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Old November 19th 08, 05:34 PM posted to rec.radio.shortwave
[email protected] plimmer@telkomsa.net is offline
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: May 2007
Posts: 202
Default Best Rx $1K for daytime SWL (BBC beam to Africa, etc.)

On Nov 19, 6:34*pm, wrote:
I live in Ontario, Canada. *My goal is to listen to daytime SW
broadcasts beamed to Africa by the likes of BBC, DW, VOA, RNW, etc.

Right now I have a Sony 7600GR with a few indoor antennas (reel
antenna, ANLP1, etc.). *With this equipment it's difficult to get good
reception of these daytime signals.

I plan to install a wire antenna (around 30 feet long), either
outdoors along my 5.5' high wooden fence (I live in the suburbs) or in
my attic.

Will a Sony portable and an outdoor/attic wire be enough to get
consistently good reception of these stations? *Or should I get a
better receiver?

If so, what receiver should I buy?

Portable choices:
Sangean ATS-909 (I hear it can handle long antennas)
Eton E1XM

Tabletop choices:
Icom R75
Icom R1500
used Kenwood, Yaesu, etc. (ebay)

PC-controlled choices
Ten Tec Rx-320D

The Icom R75 is a little pricy for me ($700 here in Canada). But if it
is that much better than say, the Eton E1 at fishing out these
broadcast signals then I will seriously consider it.

I'm also a little afraid of buying a PC receiver because I live in a
noisy RF environment. *(I like the thought of receiving DRM, though!)

Thanks!


It's all to do with having the best antenna you can rig up on your
suburban lot. There are many variations of wire antenna's to try in an
inexpensive experiment, If that doesn't work there are a whole lot of
options on excellent active antenna's.

One of the best combo's is a simple outside wire antenna connected to
the MFJ 1020C as recommended in Passport 2009. Try that before you go
spending big bucks.

Of course a quality tabletop like the Icom R75 will be great, but only
if connected to a good outside antenna or outside active antenna. You
will be surprised what your Sony 7600GR can do with a decent antenna
though.

Good luck and good listening

John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa
South 33 d 47 m 32 s, East 20 d 07 m 32 s
Icom IC-7700, Icom IC-756 PRO III with MW mods
ERGO software
Drake SW8. Sangean 803A
Sony 7600D, GE SRIII, Redsun RP2100
Antenna's RF Systems DX 1 Pro Mk II, Datong AD-270
Kiwa MW Loop.
http://www.dxing.info/about/dxers/plimmer.dx