Strictly receive here for now
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 ...
Strictly receive here for now
73’s to ya
I have the Radio Shack version of the same radio - except it’s black. Very nice.
So do I my Friend, So do I.
I guess that’s what leads us to places like SW and the internet
Idol should be approved by conservatives because it is about America at a very basic level...... personal responsibility, desire to suceed and excellence. There is a democratic element in that the eventual winner must truly excel and convince enough folks to provide roughly 18,000,000 votes within just over 2 hours.
It is about wackos who have no real talent but do have enough motivation to escape the bounds of opinion and put it all on the line just to see. It is about some genuinely talented people who strive for excellence and gain a fantastic opportunity to rub shoulders with the most talented artists, managers, and producers in the country.
Idol is just beginning. You might watch it with an eye towards the above...... watch those that fail. Some literally destroy themselves with agony over the rejection. Some become outrageously happy and exuberant at winning a particular round.
Idol is about being an American, taking a chance, seizing an opportunity and running with it. I suppose that among some stuffy types it is fashionable to put Idol down but to do so is to miss observing real America very close up.
Idol is perhaps the best rated show on TV. It has maintained the support of Ford Motor Co, Coca Cola Co and AT&T, all American giants who do not throw away money. They continue to sponsor Idol because it is pure Americana There is a live FRee Republic thread that follows the success and failure with wit and applause and scorn. (and pure fun)
Did I mention the Icom PCR-2500 sitting on top of the JRC?
and an MFJ-959C dual antenna tuner/preamp..
Wow - great story!! Thanks for sharing!
I barely remember that flood, they still have signs up where the water level was...
My best shortwave memory was hearing live the famous Radio Beijing announcement on June 4, 1989 when the crackdown began and the announcer bravely was reporting on what was happening, by the next hour, Radio Beijing was back to reporting the party line. Wished I had my tape recorder to record it.
I also remember how weird Radio Moscow got right after the Soviet Union collapsed, they were so desperate for money they were broadcasting a program from Aum Shinrikyo, the ones who subsequently attacked the Tokyo subway in the ricin attack.
My favorite SW stations were: Radio Australia, Radio Nederland (they even read one of my letters on air), AFRTS, BBC World Service and Radio Canada International.
But I would also listen to the commie stations, like Moscow and Tirana for a good laugh. Even got a QSL card from Radio Havana (I’m sure the CIA has me in their files).
I bought a Radio Shack (from when they were really a radio shack) model on ebay some years ago. All totally analog. All the knobs serve a function. It even is capable of 12 volts dc for power. I get the feeling that that may prove valuable in the not-so-distant future.
No. There are a lot of ladies involved too.
I dont think a lot of Women have the patience for it though.
Most folks in general actually.
We live in an “I want it now society”
Funny thing is, with this SW stuff you can be a first responder, or first to hear.
Its faster than internet when the shit hits the fan, but it takes some understanding
Indeed they do!
I just recently took up the hobby.
Though I learned to align a collins R390 back in 1980 while in the USN.
I could get a -127dbm mds out of that boat anchor
My Realistic DX-440 is still going strong after 20 years, though I don’t use it much anymore.
There was one guy in West St. Paul who was BIG in SW, it was fun going over there in the mid 70’s.
I was big in CB’s, has a 150 watt boot, a Starduster antenna, and a VFO (Variable Frequency Oscillator).
Wired up my 23 channel Cobra to have Upper and Lower Side Band, the Funny Channels, etc... Did it all myself.
Oh man...........
American Idol fan eh?
I get the same larf at a karaoke bar.
That was WYFR - Your Family Radio.
You are correct. Ford asks for bailouts
I am listening on the cheap ;)
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