UFO's in Fact and Fiction

I always have had an interest in UFO's.

I'm not sure how much I actually believe in them, but the first book I ever bought was about UFO's, and I found the subject fascinating.

Over the years my opinion about UFO's and UFO occupants has changed from thinking that they may actually be extraterrestrial in origin to believing that they are more paranormal in nature.

One of the books I recently re-read, Jacques Vallee's "Messengers Of Deception", hints that this paranormal nature of UFO's and UFO phenomena may indeed be the case. Vallee is one of the preeminent UFOlogists -- in fact, he was the template for one of the characters in the famous movie "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind". Vallee believes that UFO's are paranormal in nature -- he even equates them to fairies in one of his books "Passport To Magonia". He doesn't say that UFO aliens are fairies, but he talks about the similarities in the way such beings appear and disappear, the similarities in the way they treat humans, and the like.

In "Messengers Of Deception", Vallee suggests that the entire UFO phenomenon is rife with deception: it's possible that the US government is involved, using the phenomenon as a form of disinformation; the UFO occupants -- if they indeed come from other planets -- seem also to be agents of disinformation. In "Revelations", one of Vallee's later books, Vallee hints that such famous UFO incidents as the one in Bentwaters, UK, during the 1980's was possibly a military disinformation scheme.

In his series of books, Vallee takes apart the UFO phenomenon bit by bit, and much of the UFO phenomenon simply does not add up unless it is supernatural in character. If anyone wants to read his books on UFO's, "Messengers Of Deception" is probably the best one to start with. His book "Revelations" is also very good. It has a section on the way that the human mind can easily be fooled into believing something is fact, when it probably isn't. Vallee, who was one of the first scientists to look into the UFO phenomenon during the 1960's, is a skeptic, but he isn't a UFO debunker. The phenomenon is very real -- but it's defining what it actually is that is the problem.

"Messengers Of Deception", originally published in 1979, unfortunately does not seem to be available in eBook form, but is available in paper book form on Amazon for various prices. Apparently Vallee's eBook "Dimensions" covers much of the same material.

Over this summer I read two other books -- and part of a third -- that dealt with the UFO phenomena.

"Area 51" by Robert Doherty is a fast paced fiction book -- an easy read that is based on the idea that the U.S. government discovered an alien mothership buried deep in a mountainside in Nevada, and the mothership could possibly destroy much of the Earth. Naturally, the main character -- an ex Special Forces dude -- tries to save the day. "Area 51" being just the first of a series of books, I don't know whether the ex Special Forces dude ultimately saves the Earth from blowing up or not (the end of the book leaves you hanging on that point). But as Doherty is on the fifth or sixth book of the series, so it seems like the ex Special Forces dude probably did. :-)

Like the other books in Doherty's "Area 51" series, "Area 51" is available online in eBook form.

Another book I recently read (re-read, actually) was a book I found at a thrift store in the early 2000's: "Genesis", by W. A. Harbinson. From the cover and the title you wouldn't think the book was a fascinating story about Nazi UFO's and Nazi bases in Antarctica -- but that's what the book's storyline is about: an American scientist from the 1890's manages to work with Goddard, and then the Nazis, and then the U.S. government after WW2 is over -- he invented the airships seen in American skies in the 1890's, and then much later on he helped the Nazis invent the flying saucer. Then the technology was brought to the U.S. after the war.  Meanwhile, the Nazis escape to a secret base in Antarctica.... you get the idea.

It's a well-written book, and the most fascinating part of it is the 13 page appendix at the end of the book, where the author informs the reader of the facts behind the book:  the Nazis were indeed working on a flying saucer, and there is evidence that some of them tried to escape to Antarctica -- although it's possible they actually were headed to Argentina, where many were found years later. There are some strange stories about massed U.S. forces heading for Antarctica after World War Two was over. There, of course, are enough strange facts about U.S. secret programs to form the basis for hundreds of conspiratorial books, but the facts that Harbinson used for "Genesis" are quite telling.

Harbinson has several books out that continue the "Genesis" story, including the pictured "Inception: Projekt Saucer", which continues the "Genesis" story. Most of Harbinson's series are available on Amazon in eBook form. I'm trying to finish his second book,  "Projekt Saucer", as I write this. Both "Genesis" and "Inception: Projekt Saucer" are available for sale online in eBook form.

Another book that I'm including in this post is one that I read a long time ago, called "Above Top Secret" (the book pictured at top of this blog post), by Timothy Good, a British journalist and writer. If there is one book about the UFO subject that doesn't do much speculation, but just gives the facts as we know them, this book is IT. It has government documents, news stories, and well documented accounts included that make you wonder about what really is going on with the UK and US governments and UFO's. The most fascinating story is one where a family suffered radiation poisoning as they drove near a UFO that was flaming through the Texas sky. The UFO, which appeared to be malfunctioning, was under the escort of several US military Chinook helicopters.

Good has written several books since this one -- and I have one of them, "Alien Contact" -- but I think this "Above Top Secret" is his best work. "Alien Contact" goes further into the UFO phenomenon than "Above Top Secret" -- both books include illustrations and photocopies of excised U.S. government documents -- making for fascinating reading.

Unfortunately, neither "Above Top Secret" nor its sequel "Alien Contact" are apparently available in eBook form -- but they are available online in used paperback.

I'm not a voracious reader like some people, but I do read a lot. Mostly what I read is non-fiction -- a fiction book really has to be fast paced and full of action and interesting storylines to keep my attention. Or, if it has some historical significance, I'll read it. Right now I'm trying to finish "Growth of The Soil / Markens Grøde" by Norwegian author Knut Hamsun. It's a fascinating book about pioneers in the northern part of Norway. The book has an incredible amount of heart in it -- both in the writing style, and the characters.

Aside from Hamsun and a few books on the Irish fairy faith (notably three books by Irish fairy expert and PhD Bob Curran), most of what I've read since the summer has been books like the ones in this post.

I'm not a paranormal nut, but UFO's (and other paranormal subjects) often make for impressive fiction. If you're interested in reading fiction that has a lot of cool conspiratorial UFO stuff thrown in, the fiction books pictured in this post are all good. And if you want a good take on what UFO's really seem to be about, then Good's "Above Top Secret" and Vallee's "Messengers Of Deception" are excellent books that don't go way out into the ozone like some UFO books do.

Radio Shack's Superadio clone -- the OPTIMUS 12-603

THE STORY OF A RADIO SHACK SUPERADIO CLONE

The Radio Shack Optimus 12-603, a 1990's era Superadio-style radio. I took this pic while the radio was actually playing a station, either local 1590 KLFE or 1600 KVRI, which plays South Asian music.

Being a radio nut, I have a few radios, as is obvious from my posts here on my blog about them. And one of the classic radios used for MW/AM radio listening and AM band and FM band DXing (distance listening) is the GE Superadio.

I have several Superadios: a Superadio 1, a Superadio II, and a working and non-working GE Superadio III (my working SRIII is a very good performer -- the non-working one was hit by saltwater when I took it on a boat once). The GE Superadio was produced from 1979 until the early 2000's some time -- GE sold the brand to RCA, and some of those Superadios were a bit hit-and-miss. But the early ones, from 1996 and earlier, were as good as AM and FM gets. The only thing missing was stereo on FM. The audio was excellent, battery life terrific, and the radios would pull in any station worth hearing.... Well, almost.

