8qmeeo$4ti$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,
Al, N2NKB
concentrate on a good antenna for FM DX. Height, and gain (which means that you need
a directional antenna- gain does not come for free) are the two key factors.
Al
Stephen M.H. Lawrence wrote in message <8qmeeo$4ti$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>...
BillBDC
<russ...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:8qmea9$4sj$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> Sorry if this is a bit off topic.
>
> Curious what suggestions the NG would have for radios/receivers that do
> a good job of long distance FM reception. Interested in models that are
> currently being sold.
In addition to some of the suggestions others have already made, you
might consider the Cambridge SoundWorks Model 88 Table Radio by Henry Kloss.
I have tried several different FM receivers and tuners in the last several
months, and I think it's got the most performance (sensitivity, selectivity,
and sound quality) for the dollars, for a digital receiver. They originally
were selling for about $250. Hifi.com is now selling new ones at its Web
site for $150, as well as factory refurbished ones on Ebay (they've been
going in the range of $90 to $130 recently). "Monitoring Times" magazine
did a review of the Cambridge 88. To see an archived version of that, go to
the Grove Enterprise site (http://www.grove-ent.com/) and do a search. One
disappointment with the Cambridge 88 is the AM performance, which is pretty
poor. I've been using a Terk AM loop, which seems to help quite a bit.
Ebay is also a good place to look for the used FM tuners that other
folks have mentioned, plus other ones--but be careful not to get caught up
in a bidding war. There are also a variety of FM DXing Web sites on the net
that have suggestions on tuners.
--Bill
Washington, D.C.
Dave
http://www.scala.net/pdfs/10493.pdf
garya...@aol.com
use, but NOT necessarily for dxing. Gain is not nearly as high as the
antennas I referenced. For home use, probably the BEST dx FM antenna
available at a reasonable size and price is the Channel Master Probe 9
(which Channel Master currently lists as model 3025). It has higher
gain, and extremely sharp directivity and high f/b ratio.
See my article HOW TO SELECT THE BEST TV ANTENNA which was published in
the August 1982 issue of RADIO ELECTRONICS. The same principles apply
to an FM antenna as a VHF TV antenna.
Dave
countless CATV and translator receive sites. It exhibits uniform
gain, directivity and impedance across the band.
BTW: My FM experience has shown that the best DX is a result of the
weather (and sporadic E) and when the skip is happening, any antenna
will work pretty darn well.
J999w
Comments?
jw
WB9UAI
Tom Sevart
"J999w" <j9...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20000929103358...@ng-ba1.aol.com...
I wouldn't see why not. I think if I were going to be serious about FM DX,
I'd use one of the analog radios instead of a digital one, but either way
would work OK. Just supply 12VDC and an antenna. I think it would be
worthwile to put it in some sort of cabinet, and also worthwhile to hook up
one of the speaker outputs to a set of headphones. If it's a stereo with
front/rear fade, you could hook up the front speaker outputs to a pair of
speakers and the rear outputs to a set of headphones, and then fade out the
speakers to the headphones, & vice-versa. I think, though, that you would
need to match the impedance for your headphones, or at very least put a
couple of resistors in series with the headphones so the audio isn't so hot.
Give it a try and let me know how it works.
--
Regards,
Tom Sevart
Amateur N2UHC
Registered Monitor KKS0CE
Keith
outdoor antenna is a must...I use a modified Yamaha T-85 tuner with even
narrower 110 khz filters installed along with a CM Probe 9 at 50
ft....from my location on the east coast of Massachusetts I can, even
under normal (or dead band cx) pull in stations out 150-200 miles (right
now I have CBAF from Fredrickton NB in with a weak but readable signal.
Dave
into Laredo every night, on portable radios. That's across land. I
listen to a San Diego station (120 miles) regularly here in N. LA
County. I like the pre-75 Marantz tuners or Sequerra Broadcast
Monitors.
