Qodosen SR-286 MW scanning through the snow

[@RSears]

Typo, corrected station IDs, and added leap year stations below (some up to 1750 km away). Typo: "KGA 1500 Spokane, WA" @ 10:01 Corrections (or Duplicates): 730 CKGO Vancouver, BC 1030 CityNews, Vancouver, BC 1040 CHRB High River, AB 1160 KSL Salt Lake, Utah (1294km) 1180 KDFI Kalispell, Montana 1190 KEX Portland, Oregan (1008km) 1430 KCLK Asotin, Washington Leap Year Additions (from inside Feb 29): 590 KQNT Spokane, Washington 670 CBCI Boise, Idaho (989km) 690 CBU Vancouver, BC 740 CBX Edmonton, Alberta 750 CKJH Melfort, Sackatchewan 810 KGO San Fransisco, CA (1760km) 820 KGNW Seattle, Washington 840 CFCW Camrose, Alberta 920 KXLY, Seattle, Washington 1090 KPTR Seattle, Washington 1100 KNZZ Grand Junction, Colorado (1524km) 1120 KANN Roy, Utah (1247km) 1200 CJRJ Burnaby, BC 1290 KOIL Omaha, Nebraska 1300 KKOL Seattle, Washington 1310 KEIN Great Falls, Montana 1320 CHMB Vancouver, BC 1330 CJYM Rosetown, Saakatchewan 1360 KKMO Tacoma, Washington 1470 CJVB Vancouver, BC

[@MAGNETAR-187]

Thank you , R. Sears for sharing this video. I also have bought the Qodosen SR-286 and it performs really well. The thing that i see is you people have more MW stations in Northern America. You can listen to many MW stations but here in the Netherlands because of DAB+ they have switched off many MW stations. I highly recommnd the Qodosen SR-286 it is a super performing radio. 73's 👍

[@RSears]

Thanks for commenting and providing some perspective. I have heard people ringing the death knell of "AM radio" in North American but it is, currently, still a thing, for which I'm glad.

[@digitalmediafan]

But 1611 to 1700 is very busy with Dutch pirates !

[@RSears]

I had to look this up. We don't have much pirate radio in Canada. I heard about it in New York and such like places, but not so much up here. Pirate radio is almost not even priracy, it's dominant culture in the Netherlands! Or so I read in the Dutch News (3 March 2024): "Pirate radio music culture has been named as an official part of the Netherlands’ cultural heritage - its legal aspects, in any case."

[@RSears]

Perhaps of interest. Not meant as a flex. US information. "U.S. Broadcast Station Counts 1922-2022 -- 100 years of AM broadcast in the U.S." radio-timetraveller.blogspot.com/2024/01/us-broadcast-station-counts-1922-2022.html

[@marcosmza1962]

Interesting for Dx camp to know a little wire reel antenna helps

[@RSears]

Ya. It is not a common story, but it works a treat.

[@marcosmza1962]

@@RSears reels antennae are pocket friendly and very useful most of times

[@MrSparks54]

I ordered my SR-286 2 weeks ago from AliExpress, still waiting. I'm excited to compare it to some of my other smaller radios. Thanks for the MW scan. I would wager 1160 was KSL Salt Lake City, a 50 KW blowtorch signal.

[@RSears]

I hope you enjoy it. It is a fun portable, especially on the long wire. If you are right, then that's 1293.50 km / 803.74 miles in a snow storm. Sweet. I'll keep the station in mind, next I'm tuning in. Thanks.

[@RSears]

I confirmed tonight that I pick up KSL Salt Lake on 1160. Thanks.

[@digitalmediafan]

Where are you located ? Mine only took 6 days to arrive which is unusually quick for aliexpress

[@RSears]

6 DAYS!? Sheesh. I'm in Canada. Took the regular 4-6 weeks ... by boat (I reckon). Different sellers will deal with shipping differently.

[@MrSparks54]

@@digitalmediafan I got it the day after my post (of course). I love it, great little radio.

