Shortwave radio still packs an audible thrill

reuters ^ | 1/14/09 | Robert MacMillan

[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.

[ArmstedFragg]

Good ole’ BBC doesn’t feed America anymore. Sigh!

[mylife]

I learn a lot there.

Sure, some of them are old cranks, but it a decent place to read up

[mylife]

You can get BBC Africa

[Raven6]

I keep two of the "projector" clocks aimed at the ceiling of the bedroom. On those nights when I can't sleep (but the wife can [darn it!]), I reach under the bed for my Realistic DX-440 - actually a Sangean built unit, just with a Realistic logo silk-screened on the front. You can get all of the shortwave broadcast schedules off of the Internet. I just look up at the UTC time on the ceiling and go DX fishing. I've logged hundreds of broadcasts from as many stations over the years. QSO'd quite a few.

The transistor rigs make it easy... So I enjoy building crystal sets that cover from 530 Khz up through 6.500 Mhz. I use 84 turns of 24 gauge wire on a 2 inch form, then tap the coil in 12 different spots for a bandwidth adjustor (hooked up to a 12 position rotary switch. The worst part about my crystal sets it that I have a 5kW AM station array just 0.2 miles from my house. I have to run everything through 3 wavetraps and a tuner before I can eliminate the local AM station.

When I don't feel like wearing the old headphones required for "true" crystal radio listening, I fire up the Hammarlund HQ-170A or the HQ-180. Say what you will about transistor radios... I think all of those glowing tubes in my 38 pound (each) Hammarlunds are the ultimate in cool...

FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO GET INTO SHORT WAVE LISTENING, READ THE WORLD RADIO TELEVISION HANDBOOK. It will get you started the right way... I still have my first copy (they put out new versions occasionally) that I bought in college.

Regards,
Raven6

[dragnet2]

Bookmark

[Bobalu]

I have been a ham and shortwave listener for many years.
I have some nice high buck digital radios but I also enjoy el-cheapo radios...here is a video demo of a radio I got about 3 years ago for 6 dollars (delivered) off ebay. This radio has been in daily use (mostly listening to Rush) and still works great and can bring in decent shortwave.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahqvoeTaFPQ

[mylife]

Thanks for keeping analog alive!

[ArmstedFragg]

Yeah, or the “Asia” feed sometimes. I just miss that old Tenerife feed that used to boom in.

[mylife]

I tell you! The Kaito 1103 rocks!($80) it has superior sound processing than my Ten Tec 320d and it has Fm with fantastic sensitivity,selectivity and imaging.

It has SSB, but here is where the ten tec beats it.

The Kaito can get the signal but only has two IF filters.

The Ten Tec Has like 39. And the ten tec is triple conversion vice dual conversion on the Kaito.

Still.. There is something to be said for fine tuned Analog.
And That something is usually money and time L0L

[MissDairyGoodnessVT]

no kidding- Go Grammy! thanks much for the info

[Army Air Corps]

How do you make the wave traps and the tuner?

[mylife]

I missed all that. I am a noobie of sorts.

I still enjoy it, though the bands are just awful at the moment.

It still beats the TV for me most of the time

[Bobalu]

I also have a Kaito 1103... it’s a truly great radio at the price...and it even came with a set of NIMH batteries..all for 60$ via ebay.

[Seven plus One]

Yep, I’ve got that one, except that it’s marked ‘Radio Shack DX-398’. That is one excellent reciever. I use it daily. Nine years now, and it works like new.

[mylife]

I cant say enough about this little radio.

I bought one for my Bro with a 40 meter Par end Fedz antenna and the connections for Christmas.

I beat the hell out of mine, and cosmetically its scruffy from being on the road and used daily, but functionally? This little Kaito is awesome.

[dfwgator]

Good ole’ BBC doesn’t feed America anymore. Sigh!

I still miss hearing "Lilliburlero" at the top of hour, followed by Big Ben.

[dragnet2]

Yeah those ignorant, superstitious religious zealots sure can be entertaining. Any chance of snaring some secular zealots expounding on their religion of say environmentalism, diversity or socialism?

Yep, there are religious extremist, those calling for civil war, and Radio Havana that states the U.S. government is the #1 enemy of the world...They are a kick to listen to.

You get all that on a general coverage receiver.

But there are also tens of thousands of Amateur radio operators like myself.

You can listen to round table meetings, nets, and people just like you from all over the country, and the world, talking politics, guns, automotive repair radios and revolution. I just talked to a guy that was on a troller in the Indian ocean...It was great.

I've talk to people down in the south seas, on small islands, that basically live in small cabanas using battery power...Very interesting only begins to describe it.

It's a great hobby, one that can be very addicting, and one that serves a very useful service.

73's

[mylife]

Thanks for adding to the conversation.

[GingisK]

My first shortwave radio was a little "tube type" taken from a B-17 bomber. It was a remarkable receiver.

Digital tuners seem to go silent during each step of the tuner, which takes a lot from the whole experience.

[Seven plus One]

For me, shortwave was my fishing, nothing like getting that "catch" of that rare station. That's It! And when my wife impatiently said "I didn't marry a radio geek", then I knew I was doing something Important.