The new XHDATA D-808 AM-LW-FM-SW-AIR portable has been a very pleasant
surprise among radios introduced this year. With good stock sensitivity on the
both the AM and FM bands, multiple DSP filtering choices and SSB capability,
the radio is a tremendous value for those living outside of North America (at
around $70).
Because the Chinese-made model has obviously been "inspired" (to use a
generous term) by the C.Crane Skywave SSB model (which was manufactured at the
nearby Redsun factories in China), direct shipments of the D-808 from China to
North American purchasers seem to have been forbidden by XHDAT.A, though. This
is apparently to avoid a copyright lawsuit from C.Crane, whose Skywave SSB
circuitry is quite closely duplicated in the D-808. A single eBay seller has
devised a way to skirt around this restriction by shipping to North America
through Israel, though-- ending up with a booming business by selling 62 models
to the USA and Canada at the marked up price of $112.87 + $10 shipping.
Despite its murky design pedigree, though, there is no doubt about the
radio's excellent potential. It is controlled by the SiLabs Si4735 DSP chip,
offering multiple DSP selectivity choices along with the SSB capability. If you
have purchased the D-808 and are satisfied with its stock performance, that's
wonderful. But if you would like to transform it into something like a dream
travel portable, why not consider installation of a 7.5 inch Medium Wave or
Longwave loopstick? Both of those models have been built here, and they are
real thrillers. The 7.5" Medium Wave loopstick D-808 model was taken to the
Rockwork ocean cliff in Oregon state recently, where it received the following
signal from 1017-A3Z in Tonga (10 kW at 5,632 miles/ 9,064 km) all by itself at
1301 UTC on August 8th. It is even picks up the 5 kW Australian horse racing
station 2KY (in Sydney) as a weak co-channel in the middle of the recording
https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/tp3i89vky6p7hbylgkk1bp4pa5nvnuk
u
For those who would like to construct one of these 7.5" loopstick D-808
models, a full construction article is being prepared. The article is complete
through the introduction, background information on the model and the
construction parts list, and the partial article up to that point is posted at
http://www.mediafire.com/file/yc29lowg0do41d1/Supercharging_the_XHDATA_D_-_Copy.doc/file
The link is provided for those who wish to order the construction parts while
the rest of the article is being wrapped up, which should be completed in about
a week. Good luck to all who take the plunge!
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
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