Understanding Synchronous Detection in Shortwave radio receivers 101

What is Sync Detection and how it works, when yo use it and how to choose a radio with Synchronous Detection

[@kirktinsley5397]

Thanks for this explanation! It was easy for me to understand and I learned a great deal about sync. I’ve learned so much from watching your videos.

[@Team-fabulous]

Iv just bought a Tecun PL 368 which has the sync feature. I was not sure what it was for but your video has helped me greatly. Many thanks.

[@ArthurJS123]

Giles- thank you. Finally a great explanation of how to use synchronous detection that's not deep in the weeds in theory, and is more practical. Believe it or not, my Grundig Satellit 800 Millennium is the first I've owned with sync detection. Late to the party, but now I know how, and when to use it. I sent you a photo during your last live hangout- what a fun radio. Cheers, Arthur

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

Happy to hear that it helped you understand this great feature !

[@computergrant1]

Thank you for your help in your videos! I am fairly new to Shortwave, and I own a Tecsun pl 660. I appreciate your time and videos! Look forward to more!

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

I do my best !

[@cellfonelive]

Thank You for that posting...It really helps me choose the better radio!

[@kissingbanditt]

man i have to thumbs up this video...thank you thank you and thank you for explaining it....Its only on AM...now it makes sense, i was using it on lsb and usb......God bless you sir....

[@simplejones4364]

Very informative, thank you. I have a 680 and 880 and I will say the 880 is more sensitive, faster and just better IMHO. Still, both are great and now I know more.......... Hope to see more vids from you right here!!!!

[@juliocesarpereira4325]

Excellent explanation. Another radio with horrible synch detect is the costly Eton Grundig Edition Satellit (the black version of the Eton Grundig Executive Satellit III). It neither stabilizes nor improves audio during fading, i.e. audio distortion gets even worse not to mention the radio sounds annoyingly strident. In view of this, I returned a brand new unit. It is a shame, because this receiver is outstanding in so many features and some of them are exclusive and very effective.

[@EdwardFelix252]

OK: very good video, now I understand. Thanks MR Gilles

[@darcifilho5467]

Best explanation ever.

[@louismarucci9056]

This was a good explanation.👍

[@Dimon254]

Very good explanation, thank you!

[@ianwalker3922]

I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIDIOS EXPLAINING SHORT WAVE IVE GOT 660 TECSUN

[@josephmckenzie8953]

Thank you.📻

[@cmvb69]

Besides this or the Sonys are there any other budget friendly good radios that have sync detection?

[@pgbtwoofive3354]

whats the best shortwave radio under 300usd?

[@johnmeadows9229]

Thanks for this. I have the Tecsun 660 & will try it. How is the sync detector on the Kaito 1103 ?

[@OfficialSWLchannel]

there is no sync detection on the 1103

[@juliocesarpereira4325]

Coincidently, I have both radios. The PL-660's synch detect is great. I remember listening to the BBC in the afternoons while taking care of my dad in the hospital. It stabilized audio and cut down distortion when fading occurred and also gave a bit more of treble. I have the DE1103 which is the same as your Kaito 1103 and unfortunately it does not have synch detect. Still a great radio, though.

[@stevewynn2517]

Did Gilles kicked off of KZbin as he had feared?

[@Radiolitept]

The circuit of the radio syncs to the exact frequency, but what does it synchronize exactly? Did not get that part...

[@miguelcampos6829]

+Radiolite.pt -- Sync detecton recreates the carrier frequency of an AM signal, which it then mixes back into the signal after filtering out one sideband or the other (although some sync detector circuits keep both sidebands). Really good sync detectors can recreate the carrier even if the carrier on the received signal is completely missing, as long as there is energy in both sidebands. It's a great tool for fighting fading signals.

[@juliocesarpereira4325]

I sure is a great tool. The best synch detection I know is the Sony ICF-2010's and I sometimes do MW scan and it is very common only to listen to a carrier with no audio. I choose lsb or usb and I have audio. The same happens with stations that under modulate. Here in Brazil, there's a station on 4862.5kHz that has good signal throughout the day, but most of the time its audio is too low. I tried using synch detect and it worked very well.

[@juliocesarpereira4325]

Oh , I forgot to mention the SDRplay RSP2 synch detect which in truth is even better than the 2010's.

[@wu2u]

It also is useful to reduce interference from an adjacent channel by selecting the upper OR lower side of the carrier, injecting the locally generated carrier and not using the carrier side that has the interference close by. The Sony ICF-2010 and SW-77 let you choose between upper and lower.

[@scottbelcher9026]

How is the sync on the Tecsun H-501x?

[@ianwalker3922]

TECSUN 66O I GOT THIS ONE AFTER A LOT OF READING BUT IME NOT SHAW IF ITS THE RIGHT ONE NOW IVE WATCHED YOUR VIDIOS

[@tkdfriend]

So essentially synchronous detection is AFC?

[@SoddingaboutSi]

No . The carrier is removed by thee radio and generates it's own stable carrier.

[@juslitor]

A good alternative would be a Sony icf-2001d from ebay. A well functioning unit is better than the tecsun.

[@Christof_Classen]

Yes, Ferrari is faster than a Trabant ;=)

[@rogeriomanuel]

Sinceramente eu não descobri para que serve a detecção síncrona, tenho tecsun PL-660 e tecsun Pl-330 e nenhum dos dois receptores funcionam essa função. Só piora a recepção

[@leandroribeiro448]

Tô aqui pensando se vou de PL 600 ou PL 660. O que tá tirando meu sossego pra escolher entre um deles é esse Sync.

[@JohnUsp]

o vídeo explicou que SYNC é útil quando vc tem o sinal "indo e vindo", quando tem uma outra rádio bem próxima interferindo, quando vc está com SSB e quer continuar recebendo o audio como se não tivesse no SSB

[@simplejones4364]

I do have a question, in sync mode, USB and LSB are active, but the BFO is not, but on SSB, which also activates LSB and USB, the BFO does work, but why?

[@toequantumspace]

BFO allows you to "hunt" ssb signal, but on sync, or am, you are dead on carrier frequency, no hunting is needed. BFO is very narrow, less than 1kHz. When you are on ssb, very small change allows the voice to sound normal, just below the carrier. You use only one side of the wave on ssb, on am you use both and the carrier is cut off automatically.

[@simplejones4364]

Thanks.

[@toequantumspace]

No problem, I hope I was clear enough. One drawing could explain it much better :)

[@simplejones4364]

Yes I appreciate it. Each little radio that I own is different in some way, the pl 680 makes more sense to me now.

[@juliocesarpereira4325]

Some radios have dual sb, meaning, they still remove the carrier but use both side bands (lsb and usb) simultaneously. Old tube radios usually have dual sb, and some solid state radios also such as the Zenith D7000y, Realistic DX-440 and Degen DE1103. It is better to have radios with separate choice for lsb and usb so you can avoid interference of an adjacent station. Now, there is synch detection that also maintain both side bands, it's called AM synch detec. This is considered to be redundant and do not help when trying to avoid interference from an adjacent station. Early units of the ICOM IC-R75 came with AM synch detect and many people found it useless. Later ICOM removed this option from the R75. My SDRplay RSP2 has both options, but I only use lsb or usb synch detect. I'd rather use pass band tuning instead of AM synch detect. But, that is another story...

[@alvarogaitan2529]

the sound in this video is terrible.

[@baba_professor]

This is very well explained sir , and your english is good too :) Thanks and regards from france !