Sony 2010 owners-info needed please
" wi...@raex.com
I just returned from Universal Radio and got a great deal on a like-new
used 2010 ($219.00) I went looking for a 7600G or a YB400. I think I did
well!
My questions-
Does anyone have any advice for a longwire antennae, either using the
factory attachment or a clip-on setup?
Any suggestions on a readily available case, preferably padded?
Thanks in advance,
Harry
Crabtreejr
> snip >
>Any suggestions on a readily available case, preferably padded?
Look for CD carrying cases at Walmart, Target etc. You should find a padded
one that fits well for ca. $20.
73's
John Crabtree
Cocp
You can use a 25 foot wire that will fit into the ext. antenna inputt on the
left side of the radio. Never tried to attach a wire to the telescopic whip
antenna.
Enjoy the Sony 2010 it's a good one.
Mike McManus
J W Schermerhorn
The 2010 will overload with a fairly long external antenna connected to
the receivers antenna jack. You'll need to use a passive preselector
between the antenna and the 2010 to prevent this. Otherwise you'll hear
spurious signals all over the bands where they don't belong.
win...@raex.com wrote:
>
> Hello,
> I just returned from Universal Radio and got a great deal on a like-new
> used 2010 ($219.00) I went looking for a 7600G or a YB400. I think I did
> well!
> My questions-
> Does anyone have any advice for a longwire antennae, either using the
> factory attachment or a clip-on setup?
> Any suggestions on a readily available case, preferably padded?
> Thanks in advance,
> Harry
Daniel Grunberg
J W Schermerhorn (sk...@capital.net) writes:
> 2/17/99
>
> The 2010 will overload with a fairly long external antenna connected to
> the receivers antenna jack. You'll need to use a passive preselector
> between the antenna and the 2010 to prevent this. Otherwise you'll hear
> spurious signals all over the bands where they don't belong.
It also may be possible to use an attenuator, either from Radio Shack or
homebuilt. If the attenuator works, it will be much more cost effective
than a preselector will, and without an extra knob to turn.
>
>
> win...@raex.com wrote:
>>
>> Hello,
>> I just returned from Universal Radio and got a great deal on a like-new
>> used 2010 ($219.00) I went looking for a 7600G or a YB400. I think I did
>> well!
>> My questions-
>> Does anyone have any advice for a longwire antennae, either using the
>> factory attachment or a clip-on setup?
>> Any suggestions on a readily available case, preferably padded?
>> Thanks in advance,
>> Harry
--
Daniel A. Grunberg Kensington, Maryland USA
My home page's URL is <http://www.nyx.net/~dgrunber/>
odo
> Hello,
> I just returned from Universal Radio and got a great deal on a like-new
> used 2010 ($219.00) I went looking for a 7600G or a YB400. I think I did
> well!
> My questions-
> Does anyone have any advice for a longwire antennae, either using the
> factory attachment or a clip-on setup?
> Any suggestions on a readily available case, preferably padded?
> Thanks in advance,
> Harry
When using an external longwire antenne it COULD blow a preamp-FET.
Solder 4 diodes 1N4148 (they are HF-types!!!) into the antenna-plug as shown
below to prevent the Sony from overload. (I placed them on the PCB because
warranty is over many years and did some additional mods -changed IF-filters
and made AGC slow/fast-)
to plug
| |
| |
|---|<---|<----|
| | |
|---->|--->|---|
| |
| |
middle shielding
wire
from
Antenna
regards
odo
Daniel Grunberg
odo (o...@mail.blinx.de) writes:
> " win348"@raex.com wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>> I just returned from Universal Radio and got a great deal on a like-new
>> used 2010 ($219.00) I went looking for a 7600G or a YB400. I think I did
>> well!
>> My questions-
>> Does anyone have any advice for a longwire antennae, either using the
>> factory attachment or a clip-on setup?
>> Any suggestions on a readily available case, preferably padded?
>> Thanks in advance,
>> Harry
>
> When using an external longwire antenne it COULD blow a preamp-FET.
> Solder 4 diodes 1N4148 (they are HF-types!!!) into the antenna-plug as shown
> below to prevent the Sony from overload. (I placed them on the PCB because
> warranty is over many years and did some additional mods -changed IF-filters
> and made AGC slow/fast-)
>
> to plug
>
Adding a 10 kOhm deposited carbon resistor, as shown, will act to
discharge any static electrical build up, continuously, while the diodes
act to clamp the maximum voltage to two diode drops.
10 k
|--/\/\/\/\----|
> | |
> |---|<---|<----|
> | | |
> |---->|--->|---|
> | |
> | |
> middle shielding
> wire
>
>
> from
> Antenna
>
> regards
> odo
>
Jean Héroux
little use. The radio has all the gain (sensitivity) you need. What can
help in an antenna is directionality, something a long wire has little
of.
Daniel Grunberg
The purpose of an outdoor antenna, or for that matter any antenna, is to
increase the signal to noise ration at the input to the receiver. In a
reasonably electrically quiet location, a good receiver's whip antenna (if
the receiver has one) should be all you need. OTOH, if what you're trying
to read is lost in the noise, an outdoor antenna MAY help you hear it.
(And then again, it may not.)
George Zimmerlee
>
> After trying a long wire antenna on the Sony 2010, I found it to be of
> little use. The radio has all the gain (sensitivity) you need. What can
> help in an antenna is directionality, something a long wire has little
> of.
Keep in mind that the external antenna jack is not diode protected
as is the whip antenna. Better to clip on extra lengths of wire to
the whip with a alligator clip, unless you build a diode protection
box and insert it between radio and external antenna.
My experience with large wire dipole connected to the 2010 was that
the signal overloaded the front end and allowed images of marine
radio navigation beacons all over the dial where they actually
were not. In some cases, I could not even tune away from them.
A little extra antenna clipped on may help, especially if you
experiment with the angle and direction.
--
George Zimmerlee Research on Criminal Government
geo...@atlcom.net http://www.atlcom.net/~geozim/index.htm
------------------------------------------------------------------
Current feature: The Evidence to Impeach President Clinton
The Evidence Against BATF and FBI
FCC Chairman Kennard Put On Notice
Book Review: Tainting Evidence (FBI Crime Lab)
Jean Héroux
outdoor antenna will pull in a higher noise level as well as a higher
signal level. So the noise ratio will be the same.
Jean Héroux
The 2010 has both an input level switch and an RF gain control. Couldn't
you prevent overloading by adjusting them?
George Zimmerlee
Whereas it has been many years since I connected the large
antenna, as I recall, using the attenuators also reduced
the strength of the target stations as well as the interfering
station. The antenna was a G5RV.
odo
> >My experience with large wire dipole connected to the 2010 was that
> >the signal overloaded the front end ...
You need to use a preselector then..
>
> The 2010 has both an input level switch and an RF gain control. Couldn't
> you prevent overloading by adjusting them?
No, RF-gain control is located behind the preamp.
odo
J W Schermerhorn
An external antenna will definately improve reception on the 2010,if you
have a preselector or variable attenuator between the antenna and radio.
Will White
Maybe a mountain top in Canada or the Andes fits the bill.
*If* you are only after 1/2 megawatt broadcast stations, maybe the whip will
do. Not so for lower powered and real DX SWBCs, tropical, amateur, military,
utility, pirates, and clandestine stations. Remember that 4-6' whips aren't
any more than *maybe* .0625 wavelengths on 31 meters, quite a lot shorter on
41 and 49. Not very efficient. The best receiver will be deaf connected to
any antenna that is electrically such a small fraction of a wavelength.
Conversely, a mediocre receiver will outperform the former if fed with an
antenna system 0.5 wavelengths or longer on the band of interest.
I have two loops for use with my 2010 and Drake receivers: a 270' outdoor
horizontal closed loop @35', and an indoor small magloop with variable
tuning. Both vastly outperform the stock whip and short (i.e. <25') random
length wire on everything from 160M CW to the big boomer BC stations. Two to
five S-units. Stuff goes from a noisy S5 to +20/9, or from completely
inaudible to S-3+.
Try a loop, either type will be much quieter than a random length single
wire, *and* increase the desired signal at your antenna terminals by 5 uV or
more. You'll see you'll snag a lot of pretty rare DX and other exotica with
such a 'hook'. If you do the outdoor horizontal loop, don't worry about the
dimensions if you don't have much space, just make the circumference as big
as possible. There are oodles of homebrew designs for both types of loop on
the web. For $25US or less in common materials you can have a very fine
receiving antenna.
