SkySensor Appears on an Anime Program

A SkySensor produced by SONY appears on a new Japanese Animation that has started in October(2016). Here's the promotion video;

This round is obviously the shape of SW band spread dial that has SkySensor 5900 (ICF-5900) 2nd model that is used to take the world by storm.


Title of the animation is "Occultic;Nine".The main character "Yuta Gamon" pops up the antenna and powers up the ICF-5900 on the preview of "Occultic;Nine".

This will make many (ever) BCL or SWL enthusiasts smirk, won't be?


The author of "Occultic;Nine" is Chiyomaru Shikura born in 1970s that was in the middle of the BCL/SWL fad. He must have been absorbed in the BCL/SWL.

We'll enjoy how the ICF-5900 is linked with the story in the next episode. There're some scenes that operates amateur radios on Japanese drama "Amachan" or Japanese anime movies such as "Ponyo", "Kimi no na wa 2016" but no BCL/SWL radio on them I think.


I own the ICF-5900 but this is a 1st model that differs from the 2nd model.

As you know, though the ICF-5900 is discontinued and now expensive, available some antique radio shops, recycled-goods shops, garage sales and on ebay. You see, as the ICF-5900 is produced 40 years ago, it is possible we may get SkySensors that is lack of parts, junks or has stains and so on even if we find. But we should check the details of SkySensor 5900 not to draw an unlucky.

Unfortunately, no current models equipped with popped-up antenna, SW Band Spread Dial with Marker that attracts us around the world in 2016. SONY ICF-EX5MK2 seems a similar model because it has cool retro solid design, solid mechanical switches and MW linear scale tuning window.

Pirate Radio on 1206kHz?

This morning I came across a strange pattern noise or sound on the MW band.

The radio wave must have been strong as even my YAESU VX-8D amateur radio could be received. Now China and Taiwan broadcast on 1206kHz near my country. In short, I might have received either Radio Taiwan International or Yanbian People's Broadcasting Station.

A legend radio Sony ICF-2010(ICF-2001D) and Sangean ATS-909X can also be received. This is not an internal spurious noise.

I recorded the sound, here.

The strange noise is such as short repeated sound generated by scratches of the CD. This broadcasting station may not manage their owned CDs properly. Intentionally or unintentionally, the scratched CD sound must have been on the air as a result.


The noise or sound has been continued more than 30min. At 5:30 JST(at 20:30 UTC, October 7th) the noise or sound has been faded out then new musics with clear sound has started instead.

Although I doubt the medium wave a Chinese or a North Korean pirate radio for the first time I heard, at last I found the medium wave Yanbian People's Broadcasting Station spoken to Korean language.

That was an interesting broadcasting accident.

Book:Signal Processing of Full Digital Radios

Got a new Japanese textbook.

- Signal Processing of Full Digital Radios - CQ Publishing (Japanese)


This textbook is mainly for engineers who wants to understand how to implement digital processing transceivers. Many numerical formula, equations are explained with Japanese language. As I hate Math, I had a headache when I continued to understand the matters.

This textbook also describes details of TRX-305 transceiver that CQ Publishing released in 2014, which was developed by AOR. This provides DSP programming way to us because a DSP programming framework is attached. That's a great fun of me.

Yes, I own the TRX-305 so I may be able to understand the TRX-305's system more and more. That is a nice book for fans of the TRX-305 even though written in Japanese.

Roadstar HRA-1550USMP Arrived and...

New Radio has come to my small home. Here is the Retro Hi-Fi SYSTEM HRA-1550USMP.

It has CD player, USB/SD player and four band radio. Let's plug into an AC wall.

Oh, cannot be fit. Wait, if some plug adapters attached,

Maybe OK. Hmm, but in turn the radio does not work though turns on.

Look, only gloomy green LED in the tuning window seemed to be turned on.

AC voltage and frequency may not be suitable for my country. I will disassemble and modify.



