Jay Allen reviews the new (hot) Sangean DT-160 mini portable...

[gar hi]

Received the 160 yesterday. As stated FM is superb. AM is good,not great. The direct presets on the top of the unit are very handy and I like the tuning with the thumbwheel. It is similar to the CCrane Pocket Radio. Problem with the Crane was that there was no deep bass switch. The 100 hour battery life and the all around feel of the unit are well worth the $40 price tag. As of now there is no shipping and handling.

I've owned many pocket portables over the years. The 160 is the best.

Thanks for the review!

There are now some reviews on Amazon too.

The 2nd one says "Update: AM sensitivity is very good. Switching to narrowband in AM mode greatly reduces signal noise and seems to actually increase the strength of the signal."

https://www.amazon.com/Sangean-DT-1...qid=1470168288&sr=1-1&keywords=sangean+DT-160


Have you also tried the narrow band AM mode?

Something about this radio appeals to me, even if the AM isn't anything to write home about.

 

[cyberdad]

I think benale's review...along with the ones elsewhere online...have sold me on the DT-160.

The SRF-37 also fits the description of "good...not great" as an AMDX performer. I've always liked it because it's so easy to take with for a guy who travels a lot. Maybe a little too good! I had the same two units for about ten years. I lost one somewhere on my trip to Italy in June. A month prior, I left one in a hotel room in Cincinnati. Housekeeping "couldn't find it" (yeah, right).

Anyway, I bought one replacement SRF-37 on Amazon. $40 new, which was quite a bit more than I paid for my original two units....and no Weather Band! My thought was that I would pick up a second SRF-37. But....especially if I've gotta pay forty bucks....I'm going to go with the DT-160. I'm sorry to see Sony drop their good performing pocket radios, but I've always had good luck with Sangean products, so I'm not the least bit shy about trusting that brand.

 

[rtc]

Don't usually get too specific about my QTH but before some of you go ahead with a
DT-160 for its AM DX qualities here is my experience:

I live about 17 miles east of Birmingham.
The 160 can get the 50kw,810 in Anniston some 40 miles east of here fine.
It can get the 950,5kw in Gadsden OK,which is some 30 miles north of Anniston.
It cannot get the 900 or 1400 in Birmingham at all,both run 1kw.
Nor can it do the 2kw on 1570 about 30 miles north of here.
At best-listening times it won't do the 1690 "voice of the arts" in Atlanta at all,either or
the 1700 some 93 miles to the north in Huntsville.

The point is both the Sony PLL SRF-37 and the analog SRF-59 will do every one of the above with ease.

It is likely that some reviewers may have high(er) power AM's in their area,thus the OK
ratings.
But what about the two close-in 1kw stations the 160 was totally deaf to?

Please check some of the AM's you use as "test" stations before going ahead
and good luck...it is a good receiver,truly superb on FM (beats both Sonys there)
but on AM,well... .

Hopefully my friend Tom Servo will post his thoughts on the 160 tomorrow,when his arrives.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Please check some of the AM's you use as "test" stations before going ahead

I am not currently planning to buy one - my SRF-59 is still my travel radio of choice because it is WAY more sensitive than the SRF-37. I will put up with no digital tuning to get the incredible performance for a radio that size. I expect they will start going up in value on eBay as supplies run out ----

My test station from my far West Houston location is WWL New Orleans. A good radio gets it. I haven't found an ultralight that gets it without help from a loop. There are some FM translators that make excellent test stations for FM reception.

 

[gar hi]

Don't usually get too specific about my QTH but before some of you go ahead with a
DT-160 for its AM DX qualities here is my experience:

I live about 17 miles east of Birmingham.
The 160 can get the 50kw,810 in Anniston some 40 miles east of here fine.
It can get the 950,5kw in Gadsden OK,which is some 30 miles north of Anniston.
It cannot get the 900 or 1400 in Birmingham at all,both run 1kw.
Nor can it do the 2kw on 1570 about 30 miles north of here.
At best-listening times it won't do the 1690 "voice of the arts" in Atlanta at all,either or
the 1700 some 93 miles to the north in Huntsville.

The point is both the Sony PLL SRF-37 and the analog SRF-59 will do every one of the above with ease.

It is likely that some reviewers may have high(er) power AM's in their area,thus the OK
ratings.
But what about the two close-in 1kw stations the 160 was totally deaf to?

