ÂÂÂÂ Early March is often an interesting time to try for stations east
of me in the early morning hours, and some good conditions to the the
Chicago area netted me a couple of new ones this morning. Both 850 WAIT
and 750 WNDZ signed on at 1200 UTC over KOA and CKJH respectively.ÂÂ
Rare though not new, WKAR from East Lansing, MI had an impressive
signal at the same time. Also heard 1580 KHGG from Van Buren, AR a
couple of hours earlier for another new one. Â All in all a very
productive morning.

73,
ÂNigel Pimblett
Dunmore, AB
Perseus SDR with Wellbrook Phased Array

											

ÂÂÂÂ Today's action consisted of brief snippets of audio this morning
from the regular Japanese on 693, 774, and 828. Â Â Wasn't around to
report over the weekend but the recordings reveal Australia on 774 and
792 yesterday around 1355, with nothing from Asia.

73,
ÂNigel Pimblett
Dunmore, AB
Perseus SDR with Wellbrook Phased Array

											

The Chinese-made Radiwow R-108 is a very compact AM-FM-LW-SW-AIR portable which has recently become available to North American purchasers via eBay, where it is currently offered at various prices (the lowest being $ 49.98, including free shipping) in listings such as https://www.ebay.com/itm/RADIWOW-R-108-Radio-Digital-AM-FM-Portable-Stereo-LW-SW-AIR-Band-LCD-fm-Receiver/173793532305?hash=item2876e6d991:g:esMAAOSw1YRcZTng

Since it is obviously an Ultralight-sized radio and a DSP-enhanced design with multiple selectivity options, four of the R-108 models were purchased for performance tests, technical investigation, quality control checks and comparison with similar models. The Radiwow R-108 is manufactured by the same company that builds the XHDATA D-808, so the styling is very similar, with dark grey cabinets, orange colored power controls and company logos, and lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. And like with the D-808, you will search the owner's manual in vain for any type of manufacturer's warranty.

This Chinese company certainly draws a lot of "inspiration" (to use a very generous term) from the C.Crane Skywave model (manufactured in the same Chinese city, Shenzhen, at the Redsun factories). Whereas the company's reverse engineers started their D-808 model with wholesale design appropriation of the Skywave SSB's technical innovations, the new R-108 matches the CC Skywave exactly in height, length and width, as well as in the location of the company logo, speaker, wrist strap, display, keypad, power control, tuning knob and volume control. As a crowning touch, the company's reverse engineers ensured that the R-108's screened-on tuning and volume control legends match those of the CC Skywave exactly.

Since only one of the R-108 test models has arrived here so far I haven't yet done a full technical disassembly, although to its credit the R-108 does have good shielding of the DSP chip, avoiding the irritating digital whine which occurs in recent (post 2012) Tecsun PL-310ET and PL-380 models when the display is grasped. The R-108 also seems to correct the internal heterodyne generation issues of the Tecsun Si4734 DSP chip models (PL-310ET, PL-380 etc.), although my first R-108 test model does suffer from a new digital issue-- intermittent, nasty oscillations at the extreme high end of the AM band (1650-1700 kHz). Whether this a congenital issue or not will be determined when the remaining three R-108 models arrive, but previous reviews of this model have mentioned uneven quality control.

The AM band performance does seem to be competitive with the Tecsun PL-380 model as far as sensitivity, DSP selectivity and digital functions, although the audio amp will max out more quickly on a weak signal. The multiple DSP options are quite good at this price point, especially when combined with the correction of the Tecsun PL-380's internal heterodyne issues. The AM antenna connections on the RF circuit board are highly accessible for enhanced loopstick transplant projects (see photos below), so assuming that the intermittent oscillations on the extreme high end of the AM band are limited to this one R-108 model, the R-108 could prove to be a real value winner as a "Supercharging" platform. More performance details and technical reports will be given when the other three R-108 test models arrive here, but so far, the model does appear to have good potential for AM-DXing, both as a stock and modified model.

Detailed photos are posted at the following links: RF Circuit Board https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/456oocxphu0uytkz8i9trfdhb06750i3

Cabinet Disassembly (Digital and RF Circuit Boards) https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/xxhqja4031uo16j1rma41xk0t84ujm0p

Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/zn97mtiathscw54qn5i8tdfs4jesem8d

CC Skywave SSB and R-108... the identical sized Shenzhen "siblings" https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/jvenlc0mg6a8lqktld6ouyna3fjzbhaw

73 and Good DX,

Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)

TA carriers starting to appear just after 0400UT in Victoria. 1089
and 1215 the "best"; still nowhere near audio. Others such as 855
882 999 etc. weaker, but poking up from time to time.

best wishes,
Nick
Nick Hall-Patch
Victoria, BC
Canada 


											

mostly the big guns popped up for brief moments...and not much sign of DUs on the lower band.

pretty darn good audio (all of it understandable by a native speaker, at least briefly):

594 JOAK 1425UT

Reasonable audio at times during the period (much of it understandable by a native speaker, though often battling with splash or noise):

828 JOBB English lessons 1425UT

972 HLCA 1440UT

not so reasonable audio, occasional words or phrases in splash or noise could be understood by a native speaker:

774 JOUB English lessons 1425UT

Burbles in the splatter and noise (if lucky, language might be guessed at by cadence of talk, or parallel established by changes in talk or music)

603 woman talking, perhaps HLSA, but sounded a bit more brisk 1435UT

1548 man talking, DU English intonation 1448UT

1575 man talking SE Asian language? 1442UT briefly

1593 woman talking, Chinese intonation 1435UT

Strongish het, no or "near imaginary" audio (either undermodulated or ravaged by splatter)

639 693 747 918 945 981 seemed to be Asian;

not much else seemed to be DU

best wishes,

Nick

Nick Hall-Patch
Victoria, BC
Canada