Herculodge

Courage, Integrity, and a Distaste for BS Compel Andrea Seabrook to Quit Her NPR Washington Assignment

In an economy like this it's hard to imagine quitting your high-ranking job. But that's what former NPR reporter Andrea Seabrook did. 

She explained today on KPCC's Brand and Martinez that the "false debates," political theater, and BS was too much to bear. She'd rather uncover the real truth of Washington politics in her new blog and podcast Decoding DC.

A tip of the hat to Seabrook. I wish her all the success. 

New Long-Term Study Shows Teens Who Smoke Pot Lose Major IQ Points

Apologists for chronic pot smoking and those who see pot as a natural panacea brought by some pungent Earth Mother won't like the news of this new study, which I heard about on KPCC's Brand and Martinez. 

The lead researcher of this study is Madeline Meier, psychologist at Duke University.

Invicta Subaqua Specialty 6903 Gives No Lume on the Hands

 

First off, I get a lot of compliments on this Invicta Subaqua Specialty 6903, mostly for its massive case, sometimes called jokingly as a "weapon." The lume on the indices is very bright. However, while wearing it this evening I noticed again there is no lume on the hour and minute hands. I noticed this when I first got it, but thought that light exposure would fix this. I was wrong. 

Either this is by design (a very bad design) or quality control problems. Either way, I'm very disappointed have to demote my 6903 under the category "Fashion Watch."

Another nod to my reliable Seiko Black Monster, a true watch. 

Avo Finds the Sangean WFR-28/28D to be a Disappointment

Just a heads up on the Sangean WFR-28/28D. After many months of enquiring and waiting, I found a unit at a local electrical outlet. The Australian model is white and has the DAB unit installed. All I can say about the unit is that I am a little disappointed.

Compared to my Pure One Flow the FM performance is, well, bad. Internal CPU noise is quite prevalent on FM (I tested this with both the supplied switch mode power adapter and D cell batteries - no difference) and sensitivity is pretty shocking. From my Sydney location surrounded by hills, the Pure One Flow can receive Wollongong commercial (10-30kW at around 90km) and Newcastle national (100-150kW at around 110km) with decent quieting and on a good day stereo and RDS. The Sangean just pops and crackles on these frequencies. Even semi-local stations are noisy with no RDS. The Pure's sensitivity is nearly as good as a test Tecsun 390 I have around. Selectivity is pretty good too although can't match the DSP in the Tecsun.

Additionally, the Xenif chipset in the One Flow allows tuning the FM band without any mute/chuff - nice for semi-DXing.

DAB reception however on the Sangean is better to the point of being able to walk around my apartment without it dropping out. The Pure is not so good on DAB - but not bad either. Internet performance is the same on both except that the Pure Lounge is easier to use and more customizable. Frontier Silicon's web portal seems outmoded compared to the Pure Lounge. 

As an aside, I originally got into DAB with a Pure Evoke Flow. It looked very nice and the OLED display is much much better than the LCD ones on the One Flow and Sangean. However, FM and DAB performance was not as good as the cheaper One Flow and quality control was an issue. Constant CPU freezes were common on all the units I had. After 3 units in 4 months (including the last replacement DOA), I chose the cheaper Pure One and haven't looked back.

Matt LeBlanc Sporting Some Manly Watches on Showtime's Episodes

Not only is Episodes the best written comedy I've ever seen, it features Matt LeBlanc playing a different version of himself while sporting some ridiculously expensive watches and I mean expensive in a good way. I think he's wearing a Breitling. 

Enduring Power of the Seiko Black Monster

Make up your mind, dude. I'm talking about the Seiko Black Monster. In spite of its name, it's the smallest watch in my collection, 41mm across the bezel, 46mm including the crown.

It's my only automatic watch. This is not the self-winding variety either. You have to move it. What a baby. But it's nice to have one automatic. You hear car enthusiasts talking about being one with the car when driving a manual. Similar to having a watch that requires kinetic movement. 

