Hobby or Passion or Interest

What is the difference?
Is there a difference?

Is your hobby also your passion or has your passion become your hobby? Does it matter? What about interests, where do they fit in? A lot of people think that your hobby is your passion and that you have to have a hobby you are passionate about; I disagree for a number of reasons.
What is the difference between a hobby and a passion? One definition I have heard is this: “A hobby is something you choose to do when you have a little spare time, but a passion is something that you consider fundamental to your life”

Expanding on this and relating it back to radios and me I have some thoughts this. A lot of people are involved in the radio hobby for a number of reasons. Some people have this as an extension of their professional work or volunteer work, for others it was a hobby passed on to them from family or friends. The main difference to me between a hobby, passions and interests is both how you feel about and also how other people see it.

I first became involved in the radio hobby as a teenager listening to distant radio stations on the AM broadcast band of a night time, as I grew older I became involved in electronics at college and this grew to an interest in another radio related area which was radio scanning, this was about 20 years ago. Over the past 20 years while I have mostly been involved in radio scanning I have a couple of times tried by hand at shortwave and medium wave listening with mixed success. In all these cases this was as an addition to the radio scanning hobby, now I have totally removed myself from the radio scanning hobby and I am concentrating on the broadcast bands, mostly medium wave Ultralight DXing.

The reason I decided to make this change after 20 years is based on a few things:
- The public perception of radio scanning is not as good as shortwave listening or AM BCB DXing, most people know nothing about radio scanning and when you try and explain it to them either they think it should be illegal or they look at you like you are some sort of weirdo. Radio scanning is not really the sort of hobby that you can talk to other people about easily. When I was involved in the radio scanning hobby I was more interested in the technical / procedure details and less about the content which is different to most people who only care about finding out what was going on.

- The cost of equipment is less and it is easier to source locally. Whereas a scanner can start at $150 and go up in to the thousands, ultralight broadcast band receivers are much cheaper and unless you want to get very serious a basic $60 radio will do 95% of what you need.

- After 20 years the radio scanning hobby has to me lost some of the appeal, you can only hear so many taxi drivers calling for jobs or rubbish trucks talking about bin pickups before you get sick of it.
As I work during the day my scanning time is limited to a night time or of a weekend, while you can sometimes hear interesting things during these times most of the radio traffic I am interested in happens during the day, while I am at work. As medium wave broadcasting is a 24/7 business at any time of the day or night I can be comfortable that I will be able to pick up something of interest. 

- I have recently become active in the Ultralight DXing hobby and I am finding this to be a good match for my time, skills and equipment. What you hear on a scanner can vary a lot based on your location; even 25km can make a huge difference. With the Ultralight DXing hobby you can hear something of interest no matter where you are. This is becoming a passion of mine.

Going back to my original question of the difference between a hobby, passion and interest I have some thoughts, I will use fishing as an example but this can be related back to almost anything.
If you go fishing a couple of times a year when you go away to the coast then this is an interest.
If you go fishing a couple of times a month and maybe read a magazine or two this is a hobby.
If you go fishing as often as you can, read magazines and books, maybe be a part of a club and plan things around fishing then this is a passion.

The second part of this is around other people and what they see of you from your interest, hobby or passion. I work with computers as my job and while I enjoy the work it is not really a passion, it is what pays the bills. Some people I know work with computers but also play games, build websites and build computers outside work, this then becomes a passion for them. Sometimes when I am talking to people they are surprised to find I don’t have a huge computer at home and that I don’t play games much. A lot of people get defined by other people because of their work where as in a lot of cases that is not all that is important to them. I would much rather talk about radios than computers for example.

Something to always be mindful of is that your interest, hobby or passion does not become to the determent of your work, family, friends or relationships. I have on more than one occasion seen how destructive having a single focus can be to relationships. Balance is the key; however, you should not let somebody try and change you to suit what they perceive as being right or better. 

My goal over the last 6 - 12 months has been to learn as much as I can about the shortwave and medium wave Ultralight DXing hobby, I have really enjoyed this and have got to know (online) a number of very interesting people. My interest became my hobby and now my passion.

