DJ-FX45/FX446 and NX-20X/20R

Just found DJ-FX45 and DJ-FX446 released by Alinco USA last year(2015) and have a question.

(Alinco DJ-FX446) 

(Alinco DJ-FX446)

 F.R.C. Japan has released NX-20X in 2014 and NX-20R in 2016(maybe). It is natural I wonder what the difference between Alinco's and the other's is.

NX-20X is the product name. It comes with a pair of transceivers and the accessories. Both black and red are available.

(F.R.C. NEXTEC NX-20X)

NX-20R adds NX-20X and Repeater channel access function, not a pair, only 1set. The color is only black.

(F.R.C. NEXTEC NX-20R)

These 2models are customized for Japan, not suitable for FRS or PMR.

Let's check details of DJ-FX45, DJ-FX446, NX-20X and NX-20R;

NX-20 series have 76-90MHz FM radio receiver and Stop Watch function. Alinco HTs has ..... we may use the Stop Watch if we press M key 10times. And we may receive FM radio as NX-20X's instruction says if we press M key 11times. That's fantastic if they are activating!

DJ-FX45 and DJ-FX446 has a mini-USB port of each. NX-20X and NX-20R has a micro-USB port. That means these Alinco HTs are compatible with ERW-8 programming cable. On the other hand F.R.C. products may be compatible with most of all smartphone chargers, not fit Alinco ERW-8.

Except channel and RF power settings, each specification is almost same. We can get to know these radios must be produced in the same factory or by the same manufacturer.

Waterproof? No. Shockproof? No. If we get more tough and more strong, we select more expensive HTs. The attractiveness of DJ-FX45, DJ-FX446, NX-20X and NX-20R is slim, lightweight and cheap. That's it!

JVCKENWOOD announces LPRs UBZ-M51L, UBZ-M51S and UBZ-M31

JVCKENWOOD Japan told they release new LPR(Low-Power Radio) products as KENWOOD brand.

+ UBZ-M51L_M51S_M31 | License Free Low-Power Transceiver | Products | KENWOOD(Japanese)

UBZ-M51L(left), UBZ-M51S(right)

UBZ-M31

UBZ-M51L, UBZ-M51S and UBZ-M31 are categolized as License Free Low-Power Radio in Japan. They need 1AA Alkaline battery or 1AA Ni-MH battery such as eneloop or Ni-MH EVOLTA made by Panasonic of each. The battery duration is about 25hrs.

They also have Repeaters(UBZ-RJ27, optional) Access function. The sizes are 1.85(W) 3.15(H) 0.87(D) w/o antenna. The weights are approximately 4oz w/ AA battery. The weight is almost equivalent to one smart phone.

The difference between UBZ-M51 series and UBZ-M31 is as follows and the waterproof/dustproof functions;
 - Emergency & Background Tone
 - Second PTT
 - Quick Scan

Those functions as above are only available for UBZ-M51 series. And UBZ-M51 has IP67. UBZ-M31 is IP54, less tough than UBZ-M51 series.

The common functions UBZ-M51 series and UBZ-M31 have are
 - 38CTCSS
 - Voice Scrambler
 - PTT Holding
 - Low Battery Sound&Display Alarm
 - APO(Auto Power-off)
 - Auto Channel Select w/ CTCSS
 - 10 Call Tones
 - TX Inhibited
 - VOX
 - Earphone Only mode


Now let's check the advanced functions as a radio maniac.

UBZ-M51 series owns UBZ-M51L that has the long antenna as expected by many Japanese LPR funs. The antenna length of UBZ-M51L is 7.28in. This may be the longest antenna in the LPR in Japan. UBZ-M51S, the other UBZ-M51 series has 2.95in. These antennas are fixed with the transceivers. If we tried to bend, to fold or to pull strongly, they would break themselves.....my mistake, "we would break our rigs!"

Position of the antenna of UBZ-M51 series and UBZ-M31 is left-centered not to touch those antennas with our bodies. It is expected not to have users give the stress when using the radio with belt clip.

1mW ultra low power continuous TX function is available within some repeater channels. We can add our ideas to these LPR HTs.

The power switch is with the volume knob so we cannot resume the audio level. This would be a minus point when using in the store and so on everyday.

