Posted on 10/19/2010 4:13:05 AM PDT by djf
FReepers being the experts they are, I am curious about peoples experiences/recommendations for a decent short-wave radio.
I know nothing about the subject! Can you hear stations/people from around the world? Would a 12V one be better than a 110V?
Antennas? Do you have to live on the top of the Empire State Building?
My curiosity is prompted because it is entirely clear that the solar minimum is over. BIG TIME OVER!!!! Check spaceweather.com to see what I mean.
TIA!
Brother, you’ve got that right! 87lbs of American electro-mechanical goodness...
They should have supplied a truss with every radio. ;-)
Still, I love the old beast.
Bump for later reading.
Around 1972, my high school radio club "liberated" some electrical conduit that was delivered for an addition being put on the school. No one ever said anything about the large new beam antenna that appeared on the roof a few days later...
bflr
I have two analog voltmeters and thought what the hey, go modern, get a digital, so I did.
Ended up giving it away. WORTHLESS!!!! The numbers just kinda randomly jumped all over the spectrum!
Gimme dials and knobs any day of the week...
There are good and bad implementations of digital.
The problem is, it takes money and complexity to do digital readouts for analog information RIGHT. I won’t bore you with all the details, but suffice to say, it can be done correctly and well, but not cheaply.
As we like to say in engineering: “You can have it fast, cheap or easy. Pick two.”
One of the best voltmeters you can still get for general electrical work is the Simpson 260 or 270 series of VOMs. Built like a brick outhouse, they continue to deliver reliable readings. The 270 series is just a more accurate 260.
http://www.simpsonelectric.com/main/index.asp?p=Products&id=30&sid=38&ss=31
As for digital voltmeters: I use nothing but Fluke, and most any Fluke DVM is going to run you at least $200, new. I refuse to bother with any of the chi-com $5 to $20 DVM’s.
I have been a shortwave listener for 40 years during which shortwave broadcasting has declined to near irrelevance. I have QSL cards from lots of the major broadcasters. They are all off the air now.
When the BBC, Radio Netherlands and Duetche Welle quit broadcasting to North America one should have known it was over!
Of course you can still be entertained by Brother Stair predicting the end of the world any day now.
Yes, Flukes are wonderful devices. Rugged and accurate. I picked up a used one cheap a while back. Is is about 23 years old. I sent it back to the factory for calibration, and they sent it back saying it needed no adjustments. I now have 3 Flukes.
I once saw a Simpson 260 survive being dropped from the top of a telephone pole with only a crack in the case.
There are times when an analog meter is more useful than a digital. You need to have both in your arsenal.
Yes. Start with a simple outdoor wire antenna. These were about 10 bucks at Radio Shack when I bought mine c. 1995. It's basically a bare wire suspended on insulators. Then you run an insulated wire from the antenna to your radio. With such an antenna and a decent radio, you can near much of the world, at least the powerful transmitters. Reception is best at night.
OK! Like I said, I went the somewhat cheapo route to see if I like it and learn what it’s all about.
So I got an Eton FR600 Solarlink radio. It has AM, FM, SW, and emergency bands.
It powers by AA batteries, an internal Ni rechargeable, a solar cell on the top, or a hand crank.
So far, I have had no luck picking up any SW with it. But I only played with it a few minutes, I put it in the sun to charge good.
Has an extendable rod type antenna like on boom boxes, but one could easily alligator clip a 40 foot piece of wire to it.
So as I find out more, I may or may not report on what I find out. But at least now I got something to get me started.
Thanks to everyone for their ideas!!
Back before computers and Rush I got a Sangean ATS800 and over 20+ years it’s still working.
Strange that my favorite program to listen to was a Cuban station that talked about American baseball in ENGLISH. It was absolutely fascinating to listen to and developed my appreciation for talk radio.
I think the gentleman’s name was ‘Arnie Kuono’(sp)
Anyway one of my favorite applications of this Sangean ATS800 radio is the timer that allows you to go to sleep with the radio.
Anyway get a radio with a timer...that’s the only radio advice I can ‘expertly’ give you.
The good news is, I JUST PICKED UP MY FIRST SW BROADCAST!!
The bad news is, it’s in Spanish and I think it might be Argentinian soccer...
;-)
Next step is throwing another 30 feet of wire or so on the antenna...
Deutsche Welle is one of the better broadcasters. BBC isn’t too bad if you can stand their “broadcast voice”. (Somebody must train them to speak that way.)
Music is almost always distorted in my experience.
If you have any language abilities, shortwave broadcasts can be good practice because most announcers speak distinctly. You can train your ear. (Probably why BBC announcers speak that way so they can be understood by WOGS.)
Cuban and other communist broadcasts I found amusing.
Yup.
I’m finding that out now. It’s gonna take a while for me to get my ears.
Fortunately, the radio has a headphone jack and it’s much clearer using the headphones...
but that ain’t saying much!
I was surprised I added about ten feet of wire to the antenna and it VASTLY improved the number of stations.
Seems to be alot of just data-type signals, and various oddities.
short wave bump
SW ping
I am truly impressed with the Ten Tec RX320D.
I am running Software from KF50J, and I cant find it on the internet anymore. I think he may have passed away.
I can send you a copy
There are lots of other programs that will run the RX320D but his was the best! http://webspace.webring.com/people/fu/um_6635/software.html
I use a long wire antenna from PAR http://www.parelectronics.com/end-fedz.php I use the EF 40
You can get an inexpensive radio like the Kaito 1103 http://www.weemscreeksolutions.com/KaitoKA1103.htm?gclid=CKLKx-Lo66QCFYpa2godrw041w
It works great, but is small so the interface takes some fidgeting.
What ever you get, get a decent antenna and tune in WBCQ at 7415 on friday nights at 8 EST
I have the Satellit 800 millenium, and it is a great receiver
The funniest one is Irans "Voice of Justice"
They make Voice of Russia sound "fair and balanced" L0L
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