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Post by Druid Hills Radio on Apr 2, 2018 12:28:47 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2018 15:49:23 GMT
Very Influentiallish
I'll give a bunch of these Polaroid Radios on gift days.
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Post by mark on Apr 2, 2018 16:24:24 GMT
I have a hard time listening to the screetchy sound from those little things.
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Post by Druid Hills Radio on Apr 2, 2018 16:46:54 GMT
I have a hard time listening to the screetchy sound from those little things. I bought 2 just to monitor our FM signal. They actually sound pretty good for the size. The FM is much better than the AM side. I am on the fringe of our 60 dBuV contour while at work. Outside the building it picks up our signal FB. I forgot to add, 92.7 is just to the right of 94.0 on both radios. |
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Post by Boomer on Apr 3, 2018 7:51:56 GMT
AM lacking
I noticed he didn't pick up much on AM with his radio. I have a couple of analog DSP pocket radios, including one by Radio Shack, and the FM isn't too terrible, but the AM doesn't make the cut for me.
The Radio Shack has very narrow audio on AM, with little response to consonants in speech, so it's hard to understand. The tuning is in steps and choppy, so you have to land on the right signal, and at night neighboring signals fading in can grab the tuner and switch reception over to themselves, like a capture on the strongest signal. My thinking is that the bandwidth should be much wider, and with finer tuning steps, so it feels analog.
The reviewer wanted to open his radio. I think he'll find very little inside. The one I got with the brand name Indin, has a good size circuit board, but with very little on it. On topside there's just a half inch square tuning pot all by itself in the middle of the board, while the underside has a single surface mount chip, and a few other small components. There are wires to a speaker band switch and volume control, and that's it. The speaker in the Indin is rated for 2 watts and has a big magnet for the size of the radio.
I like the classic analog tuning, and it's probably what keeps the radios as cheap as possible, no need for a display or drivers for it. Tuning and band switching are just done by voltage levels along a voltage divider bus. It's clever technology but the radios leave me wishing for the stability of digital control.
Boomer
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Post by Druid Hills Radio on Apr 3, 2018 13:17:20 GMT
AM lackingI noticed he didn't pick up much on AM with his radio. I have a couple of analog DSP pocket radios, including one by Radio Shack, and the FM isn't too terrible, but the AM doesn't make the cut for me. The Radio Shack has very narrow audio on AM, with little response to consonants in speech, so it's hard to understand. The tuning is in steps and choppy, so you have to land on the right signal, and at night neighboring signals fading in can grab the tuner and switch reception over to themselves, like a capture on the strongest signal. My thinking is that the bandwidth should be much wider, and with finer tuning steps, so it feels analog. The reviewer wanted to open his radio. I think he'll find very little inside. The one I got with the brand name Indin, has a good size circuit board, but with very little on it. On topside there's just a half inch square tuning pot all by itself in the middle of the board, while the underside has a single surface mount chip, and a few other small components. There are wires to a speaker band switch and volume control, and that's it. The speaker in the Indin is rated for 2 watts and has a big magnet for the size of the radio. I like the classic analog tuning, and it's probably what keeps the radios as cheap as possible, no need for a display or drivers for it. Tuning and band switching are just done by voltage levels along a voltage divider bus. It's clever technology but the radios leave me wishing for the stability of digital control. Boomer It's 8 bucks. |
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Post by mark on Apr 3, 2018 15:26:55 GMT
Also when they test the reception on AM they don't get that you have to rotate the radio for reception as just holding it in one position will only get the stations receivable in that position. Same with FM. All antennas are directional and no radio can work just in one fixed position.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2018 16:56:09 GMT
Gee, for $8 it should at least cover the expanded AM band.
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Post by Boomer on Apr 3, 2018 19:42:21 GMT
I've seen that many of those analog radios don't indicate up to 1700. Some actually reach it though, but many will top out half way there, 1640-50.
Maybe it's old design artwork for the dials, or that the makers haven't been given the memo on newer specs for the broadcast band.
I think one of the problems we have with newer radios is that the designers are disconnected with what the specs are, and what the AM band actually sounds and tunes like here.
Boomer
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Post by Druid Hills Radio on Apr 4, 2018 13:37:25 GMT
I've seen that many of those analog radios don't indicate up to 1700. Some actually reach it though, but many will top out half way there, 1640-50. Maybe it's old design artwork for the dials, or that the makers haven't been given the memo on newer specs for the broadcast band. I think one of the problems we have with newer radios is that the designers are disconnected with what the specs are, and what the AM band actually sounds and tunes like here. Boomer I did a test on mine. It hears 1710 (I know, I know) just fine. |
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