On Oct 15, 12:38 pm, Joe Analssandrini
wrote:
On Oct 14, 6:07 pm, Bill wrote:



Look I don't want to start a trolling or a flame war but in my early
days of SWL with my Star Roamer that I built from the kit, I found it
really exciting to listen. The ship-to-shore on 3 or 4 MHz (mcs back
then) was the NY Marine Operator and there were phone conversations to
listen in on, then there was the international BC with radio Moscow
giving their take on world news and of course hams all over the place.

Well now some 30 years later, I'm bored with the whole thing....yeah I
try to catch a slight Gander Radio every now and then or still the
international stuff that might be in English. But for the most part,
the thrill is gone; unfortunately.

I hate to say it but I'll probably get rid of the Eton E5, Panasonic
RF-2200 and the R-390, having lost interest in this one-time exciting
hobby. (well, maybe not the R-390...)

I don't ask for comments or critiques...just wonder if there's others
that share my disappointment. And certainly most everything that can be
listened to can be found on the Internet (with somebody else's Internet
controlled SW receiver).

Thanks...!

--Bill
(in northern NJ)

Dear Bill,

The situation your are experiencing happens every eleven years, on
average. It is caused by the "bottom" of the sunspot cycle in which we
find ourselves just now. There is still quite a bit to hear but the
best and most exotic signals are heard more in the early morning and
daytime rather than the evening or nighttime, at least currently at my
location. (This, of course, is not conducive to listening if one works
for a living!)

Do not get discouraged. You own some good radios. I suggest that, if
your boredom continues, you might pack the radios away for a year or
two. If you unpack them and try them again in, say 2009 or 2010, I
believe you will be amazed and pleased at what you will hear.

The bottom end of the sunspot cycle always separated the men from the
boys. Hang in there.

Best,

Joe


Let's hope the sun gets off it's lazy ball of plasma and makes some
spots

Just installed a mobile SW setup; enjoying Radio Australia, Radio New
Zealand Int'l, Radio Moscow, and Radio Netherlands while driving to
and from work late/early.

Let's just hope we're not looking at another "Maunder Minimum" kind of
situation, where the sun just quiets down for several cycles. This
one has sure been painfully slow and no evidence of a turn-around yet.