Although full channel(47ch) scan function is unavailable but 3 channels memory is useful. And the memory channel scan is also available. We can set 3 channels memory freely.

The voice scramble mode ON/OFF can not be set for each memory channel. The squelch level can be selected, 3 levels plus Off-squelch mode.



> Conclusion <

UBZ-M51 series and UBZ-M31 last battery over 25hrs, only 1AA! It is also compatible with KENWOOD repeaters. Especially, UBZ-M51L has a long antenna and longer distance communication is expected than the original models.

If you want a foldable antenna model, UBZ-EA20R is recommended. It lasts 72hrs battery only 1AA supplied with!

I'm eager for the speaker microphone SMC-35 that will be released soon.

SMC-35 speaker microphone

If I need waterproof and dustproof functions, KMC-55 speaker microphone is better.....

KMC-55 IP67 speaker microphone

but I love the solid design SMC-35 has because UBZ-M51 series and UBZ-M31 also have simple & solid designs. Both speaker microphones have each 2.5mm earphone jack, why not 3.5mm?

KEP-6 earphone with 2.5mm mini plug

 Maybe KENWOOD wants us to buy a genuine product KEP-6..... But I love such the contrary guy.

Rotten Bar?

I dug my shed and found an unknown bar blown the powders.

Many white powders wrapped around the unknown.

The unknown is composed of a plastic part and blue something. The plastic part is combined with a flat metal part.

And it seems the metal part connects to a black wire.

The opposite side is like this,

There's a rust marked X on the metal.


I compare the unknown object with my AA alkaline battery. The metal part of the unknown is similar to minus poles of AA batteries.

But the hight of the unknown is taller than the AA battery. The white powder and the blue somehing might be alkaline electrolyte, dissolved the surface package and the film. Then, they might have got hard, I imagine.

Long time ago the unknown might be a AA battery "MARK X".

Thought of Keene noise from AR-DV1

I own AOR digital voice receiver AR-DV1. As mentioned in my Japanese blog article, "Keene Sound" from AR-DV1 bothers me.

I'm sure that the AR-DV1 generates the audible Keene Sound itself but some people says "I cannot hear that sound". So I check the fact.


First, I could not find whether the output source of the noise is the speaker, then I plugged a stereo mini plug cable into AR-DV1's PHONES jack.

Nothing could be changed. That means that the Keene sound seems to generate internally, not from the speaker.

Second, I tried to record the noise that comes from AR-DV1 and to analyse the audio spectrum.

* test equipments
 - AOR AR-DV1 Japan Version
 - SONY ICZ-R250TV (IC Recoder, for the Japanese market only, built in stereo microphones)
 - WaveSpectra software for the audio spectrum analysis
 - PC for the audio spectrum analysis

ICZ-R250TV has 44.1kHz/16bit linear PCM uncompressed recording function and can record & playback upto 20kHz.

The test is as follows;
1) record AR-DV1 Keene noise using ICZ-R250TV
2) check the audio spectrum using WaveSpectra

And the result is here;

(at AR-DV1 shutting down)

(at AR-DV1 receiving D-CR mode)

Actually the fact that some audible high frequency noise generated from AR-DV1 as above has been found. The peaks are about 9.6kHz, 12kHz, 14.5kHz, 17kHz and 19.5kHz.

The 19.5kHz might be an aliasing distortion.

Those're high frequency and some people might not hear the sound, I think. I ain't "The man Who Cried Wolf".


Now one of my embarrassed things has just been cleared. I won..... oh, did not win because the true problem "to stop the audible noise from AR-DV1" not cleared yet.

My fight against the mosquito noise JUST begun.

Start my English blog

Hi, I'm Yosh.O from Japan. Today I just started my English blog. The title of my blog "Funk" means "Radio" in German. On this blog, I will write about some topics of radios, scanners, electronic DIYs, hams and so on. And I think I also pick up some topics of Japanese radio information here.I don't have English skills so much. If I make some mistakes here, tell me about it. I'll be happy to hear you. Comments are welcome. My answer may be slow when busy. Twitter is available too. Follow @Yosh_Funk. Thank you for visiting my radio blog.