Sony ICF-SW77 vs ICF-SW55 vs Tecsun PL-310ET: Rádio Clube do Pará 4885 kHz, Brazil

Hi there, another station that can often be quite difficult to hear well in Europe, particularly indoors, but one which the Sonys manage to copy ok. Although clearly struggling again with this weak signal, the Tecsun PL-310ET actually produces some audio, so job well done. Recorded in Oxford UK on 29/12/16 at 22:05 hrs UTC using a Wellbrook ALA1530 active loop antenna. Thanks for watching.

 

Sony ICF-SW77 vs ICF-SW55 vs Tecsun PL-310ET: Radio Aparecida 6135.2 kHz, Brazil

Hi there, another station that's very difficult to hear well in Europe and another demonstration of the exemplary performance of the Sonys and although clearly struggling with this weak signal, an excellent effort by the modestly priced Tecsun PL-310ET which actually produces some audio. Amazing really. Recorded in Oxford UK on 29/12/16 at 20:39 hrs UTC using a Wellbrook ALA1530 active loop antenna.

MW DX with 200 metre Beverage: CKAC 730 kHz Montreal, Quebec, heard in Oxford, UK

Only the second time I'd copied CKAC, the first being an hour earlier on the same morning. Again, tricky to hear well because of adjacent QRM, but the Elad mostly deals with it very well in USB. Recorded on 10/10/16 at 02:57 hrs UTC using an ELAD FDM DUO. Thanks for watching.

My latest upload to SWLing Post...

Urban DXing: testing the Bonito Boni whip against a 30 metre longwire & the Wellbrook ALA15030

Urban DX antenna test #5: Comparing 30 metre longwire to Boni whip on LW

Hi there, here is the fifth and final video in this series comparing the Bonito Boni whip to a 30 metre longwire in an urban environment. This time the target signal is Polski Radio on 225 kHz longwave and finally the Boni whip produces clearer audio than the longwire. Despite a significant increase in noise floor, the SNR appears to improve a little. The Wellbrook reception at the end of the video is a final calibration as to what is possible with an H field antenna in a noisy urban environment. Thanks for watching.

Urban DX antenna test #1: Comparing 30 metre longwire to Boni whip

Hi there, following my one-on-one tests of the Bonito Boni whip and Wellbrook ALA1530, it became very apparent quite quickly and perhaps not unexpectedly that the Bonito E field antenna couldn't get near the performance of the Wellbrook. That led me to plan another set of tests out at the 'DX' woods and check the performance delta in a very quiet environment. In the meantime, a number of friends and fellows expressed an interest in compariing the Boni whip to a cheap piece of wire, so here is the first of a series of reception videos doing just that, with a final check of the signal at the end using the Wellbrook. The signal is Radio Nacional Brazilia 6180 kHz and I think you'll agree there's no difference to the audio obtained with the longwire or whip, only the Wellbrook produces something half reasonable on what was a night of very poor reception conditions. Hope you enjoy it.

Bonito Boni whip versus Wellbrook ALA1530: RÚV Iceland, LW Test #2 winner: Wellbrook

Another disaster for the Bonito Boni whip. Here RÚV Iceland can be clearly heard with very decent signals on 189 kHz and 207 kHz using the Wellbrook ALA1530. Switching over to the Boni whip results in no discernible audio with the disappearance of both Icelandic signals under a blanket of noise. I've never seen anything like it and I actually reverted back to the Wellbrook to confirm this was as a result of the Boni whip antenna. Terrible peformance, even worse than the previous example with Medi 1. Hopefully, the situation will improve on MW and SW. Thanks for watching.

Bonito Boni whip versus Wellbrook ALA1530: Test #1 winner: Wellbrook

Hi there, here is a signal from Medi 1 on LW 171 kHz with nice audio on the Wellbrook ALA1530. Watch as the Wellbrook is unplugged from the Elad FDM DUO and the Boni whip connected (using the supplied radiating element). The noise floor jumps by around 20 decibels and the resulting audio is severely compromised. I read that the Boni whip is often very ineffective in buildings, so I put both antennas in the garden to give it the best chance of success. The problem is however, that my garden is often noisier that inside the house because our neighbours surround us quite closely on three sides. Anyway, test number 1 is a disaster for the Boni whip. Let's see what happens next. Thanks for watching.