Portable CD players for dx

[bigbrotherfan4ever]

Hi I was just wondering if anyone knew of any good dx walkman like cd players. Where would I find one?

 

[gar hi]

I take it there has to be a CD player too or is it that AM/FM only Walkman types aren't that available?

If you're looking for something that size for DX only, I'd suggest the Sony AM/FM/Weather Walkman SRF-M37W. That's what I use. It's what I was using that one unforgettable night when I got KFI. That was a catch of more than 2000 miles.

 

[ddsparxx]

If it has to play CDs then I doubt that there's any CD walkmen with tuners that performs well. Otherwise I reccommend either the SRF-M37W or the SRF-59 which has only AM/FM tuning. The analog tuning dial on the latter may be challenging when finding the station's dial position however. I have the SRF-59 and it picked up distant AM stations pretty well, better than a much older Sony digital "sports" model that I used to have.

 

[bigbrotherfan4ever]

How is that one for fm radio reception and also where would I get it?

 

[radioman148]

How is the AM receiver? Is it selective?

 

[gar hi]

The Sony Walkman SRF-M37W is not only good because of the AM reception, the tuner is digital. One thing I sure don't miss about DX of the old days is the old fashioned tuners where you didn't always know for sure what frequency you were on and had to play a guessing game using known stations. The FM reception however, could be better IMO and I wouldn't suggest that for hearing distant stations.

 

[BRNout]

It's been my experience that portable CD players that include receivers do not make for the best dxing radios. For one thing, most of the technical investment goes toward the CD player leaving the receiver as an afterthought (on far too many radios). I can't think of a CD/radio that would outperform a similar model that is a radio only.

There are a few new high-end MP3 recording receivers that may be decent dx machines, though I hear that most have pretty limited MP3 storage capacity.

 

[bigbrotherfan4ever]

Is there a portable radio that is good for fm dx then? I take trips with the family but dont normally drive. I get tired of a station going out on my cd player when its not but halfway from where radio-locator says its supposed to.

 

[radioman148]

It's been my experience that portable CD players that include receivers do not make for the best dxing radios. For one thing, most of the technical investment goes toward the CD player leaving the receiver as an afterthought (on far too many radios). I can't think of a CD/radio that would outperform a similar model that is a radio only.

There are a few new high-end MP3 recording receivers that may be decent dx machines, though I hear that most have pretty limited MP3 storage capacity.

I have found the same issues with any radio that has a built in player/recorder of any type.
In my experiences you're always sacrificing reception quality in those cases.

 

[BRNout]

Is there a portable radio that is good for fm dx then? I take trips with the family but dont normally drive. I get tired of a station going out on my cd player when its not but halfway from where radio-locator says its supposed to.

The best little portables out there at the moment for dx seem to be certain models made by Sangean and available from certain internet retailers (Amazon, J&R, C Crane): the DT-200, DT-210, and the DT400W are the best of the lot for dx. http://www.sangean.com/category.php?category_ID=2

Certain Sony Walkman models are okay for dxing, but I have found that the Sangean models that I've listed above are better.

However, you mentioned another issue that needs to be addressed: that you have stations fade out before radio-locator indicates that it should. Well, for one thing, the contours displayed on Radio-Locator are approximate and are not always accurate. But, most importantly, having a radio - any radio - with it's antenna inside the car will seriously limit it's ability to pick up weaker signals. The metal frame and sheeting that surrounds you tend to weaken AM and FM signals more than you might think. That's why car antennas are outside. So, even with the best little dxing portable, you'll still need to hold the wire antenna up against the window to get decent reception in any area where the signal is less than local.

 

[bigbrotherfan4ever]

Thanks Im still relatively new with the dxing and I want to have good equipment especially with the summer season coming up.

 

[radioman148]

DXing is a lot of fun. It will take some experimenting before you really get comfortable with what you want, but experimenting is a great part of the fun. Good luck & enjoy.

 

[gar hi]

So, even with the best little dxing portable, you'll still need to hold the wire antenna up against the window to get decent reception in any area where the signal is less than local.

One thing I noticed, however back in my early days of DXing AM was that using different means to boost the signal reception also enhances unwanted things like background noise and the spillover of adjacent frequencies. Kind of a Catch 22, IMO. That's why I stick to a basic radio now. But that's just me.

 

[radioman148]

So, even with the best little dxing portable, you'll still need to hold the wire antenna up against the window to get decent reception in any area where the signal is less than local.

One thing I noticed, however back in my early days of DXing AM was that using different means to boost the signal reception also enhances unwanted things like background noise and the spillover of adjacent frequencies. Kind of a Catch 22, IMO. That's why I stick to a basic radio now. But that's just me.

You're absolutely right. The best thing to do is get the best possible radio for whatever DX you're going for.

 

[ddsparxx]

I did had one of the little Sangean radios, DT-200. It did only OK on AM reception and I thought it was a bit overpriced for what it did for me.
One radio that is little and not walkman-type is the Sony ICF-S10MK2, it pulls in distant AM station reasonably well and priced much less than the digital Sangeans.

 

[BRNout]

They redesigned the DT-200 about 2 years ago and it's better than the old version (which I didn't care for either). The new version outdoes any of the Sony Walkman models that I have on AM and is at least as good as the Sony with FM.

My favorite little radio is the DT-300W (now replaced by the DT-400W) and it's very impressive. Does almost as well as my Eton E5! Blows away any other pocket sized radio that I have.

The model numbers in between are in between when it comes to performance. The lower numbered models (below the DT-200) aren't worth the trouble.

 

[ddsparxx]

The one that I was talking about was the older version I had years ago, and I have ignored the Sangean "walkmen" afterwards. Perhaps I may want to look at buying the DT-400W.