Please check some of the AM's you use as "test" stations before going ahead
and good luck...it is a good receiver,truly superb on FM (beats both Sonys there)
but on AM,well... .

Hopefully my friend Tom Servo will post his thoughts on the 160 tomorrow,when his arrives.

Thanks for the report.

I take it your experiment with AM was done with the 'narrowband in AM mode' the receiver is supposed to have?

 

[rtc]

Nope,but I did try it on some of the distant stations
and found no difference in signal strengh in narrow
mode on AM.
Also,the tests described in that post were done in
the office-bedroom where all the switching power
supplies and computer hashmakers are...in the
quieter den both 1 kw AM stations are OK...my mistake,
sorry.

 

[gar hi]

Oh, that's OK Thanks!

So far, the reviews I've read on the AM part of the radio seem mixed.

I'm wondering with that special enhancement option if it may be better than the Sony SRF-M37W Walkman.

Last night, I compared my Walkman to my Sangean PR-D5 and the difference is quite obvious.

Of course, the PR-D5 has a 200 mm antenna.

I was hoping maybe the DT-160 would be somewhere in between.

 

[rtc]

Hawaiigar,
several of us made comments on the Sony ICF-38,with
the stereo-to-mono 1/8th inch adapter for your headphones
and the Tecsun AN-100 loop...the posts are in this
thread with links...you would definitely have a DX
setup for some mainland AM work with that gear.

BTW,where are you located in Hawaii?
Are you on Oahu?
If so,have you ever been by the Anderson Estate?
(It was used as "Robin's Nest" on the Magnum,P.I.
tv show).
(www.magnum-mania.com)

 

[gar hi]

My Sangean PR-D5 is fantastic for AM DXing from the mainland and I've had amazing results but I'm looking for something much smaller, the size of a Walkman with fairly good AM DXing too.

One drawback with a powerful AM receiver is that it also brings in a lot more unwanted background electronic noise from within the home or nearby.

I'm on the big island about 15 miles south of Hilo.

Nighttime AM listening may be fantastic but during the daytime, there's only 2 local stations on the entire AM band.

Some stations from Honolulu come in during the day but they are very weak.

 

[rtc]

Hawaiigar,
if you want something small yet good for DX you
already have it in the SRF-37.
But this will greatly enhance its performance:

https://www.amazon.com/Kaito-Tunabl...=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=tecsun+an100+loop+antenna

Every DX'er should have one while you can still get them.

 

[rtc]

Here is the clear version of the DT-160;the stock non
clear white version comes in a much smaller box:

http://swling.com/blog/2016/08/unboxing-the-sangean-dt-160cl-and-setting-up-an-endurance-test/

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Hawaiigar,
if you want something small yet good for DX you
already have it in the SRF-37.
But this will greatly enhance its performance:

https://www.amazon.com/Kaito-Tunabl...=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=tecsun+an100+loop+antenna

Every DX'er should have one while you can still get them.

I found the review comments really interesting - what average people to DX'ers had to say. I also found that replacing the ceramic filter in one of my Sony's had an amazing improvement on AM: http://earmark.net/gesr/m37w.htm.

I have had a lot of luck building very large AM loops, getting 1000 mile daytime reception on 50 kW clears with a four or five foot loop. A lot of construction articles here: http://earmark.net/gesr/loop/ I am presently working on an 8 foot loop. Just lazy and not doing a lot on these projects these days. Stations just aren't there that I care about.

 

[rtc]

Oh man...8 feet...you should have great results with it.

Used to think loops were so old-timey,everybody just
gets or builds their favorite preamp and sticks a one
foot wire on top of it.

But one of my bucket projects was to hear the five
remaining broadcast stations on longwave from Europe.

It took a sensitive receiver (old model kaito 1103),a
palomar up converter,and a homebrew 3 foot hula hoop
longwave loop coupled into the converter.

As you know loops null out the noise and QRM,too.

Wouldn't use anything else now...but how do you plan
to use the eight footer inside?

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Wouldn't use anything else now...but how do you plan
to use the eight footer inside?

It is going outside - I have pressure treated lumber, and will varactor tune it from inside the house. Tuning voltage out, RF back in through coax. I also have gate hinges and a remotely extendable arm to rotate it the 180 degrees on the side of the house. Just not sure at this point if it is worth the few hours of effort to complete it. The loop works, the varactor tuning works. Just - is there anything out there to receive? Looking for decent formats around here is like the VLA listening for aliens - is anybody out there?

