In article xlWpb.106513$HS4.889659@attbi_s01, jim.douglas@genesis-
software.com says...
Anyone know this, very strong/clear here in Dallas. I think Radio =D6ster=
reich
International (=D6RF)?

Here's why I always make sure I have the latest copy of Passport to=20
World Band Radio handy. In the "Blue Pages" you can look up a frequency=20
and see who is scheduled to broadcast on that frequency at what time.

There are three publications that I absolutely MUST have for my=20
shortwave listening, in order of priority:

1) Monitoring Times magazine
2) Passport to World Band Radio
3) World Radio and Television Handbook

Monitoring Times (www.monitoringtimes.com) functions as a "TV Guide for=20
Shortwave" for me. With 20 pages each month devoted to broadcast=20
schedules and featured programs, it's a must-have. I get mine in the=20
"MT Express" version, which is an Adobe Acrobat PDF file I download each=20
month. Grove sends out an email to their MT Express subscribers on the=20
20th of each month with the FTP information to download the file. Since=20
it's a PDF, I save each copy to CD-ROM for future reference. Also, they=20
are so attentive to detail that when you see a URL for a web site in the=20
text of an article, you can click on that URL in Acrobat Reader and=20
it'll bring up your web browser on that site! And the table of contents=20
also has that ability -- click on an item in the TOC and go straight to=20
that page in the magazine. Well done, Bob!

(I cheat a little -- once I've downloaded mine, I go in with Acrobat and=20
copy out the text of the hourly broadcast schedules to a text file, then=20
I convert that to Microsoft Reader format and keep it on my PocketPC=20
palmtop computer. That way I have it in electronic form wherever I am!)

I've already explained one reason why I have to have the current=20
Passport book (www.passband.com, also available from Amazon.com,=20
Universal Radio, Ham Radio Outlet, and just about anywhere else you can=20
think of). Not only are the Blue Pages of infinite value to me, but the=20
annual reviews of various receivers are of great use. They also have=20
the addresses and QSL information for just about every shortwave=20
broadcaster you may expect to find on the air.

The WRTH book is a great reference for broadcasters in other areas of=20
the spectrum besides shortwave. If you're DXing the AM broadcast band,=20
for example, you can pretty easily find the address for the station so=20
you can send your reception reports. (Since MW DXing is only a side=20
interest in my radio listening, it's not as high a priority for me as=20
the other two, but it's definitely up there.)

My one complaint is that I wish there were more publishers that followed=20
Bob Grove's example and published in PDF format. It's a widely-used=20
format, cuts down on the use of paper, and is in my opinion far more=20
useful than the traditional paper format. I would gladly plunk down my=20
bucks right this second if I could get Passport and WRTH in some=20
electronic format, either PDF or perhaps a CD-ROM-based format.

=20

-- //Steve//

Steve Silverwood, KB6OJS
Fountain Valley, CA
Email:
Web: http://home.earthlink.net/~kb6ojs_steve