On Mon, 17 May 2010 17:35:25 -0700 (PDT), Daniel Salas
wrote:

On May 17, 8:11*pm, wrote:
On Tue, 18 May 2010 08:42:36 +0900, "Brenda Ann"

wrote:

wrote in message
.. .
You might want to get your hands on a cheap portable shortwave and
check for these sources. You could have a problem from electrical
wires. Also computers, tv's, etc. in adjacent apartments are potential
sources of interference. Try to find the most quiet spot to erect an
antenna.

Cheap SW radios have a nasty tendency to be easily overloaded by high level
VHF signals (such as TV and FM eminating from the ESB, in most likely direct
line-of-sight from his building.

Well, I guess the first question to ask is: What is the budget for the
SW radio?

Oh, and the sandbags are a good idea to keep a support in place while
protecting the roof. Thanks.

Jim

I was hoping to spend a max of $150 or so. Is that too low a buy-in
for the kind of equipment I'd need? If so, bummer.

That is pretty low. You could get a good portable. The Sony
ICF-SW7600GR is about $150. There are others.

I would try to find someone with a good shortwave radio they could
bring over and test at your apartment and determine what types of
interference are present. That way you can figure out if a portable
will fill your needs. You may need a radio with a noise blanker if
there is serious power line noise. That would take the radio out of
the price range you are considering.

Jim