Looks like a good deal for a beginner portable.
 

I am new to shortwave radio and found the PT-633 on a website. I
searched alot of other sites and couldn't find anything even similar
for the price.

http://www.radiolabs.com/products/receivers/pt633.php

Would this be a good beginner's radio for me to purchase? I also
travel alot and want to take it with me in my luggage.

I searched Universal and other sites and nobody even came close to
this price on the PT-633

Thanks,

DN

Dennon wrote:

I am new to shortwave radio and found the PT-633 on a website. I
searched alot of other sites and couldn't find anything even similar
for the price.

http://www.radiolabs.com/products/receivers/pt633.php

Would this be a good beginner's radio for me to purchase? I also
travel alot and want to take it with me in my luggage.

I searched Universal and other sites and nobody even came close to
this price on the PT-633

Thanks,

DN

I think I'd pass on it in favor of one with a digital frequency readout.

Would this be a good beginner's radio for me to purchase?

DN,
If you do travel a lot, I don't see how, at the price point, you could really
go wrong, unless you end up getting sent a quality-control dud. Barring that, I
see nothing wrong with it. You get fairly wide SW coverage, SSB, and the entire
clock/alarm thing for your travels. FM should sound fine with headphones, as
most of the recent mini-receivers have been getting pretty good at sound from
phones.
But if you can get a few hams in SSB or decent int'l broadcasters while on the
road, how can you go wrong for $40?
I say go for it.
As for being a good beginner's radio, well, it's a little different than the
travel issue. I'd rather buy something I can grow into, and spend more at
first, than end up with a radio that doesn't do any one thing well enough to
keep me from being frustrated. You can drive a tractor down the highway, but
it'll take you longer to get where you're going, and you likely won't do it
again.
But if travel and portablility is the issue, God, for $40, do it!
Linus

On 23 Nov 2004 04:20:09 GMT, (GrtPmpkin32) wrote:

Would this be a good beginner's radio for me to purchase?

DN,
If you do travel a lot, I don't see how, at the price point, you could really
go wrong, unless you end up getting sent a quality-control dud. Barring that, I
see nothing wrong with it. You get fairly wide SW coverage, SSB, and the entire
clock/alarm thing for your travels. FM should sound fine with headphones, as
most of the recent mini-receivers have been getting pretty good at sound from
phones.
But if you can get a few hams in SSB or decent int'l broadcasters while on the
road, how can you go wrong for $40?
I say go for it.
As for being a good beginner's radio, well, it's a little different than the
travel issue. I'd rather buy something I can grow into, and spend more at
first, than end up with a radio that doesn't do any one thing well enough to
keep me from being frustrated. You can drive a tractor down the highway, but
it'll take you longer to get where you're going, and you likely won't do it
again.
But if travel and portablility is the issue, God, for $40, do it!
Linus

I largely agree with Linus with the exception being this radio does
not have SSB capability. If you've got $40 to dump this wouldn't be
bad, as a second radio. Though I am not personally familiar with most
of the current crop of Chinese imports I understand that some of them
aren't too bad as starter radios so you might wish to do a search on
DEGEN and TECSUN. WIth those you could probably get something that
fits both needs (travel and introduction to the hobby) in the $50 -
$100 price range. If you can swing $175 then you should look at the
Sony 7600GR; while still not at the "desktop" level I have found it
(actually the precessor 7600G which I use) to have good selectivity
(ability to discern between closely spaced stations), ability to
handle a decent outdoor antenna without overloading, handles SSB so
you can listen in to aeronautical/Coast Guard/military communications
and having used mine on travel the size isn't too bad (a bit larger
than a paperback book) and it has decent battery life.

Good luck with your decision,
Howard

Dennon wrote:
I am new to shortwave radio and found the PT-633 on a website. I
searched alot of other sites and couldn't find anything even similar
for the price.

http://www.radiolabs.com/products/receivers/pt633.php

Would this be a good beginner's radio for me to purchase? I also
travel alot and want to take it with me in my luggage.