Daniel Grunberg wrote:
> The purpose of an outdoor antenna, or for that matter any antenna, is to
> increase the signal to noise ration at the input to the receiver. In a
> reasonably electrically quiet location, a good receiver's whip antenna (if
> the receiver has one) should be all you need. OTOH, if what you're trying
> to read is lost in the noise, an outdoor antenna MAY help you hear it.
> (And then again, it may not.)
>
> --
>
> Daniel A. Grunberg Kensington, Maryland USA
>
> My home page's URL is <http://www.nyx.net/~dgrunber/>
--
Will White, KD7BFX
to reply, please click this link mailto:w...@asu.uswest.net
Daniel Grunberg
George Zimmerlee (geo...@atlcom.net) writes:
> Jean Héroux wrote:
>>
>> >My experience with large wire dipole connected to the 2010 was that
>> >the signal overloaded the front end ...
>>
>> you prevent overloading by adjusting them?
>
> antenna, as I recall, using the attenuators also reduced
> the strength of the target stations as well as the interfering
> station. The antenna was a G5RV.
The reason for moving the antenna outdoors, is to get it in an
electrically quieter place than in the house. If you move the
receiver WITH ITS WHIP ANTENNA out of the house, weak signals
become more readable, because moving the whip antenna to a less
noisy location increases the signal-to-noise ratio at the input
to the receiver. If you leave the receiver indoors, but replace
the whip antenna with an outdoor wire antenna that's longer than
the receiver's whip antenna and you connect the receiver to the
outdoor antenna with a lead in that picks up very little noise,
you'll get still more signal (than with the whip antenna) with
little increase in noise, and the signal to noise ratio improves
at least as much as it did with the outdoor whip and perhaps
still more. If you put an attenuator between the leadin and the
receiver, both signal and noise will be attenuated by the same
factor, and the signal to noise ratio will remain unchanged.
Therefore, the signal and noise fed into the receiver will be at
lower levels (and if the receiver has an S-meter, its reading
will be less), but the readability of the signal will not change.
Even if it is necessary to attenuate the input to the receiver to
the level it would have been at if the receiver was being fed by
the whip antenna, the signal-to-noise ratios still will be
improved relative to those obtainable with the whip.
Now suppose that there are two signals input to the receiver: the
target signal, and a second signal. Assume that both the target
signal and the second signal have levels that are greater than
the noise at and near their frequencies. Further suppose that
when there is no attenuator between the leadin and the receiver,
the input overloads the receiver, the receiver acts strangely,
and the second signal (for whatever reason) interferes with the
target signal. Then our first order of business must be to
reduce the input to the receiver, so the receiver can act
properly again. It is possible to attenuate the input to the
receiver to a point where the front-end no longer overloads.
Since both signals and the noise being fed from the antenna will
be attenuated by the same factor, the signal to noise ratios and
the target signal to second signal ratios will remain the same at
the input to the receiver, as they were with no attenuation. Now
the properly working receiver can try to separate the target
signal from the second signal, and we can see whether or not the
target signal can be read.
odo
it to the group too. Excuse the extensive length.
> Hello Odo,
>
> Can you tell me more about the AGC fast/slow mod you performed on your
> 2010? Are you using the KIWA replacement IF filters? How well do they
> perform? Thanks a bunch!
>
> --
> Will White, KD7BFX
>
Hi Will,
I will send you a review, wich I found on the Net some time ago. I got some
good ideas from it.
The AGC-mod I did different than described:
First I mounted 2 micro-double-switches in the empty space between
on/off-switch and clock-display.
One I use for AGC-switching the other for IF-filter-switching on narrow.
For (very) fast AGC I use a 5 uF condensator and for (very) slow AGC I add an
100 uF condensator wich I simply add by switch.
Do some experimentation on it to get the best results for yourself ;-)
The "wide" IF-filter I replaced with a Murata-type similar to the CFWS455HT
with 6khz bandwidth wich is widely available (used in nearly all CB-radios)
its good and cheap.
It is very good on VLF and all big-gun-broadcasters.
For the narrow IF-filter there is a (thin one like RG174) coax-cable required
for wirering.
I desoldered the old one and put the new wires to the switch. I used
seperately buyed Murata (wich I could get used for VERY good prices off less
than US$10 each :-)) ) filters with 3,2khz and 2,4khz bandwidth of the
CFJ455-series. (they are new for DM 130 /US$ 80 each, here in Germany). Kiwa
is much to much expensive.. :-( . The new filters I placed as near as
possible (isolated with some tape) to the switch.
I did an experiment with a 1,3khz filter but the results were no good. I then
got a (used) Datong FL2 Audio bandpass and notch/peak-filter for less than
US$100 and it works very fine.
I have EXCELLENT results with this mods.
Have fun doing some mods, but dont braek your radio with it. The soldering is
not very easy when you have no experiences with it... if so , ask a friend
;-).
For use on longwires a preselector is strongly recommended because the Sony
has NO built-in preselector. I use a Yaesu FRT-7700, cheap but good :-). So in
addition the mods and peripheral stuff cost the same as the original
Sony :-)
Let me know when you got your "new" radio.
regards
odo -from Berlin/Germany
look below !!!!!
While you are here, be sure to check out the MARE Home Page!
More Info on MARE
......../////...../////XXXXX\\\\\.....\\\\\........
Sony ICF-2010/2001d "FAQ"
''''''''/////'''''/////////X\\\\\\\\\'''''\\\\\''''''''
NOTE This is in rough draft form: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE feel free
to pick it apart and tell me what needs to be changed/added/deleted
or improved!
***** Search for a string of 4 or more aster*sks for areas that I'm
especially
interested in getting input about! *****
If you would like further information about MARE and/or a membership
application, please contact us at either xx...@detroit.freenet.org or
PO Box 530933, Livonia, Michigan 48153-0933 USA, and we'll forward
details.
The Sony ICF-2010 Resource File -- October, 1997
version 0.9275 compiled by Kenneth V Zichi aa...@detroit.freenet.org
(c) 1995-97 by Michigan Area Radio Enthusiasts, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of this text file on computer systems *is* freely
permitted provided no charge is made for access to it (other than
regular access charges for system use), and it is reproduced in
its entirety (including the electronic signature!). Please send us
a note at xx...@detroit.freenet.org to let us know when and where
you have posted this resource file if you do take advantage of this!
Reproduction on paper is strictly forbidden without prior written
permission from MARE, Inc. (See below.) If you have a paper copy
and would like to include an electronic version in a computer
system you administer/frequent, please drop MARE a line for details
on getting a soft copy. DO NOT key it in yourself!
Any other use without prior written permission is forbidden. Please
contact MARE at either xx...@detroit.freenet.org or PO Box 530933
Livonia, Michigan 48153-0933 USA, for information or permission to
use this document.
The *current* version of this file may always be found on the Greater
Detroit FreeNet. Telnet to detroit.freenet.org and login as 'visitor'
for more information on signing up for a (free) account so you can have
full access. E-mail xx...@detroit.freenet.org for more information
about MARE, Inc.
(And this 'FAQ' may soon also be available in html if there is demand
-- and assuming I find the time! Stay tuned for details....)
CONTENTS OF THIS RESOURCE FILE:
Introduction
Description / Versions
Flaws and Fixes
o RF Amp FET static damage
o Reciprocal Mixing
o Front end overloading
o Sync detector funkiness
o Other battery problems
Modifications:
o IF Filters
o AGC mod
o NiCad batteries
o Memory Backup capacitor
o Audio Fidelity improvements
Operating hints and kinks:
o the "cancel" button
o psudo-'squelch'
o extended timer record
o memory use / band scanning
o MW/LW external antennas
o where to get repairs / parts
o replacement AC power supplies
o carrying cases
Other sources of info:
o the 2010 e-mail list
o Steve Whitt's Booklets
o Proceedings 1990
o Sony Service Manual
o Misc. others
Credits
Introduction:
I like to think of the 2010/2001D as a communications receiver in a
transportable box. With the exception of a (very) few far more exp-
ensive communications receivers, and such venerable boatanchors as the
R-390A, it is head and shoulders better than many SW radios, and a fair
bit easier and more convenient to use.
Which is not to say the set is not without its design and construction
flaws, and little tweaks that can make things a lot better.
What follows is a general description of the radio, some of the more
commonly encountered flaws (and how to remedy them), ideas about some
worth-while modifications, hints and kinks for operating the set more
efficiently, and suggestions for further reading.
