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Old March 21st 14, 10:14 PM posted to rec.radio.shortwave
dxAce[_22_] dxAce[_22_] is offline
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Apr 2013
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Default FM radio reception at ~24MHz?



Michael Black wrote:

On Fri, 21 Mar 2014, D. Peter Maus wrote:

On 3/19/14 15:39 , Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:

I remember that well too. When I was a teenager someone had a Normande
(probably spelled wrong) AM/FM/Shortwave radio they dropped and it broke
in half. I was able to get it working, and using various things such as my
bed frame, the telephone line, etc, I was able to receive SW signals in a
"garden" (basement) apartment.




My first was a Hallicrafters S-53A. And a not so long random wire. That was
shortly followed up with a Hammarlund Super Pro (Mil designation BC-794.) It
was my grandfather's amateur radio receiver. Still have it. And a not so
recently acquired S-53.

What's the S-53?


Just Google "s-53 radio" and you'll soon find out.

Is it just one of the many variations of the S38 (ie
basically an All AMerican Five that covered shortwave) or is there
something fancier to it? They made so many, it's hard to remember.

Antennae were always the issue. Random wires were noisy. But could be
concealed. More efficient, and more noise immune antenna required visible
artifacts which drew fire from the parents. (Her father was a ham and she
hated radio gear. He was an idiot who refused to accept that I could not
listen to WNYW on the AM band in St Louis. Both heartily believed that
listening to stations not local to the area damaged both the radio and create
a fire hazard from the increased current draw needed to reach out for distant
stations. They once caught me listening to WLS on a Philco Transitone, and
about beat me senseless for 'trying to burn the house down.' Mensa was not an
option for either of them.)

I think for many people, they don't even tune at random, or maybe
specifically at night. They tune in the stations they know are local, and
forget the rest.

One local station carried "Coast to Coast" and every time the station
changed format, and finally went under, locals would say "I hope CJAD
grabs Coast to Coast", it being the other AM station that might carry it.
And it did. It works great for the local stations, but it really kills
the overnight listening, the same program up and down the band.
Admittedly, it wasn't that different back when Larry King ruled the night,
but it's gotten worse since.

If people did some tuning at night, they would have found how easy it was
to get the program. I'd much rather have the choice. When Larry King was
on, I could listen to it, or the local overnight station, or something
else. Now there isn't much else.

When I got out on my own, I set up the antennae I wanted, and using those
same receivers travelled the world through a headset.

Still do. But, I rarely use the Hammar. Mostly it's a Drake R8A, and/or
Lowe HF-150, or AOR 7030 Plus.

Out here in the suburban weeds, noise is low. But up in the North Woods, it
can be eerily quiet. And there's enough realestate to put up some real
antennae.

It's amazing how much noisier things have gotten in forty years. I had
the SP-600 and a length of wire just hanging off the back. Not great, but
I just remember endless signals. If I try any of the current portable
radios inside, I don't hear much, until I move towards the window, where
the signals peak up. So much electronic junk that's now become common,
nost of it digital in some way, and many using switching supplies.

Pretty much none of it was there in 1971 when I first listened to shortwave.

Michael