Moving soon-should I set up my listening post?
 

Ever since March I've been living in a situation that is not conducive
to SW listening, so my Yaesu and Degen have been wrapped up and in
storage. This situation was intended to be temporary until my new house
was built, but construction has run into delay after delay. But the
house is about half finished now, so I have a question: when I move in,
should I bother to set up my listening post, or is SW a lost cause? I
just got my 2005 Passport, and it has a sidebar in there asking if SW
radio is "kaput" and concludes that it isn't. While several European
stations have disappeared, and Voice of America is about to do the same
thing, China and Thailand have been expanding services. Plus traditional
SW radio is hard to censor or jam (although many stations seem to be
censoring themselves). What does everybody think?



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"tommyknocker" wrote in message
...
Ever since March I've been living in a situation that is not conducive
to SW listening, so my Yaesu and Degen have been wrapped up and in
storage. This situation was intended to be temporary until my new house
was built, but construction has run into delay after delay. But the
house is about half finished now, so I have a question: when I move in,
should I bother to set up my listening post, or is SW a lost cause? I
just got my 2005 Passport, and it has a sidebar in there asking if SW
radio is "kaput" and concludes that it isn't. While several European
stations have disappeared, and Voice of America is about to do the same
thing, China and Thailand have been expanding services. Plus traditional
SW radio is hard to censor or jam (although many stations seem to be
censoring themselves). What does everybody think?

Shortwave is *years* away from going away, possibly decades. Granted, some
of the bigger stations have reduced or eliminated SW broadcasts but there's
always something to listen to.

I just spent $425 on a new radio, though, so I may be a bit biased ;)

On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 02:59:09 GMT, "DesignGuy"
wrote:


"tommyknocker" wrote in message
...
Ever since March I've been living in a situation that is not conducive
to SW listening, so my Yaesu and Degen have been wrapped up and in
storage. This situation was intended to be temporary until my new house
was built, but construction has run into delay after delay. But the
house is about half finished now, so I have a question: when I move in,
should I bother to set up my listening post, or is SW a lost cause? I
just got my 2005 Passport, and it has a sidebar in there asking if SW
radio is "kaput" and concludes that it isn't. While several European
stations have disappeared, and Voice of America is about to do the same
thing, China and Thailand have been expanding services. Plus traditional
SW radio is hard to censor or jam (although many stations seem to be
censoring themselves). What does everybody think?

Shortwave is *years* away from going away, possibly decades. Granted, some
of the bigger stations have reduced or eliminated SW broadcasts but there's
always something to listen to.

I just spent $425 on a new radio, though, so I may be a bit biased ;)



I say set it up; in fact, as long as you are building new - you might
as well plan where you want the antenna & make sure the house is built
with 'cable access' at that point.

tommyknocker wrote in message ...
Ever since March I've been living in a situation that is not conducive
to SW listening, so my Yaesu and Degen have been wrapped up and in
storage. This situation was intended to be temporary until my new house
was built, but construction has run into delay after delay. But the
house is about half finished now, so I have a question: when I move in,
should I bother to set up my listening post, or is SW a lost cause? I
just got my 2005 Passport, and it has a sidebar in there asking if SW
radio is "kaput" and concludes that it isn't. While several European
stations have disappeared, and Voice of America is about to do the same
thing, China and Thailand have been expanding services. Plus traditional
SW radio is hard to censor or jam (although many stations seem to be
censoring themselves). What does everybody think?



My theory is that some broadcasters, somewhere, will always want to
take advantage of the shortwave bands. With all of that bandwidth just
sitting there, there's always going to be someone waiting to fill it.
The nature of shortwave programming might change significantly, but
that's probably true of many other media.

Don't expect shortwave to disappear anytime soon. It probably won't
happen until all the movie theaters close (because of television) and
all the newspapers go out of business (because of the internet).

Steve

tommyknocker wrote in message ...
Ever since March I've been living in a situation that is not conducive
to SW listening, so my Yaesu and Degen have been wrapped up and in
storage. This situation was intended to be temporary until my new house
was built, but construction has run into delay after delay. But the
house is about half finished now, so I have a question: when I move in,
should I bother to set up my listening post, or is SW a lost cause? I
just got my 2005 Passport, and it has a sidebar in there asking if SW
radio is "kaput" and concludes that it isn't. While several European
stations have disappeared, and Voice of America is about to do the same
thing, China and Thailand have been expanding services. Plus traditional
SW radio is hard to censor or jam (although many stations seem to be
censoring themselves). What does everybody think?



