518kHz NAVTEX Received By DX-394 and R-5000

Decoding some NAVTEX on 518kHz with my Realistic (Radio Shack) DX-394 and Kenwood R-5000 on Saturday 9th May 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navtex

Category:

Education

Tags:

• navtex
• navigational
• telex
• maritime
• shortwave
• short
• wave
• listening
• radio
• decode
• beacon
• meteo
• navaid
• dx
• amateur
• ham

[s52ab]

Good receiving and nice to show.

[Hanglands]

@s52ab Many thanks for watching! :)

[syto300]

what the hell is this? i just want to know how to use a short wave radio

[Hanglands]

@syto300 This is using a shortwave radio.... for decoding NAVTEX ;)

[ironjob]

Wow!! What a difference in sensitivity @ 518khz between the R5000 and the '394!! The R5000 blows it away!! There is a mod for the 394 that (in some 394s) increases the sensitivity on longwave. Too bad this mod produces varying results from radio to radio. :(

[Hanglands]

Yeh, the 5000 is a great radio, a different league to the 394 (and price range) so its not really fair to compare them directly. Most of my listening is done on the 5000, but I dont like to see the 394 and 160 sitting idle for too long!

[mnpd007]

I have a DX-394 I bought new perhaps 18-years ago. Don't have the R-5000, but have the TS-440SAT transceiver with the general coverage receiver. The 440 & 5000 are almost twins, except one transmits... same electronic generation. My 394 has never come close to the Kenwood in terms of sensitivity and selectivity. I did all the performance mods over the years and realigned it a while back, but the DX-394 is still a mediocre receiver. I use it for SW station listening only.

[ironjob]

There's another fantastic NAVTEX decoder called YAND (Yet Another Navtex Decoder) and it is the most full featured NAVTEX decoder for the Windows platform. And it's FREE!! Since Yahoo doesn't allow links, just Google it (that's how I found it!).

[ironjob]

After reading your comment, I looked into the mod and it doesn't actually increase the sensitivity as much as it equals it out across the LW range. As per my comment, results vary from radio to radio, for some reason. The mod is on the Yahoo DX 394 Group site; some good stuff here!

[gccengineering1996]

@ironjob Where do you find the mod for longwave sensitvity improvement? I am still looking around at dx 394''s on ebay.

[roon41]

Hi,

I was wondering if kenwood reduced the MW sensitivity on the R5000 like they did

on my R1000..

Right now for listening I use a zenith D7000Y portable (great sound and great selectivity) with an outdoor sloper dipole,but I still have my R1000.