Has anyone seen any shortwave radios in cars lately? I remember a few
from across the pond back in the 60's but it seems to have died out as a
fad. I would like to put one in one of my cars rather than a boom box
thing and be able to tune the world from wherever I find myself.
The other advantage is that I can drive to a spot with no power lines
for miles at night to listen relatively static free. I could (in theory)
take a long wire on a fishing pole (28-32AWG?) and put on a disposable
weight and toss it as far as possible into some high trees. Once it is
stuck firmly just back the car up until the whole spool is used up and
connect the car antenna to it.
Anybody tried it or anything like it?

Bill Baka

"Bill Baka" wrote in message
...
Has anyone seen any shortwave radios in cars lately? I remember a few from
across the pond back in the 60's but it seems to have died out as a fad. I
would like to put one in one of my cars rather than a boom box thing and
be able to tune the world from wherever I find myself.
The other advantage is that I can drive to a spot with no power lines for
miles at night to listen relatively static free. I could (in theory) take
a long wire on a fishing pole (28-32AWG?) and put on a disposable weight
and toss it as far as possible into some high trees. Once it is stuck
firmly just back the car up until the whole spool is used up and connect
the car antenna to it.
Anybody tried it or anything like it?

Bill Baka

Sony still makes some really nice AM/FM/SW radios for cars (with the
requisite CD/MP3 player, etc.) that have, although not full coverage, at
least pretty decent coverage.

As for the antenna, car radios are made to impedence match to the relatively
short standard car radio antenna, and usually do not respond too well to
additional antenna length. You CAN, however, place a variable capacitor
between the car antenna and your random longwire, and tune it for best
reception for a given frequency. This would at least give you the advantage
of the extra capture area.

Brenda Ann wrote:
"Bill Baka" wrote in message
...
Has anyone seen any shortwave radios in cars lately? I remember a few from
across the pond back in the 60's but it seems to have died out as a fad. I
would like to put one in one of my cars rather than a boom box thing and
be able to tune the world from wherever I find myself.
The other advantage is that I can drive to a spot with no power lines for
miles at night to listen relatively static free. I could (in theory) take
a long wire on a fishing pole (28-32AWG?) and put on a disposable weight
and toss it as far as possible into some high trees. Once it is stuck
firmly just back the car up until the whole spool is used up and connect
the car antenna to it.
Anybody tried it or anything like it?

Bill Baka

Sony still makes some really nice AM/FM/SW radios for cars (with the
requisite CD/MP3 player, etc.) that have, although not full coverage, at
least pretty decent coverage.

I will go look. A CD/MP3 player would be wasted on me since I prefer to
listen to the sounds the car and road make while I am driving.
Was going to look. The Sony home page won't work with my version of
Firefox and IE will never be allowed to slime my drive.
Maybe Egghead or Frys or some other large consumer place.

As for the antenna, car radios are made to impedence match to the relatively
short standard car radio antenna, and usually do not respond too well to
additional antenna length. You CAN, however, place a variable capacitor
between the car antenna and your random longwire, and tune it for best
reception for a given frequency. This would at least give you the advantage
of the extra capture area.



As a rule when I buy a car one of the first things I adjust is the
antenna trimmer, which is usually a bit off anyway. Funny how most
people don't even know these things exist. Thinking about it, an MFJ
tuning box sitting under the dash should be a real conversation starter.

Cheers,
Bill Baka

On Nov 21, 4:55*pm, Bill Baka wrote:
Has anyone seen any shortwave radios in cars lately? I remember a few
from across the pond back in the 60's but it seems to have died out as a
fad. I would like to put one in one of my cars rather than a boom box
thing and be able to tune the world from wherever I find myself.
The other advantage is that I can drive to a spot with no power lines
for miles at night to listen relatively static free. I could (in theory)
take a long wire on a fishing pole (28-32AWG?) and put on a disposable
weight and toss it as far as possible into some high trees. Once it is
stuck firmly just back the car up until the whole spool is used up and
connect the car antenna to it.
Anybody tried it or anything like it?

