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Re: [IRCA] Tecsun PL-300WT-- A Sizzler on AM & FM, A Fizzler on LW and SW
Kevin,
No indiation that any Silicon Labs chips support SSB ... right now it looks like they're going after the mass consumer market.
Paul
--- On Tue, 6/2/09, satya@xxxxxxxxxxxx <satya@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> From: satya@xxxxxxxxxxxx <satya@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [IRCA] Tecsun PL-300WT-- A Sizzler on AM & FM, A Fizzler on LW and SW
> To: "Mailing list for the International Radio Club of America" <irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 11:20 AM
> Hey guys:
>
> I also look forward to the PL-310 and PL-380, also
> advertised as having
> DSP. If they used the chip with SW capability, then
> these would be much
> better sets for SW listeners. On the one hand, if
> they are otherwise the
> same performers for AM and FM one might just stick with the
> P-300WT,
> although having a keypad and perhaps other bells and
> whistles might be
> nice as well.
>
> Paul - it doesn't look there will be an SSB receiver with
> DSP, at least
> not this year: does it look like any of the Silicon Labs
> chips support
> SSB?
>
> Kevin
>
>
> > Hi Paul,
> >
> > Thanks for the information on the PL-300WT's AM-FM DSP
> chip, and of course
> > the radio's uneven performance on LW and SW certainly
> makes me agree with
> > your statements.
> >
> > It's obvious now that Tecsun designed the breakthrough
> DSP performance to
> > apply only on AM and FM, and the LW and SW bands are
> mediocre additions
> > which border on the defective. I myself have
> been puzzling why Tecsun
> > would
> > even wish to include them in this innovative
> receiver, but I suppose that
> > if
> > they were lacking, purchasers might think that
> this was only another
> > typical
> > AM-FM portable receiver for local reception
> (which of course would be a
> > great mistake), and pass over this receiver in favor
> of its 4-band
> > competitors.
> >
> > 73, Gary
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 6/1/2009 10:16:22 P.M. Pacific
> Daylight Time,
> > texnote@xxxxxxxxx
> writes:
> >
> >
> > Gary,
> >
> > According to the ebay description of the Tecsun
> PL-300WT (by the seller
> > "liypn"), this radio uses the Silicon Labs Si4737
> DSP chip which can only
> > demodulate MW, FM, and the Weather Band. See slide 12
> of
> > https://www.silabs.com/Marcom%20Documents/Resources/Si473x_Presentation.pdf
> > and
> > https://www.silabs.com/products/audiovideo/amfmreceivers/Pages/Si473637.aspx
> >
> > If liypn's information is correct (verified by
> opening the radio up and
> > locating the Silicon Labs chip), Tecsun must use
> this chip for MW/FM, and
> > a
> > separate non-DSP single or dual conversion
> demodulator/tuner with much
> > poorer selectivity and sensitivity for
> shortwave.
> >
> > For shortwave enthusiasts, it will be
> interesting to see which one of the
> > forthcoming DSP radios from Tecsun use the
> Si4734 or Si4735 chips, which
> > demodulate MW, FM, and SW.
> >
> > In terms of price, the Si4737 chip starts at $3.06 in
> quantities of 10K;
> > the Si4734/35 starts at $3.27 in quantities of
> 10K.
> >
> > Paul
> >
> > --- On Mon, 6/1/09, D1028Gary@xxxxxxx
> <D1028Gary@xxxxxxx>
> wrote:
> >
> >> From: D1028Gary@xxxxxxx
> <D1028Gary@xxxxxxx>
> >> Subject: [IRCA] Tecsun PL-300WT-- A Sizzler
> on AM & FM, A Fizzler on LW
> > and SW
> >> To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> am@xxxxxxxxxxx,
> >> ultralightdx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
> > odxa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> Date: Monday, June 1, 2009, 9:45 PM
> >> Hello All,
> >>
> >> Although evidence indicates that a huge
> ordering boom has
> >> started for the
> >> DSP-enhanced Tecsun PL-300WT Ultralight radio, for
> those of
> >> you still on the
> >> fence about this innovative pocket
> radio, some further
> >> information may be
> >> of interest.
> >>
> >> Tecsun's primary focus in developing this
> breakthrough
> >> model appears to
> >> have been in transforming the AM and FM
> circuitry to set
> >> new standards of
> >> weak-signal performance, and with
> superlative sensitivity
> >> and selectivity in
> >> both bands, they appear to have accomplished
> their purpose.
> >> However, the
> >> model does have other bands included in the
> package, which
> >> frankly appear to
> >> have been neglected, and border on the
> substandard.
> >>
> >> The Longwave band (153-513 kHz) of the
> PL-300WT was
> >> thoroughly searched
> >> for any possible signals at local sunset,
> without any
> >> results. This is not
> >> unusual for small portables with LW
> capability, but
> >> in most cases, one or two
> >> of the strongest beacons will at least make
> an
> >> appearance at sunset.
> >>
> >> The Shortwave bands of the PL-300WT are filled
> with local
> >> MW station spurs,
> >> and mixing products. The signal of
> local KSUH-1450 has a
> >> "coverage" of
> >> about 6 Mhz on the Tecsun's shortwave
> bands, from 9.5
> >> Mhz to 15.5 Mhz. WWV on
> >> 10 Mhz is really just a mixing product with
> KSUH.
> >> Legitimate SW stations
> >> have anemic signal levels, to the
> point of being
> >> crowded out by the MW spurs.
> >> The Tropical Band is especially bad,
> with a sorry
> >> collection of MW
> >> station spurs and mixing products
> overpowering any
> >> legitimate stations.
> >>
> >> Of course the argument could be made that
> for a $50
> >> receiver, Tecsun has
> >> already provided an outstanding value with
> the superlative,
> >> DSP-enhanced
> >> reception on the AM and FM bands. The
> puzzling aspect is
> >> why Tecsun would
> >> include such dreadful LW and SW sections in a
> model which
> >> is otherwise so
> >> superb. In summary, if LW or SW reception is
> your top
> >> priority in a portable, my
> >> strong recommendation would be to avoid the
> PL-300WT,
> >> despite its
> >> breakthrough DSP capabilities.
> >>
> >> 73, Gary DeBock
> >>
> >>
> >>
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