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It is working well. Actually, I think the battery is working better than it did day one. I don't know enough about lithium battery conditioning to say anything intelligent here other than it is working really well.

On SW at least that appears to me to be the case.

LOL - I wouldn't say stations 75-100 miles away are "blowtorches." I don't know how rural one needs to be to rate in such a system, but I am intrigued. I have the XHDATA D109 and it is ... (I want not to exaggerate). Let's just say it hasn't been worth videoing. I know the D-808 has a better reputation, but you make such bold claims that I will see if I can find a cheap D-808 to test them.

Thanks!

The data is publicly accessible, but this is what I found: 670-AM KBOI 50,000 W 920-AM CFRY 27,000 W 920 KXLY 20,000 W (day) / 5,000 W (night) 990-AM CBW 50,000 W (day) / 46,000 W (night) 710 KIRO 50,000 W 750-AM 25,000 W 810 KGO 50,000 W

Hey man thanks. Hope you are well.

thanks

It certainly was remote. And it was surprisingly peaceful. I reckon the low cloud and rain were like insulation. The last forrested section was then even quieter. It was very noticeable and enjoyable.

Thank you very much for your comment. It is great to hear from Japan. I love the bit about "sadistic enjoyment" and "ingenuity" trying to pull in more stations. Very interesting, and relatable. I wondered about the wattage and number of stations here and there. So I ferreted around for some respectable stats. Japan is around 378,000 km2 and as of 2021 had 958 broadcasters nationally. Canada is just under 10 million km2 and, as of 2021, has 961 broadcasters. Roughly same number of broadcasters, but Canada has x37 the area. www.statista.com/statistics/1198430/japan-number-nhk-radio-broadcasting-stations/ www.statista.com/topics/2978/radio-in-canada/ Alberta, where I live, is about the same size as Japan, 662,000 km2. The above stats deal with broadcasters not stations; broadcasters obviously have multiple stations. So when I say to you that we have 303 (AM and FM) stations in Alberta that doesn't mean we have 1/3 of all broadcasters in Canada. A bit like comparing apples and oranges, as we say. A unwarranted comparison of unlike items. As to the wattage: Some weak FM stations that I can pick up on occasion are around 40-135km away from me. The range of transmission power is from 800W to 23kW. We can get industry projections of station broadcast areas. I wonder how your (weak) stations compare. And how does the topography, population density, and the narrowness of Japan factor in? I have a video on the topography of the "weak stations" in my area, if you want to compare: th-cam.com/video/br6_onGi6ao/w-d-xo.html Thank you again for you comment. I enjoyed it.

@@RSears Thank you very much for your reply. I watched the video you recommended. I feel ashamed of my ignorance for having simply judged that the power of your FM stations was “strong” without knowing the specific circumstances in your region. I have realized that each region has its own way of doing things, influenced by factors like the size of the country and population, and that there are distinct methods suited to Japan’s narrow land and high population density. I am once again impressed by the efforts of manufacturers who produce and sell receivers that must cater to these diverse conditions around the world. In the video you recommended, I was particularly interested in the details provided about the transmission power, the distance to the receiving location, and the topographical profiles of the stations. During my career, I worked on the construction of microwave wireless communication systems, and we used profiles to confirm that the transmission and reception sites were within "line-of-sight." Watching your video, I was reminded that there are cases where good reception can occur even without line-of-sight, while stations with a knife-edge in between often produce reception with noise. It felt like I was revisiting the principles of radio wave propagation. Thank you again for introducing me to such an interesting video. Although I am now 70 years old, I am still eager to keep learning and improving myself. I would like to conclude this comment by wishing you continued health and success. Thank you very much.

Thanks. Makes sense. I guess we want to chalk this up to sensitivity, though I wouldn't say the Edmonton and surrounding stations were close, although they are relatively strong. I didn't think to fiddle with the sensitivity on the Belka, which it has. I was rather more disappointed than intrigued at the time. I waited for months for the Belka to arrive and it didn't quite live up to my expectations/hopes. The telescopic antenna it came with doesn't have good contact or rotational friction. I end up needing to use some other means and so don't always reach for it as I thought I would.

@@RSears The issue with the whip can be easily fixed. I will reply to myself with a link to a video showing the procedure (just in case YT decides to delete a comment with link again). What kind of antenna are you using? What's odd is that these stations are all pretty 70km or more away, what kind of signal indication do you get on the Belka when you tune to those? If they're not swamping the input during the day, there might be another, unknown and much stronger (maybe local, and not necessarily broadcast-) signal causing these images.