On Tue, 24 Oct 2000 17:59:47 -0400, Keith <long...@bellatlantic.net>
wrote:
Tim Kp82
go to visit down in corpus 225 mile away from houston its all but impossible to
catch the houston stations without a outside antenna
Best Wishes And Good DX,
Tim Kp82 Knight Patrol USA
Kp Main Site:
http://www.gate.net/~kp
Most Complete Source of 11 Meter Links:
http://www.dxzone.com
My Home Page:
http://www.kp82.com
p...@hiwaay.net
on a particular frequency:
As a Tennessee football fan who lives in northern Alabama I listen to
UT games on a station in Pulaski ,Tn. approximately 35 miles away.
Directly opposite from this station is another on on the same
frequency. A simple adjustment of the whip separates one from the other.
Recently i tried to catch the Pulaski station from a location 30 miles
farther south than my home location. To my surprise I was able to
receive the station, even though I was surrounded by hills.
Pete
In article <8qmea9$4sj$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,
russ...@my-deja.com wrote:
Dave
On 25 Oct 2000 22:06:56 GMT, tim...@aol.comDXisKing (Tim Kp82) wrote:
>thats a mighty good stretch. what kind of station was doing that? i know when i
>go to visit down in corpus 225 mile away from houston its all but impossible to
>catch the houston stations without a outside antenna
>
>>
Adam Christian Smith
yet, anyway!) but I can tell it is far better than any radio I have had up
until now!
Regards,
Adam
--
---------------==============*> Jet-Smooth Chevrolet
> From: p...@hiwaay.net
> Organization: Deja.com - Before you buy.
> Reply-To: rec.radio...@list.deja.com
> Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2000 22:58:17 GMT
> To: rec.radio...@list.deja.com
> Subject: Re: FM DX radio suggestions
>
> Message from the Deja.com forum:
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j...@randomc.com
Hi, Guys,
I have read a lot of reviews and sets of specifications for FM tuners and
receivers over the years, and a lot of them seem to have been very good and
highly regarded. Even so, real-world performance in real-world listening
rooms on signals propagated through the air can be quite different from the
performance achieved in a labratory using a direct feed of a signal of a
particular type and strength transmitted and received under controlled
conditions.
In 1981, when I was considering trading up from my Yanaha CR-1040 stereo
receiver to the top-of-the-line CR-2040 which was being discontinued and
thus discounted a whopping 20 percent off the suggested retail price, I got
a chance to test what was reported to be a real upgrade-path FM receiver for
me. This was a product made by Nakamichi, a company which had gained a
stellar reputation based on its extremely high-priced cassette decks, and
high-end car stereo gear, including hot radio receivers. I forget the model
number now, but it was what some manufacturers were calling a "PreCeiver",
the radio with controls and pre-amplifier, but no power amp as in a
"Receiver". This one also had FM only, no medium wave (AM) capability,
something that was popular in Europe but not very well accepted in the U.S.
market. This thing would retail for between $750 and $800 and it needed to
be hooked to an external antenna. The Yamaha CR-2040 receiver retailed for
$866 and nobody was discounting Yamaha gear at that time.
I put the two "radios" side by side and used each one in turn, connected to
the Weingard model 4400 active indoor FM antenna placed near the window.
The Yamaha's amplifier section served the Nakamichi via the auxiliary
inputs. I spent a couple of hours doing all my favorite receiver tests for
that location at that time. The next day, I returned the Nak to the store
and told the dealer that I could match its performance as an FM receiver
with the model two notches down in the "40" line of Yamaha receivers. I was
actually disappointed with most aspects of that Nakamichi unit. Even its
preamplifier did not impress me much.
Even today, that same Yamaha CR-2040 receiver I ended up buying would not
embarrass itself in actual FM signal reception when compared even to
stand-alone FM tuners made then or now and retailing for its same original
price and in some cases, nearly twice as much. Those more expensive tuners
might have a few more features that might help give them a small edge under
certain reception conditions, but I have seen nothing at any price with so
ideal a combination of overall performance in all areas and in user
ergonomics and feature set as that Yamaha receiver. That one and the Sansui
9090DB are the two best FM receivers I have ever used. Sansui's receivers
and stand-alone tuners were great receivers all the way down to the bottom
of the line in the period before at least 1982.
