[IRCA] C.Crane "Skywave" Portable-- First Impressions on MW

[d1028gary@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Hello All, 
 
As many of you are aware, C.Crane has introduced a new AM-FM-SW-Airband pocket radio, which easily falls within the Ultralight Radio size and capability classifications. This C.Crane "Skywave" pocket radio is obviously made by China's Redsun company (maker of the C.Crane SWP, and many other portables rebranded by C.Crane), but a brief Internet search didn't show any equivalent radio sold by Redsun at this time. At $89.95 plus shipping this model is not cheap, but based on a very favorable review by Jay Allen (posted at http://radiojayallen.com/c-crane-cc-skywave-radio/ Â) I went ahead and ordered a couple of models for a full review. The first model arrived yesterday, and I gave it a quick "test drive"Âfor Medium Wave DXing before a complete disassembly (and DSP chip investigation) scheduled for next week. 
 
On the medium wave band, the newÂC.Crane "Skywave" portable has excellent DSP filtering, fully up to the standard of the Si4734 DSP chips in the Tecsun PL-380, PL-310, PL-606 and PL-505 Ultralight models. In addition, it provides this DSP filtering without the irritating heterodynes associated with the Tecsun Si4734 DSP chip models. The radio is exactly the same size as the C.Crane SWP portable, and its physical appearance closely matches that of thisÂprevious model. The MW band sensitivity is excellent, slightly exceeding that of the Tecsun PL-310, PL-606 and PL-380 models (BUT ONLY when the 1 kHz DSP setting is selected). Although I haven't disassembled the model yet, I suspect thatÂC.Crane and Redsun have installed a higher quality MWÂloopstick than the cost-cuttingÂmidgetÂantennaÂused by TecsunÂin their DSP Ultralights.ÂThe DSP filtering of theÂSkywave model sounds very much like that of the Si4734 chip, but without the irritating heterodynes found in the Tecsun models.ÂThe DSP filtering selections (6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 kHz) alsoÂmimic the Si4734 DSP chip, making it seem likely that the new "Skywave" is powered by aÂSilicon Labs' chip that deletes Longwave coverage in favor of the Airband, and solves the heterodyne issue as well. As for the presence or absence ofÂthe dubious "soft mute" function in the Skywave model, myÂinitial impression is thatÂthat bogus function has been ditched as well. 
 
So what are the weak points of the new "Skywave" model? Well, besides the $89.95 price (before shipping), you will not find any dial light function on the radio.ÂChanging certain controls will light up the display for about 15 seconds, but the volume control is not one of them. If you are DXing in the dark, you had better carry a flashlight. Also, some of the default settings are not deal-breakers, but rather puzzling. As shipped, the model is set with a 3 kHz DSP setting, which is practically useless for MW DXing (I wonder how many models will be shipped back to C.Crane for this reason?). It is essential to set the DSP setting on 1 kHz for the best MW sensitivity. Fortunately, thisÂ1 kHz DSP settingÂprovides superior audioÂcompared toÂthat available on the Tecsun DSP UtralightsÂwith their 1 kHz DSP setting,ÂAnother bizarre default setting is that the radio is shipped with a time display on the LCD, instead of a frequency display (this can be changed rather easily, though). Whereas the Tecsun DSP Ultralights seem to be designed to feature as many of theÂSi4734 chip functions as possible, the "Skywave" strips down these functions to the bare minimum. There is no display of RSSI, S/N, temperature orÂvolume level. There is a very basic bar display of signal strength, but that is it. Be thankful for the rotary volume control, though-- although it doesn't light up the display or show you its levelÂwhen changed, itÂis a major functional improvement over the clunky up/ down volume buttons on the C.Crane SWP. 
 
More details, complete disassembly and a full review will be forthcoming. 
 
73 and Good DX, 
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA ) 
 
 
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