Bill Baka

There is always XM radio. BBC world service all the time, and many
other shortwave stations on a rotating basis.

If you are going to do any SWL with a fixed antenna, there is really
no need to mount it in the car. I have a Welbrook ALA100 that I have
used in the field many times with home brew wire loops.

http://www.lazygranch.com/images/radio/loop1.jpg

wrote:
On Nov 21, 4:55 pm, Bill Baka wrote:
Has anyone seen any shortwave radios in cars lately? I remember a few
from across the pond back in the 60's but it seems to have died out as a
fad. I would like to put one in one of my cars rather than a boom box
thing and be able to tune the world from wherever I find myself.
The other advantage is that I can drive to a spot with no power lines
for miles at night to listen relatively static free. I could (in theory)
take a long wire on a fishing pole (28-32AWG?) and put on a disposable
weight and toss it as far as possible into some high trees. Once it is
stuck firmly just back the car up until the whole spool is used up and
connect the car antenna to it.
Anybody tried it or anything like it?

Bill Baka

There is always XM radio. BBC world service all the time, and many
other shortwave stations on a rotating basis.

The point was I want to do my own searching and not listen to some lame
satellite station. I will *never* buy a car that requires me to pay a
satellite station $10 every month.

If you are going to do any SWL with a fixed antenna, there is really
no need to mount it in the car. I have a Welbrook ALA100 that I have
used in the field many times with home brew wire loops.

http://www.lazygranch.com/images/radio/loop1.jpg

Interesting looking setup, could be used as a direction finder too.
I have a marine RDF but it uses a pre-mounted loop-stick in the rotating
antenna. Too bad it cuts off at just over the old 2805 frequencies.
Thanks for the picture.

Bill Baka

During World War Two era, some people in Switzerland and some other
countries too, they attatched long wire antennas to helium filled
balloons.They used big home made wooden spools (sort of like fishing
reels) to bring down the antennas with the balloons.
cuhulin

Back around 1987 when I was pootin around in N'Awlins (New Orleans), one
of the stores in a shopping mall parking lot area had some car shortwave
radios for sale.
cuhulin

wrote:
Back around 1987 when I was pootin around in N'Awlins (New Orleans), one
of the stores in a shopping mall parking lot area had some car shortwave
radios for sale.
cuhulin

Damn. I would have probably bought one. Selling the car would require
the stock radio but that is not hard. I saw some Canadian CB's that a,
umm, guy I know had 25 Watt FM CB radios for sale. Illegal as hell but
he runs a wrecking yard and lots of good old boys like them thar rigs.
Bill Baka

wrote:
During World War Two era, some people in Switzerland and some other
countries too, they attatched long wire antennas to helium filled
balloons.They used big home made wooden spools (sort of like fishing
reels) to bring down the antennas with the balloons.
cuhulin

Now I'm gonna get busted for balloons in Air Force space. I know the FAA
allows 170 feet for a tower and that's about enough wire for a fishing
reel. If I get real ambitious I might try it, except I don't have a
helium source nearby.

Bill Baka

"Bill Baka" wrote in message
...
Has anyone seen any shortwave radios in cars lately? I remember a few from
across the pond back in the 60's but it seems to have died out as a fad. I
would like to put one in one of my cars rather than a boom box thing and
be able to tune the world from wherever I find myself.
The other advantage is that I can drive to a spot with no power lines for
miles at night to listen relatively static free. I could (in theory) take
a long wire on a fishing pole (28-32AWG?) and put on a disposable weight
and toss it as far as possible into some high trees. Once it is stuck
firmly just back the car up until the whole spool is used up and connect
the car antenna to it.
Anybody tried it or anything like it?

Bill Baka

Way back, my old Jaguar Mk 10 had a radio made by PYE that had standard
broadcast and short-wave. Or was that the Mk II????? Short-wave reception
was spotty, and I never did try a long wire antenna on it.


Steve R.