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**Russ-PA** · 02-21-2009, 01:53 PM

First thing - don't expect it to do much without a good outdoor antenna. I found that on the APS9, it was about identical in sensitivity and selectivity to either of my two analog tuners, and that's not a bad thing at all. If I cared about listening to the FM digital streams that would have been good. But also don't expect to be able to suddenly DX on first adjacents to strong locals unless a good analog tuner already can.

In short, it's all about expectations. It is an excellent tuner, in a small package at a great price. But I was hoping it would perform far better with a small indoor dipole or rabbit ears than it did because otherwise I didn't have a lot of use for another tuner.

**cd637299** · 02-21-2009, 02:40 PM

Well, adjacents aren't much of a problem....because for the most part, IBOC has killed them. There are only 2 or 3 Miami area FMs without it.

Indeed, I have the outdoor antenna at the ready. It'll be nice to see RDS readouts. As far as the subchannels, I've seen what iBiquity has to offer, and it certainly isn't the main reason I got this rx.

As far as alternatives to bland terrestrial radio, worldwide Internet radio is the place to be! It also may be the main reason that XM/Sirius is in "sirius" trouble.

Now for the day we have reasonably priced Internet radio in cars....

cd

**Jim Thomas** · 02-21-2009, 03:51 PM

Chris,

I bought one last summer and as Russ says, with an outside antenna, it is awesome for a stock radio. I am using an APS 13 at 12' above the ground. I used to have my antenna at about 30'. I have a couple 100kw stations less than 20 miles from my qth. I found that lowering the antenna helped considerably with adjacent channel interference, although this Sony in stock condition, has awesome selectivity anyway. I can't wait for the first really big Es opening of the year to see how it performs.

I don't worry much about tropo here in the dry air of the Mountain west. I rarely ever see tropo here anyway, so the height of the antenna is no concern for that mode of propagation. I've also seen really good results with meteor scatter, and keeping the antenna closer to the ground really helps. I really think you're going to like the Sony.

Please report back here after you've taken it on a 'test drive'! :jump:

**KW4RZ** · 02-21-2009, 05:58 PM

Originally posted by cd637299 View Post

Hi

Well finally, thank the Lord that we came into some money today, so after waiting for months, I broke down & ordered this Sony XDR-F1HD that has been so talked about.

I ordered it from Amazon for under $90 w/ free shipping....hopefully I will get it in 2 weeks.

Though I have skimmed thru some of the threads about the rx, does anyone have anything to add for me.....things that I should take advantage of, or even beware of?

Will its RDS be helpful on decent enough Tr/Es openings? Do FM stations in Central America/Latin America use RDS? That sure would help me a lot....

Any help would be appreciated.

cd

I've been using one since last June. the RDS and HD do help in identifying stations when they are strong enough. The only thing I don't like about the Sony is the audio quality is not so hot on the weaker stations compared to my Denon TU1500RD.

I've noted just a few Central Americans with RDS. 88.7 Globo FM in Honduras, 90.1, 103.3 Guatemala City. A few Caribbeans, 95.3 Radio Enciclopedia Cuba, and a few other Cubans, 102.9 Raices FM Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 89.9 KLAS-FM Jamaica.

Many Mexico stations have RDS now.

**cd637299** · 02-21-2009, 06:33 PM

Randy,

Yes I forgot about "Enciclo" & Rebelde as well in Cuba....Both should still have RDS.

Also, glad u mentioned Raices 102.9. Never heard it, but there was a great "kiss-up" on the station in the radio-info.com board. They mentioned a streaming link. Think I will give it a listen later. Apparently one of the last of the "beautiful music" stations, especially in Latin America. Even Enciclopedia can "rock out" instrumentally when they wanna. Heard a "B/EZ" version of Santana's "Smooth," almost exactly the same as the vocal.

cd

**Jim Thomas** · 02-21-2009, 07:52 PM

And Chris - here is one of the funniest covers of "Smooth" I have ever heard, since you brought up the song title. Its courtesy of Ryan Hopak and His Happy Chinchillas, titled "Tribal Council", right here on WTFD-A Radio.

