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!

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

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
--
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