Dear JShorr,

There is NO short wave radio made which is perfect. ALL have some
deficiency(s) which may be more or less important depending on the
requirements of the user.

That said, the Sony ICF-SW7600GR (preferably used with its associated
SW antenna the AN-LP1) will give a novice all the performance and
construction quality for which he could wish. This radio has "staying
power" as well. Even if you become a "seasoned veteran" like me, you
will not "outgrow" it.

It is an excellent radio for listening at home on SW as well as MW and
FM (it is particularly good on MW); it has a dedicated line output so
the sound can be run through your stereo system if you desire; it also
travels VERY well.

The radio can also be used as a travel alarm (with TWO wakeup times).

With its whip it has good sensitivity. You won't miss much! It is VERY
stable. Its SSB reception is arguably the best of any
currently-available portable radio. Its synchronous-selectable sideband
circuitry is offered by NO OTHER small portable with the exception of
the SW-07; note that the '7600/AN-LP1 combination is far less costly
than the SW-07 and performance is comparable. Having experienced
listening via synchonous selectable sideband circuitry, I shall NEVER
buy ANY SW radio without it!. If you purchase the AN-LP1 antenna (which
can be purchased separately sometime in the future), you will find this
radio/antenna combination to afford excellent performance.

It is even VERY EASY on batteries; it you use NiMH rechargeables, your
power costs will be extremely low. (You don't need to buy an AC adapter
for this radio. It works better on the batteries, anyway.)

The Sony ICF-SW7600G radio can be purchased new from Amazon (the least
costly dealer I have found), J&R Music World (they have low prices too,
sometimes less than Amazon, but check shipping costs: Amazon's is
generally "zero"), Universal, AES, and some other dealers. Check the
prices, but make sure you buy from a reputable dealer. AES and some
others sell the AN-LP1 antenna (AES's price is $89.95, less than the
dealers on eBay!).

I wish you the best of luck. I personally own three of the 7600GR
models and two of the predecessor 'G model (the 'GR is better). (I also
now own five AN-LP1 antennas.) I have bought many other receivers which
did not give me the satisfaction that this one does. I know that if you
buy this Sony receiver you will never regret it.

Best,

Joe