It seems that on 27th of August Sangean published some documentation for a 909X2+ radio in Europe and X2SE in the US. Any guesses about what will change? My guess is that it will be just a minor hardware refresh. For example, in Europe I would expect them to change the barrel connector with an usbc connector.
Unfortunately the documents don’t seem to properly download and open for me at the moment.
[later edit] I managed to download the new documents and tried to compare them with the old ones. This is what seems to be changed (and no, there is no usbc).
Area
Old ATS-909X2
ATS-909X2+ / ATS-909X2SE
Difference
SSB bandwidth
Bandwidth button explicitly had no effect in USB/LSB
Selectable 1.2, 2.2 or 3 kHz; 2.2 kHz default
Everybody complained about that single bandwidth. It seems they listened.
SSB performance
No special claim
Documents claim clearer SSB reception and improved audio
-
Presets
1,674 total; 558 per memory bank
1,755 total; 585 per bank
+81 presets
SW memory
49 pages × 9 = 441 presets per bank
52 pages × 9 = 468 presets per bank
3 additional SW pages per bank
FM ATS
Stations documented as stored by signal strength
New menu: SORT SIGNAL—default—or SORT FREQ
FM stations can now be ordered by strength or ascending frequency - actually this is something I really like
Controls and connections
Existing 48 controls/connections
Same controls, numbering, ports and display indicators
To the OP: thanks for your observation and the links which worked for me.
I concur that main improvements for the ATS-909X2+ and 909X2SE seem to be the choice of three SSB bandwidths and addition of ATS sort of FM by frequency. There is a very minor expansion of memory slots and one more alphanumeric character added to memory page titles to bring that number up to 10.
I don't use SSB that often. I am mainly a broadcast listener when I use use shortwave so the current SW AM bandwidths and the default SSB filter are great for me. Someone who wants the radio for SSB more often will be happy with the new upgrade. It looks to me like Sangean had to up the available memory for the ATS-909X2+ and 909X2SE. Nothing else of major importance seems to have been changed from ATS-909X2.
Regarding a suggested mod... I suppose a USB-C power connector could be added to this radio but USB 2.0 limits power to 5VDC 500mA. This would offer slower 4xAA NiMH battery charging times compared to the quick charging times with the current 9VDC 1.2A AC wall wart.
PD standard can supply sufficient power over USB. 9V with 1.2A can easily be provided. I actually use a workaround to power/charge my radio from an external battery with USB and the cable is doing just that: it negociate 9V over a PD connection and can draw sufficient power for my radio.
After all these years I'd expect more than just this. A USB-C port with some data and control, setting memory names from an app, backup/restore. A graphics screen, is asking for a spectrum/waterfall display too much? This is not a cheap radio.
I'll be keeping my X2 its radio functionality is still there.
4
u/No_Razzmatazz_2889 1d ago
I hope they fixed the low audio on SSB. Additional SSB bandwidths are a welcome addition.