Listening to the BBC on an inexpensive shortwave radio
 

Have a friend who listens to tape delayed BBC broadcasts on local FM
station. Would like to get him an inexpensive ($100 or less) shortwave
radio so he can hear the real deal live. He won't install a secondary
antenna, so a unit with a good antenna is a must. Digital tuning (ie, the
ability to see the frequency) would be nice, too. He is in northern Indiana,
USA. Thanks for any tips/advice.

DJ wrote:
Have a friend who listens to tape delayed BBC broadcasts on local FM
station. Would like to get him an inexpensive ($100 or less) shortwave
radio so he can hear the real deal live. He won't install a secondary
antenna, so a unit with a good antenna is a must. Digital tuning (ie, the
ability to see the frequency) would be nice, too. He is in northern Indiana,
USA. Thanks for any tips/advice.




If what you want is something for program listening, in portable,
I like Panasonic RF-B65. Good sensitivity off the whip, with the
ability to use a random wire or small active, decent but not
exemplary selectivity, and exceptional audio in a portable. Digital
tuning, on a wheel or direct input. A handful of memories. Even twin
timers, and SSB if your friend wants to move into something more
than program listening. Good battery life. And build quality is good.

This radio is out of print, of course. But you do find them on
the used market well within your budget. Most of the $100 portables
out there, today, are not up to the same standard.

If you're determined to buy new, look at the Universal Radio,
CCrane and Grove websites.

There are still people buying portables by
Lex-Tecs-Pass-dig-sahn, or whatever the f*ck they call themselves
this week, with mixed but generally favorable results. Most of which
fall within your budget. One of the more popular being S350.

Sangean fields several in your price range. ATS 404, PT-50 come
to mind off the top. Ok. Not impressive, but ok.

Take the time to hit some of the dealer's sites, and, if you can,
try to get some hands-on locally.

And if you look carefully, you can find some much better radios
on the used market within your price range.

On Mon, 4 Jul 2005 15:53:17 -0500, "DJ" wrote:


Have a friend who listens to tape delayed BBC broadcasts on local FM
station. Would like to get him an inexpensive ($100 or less) shortwave
radio so he can hear the real deal live. He won't install a secondary
antenna, so a unit with a good antenna is a must. Digital tuning (ie, the
ability to see the frequency) would be nice, too. He is in northern Indiana,
USA. Thanks for any tips/advice.


XM has a delightful little unit for under $50. Rig up a 12 Vdc
adapter and a pair of powered speakers and you'll have the BBC World
Service 24/7/365, in HiFi sound, for under $100.

There is $13/month fee, but they also have lots of music and stuff.

DJ wrote:

Have a friend who listens to tape delayed BBC broadcasts on local FM
station. Would like to get him an inexpensive ($100 or less) shortwave
radio so he can hear the real deal live. He won't install a secondary
antenna, so a unit with a good antenna is a must. Digital tuning (ie, the
ability to see the frequency) would be nice, too. He is in northern Indiana,
USA. Thanks for any tips/advice.

BBC World Service is streamed online (at www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice),
isn't it? Okay, occasionally they won't play a particular program
online, but at least (a) it's free (assuming he has an Internet
connection), and (b) it's not subject to having to search for a signal
that's not aimed to North America.

-- Don

David wrote:
XM has a delightful little unit for under $50..

There is $13/month fee, but they also have lots of music and stuff.

- Sounds great!

$ 156 / Yr or ~$1,500 for ten years..
- and you only have to have continuous line of sight to the Bird.

- Quite a Bargain.

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for.

"D Peter Maus" wrote in message
...
DJ wrote:
Have a friend who listens to tape delayed BBC broadcasts on local FM
station. Would like to get him an inexpensive ($100 or less) shortwave
radio so he can hear the real deal live. He won't install a secondary
antenna, so a unit with a good antenna is a must. Digital tuning (ie,
the
ability to see the frequency) would be nice, too. He is in northern
Indiana,
USA. Thanks for any tips/advice.




If what you want is something for program listening, in portable,
I like Panasonic RF-B65. Good sensitivity off the whip, with the
ability to use a random wire or small active, decent but not
exemplary selectivity, and exceptional audio in a portable. Digital
tuning, on a wheel or direct input. A handful of memories. Even twin
timers, and SSB if your friend wants to move into something more
than program listening. Good battery life. And build quality is good.

This radio is out of print, of course. But you do find them on
the used market well within your budget. Most of the $100 portables
out there, today, are not up to the same standard.

If you're determined to buy new, look at the Universal Radio,
CCrane and Grove websites.

There are still people buying portables by
Lex-Tecs-Pass-dig-sahn, or whatever the f*ck they call themselves
this week, with mixed but generally favorable results. Most of which
fall within your budget. One of the more popular being S350.

Sangean fields several in your price range. ATS 404, PT-50 come
to mind off the top. Ok. Not impressive, but ok.

Take the time to hit some of the dealer's sites, and, if you can,
try to get some hands-on locally.

And if you look carefully, you can find some much better radios
on the used market within your price range.

On 4 Jul 2005 19:03:54 -0700, "Dan" wrote:



David wrote:
XM has a delightful little unit for under $50..

There is $13/month fee, but they also have lots of music and stuff.

- Sounds great!

$ 156 / Yr or ~$1,500 for ten years..
- and you only have to have continuous line of sight to the Bird.

- Quite a Bargain.

Or you can spend two grand on a radio and an antenna.

Big cities have repeaters and the reception is very FM-like.

In article ,
DJ wrote:
Have a friend who listens to tape delayed BBC broadcasts on local FM
station. Would like to get him an inexpensive ($100 or less) shortwave
radio so he can hear the real deal live. He won't install a secondary
antenna, so a unit with a good antenna is a must. Digital tuning (ie, the
ability to see the frequency) would be nice, too. He is in northern Indiana,
USA. Thanks for any tips/advice.

The sad fact is that the BBC has, in just the last year or two, cut out
shortwave broadcasting aimed at North America and you can't get reliable
reception of a lot of the programs in their schedule.

For example, the only time I can pick up their "World of Music", a
half hour of world music by Charlie Gillett is in the dead of
night on a frequency (15360 kHz, from Singapore, aimed at Japan) that
will quit working as the seasons change.

Mark Zenier Washington State resident

Or you can spend two grand on a radio and an antenna.

Utter rubbish, ~100 USD and 50 feet of bell wire does just fine

Big cities have repeaters and the reception is very FM-like.

STILL not Shortwave

Anybody else getting the BBC on a regular basis? Especially in the midwest?
I am interested in news and general interest type programming.

Mark, is west coast SWL difficult anyway? That's what I've heard.


The sad fact is that the BBC has, in just the last year or two, cut out
shortwave broadcasting aimed at North America and you can't get reliable
reception of a lot of the programs in their schedule.

For example, the only time I can pick up their "World of Music", a
half hour of world music by Charlie Gillett is in the dead of
night on a frequency (15360 kHz, from Singapore, aimed at Japan) that
will quit working as the seasons change.

Mark Zenier Washington State resident