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Bargain Battery Charger

Today I was in the CBD when I called past Target Launceston, I noticed they had these battery chargers for $5. I needed some AAA recharable batteries so this seemed like a good way to get them, getting a battery charger and two AA batteries for free.

Link - Old Radio and Electronics Magazines

I love being able to look back at some of these older magazines and see where the radio hobby started out.

https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Electronics_Australia_AU.htm

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Video - 711KHz 7NT - Old Kelos Radio Towers

Below is a video I found online of the old 7NT radio towers at Kelso being taken down recently. They moved to the FM BCB many years ago, leaving 4QW from Queensland as the only active station on this frequency in Australia.


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An Introduction To Ultralight MW Radio DXing

What is Ultralight MW Radio DXing? 
Ultralight medium wave (MW) DXing is a sub-group of the almost century-old hobby of Medium Wave DXing. Practitioners of that hobby use a wide variety of receivers and antennas to attempt for hear as many stations as possible from as far away as possible. Although MW radio is, like FM radio and TV, thought of as a local or regional medium, MW DXers hear stations from a thousand or more miles away on a routine basis. Coastal DXers often hear transoceanic MW signals. Ultralight MW Radio DXers have all of the same goals as more “normal” MW DXers but intentionally limit the capabilities of their equipment to increase the challenge and to highlight DXing techniques and knowledge. The startling DX capabilities of some small “pocket” AM radios was discovered by accident by Gary DeBock of Puyallup, WA in late 2007. 

After Gary shared his enthusiasm for these little radios with several friends, an active specialist hobby group rapidly developed. Formal definitions for Ultralight radios were established, reception distance records were kept and a DX Awards program was established. Two of the more important developments the establishment of a ULR Article Library by Canadian DXer Colin Newell at his dxer.ca website and the establishment of ultralightdx, a Yahoo e-mail group moderated by John Bryant, to foster communications about this surprisingly enjoyable new aspect of the radio hobbies. Links to these sites are found at the end of this article

What is an Ultralight Receiver? 
The ULR Definition Committee has come up with the following guidelines:

1. It is a simple shirt pocket-sized radio of not more than approximately 20 cubic inches.

2. It is an entertainment-grade radio, as opposed to enthusiast’s radio. As such, it will usually not have selectable filters, AM synchronous detection or SSB clarification.

3. It is readily available to the hobby in new or used markets at the time of its approval.

4. It costs no more than $100 retail at the time of approval.

5. It is primarily a radio. While it may have other features as well (MP3 recorder, etc.), the design and function should have radio reception as its focus.

6. It is not a "novelty radio" such as Coca Cola Can radio, Mr. Potato Head, etc.

Receivers are reviewed and approved on an individual basis, and new models are coming out of Asia every year. A full list of those models currently recognized as Ultralights can be found in the Ultralight Gallery and Compendium which is found in the extensive Ultralight DXing Library at both dxer.ca and yahoo’s Ultralightdx.

Why DX with an ULR? 
What makes ULR DXing both unique and rewarding is the fact that the DXer is only using a small, modest receiver. In general, the receiver will have lesser sensitivity and selectivity than larger portables, and modern communications receivers with advanced features and external antennae are in a completely different class. The Ultralight receiver therefore presents an artificial handicap, which emphasizes knowledge, skill, luck and persistence. With this added set of challenges, the rewards of hearing a distant station are even greater, and many long-time DXers have discovered a renewed interest in the DX hobby through Ultralight DXing. An added benefit is that the cost of a typical ULR receiver can be literally orders of magnitude less than a top-of-the-line communications receiver and its associated gear and antenna, making Ultralight DXing an inexpensive hobby that nevertheless provides ample opportunity for learning and fun.

Which ULR Model Should I Use?
There are several good ULR models available today. Rest assured, these are NOT the transistor radios of years gone by. There are many examples to choose from which offer excellent sensitivity, selectivity, nulling ability and other important attributes. They are generally manufactured overseas, and are available through on-line mega-retailers (eBay, Amazon, etc.) and electronics outlets, as well as at brick and-mortar stores.

