Quote:
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Originally Posted by
Though I'm not a non-technical person, my area of expertise - or even
moderate knowledge - does not rest in the realm of shortwave radios.
However, I've always had an interest in pursuing the subject, and
towards that end my wife was kind enough to buy me a Grundig Yacht Boy
400PE for the holidays.
My problem is this. After reading the entire manual, reading the
Passport text and taking the plunge into the world of sw radio, I'm
having trouble getting reception for stations that I would expect to
get.
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Hi Pete:
The previously mentioned suggestion of taking the radio outside for a walk is an excellent tip. This is how I achieve the best reception.
What exactly are you hearing when you step through the 49m or 31m bands at night? Any faint voices? What kind of noise?
A good test signal for you since you're in the USA is the WWV (
http://tf.nist.gov/timefreq/stations/wwv.html) broadcasts on 2.5 mhz, 5 mhz, 10 mhz, 15 mhz, and 20 mhz. 5 mhz is the most reliable for me in the evening (over here in northern California). Use the daytime/nighttime recommendations in your radio manual to determine which frequency is best at any given time.
For very up-to-date shortwave frequency listings, give
www.primetimeshortwave.com a try. You'll have to learn how to convert local time to coordinated universal time (aka UTC). Search for listings labeled "NA" (North America), although reception of stations broadcasting to other regions is possible.
One of my favorite broadcasts is Radio Havana Cuba:
0500-0700 UTC: 6 mhz, 6.06 mhz, 9.55 mhz, 9.82 mhz, 11.76 mhz