At the time of the Superadio's heyday there weren't many, if any, competitors. Some boomboxes were good sounding on both the AM and FM bands, and pulled in distant stations, but aside from that, the Superadio was about it if you wanted a good sounding, high-performance radio for the house, jobsite, emergencies, or to take camping.

A close up of the Optimus 12-603's tuning dial. A bit more high resolution 'log scale' than the GE Superadio III's dial. 'Log scale' dials were used in analog days when dials could be off by 10 or 20 KHz or more, and the ruler like 'log scale' provided a bit more accuracy for logging the station's dial position in a log book. Most people just ignored the 'log scale' and memorized where the stations were. :-)

ENTER THE OPTIMUS!

Some time in the mid 1990's, when Grunge was still king, conservative talk began to rule the MW/AM daytime radio airwaves, and Art Bell was THE nighttime radio show here in the U.S., Radio Shack came out with a new "super radio" of their own, the Optimus 12-603. The official name for the radio was "Tuned RF AM-FM Extended Range Receiver", which was written along the top of the radio. A classy looking black badge with OPTIMUS across the front of it graced the lower left corner of the grille.

Optimus was Radio Shack's brand name for at least some of their stereo and audio equipment, and with this particular radio the Shack decided to put that brand name on an AM/FM radio -- temporarily ditching the Realistic brand name.

When the 12-603 came out, a lot of DXers thought that perhaps the Optimus 12-603 was a GE Superadio in Radio Shack labelling. After all, the two radios look similar: a large black case, big tuning knob on the right side of the case, three silver slide switches on the front (Wide/Narrow, AFC, and AM/FM bandswitch -- just like the GE Superadio III), and three audio controls (Treble, Bass and Volume -- also just like the GE SRIII).

The Optimus had a stylish, sleek looking analog tuning dial, a black metal grille, and the casing was high-impact, black plastic -- which was classic 90's styling. All-black plastic radios were popular in the 1990's. I have a 90's era Panasonic clock radio, a 1991 boombox, a 90's era Sony Walkman, and a few other such electronic gems from that era which all were in black regalia. In this case, the Optimus 12-603 was no different.

The receipt I found in the back of my Optimus. $49 for the radio itself. November, 1996.

A pic of the Radio Shack where I bought my Optimus TRF 'superadio' in 1996. By the time this pic was taken in April, 2018, the store had already closed. :-(

BUYING THE RADIO IN '96

After seeing the radio in the local Radio Shack store (now just an empty storefront, unfortunately), I finally chipped in the $55 to buy one and a set of batteries. I still have the receipt: I bought it on November 5th, 1996.

When I got the radio home, I discovered that although the Optimus was a good radio, it wasn't quite as 'hot' as the GE Superadio. First, the comparative volume was a bit lower, and on the AM band the AGC was a bit tamer than that of the GE Superadio III. The volume between distant stations (like regionals) and local stations was more pronounced. On a GE Superadio, the difference in volume isn't that great between local stations and strong regionals, because Superadios have fairly hot AGC (automatic gain control).

Secondly, on the Optimus, the sensitivity seemed to fall off a bit above 1600. It still brought in local Top Band (X-band) stations, but not as well as the GE SRIII did. The sensitivity and selectivity seemed were good below 1600, though, with the GE SRIII having a definite edge band-wide and a definitely 'hotter' sound overall.

My Optimus 12-603 with the front off. You can see the wires connecting the main PCB (on far right) to the 4 inch, 8 watt capable speaker. The yellow circle is around a small flat-head nail I used to secure the handle after the original plastic peg holding it together broke, a long time ago.

MY REFRIGERATOR RADIO

I used my Optimus from time to time, and then after a while, it fell by the wayside. I took the back off once to try to modify it, after reading about a mod on the internet -- this was probably 2001 or 2002 or so. The mod sucked (made performance worse!), so I undid it, and put the radio back together. I also broke the handle by accident -- I can't remember how or when. I fixed it by supergluing a nail to the inside of the case, to hold on one side of the handle. It still works well that way. :-)

For probably ten years the Optimus was my kitchen 'refrigerator' radio -- mostly unused, gathering dust atop the fridge. Very sad, I know.

Last night, after seeing it up there, covered in dust and some kitchen grime, specks of dirt on the whip antenna, and looking a bit unappreciated and forlorn, I took it down. I cleaned off the dust with a paper towel and spray cleaner, plugged the radio in, and fired it up.

The inside of the Optimus 12-603, with the front off. The main PCB can be seen, with "Super Radio" printed across the top, along with "City", possibly the Chinese manufacturer. The round, metallic device at the upper left corner of the PCB is the tuner control, which was a bit dirty or oxidized, and needed a shot of Deoxit. The main chip, which is the heart of the radio, is the long black rectangle, right center.

IT FIRES UP!

I pressed the power button. And it worked! Tuning was a trick, though. The MW stations in the middle of the dial would lurch and heave and garble -- it was like something was haywire with the tuner, as if it were jumping around incrementally. Obviously, the potentiometer that operates the varactor diode tuning was acting up. Probably dirty, with some oxidation or dust inside. Exercising it helped a little.

Finally, I decided to "fix" the issue the right way: I took the radio's back off and squirted some Deoxit into the control, and worked it back and forth with the tuning knob. Problem solved. In the process, I looked over the radio, and took some pictures of the inside.

Although some of the later, varactor-tuned GE Superadio III's had issues with their tuners, it's not the case apparently with the Optimus 12-603, as they reportedly all had good components inside the tuning circuits. Since I hit my Optimus's varactor tuner pot with Deoxit, I've had no problems.

That said, if you have an Optimus (or GE Superadio) and it hasn't been played in several months, it's a good idea to run the tuner control from 520 to 1700 and back a couple times, to clear any oxidation in the varactor tuning's potentiometer. I've done this with my Optimus periodically after periods where I didn't use it for several months.

A close up shot of the heart of the Optimus radio -- the LA1260 IF chip is circled at top, the UPC1213 AF audio chip is upper right, and the FM Front End chip (amplifies FM before it gets to the main circuits) is circled at lower left.

A REALISTIC TRF CLONE INSIDE -- WITH VARACTOR TUNING

The Optimus is a standard TRF with varactor tuning instead of a tuner capacitor -- in some respects, it appears to be a simpler version of a GE Superadio III. But that's where the resemblance ends. On the inside, it's more like some earlier Radio Shack AM-only DX radios.

In reality, the Optimus 12-603 more resembles the last of the Realistic TRF models -- the Realistic 12-655 and 12-656. It is very similar in circuitry, except the Optimus is varactor tuned, and it has an IF chip instead of discrete transistors in its IF circuits. I have both of the famous TRF models, and the Optimus most resembles the later, 12-656 model -- the Optimus has a similar loopstick (130mm versus the TRF's 140mm), a similar FET RF amp, two IF cans (two stages of IF filtering, versus three in the 12-656), and an AF chip for audio amp and mono audio output (also similar to the 12-656). It has similar selectivity and sensitivity to the 12-656 (the more famous 12-655 was a hotter AM radio).

