Shortwave frequencies for Gulf/Iraq

I have the Ten-Tec RX320 as my "good" SWR. Literally a black box, with a serial connection to the PC.

There are a few commercial control programs for it, as well as about 1/2 dozen free/shareware packages - It is like
having multiple radios.

Especially nifty when used with the ILG DB.

Downside is if you have 1.) poorly shielded CRT, or 2.) PC w/o serial port. Receives up to 30Mhz. No FM etc.

Kind of miss physical controls though. However, sort the ILG by "on-air" (and "Eng") and start clicking away.
Or load Scan320 and scan the utility bands or ranges.
Or load a WeFax program and get the weather charts.

Thanks. I'll try out the old inverted Vee antenna, although reception sucks in the land of permafrost.

Hoped you checked out nearby Radio Shacks. A very long shot, but they were closing out their DX398 (bare ATS909)
for $100 since they moved to Grundig.

(I missed it too. Sigh. Did manage to get their ATS505 eqv. for $50.)

Not that its going to do you any immediate good, but you can request a login from www.ilgradio.com.
It takes weeks, but they provide a "quarterly" DB of SW broadcast stations, schedules, programs, station info, targets, etc.

Free to non-professionals, but you need the login.

There's also the annual Passport to World Band Radio for $20 at bookstores.

Anyone tried out the shortwave PCI cards for computers?

The one problem I know of with these cards has to do with interference from the computer and surrounding equipment. Some people are lucky and have no RFI problems. I need to shut down both of my computers and my stereo receiver to get a truly clean signal on my standalone shortwave receiver.

Plus, it's sometimes cool just to take the receiver, turn everything else off in the room, and sit down and listen.

BTW, I have a Sony ICF-SW7600GR, which is by no means a Cadillac, but is very nice and has some high end features. (It's also great for AM reception - Rush, Hannity...)

Bump for future reference.

However, SW is over. I am sure that a few hanger onners will keep looking to make SW relevent again, but unless you personally experienced it, I don't think you will ever really be able to explain it to youngsters today.

You are so right. I started listening to SW on a Spartan console AM/SW set my dad bought just before WWII. I could listen to London Calling at night during the war, and it seemed mysterious, somehow romantic, and almost surreal. It was nothing less than magic to a pre-teen kid in a small town in FL. I doubt kids would understand that today with all the electronic wizardry they take for granted.

I didn't know anything about antennae, so I just hooked up a piece of extension cord wire to the antenna post and hung it out the living room window. The old Spartan had a big bandspread dial and a tuning eye to let you know when you were centered on the signal. Surpisingly, I got quite good reception from many European stations even though I knew nothing about SW propagation back then.

I tried SW listening again recently with a small Sony I picked up, but somehow it just isn't the same. My grown kids think I'm weird to try listening in on SW when you can get it live and in color on the satellite. I guess you had to be there to understand the fascination.

Brings back memories. I used to live Shortwave Radio when I was growing up. My faves were BBC World Service, Radio Australia, Radio Nederland and of course Radio Moscow and Radio Tirana when I needed a good laugh. Wish I still had my old QSL cards myself.

Shortwave listening was kinda of like fishing. There was nothing that matched the thrill of getting that rare reception. Nowadays you can hear the same stations crystal clear on the Internet, but it just isn't the same, is it?