By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM
There was fairly a bit of pleasure within the ultralight radio group in 2024 when of us “found” the Qodosen DX-286 radio.
The very first model of this radio was the Qodosen SR-286. Its Huge Trick was that it was primarily based on the NXP TEF6686 DSP chip which is designed for automobile radio use and delivered spectacular efficiency on AM (medium wave broadcast band), FM, and shortwave (it additionally receives LW; I’ve not examined that.). The SR-286 was later refined and have become the DX-286, which late final 12 months I purchased. The 2 variations of the radio look nearly equivalent apart from the mannequin designation on the entrance panel.
The underside line: I can, certainly, affirm the efficiency of the DX-286 is, as my Dad used to say, “hotter than a two-dollar pistol.”
Whereas I don’t truly know a lot concerning the thermal properties of low cost handguns, I can say with authority that the DX-286 may be very pleasing to personal and function.
The DX-286 is a small radio, measuring 5.28″L x 1.18″W x 2.99″H. The match and end, for essentially the most half, are wonderful. The entrance is studded with 23 buttons, a speaker grill/opening, and a digital show. On the left aspect is a port for plugging in an exterior antenna. On the best aspect, you will discover a tuning knob that may be pushed in to alter the tuning step and auto tuning, a quantity adjustment wheel, a charging port, and a port for plugging in headphones.. On the again is a hatch for accessing the rechargeable 18650 battery and a flimsy-looking flip-out foot for propping the DX-286 at an angle. On the highest of the radio is a fold-out telescoping steel antenna that measure about 19 inches lengthy when absolutely prolonged.
The DX-286 is available in a neat foam-cushioned plastic case that features an in depth person guide, a drawstring bag for safeguarding the DX-286 when it’s out of the case, a charging cable and an non-obligatory additional battery.
From the DX-286 guide, listed here are the frequency ranges that the DX-286 can obtain and the tuning steps can be found.
Frequency Vary/Tuning Step
FM:
- 64-108MHz (appropriate for Russia/Japanese Europe)
- 76-95MHz (appropriate for Japan),
- 76-108MHz (appropriate for College)
- 87-108MHz (appropriate for Europe, Oceania, Africa, Asia)
- 87.5-108MHz (appropriate for China, Americas)
(Tuning step is 250kHz/200kHz/100 kHz/50kHz/30kHz/10kHz)
SW: 1711-27000kHz (Tuning step is 1kHz/5kHz)
MW:
- 522-1620kHz (Tuning step is 1kHz/9kHz)
- 520-1710kHz (Tuning step is 1kHz/10kHz)
LW: 144-519kHz (Tuning step is 1kHz/3kHz)
Notice: the DX-286 doesn’t obtain SSB indicators, doesn’t do synchronous detection, or obtain NOAA climate radio or the air band.
One of many issues I’ve found messing with radios over time is that ergonomics matter. The primary definition of ergonomics from the American Heritage Dictionary is: The utilized science of kit design, as for the office, meant to maximise productiveness by lowering operator fatigue and discomfort.
Let me offer you an instance of how ergonomics applies to radios. The XHDATA D-220 is a quite simple radio. It receives FM/MW/SW bands and that’s it. As such, it has a quite simple set of controls: a tuning knob, an ON/OFF/VOLUME knob, and a slide for choosing bands . . . and all that’s wanted.
In contrast, the Qodosen DX-286 is an especially subtle receiver that provides a ton of attention-grabbing choices: switching amplifiers and attenuators on and off, choosing inside and exterior antennas, selecting bandwidths, tuning steps and far more, every relying on what band you are attempting obtain.
In my opinion, in a really perfect universe, a radio as subtle because the DX-286 would have a knob (or swap) for each job on its entrance panel, however that might make the entrance panel large. Nevertheless, in a small radio as subtle because the DX-286, most of the buttons serve multiple perform, and people features might change relying on band. Because of this, you can be richly rewarded by finding out the guide, which could be downloaded right here [PDF], to take full benefit of the various features of the DX-286.
