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Help in buying 1st shortwave radio
Hello all.
I've been using scanners for years and now I want to check-out shortwave. I've been looking at the Satellit 800 and the Icom R-75. What other ones should I be considering? I have about $500 or so to spend. Thanks for any help! |
"Tempest" wrote in message ... Hello all. I've been using scanners for years and now I want to check-out shortwave. I've been looking at the Satellit 800 and the Icom R-75. What other ones should I be considering? I have about $500 or so to spend. Thanks for any help! Those seem to be great radios from some qualified people in this group. I myself run the older gear like the R-5000 Kenwood and NRD-525, Hammarlund SP-600, Hallicrafters SX-28 etc... I think sensitivity is important but the more I do this I find that the radios I hold on to are the ones that also have great audio. I listen for long periods and it makes a differance. My beleif is in great ant and a good radio of any kind that has nice audio will bring great results and less fatique. It's a start. -- 73 and good DXing. Brian ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A lot of radios and 100' of rusty wire! Zumbrota, Southern MN Brian's Radio Universe http://webpages.charter.net/brianhill/ |
I second Brians picks. I have both radios.I myself love the Kenwood R-5000.
What a great radio. The JRC NRD-525 is also a fantastic pick. You should have a long time of fun ahead of you with either one. Lucky "Brian Hill" wrote in message ... "Tempest" wrote in message ... Hello all. I've been using scanners for years and now I want to check-out shortwave. I've been looking at the Satellit 800 and the Icom R-75. What other ones should I be considering? I have about $500 or so to spend. Thanks for any help! Those seem to be great radios from some qualified people in this group. I myself run the older gear like the R-5000 Kenwood and NRD-525, Hammarlund SP-600, Hallicrafters SX-28 etc... I think sensitivity is important but the more I do this I find that the radios I hold on to are the ones that also have great audio. I listen for long periods and it makes a differance. My beleif is in great ant and a good radio of any kind that has nice audio will bring great results and less fatique. It's a start. -- 73 and good DXing. Brian ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A lot of radios and 100' of rusty wire! Zumbrota, Southern MN Brian's Radio Universe http://webpages.charter.net/brianhill/ |
On Sun, 26 Sep 2004 05:45:13 GMT, Tempest
wrote: Hello all. I've been using scanners for years and now I want to check-out shortwave. I've been looking at the Satellit 800 and the Icom R-75. What other ones should I be considering? I have about $500 or so to spend. Thanks for any help! If you are open to used equipment you should also consider a used Drake R8 or a Kenwood R5000. Of the two you mention I'd recommend the R75 and a good external speaker. When I wished to upgrade from portable shortwave radios I opted for the R75 over the Sat800 due to the multiple bandwidths (I also have additional IF filters which expands the selection), DSP - which is only so-so on the noise reduction side but the Auto Notch works well at supressing hetrodynes and dual passband tuning. Do note that the R75 is a much better performer in sideband mode than AM; on strong signals it's not much different but as the signal gets weaker or buried in more crud (a highly technical radio term referring to several types of noise/interference) I switch to sideband and with the dual passband end up with a very listenable signal. You may also wish to search past posts for the Palstar R30 - don't know enough about it to comment. FWIW, the sychronous detection on the R75 isn't all that great and the same feature on the Sat800 is reputed to be much nicer as is the overall sound quality. If you don't mind being tethered to a computer the Ten-Tec RX-320D at $330 is also ready for DRM though that requires more software and is not in heavy use yet. It is however reputed to be quite the performer and there is very good freeware control software available. Hope that helps, Howard |
Start out with a radio that has SSB and is less expensive that the 800's.
What if you don't like the hobby, I would rather be about a little $$ than $500.00...................................... "Tempest" wrote in message ... Hello all. I've been using scanners for years and now I want to check-out shortwave. I've been looking at the Satellit 800 and the Icom R-75. What other ones should I be considering? I have about $500 or so to spend. Thanks for any help! |
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I believe the new "Passport" used to come about this time of year. Does
anyone know when the new one arrives? -Steve "Frank White" wrote in message ... In article , says... Hello all. I've been using scanners for years and now I want to check-out shortwave. I've been looking at the Satellit 800 and the Icom R-75. What other ones should I be considering? I have about $500 or so to spend. Thanks for any help! You might want to get a copy of "Passport of Worldband Radio", which is sort of the TV Guide for shortwave. Not only will it tell you what's on, when, but there's a section in there comparing most of the shortwave radios on the market and pointing out their strengths and weaknesses. It should help you decide which radio is best for you. FW |
On 2004-09-26 06:45:13 +0100, Tempest
said: Hello all. I've been using scanners for years and now I want to check-out shortwave. I've been looking at the Satellit 800 and the Icom R-75. What other ones should I be considering? I have about $500 or so to spend. Thanks for any help! I vote for Icom. It's the only make I haven't felt a bit disappointed with. |
Brain Hill said....
"My belief is in great ant and a good radio of any kind that has nice audio will bring great results and less fatique. It's a start." Amen to what you said about the antenna Brian... "Brian Hill" wrote in message ... "Tempest" wrote in message ... Hello all. I've been using scanners for years and now I want to check-out shortwave. I've been looking at the Satellit 800 and the Icom R-75. What other ones should I be considering? I have about $500 or so to spend. Thanks for any help! Those seem to be great radios from some qualified people in this group. I myself run the older gear like the R-5000 Kenwood and NRD-525, Hammarlund SP-600, Hallicrafters SX-28 etc... I think sensitivity is important but the more I do this I find that the radios I hold on to are the ones that also have great audio. I listen for long periods and it makes a differance. My beleif is in great ant and a good radio of any kind that has nice audio will bring great results and less fatique. It's a start. -- 73 and good DXing. Brian ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A lot of radios and 100' of rusty wire! Zumbrota, Southern MN Brian's Radio Universe http://webpages.charter.net/brianhill/ |
pretty good advice; lots of us have odd items in the closet awaiting the next big garage sale to discreetly dump and get rid of too ;-) see http://people.smu.edu/arc/shortwave.html for some notes on "best buys" in a 0.1-30Mhz SSB/CW/AM digital radio (Degen 1103..) circa $50 + $15 S/H on ebay (new in box with charger and NiMH batteries etc.). Nice little portable SWL receiver, and if you don't like SWLing, you haven't lost much $$ and can still use it on FM stereo and AM ;-) hth bobm -- ************************************************** ********************* * Robert Monaghan POB 752182 Southern Methodist Univ. Dallas Tx 75275 * ********************Standard Disclaimers Apply************************* |
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