To help determine the one that is right for you, Gary DeBock holds regular “Shoot-Outs” in which he compares and contrasts the top models, evaluating new models as they hit the market and making clear which are “Turkeys” that should be avoided. All of the Shoot-out Results are available for download, and will provide you with detailed information on the performance of difference receivers. You can also download the Ultralight Gallery and Compendium, which is a pictorial gallery and compilation of the features and comparative performance of all the popular ULR receivers.
In addition, there are reviews focused on a particular receiver, such as the Sony SRF-59 Sourcebook and others. No single ULR receiver is the best in every category, but there is ample information available to evaluate which one (or two...) would work best in your situation. Making These Receivers Even Better In addition to using the receiver “barefoot” (i.e., just as it came from the manufacturer), many DXers have done strange and wonderful things to stock units, and these experiments are also documented in the Ultralight DXing Library at both dxer.ca and the Yahoo “ultralightdx” group.

Once certain types of modifications are done to an ULR, it enters the “Unlimited Class”, and the resulting performance enhancements can be truly amazing. For instance, “The Slider,” a popular modification to the Eton e100 (right), adds a large “slider” ferrite loop stick antenna and, optionally, a narrow IF filter, making it the hottest portable receiver around, far better than even the vaunted Sony ICD-2010. To improve the selectivity of models such as the Sangean DT-400W, inexpensive filters are available that keeps the same footprint of the receiver but significantly increase its ability to separate closely-spaced signals. Guides to these and other modifications are available for download.
Other Gear and Techniques for The ULR DXer in addition to the basic ULR receiver, there are several other types of equipment that may prove valuable. Articles in the ULR Library include:

• Using Passive Loop Antennas to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of an ULR receiver, or any other portable receiver for that matter. Examples of passive loops you can easily build at home may be found in Building A Passive Loop stick for your Ultralight Radio and The Crate Loop.

• Ultralight – Adding an Antenna Port illustrates direct attachment methods which allow a ULR to be used with a variety of external antennas, much like a communications receiver.

• As with all DXing, a recorder is a good accessory to have to verify that you heard a given station, and Recording Audio from Ultralights is now available.

• The Guide to Audio Phasing provides a way to dig out new stations underneath strong local stations. New articles are added regularly, so check back at the ULR Library sites from time to time!

What Other Opportunities Are There for ULR DXers? To share information and encourage each other, we strongly recommend becoming an active member of Yahoo’s UltralightDX http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ultralightdx/

Like many groups, Ultralightdx has daily posts from many DXers with equipment news, reception tips and general discussion of ULR-related topics. The discussion forum at dxer.ca also has several venues in which ULR and other DXers share information. As DXers hear more and more stations, their logs continue to grow, and the Ultralight Awards Program recognizes the many different milestones a DXer might reach. These awards, all given for “Stations Heard” in many categories are available to any Ultralighter world-wide, via the Internet and free of charge.
The Ultralight Records files memorialize the firsts and farthest received stations that are achieved in various categories and are kept separately for North American and World-Wide records. Information about each of these programs is available in the ULR Library files at both locations.

There are also periodic DXing Contests which are organized by a standing committee of Ultralighter. Information about these Contests is widely available in many MW DX club bulletins and throughdxer.ca and Ultralightdx a more personal level, there are periodic get-togethers of DXers in various locations, as well as groups of individuals in particular parts of the country or world who combine their loggings into a regional master log. 

There are also frequent DXpeditions in which DXers head out to the ocean beaches or open countryside to hear targets that would otherwise be impossible in urban areas; ULR receivers are ideally suited to this activity, since the gear fits into the glove compartment!

Where Can I Go for Further Information? For those who have not been involved in MW DXing in recent years, the websites of Medium Wave Circle of the UK (http://www.mwcircle.org/res-intromwdx.htm) and the Ontario DX Association of Canada (http://www.odxa.on.ca/beginnersguide/dxguide.html) both have excellent introductory reviews of the increasingly sophisticated MW DXing hobby.