However right here’s the actually excellent news: you don’t want encyclopedic information of the person’s guide to make use of and benefit from the DX-286. I’ve been listening with it for 3 weeks and have consulted the guide precisely twice: as soon as to learn how to change to an exterior antenna whereas receiving MW (press and maintain the RDS button) and as soon as extra to learn how to change between medium wave and shortwave (quick-press the AM button till you get the choice you need; FM has its personal button). Briefly, you may take a really un-sophisticated strategy to the DX-286 and nonetheless have a bunch of enjoyable with it.
The efficiency of the DX-286 is spectacular.
I habitually hear with headphones (that helps to compensates for a listening to deficit that listening to aids can’t right). Cruising the medium wave broadcast band, I’ve been capable of hear very faint medium wave stations that I couldn’t detect with different radios in its dimension class.
As well as, the DX-286 is the one ultralight that I personal that enables me to attach an exterior antenna by means of a hardwire connection to spice up medium wave reception. It’s straightforward: whereas in MW mode, plug the exterior antenna into the exterior antenna socket after which use the RDS button to change from inside to exterior antenna. One in all my joys has been to “sneak up” on very faint MW stations within the early morning utilizing the DX-286’s inside MW antenna, then swap to the Terk AM Benefit loop antenna (related by means of a hardwire) to try to spice up the sign sufficiently to listen to (or deduce) a station ID.
FM reception appears equally strong . . . though I have to admit that I’m in no way an knowledgeable FM DXer. One night, whereas poking across the FM band, a faint station popped up. Wiggling the telescoping antenna round, I discovered that if lowered the antenna to a horizontal orientation, I may obtain a wholly completely different FM station. Cool! The DX-286 has RDS to assist in IDing FM stations, however I wasn’t utilizing it on the time.
SW efficiency, for my part, can also be exceptional.
One mid-morning I used the AUTO search buttons to seek for SW stations utilizing the whip antenna and located 20. Plugging in an exterior 45-foot wire loop antenna and utilizing the search perform once more, the DX-286 discovered 38 stations, a few of which had been on the excessive fringe of detectability.
There are a few extra objects that deserve point out. First, it appears there’s something happening with the audio/sign processing inside the DX-286 that renders the audio extra nice to hearken to on a “tough copy” MW/SW sign than a few of my different radios. I is likely to be deceiving myself, however I don’t suppose so.
Second, the DX-286 is quiet to function. Pushing numerous buttons and turning the knob leads to little noise, and this preserves home tranquility once I’m doing my horizontal DXing with the Higher Half attempting to float off to sleep subsequent to me.
Now, if this had been a visit to Santa’s Lap, enhancements to the DX-286 I wish to see would come with SSB operation, NOAA climate radio, the air band, and operation off strange AA batteries . . . however lack of these aren’t deal breakers.
In the long run, I can fortunately use and advocate the DX-286 simply as it’s.
Lastly, a neat anecdote involving the DX-286. One in all my friends purchased one within the fall. He checked into the Radio Monitoring Internet, which I run Tuesday nights on a neighborhood 2 meter repeater.
“I’ve received an election story to let you know, and it entails radio,” he stated.
“Such as you, I watched the election outcomes on TV Tuesday evening, however with the pontificate. As an alternative, I used to be utilizing the Qodosen DX-286 to hearken to outcomes on radio direct from Atlanta and Philadelphia (he lives in upstate New York). I received the outcomes for Georgia and Pennsylvania two hours forward of the nationwide information!”
I informed my spouse about this, and he or she requested, “What radio was he utilizing?”
I wager you may work out the remainder of the story.
Click on right here to take a look at the Qodosen DX-286 at Amazon.com
(Please observe: that is an affiliate hyperlink that helps the SWLing Submit without charge to you.)
