|
Where To Get Sets and Parts For discussions about swapmeets, rallies, NVCF and BVWS, car boot sales, antique and charity shops, dealers, newspaper adverts, the local tip and just about any other source of equipment (other than eBay). |
|
Thread Tools |
28th Sep 2017, 8:43 am | #21 |
Hexode
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Magor, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK.
Posts: 436
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Is it `hackable` that's the real issue.
__________________
Adapt, Improvise, Oh Bother..... |
28th Sep 2017, 9:31 am | #22 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 1966-1976 Coverack in Cornwall and Helston Cornwall. 1976-present Bristol/Bath area.
Posts: 2,967
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
It looks like my little Philips multiband radio which works very well for its size. I think it uses conventional analogue circuitry.
My little Tecsun PL380 uses DSP circuitry plus a digital display and the batteries last ages. I would think this would be the same for this Tesco radio especially if you fitted some decent quality batteries.
__________________
Simon BVWS member |
28th Sep 2017, 9:32 am | #23 | |
Hexode
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Aberystwyth, Wales, UK.
Posts: 358
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Quote:
Dave GW7ONS |
|
28th Sep 2017, 9:51 am | #24 |
Heptode
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 500
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tescos
|
28th Sep 2017, 11:04 am | #25 | |
Hexode
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Magor, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK.
Posts: 436
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Quote:
I'm rather intrigued by the resistor controlled bandswitch / tuning, the previous post about a heavy AFC system is prolly a clue as to how its been implemented.
__________________
Adapt, Improvise, Oh Bother..... |
|
28th Sep 2017, 5:29 pm | #26 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, USA.
Posts: 823
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Quote:
Someone must've tried it and hated it, because it is so hard to tune, as it has the tuner knob on the tuning pot, no reduction, so the user almost has to be a safe-cracker to find their favorite station. The set's in like-new condition! |
|
28th Sep 2017, 5:56 pm | #27 | ||
Hexode
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Aberystwyth, Wales, UK.
Posts: 358
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Quote:
Quote:
Dave GW7ONS |
||
28th Sep 2017, 6:26 pm | #28 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Oxfordshire, UK.
Posts: 4,935
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Quote:
B
__________________
Saturn V had 6 million pounds of fuel. It would take thirty thousand strong men to lift it an inch. |
|
28th Sep 2017, 6:45 pm | #29 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: North Wales, UK.
Posts: 6,927
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Hi
Just bought one - even for £8 they are theft protected so predictably I set the alarms off and got stopped by security! Anyway it's not bad and is very like my late lamented Philips in style. Inside's a different matter - big chip and little chip are the order of the day. The only clue to this non-analogue circuitry is the characteristic knife-edge tuning. My tuning scale was crooked, but a moment with a hot iron sorted that out. Current consumption is typically 70mA - flat out Radio 2 managed to draw 110mA, and SW was broadly similar, so I think the one-hour time is a mistake - I'd suggest ten at normal volume. Of course only a fool would take the aerial retaining screw out resulting in having to search for the contact washer that would fall out on the floor. Not me, you understand... |
28th Sep 2017, 7:10 pm | #30 | |
Hexode
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Aberystwyth, Wales, UK.
Posts: 358
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Quote:
Does anyone know what the chip is? Dave GW7ONS |
|
28th Sep 2017, 7:56 pm | #31 | |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,970
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Quote:
|
|
28th Sep 2017, 8:25 pm | #32 |
Nonode
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,004
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
I'm tempted to buy one now!
It would be a cert if I had heard about them a few months ago, when I wanted a discounted waterproof DAB from Currys (only available in pink!), but ended up with an Alba DAB from Argos, as it was also going cheap & a smaller version of an Alba I already have. |
28th Sep 2017, 9:57 pm | #33 |
Hexode
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Magor, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK.
Posts: 436
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Well I wasn't going to buy one, really I wasn't..