I hope that works: th-cam.com/video/93Az-Y92yf0/w-d-xo.html

If you can send the link, that would be great. As for the supplied whip, the centre pin is either too recessed or too narrow. If I recall, it works if I hold in in snug. I saw a Japanese (I think it was) user who printed up a plastic clip that kept the antenna from rotating. That was ingenious. I was using a PAR EF-SWL antenna. I would have to check the AM signal, but there are no AM stations closer than these. Possible unknown signals... can't think of any. There aren't many local signals at all.

The reply with the link was in the "Held for review" section. [Update: I see. Not the pin, but the collar. I'll give the expansion strat a go. Thanks.]

Are you saying you pick up those 67 channels in the same geographic area?

@@RSears yes sir, and inside a cabin, covered in trees at that. I'm no radio expert, but a friend gave me a couple of old multi band radios a couple of years ago and I started making some antennas and listening,then ordered the pl880 about a month ago. The least amount of very clear channels I have gotten on fm was 47 the most was 67. External antennas hurt my fm. Am not soo good, I need to make a loop and try that, mabe only 6 somewhat clear channels inside at night. Sw at night whith both telescoping antenna and external that comes with radio sometimes mabe around 30 channels, I'm speaking of clear channels, I need to actually count them. Because of storms, rain, mosquitoes have been too bad to test outside, but there about died out now. This is in peedee area of SC.

Okay; the East coast of the US has way more stations to pick up than Western Canada, i.e., Alberta. So that makes sense. What is surprising is that your FM doesn't work better with and external antenna. That is contrary to my experience. AM at night is fun. Gives one a real sense of the life of sky waves. Some swear by loops, but I've tried a couple recommended to me, but a long wire or a simple AN200 have done well/better. I just got a message from a gentleman in Japan. Apparently there they have far fewer stations that even I have around here! Consider yourself FM rich.

Too true. I like the PL-880 for audio quality. Great FM and SW in right antenna conditions. The SR-286 / DX-286 are ultra-portable champs of AM and FM. Decent on SW. Boosted (read: unnatural) mid range and treble audio, but it helps on weak SW.

@@RSears Lol, maybe I need one of each

The 880 is awesome for its ease of use and audio quality. The only letdown is a poorer performance on SSB and awful failure of Sync. Because I also missed the air band - I got me the PL-680. It has a sync that works, SSB is fine and I often listen to the aviation stuff on the hills. For some reason I occasionally receive ATC from Italy and Austria despite being in the middle of Slovakia. Both radios need help on MW for which a passive loop like the AN-200 or similar makes a big difference.

That sounds about right. It is not easy to get everything in one package.

Thanks 😀 The radio is small and light enough that it worked!

True. There seemed to be more in the video than I recall when filming.

Thanks for checking out the video. I'm honoured. It was a great day - didn't even realize it was raining/misting most of the day. The silence was golden @ 3:27. The acoustics were wonderful. The reverberations of the chopping (@ 3:50 - using my S5X cans) were glorious: damped, wet reflections.

I could see that. In this case, however, it was happening when I was using the Belka alone. Only when I sought to prove that what was coming through was AM stations did I pull out a second radio. And having the 286 near didn't seem to make the problem worse. Some recorded "overloads" (there were many) didn't replicate when I started up the video. Then the IC-705 made a great showing on non-directional beacons (th-cam.com/video/nECI1LAmIdM/w-d-xo.html), I haven't gone back to retry either the Belka or the 286. The new DX-286 buries the LW option: LW is off by default.

I like the 286 better, though neither are listening radios by my lights. The 286 and the 330 have narrow frequency ranges. This helps cut through the noise when on SW. Although I haven't measured them, but the 286 seems to have a bit wider frequency range. The 286 appears also to have a mid to high boost; there can be harsh silibants. When the 286 and 330 are compared directly on FM this boost makes the 330 sound less than flat, even suppressed, hollow.This might all be down to the narrow frequency range of the 330, because it is tonally much closer to the 880, except for the unfortunate lack of bass to round out the sound.

@@RSears Thank you for the detailed comments. The DX286 I tried sounded digital like & muddy, the very second I turned it on for the first time. Immediate disappointment for me given all the praise I read. Based on your comments, maybe I got a less than perfect sample or I just hear differently.

