Passport to World Band Radio 2009

Ah, the blessings of fast-acting cloud computing! A push of the wrong key, and—poof!—the past four weeks’ worth of your comments went into cyber heaven. There’s no way to restore them properly, but the “dead” comments page is reproduced, with apologies, if you click here…

John Palmer

Just read on the Universal Radio website an announcement regarding the upcoming AOR AR7070 receiver. Reported it will be available about mid-2009. Still no photo, but looks like the receiver will see production and that’s great news with all the other HF radio manufacturers pulling out of the HF receiver market. The AOR AR7030 will be a very tough act to follow, but I have a lot of confidence in AOR UK to deliver the goods and looking forward to Passport putting the receiver through its paces.

Ed.: Amen! Nothing posted yet at the manufacturer’s website, so there appear to be no photos available for now.

From Grundig Satellit 800 Briefly Available, 2009/01/20 at 2:51 PM
2009/01/20

Gary Kinsman

I would buy an E1 or E1XM only from an authorized dealer that has a money-back guarantee. If it’s not purchased from an authorized dealer, the warranty isn’t valid. Having a money-back guarantee allows one to return it, rather than having it repaired, if it doesn’t work properly.

From Etón E1 to Be Rebranded, E1XM to Be Discontinued, 2009/01/19 at 9:44 PM
2009/01/19

Tom Grill

Since it seems that this blog does have a very good share of experts who know this radio. I would be curious to hear back as to the failure rate. In a nutshell, if I do buy one from a non-dealer at $250 “new in the box”, what are my chances of getting one that will work for at least a year of moderate use?

Ed.: Tom, the experts you need are in Vegas. Basically, you’re buying from virtual street vendors. You pays yer money, you takes yer chances.

From Etón E1 to Be Rebranded, E1XM to Be Discontinued, 2009/01/19 at 10:43 AM
2009/01/19

Shura Luberetsky

No, HT46C65 is a cheap and slow microprocessor, similar are used in DE1102, DE1103, with no DSP capabilities. The “receiver” is just this: If you find the datashort for Silabs chip, you will see that it requires very few external components, so a receiver could be built in practically everywhere. I’ll even say that DE1123 is “too big” – an MP3 player with a Si4734 could be as small, as any other MP3 player. Though, I think that the chips used in DE1123 are bigger and cheaper han the chips of a “usual” player – in order to reduce the total cost of the receiver.

And the firmware in HT46C65 has nothing to do with DSP – it just controls the “Si4734-like” chip of the receiver, just as it could control a PLL chip in a usual synthesized receiver.

Ed.: Thanks for the thorough and interesting message, Shura!

From Degen/Kaito’s New Pocket Radio-Recorder, 2009/01/17 at 1:39 AM
2009/01/17

Shura Luberetsky

I think you are mistaken. The DSP chip is the small 20-pin IC in the upper right (this corner is surrounded with a wide ground “plane”, which works as a “screening”), and the “biggest IC with foam on it” is, as I suppose, a HT46C65 – not a DSP receiver, but a microprocessor by Holtek. Here is the datasheet.

Well, the Holtek logo could look like a cat’s head, so I think you should not search for the processor on the other side

Also, there is no information about any chips marked HT46065 – so I suppose it is not a zero, but a ‘C’ letter in the middle.

PS, By the way, you could try to use a free UnRAR command-line utility to unpack RAR files, or even install the WinRAR full version. It works fine (only with a nag-screen reminding to register on startup) even without registration.

D.Z.: Makes sense. Do know that the other two chips on that side of the board (on the far left in the picture) are for the MP3 et al. player. Not sure where any “radio” chip might be on the front side of the board, though.

I could dig under the LCD metal cover on the front to see if perhaps one or two additional ICs exist, but that would destroy the radio in the process.

Nevertheless, it appears that whole receiver must be on this HT46C65 chip with no other ICs on the flip side, at any rate. Presumably this main IC has the radio DSP firmware stored within?

From Degen/Kaito’s New Pocket Radio-Recorder, 2009/01/16 at 1:38 PM
2009/01/16

Terry

Avant Garde Gadgets claims to be selling the Grundig G1, sans XM. I don’t see anything about it on Etón’s website or Universal Radio.

Perhaps it’s an E1? But that photo clearly shows a black G1. Call me confused.

Ed.: Figures that this would be appearing, although normally Universal is first to carry these new arrivals. Interesting, and thanks for the lead!

[Later, January 22] Ed.: No sign thus far that the G1 is actually in production, much less on sale. We contacted the manufacturer some days back to get an official update, but thus far no response.

From Grundig Satellit 800 Briefly Available, 2009/01/16 at 12:02 AM
2009/01/16

Gary Kinsman

The Grundig G3 is on Etón’s website now.

Ed.: Thanks, Gary.

From 25th Anniversary Passport Now Available!, 2009/01/15 at 7:35 PM
2009/01/15

Paul

Is there a way to know if a unit bought from the National Geographic shop is refurbished or new? Should I look for a Drake sticker somewhere?