The 12-603 also is similar to its predecessor, the 12-650 AM-FM TRF, which was a big silver cased thing that had similar circuitry -- the main difference being a bipolar junction transistor in the RF amp stage, different IF chip, and a ceramic filter / IF can combination instead of two IF cans in the IF stages.

The Realistic TRF 12-656, the radio probably used as a template for the MW/AM circuitry in the Optimus 12-603. 130-140mm loopstick, FET RF amp, Converter stage, three IF cans with IF amplification, detector, and into an AF chip for audio. This particular TRF had a tone switch -- the Optimus has two tone controls. The two radios (12-656 and Optimus) perform similarly.

A schematic diagram of the Realistic TRF 12-656. The Optimus circuit is basically similar, except there are connections for varactor tuning, and it uses an IF chip instead of Converter and IF amp transistors. The 12-656 has what appears to be the same 140mm loopstick and one extra IF can (three versus two in the Optimus), and the Optimus has an extra stage of RF amplification in the LA1260 chip. Both have a mono AF audio chip, and mono headphone output. Both have an external antenna connection that is coupled to the loopstick. Unfortunately, there is no schematic available for the Optimus that isn't proprietary, so I can't show it here. One can be found on the Earmark Superadio site linked below in this article.

A schematic diagram of the Realistic 12-650, their first AM-FM competitor to the GE Superadio. It is similar to the Optimus 12-603 which succeeded it. AM, FM (mono), IF chip, although it has three IF stages -- with the 12-650 having an IF can / ceramic filter /  IF can combination instead of two IF cans like the Optimus does. Obviously, there are only so many ways to wire a TRF AM radio. One can say that all of these radios: 650, 603, the earlier TRF's, and the GE Superadios, are all similar. But it looks like Radio Shack merely updated its earlier radios with varactor tuning and a nice, black case to make the Optimus 12-603.

The conclusion I reach is that instead of being a GE Superadio clone, the Optimus is probably more properly described as a Realistic TRF clone! It looks like a combination of earlier Realistic TRF radios, with varactor tuning and an IF chip.

Another major difference for the Optimus, of course, is that it also gets FM, and it has two tone controls, and tunes the MW/AM band as high as 1700 Khz. Perhaps the fact that the Optimus is not as hot above 1600 is a further indication of its Realistic TRF heritage.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE CIRCUITS INSIDE THE OPTIMUS

The IF chip in the Optimus 12-603 is a Sanyo LA1260, which is used in a lot of hot radios (the CCrane EP being one of them). The LA1260 has a fairly robust MW/AM RF amp built inside it, which is probably the reason LA1260 equipped radios work so well on the AM band.

Along with the hot LA1260, the Optimus has an FET transistor for MW/AM RF amp, which gives AM band signals an extra boost. The IF filters consist of two IF 'cans' strung together, which give the radio wider selectivity than a GE Superadio, which has four IF 'cans'. The Optimus's FM section has a 'Front end chip" which I couldn't read. On the net I found info where it said it's an LA1186. Front end chips are used on FM to boost the signals in front of the main chip that operates the radio.

[NOTE: For those not into radio circuits per se, an IF 'can' or filter helps the radio filter and amplify the radio waves. An IF 'can' is a coil, and a ceramic filter is a solid state device that basically does the same thing, except differently. Generally, IF 'cans' have a wider, more pleasing fidelity, whereas ceramic filters are a bit more sharply tuned, and a lot of radio aficionados like to put ceramic filters in their radios to make them pick stations apart better.]

The audio chip is relatively quiet compared to the GE's audio circuit (the Optimus's AF audio chip is a UPC1213).  UPC1213 AF audio chips are rated at anywhere from 1.8 to 2.4 Watts -- which obviously depends on the volts supplied to the chip, and the impedance of the speaker. The clearest guess I have on the UPC1213's output here is that it's putting out 1.3 Watts max (9V, 8 ohms = 1.3W according to the UPC1213 datasheet), because the Optimus has an 8 ohm speaker.

Using three separate chips for the RF, IF, FM and AF functions is different from a GE Superadio, which uses discrete transistors for the FM RF section, a single standard, bipolar junction transistor for the MW/AM RF amp, and a single chip for FM-AM IF and AF.

A pic of the antenna terminals of the Optimus "super radio". The far left terminal is for the AM band. The next connections to the right of it are for FM and Ground, with choices for 300 ohm and 75 ohm FM antenna connections.

The Wide/Narrow switch on the Optimus is for MW/AM only, and it narrows the bandwidth a little bit for DXing. When it is set to wide, it's not as drastic a difference as one encounters with a GE Superadio III, which also has a Wide/Narrow switch.

In some cases, having the Optimus set to 'WIDE' on AM improves the performance and the sensitivity, which is the exact opposite of how it works with a GE Superadio. This is something I discovered by accident after I first wrote this article. So if you have an Optimus and you're running it on "NORMAL" (Narrow filtering), try the 'WIDE' setting.

The Optimus's AF Audio chip, as I said, isn't as loud as a boombox or a GE Superadio -- even though the speaker will handle 8 watts, I think the AF chip is putting out less than a watt. It still gets the job done. The speaker -- a 4 inch one, smaller than a GE Superadio's -- is a good one, and the headphone jack is mono -- so a stereo-to-mono adapter is needed when using stereo headphones.

A pic of the Optimus 12-603's 8 Watt, 8 Ohm speaker, which is capable of handling anything the radio's 1-2 watt AF audio chip can put out.

Overall, the sound is very good on an Optimus, even on the MW/AM band. FM and AM are both rich sounding, and crisp and clear, with the tone controls truly tailoring the sound where desired. The bass cranks audibly, and the treble control can either sweeten the sound or dull the highs where desired. The radio is more crisp sounding and less 'scooped' sounding than a GE Superadio.

One curiosity is the main PCB -- at the top of it, it says "Super Radio" and "City 110396". I am guessing "City" might have been the name of the manufacturer, and "Super Radio" obviously indicated what Radio Shack was trying to emulate with the Optimus.

A pic of the 130mm MW/AM loopstick -- the same size loopstick used in the Realistic TRF 12-656, an earlier Radio Shack TRF model produced 1978-1979 or so.

DX PERFORMANCE -- GOOD, BUT LESS THAN A GE SUPERADIO

Long distance MW/AM band listening on the Optimus is quite good. It's not up to a GE Superadio, but better than a lot of other radios, as it's a TRF.

For example, while typing this, I am listening to KSTP 1500, with clear reception (minor splash from 1510 KGA's hip-hop music just one channel up). Usually KSTP is one of my test stations. If a radio can pull it in from nearly 1400 miles away (2200 km), it's a good radio.

The clarity of sound helps in DXing, as the radio sounds good through its speaker. On DX channels I find I have to turn the volume up over half (sometimes to 3/4 or more) to get a decent read on the station. My other test station is 1570 XERF, a bit farther away at 1700 miles (2730 km). Right now it's barely readable on my Sangean PR-D5, and the Optimus only receives traces of audio on peaks, with some bleedover from 1560 KNZR Bakersfield. XERF comes in (unreadable, but audibly in staticky Spanish) when I add an external loop.