Psycho-acoustics is an incredibly interesting field -- quantifying how we perceive what we hear and researching the whys and hows. First looking at your comment I wanted to do some direct comparisons of frequency ranges between the two radios to give you frequencies profiles to ground my perceptions and comments. I didn't get down to it. What I did instead is the common sense warm water test. Is the water warm? Compare some ice water directly with the sample. Then compare some near boiling water. The perceived differences will give you a sense of just where on the range of warm the test case is. The analogy is less precise. My Tecsun PL-880 is the best portable radio I own, and at the top of the market (by many evaluators). So, I compared the 286 with the 330 first, and then compared them each with the 880. That made the 330, by my lights, sound way better than it did up against the 286. It also high-lighted the accentuated sound profile of the 286. Now, you are right, there is a lot, especially in sound preferences, to our hearing. Not knowing your preference profile, I wouldn't be able to guess how these three radios would sound to you. And not knowing how much you evaluate sound and your own listening preferences, that makes it harder. I know some people (not saying you) simply cannot hear some of the artifacts and noise that are present on a TH-cam video. It is what it is; there are real and variable limits to our hearing. I would say that "muddy" is a good descriptor of a unnaturally boosted midrange. "Digital" could capture the blown out treble. In my opinion, anyone who makes a common sense review of their own preferences up against good "pools of temperature controlled water" (known quality standards) can dig into how radios (speakers, cans, mics, etc...) sound. It begins to give one a framework and lingo just to talk about it. For myself, portable radios do not sound as good as other sources and playback systems. BUT within that specific range of audio gear the PL-880 is top notch. All that to say, I don't think the 286 sounds bad, certainly not compared to other portable radios of the same size. I love it for the sensitivity. Maybe the 286 sounded way off to you compared to what you were recently listening to or to what you expected. Perhaps try a comparison test, with your bestest radio and some middling ultra-portable. Then if it still is not to your liking, just weigh the importance of sensitivity vs sound. To me the former would trump audio here, even if I hated it, which I don't. So that's my 2 cents, written in too many $2 bills. Thanks for your question and follow up comment.

@@RSears Well said. My daughter can hear 20k cycles on my stereo and could tell you what people are talking about at a table 5 spots away in a noisy restaurant, but she couldn't care less about SQ (sound quality) of reproduced sound. At 72 and having worked in a stamping plant for 16hrs a day before hearing protection was mandated, my hearing is compromised. But I still hear artifacts, distortion, Ham radio operators that are 5 cycles off from their radio's display, etc. Sound, as you pointed out, is very personal. There are very few absolutes in the world. Maybe I'll give another DX286 a try in the future. Thanx for the discussion.

On my iPad with earbuds the Tecsun sounds better in your video.

Such an excellent spot, I can well understand.

It was a wonderful day. A little exposed at the top for my liking, but a fabulous vista.

Thanks! I was impressed with their sensitivity. The in-person audio is better with the PL-880, or rather is more to my liking.

It is definately my most sensitive receiver.

If I am going anywhere and will be actually listening to the radio, not testing performance and such, then I'm taking the PL-880. The frequency range and audio performance is just simply better. However, and sadly, I think on "best days" the 286s will simply outperform the 880. The controls on the 880 are the best, the analog tuning is the dream, and the clock works ;-) On neither the SR or the DX units does the clock keep time. It dances all over the shop without ryhme or reason. In my opinion, nevertheless, the 286s (especially on ext antenna) just do better. There is real areas of overlap, times when the 286 and 880 are neck and neck on MW and FM, but in the end no: 286 FTW. On SW they are - by my tests - par - th-cam.com/video/VfOUbfj1d9c/w-d-xo.html

@@RSears For the first few days I had my 286 I had the same clock problems, then I realized what was going on. Check the manual, Page 24 near the bottom. "In 'RDS AUTO' mode, if the signal of an FM radio station with RDS is weak, it may cause an RDS decoding error, resulting in a wrong time display." So, when setting the clock, as the last step of the procedure select MANUAL instead of RDS AUTO. I think you will find that your clock keeps near perfect time!

Hey, alright! This would be great. It would prove the interface is the biggest drawback of these units, but if one has a detailed reader (e'hem - I mean you) to help out, the proper hoops can be jumped through. Thanks!

