Magnum Dynalab MD-205 Signal Sleuth
 

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The Magnum Dynalab MD205 Signal Sleuth finally arrived along with the ST-2 antenna. I fabricated a steel bracket to hold the ST-2 antenna and mounted it to the eave of my home, routed 40 feet of RG6 coaxial cable from the roof to the studio, and connected the new antenna to my McIntosh MR88 tuner for an audition. The Magnum Dynalab ST-2 antenna is an improvement over the Godard antenna I had been using. The ST-2 showed slightly stronger signal strength on a few stations, and found some new stations that my old antenna could not bring in. It should be noted that I live in a very rural area of north Florida, so I am not within good range of any radio broadcast towers. In addition, my home is in the middle of 17 acres of tall oak and pine trees that tower much higher than my two story home. Even with the ST-2 mounted at 28 feet above ground level the antenna is far from clearing the tree tops.

I installed the Magnum Dynalab MD-205 Signal Sleuth in the studio system rack. Its intended design is to amplify weak FM signals and allow the user a frequency adjustable narrow band amplification while deemphasizing the adjacent station frequencies on either side of the one being tuned. The MD-205 has two switches on the front panel, one for power, and one that puts the FM amplifier in or out of the antenna signal path. There are two knobs on the front panel, one adjusts the frequency to match the selected frequency of the tuner, and the other adjusts the FM amplifier gain or attenuation. Both knobs feel light when rotated, unlike the weighted tuning knob on McIntosh tuners. There are two blue LED's in the center of the front panel, one indicating power is on, the other indicating the amplifier is in the antenna signal path. Both LED's are way too bright. I will probably paint the LED's black and scratch a small dot in the center to reduce their intensity to a level that is more acceptable.

EDIT: My apoology. This review has been edited due to a flaw in my meathod of testing. Please read post #27 added to this thread July 24, 2013.

Dan... I am very pleased to hear that you are now happy. :yes:

I am very happy using mine in the Cape with my MR88. Initially (yesterday) I thought your location could have been the reason for the lack of performance you were experiencing.

As a precaution I contacted Magnum Dynalab this morning on your behalf. They would be more than pleased to offer a full refund. I guess we won't need to do that now.

As always, thanks for continually posting your candid; and unbiased remarks regarding your experiences.

These types of reviews on AA help make this Forum an invaluable asset :thumbsup:

Ivan.......I appreciate you arranging an option to return the Magnum Dynalab MD-205. Fortunately for me, I discovered its real value this morning and realized I short changed myself yesterday performing the evaluation with a bit of an attitude. My mindset is better today. :)

Dan.... Glad to hear your results are positive. I too find false delivery dates a pet peeve of mine. Someone should have informed you that shipping was delayed and an apology from the dealer or Dynalab should have been forthcoming.

Jeff.......The best laid plans of mice and men. It's in the rearview mirror now. :thumbsup:

I have been listening to this classical HD station from Gainesville all day. The MR88 on HD FM stations sounds truly spectacular. The MD-205 made it possible. The sound quality of the MR88 digital out to the MCD1100 DACs is excellent. I am very pleased with the results.

:banana:

Looking forward to some midnight jazz from WUFT FM/HD1 tonight. Still amazed at how good the MR88 sounds on HD radio. Thank goodness I gave the Signal Sleuth a second chance.

Dan... I agree with the lights being too bright. Try these:

The LIGHTDIMS Store

Ivan.......Thanks. I have seen those before, but it's too late. I already took a small artist brush and flat black paint, and painted the LED's, then used a pin to open a small hole in the center of the painted LED's. I now have micro blue dot LED's that are easy on the eyes and don't demand your attention. I have used this technique successfully several times on other objectionably bright LED's. It works just fine.