Radios without a digital display are often lacking in other features
such as dual conversion to reduce images, good selectivity and tuning
stability to prevent drifting.


No doubt about it! AND, you will miss the analog display for about 2
seconds.
The cheapest portable I would consider for any type of use is the Sony
ICF-SW35.
Analog dials are dead! In this day and age, why rely on tooth floss to turn
a dial?

"0ff_r/-\/\\p" wrote in message
...

Radios without a digital display are often lacking in other features
such as dual conversion to reduce images, good selectivity and tuning
stability to prevent drifting.


No doubt about it! AND, you will miss the analog display for about 2
seconds.
The cheapest portable I would consider for any type of use is the Sony
ICF-SW35.
Analog dials are dead! In this day and age, why rely on tooth floss to
turn
a dial?



Have you ever used a decent quality analog radio? Most of the analog radios
made in the last thirty years have poor tuning mechanisms with stiff plastic
dielctric tuning capacitors and no bandspread.

I have over a dozen SW radios. I'm an active listener. I have only one
digital readout SW radio, a DX-440. It's one of my least used radios. I
use it mostly to align the real radios.

Frank Dresser

Have you ever used a decent quality analog radio?

We're talking about the current crop of portables, Frank.

"0ff_r/-\/\\p" wrote in message
...

Have you ever used a decent quality analog radio?

We're talking about the current crop of portables, Frank.



You made strong, unqualified statements. I thought it seemed clear I was
asking about what you know. Here's a complete quote from the post:

"No doubt about it! AND, you will miss the analog display for about 2
seconds."

That's interesting! How did you know the original poster won't miss the
analog display? Such an unqualified statement is much more than a guess.
Are you the original poster? Do you have psychic abilities? Did you take
one of those courses from Maj. Ed Dames or Sean David Morton?


"The cheapest portable I would consider for any type of use is the Sony
ICF-SW35."
"Analog dials are dead! In this day and age, why rely on tooth floss to
turn
a dial?"

Why? Well, this is quite a shocker, so I hope you're sitting down. Analog
radios get much better battery life than digital radios. It's true! And,
if battery life is the most important consideration in the purchase of a
radio, an analog radio is likely to be the BEST choice.

Hey, ya learn somthin' new everyday, huh?

Frank Dresser

"Frank Dresser"

Why? Well, this is quite a shocker, so I hope you're sitting down.
Analog
radios get much better battery life than digital radios. It's true! And,
if battery life is the most important consideration in the purchase of a
radio, an analog radio is likely to be the BEST choice.

Hey, ya learn somthin' new everyday, huh?

Frank Dresser


Frank, listen carefully - ANALOG IS DEAD! Get over it!
Rechargeable batteries are reusable - imagine that - it is almost the year
2005!

"0ff_r/-\/\\p" wrote in message
...



Frank, listen carefully - ANALOG IS DEAD! Get over it!
Rechargeable batteries are reusable - imagine that - it is almost the year
2005!



Well, the original poster said he traveled alot. If he used rechargeable,
he might have to carry around a charger and he certainly would have to have
to find a power source to charge the batteries. This may or may not be a
problem for the original poster, I can't know.

Oh, you also posted:

"Analog dials are dead! In this day and age, why rely on tooth floss to
turn
a dial?"

Why do you restring dial cords with tooth floss? Real dial cord is
available. If you want a substitute, try braided dacron fishing line.

Frank Dresser

I use a Gelena crystal radio - no batteries, no tooth floss.

"Frank Dresser"
Well, the original poster said he traveled alot. If he used rechargeable,
he might have to carry around a charger and he certainly would have to
have
to find a power source to charge the batteries. This may or may not be a
problem for the original poster, I can't know.

Oh, you also posted:

"Analog dials are dead! In this day and age, why rely on tooth floss to
turn
a dial?"

Why do you restring dial cords with tooth floss? Real dial cord is
available. If you want a substitute, try braided dacron fishing line.

Frank Dresser

Frank Dresser wrote:

"0ff_r/-\/\\p" wrote in message
...

Radios without a digital display are often lacking in other features
such as dual conversion to reduce images, good selectivity and tuning
stability to prevent drifting.


No doubt about it! AND, you will miss the analog display for about 2
seconds.
The cheapest portable I would consider for any type of use is the Sony
ICF-SW35.
Analog dials are dead! In this day and age, why rely on tooth floss to
turn
a dial?



Have you ever used a decent quality analog radio? Most of the analog radios
made in the last thirty years have poor tuning mechanisms with stiff plastic
dielctric tuning capacitors and no bandspread.

I have over a dozen SW radios. I'm an active listener. I have only one
digital readout SW radio, a DX-440. It's one of my least used radios. I
use it mostly to align the real radios.

Frank Dresser

If you're referring to the old analog tube radios (boatanchors),
they're not a good choice for beginners and certainly not portable,
which are the subjects of this post. I own several top end boatanchors
but their performance can't match a modern digital communications
receiver.


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I once read somewhere that some of those small Radio Shack shortwave
radios are made by Sangean.
cuhulin

"starman" wrote in message
...
Frank Dresser wrote:

"0ff_r/-\/\\p" wrote in message
...

Radios without a digital display are often lacking in other features
such as dual conversion to reduce images, good selectivity and
tuning
stability to prevent drifting.


No doubt about it! AND, you will miss the analog display for about 2
seconds.
The cheapest portable I would consider for any type of use is the Sony
ICF-SW35.
Analog dials are dead! In this day and age, why rely on tooth floss
to
turn
a dial?



Have you ever used a decent quality analog radio? Most of the analog
radios
made in the last thirty years have poor tuning mechanisms with stiff
plastic
dielctric tuning capacitors and no bandspread.

I have over a dozen SW radios. I'm an active listener. I have only one
digital readout SW radio, a DX-440. It's one of my least used radios.
I
use it mostly to align the real radios.

Frank Dresser

If you're referring to the old analog tube radios (boatanchors),
they're not a good choice for beginners and certainly not portable,
which are the subjects of this post.

No, I was just wondering if "off ramp" really knew anything about analog
radios.

But what can be considered a good radio for a particular person depends, not
only on the radio, but what the person listens to and his capabilities. A
Zenith Transoceanic is a little less portable than a Sat 800, but it is
portable. It might be the best choice for a beginner, provided that
beginner listened to the big broadcasters, liked analog tuning and didn't
mind so-so image rejection and was capable of dealing with either cobbling
up a battery or buying one of those expensive battery kits. I know that
only covers a small percentage of beginners, but that small percentage isn't
zero, and it's presumptuous to assume that NO beginner would be interested
in such a radio.

The original poster was asking about the Sangean PT-633. I don't know
anything in particular about that radio, but if it's similar to other
current analog portables it's probably has poor frequency stability,
imprecise frequency readout, poor image rejection but good battery life and
a low noise floor. Like any other radio, it has strengths and weaknesses.
I have no idea which strengths and weaknesses are most important to the
original poster.


I own several top end boatanchors
but their performance can't match a modern digital communications
receiver.



Many of the portable digital communications receivers of a few years ago
were reported to have lots of birdies, lots of images, were easily
overloaded and a high noise floor. I don't know if these qualify as modern
or if similar digital communications receivers are still available, but I'd
think your radios would out perform those radios. Of course, that depends
on the definition of performance. If performance is defined only as
frequency stability and exact frequency read out, then the do outperform the
analog radios. But someone else may have an entirely different set of
performance requirements.

Frank Dresser