I also heard KXEL Waterloo, Iowa on 1540 Khz, underneath local station KXPA (which plays standards and an eclectic mix of classic hits at night) in its weak spot.

Tonight on the X-band, the Optimus just picks up XEPE 1700 (Mexican Spanish talk) without an external loop. With the loop, it comes in readably, along with a music station just behind it. It's weaker than it should be otherwise, though, as my PR-D5 picks up XEPE, plus two stations behind, just using its 200mm internal antenna.

Also, recently, I have logged KMRI 1550 "La Raza" (in Salt Lake City, Utah) with Ranchero music, and KMPC 1540 Los Angeles with Korean programming -- even without a loop.

An external loop is probably a must for serious Long Distance listening on an Optimus, although below 1600 the Optimus does well on its own. If you use an external loop, the Optimus favors the right side of the radio, or a 'sweet spot' right in front of the '108' on the FM dial (probably where the loopstick's coil is).

A 130mm MW/AM ANTENNA, AND EXTERNAL TERMINALS

I also measured the antenna on the Optimus. It's about 130mm, which is similar to the one the DX-375 has (140mm), and several other good radios, including one of its predecessors (the Realistic TRF 12-656) -- and bigger than some radios like the Sangean ATS-505, 818, etc. (which have 100mm loopsticks).

The Optimus, like the GE Superadio it emulates, also has antenna terminals on the back of it -- for MW/AM and FM. I don't know anyone who has ever used rear terminals with a GE or Optimus radio, but it's nice that they are there, in case one wants to use an outdoor antenna, or beverage antenna on a DXpedition.

Even so, when using the external antenna terminals on the AM band, I would use some sort of diode protection to guard the radio against static discharge -- as the RF amp transistor is an FET, and FET transistors are sensitive to static and can blow if a static discharge hits them, and the 12-603 doesn't seem to have diode protection on the external antenna terminal. The FM antenna terminal seems to have back to back diodes. According to the only schematic I could find, they don't show up on it, but they're clearly visible on the main PCB. AM external antenna diodes, however -- at least from a cursory look at the radio -- appear to be missing.

A couple back to back diodes from the AM terminal to the GND terminal would do the trick (two diodes, wired in parallel, each diode in opposite polarity from the other). They could be secured externally, just screwing them in back to back between the AM terminal and the GND externally. In a pinch, a high value resistor (like 500 ohms or 1 megaohm) might also work to bleed off static electricity if you use an outdoor wire antenna with an Optimus.

BATTERY LIFE AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

I don't know about battery life in an Optimus -- it's been so long since I had batteries in mine I don't know how long they last. My guess is that with the lower audio output, battery life is probably very good for the size of the radio. It probably would be a good emergency radio for that reason.

If you are using batteries in your Optimus -- should you have one of these radios, or find one -- don't forget to use the AC/DC switch on the back of the radio! It's easy to miss!

A pic of my Optimus 12-603 before I removed the tiny patch of rust forming on the upper left side of the grille. Such things can happen if a radio with a metal grille is sitting near a kitchen window or refrigerator for a long time -- especially in a humid climate. I cleaned it with a small knife file (sandpaper might have taken off too much paint around the rust) and treated it with spray lubricant, which I spray on a paper towel and apply that way. Once you do this, you have to continue to treat the rust affected area to keep it from getting worse. If black paint is removed, a black Sharpie perma-pen can recolor it. You may have to retouch it with a black Sharpie later on, but it's no big deal. I've done the same to one of my GE SR3's and the grille of my Panasonic RF-B45. Spray lubricant will check the growth of rust. But the grille has to be rechecked periodically, and maintained.

AS '90's AS IT GETS

In conclusion, if you happen to have one of these Superadio clones, or see one for a reasonable price on the internet, they're worth the money. The all-black radio style is about as 90's as it gets, for one. The overall good performance is another plus. The main drawback is the MW X-Band. Even using an external loop the X-band is a bit weaker than a GE Superadio or Sangean PR-D5. During the 1990's AM radio technology for tuning consumer radios 1600 to 1700 wasn't as proficient as it is presently. I have a 1996-era Sony Walkman M78 that tunes from 520 to 1700, and it's basically dead above 1600, and it's digital. Then again, I might have an Optimus that wasn't aligned as well from the factory.

For anyone who has one of these radios, and would like more info, Mr. Carter's excellent Superadio web site has a page dedicated to the 12-603, with in depth info on the radio:
http://earmark.net/gesr/12-603.htm

IN OTHER LIFE...

In other, non-radio related things, the weather here has taken a turn for the rainy. It's still fairly warm here in the Seattle area, with daytime temperatures in the 70's F (about 18C or so) and nights reaching 50F or so. This weekend is our Labor Day weekend, which used to be a holiday observing the rights of workers and the like, but now is merely a three-day weekend for people who can afford it to go to the ocean or mountains. I, of course, am staying home.

As I type this, I am in my writing room, and the South Asian music of 1600 KVRI (a station about 100 miles north of here) is playing on both my Sangean PR-D5 and my Optimus 12-603. The PR-D5 obviously has the station in a bit better (with it's 200mm loopstick and DSP chip), but the main difference is the fadeouts. A little more cleanup on the Optimus (I found a very small patch of rust starting on the edge of the grille) and I'll be taking pictures to put on this blog post.

Snow in March, 2019. When the lights were out... but was it beautiful outside.

As today's extra pic, I'm including a snow pic from earlier this year. I mentioned in March that we'd had a snowstorm, but I never included any snow pics. Here is one of some fir trees, with a hill in the background that has more snowy trees. When I was a kid, snow on fir trees seemed so magical. It not only reminded me of Christmas, but because snow is rare here, it always struck me as a Christmas card come to life.

Until next time, here's hoping that life is going well wherever you are.
C.C. 8-30-2019

ADDENDUM, 1-16-2021:

After about a month or so of not using my Optimus I switched it on to hear it playing while doing some blog writing, and when I tuned towards the middle of the dial -- towards a MW radio station I wanted to hear -- the radio acted wonky, as if it didn't want to stay tuned on the station... the tuner pot was wigging from just sitting. Oxidation. 

What I did was to tune across the entire MW band a couple times at slow to moderate speed, and it fixed the glitching. It may need more Deoxit tuner lube/cleaner, but I didn't want to take the radio apart at the time, to do that. 

When radios use potentiometers and varactors in the tuning circuit, that can probably be an issue -- oxidation inside the tuner potentiometer. I've never had this issue with my GE SR3, and Optimus Superadios are supposed to have been supplied with high quality tuner components, so I'm just chalking it up to oxidation (from a long period of disuse) for now, probably left over from sitting on top of the refrigerator for years, and I probably didn't get all the oxidation out of the tuner when I gave it a shot of lube last time.

Caveat: if you own one of these 90's marvels, turn it on, tune around, give the radio some exercise now and then. :-)

ADDENDUM, 9-19-2022:

Two nights ago I decided to fire up my Optimus 12-603, after another year of non-use. The same thing happened. The tuning and reception in the middle of the AM band was wiggy until I tuned back and forth, across the dial, several times. Obviously, some dust or oxidation occurred, and tuner potentiometers are fairly sensitive. 

