Herculodge

Amateur Radio Kit Roundup

 

 

Neil has posted about the resources needed for an amateur radio kit. 

Rare Invicta Ocean Reef 4148 with Red Dial Selling on eBay

 

 

 

I've never seen this Invicta Ocean Reef 4148 before. The red dial looks stunning on the stainless steel silver bezel. A bit pricey however by about $100. 

I continue to believe the Ocean Reef is the best design and build quality Invicta has made for their watches that are priced below $500. I can't speak to their $1,000 plus automatic models since I've never had one. 

I Got Paid by Both eBay Sellers. Now I Hope They Like Their Watches

I got paid within 24 hours from both buyers for their watches. I listed the watches as mint. I couldn't see any blemishes. I hope they arrive in good shape. I don't need any problems. 

Selling stuff on eBay, I find most of the sellers and buyers are decent, but I do feel exposed to predators, frauds, and mountebanks. 

J & R Selling the Sangean U3 for $100.99 Plus Free Shipping Via Amazon

 

 

This is the best price I've seen on the Sangean U3. I get great AM and FM with mine. Some people say it's too bass-heavy, but I like the sound. 

My wife took mine and uses it mainly as a speaker for educational presentations. I may have to get another one. 

Brian Compares His Sangean WR-11 Against His WR-1 and Tivoli Model One

(Re-post)

 

 

I received my Sangean WR-11 today, and decided to put it up to my usual tests.  I found it fared quite well, and almost identical to the older WR-1.  The WR-11's FM tuning dial was quite inaccurate, so I ended up opening the radio up and aligning the FM section.  The AM tuning was much more accurate, so I didn't touch the AM section.  While I had it open, I snapped a couple of pictures, plus a comparison of the insides of my Tivoli Model One.  

The first picture simply shows the Tivoli and the two Sangean radios.  If I had thought about it, I would've brought in my Boston Acoustics Receptor and added it to the picture...

This second and third pictures show the WR-11 and Model One opened up.  Notice the ferrite rod antenna on the WR-11, while the Model One has an internal loop antenna instead of a ferrite rod.

  

 

The next two pictures compare the speakers found in the Tivoli (shorter one on the left) and the Sangean (taller one on the right).

Notice the heavy shielding around the magnet of the Sangean's speaker.  This speaker is improved from the one found in the older WR-1.  The WR-1 came with an unshielded paper cone speaker.  The same goes for the Tivoli's speaker.  The WR-11, however, comes with a shielded polypropylene cone speaker.  The newer speaker has produces smoother sounding bass and less shrill treble.  Out of curiosity, I assembled the WR-11 with the Tivoli speaker, and the bass was much muddier than with the polypropylene speaker.  I did the same thing with the speaker from the WR-1, and it was much better than the Tivoli speaker, and almost as good as the polypropylene speaker from the WR-11.  The overall sound quality of the Sangeans is better than the Tivoli, plus the Tivoli's amplifier produces a hiss that is quite noticeable when listening at soft volumes, while the Sangeans are completely quiet.

As far as reception is concerned, The WR-1 and WR-11 both perform better than my Model One, being both more selective and less prone to drift.  The two Sangeans were nearly identical on all of my usual weak stations, while the Tivoli sometimes trailed behind due to interference from second adjacent stations.    There was never an instance where the Tivoli outshined the Sangeans.  The AM reception on the WR-11 may be slightly better than on the older WR-1, though I still find that my older portables are slightly cleaner with distant stations.  It is quite clear that FM reception and sound quality is the main emphasis of the Sangean table radios.  Surprisingly, my Tivoli sounded slightly better on weak AM stations, due to using the optional external loop antenna plugged in to the back.  The Tivoli external loop disconnects the internal loop, while there is no way to disconnect the internal ferrite antennas on the Sangean radios.  The problem with the Tivoli is that it won't stay on frequency when listening to AM, so listening to AM on the Tivoli can be frustrating.  

Overall, the Sangean WR-11 shows some minor improvements over the WR-1, and consistently outperforms the Tivoli Model One.

Brian

 

eBay Buyer with High Rating Hasn't Paid Me Yet: Did He Bid for the Thrill of It?

I wonder if some eBay buyers are more like gambling addicts. They bid for the thrill but have no intent to pay.

eBay should charge a $50 deposit, refunded if the buyer doesn't win. Or the money can go toward a winning bid. A deposit of $50 or a percentage of the product cost would cut down on these eBay thrill-seekers. 

Final Thoughts:

How could this buyer have a perfect rating? Are these ratings inflated?

Update:

Buyer paid through PayPal after a day. Not bad. I'm new to this eBay selling drama. 

At 215, I No Longer Snore

 

 

Carrie says she no longer hears a bear snorting bated breath next to her at night since my weight down to 215 (from 235 back in February) seems to have quelled the snoring hirsute creature.

On a related note our dog Gretchen who sleeps in our bed no longer snores either. Carrie theorizes that Gretchen, who is attuned to everything I do and lives to imitate my life, snores or does not snore, depending on my cues. 

I don't have any weightloss secrets. I cut my processed carbs and sugars out of my diet by 90%. 

Manly Watch Deal of the Day: Fila Abissi Diver for $89 and Free Shipping

 

 

Exceptional price on this 50mm Fila Abissi. 

Manly Watch Sighting: Pulsar PF3737 Pilot with 48mm Case Diameter

 

 

 

Amazon is selling this Pulsar PF3737 for $138, not a bad price for a watch with this bold, aggressive look. Pulsar is made by the reputable Seiko. 

Amazon Selling the CCRadio-EP for $64.95 and Free Shipping

 

 

Gary has apprised us of this price break on the CCRadio-EP.