Kenwood made some "hot" tuners which were extremely sensitive, but they
often fell down in other aspects of tuner performance like selectivity, AM
rejection, and adjacent channel rejection, among other things.
Among portable multi-band radios, anything big with the Satellit name on it
made by Grundig in a Grundig-owned and supervised factory will be a superior
FM radio, even without any external antenna. Among the small Satellits, the
Sat 700, and I've seen and used more than one individual sample of it, is
the best DX-er's FM portable radio I've ever seen, beating out most Hi-Fi
stereo receivers. My older Satellit 400 is a good FM receiver, but its
bandwidth filter is so wide that it won't pick up a distant weak signal 200
KHz, or even in some cases 400 KHz away from a really nearby boomer. The
Satellit 700 and my Satellit 210/6001 can and does do that using its
built-in whip antenna alone, and in this Faraday cage of a listening post in
which I must live for the time being.
None of the GE Super Radio models I've owned or used come even close to
those two Grundigs as an FM broadcast DX receiver. To step down a notch
among portables from the lofty heights set by the real Grundig Satellits,
other really good FM portables I've owned in the last 25 years or so include
both samples of the Sangean ATS-803A I've owned, one of which I still have,
the 1973-vintage Zenith TransOceanic Royal 7000, which was both sensitive
and selective, and actually sounded good; and a Panasonic RF-4900. Really
big and long whip antennas help the Grundigs and also helped the Zenith,
even though the Zenith's whip could not be tilted and rotated through a full
circle like the whips on the Grundigs.
The Sonys 2001 and 2010 as FM DX machines? NO way! I'd rate them only
average, fine for the local stuff and good for distant stuff under
exceptional FM DX conditions, but not DX-caliber machines under normal
average reception conditions.
Among the table radios I've seen and owned, the FM champ is the same as the
MW (AM broadcast) champ, that wonderful old Telefunken Gavotte 7 I had in
the mid '70's through the mid '80's. The standard flat ribbon-wire T-shaped
dipole antenna that was tossed into the shipping carton with just about
every stereo Hi-Fi receiver sold in the '70's and '80's, connected to the FM
antenna plugs of that Telefunken and tossed over a nearby curtain rod at the
window was enough let it snag any 100-KW station's signal within a 300 mile
radius in any direction, and any 50-KW signal within 150 miles.
I know a lot of people who rave about the performance on FM of the Panasonic
RF-2200. I would rate it somewhere between my ATS-803A and that old Zenith
T/O Royal 7000, very good, but not in the same league as the big Grundigs
and the Sat 700.
I've seen some real surprises as far as FM radios go. One was a smallish
wood-cabinet solid state Panasonic Am/FM table radio that was in the room I
stayed in in 1978 at The Seeing Eye in Morristown, new Jersey. Not only was
it a nice-sounding radio, but it was a hot performer both on AM and FM, even
being so close to New York with its band crowded with lots of big local
stations. I'd like to know whatever happened to that radio.
My cheap little Sony SRF-42 Fm stereo/AM stereo analog Walkman was a
pleasant surprise as an FM receiver, as were some relatively cheap Panasonic
personal portables with AM and FM/FM stereo radio and cassette tape
player/recorder. Some of those big, heavy, fancy boom box units made by the
likes of Panasonic, Aiwa, Sanyo, and JVC in the '80's were excellent FM
receivers, and a few of them could surprise you with what they would haul in
on their two, three or four shortwave bands depending on the model. I
haven't seen a brand new "boom box" radio made in the past 8 years at least
that had a radio good enough for more than the local stations, even priced
up to $200. Some of them had nice cassette tape transports though, and some
of them sounded good, even to the point of actually providing a pleasant
listening experience.
In the '60's and much of the '70's, when even small portable radios were
larger than some modern boxes that many people consider too big for
convenient travel, there was room for longer whip antennas for FM and longer
ferrite rods inside for medium wave, and bigger speakers and more powerful
amplifiers, and space for batteries that were actually big enough to provide
enough power for more than a few hours.