To help identify what you're hearing and determine what to shoot for next, lists of North American AM radio stations may be found at http://topazdesigns.com/ambc/, http://www.radio-locator.com/, andhttp://www.am-dx.com/fcclist.htmMore detailed information on individual stations throughout the Western hemisphere, including antenna patterns and other information, is available through the FCC AM Database athttp://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/amq.htmlAM stations in East Asia and the Pacific are available in the highly regarded Pacific Asia Log (PAL)available at http://www.radioheritage.net/PAL.asp and a similar log of European, African and Mid-East AM stations is available at http://www.emwg.info/

And Finally: 
Ultralight Radio DXing is first and foremost about having real fun with radio again, “just like the Old Days.” It is such a new branch of the radio hobbies that there are no real mossbacks or true experts in Ultralighting. Come on in and have fun. If you develop questions that are not adequately addressed above, join UltralightDX on Yahoo, speak up and give us a chance to help you out!

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Long Term Ultralight DXing Project - 29/09/2018

 Date : 29/09/2018
 Frequency : 531KHz - 3GG / 1
 Frequency : 540KHz - 7SD / 3
 Frequency : 549KHz - 2CR / 0
 Frequency : 558KHz - 7BU / 2
 Frequency : 585KHz - 7RN / 3
 Frequency : 621KHz - 3RN / 2
 Frequency : 693KHz - 3AW / 2
 Frequency : 747KHz - 7PB / 1
 Frequency : 774KHz - 3LO / 3
 Frequency : 885KHz - 3CR / 0
 Frequency : 900KHz - 7AD / 4
 Frequency : 954KHz - 2UE / 0
 Frequency : 1008KHz - HPON LTON / 5
 Frequency : 1080KHz - HPON HBT / 2
 Frequency : 1116KHz - 3AK / 1
 Frequency : 1179KHz - 3RPH / 0
 Frequency : 1224KHz - 3EA / 1
 Frequency : 1260KHz - 3SR / 0
 Frequency : 1341KHz - HPON GELG / 1
 Frequency : 1377KHz - 3MP / 1
 Frequency : 1395KHz - 5AA / 0
 Frequency : 1440KHz - 1SBS / 1
 Frequency : 1503KHz - 3KND / 1
 Frequency : 1593KHz - HPON MELB / 0
 Notes : [Location] Home, Launceston Tasmania - 15:30.

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Long Term Ultralight DXing Project - 28/09/2018

 Date : 28/09/2018
 Frequency : 531KHz - 3GG / 4
 Frequency : 540KHz - 7SD / 3
 Frequency : 549KHz - 2CR / 3
 Frequency : 558KHz - 7BU / 5
 Frequency : 585KHz - 7RN / 3
 Frequency : 621KHz - 3RN / 5
 Frequency : 693KHz - 3AW / 4
 Frequency : 747KHz - 7PB / 1
 Frequency : 774KHz - 3LO / 5
 Frequency : 885KHz - 3CR / 4
 Frequency : 900KHz - 7AD / 3
 Frequency : 954KHz - 2UE / 2
 Frequency : 1008KHz - HPON LTON / 5
 Frequency : 1080KHz - HPON HBT / 3
 Frequency : 1116KHz - 3AK / 3
 Frequency : 1179KHz - 3RPH / 4
 Frequency : 1224KHz - 3EA / 5
 Frequency : 1260KHz - 3SR / 4
 Frequency : 1341KHz - HPON GELG / 4
 Frequency : 1377KHz - 3MP / 4
 Frequency : 1395KHz - 5AA / 2
 Frequency : 1440KHz - 1SBS / 2
 Frequency : 1503KHz - 3KND / 4
 Frequency : 1593KHz - HPON MELB / 4
 Notes : [Location] Home, Launceston Tasmania - 21:00.


