TADX - DXing in SW Scotland - TVDX and FMDX equipment

This page was first produced in 2004 or 2005. It was very dated for so long. My set up has changed dramatically since these initial pages were written. The big difference for band 2 dxing is that I now have a SONY SB920 TUNER. These are fantastic sets on band 2, and it will even beat the old Grundig Satellit 3400, itself a difficult radio to beat on FM. For TV I have a JVC portable as well as the old Pye I have had since the 80's. I also have an ICOM IC-R7000 for VHF dx. This set is great for TVDX carriers, and sound, though limited and fixed bandwidth settings can be a pain. Been used to variable bandwidth filters on NRD and Perseus for so long.

BAND 1 / 2 DXING - ANTENNAS

BAND 2 - 4 ELEMENT YAGI POINTING SOUTH/ SOUTH EAST

BAND 2 - 8 ELEMENT YAGI POINTING WEST/ NORTH WEST.
(Ever hopeful. This is the very antenna David H heard TADX on in 2003)

BAND 2 - VERTICAL GROUND PLANE ANTENNA UP A TREE

BAND 1 - 5 ELEMENT YAGI ON SEPARATE POLE

Trees have just come in to leaf and really need a little pruning.
This photo taken on 3rd June 2009.

Left: There are serious optical illusions with the direction the aerials point here
Vertical ground plane aerial to the right of the mast
Right: 5 ELE Band 1 antenna (xtra ele at dipole) (Made by David Hamilton)

A couple of shots of the aerials from a little way away.
The top band dipole is really quite high over the river.
The live end farthest away from the camera, runs to the tall trees.

Shack taken from next door's roof, with the river where the aerial feeders cross.
Beverage field is the green opposite, aerial mast is seen near the big half painted dish.
(Ran out of paint)

Under repairs in I think it was 2004, before band 2 was put back up.

TV DX RECEIVERS AND CAMERAS

PYE PORTABLE, MODEL UNKNOWN:

This is the same as the Philips model X12T 740/94. It is such a very selective wee television, and quite sensitive. It is by far my main TV, and it has been since I fell in with it in about 1988. Before that, I used to use whatever I could borrow that was lying around at the time at work. Bandspread is great on this set, and unlike the JVC, you have some kind of an idea where you are on the band.

The JVC may lock on a weak snowy picture before the Pye, but when it comes to photographing TV DX, the JVC hasn't got a look in. Maybe it is too small a screen for decent photos?? The camera semi auto settings don't like whatever kind of light level comes off the screen either.

The camera I use is now a NIKON 8800. I have had this "coolpix" model since 2005, and discovered that it was ideal for photographing TV DX again from the PYE portable. Like all things digital it has benefits and drawbacks. It is not instant. The old film camera was as instant as the reaction time between a usable signal coming on the screen, and clicking the button.

Of course, I had to fill the film up, take it to the chemist or whatever shop, wait a few days till it was developed, and trail another 12 miles back to town to pick it up, only to find they had missed some out or not centered them correctly.

So I don't normally moan about the slowness of digital cameras, with their second or half second before capturing the photo. And also the slow save sometimes is a pest. Fast fading often results in great images, but you have to time the snap correctly to compensate for poor camera technology. Maybe in years to come they will be as instant as our old film cameras.

It isn't 100% manual like my old camera used to be. It is semi auto, and it has such an annoying bug, of resetting itself to default, or switching off after about 20m of non use, even though I haven't set it to go off. It just does, and is yet another annoying and silly trend for modern apparatus. This is working the camera from a mains lead as well. It also reverts back to average auto setting, and auto flash after a while. Even though I haven't asked it. I have found no way to set it to save my own default of close up setting and flash off, which is best for TV shots.

But at least it does take good shots from the TV, even if it is more by good luck. And it is free. I simply delete many of the images that are nothing bar snow, and it costs me nothing. I can also have an unid logo on line in minutes to share with other dxers who may recognise the image.

My old film camera has long since stuck itself together, and the shutter just wouldn't work properly. No harm to it, but I feel I did leave it out in the dampness of the shack maybe one too many wild and miserable winters!!

A mirror then mirrored snap of the camera on the tripod in front of the DX tv's!!

JVC PORTABLE TVs - 2 OF - CX610GB

These TV's are quite rare on e bay, but do come up from time to time. Selectivity is great, as is sensitivity. Bandspread could be better. But it is a continous tuner, from E2 upwards. It also includes band 3. The good thing about this little set is that it has video in / out. The video out can go to the DVD recorder, but what comes out is not necessary exactly the same as what you see on screen!! Sometimes there are quite startling differences, which I wouldn't have expected!!

Last summer I saw requests for manuals for the set. I was lucky enough to receive full manual, circuit and even an original flyer with one of mine. I have scanned them, and put them up here for anyone who needs it.

jvc_cx_610gb_flyer_optimised.pdf (1917K)

jvc_cx_610gb_manual_optimised.pdf (2562K)

jvc_cx_610gb_circuit_optimised.pdf (8577K)

BAND 2 / VHF - RECEIVERS

SONY STB920 TUNER Dual input, Wide/ narrow, RDS etc

It is amazing to have a hi fi separate with 2 inputs, and wide and narrow filters. I guess it is a bit more than just a normal hi fi separate. The old Grundig 3400 is great, but has no RDS, which is very handy for band 2 dx. I would like to try it side by side with the HD1 rx that is being raved about these days.

Grundig Satellit 3400 from 1979

This old radio has done me well for years as well. This one was given to me as a busted set, but the original one I bought myself in 1979 still works too, though is in much rougher used condition. It was taken all over the place. This one even fell off a seat in a Dublin bus thank's to the help of a clumsy old woman, to whom I had to just smile and say, "It'll be fine"..!!

ICOM IC - R7000

This is the type of VHF set I wish I had years ago. I have had a Tandy scanner for years, which I could hear band 1 sound etc, but this set is just what I had been after for a long time. Unusually, I swapped it with David H for the AOR rx. I have found it to be such a useful piece of kit, and compared to the Tandy scanner.... Well there is no comparason.

The shack in 2007 tidy and clean.. it can change..!!

Other VHF DX

Click here for 2005 logs.

Some have audio clips.

Click here for the XLS file (Excell)