 

[gar hi]

Hawaiigar,
if you want something small yet good for DX you
already have it in the SRF-37.
But this will greatly enhance its performance:

https://www.amazon.com/Kaito-Tunabl...=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=tecsun+an100+loop+antenna

Every DX'er should have one while you can still get them.

I had the Terk AM Advantage loop for a long time but lost it in my move from Florida.

But you're right. It enhanced the reception of the SRF-37 to the point where it about matched the PR-D5.

It did so for daytime reception but not so much for distant nighttime stations for some reason.

The Terk loop even made a noticeable enhancement on the PR-D5 during the daytime but no difference at night.

 

[rtc]

rbrucecarter,go ahead and finish it whilst the weather is
good...of course if you have that "been there,done that"
feeling,add a few turns and explore longwave with it.

hawaiigar,the Terks are quite good but they have lately
acquired a $ilver coating since they haven't been made
in a long while.
It's happening to this Tecsun loop too,hence my
suggestion... .

 

[tomservo]

Got my DT-160 today. Thanks, Santa Claus!

Initial impressions are positive, both in the build quality and performance. It's a lot bigger than I thought it'd be, though. I was picturing in my mind something closer to the SRF-M37 but it's bigger than a pack of cigarettes — taller and wider. Some of the performance issues others have noted, I've noticed as well. The FM reception is superb and outperforms the Insignia HD portable that's my benchmark FM radio. It can hold its own with the Grundig G8 in that regard. The sound quality is weird, though. It sounds "crunchy" or watery. Like everything is being played via a low bit rate mp3. Granted, most my local stations ARE playing low bit rate mp3s and sound terrible (which is why I don't listen to local radio much anymore) but the few stations that aren't still sound "weird". Crispy. It could be the DSP or just some odd EQ'ing on Sangean's part. It's not a dealbreaker by any stretch but when side-by-side with a different radio the audio differences were stark. The Insignia sounds truly "flat" while the Sangean sounds treble boosted. And crispy. Did I mention that?

The wide-narrow setting makes almost zero difference on FM. The only station that narrow mode improved was while listening to WTGF out of Milton, FL. It's a mono station and I'm on the fringe, and the narrow cleared up a bit of static. It makes a much more noticeable different on AM, though. Not as much as a well calibrated "wide/narrow" filter might but enough to help some talk radio stand out from the noise.

Selectivity even in wide mode is fine. Definitely better than the Insignia and on par with the Grundig. We have a crowded dial here on the gulf coast and sometimes you need a selective radio to pull out all the stations side by side. Here's an example of what is possible to hear on a decent night:

98.1 - WHWY - Fort Walton Beach
98.3 - WLVM - Mobile
98.5 - WYLD - New Orleans
98.7 - WYCT - Pensacola

I was surprised to hear WYLD coming in this afternoon. In fact, at first I thought it was an image of local 99.9 WMXC, because it was the same song/DJ. But the IDs were different. That's a good pull and something neither the Grundig nor Insignia could pull off.

The dynamic bass boost is a horrible sounding gimmick, though. It makes everything sound muddy on my "real" headphones. I didn't try the ones that came with it. I hate it that it lacks RDS, since so many Sangean radios have that and it makes DXing more interesting. The AM has a weird squelch like damping when it's on an empty channel. If there's a weak signal there (like my semi-local but hard to hear WABF out of Fairhope) it just sits there, perfectly quiet. It's not until I used the Tecsun loop with it that reasonably clear audio came out of nowhere. I strongly suspect it's "muting" weak signals on purpose on AM.

WWL is a moderate but noisy target here; the signal strength is usually good enough for even basic radios to pick it up… Not this Sangean. It took careful alignment before I heard anything. The slightest bit of movement and it went almost completely deaf again. Very odd.

It's a shame that conditions for FM DX have been so poor on the coast this year, I think this would be a killer DX machine on FM. My friend in Florence has heard Mexico and Wyoming this year. I've barely made anything further west than New Orleans, which is pitiful.

Another plus is it drives my large Sennheiser headphones louder than any other "pocket" radio in my collection.

 

[tomservo]

Update: I finally figured out where the wide-narrow setting makes the most difference on FM. It's when you have two signals on adjacent channels, the narrow really does help cut out adjacent channel splatter. Not that there's much of a problem to begin with, but it is a little extra added oomph.

