RS DX-370
Curtis Hubbard
Any one have any knowledge or experience with the Radio Shack DX-370?
I was at RS last night looking at the DX-440 (aka Sangean 803) which is
a very nice unit for $150 (on sale from $200), but it is too large for
my purposes. I want a smaller radio to listen to world band radio while
travelling in Asia.
I spent about an hour or so playing with both the DX-440 and the
DX-370, and was quite impressed with the relative performance of the
DX-370. Hard for me to believe, but it seemed to be as sensitive as the
DX-440, and at times, more so. The dx-370 is a small digital tuner with
FM, FM stereo from the headphones, MW, and two shortwave bands extending
from about 3.2 Mhz to 6.9Mhz and 9.1Mhz to 21.8 Mhz. (These numbers are
approximate, from memory. I'm not sure of the exact gap from SW1 to
SW2, but the upper and lower numbers are pretty close). It tunes in 5
Khz increments, with no fine tune adjustment, and has an effective seek
in either direction. There is no signal strength meter, other than a
little "tune" box that appears when you are at least partially receiving
a signal. It also has clock/alarm functions and five memories for each
of the bands, FM, MW, SW1, and SW2. The speaker is rather small, but
the audio quality seemed OK, and with the headphone jack, any potential
problems there could be eliminated. Oh yes, the price is a very
reasonable $120.
Based on what I saw, I am very tempted to buy it, but I don't know who
makes it and I don't know how good it's performance really is in the
field. Can anybody enlighten me on any of this? I am pretty new to all
this, so I would certainly appreciate any comments you might have. Any
other radios I should be considering?
Thanks,
Curt Hubbard
cu...@hpspd.spd.hp.com
Dan Ross
>
> Any one have any knowledge or experience with the Radio Shack DX-370?
>I was at RS last night looking at the DX-440 (aka Sangean 803) which is
>a very nice unit for $150 (on sale from $200), but it is too large for
>my purposes. I want a smaller radio to listen to world band radio while
>travelling in Asia.
>The dx-370 is a small digital tuner with
>FM, FM stereo from the headphones, MW, and two shortwave bands extending
>from about 3.2 Mhz to 6.9Mhz and 9.1Mhz to 21.8 Mhz. (These numbers are
>approximate, from memory. I'm not sure of the exact gap from SW1 to
>SW2, but the upper and lower numbers are pretty close). It tunes in 5
A friend said this radio (which I haven't seen) is also a Philips and a
Sangean (I don't know the model #s)--made by Sangean, I believe.
Furthermore, a version of the radio with very cheap parts and not made by
Sangean--and with poorer performance--is the $49 radio from DAK. (I mention
this to not discredit the RS/Sang/Phil version, but rather to include a
supposed ancestry of the infamous DAK radio.) Can anyone out there verify
this?
The "two shortwave bands" and the 5 presets sound like what the DAK looks like.
The performance, however, must be a different (and much better) story!!
Gary Bourgois
One thing to consider if you are looking at the DAK, Radioshack or
Sangean versions of this teeny digital set:
THERE IS A HUGE SWATH of spectrum missing. It quits at 7.3 and SW2
Starts up around 9.3 (or higher).
So what do you miss?
Well for one thing, you don't get 7520, the powerhouse WWCR, with the
feeds of RADIO NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL and RADIO FREE NEW YORK, which are
the only alternative type programming ON shortwave.
WWCR has been coming in pretty lame here at those hours the past few
days, owing to changes in the ionosphere, and the solar blows that do
not affect you normal folk, but play havoc with us up here in the
tundra.
I would tell anyone thinking of the $49 DAK set that I have only heard
one good review of it (Right here on the net). Other people's mileage
has varied considerably, and MANY of these sets have been returned.
Save your money. Get something better. The DX-440 comes to immediate
mind. (Sangean ATS803). This is the radio I would recommend as a
person's FIRST shortwave set. I have one and I use it. I also have the
SONY ICF 2010 which I have had for about five years now (I got one of
the early ones), AND a KENWOOD TS-440, which is the Transmitting version
of their R-5000. I also got my girlfriend a DX-360 last Christmas,
because she did not even know if she would like shortwave or not. SHe
does, and I am thinking of a DX-440 for her now.
You get what you pay for. I personally think the SONY runs RINGS around
the radio shack(sangean et al). Especially on SSB. Too much fiddling
on the RS, and it tends to overload on strong signals, and the AUDIO
QUALITY of sideband on the RADIO SHACK is terrible compared to the SONY.
