Beginner Cant Pick up a Single Station in San Francisco
 

I am a beginner trying to get into Shortwave and DXing. I have a SONY
ICF-SW7600 that I used to use to pick up major SW broadcasters such as
BBC, DW and Radio Netherlands (about 10 years ago).

However, I cannot pick up a single SW station at all. I am in San
Francisco, California, and have scanned almost all frequencies both at
night and during the day. I even tried rigging up a simple antennae
using some wire, but still I cannot pick up a single SW station.

I have tried to receive in various areas of my house, including ground
level, first floor, and outside.

So, does anyone know of a strong SW station that you can pick up in San
Francisco / Northern California? I am trying to figure out if the
problem is my receiver.

Does this sound like a problem with my receiver?

I am researching a new one, but don't want to get one if I am not going
to be able to pick anything up in my area.

Thanks for any help...

mike

Beginner Cant Pick up a Single Station in San Francisco
 

On 24 Dec 2006 13:18:48 -0800, "Mike Chambers"
wrote:

I am a beginner trying to get into Shortwave and DXing. I have a SONY
ICF-SW7600 that I used to use to pick up major SW broadcasters such as
BBC, DW and Radio Netherlands (about 10 years ago).

However, I cannot pick up a single SW station at all. I am in San
Francisco, California, and have scanned almost all frequencies both at
night and during the day. I even tried rigging up a simple antennae
using some wire, but still I cannot pick up a single SW station.

I have tried to receive in various areas of my house, including ground
level, first floor, and outside.

So, does anyone know of a strong SW station that you can pick up in San
Francisco / Northern California? I am trying to figure out if the
problem is my receiver.

Does this sound like a problem with my receiver?

I am researching a new one, but don't want to get one if I am not going
to be able to pick anything up in my area.

Thanks for any help...

mike



If you can't hear buzzing on the radio, in the middle of a city,
there's something wrong with it. Does the AM work? Can you get KGO?
If so, you may want to mess with the Ext Antenna jack, it could have
crud in it. A few cycles with a 3.5mm plug will clean it up.

Beginner Cant Pick up a Single Station in San Francisco
 

Yeah. I can get KGO pretty clearly.

Basically, all I hear on shortwave bands is a loud buzzing. I did
manage to barely pick up some gospel station from the US (but i couldnt
understand what was being said the quality was so poor).

I checked a couple of schedules, and put in frequencies where there
should be content, but nothing came through.

I also tried using a Sony AN-61 portable antenae, and that is when I
found the gospel station.

mike

On 2006-12-24 16:03:56 -0800, David said:

If you can't hear buzzing on the radio, in the middle of a city,
there's something wrong with it. Does the AM work? Can you get KGO?
If so, you may want to mess with the Ext Antenna jack, it could have
crud in it. A few cycles with a 3.5mm plug will clean it up.

Beginner Cant Pick up a Single Station in San Francisco
 

Try this list . . .

http://www.primetimeshortwave.com/time.txt



Mike Chambers wrote:
I am a beginner trying to get into Shortwave and DXing. I have a SONY
ICF-SW7600 that I used to use to pick up major SW broadcasters such as
BBC, DW and Radio Netherlands (about 10 years ago).

However, I cannot pick up a single SW station at all. I am in San
Francisco, California, and have scanned almost all frequencies both at
night and during the day. I even tried rigging up a simple antennae
using some wire, but still I cannot pick up a single SW station.

I have tried to receive in various areas of my house, including ground
level, first floor, and outside.

So, does anyone know of a strong SW station that you can pick up in San
Francisco / Northern California? I am trying to figure out if the
problem is my receiver.

Does this sound like a problem with my receiver?

I am researching a new one, but don't want to get one if I am not going
to be able to pick anything up in my area.

Thanks for any help...

mike

Beginner Cant Pick up a Single Station in San Francisco
 

Mike Chambers wrote:
SONY ICF-SW7600 that I used to use to pick up major SW broadcasters
However, I cannot pick up a single SW station at all.

There seem to be fewer strong stations around than there were ten years
ago. Still, you should be able to to better than that.

On this model, the mounting for the whip antenna doubles as an antenna
switch. Pull straight up on the whip antenna to activate the whip;
push it back in to use an external antenna.

A receiver can drift out of alignment over time. Also, this might be
one of those receivers with an FET front-end that's easily damaged
by stray static electric charges on a long external antenna.

Good luck.

Beginner Cant Pick up a Single Station in San Francisco
 

Mike wrote:
Yeah. I can get KGO pretty clearly.

Basically, all I hear on shortwave bands is a loud buzzing.

Are you trying to use this SW radio in the same room with a computer? A
TV set? Next to a power transformer? Is there broadband over the power
lines where you are?

Sometimes during the day there's not much to hear, but I'm guessing
that there might be a SW station in Vancouver that you could hear
during the day. In the wee hours, you ought to be able to hear
Australia and North Korea.

HTH.

Beginner Cant Pick up a Single Station in San Francisco
 

Just an update on this. I started to get some broadcasts tonight.
Picked up Voice of the Andes, and Radio Havana.

I also figured out that some of the low voltage lights in my house are
causing major interference (loud buzzing). If I turn them off, then it
goes away.

Thanks for the help. I am already getting hooked. Now I just need to
find a good started receiver, and antenna.

mike

On 2006-12-24 16:03:56 -0800, David said:

On 24 Dec 2006 13:18:48 -0800, "Mike Chambers"


If you can't hear buzzing on the radio, in the middle of a city,
there's something wrong with it. Does the AM work? Can you get KGO?
If so, you may want to mess with the Ext Antenna jack, it could have
crud in it. A few cycles with a 3.5mm plug will clean it up.

Beginner Cant Pick up a Single Station in San Francisco
 

Mike wrote:
... some of the low voltage lights in my house are
causing major interference (loud buzzing). If I turn them off, then it
goes away.

Are those things on light dimmers? Are they controlled by SCRs?
Switching power supplies? Lots of noise to be had there. If you go
outside, does the buzzing on the radio go away?

Beginner Cant Pick up a Single Station in San Francisco
 

Mike wrote:
... some of the low voltage lights in my house are
causing major interference (loud buzzing). If I turn them off, then it
goes away.

Are those things on light dimmers? Are they controlled by SCRs?
Switching power supplies? Lots of noise to be had there. If you go
outside, does the buzzing on the radio go away?

Beginner Cant Pick up a Single Station in San Francisco
 

If you have light dimmers,get rid of them.Also,use regular old fashioned
incadescent light bulbs in your home.I use General Electric Reveal light
bulbs in my home.They put out a more natural light.I have to change them
(with three blonde gals doing the changing,me directing them) out every
few weeks,but they are cheap enough.
cuhulin