derFlieger wrote:

I know these kind of questions are too open to answer easily, but I
hope readers will indulge me and guide me in the right direction.
I'd like to buy a portable shortwave radio - ex: sony icf-7600gr (I
just started searching at Sony). I'm sure there is a range on opinion
regarding best value - but could someone tell me how to narrow the
search? So much information.
Also, I'm interested in hearing aviation freq's - air traffic - etc.
Can a standard shortwave handle this - or would I need a special
scanner?
All help will be very much appreciated. Cheers, PK


Some air traffic is on SW, some is on VHF (FM). International air
traffic is on SW, domestic traffic is on VHF. I think (not sure, I'm not
a utility aficionado) that airplanes switch to VHF once they get close
to the airport they're heading to. VHF communications usually require a
special VHF scanner, unless you're lucky enough to find a tabletop SW
radio with a VHF module, I believe that Yaesu models had it as an
option. But if you don't want to pay big buck$$$$ for a tabletop, you'll
need two radios, scanner and shortwave.

Portable SW radios come in basically two flavors: expensive (Sony, some
Eton/Grundig models, usually around $150) and cheap Chinese radios
(Degen/Kaito and Tecsun, which can be had for $50 on ebay from V Com
Collections ebay store). A $50 radio like the Degen DE1102 or the Tecsun
PL550 is sufficient for most SW listening. If you insist on the best
quality or have political concerns about buying Chinese products (Tecsun
is owned by the Chinese Communist Party) then go with the Sony.


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