Somewhere around here I have a copy of an old magazine article from
the 1970s talking about how the death of AM radio is "at most" five
years away. I think there's a lesson in this.

Steve

"tommyknocker" wrote in message
...
| Ever since March I've been living in a situation that is not conducive
| to SW listening, so my Yaesu and Degen have been wrapped up and in
| storage. This situation was intended to be temporary until my new house
| was built, but construction has run into delay after delay. But the
| house is about half finished now, so I have a question: when I move in,
| should I bother to set up my listening post, or is SW a lost cause? I
| just got my 2005 Passport, and it has a sidebar in there asking if SW
| radio is "kaput" and concludes that it isn't. While several European
| stations have disappeared, and Voice of America is about to do the same
| thing, China and Thailand have been expanding services. Plus traditional
| SW radio is hard to censor or jam (although many stations seem to be
| censoring themselves). What does everybody think?

I am currently "walking a mile in your shoes." I think it's better to do
a little listening, with modest antennas, because you might hear a few
things worthwhile. I've even been known to "go mobile," taking a
portable (and sometimes the trusty old FRG-7) to a local park which
is relatively RFI - free.

73,

--
Steve Lawrence
KAØPMD
Burnsville, Minnesota

"If a man wants his dreams to come true then he must wake up."
- Anonymous


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"Stephen M.H. Lawrence" wrote in message
hlink.net...

"tommyknocker" wrote in message
...
| Ever since March I've been living in a situation that is not conducive
| to SW listening, so my Yaesu and Degen have been wrapped up and in
| storage. This situation was intended to be temporary until my new house
| was built, but construction has run into delay after delay. But the
| house is about half finished now, so I have a question: when I move in,
| should I bother to set up my listening post, or is SW a lost cause? I
| just got my 2005 Passport, and it has a sidebar in there asking if SW
| radio is "kaput" and concludes that it isn't. While several European
| stations have disappeared, and Voice of America is about to do the same
| thing, China and Thailand have been expanding services. Plus traditional
| SW radio is hard to censor or jam (although many stations seem to be
| censoring themselves). What does everybody think?

I am currently "walking a mile in your shoes." I think it's better to do
a little listening, with modest antennas, because you might hear a few
things worthwhile. I've even been known to "go mobile," taking a
portable (and sometimes the trusty old FRG-7) to a local park which
is relatively RFI - free.

73,

--
Steve Lawrence
KAØPMD
Burnsville, Minnesota

So you take the old Frog potable. Cool. Those are good radios Steve.


--
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/

"Brian Hill" wrote in message
...
|
| "Stephen M.H. Lawrence" wrote in message
| hlink.net...
|
| "tommyknocker" wrote in message
| ...
| | Ever since March I've been living in a situation that is not conducive
| | to SW listening, so my Yaesu and Degen have been wrapped up and in
| | storage. This situation was intended to be temporary until my new
house
| | was built, but construction has run into delay after delay. But the
| | house is about half finished now, so I have a question: when I move
in,
| | should I bother to set up my listening post, or is SW a lost cause? I
| | just got my 2005 Passport, and it has a sidebar in there asking if SW
| | radio is "kaput" and concludes that it isn't. While several European
| | stations have disappeared, and Voice of America is about to do the
same
| | thing, China and Thailand have been expanding services. Plus
traditional
| | SW radio is hard to censor or jam (although many stations seem to be
| | censoring themselves). What does everybody think?
|
| I am currently "walking a mile in your shoes." I think it's better to
do
| a little listening, with modest antennas, because you might hear a few
| things worthwhile. I've even been known to "go mobile," taking a
| portable (and sometimes the trusty old FRG-7) to a local park which
| is relatively RFI - free.
|
| 73,
|
| --
| Steve Lawrence
| KAØPMD
| Burnsville, Minnesota
|
| So you take the old Frog potable. Cool. Those are good radios Steve.

You know, Brian, I can't "read" the frequency down to 10 Hz, but the lack
of synth noise really helps - that's another advantage of the old toob
radios,
also. I really have GOT to get my R390A recapped, aligned, lubed, and
repainted. THAT is a real radio! I'm also going to start looking for a
'390
(non-"A" type) next year. I have a friend, an old broadcast engineer, who
lives in Kansas, near Manhattan, KS, and I've spent some time listening to
his ex-NASA R-390. The audio is so sweet, and it's an incredibly sensitive
receiver. Of course, I am planning on building an Elecraft K2 this Winter;
I'm just not sure where I'll get the TIME for all of this!