Leaving aside those stand-alone boutique tuners that cost between $1200 and
$3500 each when new, I say that you won't go far wrong getting a DX machine
from the top one or two models in most widely-known brand lines, like
Marantz, Ankio, Dennon, Technics, Toshiba, Sansui, Yamaha, and Pioneer,
among others. Sansui was the only widely available line that gave you in
the '70's to the early '80's real DX-capable FM radios in the receivers and
tuners all the way down to the very bottom of the line. I don't know much
about the currently made stuff, because I have been put off by all the
Audio/Video oriented stuff, and all the push-button, menu-driven digital
interface stuff without tuning knobs that let you do "splits" between
stations. I understand that there are a couple of nice Dennon units on the
market, including one receiver that has AM stereo capability as well as FM
stereo.
For portables, with really good FM, go with Grundig. I've also heard good
things about the FM capabilities of Drake's SW8 and Sony's ICF-SW77.
Generally, the older and the bigger, and the more analog, the better it's
likely to be as an FM radio.
Now, I guess it's time for flame-throwers!
Reply to: j...@randomc.com
Brent Reynolds, Atlanta, GA USA
copywrite flames to device = null.
Net-Tamer V 1.12.0 - Registered
w9...@linux1.localdomain
>I have read a lot of reviews and sets of specifications for FM tuners and
>receivers over the years, and a lot of them seem to have been very good and
Interesting, and comprehensive, review!
A common problem with reviews of FM receivers is that they're usually
written by audiophiles. These people are looking for the best possible
audio quality from a very strong nearby station; rejection of interference
and front-end overload is usually not an issue. Of course, DXers have a
rather different goal; we're generally willing to sacrifice quite a bit of
fidelity but demand additional selectivity and overload resistance.
Measuring overload resistance, and reporting it to the reader, is tricky
business.
>Audio/Video oriented stuff, and all the push-button, menu-driven digital
>interface stuff without tuning knobs that let you do "splits" between
>stations. I understand that there are a couple of nice Dennon units on the
Some tuners (like my Technics ST-G50) can be convinced to enter a "European
mode". This will yield 9KHz steps for AM tuning -- and it will also yield
50KHz steps on FM, permitting the "splits". I will admit I don't do this
nearly as often as I should.
===============================
I have found the ICF-2010 to be a marginally useful FM DX receiver, PROVIDED
that you don't have any strong nearby stations. Its overload resistance is
quite poor for a receiver of its cost (though for general on-the-road use
its flexibility and AM/SW performance make up for that shortcoming) and its
selectivity is simply horrible.
As with AM, many (but not all!) car radios are decent DX performers. I've
had good luck with all digitally-tuned factory radios in recent Fords.
I did stumble across an old Pioneer "Supertuner" car radio at Dayton last
year. I seem to remember this set being hailed as some kind of breakthrough
in tuner performance when it came out. Why, I have no idea. This thing is
no more sensitive or selective or overload-resistant than a regular car
radio. Were analog car radios really that bad in the 1970s? (probably..)
--
Doug Smith W9WI
Pleasant View (Nashville), TN EM66
http://personal.bellsouth.net/~w9wi
Peter Maus
w9...@linux1.localdomain wrote:
>
> In article <2ERN5.15470$mC.9...@monger.newsread.com>,
> >I have read a lot of reviews and sets of specifications for FM tuners and
> >receivers over the years, and a lot of them seem to have been very good and
> >...
>
> Interesting, and comprehensive, review!
>
> A common problem with reviews of FM receivers is that they're usually
> written by audiophiles. These people are looking for the best possible
> audio quality from a very strong nearby station; rejection of interference
> and front-end overload is usually not an issue. Of course, DXers have a
> rather different goal; we're generally willing to sacrifice quite a bit of
> fidelity but demand additional selectivity and overload resistance.
