JimK wrote:
Hello, I'm interested in trying shortwave listening. I have narrowed
my choices to the Kaito 1103, and Sony SW7600GR.

I would very much appreciate any opinions on which you prefer, and
why.

Also, is lack of wide/narrow switch on the Sony a problem?

Thanks.


Welcome to the hobby. SW listening is a shade of its former
self, but there's still plenty to snag. Lots to enjoy.

Radios....about any passable radio you buy will be a decent
start. It will not be the last one you buy. But what it will do is
get you active, so you can refine your interests, and then select a
radio that meets the needs of those interests. You'll also begin
experimenting with methods of improving reception: eliminating noise
sources, possibly experimenting with external antennae.

Any decent radio can get you into the hobby, and help you learn
the craft of radio.

Sony: 7600 is a popular radio. Not without reason. I personally
don't recommend Sony because of their service practices. If
something goes wrong, you can jump through many hoops, waste many
months (in one case I waited two years for a VCR to come back from
the Sony Service Center, with some great stories as to why it was
taking so damned long) waiting for a piece to be repaired, only to
be told after it all, that it was unrepairable, and that they'd be
glad to sell you a new product and give you pro rated credit for
your old one. Great sounding. In practice you end up spending about
150% more for a working radio than you thought you would.

So, I don't recommend any Sony product on that basis.

But if you're determined to go that way, then go with your eyes
open.

Wide/Narrow: This is probably a non-issue. There are a number of
ways that manufacturers execute selectable bandwidth. They can
actually switch in additional or alternate filters, which would be
the better way, or they can simply switch in or out additional
capacitance to roll off the upper end of the response curves. GRE
built radios for 'The Shack' (...what the F*CK are these people
thinking) would simply switch in some extra capacitance to roll off
the audio when you selected 'Narrow.' To switch in additional or
alternate filters costs money. And requires more stable, and a
finer, alignment...adding considerably to the cost of the radio.

And if the filters are selected correctly, especially on the
portable, narrower bandwidth is usually unnecessary, unless you're
in a crowded band pulling one CW operator out of many.

If the radio you select doesn't have a Wide/Narrow selector, you
probably won't miss it.


Features overall... The Sony has synchronous detection. A nice
feature. Very erratically executed across manufacturers. Sony
usually does it pretty well. Now, there are some radio hobbycraft
practitioners, and reviewers as well, who will tell you NEVER buy a
radio without a sync detector. Ignore them. These people are
dilletantes masquerading as high performance SWL'ers. The truth is
that sync is a nice feature. But not a necessity. And a good
operator with the radio of his choice can pull a decent listen out
of his signal of interest without it. Nice feature. Not a necessity.
And most sync detectors have enough quirks that you can do better
with ECSS than you can with sync. So look for a radio that can
detect single sideband (SSB.)

Tuning resolution should be pretty fine. For program listening,
you can get away with nearly a kilohertz. For ham/utilities, you'll
need something finer. 100Hz is passable, 50Hz is better. 10Hz is
good. But you'll need what's called a 'clarifier.' Many radios have
them. Many don't. A clarifier will enable you to zero in on a signal
in SSB, or ECSS for the best listening. Without it, you may get a
low level beat that can be really irritating.

Build quality should be good. You're going to beat this thing up
if you drag it with you where you go. And you'll want to take it out
of the city or town where you live for the lower noise figures
possible out in the woods. Lower noise means better hearing of low
level signals. Some decent DX is possible in the woods, without any
modifications or additional antenna.

The Sony offers a pretty decent product for the money in these
areas. Audio can be kind of harsh, though. And you will be listening
for long stretches.

The Kaito is a basic radio. Offering few of the advanced features
but it has more pleasant audio, and about the same sensitivity and
build as the Sony.

My personal choice would be the Kaito. Because it's not a Sony.
Your mileage may vary.

Recommendation: Go to a brick and mortar store and try each. Side
by side, if you can. Then find the best price and order your
selection on line.



p