Re: [IRCA] New CC "Skywave" vs. Tecsun PL-380-- TP-DXing Test Drive

[d1028gary@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Chuck, 
In the original post I figured that "no selectable display light' was clear enough, but apparently quite a few misunderstood this, especially on the Ultralight list. To clarify matters for all, unlike the PL-380, the new CC Skywave model has no function which willÂgive youÂcontinuous display lighting in dark situations.ÂChanging one of the front panel controls (except for the volume control) will give you temporary display lighting for about 15 seconds, but that is it. 
 
While not a deal-breaker for ocean cliff DXing prior to sunrise, this is certainly a major inconvenience. The last thing someone needs to do in that rough environment is to continuous press a SkywaveÂbutton to get 15 seconds of display lighting at a time. Combined with the Skywave's lack of Longwave coverage, it looksÂlike the PL-380 will continue to be the darling of darkness. 
 
73, Gary 
 
ÂÂÂÂ 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Chuck Hutton" <charlesh3@xxxxxxx> 
To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Saturday, January 3, 2015 4:10:39 PM 
Subject: Re: [IRCA] New CC "Skywave" vs. Tecsun PL-380-- TP-DXing Test Drive 

Gary - 
I can't tell from your response whether you are agreeing your words sounded like "no dial light" so I'll add I also thought you meant there was no dial light. 
Chuck 

> Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2015 22:28:50 +0000 
> From: d1028gary@xxxxxxxxxxx 
> To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> Subject: [IRCA] New CC "Skywave" vs. Tecsun PL-380-- TP-DXing Test Drive 
> 
> <<< Â Gotcha, Gary, but I think a few people misinterpreted that to mean there was no dial light at all. Â >>> 
> 
> Yes, a "selectable" dial light which continuously lights up a radio's display is an important function for a TP-DXer, especially one who spends serious time out in the dark prior to local sunrise. 
> Â 
> The "TP-DXing Test Drive" post referred to the relative performance of the Tecsun PL-380 and CC Skywave in chasing weak-signal Asian stations on the west coast, which is quite a different mission than "barefoot" domestic DXing. The comment about the Skywave's audio amplifier referred to its relative performance in chasing wispy Asian audio on open frequencies. TP signal strength can be notoriously weak, especially in mid-winter during a lean solar year. The audio amplifiers need to deal with this challenge, and some are more competitive than others. 
> Â 
> For a typical domestic DXer considering the CC Skywave as a sensitive and selective portable to chase North American stations indoors, the radio's lack of a selectable display light and relatively modest audio amplifier probably would not be serious problems. Weak-signal TP-DXing places severe demands on a pocket radio, and very few of them can successfully meet the challenge. Up until now, the Tecsun PL-380 has been the model with the best track record in surviving this severe test. 
> Â 
> 73 and Good DX, 
> Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA) 
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