Ed.: We haven’t laid hands on a refurbished Grundig Satellit 800, so we checked with Fred Osterman of Universal Radio, which used to sell the S-800 as both regular and refurbs. He says,

“As you recall, R.L. Drake actually did the refurb work on all the S-800s. They repacked them in an outer carton that was just plain brown cardboard, and inside this brown carton was the original outer Grundig box which was not marked. They did not label the radio, either.

So, the short answer is that there is no conclusive way to tell whether a Satellit 800 is a refurb.”

From Grundig Satellit 800 Briefly Available, 2009/01/13 at 11:57 PM
2009/01/13

Roger O’Donnell

On the link behind the circuit board image, the translated page indicates that there is a firmware update for the DE1123. I’ve not delved into the innards of the .rar file but I felt it was worth noting. Question: Is it apparent on the board which chip is the MP3/WAV storage?

D.Z.: As to the chip layout (see the posted photo of our unit’s circuitry): The large one in the center (with foam on it) is the HT46065 DSP receiver IC. To its left is the AK1020 MP3 player IC, and just above that is 1 GB of Samsung memory for the MP3 et al. player.

Presumably the main microprocessor IC is located under the metal shroud on the other side of the board, but this can’t be accessed without destroying the device.

If you unearth more details on this seeming firmware update, please let me know. BTW, I have no way to upzip RAR files, and unlike the Degen DE1121/Kaito KA1121 there is no way to program presets from a computer.

From Degen/Kaito’s New Pocket Radio-Recorder, 2009/01/09 at 8:40 AM
2009/01/09

carmen

This is by far the most sensitive and selective shirt-pocketable FM radio I’ve used, dismal AM and recorded audio quality aside. And the basic iPod-like capability for playing podcasts on built-in speaker is unique.

From Degen/Kaito’s New Pocket Radio-Recorder, 2009/01/08 at 9:47 AM
2009/01/08

Igor

No more? It appears as though it’s still being sold.

Ed.: Where?

From Silicon Scientific 75498 Bites Dust, 2009/01/07 at 1:37 AM
2009/01/07

Lawrence H. Bulk

I agree with your reply to my comment as far as it goes but I think you may be missing a point. A ferrite bar antenna is also a loop of sorts and is directional, like all loops, but, if such were incorporated into a communications receiver (of any type, portable or tabletop), the local noise pickup would be a major distraction to DX listening. The only way to avoid this, if using the radio in your home, is to actually place the receiver in a window (on a windowsill, for example), a place which most people would find inconvenient, to say the least.

An antenna such as the Grundig you mention, if wired to the radio, CAN be placed in a window and will thus minimize, to the extent possible, the noise pickup within the house. Outdoor noise pickup at your location, such as from nearby transformers, street lights, etc., can only be somewhat minimized by such a loop antenna.

I think the owners who complain of the E1 lacking a ferrite bar antenna are also missing a point: the ferrite bar, while useful, is not really the best for DX reception. An auxiliary outboard antenna will almost always bring in more signals than an internal ferrite antenna. And even radios with ferrite antennas built in will have their medium wave performance improved with the use of an auxiliary loop antenna such as the Select-A-Tenna or possibly the new Grundig.

Frankly, I think that if good medium wave coverage is desired with an E1, it is my opinion that the best solution would be a good outdoor passive wire antenna. If local electrical noise remains a problem even with that type of antenna, then a Wellbrook loop, such as the ALA 1530 and/or its variants, would be a reasonable solution. This antenna covers both the shortwave spectrum as well as the medium and long waves.

I realize that you concentrate on shortwave receivers and their ancillary devices, yet you yourself have mentioned the absence of the ferrite bar medium wave antenna within the E1 in your own review in PASSPORT. Having thus opened this “can of worms,” it might be helpful for you to elaborate on the solution(s) to this “problem,” perhaps with an additional section either here on the website or in an article in next year’s PASSPORT, including in that article reviews (not necessarily in your usual depth) of several suitable medium wave antennas. After all, trans-oceanic and other-country reception is certainly possible on the medium waves and if that isn’t “world band reception,” I don’t know what is! (And yes I know that traditional shortwave is from 3-30 MHz but, with the current low sunspot count, signal refraction is regularly occurring on the lower frequencies of the medium waves as well.)

I myself own three such medium wave loop antennas: in order of performance, bottom to top, they are the Terk AM Advantage, the Select-A-Tenna (those two VERY close), and the C. Crane (formerly “Justice”) Twin-coil Antenna. I find that, of the three, the C. Crane works well when wired into a radio. The other two work much better when used as induction loops rather than being plugged in. That last option is, of course, not possible with the Etón E1.

There are several other induction/wired auxiliary medium wave antennas (including the expensive Quantum Loop) on the market. I would be interested in reading your impressions (or test results) of such antennas, including the new Grundig, when used with communications receivers in general and, for those interested, the E1 in particular.

I hope you will accept my comments in the spirit in which they are intended, as constructive criticism. I’m sure that you know that I regard you and your publications with the greatest of respect. You and they are absolutely indispensable for maximum enjoyment of the radio hobby.

Ed.: Your feedback is always welcome, although comments tend to get more widely read if they are concise. Indeed, the Wellbrook ALA 1530+ with a rotor is hard to beat for mediumwave AM, shortwave and arguably even longwave reception.