Now the radio is working normally. I guess it's time to give the tuning potentiometer a shot of DeOxit. Or use the radio more often -- which is probably preferable. Since then I've been using the Optimus every night for a bit.

As it was, the night I first fired the Optimus up I was able to hear WCKY, Cincinnati, underneath KFBK Sacramento. WCKY is about 2000+ miles East of here. Which isn't bad for a radio just using its internal antenna! The reception was remarkably clear, also.

I also added a little to one of the captions in this article, where said that I apply spray lubricant to bits of radio grille, from which I have removed rust (using a small needle file). I apply the spray lubricant to the grille with a paper towel -- spraying the paper towel, and then I wipe the lubricant on the grille section that way.

ADDENDUM, 10-14-2024:

I recently learned that the Optimus 12-603 seems to be more sensitive and DX'es better with the radio's filter switch set to 'WIDE' instead of 'NORMAL' (i.e. Narrow) as you would normally have a GE Superadio set to for DXing. So I added a paragraph in the article to reflect this. The conclusion is to switch back and forth, depending on MW DX conditions. In some cases at least, WIDE will work better than "NORMAL".

I also added a sentence on the using 'back to back' diodes on AM, when using an external wire antenna, which could protect the RF amp transistor against static electricity, as well as a sentence suggesting that Optimus (and GE Superadio 3) owners move the tuner back and forth from 520 to 1700 a couple times before using the radio, if it's been sitting unused for several months (to clear any oxidation from the tuner varactor potentiometor -- which is similar to a volume control).

MW DXing with the Radio Shack 200629 World Receiver / Sangean ATS-505

A GREAT BUY IN 2013 :-)

It was during one of Radio Shack's big sales in 2013 that I bought one of these marvels -- known variably online as the Radio Shack World Receiver, Radio Shack Synthesized World Receiver, and the 200629 (the Radio Shack catalog number for the radio). At the time I saw this radio in the store and bought one, Radio Shack was selling a lot of products at special prices. This, of course, was before they started having severe financial problems. Of course, now Radio Shack is gone from most of the U.S.

I don't know if the 200629 is still available, but Sangean still makes the ATS-505, and it may be the exact same radio (except silver in color). So, most of what you will read in this article will undoubtedly apply to the Sangean ATS-505.

LAST OF THE REALISTIC / SANGEAN TRADITION:

The Radio Shack 200629 was the last of the Radio Shack / Sangean radios, ending a long tradition that started in 1989 with the DX-440 (a Sangean ATS-803A with the Realistic name badge). For those of us in the U.S., Canada, and other places where there were Radio Shack or Tandy stores, RS was the place to go for SW radios of good quality, and the 200629 was no exception. Radio Shack had the best of the Sangean models under their own label, and it was fun while it lasted: about a 25 year run. And the last of that run was the 200629, or "Radio Shack FM Stereo / AM / LW / SW / Synthesized Receiver".

A loop like this homemade one works great with a Radio Shack 200629 (the radio inside the loop in this pic is my DX-350A)

MW/AM PERFORMANCE:

When bandscanning MW/AM, I generally use one of my smaller portables with a loop, using headphones. Like a lot of radio enthusiasts, I have a few radios to choose from. When DXing with a loop, my choices generally range between my DX-370, DX-375, Panasonic RF-B45, and my Radio Shack 200629. As my readers may be aware, I have written articles on the Realistic DX-370 and 375 -- both are good radios to DX with. The RF-B45 is an awesome DXer on its own, even without a loop -- it probably merits an article on its own some time. The DX-350 series are sleeper radios, too -- much better on MW/AM than one would think at first glance.

But lately I have been using the 200629 most nights, because it's easy to use; sounds great through headphones; has good, usable selectivity; it has 1 Khz tuning steps if needed; and the tone control is very useful for DXing. With the speaker, the use of the tone control isn't that obvious, except on FM, where it cuts some treble. However, when using headphones, the tone control makes DXing MW a pleasant experience, as you have a choice between wide, treble cut, and narrow range. None of the tone selections cause listener's fatigue, which is always a plus.

The 200629 will tune in 10 khz, 9 khz, and 1 khz increments on the MW/AM band. The 10 khz / 9 khz switching is done through the "Mode" button on the upper right hand side of the radio (MODE, 2, 0 for 9 Khz steps and MODE 2, 1 for 10 Khz steps). It's a little clunky, but it works.

To tune in 1 Khz steps while using the tuner dial, you press in on the dial button, and the radio will tune up and down in 1 Khz increments. The ceramic filter in the 200629 is good enough to use the 1 Khz tuning to clarify a weak station near a strong one. For example, to hear a Mexican college station on 1630 khz, I tune to 1630, orient my radio and external loop, and then press in on the tuner dial button, and tune one or two Khz to the right -- to 1631 or 1632.

The memories on the 200629 are easy to use. To store a station in memory you just press M, and then the number of the memory location you want to use. To recall a memory location you just press that number button. Very easy.

A ROUGH OVERVIEW:

The 200629 is a good all around digital portable, and is useful for SW broadcast listening as well as MW DXing, and is a very good performer on FM as well. It is an AM-FM-SW-LW portable with Single Sideband capability (using a BFO and clarifier). FM is in stereo through headphones.

UPDATED SANGEAN ATS-505

The Radio Shack 200629 is basically a Sangean ATS-505 with black case (instead of Sangean's more typical silver), and it has a Radio Shack label on the front. But it's basically a newer ATS-505 -- the main differences being the case, the Radio Shack badge, a different AF chip, and the tuning which sounds just like analog (smooth as silk), and the slightly more powerful audio chip inside.

The Sangean ATS-505 has been around since the beginning of the century. Apparently, Sangean isn't making them anymore, and -- of course -- Radio Shack isn't selling them anymore. Some ATS-505's are still available online, however. The ATS-505 was designed in 1999 and was introduced some time after 2000; and apparently Sangean updated the circuitry after 2010 -- the original 505's reportedly chuffed when tuning up and down the bands, where the newer ATS-505's, on which the Radio Shack 200629 is based, do not chuff at all.

Tuning up and down the MW band, or across the SW spectrum, on my radio sounds just like tuning an analog receiver, except the signals 'pop up' out of the static or background noise.

A picture of the Radio Shack 200629 World Receiver with the back off. At top you can see the 120mm loopstick, similar to that which appears to be a standard Sangean loopstick, used in a lot of their SW radios at that time -- not especially thick, but still adequate for MW in many areas of the US and the world. In other areas, like where I live, an external loop is needed for MW DXing.

THE CIRCUITRY:

Looking at the circuitry, it looks like Sangean took the basic elements of their earlier flagship radio ATS-818 and shrunk it down into a smaller package, with slightly less filtering: like with the ATS-818, on SW there are three stages of gain (four stages if you include the IF chip -- which is the 'heart' of the radio), and several stages of filtering. Unlike the older ATS-818 you don't have a switchable 'narrow' IF filter.

The 200629 is a sensitive radio on SW. The MW section is similar to a boombox, where the antenna is wired directly to the IF chip, and the radio uses a very good ceramic filter. I have found it to be a good DXer, albeit with an external loop at my location (I am surrounded by low hills that decrease overall MW signal levels).