If the sony had RIT it would be perfect, as good as a HAM receiver. BUT
if yours is properly calibrated, the 100hz tuning is fine. The sony
with its 32 memories and other nifty features IS worth the price
difference. Take it from someone who has both.
Did anyone see the photo of the new NRD-535 in the latest issue of
MONITORING TIMES. Drule Drule Drule!
--
=Marquette MI: It's Not the END of the world, but you can see it from here=
== Gary Bourgois flash@lopez (rutgers!sharkey!lopez!flash) GWN UPLink ==
== 3.950 Nationwide Amateur Radio Nightly after 0200z=Learning Channel ==
=============== WB8EOH = The Eccentric Old Hippie = WB8EOH ================
Jeff Crilly N6ZFX
>
>Save your money. Get something better. The DX-440 comes to immediate
>mind. (Sangean ATS803). This is the radio I would recommend as a
>person's FIRST shortwave set.
Amen! A fine purchase at the current price of $149. Less than half of
what a SONY-2010 costs (I have the SONY [Actually a 2001D; U.K. model
I think]; Had it since 1984, It's been tossed around; I used to keep it
in my truck; I would carry it all over on plane trips. And it still
funtions solidly. Though one of the memory presets sticks on a rare
occasion. I even used to use it as a shower radio; no not in the
shower, but in the steamy bathroom.)
>
>You get what you pay for. I personally think the SONY runs RINGS around
>the radio shack(sangean et al). Especially on SSB. Too much fiddling
>on the RS, and it tends to overload on strong signals, and the AUDIO
>QUALITY of sideband on the RADIO SHACK is terrible compared to the SONY.
Amen Again! I have played around with the DX-440, and while acceptable, the
2010 is indeed better. If it weren't for the current price of $149 for the
DX-440, I'd say "get the SONY". Also, the chuffing of the PLL when tuning
is reasonable on the SONY (almost none). But it is real bad on the DX-440.
I also tried a Grundig 500, and that guy chuffed alot too. In fact, I
think the SONY might even be better than the $500+ Grundig! (In the
tuning/receiving department, not neccessarily so in the ergonemetrics
department.)
>If the sony had RIT it would be perfect, as good as a HAM receiver.
For SSB --yes; for CW...well...the narrow filter isn't narrow enough.
I was amazed with the performance of the 2010 when I first listened to
the ham bands with it. I must say that I am a little bummed with the
100hz jump in the tuning. As for a CW receiver: I suppose you could
get an audio filter, then build a simple QRP transmitter from a
computer oscillator chip, and get on the air QRP and cheap too!
Without the RIT, it is nearly impossible to copy RTTY with the SONY-2010.
(I tried it once with the KAM...but now I have a TS-440 also so I just
use that.) However, I think it could be done using the DX-440,
since it has an adjustable BFO. Anybody try this?
>BUT if yours is properly calibrated, the 100hz tuning is fine. The sony
>with its 32 memories and other nifty features IS worth the price
>difference. Take it from someone who has both.
Like I said. If you want to buy a radio and can't afford the $319 price tag
on the 2010 then get the DX-440 for $149. I would agree that the 2010
is alot better. But lets live within our means, o.k.? $149 for the DX-440
is a reasonable price, IMHO. Its too bad that the SONY costs so much.
But then again, I guess it is much more in the U.K. Of course, with the
current thinking that the price will just go up, one might as well buy
now (BTW, I got my radio in Hong Kong for something like $200).
(I really don't know what the 2010 goes for these days, but I have seen them
at about $319)
>
>--
>=Marquette MI: It's Not the END of the world, but you can see it from here=
>== Gary Bourgois flash@lopez (rutgers!sharkey!lopez!flash) GWN UPLink ==
>== 3.950 Nationwide Amateur Radio Nightly after 0200z=Learning Channel ==
>=============== WB8EOH = The Eccentric Old Hippie = WB8EOH ================
Jeff Crilly (N6ZFX)
AMIX Corporation 2345 Yale Street Palo Alto, CA 94306
je...@markets.amix.com, {uunet,sun}!markets!jeff, N6ZFX@N6IIU.#NOCAL.CA.USA
Sam Guidice
>
>days, owing to changes in the ionosphere, and the solar blows that do
>not affect you normal folk, but play havoc with us up here in the
>tundra.
WWCR has been coming is pretty lame here also. Last Saturday night WWCR
sounded GREAT with Radi Free NY on it. Sounded like it was a local
station. Sunday night, at times, I barely could hear Hausers Worls
oops World of Radio , and RNYI gave me fits. By the way, here is in Oregon.
>