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Ultralight DXing Custom Hard Case

Some people who have known me for a while sometimes call me “the bag / case man”. This all started in 2006 when I purchased my first “Pelican” brand case, this was a 1450 which I used to store my radio scanners. Over the years as I moved on to amateur radio and then photography my “problem” with bags / cases only got worse.

Since I have been recently lucky enough to have Gary DeBock send me another replacement 7.5” Loopstick Tecsun PL-380, I have been looking for a way to carry this and my other ultralight related items. I have used a variety of bags and cases in the past.

A well known saying is “cables only come in two lengths, too long and too short”; I have found the same to be true with bags and cases, they are either too big or too small. In regards to my own experiences with finding a suitable bag or case for my PL-380 I have approached this from two different angles, either something small enough to just carry the PL-380 or something much larger which will carry this and also my accessories  and bits and pieces. The first option fits in well with the “ultralight” part of the hobby but means carrying another case for my accessories. The second option of a larger case is much harder to carry; I have tried both and have not been 100% happy with either option.

Based on the issues with my last two 7.5” Loopstick Tecsun PL-380, where the aerials have come off, damaging the radios, I started searching both online and locally for a suitable case. Yesterday I was out with work and on the way back to the office I called past Bunnings and grabbed this case for $15, add in some foam and some cloth tape and I had all I needed to setup a suitable case.

Last night I had some spare time so I sat down and set up this case. I added some bubble wrap to the bottom of the case and then I cut the foam to the correct size for the case and then traced the rough shape of the 7.5” Loopstick Tecsun PL-380 and cut this out using my favourite knife. I took a little extra from around the side where the cable for the aerial connects to the PL-380 case.

Overall, I am very pleased with how well this case has come out, I am able to carry and store my 7.5” Loopstick Tecsun PL-380, my other small AM/FM radio plus log sheets and ear phones, everything I need for portable sessions. While this case was designed for ultralight DXing the same ideas could be used for amateur radio, radio scanning or any other storage need.

Update - 3/10/2018:
After using this case for a couple of days I have added some extra foam to the lid section to provide a better level of protection of the aerial and radio.

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ParkRXing Awards Program

The ParkRXing is an awards program for anybody interested in the radio hobby, which encourages portable operation in parks and similar areas.

ParkRXing has been designed to make participation possible for anybody interested in the radio hobby. The rules are very simple and the awards have been designed to be achievable. The purpose is to encourage portable operation in parks and other similar locations, making the radio hobby more public and allow radio hobbyists to enjoy the great outdoors.

How do I start?

Get out in a local park with your radios and log what you hear, it really is that simple. A log file is available for download on this site.

Rules:
These rules are simple and have been designed to enhance the enjoyment of this awards program and ensure fairness.

1) All ParkRXing activity must take part in a public park, lookout, beach, mountain top or other such public location. All equipment must be portable and carried by the participant to their operating location.

2) No ParkRXing activity is permitted on private property for award purposes.

3) 5/10/15 rule:

- You must walk a minimum of 5 metres from any motorised mode of transport for a valid ParkRXing activity.
- You must log a minimum of 10 frequencies for a valid ParkRXing activity.
- You must remain in your location for a minimum of 15 minutes for a valid ParkRXing activity.

4) All frequencies must carry voice traffic. Data / paging frequencies are not permitted for award purposes.

5) All HF/VHF/UHF frequency bands are all permitted for award purposes.

6) Each location may only be counted once in a 48 hour period for award purposes.

7) Each frequency may only be counted once per location per ParkRXing activity.

8) All decisions of the ParkRXing administrator are final

Scoring:

Each frequency logged counts for 1 point, bonus points are awarded for the first ParkRXing activity at each location (to encourage ParkRXing activity from different locations.) This adds 25 points to your tally.

Logging Process:

Below is an example of a valid log. All you need to record is the details below.