But, as to the Frog, you bet - the "D" cell compartment is in good shape,
and if I leave the dial lights off and wear headphones (instead of using the
speaker), I can get a couple of days' continuous use out of the rig. I am
thinking again about going on a "mini DXpedition" on Lake Pepin (Maybe
in Lake City), if I can find decent lodgings that will allow a wire antenna
of
100 feet or so.

73,

Steve Lawrence
KAØPMD
Burnsville, Minnesota

"If a man wants his dreams to come true then he must wake up."
- Anonymous


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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
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"Stephen M.H. Lawrence" wrote in message
news:SJKld.16037


You know, Brian, I can't "read" the frequency down to 10 Hz, but the lack
of synth noise really helps - that's another advantage of the old toob
radios,
also. I really have GOT to get my R390A recapped, aligned, lubed, and
repainted. THAT is a real radio! I'm also going to start looking for a
'390
(non-"A" type) next year. I have a friend, an old broadcast engineer, who
lives in Kansas, near Manhattan, KS, and I've spent some time listening to
his ex-NASA R-390. The audio is so sweet, and it's an incredibly
sensitive
receiver.


Yep. I've had a couple R-390s myself. You can wear your arm out tunning them
but a properly working R-390 is the quitest radio ever built. I would have
to argue they were the best tube radio ever built.


Of course, I am planning on building an Elecraft K2 this Winter;
I'm just not sure where I'll get the TIME for all of this!

Those look like cool kits. If I was a ham, I would be tempted.

But, as to the Frog, you bet - the "D" cell compartment is in good shape,
and if I leave the dial lights off and wear headphones (instead of using
the
speaker), I can get a couple of days' continuous use out of the rig. I am
thinking again about going on a "mini DXpedition" on Lake Pepin (Maybe
in Lake City), if I can find decent lodgings that will allow a wire
antenna
of
100 feet or so.

That would be good. Are you in any clubes around here? I was thinking of
joining the MDXC? I got the ap.


--
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/

"Brian Hill" wrote in message
...
|
| "Stephen M.H. Lawrence" wrote in message
| news:SJKld.16037
|
|
| You know, Brian, I can't "read" the frequency down to 10 Hz, but the
lack
| of synth noise really helps - that's another advantage of the old toob
| radios,
| also. I really have GOT to get my R390A recapped, aligned, lubed, and
| repainted. THAT is a real radio! I'm also going to start looking for a
| '390
| (non-"A" type) next year. I have a friend, an old broadcast engineer,
who
| lives in Kansas, near Manhattan, KS, and I've spent some time listening
to
| his ex-NASA R-390. The audio is so sweet, and it's an incredibly
| sensitive
| receiver.
|
|
| Yep. I've had a couple R-390s myself. You can wear your arm out tunning
them
| but a properly working R-390 is the quitest radio ever built. I would have
| to argue they were the best tube radio ever built.
|
|
| Of course, I am planning on building an Elecraft K2 this Winter;
| I'm just not sure where I'll get the TIME for all of this!
|
| Those look like cool kits. If I was a ham, I would be tempted.
|
| But, as to the Frog, you bet - the "D" cell compartment is in good
shape,
| and if I leave the dial lights off and wear headphones (instead of using
| the
| speaker), I can get a couple of days' continuous use out of the rig. I
am
| thinking again about going on a "mini DXpedition" on Lake Pepin (Maybe
| in Lake City), if I can find decent lodgings that will allow a wire
| antenna
| of
| 100 feet or so.
|
| That would be good. Are you in any clubes around here? I was thinking of
| joining the MDXC? I got the ap.

I'm in a number of the ham clubs here, and have actually considered
MDXC - their loop antenna site is particularly interesting, and they
have some fun-looking get-togethers in the Twin Cities.

As to the R-390A, it's dead - quiet and hiss - free. I spent about
10 total hours listening to my friend's R390 and decided that either
that or the R-390A were radios I'd love to have. But, yes, you're
absolutely right: I never thought "Torque" would be considered a
DXing skill!

73,

Steve Lawrence
Burnsville, Minnesota


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