This is not an "end all and be all" information resource -- it *is*
specific to the 2010/2001D only (look elsewhere for the 'what is the best
antenna...' type of information!) and it's designed to hit the high points
and most frequently encountered problems only. If you have more esoteric
questions, this will only point you in the right direction for finding
resources. BEFORE you read this file, I strongly suggest you look at the
owners manual. Lame as it is, it does explain such things as how to
set the clock and programme memories so I see no need to rehash that stuff
here!
Standard disclaimers: Don't modify your radio if you aren't comfortable
with a hot soldering iron in your hand. I'm not responsible if you fry
your radio, and although I've done most of the mods/repairs I recommend here,
your mileage may vary! I have no relationship with any of the businesses
or publications recommended here (except MARE, for whom I volunteer and
receive no money from....) but mention them because I and others have had
good experiences with them. If you have a bad experience, pass that
along. Things change, and if a business goes South, we all want to know
about that!
DESCRIPTION / VERSIONS:
The ICF-2010 / ICF 2001D is a general coverage receiver covering
150-30000 kHz, and 116-136 MHz in AM, and 76-108 MHz FM (mono only). For
LW-SW there are two selectable bandwidths, a product detector, and one of
the first (and IMHO one of the best) synchronous detectors available in a
SW receiver. The Air band uses the wide filter only (and won't allow sync
detection). FM, as noted is in mono only, even though the headphone jack
will accept a stereo headphone plug.
As implied above, the radio comes in two basic 'flavours', the 2010
which was (and marginally is still) sold in North America only, and which
contains all the frequency ranges and features listed above. The same
basic radio was also sold in the rest of the world as the 2001D (not to be
confused with the 2001 which was a far different radio!) but that radio is
no longer available new. Be careful on the used market however, since
several national versions of the 2001D exist. For example, the version
sold in certain Middle East countries omits the product detector, the
frequency range is truncated for certain European Countries, and the Air
Band is omitted in others. There are also versions of the 2001D that have
full coverage too! If you are looking at a used 2001D be sure you know
what you are buying!
The 2010 is still listed as available from several North American
retailers, but supply has been drying up as stocks are depleted. Retailers
have begun pushing the SW-77, Sony's 'improved' version of the 2010, and
it appears that Sony is only making one production run per year of the
2010, and it is unclear how much longer they will continue to do so. My
opinion after playing with an SW-77 for a day or so is that it isn't as
easy to use as the 2010, but there are features of it that are nicer, and
features that are decidedly 'cheaper' than the 2010 I prefer the 2010
not only because it is what I am used to, but because the features it
offers that the -77 omits are useful to me, and the sync detector suits my
preferences more. It is also, in the words of Douglas Adams, 'slightly
cheaper' which is indeed important to me!
From this point on, I will refer to the 2010, but unless specifically
called out, you may assume that the 2001D versions have the same
feature/bug/fix as the 2010. Functionally the radios are identical except
for the (possible) coverage and feature issues discussed above.
In this day of single speed CD ROMs being replaced by 6x CD ROMs in the
space of a year and a half, it is amazing to note that the 2010 was
introduced in 1984, and has (with one *minor* circuit change) remained
unchanged in over 10 years of production -- and more amazingly still --
holds its own with, or in many cases surpasses, newer technologies.
The big innovation introduced in the 2010 (and which is still one of it's
best
features!) is the synchronous detector circuit. (OK - the Sony wasn't the
*first* radio to include such a circuit. Just the first one real people
could afford!) This is a bit of technologic hocus pocus that, in essence,
deletes the signal's carrier, replace it with a *stable* internaly
generated carrier, and (in the 2010) ignores one of the AM sidebands
allowing the radio to 'lock onto' one sideband only. This greatly reduces
the effects of selective fading, and can help with reducing splatter,
heterodynes and other forms of interference very common on the SW
broadcasting bands. It does *not* eliminate 'fading' nor will it improve
things in *all* cases, but it can and does clean up a lot of problems
common on the SW BC bands, and is a feature that I use about 98% of the
time I have the radio on.
The radio also is very well laid out (despite the complaints that it is
'intimidating to new users' and 'hard to learn how to use' from some) and
lends itself to long hours of use without causing undue fatigue, unlike a
lot of portables. It (relative to most portables) is very forgiving of
large signal sources, so an external antenna actually can improve things
with this radio. (It can also make things worse, but see below for
details.)
On the short end of the stick, the 2010 has several flaws, in design and
execution, as noted below. Most are easily fixable, but remember this is
a US$300-400 radio, not a several thousand dollar professional receiver.
It has some design limitations and construction quirks that are just a
part of the beast!
FLAWS AND FIXES:
Unlike the owner's manual, we'll point out where Sony messed up. Here
are the biggies:
o RF Amp FET static damage
Transistor Q303 in the front-end of the Sony ICF-2010 is easily damaged
by static electricity. Even static built up by windy environments on an
external antenna is enough to blow things -- you don't need a nearby
thunderstorm to pop the FET.
The bad news? Replacing the Q-303 transistor in the rf front-end costs
about US$75 and six weeks if you send it to a Sony Service Center The
good news? It is less than US$1 and one hour of your time if you do it
yourself.
Some background is in order here.
The original design of the 2010 has a built-in protective diode network
connected to the built-in telescoping antenna but not the antenna jack.
As alluded above, there has been one circuit change recently produced
2010s.
(There have also been some physical changes to [primarily] make the radio
cheaper to produce, but that is beside the point!) Sony have added a surface
mount diode protection circuit as a "plop on" on the circuit board. I don't
know how long this mod has been in place, but I've personally seen two radios
with an "errant diode" stuck on the 'antenna jack' board. Installing the
diodes described by Michael below is STILL a good idea .... except in one
case.
Whoops -- what do I mean except? For those of you who live in strong
signal environments (like most metro areas) you may wish to consider the
following carefully. I scoffed at those who suggested that those diodes
would act like the venerable 1N34 and act as detectors for the strong
local MW signals. That, after all is why the 1N914 was called for here!
To be concise, I was wrong. I had the opportunity to hook a beverage
antenna (150 metres) to the 2010 while I was within the "A" signal area of
a couple of 50 kW MW stations. Result? 49 metres & up was useless --
unless of course what you wanted was to hear was MW stations' images!
Removing the diodes got rid of the problem so it was clear that was the
problem! Whether they were acting as a detector and rectifying the AM
signals, or if they caused some sort of intermod that then swamped the
front end amplification is unclear, but frankly, is irrelevant Bottom
line? For people in strong signal areas who want to put up significant
antennas, I'd suggest experimentation and perhaps one of the fancy gas-
discharge static bleed off devices. You may wish to forego the cheap
solution that works just fine for most of us. What I *don't* know is how
the modified 2010s with that new diode react to strong signals.
*****Any insight for the next version of the FAQ from anyone?*****
How to Detect and Repair the Commonly Blown Transistor in the Sony 2010
by Michael Covington, N4TMI (with my significant changes marked in
, kvz)
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
A 10- to 20-dB loss of sensitivity on AM (longwave, medium wave, short
wave). If you have a good antenna you may not even notice the loss.
In all other respects the radio functions normally.
HOW DO I TEST IT?
If you buy a used 2010 it's a good idea to perform this test even if
you do not notice a performance problem.
Remove the back cover and locate transistor Q303, near the antenna input.
Identify its three terminals (D, G, and S).
Now measure the voltage from each of those terminals to ground, with the
receiver turned on and receiving shortwave (A convenient ground connec-
tion is the outer part of the antenna jack.)
The voltages should be: S 0.2V G 0.0 V D 2.9 V
< a leaky xister will show values typically S 0.7V, G 1.45V, D 1.5V >
Note especially the drain (D) voltage If it is substantially lower
than 2.9V, the transistor is leaky. (Mine measured 1.6V when defective.)
If it's substantially higher (like 4.5V), the transistor is open.
<1 Retract the whip antenna >
<2 Tune the 2010 to 1620.0 kHz and note the amount of hiss coming from >
< the speaker >
<3 Tune the 2010 up, to 1620.1 or higher If you notice a drop-off in >
< the hiss level, the front end FET is OK If the hiss level remains >
< the same between 1620.0 and 1620.1, the FET has been damaged
>
HOW DO I FIX IT?
The popular MPF-102 transistor, available at Radio Shack, is a suit-
able replacement, as are several other N channel JFETs (Sony used a
2SK152, not widely available, and rather pricey, in the U.S.A.)