@@RSears I missed it on the first (and second) read through the manual, but when the clock kept getting reset by random amounts I started to suspect RDS. The first several times I reset the clock I kept wondering "I'm setting the clock, why is it asking me about RDS?". Then it hit me, I changed it to MANUAL, and then found the note in the manual. Yeah, I can remember how to do common things on the DX-286, but I need the manual to do "uncommon" things like setting the alarm or deleting memories.

What a rigamarole: set local time zone - set local time - change target "world" time zone. We'll see if it sticks. Thanks. At least the DX unit has a manual. The on-line manual for the SR unit was only in pdf. Either way, the interface is way too high maintenance and fussy for me.

This day it was an unconventional 25' long wire antenna, up a 7m pole, with an 8' counterpoise. I have listed it in the video description. Hey, was your best catch a daytime one? What antenna did you use? Anything other than the internal ferrite? And do you know the wattage of the station you caught? The topography between you and the station also matters if it is a daytime catch.

@@RSears I have a Tecsun loop AN 200 and day time I can't because my worlk, but à few days ago I did catch Bloomberg radio from New York I think 7 am

Long wave reception on MW and SW is marvelous. Hearing beyond horizon of sight, sometimes to the other side of the world is magical. I love it. I have got some great reception with that loop - th-cam.com/video/X6ASps42qSo/w-d-xo.html I can pick up NZ on SW quite often and it is interesting to hear what they put on the radio. One time I was listening to a weekly book reading. That was interesting IMO - th-cam.com/video/1qKfeUE3VYk/w-d-xo.html

Hilarious. There were a number of affiliate stations that day with dead air. It took me a few to figure out they were calling some kind of bingo game. I have seen reviews of the PL-330 as the best small radio. The review was put out before the DX-286, but I wanted to see so I bought one. I'd have to check, but maybe the review were done before the SR-286 as well. I found that the PL-880 was surprisingly close to the 286 in FM reception - th-cam.com/video/m95mJeOm5KU/w-d-xo.html. One day under better atmospheric conditions and antenna placement I didn't have the 880 with to compare the 286's best day on FM, which found 10+ more stations - th-cam.com/video/zB0jFiFzFcQ/w-d-xo.html.

@@RSears One thing that kept giving me pause about the 330 was the battery. I prefer something that I can carry spares of and change out easily, so sticking with AAs and 18650s works well for me. Very happy with my DX-286 so far, as well as my PL-990X and CC Skywave SSB. And, I couldn't resist buying a D-219 for $8! The little 219 really performs well.

Yes, there are so many parameters to consider in the perfect radio. I have been prioritizing performance, reception and output. Many have low price and battery replacement/recharging as central. Makes sense, but reception and output sadly don't correlate well with low price. The PL-880 and the GE Superadio II are my top contenders for audio quality. I am warming up to re-capping the Superradio this summer. I don't want to wreck it, but the famous Superadio I and II rebuilder-dude in the US would cost $600 CAD with shipping. Too much. The 286 radios seem to have the portable radio MW and FM reception crown, by my lights. I want to do more testing, but I find my ICOM IC-705 seems to anihiliate all pocket radios on LW and SW - LW th-cam.com/video/nECI1LAmIdM/w-d-xo.html I have also found the sensitivity on MW and FM to be as good as the 286s, but getting the right antenna for broadcast FM on the 705 still needs to be sorted. I ran the 705 in this comparison, but I couldn't narrow the bandwidth enough to isolate the weak stations on WFM. It was picking up a number more stations than the 286, but the selectivity wasn't good enough. It has a totally different form-factor and price [ouch!!], but as far as performance goes, the full-on ham radio really impresses.

That's interesting. I returned my EP Pro. I was so disappointed in its performance.

@@RSears I bought mine direct from CCrane and had a problem with the first one. They exchanged it with no questions asked. Superb service. The second unit is perfect.

I didn't think mine was a production fault. Could have been. Obviously difficult to say more than "mine didn't live up to expectation" when dealing with a sample size of one.

You are welcome. I glad you liked it. It was really a good day. I enjoyed the second hike to Eagle Lake, but the camera battery died, so I don't have much footage of that trek. I could have stayed in the canyon all afternoon.

Thanks. It was a great day.

Ya. It is not a common story, but it works a treat.

