Help.. Shortwave Radio
 

Hi, i want to buy my first shortwave radio, in addition to listening
to some of the more powerfull stations, i really want to listen to
some of the distant stations, (i belive this is called DXing?) anyway
i was wondering what would be a good radio for this type of stuff,
would i need an antenna on my roof? or anything -

Thanx
{FireArm}

First question ... how much are you ready to spend? $100, less, more?

.... and welcome aboard!

John Wilke
K9RZZ

{FireArm} schrieb:

Hi, i want to buy my first shortwave radio, in addition to listening
to some of the more powerfull stations, i really want to listen to
some of the distant stations, (i belive this is called DXing?) anyway
i was wondering what would be a good radio for this type of stuff,
would i need an antenna on my roof? or anything -

If you can afford, take a Sony 7600G or GR.
There is hardly a better portable performer.
For significant better results you will have to get a good tabletop
shortwave radio.

An outdoor antenna -dipole or endfed- with coax feed as high as possible
with legnth of about 30' to 300' will do wonders. An impedance
transformer (magnetic balun) on endfed antennas or antenna tuner on
dipole-antennas will help as well.

"{FireArm}" wrote in message
om...
Hi, i want to buy my first shortwave radio, in addition to listening
to some of the more powerfull stations, i really want to listen to
some of the distant stations, (i belive this is called DXing?) anyway
i was wondering what would be a good radio for this type of stuff,
would i need an antenna on my roof? or anything -

Thanx
{FireArm}

Hiya :-)

If your interested in getting started, I'd say you could get yourself a nice
a portable radio. The two that I would recommend would be the Sony 7600gr

http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/html/icf-sw7600gr.html

and the Grundig YB-400

http://www.rnw.nl/realradio/yb400.html

Both radios are highly regarded. Price on both is about $150.00

You don't need an elaborate antenna, either. I don't know of those radios
are being sold with an external reel antenna included, but you can pick one
up for under $20.00. If you want to rig up your own antenna, all you need
is an alligator clip and a cheep spool of hook-up wire.

You'll be able to hear the big boys and do some DX'ing with either of those
two radios.

After you spend some time experimenting with a portable and perhaps decide
to get a more expensive and complex receiver, you'll have a better idea at
that time of just how much you like the hobby and how much more you want to
spend.

Then, it is on to the table top receivers.

--
Respectfully,

Michael

Location: New Jersey
Primary Receiver: R-75 with full Kiwa mods
Antennas: G5RV, 200ft "Frankenstein" roof wire
Additional Radios: KA-1101,KA-1102,PL-550,
KA-989, Info-Mate 837, GE-SR III
Westinghouse H-104 (seven tube)
Web Site: http://md_dxing.tripod.com

({FireArm}) wrote in
om:

Hi, i want to buy my first shortwave radio, in addition to listening
to some of the more powerfull stations, i really want to listen to
some of the distant stations, (i belive this is called DXing?) anyway
i was wondering what would be a good radio for this type of stuff,
would i need an antenna on my roof? or anything -

Thanx
{FireArm}

If you want to DX shortwave broadcasts, and want to receive anything
besides powerful broadcasters like the BBC, you'll need an outdoor wire
antenna, or at least one away from your house and electrical devices. I
use about a 30 foot horizontal wire inside the rafters of my detached
garage, and feed it with 100 ft of TV coax to my house. You may find
this article on antennas useful, I certainly did a few months ago when
in the same position as you:
www.qsl.net/k5eph/UnderstandingAntennas.htm

You'll probably also want a radio with SSB support.

You can read about some of the less expensive radios in the reviews at
www.radiointel.com . I'm assuming you don't want to go all-out and buy
a $1000 radio, so a portable with digital tuning is a good start.

Some of these are available off of ebay, or from www.universalradio.com
or www.radios4you.com.

The "Modern Shortwave Receiver Survey" may be useful to you, not all
radios are in it: http://www.dxing.com/rx/rxindex.htm

l have a icom r-75 receiver for sale, there selling in the shops for
$1200.00 l'm asking $900.00 ono and its in mint cond please let me no if
your interested....thanks frank berry"{FireArm}"
wrote in message om...
Hi, i want to buy my first shortwave radio, in addition to listening
to some of the more powerfull stations, i really want to listen to
some of the distant stations, (i belive this is called DXing?) anyway
i was wondering what would be a good radio for this type of stuff,
would i need an antenna on my roof? or anything -

Thanx
{FireArm}

FarState wrote:
l have a icom r-75 receiver for sale, there selling in the shops for
$1200.00 l'm asking $900.00 ono and its in mint cond please let me no if
your interested....thanks frank berry"{FireArm}"
wrote in message om...


Since you're in Australia, I presume those prices are in Australian
dollars. (Roughly half the value of US$)


Hi, i want to buy my first shortwave radio, in addition to listening
to some of the more powerfull stations, i really want to listen to
some of the distant stations, (i belive this is called DXing?) anyway
i was wondering what would be a good radio for this type of stuff,
would i need an antenna on my roof? or anything -

Thanx
{FireArm}

"Conan Ford" wrote...
If you want to DX shortwave broadcasts, and want to receive anything
besides powerful broadcasters like the BBC, you'll need an outdoor wire
antenna, or at least one away from your house and electrical devices.

[snip]

Conan,

I have gotten 1000 watt XEPPM Radio Educacion in Mexico City
off the whip of my Tecsun PL-200. Not to mention AFRTS 5000 watts
off the whip of my DE1102. Are you sure you said what you meant
up there? I don't know where you live, but I have to say a good portable
can get lots of stuff besides powerhouses... just off the whip... at least
that is my experience. I live in the southeast U.S., so maybe I have an
advantage?

there is a Icom pcr 1000 o ebay, is that a good computer radio?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...3495 691&rd=1

"Mark S. Holden" wrote in message
...
FarState wrote:
l have a icom r-75 receiver for sale, there selling in the shops for
$1200.00 l'm asking $900.00 ono and its in mint cond please let me no
if
your interested....thanks frank berry"{FireArm}"
wrote in message om...


Since you're in Australia, I presume those prices are in Australian
dollars. (Roughly half the value of US$)


Hi, i want to buy my first shortwave radio, in addition to listening
to some of the more powerfull stations, i really want to listen to
some of the distant stations, (i belive this is called DXing?) anyway
i was wondering what would be a good radio for this type of stuff,
would i need an antenna on my roof? or anything -

Thanx
{FireArm}

Louie Diamond wrote:
there is a Icom pcr 1000 o ebay, is that a good computer radio?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...3495 691&rd=1


It'll work for shortwave, but as a general rule, I don't suggest "low
cost" wideband radios because it's expensive to make a good one, so
compromises are made.

The Ten Tec RX-320 and rx-320d are typically available for about
$200-$225 on the used market, and they'll out perform the PCR-1000 for
HF. Of course they won't cover VHF and UHF.


"Mark S. Holden" wrote in message
...

FarState wrote:

l have a icom r-75 receiver for sale, there selling in the shops for
$1200.00 l'm asking $900.00 ono and its in mint cond please let me no

if

your interested....thanks frank berry"{FireArm}"
wrote in message om...


Since you're in Australia, I presume those prices are in Australian
dollars. (Roughly half the value of US$)



Hi, i want to buy my first shortwave radio, in addition to listening
to some of the more powerfull stations, i really want to listen to
some of the distant stations, (i belive this is called DXing?) anyway
i was wondering what would be a good radio for this type of stuff,
would i need an antenna on my roof? or anything -

Thanx
{FireArm}