Awards:

Certificates will be emailed to all participants on the receipt of a valid log for the achievement levels below:
15 Activities
30 Activities
50 Activities
100 Activities 

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Why Ultralight DXing is the perfect hobby (For me at least)

Over the past 17 years “hobbies” have been a major issue for me. As a teenager I became heavy involved in the radio scanning hobby, which lead me to UHF CB and then to me obtaining my amateur radio ticket (ex VK7FPGB) which I let lapse about 10 years ago due to a lack of time / equipment and a location suitable to do this. I also started the original “Launceston Scan” Yahoo group which grew to become the “Scanning Tasmania” website and forum which is still active today. It has been many years since I was last a member of this forum and now have no connection to it at all. 

In early 2008 I was getting a little bit sick of the radio scanning hobby and the issues associated with this, which in part lead me to try my hand at photography. Very soon after starting with this I found I had some talent and a passion for photography. In late 2008 I decided to get back in to radio scanning in a small way which then grew again and this lead to me focusing on this and photography taking a back seat. Over the next 5 years I changed and moved between both these hobbies plus I also tried my hand at creative writing, computer animation, programming and I also became heavy involved in the LEGO Technic hobby to the point where in early 2013 I ran a LEGO expo in Launceston called “Brixhibition” and following this I was elected the vice-president (North) of the Taz-brick Collectors Club. 

By the middle of 2013 things had come to a head and after much soul searching I decided to leave all my other hobbies behind and just concentrate on the ultralight DXing hobby. 

Late in 2013 Gary DeBock offered to build for me a Tecsun PL-380 with this famous 7.5” Loopstick mod, when I received this in the mail my interest and passion for ultralight DXing really took off. In early 2014 I again returned to the LEGO Technic hobby, by late 2014 I had again sold off all my LEGO and this has been a really good decision on my part. I have also suffered from some health issues over the past 12 years and these mean that sometimes I am unable to get out and do things that I would like to do, ultralight DXing is a good reason to go out when I want to / can and it is also just as enjoyable if I am stuck at home too. Since the birth of our daughter in late 2014 I have found a new way to combine my ultralight DXing hobby with family life, often when I take her out for a walk I throw my ultralight DXing kit in the pram and take the chance to undertake some portable sessions when I am able to.

I find the ultralight DXing hobby to be a really good fit for me; this is for a number of reasons as it combines a number of my previous interests in to one hobby:

Radio Communications:
Back when I first got interested in radio as a teenager one of the things I most enjoyed was listening to distant stations on the AM and Shortwave bands. This was something I have not done as much over the past few years and I have missed it. The cost of equipment is quite low and it is easy to source locally or via the Internet. Where as a scanner can start at $200 and go up in to the thousands, broadcast receivers are much cheaper and unless you want to get very serious a basic $60 radio will do 95% of what you need. I have been very happy with how well my AR1733 and modified PL-380 work.

After 15 years in the radio scanning hobby on and off, it had lost some of its appeal to me; you can only hear so many taxi drivers calling for jobs or a rubbish removal company talking about bin pickups before you get sick of it. As I work during the day my scanning time is limited to a night time during the week or of a weekend, while you can sometimes hear interesting things during these times most of the radio traffic I am interested in happens during the day, while I am at work. As shortwave and medium wave broadcasting is a 24/7 business at any time of the day or night I can be comfortable that I will be able to pick up something of interest. In late 2013 I was quite sick and this has seen me take some time off work, even with having the whole day to myself for a couple of weeks on and off I still was not happy with what I was able to hear on my scanners. If I was not happy in a situation like this when I have the time to do it then I finally decided that I never really would be happy in that hobby.

Photography:
My various portable ultralight DXing sessions have allowed me to take some photos / videos which I have found really enjoyable. This also gives me a chance / excuse to get outside which is a positive for my health.

Computers / Programming:
I have always had a serious interest in computers (it is also my job) and programming. Ultralight DXing lets me continue with this due to my database I have created. I also enjoy the data analyst side of the hobby and again this is something I can do from home when I am unable to go out.

Writing:
The ultralight DXing hobby gives me a good reason to continue writing as I produce my reports from each of my sessions. I also communicate with various people online via forums and Yahoo groups and run my blog.

