Joe Analssandrini wrote:
Many people have said that the shortwave hobby is dying and I'm afraid
I'm now inclined to agree with them. What's really sad (and possibly
dangerous) is that, if shortwave communications "goes," how will
"captive" countries - and make no mistake: there are plenty of them
and there will be many more to come - be reached? Internet is
certainly no substitute for shortwave radio.

It's possible that, just when we need shortwave, it may no longer
exist.

In any case, if you do own a good tabletop shortwave receiver, hold on
to it and keep it in good repair because you probably won't be able to
replace it.

I disagree. The market has stratifed into two classes of radios. Portables,
ranging from cheap to mid priced, from analog tuning AM only to digital
with sync detectors, etc and ham transceivers with full coverage.

For example, Universal sells a new Yaseu FT-817nd for $600, which covers
100kHz to 470mHz (with gaps), receives USB, LSB, CW, AM, FM, W-FM, Digital
(AFSK) and Packet (1200/9600 FM).

If you want something a more "desktop" the 857 is $750 and includes DSP.

Universal lists an Alinco not yet available, for probably $650 with a
30kHz to 30Mhz AM/FM/SSB receiver.

The ICOM 706 is $970 and it can be split into a radio and a control head
to take less space. $970 sounds like a lot of money, but it's less than a
Kenwood R5000 cost in 1991 and about half of what it cost if you added the
good AM filter and VHF convertor.

The 703+ which is a similar rig with low power output is only $750. It's
limited to 30kHz to 60mHz reception, without the VHF and UHF reception.

Granted anything beyond the 817 needs a power supply but a 3-4 amp one will
do for reception.

In 1991 terms the $600 today to buy the 817 would have been about $300 and
bought you a Radio Shack HTX-100. A nice 10m SSB/CW rig.

By that reckoning, an NRD-535D with all the extras would be close to $5000
today. How many ham rigs with DC to Daylight reception, DSP, 100 or more
memories, computer interfaces etc can you get for that.

Granted some countries, for example the one I live in restricts the ownership
of transmitters to hams, but the US does not.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel N3OWJ/4X1GM
I do multitasking. If that bothers you, file a complaint and I will start
ignoring it immediately.