Now wanna ask you some questions.

The Roadstar HRA-1550USMP seems bigger than my MINI UZI airsoft. Why?

The Roadstar HRA-1550USMP seems much bigger than my Walther P-38 airsoft. Why?

Width of the Roadstar HRA-1550USMP seems almost same as length of my M870 BREACHER shot g...

hey, we'll need be serious.



I could put not only CQ Publishing TRX-305 HF transceivers made by AOR, AR-DV1 receiver but also YUPITERU receivers MVT-9000MK2 and MVT-7100 on the HRA-1550USMP. Why?

My mistake, far bigger than expected. Online pictures did not tell me the actual size. I should have checked the size of HRA-1550USMP. That's my regret.

As the HRA-1550USMP does not work at present, the radio works only as my small desk.

Ohm Electric Released RAD-T550N 3bands Portable Radio

New three bands radio RAD-T550N released on June this year and now available.

- AudioComm DSP Portable Radio[Item No]07-6595 | Ohm Electric (Japanese)



Ohm Electric is one of the business company that deals with cheap Audio/Visual and other electric appliances in Japan.


The product page says;

[Features]

• A Tabletop Radio which has large buttons, easy to read display with backlit, easy operation and high sensitivity
• AM, FM-Wide(76-108MHz), Radio NIKKEI can be listened to
• One-touch tuning, automatic scan and store, alarm, sleep with clock
• Lock function avoids unintended operations
• Two way operations(AC or batteries)

[Specifications]

• Power : AC100V 50/60Hz, 6VDC("D"cell x 4, optional)
• Power consumption : 5Watt
• Receiving Frequency Range : 
• AM... 522-1710kHz 9kHz step
• FM... 76-108MHz 100kHz step
• SW... Radio NIKKEI1/2 3.925/3.945/6.055/6.115/9.595/9.760MHz
• Antenna :
  
  • FM&Radio NIKKEI...Telescopic Antenna
  • AM...Built in Ferrite Bar Antenna
• Speaker : 4.17" (10.6cm) diameter, 1W audio output
• Ext. Input : 0.138"(3.5mm) diameter Stereo Mini Jack
• Phones Output : 0.138"(3.5mm) diameter Stereo Mini Jack
• Battery Life(New alkaline batteries, reference only)
• At speaker output : AM/340hrs, FM/310hrs, Radio NIKKEI/340hrs
• At phones output :  AM/390hrs, FM/360hrs, Radio NIKKEI/390hrs
• Case Size : 9.33"(23.7cm)W x 5.83"(14.8cm)H x 2.52"(6.4cm) w/o protrusion
• Weight : 26.6lbs(756g) w/o batteries
• Clock Precision : +/-30seconds within per month
• Supplied with AC cable and Japanese instruction with Warranty Card(for Japan only)

The RAD-T550N might also be made by TECSUN China because Ohm Electric is selling many re-branded radios made by TECSUN.

Specs as above are similar to SONY three bands portable ICF-M780N. Limited six SW frequencies customized for Japanese residents, which equals to useless when you use outside of Japan. No tuning step selector found.

Considering appearances and operations, it looks poor.

There being no tuning/volume knob, it'd be hard to adjust frequency and volume.

The preset buttons are three, which means nine frequencies(AM/FM/SW of each) can be stored. If you can count numbers up to three only, that feature might be preferable.

As the instruction described, FM stereo can be played only when the phones jack is connected. The RAD-T550N has one speaker, not stereo.



Current price of the RAD-T550N is under $50 excluding shipping cost.

While SONY ICF-M780N has volume knob, five hardware preset buttons and 100hrs battery life, the RAD-T550N has stereo input jack(monaural sound output from the speaker), FM stereo output only from phones jack, snooze function, more than 13days continuous battery life and cheap(half price of ICF-M780N).

I think the RAD-T550N would be a nice competitor against SONY ICF-M780N if it truly has high sensitivity.