FM:

On FM, the 200629 has a popularly used 'front end chip' (a TA7358) -- a chip that amplifies FM signals before they reach the main IF chip, which is a TA2057 (the same IF chip is used in some other radios, like the Grundig Satellite 750). Then FM goes through an FET amp before it hits the main IF chip. I don't DX FM much, if at all, but a guy in another part of my state uses the 200629's precursor, the ATS-505, for DXing FM -- although he has his 505 modified with a narrower filter.

When I use FM on my 200629, I usually switch the tone to treble-cut, especially using the speaker. The FM sounds rich through the headphones and the radio is fairly sensitive on FM. But -- not being an FM DXer, I really don't know how good the 200629 is during E skip season.

SW:

I use my 200629 mainly for SW broadcast band listening, some ham band monitoring, and MW DXing at night time. On SW it works quite well, and it has an External Antenna jack which is diode protected. It is advisable to use a stereo antenna plug (or mono-to-stereo adapter) when using an external antenna with this radio.

Shortwave broadcast sounds terrific on this radio, especially through headphones. On the right hand side of the radio is a three way tone switch which works a LOT better than the similar tone switch on the Sangean ATS-909 / RS DX-398. This radio has a wider bandwidth than the 909 and SW stations have a much better sound.

You can tune the SW band by direct entry of a frequency (for example, you press "Enter", the frequency, and then "Enter" again), or toggle through the Shortwave broadcast bands by using the "SW Select" button (each time you press it, the radio goes up to the next SWBC band -- 120m, 90m, 60m, 49m, 41m, 31m, 25m, 21m, 19m, 16m, 15m, 13m, and the 11m band). Or, you can pull up a station from a memory location.

HAM BAND SSB: FAIR, BUT USE THE DX/LOCAL SWITCH WHEN NEEDED

When listening to Ham radio signals on SSB the 200629 is easy to work with. When there are very strong signals the radio's AGC can get swamped and you have to use the DX/Local sensitivity switch and switch it to local, otherwise stronger signals can 'chirp' a bit. Worse comes to worse, you can just use the whip antenna if the stations are super strong.

You Can Also Use a Resistor Between Your Wire Antenna and The Whip

You can also rig up a resistor between your wire antenna and the whip antenna using alligator clips, and cut the signal strength just enough that way. A 250K ohm or similar resistor would probably work. Even a 100K resistor might cut the signal levels just enough to keep the SSB/CW from chirping on loud signals. The 200629's DX/Local attenuator kicks in a 1K ohm resistor as an attenuator, and when it is kicked in, that 1K ohm is a bit much for merely cutting down the levels to keep the radio from chirping. It really makes it difficult to read the signals. So try something below 500 ohms, wire it to an alligator clip, with the other end of the resistor being used to clip your wire antenna to. 

When using an external antenna with the 200629 it's best to use a stereo plug for the antenna, as the radio seems to prefer it that way -- a mono plug will work, but there may be some side effects. I have a separate blog post on this, as I usually use a mono plug with my wire antennas and found that sometimes with the mono plug the 200629 can overload on SW.

With short wire antennas you can clip the antenna to the whip with an alligator clip and it will work OK. The 200629 has internal diode protection against small static discharges. I use my 200629 with my inside 25 ft. antenna (10 meters, roughly), and use an alligator clip (the mono plug -- which I had soldered to the end of my indoor antenna -- kept working loose from the end of the antenna, and the alligator clip is easier to keep attached to the indoor antenna, and easier to use). It works well.

If you want to use an outdoor antenna with your 200629 using extra static protection is a good idea. I.e., don't use an outdoor antenna during thunderstorms, or during really dry wintry conditions, as they can cause static that the internal diodes may not be able to handle.

BATTERIES AND EMERGENCIES: USEFUL

Battery life on the 200629 is fairly good. As usual, I always use headphones, so if you DX using the speaker, you're going to get lower battery life. But I have been able to use the 200629 almost nightly and a set of four AA's can last as long as a month or more that way. The battery life will be less if the DX sessions are more than an hour or two, obviously. For emergency or disaster situations extra sets of AA's would be a must, as the 200629 uses batteries more than a Sony ICF-38 (featured as a good disaster radio elsewhere on this blog) or Superadio.

However, I think the 200629 would make a decent emergency radio because the battery life is OK, it is decent on the AM band (although -- if not using a loop -- other radios are better), and is excellent on FM and SW broadcast. The radio isn't as easy on batteries as my Sony ICF-38 but it's not a battery eater, either.

[NOTE: When I started using this radio again heavily in 2022, I started keeping track of the battery level indicator, and I've noticed that battery life has been good with my 200629 -- a set of heavy duty or alkaline AA's lasts around 2-2.5 months. That's one-half hour to an hour of DXing a day, with headphones.]

CONCLUSION: GOOD FOR SW, MW-DX WITH A LOOP

The main negatives for the MW/AM DXer is that the internal loopstick is the standard thin, 100 mm Sangean loopstick -- adequate if you live in a high signals area, but not so adequate if you're in a hole like where I live (surrounded by hills), or otherwise live in a low signals area.

Add any external loop -- be it homemade, Select-A-Tenna, Radio Shack AM Loop, or Eton AN-200, and you'll have a very good MW/AM DX rig.

LONGWAVE:

The 200629 has the Longwave broadcast band, which isn't too useful for chasing beacons, as it ends where a lot of beacons start appearing. There is a 200629 user in Maine somewhere who claimed that he was able to hear European and African LW stations with his radio, using the internal loopstick alone. I think he lived near saltwater, though. Still -- it seems that these radios are capable of hearing LW if it is there. For Longwave I rely on my Realistic DX-398 because it tunes the beacons and is easier to use on Longwave.

MORE INFO ON THE SANGEAN ATS-505:

For those who are interested, here is Sangean's home page on the ATS-505, with pictures and a few specifications:
http://www.sangean.com/products/product.asp?mid=75

OTHER THINGS GOING ON LATELY:

As some of you may be aware, I haven't really posted much on this blog lately. I'll be brutally honest here: it's because I have had trouble getting enthused about blogging. Google's getting rid of Google+ sort of cut the enthusiasm level down a bit, as it also removed all the comments from DXers and others who had stopped by and decided to leave a message. It was always fun to receive comments, and Google+ seemed to supply a lot of traffic here.

Now my traffic comes from internet searches about guitars and radios, which is cool. I'm glad I can provide some information for people interested in those things

Although Google+ is gone, I'm glad Google kept the blogs. I think that Blogger provides a good service, and a medium for guys like me to blog about radios, guitars, nature, or whatever.

I still am working on two posts I hope to get up here before Fall hits: one post that is radio related, and another one that is guitar related.

I hope this article finds my readers doing well. I check in periodically, and I can see that I have readers from the US, Russia, Germany, Oz, UK, France, Austria, Ukraine, Egypt, Korea, Japan, and other parts of the world as well.

I just wanted to let you all know I appreciate your checking in, wherever you are in the world.