From Etón E1 to Be Rebranded, E1XM to Be Discontinued, 2009/01/01 at 2:11 PM
2009/01/01

Lawrence H. Bulk

Re.: Ed.: Etón/Grundig now offers an outboard mediumwave AM loop antenna as an accessory. The purchaser will also need to obtain a KOK1 connector in order to use this antenna with an E1. Do you have any plans to test this combination, if only for the edification of those interested?

Frankly, I believe that a ferrite bar antenna would be of little advantage with this (or any) communications receiver. Indoors, that type of mediumwave antenna is subject to all the electrical noise present in the house and outdoors, away from such electrical interference, a whip antenna works as well (or sometimes even better) than a ferrite bar antenna.

Though certainly no fan of Etón in general or the E1 in particular, I believe the whole controversy about the Etón E1 not having an internal ferrite bar antenna has been blown way out of proportion.

Ed.: We test equipment that includes coverage of the shortwave spectrum, which this antenna doesn’t. However, there are reasons loop antennas are favored by mediumwave AM DXers: They are directional and thus can be pointed away from indoor or outdoor sources of local noise. This directionality also helps in reducing co-channel and even some adjacent-channel interference.

From Etón E1 to Be Rebranded, E1XM to Be Discontinued, 2009/01/01 at 11:59 AM
2009/01/01

brian j. bjanowiecki

My E1 blows me away, I can’t go without the sync detector any longer.
BUT PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, ADD A FERRITE BAR ANTENNA!!!

Ed.: Etón/Grundig now offers an outboard mediumwave AM loop antenna as an accessory.

From Etón E1 to Be Rebranded, E1XM to Be Discontinued, 2008/12/31 at 11:00 PM
2008/12/31

Shura Luberetsky

The DSP chip seems to be something like Si4734.

Ed.: It appears to be something different, with the number stamped being HT46065 with a cat’s head logo printed on the chip just above that number.

From Degen/Kaito’s New Pocket Radio-Recorder, 2008/12/31 at 2:51 PM
2008/12/31

Clifford Campos

If the Etón E1 changes to the Grundig Satellit 1000 in black as been said before, it would be more appealing, name and color. Heck, I might even buy one because it would look so good, even if I don’t need one!

Ed.: Indeed, silver for radios, cameras and the like is getting mighty old.

From Etón E1 to Be Rebranded, E1XM to Be Discontinued, 2008/12/28 at 12:09 AM
2008/12/28

Sandra MacEachern

I bought my husband a new short wave radio and it seems that I am the interested one. Can you recommend a quick read as I am a busy teacher with two teens?

Ed.: Try starting here, and best of luck. Perhaps the interest will spread to the rest of the family in due course!

From Just Released: Final Volume in Radio Trilogy, 2008/12/27 at 8:03 PM
2008/12/27

Paul

A new radio from Degen, apparently identical to the DE1123 but lacking MP3 recording and playback capabilities:
http://www.5bcl.com/Article/Class14/200812/2953.html

Ed.: Yes, it’s the proposed DE15 (see above). Thanks for the additional link.

From Degen/Kaito’s New Pocket Radio-Recorder, 2008/12/26 at 4:26 PM
2008/12/26

Paul

The Anjan DTS-09 radio is now on eBay. See item number 160306630020 and see below for photos:
http://www.5bcl.com/Article/Class14/200805/2411.html
and
http://www.5bcl.com/Article/Class11/200810/2796.html

From 25th Anniversary Passport Now Available!, 2008/12/26 at 2:15 PM
2008/12/26

Clifford Campos

Most Excellent shortwave guide, have been using over ten years. But why is Spain missing from the Worldwide Broadcasts in English and Voices from Home pages? Thanks again for a excellent guide.

Ed.: Good question. The book is prepared in sections, with Voices, English and the Blue Pages going in at the last possible moment. That gives us the opportunity to obtain pretty much all schedule data for the upcoming winter season. The system has served us well for 25 years, but the risk is that we might miss the targeted page count slightly either way. If we have extra pages to fill, no problem, as there is always material to insert. If we run short, something has to be edited, and this year was particularly tricky because, for example, with fewer new and more discontinued receivers than normal the targeted page count was slightly less than it was the year before.

So we ran short, albeit not by much. Nonetheless, as nothing, including of course Spain, is kept from the Blue Pages, which are digitally transmitted to the printer the very morning printing actually commences (Voices and English go in just before), editing was confined to the two sections you mention.

Why not add, say, two more pages? Because book preparation is done in “signatures,” which as a practical matter run 16 or 32 pages with the high-volume presses used for Passport. Even if we could quickly add another 14 pages of stuff, by then the paper has already been ordered and received, the spine width set, covers printed, and so on.

Normally we wind up hitting the count on the nose or have a page or two to spare, so next year we’ll probably nibble earlier in the book to have a tad more wiggle room at the very end. Unless of course we are blessed with a pile of new receivers, in which case we’ll plan for an additional signature.

From 25th Anniversary Passport Now Available!, 2008/12/22 at 10:39 PM