With the narrow activated, I was able to pull in 93.1 WGDQ and 94.3 WKZW from the Hattiesburg, MS market. Two stations I haven't heard in probably a year or better, and both are first-adjacent to local 100 kW sticks that are less than 15 miles from me.

 

[pianoplayer88key]

I found the review comments really interesting - what average people to DX'ers had to say. I also found that replacing the ceramic filter in one of my Sony's had an amazing improvement on AM: http://earmark.net/gesr/m37w.htm.

I have had a lot of luck building very large AM loops, getting 1000 mile daytime reception on 50 kW clears with a four or five foot loop. A lot of construction articles here: http://earmark.net/gesr/loop/ I am presently working on an 8 foot loop. Just lazy and not doing a lot on these projects these days. Stations just aren't there that I care about.

Bruce, I'd like to see that 8-foot loop completed. Also if you could record some videos (and compare with other smaller loops you have) and put a comparison on youtube, it would be greatly appreciated. I'd like to hear/see how much of a difference they make.

I wonder if you might be able to get KFI with one, if you're in a quiet enough location? ☺ You might have to duck around the 640 in Juarez though.

As for the DT-160 though ... looks like it's one I won't be rushing out to buy anytime soon. I was hoping to find a similarly-sized/priced radio that was a vast improvement on AM over my CC Pocket, SRF-59, SRF-M37W (with narrow filter), and Eton Traveler III.
There are situations when I'm at a location within a mile or less of a 50kW AM station, and I want to hear a distant station in the same direction that's 10 kHz different in frequency, at midday in summer. Said station's signal might almost be barely strong enough to hear at a different location away from a strong transmitter, but the nearby AM station overwhelms my radios.
I also like using my radios "on the go". Like, when the radio is clipped on me and I'm moving around, having the station fade in and out because I turn is annoying. I'd love to have one that sacrifices the directionality / nulling ability, but makes up for it (by the same number of dB) in skirt selectivity and overload resistance. (With my PL-606, with careful positioning, I can reduce a 120-130 mV/m daytime signal to pretty much nothing.)
I'd like somewhat better sensitivity too, even in quiet locations, and suburban locations like my home location. (Nearest 50kW is about 7 miles away at night and 9 miles daytime.)

At a nearby location in a park / preserve somewhat away from powerlines/houses (32°45'20"N, 116°56'36"W, or 32.755556, -116.943333), some stations I would like to be able to listen to (without skip/tropo enhancement) on a radio the size & form factor of the CC Pocket or similar radios, without splatter, are: 550 KFYI, 580 KMJ, 660 KWVE, 680 KNBR, 700 KALL, 720 KDWN, 770 KCBC, 810 KGO, 840 KXNT, 1100 KFNX, 1140 KNWQ, 1180 KERN, 1200 KPSF, 1230 KXO, 1260 KMZT, 1400 KCYK, 1560 KNZR, 1570 KPRO, 88.5 KPSC, 89.7 KSGN, 90.1 KLRD, 90.9 KPSH, 91.5 KUSC, 92.7 KYLA, 93.7 KDB, 95.9 KFSH, 97.9 K250BG, 99.5 KKLA, and 105.1 KVGH, among others. Another station I'd like to be able to hear is 103.3 KZPO (Kings Radio 103.3 from Lindsey, CA), but I don't even know if it's still on the air. If not, what's another similarly-formatted station within range?

About bass boost making the DT-160 muddy sounding ... I don't have one, but I'm wondering if it, like many other things I have heard so-called consumer-marketed "bass boost" on, is boosting too high of a frequency? I've heard "bass boost" where around 150-200 Hz or so is boosted, and to me that makes things muddy. I'd rather have a bass boost mostly around 15-30 Hz, that is if my headphones/speakers could drive it cleanly. ☺

 

[tomservo]

About bass boost making the DT-160 muddy sounding ... I don't have one, but I'm wondering if it, like many other things I have heard so-called consumer-marketed "bass boost" on, is boosting too high of a frequency? I've heard "bass boost" where around 150-200 Hz or so is boosted, and to me that makes things muddy. I'd rather have a bass boost mostly around 15-30 Hz, that is if my headphones/speakers could drive it cleanly. ☺

This one is definitely too high and too aggressive in my opinion. It might even be centered at 250 Hz, making it way too boomy.