Simply unsolder the old transistor and install the new one, then check
voltages again. No alignment is necessary. Total cost is around
US$1.00.
< I *strongly* recommend soldering in a socket, and then inserting the >
< new FET in that socket rather than soldering it into the radio dir- >
< ectly This allows you to try various samples of the FET and pick the >
< unit that provides the best performance, and makes subsequent repairs >
< of blown FETs trivial. (You WILL forget to unplug the antenna...). I >
< note no degradation of performance as a result of the socket kvz >
HOW DO I PREVENT FURTHER TROUBLE?
By connecting the shortwave antenna through a protective diode network,
as shown below
\|/ Antenna
|
+-----------+--------+----------------------------> tip of plug
| |
\ / --- Sony 2010
--- / \ Four 1N914 or antenna
| | 1N4148 diodes jack
\ / --- (do not substitute)
--- / \
| |
+-----------+--------+----------------------------> sleeve of plug
|
-------
-----
--- Ground
The diodes limit all voltages going into the receiver. Use the
specified types; other kinds would produce loss of signal, signal
mixing (resulting in image frequencies), or both. Total cost for
10 1N914's is around US$1.00 from suppliers like Radio Shack.
o Reciprocal Mixing
What is it? Paraphrasing from Steve Whitt's book (see below!):
Reciprocal mixing arises due to the poor local oscillator section in the
2010. The output of the main oscillator (VC01) exhibits large discrete
sidebands at 25 kHz intervals away from the oscillator center frequency.
These undesirable spectral components of the oscillator will mix with the
RF signals separated by multiples of 25 kHz from the station to which the
receiver is tuned The bottom line is that the set has a hard time
dealing with really strong signals, and this is the symptom of it
"choking" on them.
The easiest way to observe the problem is to tune into a very strong
local signal on a generally quiet band (e.g. your local MW station
received on an external antenna during daylight hours or one of the power-
houses on the low end of the 6 MHz band). Then, tune the receiver (with
the DX/local switch set to DX and the RF gain set to maximum) slowly to
points 25, 50 and 75 kHz either side of the strong signal. You will note
weak, spurious reception of the strong signal under most circumstances. If
you wanted to hear a weak signal on one of these adjacent frequencies, the
weak signal reception will suffer from the strong signal interference.
Steve Whitt, in his book, recommends a fix for this problem in the Sony
ICF-2010 that involves adding three capacitors to the frequency
synthesizer. I have yet to hear from anyone else who has made this mod.
Any comments to pass on for future versions of the FAQ?
o Front end overloading
A problem that is very similar to the reciprocal mixing problem
described above is caused because the 2010's front end is easily
overloaded by strong local signals when an external antenna is attached to
the set (The 2010 is better than a lot of portables in this regard, but
it is *not* as good as most table-top receivers, and it certainly is not
as good as the old hollow-state receivers I grew up with!)
This problem manifests itself as what appears to be adjacent channel
interference. Decreasing the RF gain to minimum won't help, but switching
the DX/Local switch to local will likely help. This "cross modulation" is
caused by front end overload.
Like all portables designed to be used with whips and other less than
perfect antennas, the 2010 has a fairly sensitive front end. Since there
is no built-in preselector or bandswitching tuned circuits as were common
in older radios, strong local but out of band signals (very strong local
MW stations, for instance) can cause front end overload unless an external
bandpass filter is used. The old stand-by PI network matcher, or an auto-
transformer matcher will both do the trick *Do NOT* fall into the trap
of thinking you need an active preselctor. The 2010 has plenty of gain in
its front end (when the FET is working!). You most assuredly do not need
to spend big bucks on a tuned active antenna or preselector in order to
overcome this problem.
Plans for simple PI network matchers are available from many sources.
I strongly recommend one if you intend on using the radio with an external
antenna!
o Sync detector funkiness:
This is a short section. Normally the sync detector works flawlessly,
but on occasion, users have noted the sync detector has a decided tendency
to lose lock, squeal and otherwise create more problems than it was
solving.
The solution, in 99 cases out of a 100 is to replace the D batteries.
The "battery check" feature is overly generous as far as the sync detector
is concerned, and while the radio continues to work just fine on FM or
with the envelope detector, the sync detector insists of really fresh
batteries to work well and reliably. Consider that this is why Sony
bundled the AC adapter with most versions of the 2010/2001D! If you
*must* use batteries, either modify the set to use ni-cads as set out
below, use an external lead/acid or gel cell battery and appropriate
voltage converter, keep a supply of fresh alkaline D cells handy, or just
plan on not using the sync detector at the end of the batteries' life.
o Other battery problems:
The 2010 uses two sets of batteries. The AA batteries power the micro-
processor which controls the "administrative" functions of the radio like
selecting frequencies and controlling the clock and logic circuits. The D
Batteries power the amplifier and other "analog" circuits in the set. The
D batteries can be left out if you plan to use the external power, but the
AAs are necessary.
Both sets of batteries are a notorious source of problems. For example,
the D battery connects to the main radio board through a spring clip (as
does the whip antenna by the way...) and that clip, once the back has been
removed, has a habit of becoming loose and creating such havoc as
displaying error message 3 (when the D's don't make proper contact). The
whip antenna also has this problem once the back has been removed The
solution is to either build up the solder pad that the clip attaches to
with more solder, carefully clean the pads with tuner cleaner or a pencil
eraser (be careful not to get eraser shavings in the radio tho!), or
hard-wire the clip to the pad with a short length of wire. The problem
can also be gotten around be modifying the radio to accept 4 sub-C ni-cad
batteries in place of 3 Ds. (See below.)
Similarly, the AA batteries also cause problems, which will reset the
clock and wipe the memory. (And will prevent the radio from working or
displaying anything at all if the batteries remain out of contact. This
is perhaps the scariest problem I've ever encountered with the radio. It
simply appears to be 'brain dead' until it gets smacked just right and the
AAs make better contact.) This problem stems from the fact that different
brand batteries often have SLIGHTLY different physical dimensions, and the
Sony compartments are sized so that the biggest fit in easily. The
smallest thus rattle around too much!
Common ways to solve the problems caused by loose batteries are to wedge
a piece of foam in the battery compartment to pick up the slack, wrapping
tape around the batteries to wedge them in tighter, cleaning oxidization
off the battery contacts in the battery compartment with a pencil eraser
or knife, stretching the springs holding the batteries in so that the
compartment is effectively smaller or hard-wiring a lithium battery into
the circuit to replace the AA batteries entirely. (See below.)
Obviously modifying the radio voids the warranty, so think carefully
before doing anything suggested here that involves such modifications.
Tape on the batteries is rather kludgy, but it does *not* void warranties
either!
MODIFICATIONS:
Many modifications have been suggested for improving the 2010's
performance. Here are some of the most popular (and a couple of just plain
unusual and fun ones...) for you to consider. Check out Steve Whitt's
Booklets, and the 1990 Proceedings article for more good ideas. (See
below)
o IF Filters
Unlike most radios in its price range, the 2010 comes standard with dual
IF bandwidth filters. That is good. Sony however, chose to go cheap, and
installed a couple of really marginal filters. That is bad. Those filters
are a standard size, however, and if you have a steady hand, are pretty
easy to replace with better ones. That is good. Those replacement
filters are somewhat expensive, and the replacement is definitely not
something that a first time hacker wants to attempt, unless you are
extremely nervy. That figures.
As one of my favourite .sig files puts it "Good / Cheap / Quick Pick
any two." Here's the decent/relatively inexpensive/fairly speedy
solution. :)
----------
KIWA Filters: (Kiwa will ship outside the US -- but costs areslightly
higher Call or write for info, or check out their WWW site:
which also has a small FAQ about
the 2010's filters and these replacements.
The skinny:
Kiwa Electronics
612 South 14th Avenue
Yakima, WA 98902
(800) 398-1146
For replacing ICF-2010 wide band filter, use Kiwa LFH-4S.
Cost, about US$15.
Bandwidth (-6dB) = (8+/-4)kHz
Shape Factor (-60dB to -6dB BW ratio) <= 1.8
For replacing ICF-2010 narrow band filter, use Kiwa FM 3.5/S
Cost about US$45.
Bandwidth (-6dB) 3.5kHz
Shape Factor (-60dB to -6dB BW ratio) <= 1.8
Insertion Loss 0dB
The discussion:
The consensus is that the KIWA filters make the 2010 a much better
radio.
