Judging by the 50+ recent purchasers of the new XHDATA D-808
AM-LW-FM-SW-AIR portable (according to eBay records), the Chinese-made model is
quickly becoming one of the hottest new SSB portables on the planet. Despite
the fact that much of its circuitry was "inspired" (to use a generous term) by
the C.Crane Skywave SSB model, the radio is in fact a highly sensitive,
selective and versatile model that excels in both AM and FM-DXing. Although
direct shipments to North America from China seem to be forbidden (apparently
to avoid a copyright lawsuit), a single eBay seller has come up with a scheme
to ship the model through Israel, resulting in a booming business by finally
welcoming American and Canadian customers (at a somewhat higher price than the
rest of the world).
As reported previously the D-808 model is based on the American-designed
Silicon Labs Si4735 DSP chip, and is the first such model. to fully utilize its
multiple DSP filtering capabilities. The previous technical report described
its 3 7/8" (96mm) loopstick, which gives it AM sensitivity superior to that of
the Skywave SSB (or any other Ultralight-sized radio), and also its relatively
powerful audio amp, which improves upon a serious issue in the Skywave SSB. The
SSB circuitry seems to be directly "inspired" by the Skywave SSB, and operates
in an identical manner. Finally, XHDATA offers the D-808 to most of the world
at a price about half that of the $169.99 Skywave SBB, although North American
customers pay a slight premium at $112.87 (+ $10 shipping).
For the past 9 days I was DU-DXing at the Rockwork ocean cliff near
Manzanita, Oregon-- an enhanced-propagation site with a reputation for wild
weather, Murphy's Law accidents and (recently) squatter proliferation. I
brought along two hot-rodded (7.5" loopstick) D-808 portables for the extended
trip, with the full intention of giving them the "acid test" of all-out
DU-DXing for 9 days straight. They would be my main transoceanic DX receivers
on all frequencies except 531 kHz, providing 90% of all MP3's recorded during
the trip. Most of these recordings would be made with the assistance of 15" and
17" FSL antennas, but the hot-rodded D-808 models would still be given plenty
of chances to chase DU-DX as stand-alone receivers.
So what is the D-808 verdict? The models were drenched with drizzle,
bumped around with moderate shocks, left in 103 degree (43 C) car trunks and
even endured a couple of hard stares from the "squatters"-- without missing a
beat. Once you get used to D-808's tuning and volume controls being on opposite
sides, and memorize the key pad functions so that you can use the model in
total darkness, you will be quite thrilled with its performance. Changing the
frequency in total darkness causes the display to blind you temporarily with
its intense light, so you will need to memorize the key pad numbers if you wish
to change frequencies well before sunrise. Make sure you memorize the AM
bandwidth (DSP filter) control on the keypad, since you will use it frequently.
The 3.7v lithium-ion battery has superior run time once it is fully charged,
giving you a lot of flexibility in extended DXing sessions. On occasion the
D-808 panel display would show the battery charge with only two b
ars instead of the full three, but the radio didn't seem to suffer any loss of
performance on such occasions. Inductive coupling boosts from a large FSL
antenna or other tuned loop can easily be peaked by listening for the sudden
gain rush in the D-808 audio when the frequencies match.
As a stand-alone portable the "supercharged" D-808 can provide a lot of
DU-DXing excitement at an enhanced-propagation site like the Rockwork ocean
cliff. "Big Gun" DU's like 531-PI, 603-Waatea, 657-Star and 1017-Tonga can
manage very good signals on the hot-rodded D-808, and you can also track down
multiple weaker DU signals if you have some determination, patience and
perseverance. Four such recordings made last week at the Cliff demonstrate the
hot-rodded D-808's potential for Big Gun DU reception-- 657-Star (a.k.a.
"Stah") and 1017-Tonga:
657 Star Wellington, Tauranga, New Zealand (50/10 kW at 7,106 miles/ 11,436
km) Star news and weather at 1301 on 8-7
https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/o23o52mcz3zn00cf9hc2a8tacx6fwlje
Christian music at 1307 on 8-7
https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/r0agerz997km3jwoihei39j292ccge2f
1017 A3Z Nuku'alofa, Tonga (10 kW at 5,632 miles/ 9,064 km) Station ID
and female-voiced island news at 1301 on 8-8, followed by island music at a
good level; some co-channel audio from 2KY in Sydney, Australia (5 kW at 7,630
miles/ 12,279 km) is in the middle of the recording
https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/tp3i89vky6p7hbylgkk1bp4pa5nvnuku
Island music at good level at 1323 on 8-8
https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/xc2vsdzrlc84id81vcbsmgpqknkc5b1j
As previously reported, a ""supercharged" D-808 was given a chance to go up
against a D-808 + 17" Monster FSL antenna combo in the reception of 1017-Tonga
at 1304 on 8-8. The D-808's reception of the station is posted at
https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/xw0vuzpbqyg2gc0ekh7s2tdzm5n6r7l0 while the
D-808/ Monster FSL combo's reception of the exact same segment is posted at
https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/r6yrwe7pzze6kw59qnzrbg8c704kg1l2
Although the huge FSL does provide a lot of gain, the "supercharged" D-808 can
generally track down most of the same DX, although at a weaker level. But even
a 3.5" "Baby FSL" model (like Craig Barnes used at the Rockwork cliff last
week) can dramatically boost a D-808's DXing performance, whether it is a stock
D-808 or "supercharged" D-808. Craig was able to receive about 90% of the DX
that I did when we chased DU's side-by-side. Someone with a D-808 and a
TSA-friendly Baby FSL would make out like a TP-DXing Bandit in a place like
Hawaii, or the Cook Islands!
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
Photo of stand-alone "Supercharged" XHDATA D-808 portable in action at
Rockwork 6 is posted at
https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/x5pt2lpigce6ww1s1spyjga1qqc4bso4
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