It was not until late 2013 that I really got serious about this hobby, the kindness and support I have received from many on the ultralight DXing group and other groups / forums have been very much appreciated. This is especially true for Gary who is a real asset to this hobby, even to the point of modifying radios for people all across the world including myself.

Ultralight DXing is the perfect hobby for me, it combines a number of my interests and it has been one of the main reasons I have been able to drag myself out from my illness and become the person who I used to be again.

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Review - Digitech AR-1733 DSP MW/FM/LW/SW/Air World Band Radio Receiver

Review - Digitech AR-1733 DSP MW/FM/LW/SW/Air World Band Radio Receiver
Written by Paul Blundell - October 2012Updated March 2014 

Yesterday I walked in to my local Jaycar outlet and spotted this radio which had only just been placed on the shelf. Being quite involved in the Ultralight dxing hobby I am a big fan of these types of cheaper pocket size radios, for the cost which is between $30 and $60 they respect good value.

The specs of this radio are:
FM: 87.5MHz - 108 MHz
AM (MW): 522 - 1620 kHz (9K) / 520 - 1710 kHz (10K)
SW: 2300 - 26100 kHz
LW: 153 - 279 kHz
AIR: 118 - 137 MHz

500 programmable memory bank
Sleep timer 
Manual, auto and preset station search
Battery indicator
Lock button
Requires 2 x A batteries
Dimensions: 120W x 75H x 20D mm 

After getting home and opening the box I was quite impressed by the size, it is a dead ringer for the AR1745 and looks to even use the same style case only with a couple of different buttons on the front and side. 
Starting with the front panel the normal 0-9 number keys are nicely spaced and serve a dual purpose, they both allow you to enter frequencies and also recall memories from the PAGE memory system. The 0 key also allows switching between 9 and 10kHz steps on the medium wave band when the key is held for 3 seconds or more. The first thing I noticed is that the keys are much easier to press, a common issue with the AR1745 is that the keys take a lot of pressure to register the key press, this is not a problem with the AR-1733. 

Moving on to the other 9 keys on the front panel, these all have multiple functions which the owners guide explains well. The top red button is the power button; a tap turns the radio on. A short press while the AR-1733 is on cycles through the sleep timer of various times, a longer press turns the AR-1733 off. Below this is the key lock button, a short press enables the keypad lock and a longer press disables this. Next are the two arrow keys, these keys move up and down the bands in the default "fast" steps. 

Starting at the top bedside these is the AM BW / 12/24H / FM ST key. On the AM bands this key selects either the wide or narrow DSP setting. On the FM band it enables / disables the FM Stereo option. Pressing and holding this key while the power is off changes between 12 and 24 hour time display. Below this is the PAGE / ALARM key. Pressing this key when the AR-1733 is on scrolls between the pages of the memory system, when off it allows the alarm clock to be set. The final key on this row is the CHARGE METER / AIR SQUELCH key, this key is used to control the onboard charging system which I have not used. If the AR-1733 is on the air band this key controls the squelch setting between off, 1 - 9. I run mine on 1 and this seems to work well. 

The last two multi function keys are the FREQ / T.SET and BAND / ATS keys which are either side of the 0 key. Pressing the FREQ key allows you to use the keypad to set the receive frequency, pressing and holding this allows you to set the time on the AR-1733. Pressing the band key cycles between the receive bands, LW, MW, SW, AIR & FM. Holding this key enables the "Auto Tuning System" (which is not covered at all in the manual) this system searches the current band and saves any active frequencies to the pages memory system for that band. I ran this on the SW band and it found quite a few active stations which you can scroll through with the keypad. 

Moving on to the right side panel you have the volume control and the tuning wheel, at first I could not work out how to use this until I tried pressing it in, this switches between slow, fast and stop. The left side panel has a 3.5mm ear phone socket and a USB charging socket which takes a normal mini A type connector to charge the batteries.

The screen is automatically back lighted every time you press a key or turn the tuning knob for about 5 seconds. The screen also has a 3 segment battery meter and a 9 segment signal meter.

