It doesn't have to be out all the way. The longer AND higher you can get
the wire, the better. Making sure it is perpendicular to any powerlines is
another thing to pay attention to.



"Al Arduengo" wrote in message
...
sigh-of-relief

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I was beginning to see that very
sentiment in readings from the web.

While I have you here, I am admittedly the newest swler on the face of
the planet so I ask: does using the external wire antenna imply it must
be strung out to it's full length *outside* or would stringing it out as
far as possible around the ceiling in a room make any sense? In a
nutshell, I am currently confined to do my listening in a medium size
bedroom at the house I stay in during the work week (I commute from
Austin to Dallas) so I am rather limited in how I implement an external
antenna. Is there a SW listening FAQ?

Thanks for your input. It is very valuable to me at this early stage.

Best,
-Al

ac-acadaptor wrote:
I have both the YB400PE and the 909/398. I can tell you that the
Grundig is
better at pulling in a weak signal OFF THE WHIP then the 909. If you
hook
a long wire up to the 909 it will out perform the 400 on a long wire.
The
SSB capabilities of the 909 are FAR SUPERIOR to the 400's touchy BFO.
You
chose wisely, grasshopper!




Yes it did. In my searches I found the asking price elsewhere to be in
the 219-249 range but I am not sure if that is truly representative of
the fair value. I just bought the Passport to World Band Radio 2004 Ed.
and was at first a little dismayed to find the 909 only rated 2 stars
compared to the YB400PE's 3 stars. But in reflecting on the entire book
(which I think is generally wonderful!) I get a sense that Grundig has a
little clout with the authors. There are an enormous number of ads for
Grundig and coincidentally many of the rundig radios faired
significantly better than others - including Sangean. But before anyone
claims a case of sour grapes, I admit I may be a little miffed that the
radio I ended up with got a lower grade than the one I exchanged it for.
Ah well. I still like my 909 and frankly I think the features are
worth the single-star penalty.

Thanks for the message!
Best,
-Al