KIWA provides a sheet called 'Questions most often asked about Kiwa's
filter replacements for the SONY ICF-2010'. Some relevant excerpts
paraphrased from this sheet include:
- soldering experience is necessary and installation of the narrow
is a little more involved than the wide.
- installation will void the warranty, so perhaps wait until the Sony
warranty has expired
- apparently, Kiwa can install both filters for $35.00
- tools required include: soldering iron, Philips screwdriver, 60/40
rosin core solder, wire cutters, needle nose pliers, felt
magic marker
- the Kiwa narrow filter has no signal loss, whereas the stock filter
apparently has a 6dB loss (1/2 the signal voltage)
There are a couple of caveats though:
First: The Kiwa narrow filter is a drain on the batteries. These filters
have less signal loss than the ones Sony installed but you will pay for it
in terms of battery life. (I suppose it is trivial, but kinda nice to know
up front!)
Second: (and more importantly!) the installation is not trivial (but it
is clearly explained in the instructions KIWA packs with the filters) and
if you have a steady hand and experience working with PC Boards, you
should do OK. What does that mean? Essentially, if you are not confident
in your ability to de-solder and solder in a tiny space, don't attempt it.
It's really straightforward and not difficult but is fussy. If all this
does nothing to boost your confidence level, note that Kiwa will also
install the filters for an additional fee. Contact them for details.
A bit of background on the issue:
The stock filters are little black plastic boxes 1 cm x 0.7 cm x 8.5 cm
(LxWxD) On the underside, there are 4 pins in a row down one side and 1
pin on the other side ie. something like the below:
__________
| o o o o|
| o |
----------
These pins fit through the main circuit board in the Sony and are
soldered in place The main circuit board is large and the pins are small
and can be difficult to find Kiwa provides a good map to their location.
You have to unsolder all five pins and remove the stock filters, leaving
the holes clean to insert the new wide filter (the new narrow is a
different beast). Then you solder the new filter in place. Both the OEM
and the KIWA replacement filters are ceramic filters.
The Kiwa narrow filter is very different. It is a zero-insertion loss
2.5 kHz IF filter. If you are interested in DXing, it is very good. If
you are a program listener, you probably have the attitude that if you
need to use the narrow filter, there must be something better to listen
to! Anyway, the Kiwa narrow filter is much too big to fit in the mounting
spot. It gets Velcro-ed to the speaker, off to one side of the board and
mini-coax leads run to the mounting spot for the narrow filter. These
leads are pre-cut and dressed by Kiwa and are not 1 mm too long! They are
an exact fit and leave no room to screw-up. They get soldered into place.
The new narrow filter also needs a power lead soldered to a supply point.
BOTTOM LINE: If you want fidelity on MW with local stations, don't install
KIWA filters. If you want decent sound from the BBC/VoA/R Netherlands the
'narrower' wide filter is ideal for you. I haven't done the narrow filter
swap, but I have heard a set that has it. Unless you are into hams, UTEs or
digital mode transmissions, don't bother with it It makes the AM stuff sound
terrible, (even if you off tune from the carrier) and doesn't really cut out
that much more interference than judicious use of the sync detector can. On
the other hand, for SSB work, and digital modes, it is an excellent idea.
(Different strokes.)
From my experience, I strongly recommend the Wide filter replacement.
Well worth the cost! I do a fair amount of DX, but still haven't felt the
need for the narrow filter. You pays your money and you takes your
choice.
----------
*****[Radio West Filters: {I'm given to believe RW is no longer around.
any definitive information about them and/or the availability of the
filters they sold?}]*****
----------
And lastly, here something from John W. Albert (j...@tellabs.com) that
isn't real practical, but it sure is interesting....
> Installing the Collins Torsoinal filters in a Sony 2010.
> About 3 years ago I installed two Collins Torsonal Mechanical
>filters in a Sony 2010. I selected two filters One is tuned for
>LSB (1.2 kHz above 455 kHz) and the other, USB (1.2 kHz below 455).
> In order to prevent the other sideband from entering the I.F.
>bandpass the two filter set was needed The radio's microprocessor
>has two data output lines that selects USB and LSB. Using switching
>diodes, I constructed a "holy" board that used the control lines to
>select the filters. The board was mounted in a space near the speaker.
>Shielded wire was used to terminate the filters.
> The purpose was to prevent both sidebands from entering the I.F.
>which caused AGC pumping.
> I'LL EXPLAIN!
> To select upper or lower sideband the 2010 uses a synchronous detector
>that is placed at the end of the I.F. chain. The detector chip uses the
>same PLL technology in radios that receive A.M. stereo or AM synchronous
>detection During SSB reception the chip performs very well but, in the
>crowded Ham bands, strange problems are noticeable
> If you're copying USB, for example, and another USB station falls
>within the IF (lets say 6 kHz below the received signal), you won't
>hear it, (the synchronous detector attenuates signals that falls in
>the other sideband) but that signal can cause an AGC pumping (the
>signal falls within the I.F and the A.G.C. responds).
> In order to reduce the cost, a normal communications receiver uses a
>single I.F. bandpass filter and changes the BFO frequency for LSB or USB
>reception. Because the Sony 2010 uses a crystal controlled B.F.O. (it's
>enclosed in a shielded compartment along with the synchronous detector),
>it would have been difficult to modify the circuit that's why I decided
>to use the two filter configuration. By the way the 2 filters cost about
>$300.00
> The cost is quite high and I'm sure there aren't too many SWL's that
>would justify purchasing filters that cost as much as the radio. The
>filter did improve SSB and CW reception but there's still a problem
>with image rejection, front end over load and intermodulation dis-
>tortion.
o AGC Modification:
Several sources have suggested that the Automatic Gain Control time
constant is not optimum. Kiwa (and others) recommend paralleling a 33 mfd
electrolytic capacitor across the existing C31 (10 mfd electrolytic) on
the solder side of the 2010 main board.
In fact, the Kiwa docs seem to indicate that their filters will show any
flaws in the existing AGC system and the additional cap is recommended.
[anyone tried it both ways who can comment?]
o NiCad batteries
Thanks to Larry Russell for provided the following...
If you've ever tried to be environmentally friendly and put re-
chargeable batteries into your 2010, you quickly learned that it
doesn't work well. The reason? The lower voltage ni-cads provides
just isn't what the 2010 expects and demands for best performance.
(Fresh alkalines are the ticket for peak performance.)
The solution to this problem is fairly simple intellectually, but it
is a challenge to construct and fit the modification into the cramped
innards of the 2010. What you need to do is modify the 2010 to accept
power from four sub-c sized ni-cads, rather than three "D" size ones
The additional cell provides the voltage that the radio needs, (4.6 v
nominal vs. the 4.5 it normally asks for, and the 3.2 that three "D"
ni-cads provides) and allows you to save some landfill space. The
catch is that sub-Cs are smaller in diameter than "D"s and will
rattle around inside the case if you don't do something more than
try to slip them into the radio's back.
To do this, wrap the smaller sub-c cells in electrical tape until
they fit snugly inside one inch automotive heater hose. Cut the
heater hose into 4 lengths to fit the batteries and put electrical
tape over the positive end of the batteries, leaving just the solder
tab sticking out. The heater hose outside diameter is just the right
size to simulate "D" batteries!
Now comes the complicated part. Since this mod requires permanently
attaching the batteries, you will need to add a jack to recharge the
batteries "in-situ". This is done by installing a closed circuit jack
(to match a 7.5 - 9 volt nominal power adapter) on the radio's back
between the main board and the speaker, in such a way that it will hide
behind the flip-up stand on the 2010. Of course, before you do any of
this, you need to remove the back of the radio and measure and drill
carefully! This jack allows you to disconnect the batteries from the
radio during recharging. Now with the back off, put some electrical
tape over the positive terminal of the 2010 radio battery holder
(you do not want it to short against the batteries!). Use a short
piece of wire to connect two of the sub-C cells in series, and then
solder the minus tab of the batteries to the minus tab in the 2010.
Add the next two cells to the 2010 one at a time with short wires,
and then attach a length of wire to the positive end of the fourth
cell long enough to reach the battery holder positive terminal.
Now is time to figure out what value resister to use. Attach the
adapter with a test resistor in series with the batteries to get about
100-150 mA (watch the wattage!) of charging current through the
batteries. Larry says that a 47ohm 1/2 watt resister works nicely
with a 9 volt adapter. Once you determine the correct value, solder
that in between the common (sleeve) terminal of the jack and the
negative battery holder terminal. Then attach a wire from the positive
end of the battery array to the tip connector of the jack. Connect
the 2010 positive battery terminal to the feed through terminal of
the jack. All of this is shown schematically in figure one.
