Posted on 01/16/2009 5:29:03 PM PST by mylife
So why bother with shortwave?
It's easy and cheap -- and fun. You can hear and learn things that you would never find even if you work your search engine like a mule. From Swaziland to Paris to Havana, shortwave broadcasters can surprise an adventurous listener more than any MP3 playlist.
"You tune carefully, twist the radio from side to side, and there's still a bit of a 'Hey, I made this happen!' sort of thing," said Harold Cones, retired chairman of the biology and chemistry department at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.
It's also magic. Shortwave radio enthusiasts acknowledge the thrill -- the romance, in a way -- of going out at night and snaring news, music, odd bleeps, religious zealots and other broadcasts from the wild sea of frequencies in the sky.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Naw. He is a hardly ever on AM either anymore.
You can hear that nutcase Alex Jones on SW. It’s kind entertaining actually
L0L!
“internets” Thats the equal opportunity thang.
I remember when i was just a kid about 50 years ago my blessed but poor dad got me a little crystal set. No battery, just a crystal, and you would move the “pin” onto different parts of crystal. I though it remarkable that i could pick up stations from AM to Radio Moscow on it. Now kinds get bored with expensive video games. I could also tell you about the model steam engine he later bought for me (and himself!). Thank God for good dads and little things to remember times with.
I do have a radio shack portable shortwave now, but do not use it much now.
That looks pretty cool (and expensive).
I remember what you're talking about. I was in awe listening to all those foreign languages.
Arnie sure knows his stuff. I used to hear him all the time.
For you folks asking about radio, check this out. Something in it for just about everyone. From bouncing signals off the moon and amateur satellites to local emergency communications to talking to the over 335 countries in the world. Listening is fine...but its a lot more fun joining the conversation.No code required.
Here's mine. Of course BittyGirl isn't so bitty anymore.
freeware
http://www.qsl.net/ab9b/KF5OJ/index.html
The radio is like 300 bucks. I paid for some software that allows me access to the radio over the net from Dxtra
http://www.dxtra.com/rx320.html
But I like this better for casual scanning
Thats Great!
Not so. My grandma received her ham license at age 70 and had a ball. She even went on to become an officer in the local club.
Thanks. I am glad the morse requirement is gone.
I used it once to bring a chopper down LoL
But I dont want to hassle with it
He is still a Commie, but very bright Amigo!
This was my very first Shortwave Radio, the Realistic DX-160. The day I had enough money saved up to buy it was the greatest day in my life.
Crystal radio brings back fond memories. As a young boy in the 50s I had one that my Dad taught me how to build. I would fall asleep with the headphones on and my Dad would stop by on his way to bed to take them off... It was fun keeping a log of the stations and times I’d heard them. I can’t think of many kids for whom that would be entertainment these days. Life was so much simpler then...
Hey, you talkin' bout me?
Amen to that.
Thanks for sharing that - fascinating!
I'll never forget listening to Kol Israel on the second night of Desert Storm. The announcer read a statement ordering all listeners to take shelter and don gas masks - a missle warning had just been issued. It took my breath away. And to think - I was using my Hallicrafters Super Skyrider (they knew how to name radios then!) which was made in 1941.
I've heard a lot of broadcasts since, and had many memorable ham QSLs, but nothing compared to that Kol Israel broadcast.
My son and I built one using a Germanium diode, and oatmeal box and some magnet wire. Tuned right up on WBAP to boot.
About a year ago, we "built" and AM/FM kit.
My main RX is an R-390A.
It also heats the shack. :)
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