@@RSears reels antennae are pocket friendly and very useful most of times

Now you are making me jealous! Winter and snow and cold gets old fast. Thanks for watching the video. The conditions were pretty perfect. It was fun to check out reception very near the top of the resort.

What can I say? Thanks for watching and commenting. I agree that the best we have to offer is not well represented on MW. But if I was going to think about, then that is true in far too many things... I try not to get started 😖 I enjoy the technical aspects and recall the days well MW opened up new and interesting worlds.

Very practical. If you can't hear it, it doesn't exist. I'm good with such personal inferences.

Does disabling the digital display reduce whine and other noise on FM?

Hey, that's a good question. It never affected the speaker output any of the times I tried it, but I didn't try it recording the headphone jack output. On the list. Thanks.

Indeed. It only really shines IMO with an external antenna. I have listed it in the video description. It is 25' long wire antenna, up a 7m pole, with an 8' counterpoise.

I agree. I hope to recap it this summer and see I'd the dynamic range is better. Probably change the IF filter too.

Somewhat of a complex question. I believe that when you switch the antenna to ANT EXT that it does connect the telescopic antenna, if there is nothing in the ANT jack. I just tried it again and extending the whip makes a ~35+/-dBu difference in reception. Now, whether this is "useful," i.e., better reception is a question only your EFI and QRM will decide. I do not find it better reception than the internal ferrite antenna. Now, I think this is the same with my PL-330, so if you have one, you could compare and contrast. As to whether the amp is in the EXT ANT and whip loop, I'm not sure. As I don't find the whip on ANT EXT better than the ferrite on ANT INT, I don't have much to say on that. I don't know the wiring of the unit. Trying a longer wire in the ANT jack will bring the best reception IMO. A simple roll-up antenna, e.g., XHDATA AN-80, in the right location (e.g., high and clear) does wonders. Here is my best day-time MW reception: th-cam.com/video/RrzL1cmctyQ/w-d-xo.html And my best FM reception with just a wire up a tree: th-cam.com/video/zB0jFiFzFcQ/w-d-xo.html

The 20 db amp can only be used when in EXT ANT mode. I have the DX286 and have tried that.

@@richardmerriam7044 An update. When outside and away from houses and buildings with their many RF sources, the External setting and the whip work marvelously on MW

Nice. Even just clearer line of sight will help. I'm a fan of the external antenna in every case. Been getting good reception with my reel ant in the back yard with the DX-286.

Thanks. I think 😉

Thanks for checking out my channel. Good luck on the SWL contest. Thanks for putting it on.

I think it is outrageous what it can do with the right antenna. Phenomenal FM reception: th-cam.com/video/zB0jFiFzFcQ/w-d-xo.html And the muting is definitely a drawback. I love my PL-880 for not having that irritating modern "feature." I have to say, though, that I don't find the SW and LW on the SR-286 as strong as its AM and FM. Don't know why it doesn't have the same over-powered performance, but it really didn't blow my hair back. It is good, comparable with good radios, but it simply does not blow other radios away like it does on AM and FM. Here is a link to my SSB comparison with the PL-880: th-cam.com/video/VfOUbfj1d9c/w-d-xo.html If this is representative, then I wouldn't expect even if it had added SSB demodulation that it would be all that ground shaking. A real ham radio (IC-705) does SSB better than SWL radios IMO.

Glad you like it.

@@RSears I bought the new version Qodosen DX-286 but it's long journey to Egypt and will take sometime to arrive.

I hope it opens up a wider world for you when it arrives.

Getting the job done is what matters. If you are picking up signals, then that's good. I got the PL-880 used (half price new). The SR-286 cost more than that, but with the right antenna and location it digs up AM and FM signals way better than the 880. However, I'd rather listen to the PL-880 any time. What can you do?

That DX-286 that just came out is cheaper than the SR-286 and has some improvements as well.

That one looks interesting. My old Kaito was so much less money, although the reception is nothing special.

I think they are only controls programming "improvements." I'm kicking the DX unit around. The LW is now switchable on/off, but I haven't yet compared perf.

Home brew is perhaps some of the most fun part of SWL.

Fun. If you can try these radios with these new chips, you might find a new exemplar for best FM reception. With a wire up a tree, this radio wipes the floor with my Tecsum PL-880 for FM reception. See my th-cam.com/video/zB0jFiFzFcQ/w-d-xo.html

glad you liked it