The down side -- this mod forces you to remove the back of the
radio to change the computer (AA) batteries.
Gary Gitzen also mentions that "half height" size D nicads, with
much more "oomph" than sub-C size are available. Four of them plus a
spacer fit real nice, in the 2010's back, and, unlike the above
solution to the problem, they can be easily removed for recharging.
Much cleaner than the C size solution... but I'm not sure how
available these things are. Research time!
******
Lastly, there are 3/4 height "D" nicads manufactured which would fit
in without spacers at all and require no mods to the radio at all....
Anyone know of a source for these?
******
o Memory backup capacitor
Annoyed by the fact that you lose the clock and memories when you
annually change the AA batteries in your radio? Think that a little
extra lee-way in "memory holding capacity" would make those "loose AA
blues" seem less troublesome? Well....
It is fairly easy to stick a large value low voltage electrolytic
capacitor in parallel with the AA batteries. The ability of a capacitor
to store DC allows you some time to change batteries without losing the
clock and the memories. The cap fits nicely along side the speaker near
the cabinet wall, but you may have to extend the lead wires to reach the
appropriate pads on the PC Board....
This is a useful (and cheap) mod to the 2010!
o Audio fidelity improvements
The internal speaker of the 2010 is tinny, and the audio amp does not
have the power needed to drive a decent external speaker. Some people have
actually bought Grundig radios simply because they thought they sounded
better than the 2010! (Blasphemy, hi!)
Seriously, there is a decided lack of fidelity in the 2010's speaker,
and there have been several ways suggested to counter that deficiency. In
no particular order, here are a bunch of them. Some are better than
others, some are less intrusive than others, all have their pros and cons:
------------
Neither the tape record jack nor the headphone jack has enough "oomph"
to drive a regular speaker which has the potential of sounding better than
the built in Sony unit. Solution: Get a pair of amplified stereo speakers
meant for Walkmans, or a mono amplified speaker if you can find one
(that's what I use--$14 on sale at Radio Shack!), and plug the beastie
into the tape out.
------------
Plan on using headphones. A nice set of stereo phones will sound about
as good as SW gets, and the 2010 accepts a standard mini-plug stereo jack,
even though the sound will be strictly in mono.
------------
The "Passport" White Paper suggests feeding the audio into a PA
amplifier through a graphic equalizer. (There goes portablility!)
------------
When you use the sync detector, if you keep the signal centred in the
filter passband, rather just the desired sideband, you will get only half
the potential audio bandwidth. Whoa -- English you say?
If you tune the radio to 5975.0 or 5974.9 in the sync mode, you aren't
really using the sync detector properly. (See the discussion about the
Collins replacement IF filters above.) Instead, to improve fidelity,
off-tune the radio until the sync detector *almost* loses lock, eg tune
to 5975.5. You are effectively shifting the bandpass of the radio into
the frequency range that carries more of the audio signal and capturing
more of the high frequency audio waves being sent by the transmitter.
This is perhaps the cheapest, and most effective 'kink' offered here,
and is realized by surprisingly few 2010 owners!
------ And the last of the audio 'mods' -- something I snarfed off GEnie
back in 1992 that originated on the Pipeline BBS in Glasgow, Kentucky
(sorry the original contributor's name never made it onto GEnie...). While
I haven't tried this, it sure sounds interesting. I'll have to look into
that the next time I have the back off the radio and a hot soldering iron
ready. Killing the LPF for the narrow filter sounds like it could be a
useful idea....
Some Audio Section Mods
for the Sony ICF-2010
This paper describes some very simple modifications to the audio
section of the Sony ICF-2010 (2001D).
VERY IMPORTANT
1) Disclaimer notice: Do all of this at your own risk. Soldering
iron burns, electrical shocks, frying the receiver, or any
other surprises are your problem, not mine These mods will
obviously blow the warranty.
2) Make sure you really know what you're doing and can deal with
surface-mount components and dense PC board soldering.
Follow all of the normal anti-static practices.
3) This work can only be done with the full Sony service manual in
hand. It diagrams the circuits being modified and is necessary for
physically locating certain components on the PC board.
THE PROBLEMS
In the WIDE filter mode, the 2010 passes more high frequency audio than
is useful. This mode is really only practical for very clear channel
listening.
At the same time the NARROW filter mode is really too muffled to be
useful. It is somewhat better if the receiver is tuned off-carrier by
about 1 kHz, but that is beyond the tracking range of the sync detector.
THE CIRCUIT
Q19 and related components form a simple low pass filter labeled "AF
LPF" in the diagram. In the NARROW mode, Q19 is biased on and becomes
an emitter follower. In WIDE mode, Q19 is biased off.
Q20 is simple emitter follower like Q19, but is not a low pass
filter. It is turned on in the WIDE mode and off in the NARROW mode.
THE SOLUTION
The fundamental ideas are:
- Use the LPF in the WIDE mode, cutting out some of the
excessive high frequencies.
- Eliminate the LPF in the NARROW mode, reducing the muffled audio.
- Also in the NARROW mode, reduce some of the low frequencies
to reduce the "boominess".
This is all very easy. Q19 and Q20 are switched on and off
through 10K resistors R194 and R197 from signals at IC13. We're
simply going to swap ends of these resistors. The original parts
are surface-mount and are replaced with normal components with leads.
Remove and discard R197 and R194. Replace them with 1/4 or 1/8
watt 10k resistors, but swap the switching signals. Now the LPF
is used in the WIDE mode and not the NARROW mode.
To reduce the bass response in the NARROW mode, remove and discard C171
(0.01uf). Replace it with a small 0.001uf capacitor. C171 couples the
signal into Q20, and by reducing it, forms a simple high-pass filter.
Other values were tried, but this seems to be the best overall compromise.
TONE CONTROL
One additional modification is useful. The three-position tone
control could use more high-frequency cut in the "NEWS" position.
Connect a 0.1uf cap in parallel with the existing C93 (0.068uf).
RESULTS
These changes made the 2010 MUCH more useful to me. I used the
following as a very subjective metric: In school I studied Spanish, but
am now very rusty. Occasionally I tune into some Spanish broadcast and
try to follow the announcer. Previously in the NARROW mode I couldn't
even pickup enough of the sound of a word to look it up in a dictionary.
Now I never have that problem. Because I can pick out syllables much
more easily, I recognize many more words. English also, is easier.
The new WIDE position response reduces adjacent station interference
somewhat and is much more useful for shortwave listening. Previously it
was really only good for the AM broadcast band.
DESIGN TRADEOFFS
The only useful thing the LPF did for the NARROW position was to reduce
some high-frequency noise. With these modifications, the noise is more
noticeable with very weak signals. But the more effective tone control
"NEWS" position reduces the noise, but without the original muffled sound.
Since the WIDE mode now has a LPF in it, "hi-fi" AM listening is less
hi-fi. FM sound is unaffected.
Lastly, we have the low-tech solution: creating a baffle/enclosure to
try to improve things. This can be a bit of a double edged sword, as
elucidated upon in the following colloquy between Chris Malcolm (the
original poster) and Andrew Mullhaupt (the responder):
>: In most small radios the speaker is effectively unenclosed and
>:unbaffled, so all that matters is the size of the speaker. But it is
>:very easy to improve things by baffling, i.e., increasing the
>:front/back path length. For example, hold your radio aloft in free air
>:and compare the sound to standing on a table. You get better sound on
>:the table. ...
>: (I)f you have a radio with a tiny tinny speaker, ...
>:simply carry around a bit of stiff card or wood made to extend the
>:sides of the radio. Since a table can act as the fourth side, it only
>:needs to be a three-sided baffle.
>Well, there are three (sic) things going on here, and this step is
>confounding the two effects. There is the enclosure issue you are talk-
>ing about, and there is the reflectivity and resonance of the tabletop.
>.. You get (just like with antennae) an "image" speaker at the point
>symmetric with the speaker with a specular surface - and the sound you
>hear is the sum of these. You are setting up the usual interference
>pattern between these two sources, and at different frequencies
>the nodes/antinodes are in different places. Guess what? It makes all
>the difference in the world _exactly where_ the radio is with respect
>to the surface and your ears. Is the speaker 1 wave above the surface?