[@LionRoars918]

Ordered one. It is on the same boat as yours was. 😢 I am looking forward to some new distance records with this radio.

[@RSears]

It is definitely not next day service. The portability is great. I'm waiting on a old GE Super Radio II. I hope to compare its reception with the SR-286 and the Tecsun PL-880. So far the 880 is doing well and am getting stations on both beyond some nighttime projections estimate. I have found the following site to be very helpful in sorting out who's who (most likely) on the air: na5b.com/index.php/mw-pattern/ I know the NRC has a book on day time and night time radiation patterns, but I haven't seen the lastest one. The older ones seem to have a different projection calculation: www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Logbooks/NRC_Logs/NRC-Pattern-Book-First-1973.pdf An NRC log book might be cool. This is what they look like: www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Logbooks/NRC_Logs/NRC-Radio-Log-2016-37.pdf I'm (very poorly) updating a spreadsheet on catches. What do you use? I find station particulars with this site: www.mwlist.org/mwlist_quick_and_easy.php

[@joeweberofficial]

Is that an am antenna on top of your radio? Do you think it’s worth it to buy this radio considering it’s hefty price tag?

[@RSears]

Yes, I was using a 7 m external reel antenna hoisted up a 7m pole. The function external antenna jack is an excellent feature of the SR-286. It can even be used for MW (as I did here), as it disconnects the internal ferrite antenna. This is not a normal set up, but it is a great feature. The external jack, when used, circumvents both the internal ferrite and the whip antenna. I love this feature. "Hefty price tag." It is no XHDATA D-109 ($50), for sure, but the SR-286 is simply a more sensitive and selective radio. Not perfect by any stretch, in my opinion, but very good. Super as an ultralight. I'm happy to have bought it, but I can't say if the price is right for your budget.

[@joeweberofficial]

@@RSears Gotcha, thanks for detailed reply.👍🏻

[@IMTHATREZKID]

6:20 I thought they discontinued 1040 from Vancouver BC which was FUNNY 1040 am unless they convert it to News

[@RSears]

Thanks. I think you are right. A CBC article says in Feb 09, 2021 Bell shut down TSN 1040 . www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-tsn-1040-off-air-1.5907233

[@Kw1161]

Thanks for braving the cold….🥶! So I don’t have to…😂! I am surprised you didn’t orientate the :Q” toward the station until I read the description. You might be able to pickup 640KHZ KFI out of Los Angeles, CA at your QTH also. If I tried to repeat your DX session my friends would be prying the radio out of my cold 🥶…dead hands as here in Tucson, Arizona the record cold temperatures where 10F about 20 years ago….😊! 73! Have a warm safe night.

[@RSears]

Thanks. I was getting a bit chilled. I actually couldn't control the radio with my gloves on. However, I was using the external antenna (with XHDATA AN-80 reel antenna up a 7m goture) and not the internal ferrite. But you are right, I can pick up KFI. I just went out on a lark before being shut indoors for a few more weeks. Something about ground dwelling critters and their shadows 😊 I dunno, too complicated for me.

[@Kw1161]

@@RSears I understand when I was in US Navy crossing the North Atlantic Ocean…3 weeks stuck inside…🫨! I forgot to mention the only Canadian Station that I normally can pick-up is 1010 KHZ CBC 1 out Calgary ONT. When the weather warms up I am going to try for CKLW 800KHZ since there is not a strong signal from any station on the frequency. Your video convinced me to order the “Q” next month just in time for the nice evening DX sessions. 73!

[@RSears]

Oh my: three weeks in a can on the ocean sounds a bit like torture to me :( Well, I hope you have good fun with it. I love the ultralight format. You can take it anywhere! Yes, I can't wait for the nice weather. We just got a few more inches of snow last night. So, one might say, we are stuck in a wooden box for a couple weeks ;) I think that if we are talking about CBC Radio One on 1010 kHz, then I think it can only be in AB (Alberta).