The good news is the movement is famous for its sturdiness and is known to need little servicing if any at all. 

What's embarrassing is my current Seiko Black Monster is my third. I got rid of the first two, but keep coming back to it. It's one of my favorite watches of all time in terms of looks and build quality. 

This one I'm keeping. What's different this time? Part of is I realize how much I like it. Another part is I had my watch dealer remove only one link, not the usual two. Looser is better on these. In the past, the two-link removal made the belly of my wrist sensitive to irritation at the clasp point. I'm experiencing no irritation with only one link removed. 

I purchased this one from a reputable eBay dealer from Florida. The cost was $200. The Seiko arrived with bracelet and came with the rubber strap as well. 

Much of this watch's appeal is the non-radioactive lume on the dial. You can't beat it in terms of looks and performance. 

Man, do I love Seikos. I'd love to get some Arcturas and a Velatura in my collection. Time to sell some more Invictas maybe? Or face the irony: Invicta sometimes uses Seiko movements. 

Rarely Used GE Super Radio II with Box and Papers Bidding on eBay

 

 

 

 

This GE SRII could bid high, perhaps over $150 when all is said and done. Hey, GE, can you please re-make this for today's market? 

KGO 810 Radio Lost Its Soul

I grew up listening to KGO 810 radio in my teens. It was always a source of comfort for me when I'd visit my family decades later in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Recently, I was up north, I turned to KGO and realized the station had been gutted of its charm and personality. It's now an impersonal news machine, and a not very good one at that. I'm sure money is behind the story. 

My disappointment isn't alone. Radio Survivor writes about the many complaints in reaction to the change. Even the Huffington Post writes about the outrage. 

What Really Matters for Good AM Reception Is Not Mere Ferrite Size

 

I agree with Shawn:

The size of an ferrite antenna doesn't matter as much as other issues like internal noise, selectivity, and sensitivity. In fact, having too much antenna can be a burden and lead to overload and too much background noise. And ferrites are way over-rated, give me a 50 long wire antenna pointed in the right direction with a radio with good gain control will easily beat any ferrite on the planet.

Re-Post: Setting the Record Straight on Ferrite Antennas: 200mm on the Grundig S350

 

I've been seeing a marked superiority in my two digital 200mm-ferrite equipped radios, my CCR-2 and my Sangean PR-D5, over my other radios (not including vintages, many of which include 200mm ferrites) and this made Ed question if a 200mm ferrite guaranteed superior AM reception. No, it does not. While many readers praise the AM reception of the Grundig S350, for me the S350 has too much background noise on the AM band (though a great FM performer). So while I suspect a 200mm ferrite usually serves a radio well, it does not, as Ed correctly points out, insure premium reception. I have Gary to thank for bringing me the following specs on the Redsun 2100 and Grundig S350:

 

From the redsun-shortwave-radios Yahoo group:

Gary: How long is the ferrite bar in the RP2100 and its variants?

Stephan: It's about 15 cm / 6", IIRC (Sony 7600 / YB400 ballpark).

 

From eham.net:

 

 

 

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3112?page=6

"I have the Tecsun version BCL-2000 [similar to the S350] and this is an outstanding portable. In MW the sensitivity [with its 8 inches ferrite rod] is better than the Sat 800 and DX-398, similar with the Sony ICF 2010 and CCradio plus."

 

Herculodge Conclusion:

 

Why spend $140 on the Redsun 2100, now rebranded as the C.Crane CSW, and get the 6-inch ferrite when you can get the 8-inch on the $100 Eton/Grundig S350DL? For me the S350 was mediocre on AM, but the CSW is even MORE mediocre, at least for my own experience. For AM reception, no modern radios come close to the CCR-2 and the PR-D5. Yes, they have 200mm ferrites and yes the S350, praised by many for its AM, has a 200mm also, but for me the S350 is not so impressive.