Radio recording options?
 

On Dec 28, 12:51 pm, " wrote:
What are some options for personal use, time delaying of radio
broadcasts?

A) No computer needed.
B) Universal (power / frequency coverage)
C) Only needs to record 15 (or possibly up to 60) minutes a day (no
need for VCR, or long play cassette)
D) 1 to 3 timed recording events per day.
E) Easy to use (at least once it is set).

Actually, it's most important that it records FM (100 kHz or 50 kHz
steps)... (but most of the stuff is applicable to shortwave as well,
and people here would have related issues).

What I've come up with so far (in approximate price range)

A) VOX Voice Recorder with input jack
B) VOX Tape Recorder with input jack
C) Degen/Kaito DE/KA1121
D) Radio YourWay LX/Mini (Mini doesn't have AC adaptor option, which
is an issue) - doesn't cover shortwave -- can use enternal input jack
if recording shortwave.
E) Sangean 818CS
F) Discontinued Sony ICF-SW1000T

I've seen some Voice Recorders / mp3 players which can record and even
record from internal FM radio - but I don't know of any with timed
recording.

Anything else?

Creative makes a Zen V Plus in both 2 and 4Gig units that have an
internal LithION
battery and built in microphone and line inputs. This device is
absolutely RF quiet!
Checked mine out in an EMC lab.

It is not voice activated (VOX) and can't be programed. But the 4G
unit will record up
to at least 15 hours.

The microphone is recorded as a wav and the line in as a WMA. No big
deal as there
are converters if you need to edit it, and the quality is great.
Sample rates are 128K/S
and 168K/S. It has the option to sense silence and stop and start a
new session.

The 2G is about $79, and the 4G is about $99

This unit will 'only' work under XP or Vista. You can trick it into
working under Windows
98SE. It is a more then a bit of a hassle to get it going under XP,
but I am likely to be the
last person left using 98SE.

It is easy to build a earphone out to line in attenuator or simply go
by Radio Shack and
by one.

Terry

Radio recording options?
 

Here is the non-computer based system I have been using for years,
mainly to record talk radio:

Used Sharp mini-disc recorder
Radio with a mechanical on-off switch
Digital timer (such as Intermatic 17C)

set radio to desired frequency, leave it in "on" position
set digital timer to desired on/off times
plug radio AC cord into the digital timer
connect digital timer to AC outlet
connect radio to mini-disc recorder (patch cord from radio line-out or
headphone jack to mini-disc line-in)

connect Sharp mini-disc recorder to an AC outlet
set Sharp mini-disc to record /synch on.

The digital timer will power the radio on/off based on your timer
settings.
When the audio signal gets to the Sharp mini-disc recorder, it will
begin recording. When there is no longer a signal (timer shuts radio
off), the recording stops and the mini-disc recorder goes back to
synch-mode awaiting the next audio from the radio.

Do not have the digital timer control the mini-disc (you want that in
on/synch mode all the time).

Only Sharp mini-disc recorders will work for this, Sony's do not.
Sharp's synch-record analog signals while Sony's do not do that.

You will have to find a used Sharp mini-disc recorder as they are no
longer offered. They come up on ebay from time to time. Suggest you
get a later model MDLP recorder, as it will allow you to record more
stuff on a disc.

A really neat system. So much better than cassettes. I prefer a
stand-alone, non computer reliant set up.

This works if you are only recording the same radio frequency - which
is all I do. If I was going to do multiple frequencies, I'd need to
dedicate another radio/timer combo to the other frequency and connect
them all to the mini-disc input with an adapter that has multiple
jacks in.

If you are only recording brief periods, you can dispense with the
timer. Use radios that have on/off timers.

I record 4 sessions a day (three 1 hour segments, one 2 hour
segment). I have never found a radio that will handle that from a
timer perspective. Some radios will allow you to have three timer
sessions (up to one hour each) on different frequencies.