[@radioredoctober]

we need more receivers like this .... really amazing

[@RSears]

I would love to merge the Tecsun PL-880 and the chip in this thing.

[@radioredoctober]

@@RSears it's good idea. or Tecsun PL-330 etc.

[@LionRoars918]

@@RSears .. as a 880 owner, I am SO waiting for Tecsun to do it.

[@RSears]

I miss the audio quality and just feel of the 880, that I'd buy the revised 286-Ironman verion in heartbeat.

[@ermao-vu3xf]

​@@RSearsIt was obvious that Tecsun would not do this, because Chinese radio enthusiasts once discussed helping Tecsun produce this radio, but Tecsun refused. Without access to the 6686 chip, this radio will no longer be produced

[@radioredoctober]

wow. 100/100 + radio

[@IMTHATREZKID]

7:21 Nope it’s KSL because of the HD hash on 1150 and 1170

[@RSears]

You are right. @MrSparks54 flagged the same point. And I've confirmed the same since. Thanks.

[@IMTHATREZKID]

5:46 would be my local CBW from Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

[@RSears]

True. Found it later that week. Thanks for the heads up.

[@LionRoars918]

Very much appreciated. I will try to compare this vs what I see not far away. I mostly use a Airspy HF+ Discovery and a YouLoop but excited to get a 6686 radio soon.

[@RSears]

I really didn't think the edge of a snow storm would have good sky wave propagation. I'll just have to keep an eye/ear out for the conditions. In better weather, I have tracked down stations online, comparing what's streaming with what I'm hearing. I've found some distance catches (on a different radio). I also plan to build and compare some antennas, e.g., a loop on the ground, a choked 65.5' sloper, and my MLA 30+.

[@baayers2]

I may be wrong, but the station on 780 sounded like WBBM in Chicago to me.

[@RSears]

Cool. I did a scan last night, indoors though it was, but I didn't pick up 780. I will keep an ear out for WBBM. Thanks.

[@RSears]

According to na5b.com/index.php/mw-pattern/ a somewhat closer station on 780 would be KKOH. I have picked up 810 KGO San Fran and 1530 KFBR in Sacramento, so Reno, Nevada seems feasible. Time will tell.

[@KGJones-ok1os]

First off, that is one seriously sensitive radio!!! You can hear other stations coming in..from many thousands of miles/Km away!! Also, you guys are SOooo lucky up there in Canada, you actually have country music radio stations. Where I live, all of the AM band is full of foreign language, which sucks. Most of the owners sold out to foreign language buyers, and I feel like we are being sold out as a country as well (wide open southern border). At this rate, WSM days may be numbered. It is a sad to think the AM band will be nothing but language, hardy anyone of European decent, will be able to understand. I was accused of "Karl Marx; thinking on a radio forum, by the administrator "eduardo" no less, because I spoke up about the FM band in my area becoming more foreign. For whats its worth, we only have "1" country radio station, yet we have like 9 or 10 Spanish stations, and like 3-4 "ethnic/variety" stations on top of that.

[@RSears]

Yes, I'm pretty pleased with the radio. Thanks for your comment. Kinda makes me a bit more thankful for the AM stations we have.

[@remopkr198]

there is not a radio made in past or present could beat this one

[@RSears]

Under the right conditions, so far, I think I am in agreement with you. BUT my sample size is WAY too small. ... I'm working on that ;) I just found a PL-880 for half price on Evil-Bay, so that's my next comparison (assuming it works - smh). No more comparisons with the PL-880 from memory.

[@jayommk6950]

Panasonic rf-2200 is the best ever.

[@RSears]

@@jayommk6950 I think that is Jay Allen's view -- as far as AM reception. The GE Superradios seem to have a good fight on for audio quality.

[@kurtisgump1104]

Does this radio come with a battery

[@RSears]

Nope. Not the one I got. Perhaps other distributers might include one. Requires a 18650 button top battery.