Peace,
C.C. August, 2019

ADDENDUM, July 14th, 2022:

After fixing an intermittent whip antenna connection, I re-measured the MW/LW loopstick on the 200629, and it is 120mm, not 100mm as I earlier had written in this article, so I changed it in the article.

As for the intermittent -- I was using the whip antenna on SW by attaching my indoor, 25 ft (10 meter) antenna to the whip with an alligator clip. The screw which attached the whip to the case of the radio had become loose. After tightening the screw, I placed a little clear nail polish on the end of the screw, where it attaches to the little metallic 'stub' on the bottom end of the whip. While I had the back off the radio, I measured the MW/LW loopstick, and it was longer than I thought it was.

As for the 200629 overall, I still use it on MW with a loop for DXing, and have really found it a great radio for DXing. The sound through headphones, and performance overall is very good for this.

ADDENDUM, April 9th, 2024:

I permanently fixed the intermittent whip antenna connection, by clamping the bare end of a piece of hookup wire between the base of the whip and the little prong mechanism inside the back of the radio, using the prong mechanism as a type of washer. Soldering didn't work, and clamping the hookup wire was the only solution available. The other end of the hookup wire I soldered to the 200629's antenna terminal pad on the main PCB. I wrote an article about this process, with pictures, which you can find here.:

Interrock Nation: The RADIO SHACK 200629 / ATS-505: Fixing an Intermittent Whip-Antenna Connection

Also, I discovered that adding a medium-small value resistor between a wire antenna and the 200629's whip antenna works for cutting down super-strong SSB/CW signals that can make the 200629's BFO 'chirp', so I added a paragraph to this article about that possibility. All you need is an alligator clip and a 200-500 ohm resistor. 

The 200629's DX/Local switch cuts the signal down too far for just reducing the chirping.

I use the whip antenna primarily for SW, by clipping my wire to it. The connection to the radio circuitry is basically the same as the EXT ANTENNA jack, aside from possibly an FM trap and maybe some resistors to adjust for impedance.

C.C., 4-9-2024

WRITING IN THE DARK -- thoughts about the power grid

Empty shelves in a grocery store in West Seattle before a local 10 inch snowstorm hit. Photo courtesy of Klem Daniels.

As I write this, I am in the dark. I am typing this on my laptop computer, which is disconnected from the internet (no Wi-fi), but still works, as it is on 50 percent of its battery.

I am in the dark, because the power is out. My own Wi-Fi is off, because the electricity that runs the Wi-Fi router is off. On my computer’s Wi-Fi data screen there are no routers on in my area. Even the local City Wi-fi repeater is off.

Aside from the fact I am typing on a 2016 computer, and aside from the fact my Sangean PR-D5 radio is modern and my LED flashlight is modern, it is like living in the 17^th Century.

Here in Seattle we have had a rare snowstorm, and once again, we are getting a taste of what may happen when the Big One hits.

And, just two hours ago, the power went out. Who knows how long it may take for it to come back on. Like I mentioned in a previous blog post – it took 30 hours last time.

As I wrote previously a few weeks ago -- a small windstorm blew through here, and in my region we were out of power for 30 full hours. Just three miles away the lights were still going – that is how close I live to civilization. I’m not out in the sticks by any stretch.

But as I observed then, the fact I went 30 hours without electricity during a small blow was in indicator that when the Big One hits, we here in the Seattle region are screwed.

The Big One, of course, is the big 9.0 Earthquake that is destined to strike off the coast, which will shake for four to five minutes at a strength under which no one will be able to stay standing up after it hits. We will all be literally on our knees.

But that isn’t the entirety of the problem.

What happens next? It won’t just be 30 hours without power. It may be 30 days. Or even 30 weeks.

Back to our big snowstorm. Here in Seattle snow is fairly rare, and big snowstorms are even more rare. When they hit, usually it is accompanied by cold weather, and the hills, the highway chokepoints, and the ice all combine to make traffic come to a virtual standstill.

In the mid 1990’s we had a snowstorm that made my little station wagon car look like an igloo.

Once I cleared off much of the snow, I drove home from work O.K., as the car was a stable ride.

However, it took me one full hour to go two and a half miles through downtown Seattle, because of jack-knifed semi-trucks and buses. Then I drove another 50 minutes at a slow pace through packed snow to get home.

Traffic and snow in Seattle do not mix.

So, when the recent snowstorm was on the way to hit Seattle, the people here – knowing that traffic would be impassible once the storm hit – all went to the grocery stores to stock up on food and necessities.

Some stores in the area were virtually devoid of food on the shelves. I saw pictures in social media of the spectacle. It was amazing. In the news an hour ago they said some stores still had some empty shelves here and there. Trucks were getting through, albeit with some difficulty.

My Sangean PR-D5 switched automatically to battery power when the power went out, and worked quite well while I was writing this blog post. These radios are OK on batteries, but in a long power outage you'd want a couple extra sets of C's to run one.

Fast forward to now. The power is out. If it were out for more than a day – how would anyone buy food? Debit cards won’t work. Nothing will work.

Imagine the power being out for a week, with roads in the area impassible, not because of snow, but due to collapsed bridges, and broken roads -- from an earthquake. The grid will be down not just because of a few wires being down, but collapsed towers, and landslides and the like.

The stores will be without food for longer than just a day or two.

They will be out of food for weeks perhaps. And gasoline? If the pipelines are shut down, and with bridges out, gasoline and diesel supplies will be low.

Like I said in my last blog post – when the Big One hits, we’re in big trouble.

And if an EMP attack, or some sort of cyber attack on our power grid – or a Carrington Event hits – the nation will receive a monstrous wake-up call.

My message to anyone reading this post: prepare ahead of time. If you live in earthquake country, stock up on necessities – food, medical supplies, blankets, batteries, adequate flashlights, and the like. In the rest of the country, think about the power grid. What if something happens that cuts electricity for a month or more?

Some food, like ramen, or dry soup mixes, or oatmeal, is relatively cheap. It may not be the most nutritious, but it is indeed food, and would stave off starvation. It only takes water to boil it.

Think about your water supply. Do you have a river or creek nearby that can supply water if needed? Perhaps you use bottled water. Do you have enough, even for a week?

It is best to think about such things before disasters happen.

As for information, right now I have no internet. My cell phone has 50 percent on its battery and internet access through my network on the cell phone is laboriously slow. So all I have is radio.

Sony ICF-38 -- an excellent disaster radio. Unfortunately, they are no longer made. But Sony does make a couple smaller models that are probably very good disaster radios -- and other manufacturers also have some good ones, too. 

Right now, my trusty Sony ICF-38 AM-FM portable radio is still running on the batteries that were in it during the last power outage. Between then and now I have used it several times to listen to while falling asleep. So far, I estimate it has been running on the same set of AA’s for over 50 hours. It may hit 70 hours or more before the AA’s are finished.

A radio is a necessity if the power is out for longer than a week. Your cell phone’s battery will die, and then your charger will die. If you can’t buy gas, that will not be an option for charging a phone, much less a computer.

Information is vital. That is why I always have a good radio in the house.

These are the things that go through my head as I sit here in the dark.

Now I am going to go out for a walk in the dark – in the snow – then I will probably hit the hay early, as there is little to do in the dark and the cold, but sleep.