>1/2 wave? 1/4 wave? etc. Most small radios when resting on a table will
>be so close that only the higher frequencies will interfere. This means
>that in some places, as you note, the bass will appear to have been
>emphasized, but in others, the bass will appear diminished because
>the high frequencies are _adding in phase_. ...
> Just as it is possible to _improve_ the
>sound where you are sitting quite a bit, it is also possible to _screw it
>up royally_. The subject is a _lot_ more complex than you make it out,
>and I for one, (having tried your experiment with my own SW-100) do not
>like the way it sounds with baffles much better than without. If you
>find that you _do_ like your sound better, then this is fine. But it is
>not easy to expect that this "mod" will really help most people who
>try it.
Whew! I guess this issue of what radio sounds better leads to some
pretty hot collars. Bottom line from my perspective? Hey -- it's only a
couple of pieces of cardboard -- give it a try and see if it helps. If
sounds worse, you can always take the stuff away!
OPERATING HINTS AND KINKS:
The 2010 Owners manual is often lame, but does a decent job of
introducing the features of the radio and how to use them. Nevertheless,
there are a couple of "just plain good ideas" and tricks that have been
uncovered over the years by various users that are worth passing on. Do
you have one we don't mention? Let us all know!
o The "cancel" button
Ever start to enter a frequency and flub it? 'Course you have. The
2010 doesn't have a "cancel" button to let you start over -- or does it?
Yup -- you DON'T have to wait the 2-5 seconds for the radio to re-set
itself before starting over. Press the AM (or FM or AIR depending on the
band you were trying to enter at the time!) button and the previously
entered info will be wiped out and you will be looking at the information
for the channel currently being received. If you were displaying a
memory channel, that information will no longer show, but the status of
the sync and filters will re-appear.
o Psudo-'squelch'
Although it isn't designed as such, there is a useful (but not
adjustable) squelch function built into the 2010. This is very useful for
taping 2-way communications with a VOX recorder, for example, and comes in
very handy for Air band communications, although the technique is also
usable on FM and AM bands as well (and also useful for taping sporadic SSB
comms...).
Simply enter the desired channel into any memory, and "skip" the rest of
the memories. (Hold down the skip button and press the other memory
buttons in sequence.) Then tell the radio to scan the memories. This has
the effect of squelching the audio until there is activity on the one
channel you have not locked out, keeping the radio silent until there is
traffic on that frequency.
o Extended timer record
Larry Russell suggests that if you need more than the one hour of record-
ing when using the programmable timer, just cascade timer buttons for up to
four hours. The individual timers can all be set to the same memory loc-
ation or they can carry different station as you prefer
e.g. PT1 on at 0830 for an hour, PT2 on at 0930 for another hour etc.
o Memory use / Bandscanning
There are as many different schemes for using the 32 memories in the
2010 as there are listeners. Here are some of our favourites:
-----------------
Charles Copeland suggests that scanning the bands is a lot easier if you
set memory a-1 to 150 kHz and a-2 to 29.999 kHz. This way when you are on
one of your preset buttons hitting scan takes off from that point. This
works no matter where the current preset is programmed.
-------------------
Michael J. Corrigan recommends that memories a1 and a2 remain 'expend-
able' because if you want to set up an arbitrary scan (e.g. 5000-6000 kHz)
you need to program those two presets with the desired scan limits!
Sound advice....
------------------
Larry Russell prefers a "column approach" memory scheme, he says
he uses one column of four to go with the four programmable timer buttons,
two columns for the BBC, two columns for RCI/CBC/CFRX/Quebec northern ser-
vice, and one column for FM public radio stations. This leaves two
columns for Dxing. For the Define Scan function, he puts 7100 in A1,
and 7600 in A2. This makes up for Sony's lousy limits for the 41mb.
------------------
I prefer to leave memories a-1 through a-5 and all the ones in row d
open. I can then use the a row for "parallel checking" when DXing (enter
the suspect frequency in memory a-1 and then punch in the suspected
parallels, storing them in a-2, a-3 etc. so I can rotate through them
quickly to verify they are indeed the same). Row "D" becomes my "hit
list" row storing the frequencies I want to be sure to hit (eg 7415,
6850, etc.) while listening. If you are sufficiently enterprising you
will programme the timer to automatically override your current activity
when a station is set to sign on. (Set the timer and use the 'sleep'
function to allow you to continue to listen to the radio. It makes it
hard to miss that once in a lifetime DX when the radio itself reminds you!
BTW, just so you don't get the wrong impression, memories a-6 through
a-9 hold the best Radio Australia SWL frequencies, and row b has BBC
frequencies in it. Row c alternates for Deutsche Welle, R Netherlands,
Radio Havana Cuba and whatever else is tickling my fancy that week. I
find that this "visual matrix" of memories makes remembering what is where
and organizing the storage of frequencies a LOT more efficient that a
sequential memory system as is found on the -77 or Grundig's sets. Far
from being intimidating, I *like* the "whole bunch of buttons" look....
o MW/LW external antennas
Something that isn't really explained well in the 2010 manual is that
the radio has an additional amplification stage when the internal MW/LW
loop is connected. Plugging an antenna into the jack disconnects that
amp. If you plug the external antenna in *part way* (far enough to make
the first contact but no so far as to disconnect the amplifier) you may do
better for MW and LW signals.
It may also have the effect of overloading the front end giving you lots
of spurious signals until you again unplug (or fully plug in) the external
antenna, but it is worth a shot. Alternately, you can couple a MW/LW
antenna to the built in loopstick, which also keeps that extra
amplification on-line.
o Where to get repairs {any other suggestions?}
If the above repairs and fixes sound above your confidence level, there
are commercial shops that will handle repairs on the 2010. We would suggest,
however, that you stay away from 'Joe's TV and VCR Fix-it Shoppe' though.
The 2010 is not the kind of product that responds well to the typical
"replace a few belts and oil it" repairs those kinds of shops do all the
time, and you may well run into trouble there. That said, there are a
couple of other things to try.
Similarly, there are situations when nothing but the OEM part will
do, and of late it has been pretty hard to find a Sony service center with
parts in stock (or the wherewithall to know how to order them efficiently!).
SERVICE:
The most obvious service place is an official Sony Service Center near you.
But beware: many do not have the fogiest idea how to repair anything
other than VCRs and TVs; a SW radio will be a curiousity. Others may well
have techs that know how, but will lack the equipment to be able to repair
a complicated radio like the 2010. Many people have suggested
that a better choice is to send it to a regional Sony Service center that
has better staffing and equipment.
******Anyone have a list of recommended centers/experiences to share?*******
Also of note:
HE...@gpo.nsc.com (Herb Coolidge) passes on the following which he
quickly cautions is not an endorsement, just the passing along of
an ad in Monitoring Times....
Grove Enterprises, performs repair services for receivers, scanners,
and amateur radios. They have certified, licensed technicians and
claim that the equipment will be reconditioned to meet or exceed the
manufacture's specifications. Equipment serviced by them will be
warrantied for 90 days.
What to do?
1) Call the Grove Technical and Repair Support line at
(704) 837-7081
2) Explain your problem
3) If a repair is required, they will issue you a service
number. There is a $29.95 repair analysis fee that is non-
refundable/minimum charge that pays $5.00 in return shipping
and the first hour of diagnostic and repair. Additional
labor, if required, is at $35.00 plus parts.
4) The Grove technical staff will call you with the results of the
repair analysis and charges before any work has begun.
The mailing address is:
Grove Enterprises
PO Box 98
Brasstown, NC 28902 USA
If anyone out there gives them a try, please let us know how it goes!
Lastly, I am given to understand that Universal Radio in Columbus also
does repairs. Has anyone had their 2010 there and can you pass on any
wisdom about their policies and recommendability? (I've dealt with
Universal several times, and have always been a satisfied customer)
PARTS:
If you feel confident enough to do some repairs but just need OEM parts,
(eg. Fido has knocked the set off the table and you have to replace the
support stand and whip antenna which broke in the fall....) the thing to do
is to find a Sony Parts supplier near you. I have had WONDERFUL luck with
Fulton Radio in Lansing Michigan. They are a regional parts centre, stock
LOTS of parts that commonly need replacing (eg whip antennas!) and will
gladly
do mail-order for anyone calling with a Visa/MasterCard. Their techs also
take the time to walk you through and make sure you have the right thing,
and actually are rather fun to deal with! If you need a part that only
OEM will work for, I highly recommend them: M-F 9-5:30 Eastern, Sat 9-noon,
at (517) 394-5310 for orders, (517) 394-5312 for tech help.
