new to sw - need some advice
 

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

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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On Sun, 24 Apr 2005 19:31:51 -0700, running dogg wrote:

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.
The Grundig Satellit 800 has VHF Air. I don't think it scans, though.
I

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The "800" can hear the air frequencies, and no, it's not a scanner.
It's funny though, that anyone would sit and listen to any of that, at
length. Darren

"D. Martin" wrote

The "800" can hear the air frequencies, and no, it's not a scanner.
It's funny though, that anyone would sit and listen to any of that, at
length. Darren


Maybe that would be a little dull, but UHF, where military aircraft work, is
a scanning hobby about as exciting as it gets, when you can follow air to
air combat training between just about everything in the inventory of USN &
USAF. 99% of training is all in the clear, and if you happen to live near a
military airfield or bombing range, scanning is a lot of fun. Utility
hobbyists on HF can also follow aircraft (both civilian and military) across
the pond in both directions. For me, copying a military transport over
Egypt complaining that the Saudi's won't clear him over their airspace, is
so much more interesting than anything Radio India does, well that's just me
(and maybe a couple thousand other Ute enthusiasts).

Jack

I certainly mean no one disrespect. I've never flown on an airplane.
I'll see them flying around. The whole exercise bores me beyond words.
It seems like people get caught up in things. Like listening to nascar
on their scanners. I deal with enough traffic during my workday. I
wouldn't want to make it my religion. Darren

On 24 Apr 2005 21:02:56 -0700, "D. Martin" wrote:

The "800" can hear the air frequencies, and no, it's not a scanner.
It's funny though, that anyone would sit and listen to any of that, at
length. Darren

I can hear celebrities as they land at VNY, requesting limos with
stocked bars, restaurant reservations, the usual. It's on one of the
Unicoms.

I have tracked Reach missions from Departure, through Center, through
GHFS and Central East Pacific HF ATC. Totally by accident of having
several radios configured right and all turned up at the same time.
The dynamo whine gives away some of those old cargo planes. Very
distinctive.

Dear luder flieger (joke),

Der Sony icf-sw7600gr is the best portable compared to anything under $200
US.
Add a Sony AN-LP1 active antenna and you will have an excellent performing
portable receiver on any band.

I would not consider anything less at any price.

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?

No, you will need a scanner for local airport frequencies.
BUT, there are world-wide military and commercial international air traffic
frequencies which you can
listen to on shortwave and in my opinion is far more interesting.

"derFlieger" wrote in message
oups.com...
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.
All help will be very much appreciated. Cheers, PK

I can listen to some Air frequencies on some of my radios and my Radio
Shack scanner radio.I find it very boring though so I hardly ever listen
to those frequencies.
cuhulin

What I was talking about boring Air frequencies are at the civilian
Airports around here.The nearest Military training area to Jackson that
I know of is Camp Shelby,Mississippi (U.S.Army) and I don't know if Camp
Shelby has an Airfield or not,they probally use the Hattiesburg Airport
(www.dogpile.com Camp Shelby Mississippi) about 100 miles Southeast of
Jackson near Hattiesburg.There is the Mississippi Air National Guard
Base in Flowood just across the Pearl River,East of Jackson but I hardly
ever hear them talking.Hawkins Field (Civilian Airport) is about three
miles from me and Jackson International Airport is 12 miles East of me
in the Brandon,Mississippi area.
cuhulin