Now on to how it works. My test bed for last night was sitting in my lounge chair with our LCD TV on, my wife on her laptop and my laptop charging but not switched on. I repeated the same tests later in the night with all these switched off and the results were the same. Firstly I started on the air band and after programming in the various ATC and company frequencies I have a listen to these, while the AR-1733 does not have any sort of scan system you can use the keypad to change frequencies by pressing the key for each memory. I have 118.7MHz in mem 1, 123.45MHz in mem 2 and so on up to130.35MHz in mem 0. By pressing 1 I can tune to 118.7MHz or pressing 3 brings up 123.8MHz. The audio for this is quite good and I can just hear the ATIS on 134.75MHz. Even running my laptop right beside the radio I have not found any problems with the frequencies in this band I normally listen to. The squelch has a short tail noise and this is not at all annoying.

Next was the FM broadcast band, all our normal stations were received and sounded as good as I have ever heard them.

I have little experience with the long wave band so I have not looked at this yet. 

Using the ATS on the shortwave band about 11pm last night found about 74 stations between 2300 kHz and 14500 kHz. These sounded good with the wide DSP setting but much better with the narrow DSP setting. I have little experience with the shortwave bands. The various time stations on 5000kHz and 10000kHz were both nice and clear with much tighter audio with the narrow DSP setting.

Moving on to the Medium wave band which is where I spend most of my time in a 1 hour period I logged 77 stations including two new ones which I had never logged before. The DSP really "cleaned up" the signals and comparing it beside the AR1745 it was much easier to hear multiple stations on the AR-1733. Scrolling between frequencies with the tuning knob was a pleasure and except for the slight break in audio as the DSP kicks in on each frequency it was a smooth process. I have a 5KW station on 1008kHz on the other side of town from me and normally this takes out most stations about 30kHz either side, with the AR-1733 using the narrow DSP setting I was able to copy stations on 981kHz and 1026kHz easily. Trying the same on the AR1745 didn't hear anything except the station on 1008kHz. 

For a radio costing less than $60 it is hard to fault it, everything works as you would expect and using it can only be described as a pleasure. They have really gotten this one right.

Update - March 2014
After my original AR-1733 died recently (due to external forces, nothing to do with the radio itself) I was tempted to look at a different radio to replace this. After checking online and some stores locally nothing came close to this for the features I wanted and price, based on this I purchased another AR-1733.

After 18 months of use my original AR-1733 was working as well as the day I got it. After doing some side by testing between my new AR-1733 and my 7.5” Loopstick Tecsun PL-380 the results are consistent with what I experienced with my previous AR-1733.  The audio quality of the AR-1733 has a slight edge, where as the PL-380 has a clear advantage with signal levels and the ability to pull in weak signals, a station that is an easy copy on the PL-380 can be a mixed bag on the AR-1733, sometimes the AR-1733 won’t hear anything, other times very little separates them. 

The advantages of the AR-1733 is VHF air band coverage and the ability to lock the tuning steps to 9kHz on the medium wave broadcast band, this at times can be a huge advantage over the PL-380. The battery life of the AR-1733 is also amazing; I could not recall the last time I had to change the batteries in my original AR-1733. 

Overall both radios are now the main stay in my portable ultralight dxing kit, the Tecsun PL-380 is used for serious dxing and the AR-1733 is used mostly to spot check frequencies such as when tracking down stations carrying the same programming (mostly ABC stations) and also for listening to the VHF air band.

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Over the years I have had a wide range of interests in a few different hobbies. With some of these I have ran blogs about them.

I am now only going to pursue the ultralight radio dxing hobby, so moving forward this will be my only blog. All my previous blogs will redirect to here for a period of time, in the next few months I will be taking them offline. Please update your bookmarks and links to point to this blog.

I have also noticed that a few of the names / URL's I have used for some of my previous blogs have been taken over by other people now. This blog https://theultralightradiodxer.blogspot.com is my only blog. I have nothing to do with any other blogs which might use the same names / URL's as I have in the past.

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