Addendum: this time the power was only out for 7.5 hours, which was tolerable. But still it was a wake up call -- our modern, tech-based society runs on the electric grid. Disasters can, and do, happen. My Sony ICF-38's batteries finally died last night while I was listening to Coast To Coast AM -- the AA's had lasted about 70 hours total. I still think that a good radio is a good investment for anyone who wants to be prepared for disasters and weather-related grid problems.
CBC 12-14-2019

A LESSON IN PREPAREDNESS -- 30 Hours Without Power, and a Sony Radio.

I haven't posted much here recently for a bunch of reasons. Some of it is that I just haven't brought myself to finish some posts that were in the works earlier, during the Fall last year. Some of it is just an overall ennui I've been trying to kick.

Either way, life has been going the way it usually goes... Day after day, mostly greyish weather, very little Winter here, actually. We had maybe three nights where it went under freezing -- including a couple where it was 26 or 27F (well into the minuses on the Centigrade scale).  Working out in a cold store-room where it is 30F/-1C is an invigorating experience.

The night before last it was -2C / 29 degrees F. Thick frost everywhere.

I felt like yelling out into the night: "We finally got Winter!!"

The venerable Sony ICF-38 AM-FM portable radio -- excellent for disaster and emergency preparedness

LET THERE BE WIND, AND THERE WAS WIND

But I digress. About two weeks ago we had a small windstorm here in the Seattle area. In some parts of the metro, it was quite windy. In my wind-protected section of town, there were maybe 30-40 mph gusts, and although it's enough to hit windstorm status, it's nothing like the 90 mph winds my suburb sustained during the 1962 Columbus Day storm, or even the Inauguration Day storm of 1993.

When I went outside during the windstorm, it actually seemed a bit breezy, although on the hills above my part of town it probably was a lot breezier.

Anyway, after a while, and into the night -- the lights began to flicker, about 1 a.m on a Saturday night /early Sunday morning. The FM station we were listening to even went off the air twice, for short intervals, before staying back on.

Then, about 1:30 or 2 a.m., the lights here in my area went out altogether.

After about 15 minutes of the lights being out, I got out the trusty LED flashlights, and my equally trusty Sony ICF-38 (none of my Superadios -- except for one in another part of the house -- had batteries).

My mom, who is retired, was staying with me, and I took my Sony ICF-38 downstairs so she would have a radio to listen to. As we were listening to NPR at the time the lights went off, I switched the Sony to NPR's FM outlet and set the radio in the living room near where my mom was sitting in a recliner chair. I adjusted the volume to a moderate level. Not room-filling, but adequate.

THE SONY ICF-38 AM-FM RADIO JUST KEEPS CHUGGING

I made tea using a propane burner, lit candles, and dug out an LED lantern that I bought somewhere for a couple bucks over a year ago. It -- along with my best, trusty LED flashlight, were my companions in the house, so I wouldn't trip over anything, including my cat. :-)

As it was cold, and dark, I couldn't do much. I boiled a few eggs to eat. Made some soup from a dry mix. I went for a couple long bike rides in the dark, which was actually quite fun. A lot of people had candles visible in their houses, and there were several houses with generators buzzing in the night.

Then I got home, and went to bed, to DX the radio airwaves a bit, and get some extra sleep in. Meanwhile, the Sony is still playing downstairs.

12 hours later, the power was still off. I couldn't believe it, as the windstorm wasn't that massive. Meanwhile, the Sony was still playing -- this time I tuned it to the AM talk station my mom likes.

12 hours after that, the power was still off. I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have to shower in the cold so I could go to work Monday morning. Meanwhile, the Sony was still playing in the living room.

Then the power finally came back on, early Monday morning -- a full 30 hours after it went off. And the Sony was still playing, on battery power.

It still has juice left in the batteries, too! I used it a couple nights later to do some DX listening while falling asleep.

 

My Sony ICF-38 with a couple unnamed gingerbread men, travelling some time around Christmas 2016.

WHEN THE BIG ONE HITS, WE'RE SCREWED

The lesson I learned from all of this is two-fold:

First, if and when the Big One hits, were screwed. There is no doubt in my mind that the electrical grid can't handle a massive, disastrous shaking that could bring down electrical powerlines -- even to the extent projected by the experts, including FEMA.

If a small windstorm can cut power to wide swaths of suburbia within miles of one of America's highest tech cities, what is going to happen if / when powerlines are knocked down all over the region in a 4 to 6 minute 9.0 Earthquake -- which experts now say may make it impossible to remain standing up in the Seattle area?

Second, Sony made an excellent portable radio product. The ICF-38 is a wonderful machine -- it played for 30 hours straight on battery power, at moderate volume; both on power-sucking FM and less power consuming AM, and it kept going, and going, and going, and going....

And the AA batteries that were in the Sony weren't fresh, mind you. I had used it to hear football games, talk shows at night, and to DX with -- probably for 8-10 hours or so the days before the storm hit.

You get the idea.

Unfortunately, the ICF-38 is no longer made, and whatever ICF-38's you can find are increasingly expensive. There are two small Sony pocket radios that have the same analog IF chip (CXA1019), that probably are light on batteries, that one can get new, though.  For those in earthquake territory, those radios might be worth checking into. The CXA1019 is a good chip -- it works at low voltages quite well, and is a sensitive chip.

I can't think of a current radio, by any brand, that is easier on batteries than my Sony ICF-38 -- not even my beloved Sangeans are as light on batteries.

After doing some reading on the potential for grid failures, whether due to terrorism, Carrington events, EMP attacks, and the like, I am convinced that everyone who wants to stay informed -- or even remotely entertained -- during any such event needs a decent radio, especially a decent AM radio which is easy on batteries.

Face it, your cell phone will fail you within two days. My cell phone -- which I used early in the morning to report a dark traffic light -- was on 40% battery when the lights went out. I had to turn it off to keep it from running down to nothing.  A lot of people can't really turn their phones off in cases like that. Even if you have a recharger, your recharger will also run out of juice after a day or so, and it will be a nice, high tech looking doorstop. If the power is out regionally for an extended period of time, forget about buying gas. Or buying anything. The Debit cards won't work, and cash is as rare as hen's teeth.

It takes the grid to keep all of those things going.

Even though chances of some of those events happening are slim, natural disasters can hit at any time -- be it a 7 or 9 point earthquake, a hurricane, a volcano, massive ice storm, fires, etc.

And the fact I went 30 hours without power in a large, technically modern metro area of the United States, when it should have been more like 5 or 6 at most, says something.

In other events, Christmas came and went. The above pic is from Christmas 2017, when we had snow, and I played my bagpipes outside at midnight, in a local park, in the snow. Just for the heck of it. The pic was taken the morning after I did so, when I got home from visiting a relative in the hospital. The little New Zealand flag sticker in my pipe case is left over from some piping festival that I attended in the 1980's, probably in California somewhere.

Right now it's January, which is a blah month of the year. The news is non-stop politics, and the approaching Super Bowl means football season will soon be over. Another year already.

I hope to have a few more blog posts this year than I did in 2018. One can always keep their fingers crossed.

Peace,

CBC 1-17-2019