I’ve been having trouble getting consistent information on using sideband on receiver-only radios such as the Tecsun PL-330, PL-680, SIHUADON R108, QODOSEN DX-286, or the Sangean ATS-909X2 with firmware version 073. Also, how do these radios compare to the Tecsun H-501 that’s in your video? It’s seems like most people buy one or all these radios, but I just want one that I can grow into using but isn’t missing too many capabilities without spending $500+. I willing to trade durability for capabilities at the beginning stages.
What will you say about the fine tune wheel of the XHDATA-D808? I have found that tuning stations off frequency to get the correct sound is difficult with this fine tuning. Many a times it doesn't achieve the result tuning it +ve or - ve side.
the XHDATA Fine tuning is pretty much the same as using a BFO, takes some getting used to and you have to make sure you are on the exact frequency of the SSB signal
My local electronics store sells a lot of shortwaves radios and some have SSB and some don't. They were selling a big Shortwave radio that has SSB but then i realized that they had discontinued it and it was sold out everywhere. So i got the other model of this radio that didn't have SSB and when I got home nothing worked. I was thinking i didn't need SSB but than i realized that it is really important on Ham and shortwave radios, retuned it and got a little radio that has SSB and it worked (Its a clone of the HDATA-D808) Its really good and i have managed to get a signal from the Japanese slot machine station using SSB USB.
If you have a NanoVNA, you can use the CW Frequency function on the NanoVNA and tune it close to or directly onto the frequency you're tuned to on the AM receiver that's receiving the SSB transmission and put the wire/antenna that's hooked to the NanoVNA close to the coax that's hooked to the receiver. Just don't directly connect the NanoVNA up to the receiver. It works better if you use two pieces of coax put together with an adapter that hooked to the receiver so that the output signal of the NanoVNA can leak into the coax hooked to the receiver. I couldn't get it working at first due to using the MLA-30 on the receiver (a passive antenna works better), I do believe it was overpowering the signal generated by the NanoVNA. It will work if you're using the telescopic antenna on the receiver you just usually have to increase the distance between the antenna on the receiver and the wire/antenna hooked to the NanoVNA because the signal from the NanoVNA will overpower the SSB signal you're trying to hear. It's far from perfect, if you have people that's slightly off frequency their voice will be a bit more garbled and harder to understand than the other person that's on the same frequency you are on.