I searched Universal and other sites and nobody even came close to
this price on the PT-633

Thanks,

DN

Dennon:
If you want to find out if shortwave listening is for you and you don't want
to spend too much, at least get enough capability to sample the best that
the hobby has to offer. At a minimum, you want to have digital readout,
dual conversion, full 30 MHz coverage and SSB capability. The old adage is
still true: you get what you pay for. There is a lot of lost cost junk out
there and I think you will be dissapointed in the PT-633. If you can find
you way to do it, get a Sony ICF 7600 or something of that caliber for about
$150 ($100 used on Ebay). Get a real radio!

--
Brian Denley
http://home.comcast.net/~b.denley/index.html

Brain Denley wrote: "The old adage is still true: you get what you
pay for."

that saying is stupid and not true. the new Sangean's are excellent
examples of OVERPRICED radios


there are some excellent low cost receivers, the tecsun PL-550 is an
excellent example, the kaito/degen ka-1102 is another example. smart
shopping can find some excellent deals around $100 in the used market.

On 23 Nov 2004 10:58:10 -0800, (the captain)
wrote:

Brain Denley wrote: "The old adage is still true: you get what you
pay for."

that saying is stupid and not true. the new Sangean's are excellent
examples of OVERPRICED radios


there are some excellent low cost receivers, the tecsun PL-550 is an
excellent example, the kaito/degen ka-1102 is another example. smart
shopping can find some excellent deals around $100 in the used market.

If you take the saying literally it's not only true... it should be
almost self-evident. If you take the saying as it is intended, it is
generally true, i.e., there may be exceptions. In fact, you've proved
the truth of the saying here since $100.00 is a greater sum than the
$40.00 figure quoted by the first poster. Show him a superior radio
for less than $40.00, and you will have debunked the saying, I'd say.
Not to be pedantic....

Regarding the Sony 7600 "family", I just sold one on eBay for about
the same price as that PT-633 (I would say that was its value). With a
little patience I'm sure another will pop up. A very nice portable,
I'd say.

the captain wrote:
Brain Denley wrote: "The old adage is still true: you get what you
pay for."

that saying is stupid and not true. the new Sangean's are excellent
examples of OVERPRICED radios


there are some excellent low cost receivers, the tecsun PL-550 is an
excellent example, the kaito/degen ka-1102 is another example. smart
shopping can find some excellent deals around $100 in the used market.

Well why don't you learn a little about shortwave radios and then we can
talk.

--
Brian Denley
http://home.comcast.net/~b.denley/index.html

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 21:59:02 -0500, "Mark S. Holden"
wrote:

Dennon wrote:

I am new to shortwave radio and found the PT-633 on a website. I
searched alot of other sites and couldn't find anything even similar
for the price.

http://www.radiolabs.com/products/receivers/pt633.php


DN

I think I'd pass on it in favor of one with a digital frequency readout.


When I had analog tuning, I lusted for a digital readout.

Then, I got a radio with digital readout....
and it really didn't matter !

During late-night listening, I "scan the band".
I've found that it really doesn't matter what the frequency is,
as long as the signal's good, and the topic's interesting.

If you "listen by schedule"
ie; a certain frequency at a certain time for a certain program,
then by all means, look for a digital readout !


rj

I just got a used Tecsun PL-550 for $50 shipped, it is an outstanding travel
radio, not too much cost and lots of performance.

I don't think the 7600GR is the right choice for budget travel. speaker is
too small. cost is too much.
the PL-550 has a bigger sound



"Dennon" wrote in message
om...
I am new to shortwave radio and found the PT-633 on a website. I
searched alot of other sites and couldn't find anything even similar
for the price.

http://www.radiolabs.com/products/receivers/pt633.php

Would this be a good beginner's radio for me to purchase? I also
travel alot and want to take it with me in my luggage.

I searched Universal and other sites and nobody even came close to
this price on the PT-633

Thanks,

DN