**cd637299** · 02-21-2009, 09:04 PM

Thanx for the mp3. I don't watch Survivor, but I get it.....

cd

**Danny** · 03-14-2009, 09:38 AM

OK, I bought an XDR-F1HD from Amazon. It arrived yesterday.

Mike B suggested buying a RS mini-amp on ebay. Unfortunately, I've never had a lot of luck with bidding on ebay items. Therefore, I'm open to other *inexpensive* solutions.

What about amplified speakers or a Pyle mini-amp from Beach Audio? Will I need adapters for the cables and connections?

Here is a link to the Pyle amp:
http://www.beachaudio.com/Pyle/Pca1pyle-p-155750.html#

Many thanks.

**Jim Thomas** · 03-14-2009, 11:44 AM

What about speakers? Or are you going to route it through the PC speakers?

If so, you could skip the audio amp, route it directly through a PC's sound card, and out the PC speakers. This would also give you the advantage of having audio software to record your dx (which a good majority of the FM dxers do now). Doing it that way makes it available to post audio clips on this forum of unID'd dx.

(Edit: Danny, if you choose to use a stand-alone amp, I have a 20 watt RS amp that's in great shape that I could send you.)

**Guest** · 03-14-2009, 02:45 PM

Sony XDR-F1HD

This Sony and it's tabletop brother the S3 are THE reason I switched from a casual in the car DXer to a full time home DXer. Living in Philadelphia just 8 miles from the antenna farm has obliterated most of the dial with front end overload.

I first bought the tabletop S3 model with built in speakers at Best Buy on closeout for $49 in June of 2008 I found it had the same hot receiver everyone was talking about with amazing selectivity. It's the ONLY radio I've ever owned to not get trashed by the local Philly stations. Since then I bought another S3 and two F1s when they had the rebates from Ibiquity last year.

As many in the forum know, I post nearly all of my DX catches on my website. If you take a look there cd637299, you'll see what I've gotten during DX events since owning the Sonys. Keep in mind that I've only been using the included dipole strung on the outside of a window converted to RG-59 running to the radio.

The results have been outstanding. If you have no provisions for a good antenna, string what you have in the highest floor open window away from lights and other electronics. Over the course of listening for several weeks or months, you will be suprised at what you get.

As Randy mentioned, I am not fond of the radio's ability to pull out a sustained weak signal. Early morning weak tropo signals have a tendency to get a garbled unintelligible sound to them. Sometimes it is useless to listen to until the signal level gets above a certain level.

The radio is amazing at getting Meteor Scatter. When recording audio, the Sony's weak signal muting feature (which is annoying to many) is a benefit to me during Ms since it is very easy to notice the spikes on recorded waveforms with WavePad.

The RDS is adequate, however it takes a decent signal and some time to get a lock. The Denon is much quicker.

The last bit of advice I will give is to add thick rubber feet to the bottom of the Sony F1. It runs very hot. Adding some height between the table and the bottom of the radio helps with air convection to keep things a bit cooler. FYI, the Sony S3 tabletop actually has a fan in it to keep the chipset cool. I guess portable HD devices are a ways off as the decode chip pulls some current.

Enjoy the radio. Never in the history of DXing has there been a radio that performs so well, with so many features, for such a low price. That's a statement that is tough to dispute.

Happy DX'ing

**Danny** · 03-14-2009, 05:05 PM

Thanks for the comments.

I think the old-fashioned way, using an amp and cheap speakers, would be best for now.

Jim, I am interested in buying your amp. Thanks.

**cd637299** · 03-14-2009, 05:56 PM

I noticed that some of our HD2's are on-again-off-again.....and it makes ya wonder how many complaints that the stations are getting.

2 weeks, and outside of my discovery that W296AN Marathon is more common that I thought, nothing much new, except that I notice a pirate on 95.9, probably in Miami, very weak.....

If Tr to the W or NW (WCTQ) won't get in the way, I see that 106.5 is the clearest freq. for me. There is a new station in Nassau Bahamas, Star 106.5. I was told by an employee there that they run 5 kW (like most of the others there), and non-directional............Funny, but I have not heard a Bahamian FM from home since about 1999! From the FL Keys, it is much easier. But I figure Star to be the easiest catch now, tho' I have yet to hear it.

cd

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