David Mills wrote:

Hello..
I would like advice for buying a new shortwave radio (price range at or
under 100 $ US). My main interest is to get good reception for stations in
English and French from Canada and western Europe (I live in Northeastern
US).

so here are specific questions:
1) what are the features to look for? is the external attenna jack really
important?


In a portable, the external antenna jack is almost always designed as
a 1/8" miniplug, to accept one of the "roll-up" antennas any radio
supply house sells. They cost about $8 - $9, and (in a portable)
greatly increase reception over the built-in whip.


What makes some radios better than others?


Better overall circuit design, better filter design, better
ergonomics, features like SSB capability - if you can discuss what makes
one brand of TV better than another, you get the idea.



2) Can you give me feed back on the Grundig Yacht Boy 300? I have seen it
advertized for 80 dollars through Radioshack.com. Looks interesting..is it
good?


Have never used one, but it does get predominantly good reviews as I
have read about it - most owners like it a lot, some don't.



3) I have an old short wave radio right now (10 + years old) and the
reception fades in and out a lot. Is that to be expected on short wave or do
just the older radios do that?

A stronger signal may cut fading in and out somewhat, yes, but it
will always be there to an extent - that is the nature of SW
broadcasting. A receiver with a well-desinged AFC helps a lot. A
feature to look for - or lack of it - on any unit you might be
interested in.



4) any specific reccommendations on a SW radio to buy?


In the price range you are looking at, the names to try first are
Sangean, Sony and Grunding. They aren't the only ones, but they have the
biggest number of models in that price area that can be called "quality"
portables. Some are better than others, of course. Radio Nederlands
website has many reviews of such products. Good luck in your search -
and to return to your original question, they type of radios we have
been talking about here - especially with the addition of the reel-up
antenna - pull in the big West European broadcasters fine most of the
time.

Tony


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