First impressions, comes in a cardboard box in bubble wrap, with usual safety info and guarantee. You'll need the receipt if you break it, so keep that too. In go two of ALDIs finest AA cells, plug in Sennheisers. Power and band are self indicating switches, no LEDs exept for the 'tune' one which lights up when receiving a reasonable signal. Tuning is by rotary knob on the side, it gives the feeling of squelched channel tuning, so no such thing as fine tuning. Picks up R4 on LW, not much on MW, but mostly due to location here, FM good selection of stations here, all in mono. Tuning through the SW bands, B'cast coverage only, I am rather disappointed that it does pick up all the usual AM broadcasts without the weewoo heterodynes that you normally get with world band cheapos. It does resolve the 7MHz CW as a mass of chirping and beeping. It is surprisingly easy to tune once you get the hang of it, but totally unlike a normal analog radio. I was rather hoping to break it and get a refund, but I'll take it on site with me tmoz, see how it performs daytime out of doors, tests here done indoors, on the dinning room table at ground level on the built in aerial with two laptops running operating on the same table. At the moment I can't say it's rubbish, a longer test will tell. Perhaps future vintage.
__________________
Adapt, Improvise, Oh Bother..... |
28th Sep 2017, 10:13 pm | #34 | |
Nonode
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 2,534
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Quote:
I'm still off to Tescos to look for one! Steve |
|
28th Sep 2017, 10:31 pm | #35 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: North Wales, UK.
Posts: 6,927
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
The chip appears to either have had the number partially removed or at least covered with some sort of varnish stuff making the markings illegible. It's a DIL SMD device with perhaps 32 pins (only a guess). I'll be taking it to Scotland tomorrow where there's not much of anything intrusive and see how it performs.
Glyn |
28th Sep 2017, 11:33 pm | #36 |
Nonode
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dukinfield, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,038
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
That's interesting, Glyn. In that case I'm amazed the batteries last so long - about six or eight times as long as the similar batteries in my Sony DAB/FM radio. They last only a week under the same listening conditions, even on FM.
__________________
Andy G1HBE. |
29th Sep 2017, 2:12 am | #37 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, USA.
Posts: 823
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Quote:
|
|
29th Sep 2017, 9:36 am | #38 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Oban, Scotland, UK.
Posts: 1,129
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
I haven't confirmed this but ISTR that the radio uses the AKC6959 chip - a DSP with resistor range selection and resistive volume and tuning.
The data sheet isn't entirely 'English' but is easily understood: http://www.datasheetspdf.com/PDF/AKC6959/844678/7 |
29th Sep 2017, 10:30 am | #39 |
Hexode
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Aberystwyth, Wales, UK.
Posts: 358
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Great thanks for the link, it looks likely that the chip is AKC6959.
Dave GW7ONS |
29th Sep 2017, 5:13 pm | #40 |
Pentode
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Cork, Ireland
Posts: 136
|
Re: Multiband shortwave radio from Tesco.
Some pictures of the innards of the Tesco Rad108 multiband pocket radio are to be seen attached to this post in another discussion elsewhere:
no markings visible on the chip http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showp...8&postcount=17 MW sensitivity on the RAD-108 is indeed rather poor despite a longer ferrite rod than some similar budget receivers. Maybe the ferrite rod has dubious composition and maybe substituting another similar sized ferrite rod from a junked old radio might improve matters? That said with a strong LW/MW signal the audio is crisp, unlike the 'muffled' AM audio from many other recent radios (both DSP and non-DSP) which makes listening unpleasent due to their rolloff above just 2.5 or 3kHz or so. very acceptable performance on FM for what it is, with good close-in selectivity. Some images of the whistling+buzzy sounds on portions of the FM band though when used near mobile phone base stations! On mine - the top section of the telescopic rod came detached after a while (must try and replace it). Last edited by colourking; 29th Sep 2017 at 5:32 pm. |