If my ears could be in two places at once, I could give the SRF59 and my Sangean ATS909 a completely fair side-by-side test. I tried the former with the headphone antenna and then added my radio Shack loop to the mix (worked best placing the 59 in the middle of the loop...). I tried the sangean portable with my e-w longwire (1000 feet) and also the loop.
When all is said and done, and nothing here is simple good-bad, there is no question the Sangean with longwire will rule the day, or rather the night, under most circumstances. As it will with the loop. The 59 is incredibly impressive for such lightweight Walkman technology, for nulling and even signal strength (the loop really really really improves signal strength - big time). But the whole equation fares better in general on the Sangean. So there's no question that a good-quality high-end receiver such as a Drake will hardly bite the dust for DXers who have been at it awhile and are going after very weak, difficult signals. That said, however, the SRF59 has some advantages. If one is truly patient, walking around a room, or outside, and holding it in various positions (excellent recommendations from Gary earlier on some of these lists, about holding it flat and then moving it in certain ways), it's quite conceivable a difficult station could be DXed. The SRF and its kind will also be useful here for those moments where DX is very good but I have to do things like cook dinner, check the barbeque, fetch ice cream, pour another glass of wine. I can go for a walk to get away from power lines (flashlight helps). One needn't even miss any DX when taking a bathroom break, or going for an early morning jog. It'll be useful for travel. And when I wake up briefly during the night I don't have to get out of bed to see if cx are worth truly waking for, or if a station is off-air. Until now, I've often unhooked my set up and moved it to my bedroom at night (pain in the ...). Another very good thing is this is clearly reviving interest in the hobby, in light of negatives such as IBOC. It could even bring new people in, as users discover what they can hear. Like every lure in our DX tacklebox, these handheld units (and perhaps handheld radios is the most appropriate term for them) have their time and their place. Nothing will catch you a lake trout in the Atlantic, but the right lure or bait will work in the right place. In fishing terms, think of the SRF as a worm. Sure, big fancy expensive lures might work best, used properly and under the right conditions, but a worm is cheap, simple and a crowd pleaser among many species of fish, in many kinds of waterways. This is how I see my SRF-59 after a day's worth of tuning around here at Burnt River. the SRF M85 will get returned. Strong AM stations bleed badly onto some relatively weak adjacent channels. Though the FM seems quite good (I'm primarily an FM DXer), I'll let this one go. I may try the 84, which is locally available and has digital, and I may order the T615 ... thanks to those of you who have told me where to order from. saul _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: [email protected]
