Hello All, My new Eton Traveler III pocket radio arrived yesterday from Amazon ($59.14, with free shipping), and as reported yesterday on the Ultralightdx list, the cabinet dimensions (without protrusions like the whip antenna and control knobs) place the new model within the 20 cubic inch limit for "official" Ultralight radio qualification. In general the new Traveler III has an appearance and function quite unique among recent pocket radio introductions. The cabinet has an attractive aluminum trim around the edges, and a whip antenna mounting post extending horizontally from the back cabinet. It has a front panel world time selector switch hidden behind a hinged door (opening downwards), and a unique display with orange characters on a dark gray background. Perhaps most unusual about the model is the lack of any selectivity choice-- putting the radio at a competitive disadvantage with the Tecsun 1 kHz DSP Ultralights and the CC Skywave in this aspect. However the Traveler III does have quite a lot going for it, especially for domestic DXers who don't need to chase split-frequency DX targets. Both the MW sensitivity and audio tone quality are first rate-- and the stylish appearance and reasonable price should attract quite a dedicated audience. Today around local noon I had the chance to test out the new Traveler III against another new Ultralight radio model-- the C.Crane Skywave. By way of reference, the Skywave's MW sensitivity compared favorably with that of the Tecsun PL-380 in a recent Shootout, with complete freedom from the heterodynes which trouble all of the Tecsun DSP radios. With high MW sensitivity and relatively balanced audio, the Skywave is a tough new competitor at the top of the Ultralight class (although its $89,95 price is also a little tough for some DXers to swallow) . Both radios were tested in the reception of daytime DX fringe stations here in Puyallup, WA (about 30 miles south of Seattle). The CC Skywave was set in its 1 kHz DSP selection for maximum MW sensitivity, and in its default "Music" selection for best audio quality. For each fringe station, the first 15 seconds of the MP3 were recorded on the new Eton Traveller III, and the last 15 seconds were recorded on the C.Crane Skywave: 550 KARI Blaine, WA (5 kW at 127 miles) http://www.mediafire.com/listen/qqibcqqlbd5dk9e/550-KARI-TravIIIvsSkywave.MP3 620 KPOJ Portland, OR (25 kW at 117 miles) http://www.mediafire.com/listen/e1e129hctrzpo9o/620-KPOJ-TravIIIvsSkywave.MP3 690 CBU Vancouver, BC (50 kW at 148 miles) http://www.mediafire.com/listen/q2md21219h7bnhd/690-CBU-TravIIIvsSkywave.MP3 750 KXTG Portland, OR (50 kW at 117 miles) http://www.mediafire.com/listen/waq7093wdpivm8z/750-KXTG-TravIIIvsSkywave.MP3 1070 CFAX Victoria, BC (10 kW at 100 miles) http://www.mediafire.com/listen/mi094faxdsjwxon/1070-CFAX-TravIIIvsSkywave.MP3 1470 KELA Centralia, WA (5 kW at 46 miles) http://www.mediafire.com/listen/rktdcqzp08zqrc1/1470-KELA-TravIIIvsSkywave.MP3 1650 Vashon TIS, WA (15 watts at 15 miles) http://www.mediafire.com/listen/vn8ds4lf3rr3wkj/1650-VashonTIS-TravIIIvsSkywave.MP3 COMMENTS: The Traveler III's MW selectivity was also tested against that of the new CC Skywave, and although the Eton's filtering was not bad in comparison to Ultralight radios from 5 years back, it cannot compete with the 1 kHz DSP filtering in the Skywave. The Skywave can receive stations on both 1440 and 1460 kHz without splatter from local pest 1450-KSUH; the Traveller III has pretty loud hash on both frequencies. But those who listen to the weak signal MP3's above will readily understand why the new Eton is likely to be extremely popular with domestic DXers-- its high sensitivity, great audio quality and reasonable price make it a very formidable competitor. Until this Shootout, the CC Skywave had been judged to have the highest MW sensitivity of any "official" Ultralight radio. 73 and Good DX, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA) _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca
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