"Eric Ferguson" wrote in message
m...
Rikk, Alan, As to the '500 being a joke, well, it may not be the best, but
for something I want to do in the future, it was the radio of choice.

I needed a small radio that tuned *everything* as I'm trying to get in
shape
for a 1,900 mile bike trip ('bout 5 years from now). With a bigger
antenna,
you have to use the attenuator, but the radio does do well with smaller
ones. Space on the bike (As of now a bikeE recumbent, a gift from a friend
of mine) is at a premium. Can't remember the Diamond antenna's designation
(one of the best one's) but that antenna and/or the RS Extendable,
regularly
get me RNZI, WWVH, and a number of other stations, here near San
Francisco.At night AM reception can be very good.

Also appreciate the fact that it has the USB/LSB and NAM along with the
bandscope.

Till something as small with all the features comes along (that I can
afford), I'll stay with the '500 for the radio of choice for bike travel.
Also got it on eBay for $125 (when I had a job!). Eric



I said that the VR500 was a joke if you try and use it as a HF receiver
(which it is) I have a small portable Ten-Tec short-wave radio (I also have
a vr500) and the Ten-Tec cost around £10.00 uk pounds, it is FAR better than
the vr500 on short-wave. The vr500 is a half decent handheld scanner, it is
good for what it was mainly intended for, VHF/UHF scanning, apart from that,
it's crap
Alan