There has been a lot of lip service paid to FMDX by manufacturers
over the years, especially in the audiophile realm. And much of the
focus has been on audio quality, you're right. But in recent years,
manufacturers have discovered that audio quality is rarely unlinked
to selectivity, and at least a few of the higher end manufacturers
have begun to focus there.
One company, Fanfare FM, out of Buffalo, has begun to look at the
totality of FM performance in the creation of it's latest products.
One of the things I do professionally, is produce live radio in
the field. A significant challenge is providing solid off air
monitoring for the talent. This has to be quiet, very clean, and
very accurate audio, to duplicate the experience, in the headphones,
of the studio. The Fanfare, providing studio monitoring, yields
excellent audio. In fact, rated among the very finest. Side by side
listening tests have demonstrated that the Fanfare's off air audio
can be indistinguishable from the CD being broadcast. (If you want
the particulars of this test let me know.)
In the field, however, and this is the relevant part for the DXer,
the Fanfare is among the most sensitive AND selective rigs out
there, yet virtually impervious to overload, easily outdistancing
everything else that's on the market.
I have routinely been able to capture with fully quieted stereo
signals that on other tuners, including Marantz, Sansui, Denon and
Carver simply couldn't be resolved with any clarity. In the cases of
the Marantz and Sansui they coudn't be heard at all.
I've set up broadcasts 60, 70, 80 and more miles from Chicago, and
been able to capture, with nothing more than teh Fanfare and the
FM2-G whip antenna a Class B from downtown, in one setting literally
under the tower of a second adjacent Class B, 85 miles from town. It
wasn't the easiest capture, but it was possible only on the Fanfare.
And not the faintest trace of overload.
For FM DX er's, 50khz steps are provided for close quarter
signals, and two selectable if bandwidths for quieting in crowded
city conditions.
Features that aren't performance oriented, are not there.
Balanced professional and unbalanced consumer audio out, and a
full remote control is provided.
All for a price that's in the same ball park as other high end
tuners, but with a lot more wallop for the bux.
You see, the guy who founded the company is not only an
audiophile, but an avid FM Dxer.
You can see this product at the Fanfare website, www.fanfare.com
AM is to be included in the next series of tuners. And this will
also be very high performance AM.
>
> I did stumble across an old Pioneer "Supertuner" car radio at Dayton last
> year. I seem to remember this set being hailed as some kind of breakthrough
> in tuner performance when it came out. Why, I have no idea. This thing is
> no more sensitive or selective or overload-resistant than a regular car
> radio. Were analog car radios really that bad in the 1970s?
Ummmm.....yes. :)
w9...@linux1.localdomain
Peter Maus <Pete...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> One company, Fanfare FM, out of Buffalo, has begun to look at the
>totality of FM performance in the creation of it's latest products.
They've certainly received some good press recently, not only among
audiophiles.
>listening tests have demonstrated that the Fanfare's off air audio
>can be indistinguishable from the CD being broadcast.
I guess I would wonder how this compensates for the audio processing at the
station between the CD player and the transmitter<g>.
To some degree, selectivity and fidelity can be mutually exclusive. As an
extreme example, I have used an Icom R-7000 in the *narrow* (15KHz
bandwidth!) mode to monitor TV audio carriers. (admittedly 25KHz deviation
vs. the 75KHz of FM broadcast) The distortion is extreme, but it makes it
possible to separate stations on the three assigned 10KHz offsets for TV,
thus making it possible to identify as many as three times as many stations.
Not that anyone would want to listen to the program for entertainment, but
we *are* talking about DXers<grin>.
> I've set up broadcasts 60, 70, 80 and more miles from Chicago, and
>been able to capture, with nothing more than teh Fanfare and the
>FM2-G whip antenna a Class B from downtown, in one setting literally
>under the tower of a second adjacent Class B, 85 miles from town. It
>wasn't the easiest capture, but it was possible only on the Fanfare.
>And not the faintest trace of overload.
