I've listened to shortwave on and off for awhile but it seems to me
that some of the build quality these days isn't that long.

I had a grundig s350...lasted until I donated it but it had drift...

I tried a redsun 2100...the thing died after the first month...so I
bought the USA equivalent of the kaito ka2100...that just died the
other day (lasted a year and a half)

I had a kaito 1103 worked fantastic until I bumped something and a
chunk of the antenna snapped off and the job dial didn't fully
correspond.

Don't get me wrong when this stuff worked it was great...but there's
some newer models I'm interested in.

I don't need stuff like wefax or rtty etc. I like SSB as I can listen
to ham's...I'd like to start recording too. I know there's a Degen but
the operations of that thing look so complicated and it's degen...if
it breaks...

I'm thinking maybe a grundig g6...adding the aircraft band is
interesting...the G4 looks interesting but I didn't see anything of
SSB so it looks like $100 more just to record.

Anyone use those portible recorders that could work on the line in? I
definatly don't want to use tapes...