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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************************* |
"Dale" wrote in message ... 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... I always say: Give me an average radio with a great ant. and I'll beat your $1,000,000 radio with a poor ant. -- 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/ |
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! A lot depends on what you want to listen to. There are folks in this group who know a lot more about receivers than I do who will recommend the Satellit 800 for international broadcast listening, but I personally can't recommend it. It's sound is good, but there have been quality control issues with the 800 and in my personal opinion its sync detector is only okay, and not as good as what you'll find on other high end portables (e.g., the Sony SW77, which unfortunately is no longer in production). Also, it's enormous. It's certainly not a 'portable' and I can't think of any rationale for calling it a portatop except for the fact that it has a handle and a whip. My guess is it's bigger (though probably not heavier) than most people's tabletop receivers. The R-75 might be the way to go, but again it depends on what you want to listen to and on whether you want to pay for additional add-ons. There's my two cents. Good luck with whatever you end up getting! |
Tempest:
I'd go with a smallish portable at first There's Lots of interference around the house ; once you go outside into a park, or up in the hills or out in the country, or bicycle out into the hills, or row out onto a lake or whatever things quiet down rapidly. If you also want good music / quality, Sony 7600 GR would be a good choice; Portables are also good for walks; try wandering around with one, using earbuds / small headphoines whilst tuning around. All sorts of stuff out there. - Plus, you'll be getting a bit of excersize; and will officially be doing good things for your health while walking about & DX'ing.. 20 minutes walking a day can suddely add up. So, consider trying a portable first. The KAITO DEGEN 1102 family get high marks as well.. Dan In article , Tempest writes: Subject: Help in buying 1st shortwave radio From: Tempest Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 05:45:13 GMT 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! |
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 really want to spend $500.00 , The best value for your money is to try and pick up a used table top radio. I can recomend the Kenwood R-500 or the Drake R8. You should be able to find either in very good condition for that amount of money. ( Don't forget the antenna, a 100 foot long wire is cheap and will bring in a lot ). I think this is the best value for your money and beats any portable for value. If you want to spend less and try it first you might consider any number of portable radios such as the Degen DE1102, Sony 7600GR, Grundig YB400 etc. Keeping in mind that one of the table top receivers listed above is much better. I guess the question would be, Do you want to spend 100 to 250 on a portable or spend the 500 on a very good used receiver. Let us know what you do. |
Brian Hill wrote:
I always say: Give me an average radio with a great ant. and I'll beat your $1,000,000 radio with a poor ant. That reminded me of some green thumb sorts talking on a gardening show a while back. The topic was tree planting. One gentleman said something like: "A one dollar tree in a ten dollar hole is a lot better than a ten dollar tree in one dollar hole" They were discussing the great importance of soil preparation. at least I *think* they were discussing soil preparation. I haven't had much to do with things chlorophyll since my DNA experimentation went horribly awry. My sister has now found the skin make up needed to cover the green tinge. mike |
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