Prices are a little high, but considering what Sony usually gouges, er,
charges for repair parts, they aren't too bad. (eg. the whip cost US$13,
the support/stand goes for US$6.)
o Replacement AC power supplies *****{other than the OEM supply, what have
people had good luck with?}*****
Be careful when using other than the OEM adapter though. The 2010 has
NO protection for reversed polarity, so if you hook things up backwards,
you will be in for a nasty and expensive problem.
o Carrying cases
The 2010 comes without any carrying case. So long as it sits on the
desk, that is not a problem, but the biggest plus of this radio as
compared to a R-390a is the fact that it is so easy to transport.
Unfortunately, without some protective skin, it is likely that travel
will be bad for your 2010. Fortunately, camera "gadget bags" will also do
nicely to protect the 2010. Look around and see what you can find
locally
One suggestion for cases that work nicely to protect the 2010 has been the
Kodak Diconix carrying case available from many retailers. I snarfed up a
"Stars & Stripes" SNS-1500 bag designed for a compact CamCorder that seems
to work nicely. It has a couple of extra pouches for folding headphones
and extra batteries and is nicely padded. I'll wager your local camera
shop has something equivalent that will work! (Cost for the SNS was US$10)
*****{any others you care to recommend?}*****
OTHER SOURCES OF INFO:
This FAQ only scratches the surface. Here are a couple of recommended
resources and how to get them:
o The 2010 e-mail list
This was the single best Internet resource about the 2010 and
this FAQ in large part has not only grown out of it, but also contains
digests of much information gleaned from it over its 4 years in existance.
Unfortunately, as you can gather from the use of the past tense, it
has fallen by the wayside -- too bad!
o Steve Whitt's Booklets (info current as of July 1995)
One of the best booklets around for "hot-rodding" the 2010 is something
put out by Steve Whitt called "Get the Best from Your Sony ICF-2001D"
supplemented by "Get Even More From your Sony ICF-2001D", both originally
published in 1990.
NOTE BENE:! Although Steve informs us that original stocks of
the 2001D booklets are exhausted, he adds that if there is still
demand he is considering another run at the printer. Expediency would
suggest that if you are SERIOUSLY interested (Please don't Spam him!)
you should contact him via his e-mail: steve...@zoo.bt.co.uk, for
the latest info, and to let him know you want to buy one too!
If you are interested and JUST WANT IT (the booklets are well worth
the cost!) write to:
Steve Whitt
Hunt's Cottage
Kiln Lane
Buxhall, Suffolk, IP14 3DU , ENGLAND
The pair of booklets can be ordered together as follows:
UK: #4.00 GBP;
Europe (including Eire): #5.00 GBP (or 13 IRCs)
Rest of World (Airmail): #6.00 GBP (or 15 IRCs) or $10
Payment Details:
NON-CASH payments must be in Pounds Sterling (GBP) and payable to
"S. Whitt". Acceptable methods of payment are: UK cheque or Postal
Order, Sterling Draft drawn on a Bank in London, International
Postal Money Order in Sterling (from USA, Canada or Australia
only), Sterling Eurocheque, or International Reply Coupons.
CASH payments can be notes (not coin) of any major convertible
currency equivalent to the prices shown above. Sterling, US dollars,
DM and FF are preferred. As long as cash is well concealed there
is no problem in sending to the UK. If in doubt use registered mail
but this takes longer for me to process.
It is very important note these methods of payment are designed to
avoid prohibitive bank charges for Steve:
This means US$ checks are NOT acceptable - they are too expensive to
negotiate thru the banks - but dollar bills (concealed in a letter)
are OK.
Steve's booklets cover topics such as correcting the Reciprocal Mixing
problem, and tapping into the innards of the radio to allow simultaneous
reception and separate amplification of the upper and lower sidebands (ISB
stereo!) of an AM transmission.
Also, look for tips on memory loss, reciprocal mixing, IF filters,
using external antennas, static damage among many other tips,
modification projects and a very comprehensive run-down of the
history and development of the 2001D up to 1990.
o Proceedings 1990
The 1990 volume of Fine Tuning Proceedings has a nice little 16 page
article of hints and kinks on the 2010, and a wonderful bibliography. I'm
not sure if it is still available in back-issues, but the address to mail
to is:
Fine Tuning Special Publications
c/o John Bryant
RRT #5 Box 14
Stillwater, OK 74074. The Proceedings book costs about US$25, and
that issue also had articles about collecting and restoring older
communications rigs, the T2FD antenna, and the Datong FL-3 Filter, to name
just a few. If you've never run across it before Proceedings is one of
those "gottageta" publications!
If you order one, mention you heard about this throug the 2010 FAQ
so they know where you came from!
o Sony Service Manual
The Regional Sony Parts places (see above) may still stock this. Cost is
under $20 and well worth the investment if fo no other reason than it gives
you the part numbers you need!
***** {Does Universal still carry this? If not, any current info on getting
it? -- rumour has it that Sony no longer carries the printed version but
can supply a photocopy, but BEWARE: if this is true it probably isn't
worth it. The color schematics and pictorals are a major plus of this
little tome, and THAT won't copy -- I'm *assuming* they are issuing b/w
photocopies! Details anyone?} *****
o Misc. others
RDI White Papers, Monitoring Times and Popular Communications
have had several articles and short bits about the 2010.
***** {Anyone have an index listing some/all of these articles? Anyone up
to a project?} *****
Lastly, The Michigan Area Radio EnthusiastsU publication GREAT LAKES
MONITOR
issues #61, 59, and 58 (among others) have had articles about hints and
kinks,
modifications and the like to help improve the 2010.
Contact MARE at either of the addresses listed at the beginning of this
Resource File for more details on joining and getting back issues or
reprints.
CREDITS:
My heartfelt thanks to Michael Covington (mcov...@ai.uga.edu), Chris
Brewster (c...@tamarack.cray.com), Charles Copeland (cope...@metronet.com)
Peter Klein (pet...@seanews.akita.com), Larry Russell (ak473@detroit.
freenet.org), Tony R. Beltran (bel...@anubis.network.com), Gary Gitzen
(ga...@cup.hp.com -- the driving force behind the 2010 e-mail list) and all
the others on the 2010 e-mail list too numerous to mention here who have
provided me with much of the info contained here! Ain't the Internet
wonderful?
I should also thank my wife who humoured me by helping to proofread this
-- despite the fact that it is very high in "radio geekise" as she puts
it Thanks Paula!
73 //kvz
George Zimmerlee
large antennas:
> The reason for moving the antenna outdoors, is to get it in an
> electrically quieter place than in the house. If you move the
> receiver WITH ITS WHIP ANTENNA out of the house, weak signals
> become more readable, because moving the whip antenna to a less
> noisy location increases the signal-to-noise ratio at the input
> to the receiver.
switches malfunctioning and generating noise on every
band. I like to listen in the bedroom and the power
meter mounted on that wall is another noise source.
Ain't no hope of escaping the noise here; synchronous
detection helps sometimes.
`JJ
Will White wrote in message <36DA089E...@asu.uswest.net>...
<Snipped>
>Try a loop, either type will be much quieter than a random length single
>wire, *and* increase the desired signal at your antenna terminals by 5 uV
or
>more. You'll see you'll snag a lot of pretty rare DX and other exotica with
>such a 'hook'. If you do the outdoor horizontal loop, don't worry about the
>dimensions if you don't have much space, just make the circumference as big
>as possible. There are oodles of homebrew designs for both types of loop on
>the web. For $25US or less in common materials you can have a very fine
>receiving antenna.
>
Will,
Could you please provide some details on your "loop" antenna. What I
am looking for is Feeding, termination, lightning and static suppression
etc.
TIA
Andy Jones
Michael
Be very careful when you connect a large external antenna to your
portable 2010 (or any portable for that matter). The action of wind,
rain, and snow, as well as nearby lightning discharges, will generate
enough current in your antenna to destroy the radio's first stage
semi-conductors. So never leave your portable connected to an external
antenna when it is not in use, and ground the feed line before you
connect it to the radio. This charge can be drained off by installing
something like Alpha-Delta's TransiTrap in the coaxial feed line where
it enters the house. Of course I would not trust anything to protect my
set from a direct lightning hit to the antenna and, therefore,
disconnect the antenna during storms and when I will be away.
Additionally, too much antenna can easily overload your set resulting in
degraded performance. Experiment with length and/or use an antenna
preselector-tuner.
Good listening,
Michael