That's a pretty good record. Splitting second adjacents shouldn't be a
problem for *any* decent tuner. Avoiding overload products from a Class B
station a few hundred feet away, however, usually is. (I am curious whether
there were any other FM stations in the vicinity; the chances of overload
interference with two stations nearby are much more than twice the chances
with only one station, because of mixing products between the two signals)
> For FM DX er's, 50khz steps are provided for close quarter
>signals, and two selectable if bandwidths for quieting in crowded
>city conditions.
Selectable IF bandwidths are quite important. (I'm curious what the two
bandwidths *are*) That allows you to use a very narrow bandwidth for DXing
or extreme conditions, while allowing the maximum possible fidelity for
program listening to strong stations. I wish more AM receivers had this!
> All for a price that's in the same ball park as other high end
>tuners, but with a lot more wallop for the bux.
IOW, it ain't cheap<grin>. But yes, you *do* pay for good FM performance.
mbz07
that my old Sharp-GF8989 usually does the trick with its built in whip..
Does anyone know anything about the sharp GF-8989? Any mods or
improvements?
Tried the Sangean ats-909,sensitive enough, but it's not so selective as the
Sharp-GF8989..
mbz07
Peter Maus
w9...@linux1.localdomain wrote:
>
> In article <3A081648...@worldnet.att.net>,
> Peter Maus <Pete...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> > One company, Fanfare FM, out of Buffalo, has begun to look at the
> >totality of FM performance in the creation of it's latest products.
>
> They've certainly received some good press recently, not only among
> audiophiles.
>
> >listening tests have demonstrated that the Fanfare's off air audio
> >can be indistinguishable from the CD being broadcast.
>
> I guess I would wonder how this compensates for the audio processing at the
> station between the CD player and the transmitter<g>.
The test was done with no processing. A CD player into an FM
Exciter, received over the air, across the room, by the Fanfare.
Switched, double blind, through a Jadi power amp, and B&W speakers,
level matched within .01 db.
>
> To some degree, selectivity and fidelity can be mutually exclusive. As an
> extreme example, I have used an Icom R-7000 in the *narrow* (15KHz
> bandwidth!) mode to monitor TV audio carriers. (admittedly 25KHz deviation
> vs. the 75KHz of FM broadcast) The distortion is extreme, but it makes it
> possible to separate stations on the three assigned 10KHz offsets for TV,
> thus making it possible to identify as many as three times as many stations.
>
> Not that anyone would want to listen to the program for entertainment, but
> we *are* talking about DXers<grin>.
>
> > I've set up broadcasts 60, 70, 80 and more miles from Chicago, and
> >been able to capture, with nothing more than teh Fanfare and the
> >FM2-G whip antenna a Class B from downtown, in one setting literally
> >under the tower of a second adjacent Class B, 85 miles from town. It
> >wasn't the easiest capture, but it was possible only on the Fanfare.
> >And not the faintest trace of overload.
>
> That's a pretty good record. Splitting second adjacents shouldn't be a
> problem for *any* decent tuner.
I live north of Chicago, and enjoy classical music. WNIB at 97.1
has a sister, WNIZ at 96.9, simulcasting WNIB. I live within 15
miles of WNIZ, and can separate without artifacts, WNIB, and WNIZ on
the Fanfare, where as the Magnum has trouble separating the two,
even with a narrow bandwidth.
> Avoiding overload products from a Class B
> station a few hundred feet away, however, usually is. (I am curious whether
> there were any other FM stations in the vicinity; the chances of overload
> interference with two stations nearby are much more than twice the chances
> with only one station, because of mixing products between the two signals)
I have a Fanfare in my rack, and had the same setup in my dowtown
apartment, literally across the street from the Hancock, with 12
Class A and B FM's on it's roof. I can listen to the Fanfare where
the Magnum Dynalab on the same antenna has more than a little
trouble.
>
> > For FM DX er's, 50khz steps are provided for close quarter
> >signals, and two selectable if bandwidths for quieting in crowded
> >city conditions.
>
> Selectable IF bandwidths are quite important. (I'm curious what the two
> bandwidths *are*)
I don't have the figures in front of me, I'll have to look that up
when I get back to the studio.