In article ,
"Teddy Bear" wrote:

Hi There,

I was curious to try the short wave radio listening so I went for my old
and very cheapo Sony CFM-140L casette-recorder unit (16m; 19m; 21m; 25m;
31m; 41m; 49m). I don't remember how much it cost, but sure it was well
below $30.00 I got a 1.5mm diameter coated wire "plugged" atop of the radio
antenna, it was around 30 feet long (it, somehow, improved a wee bit the
radio reception. No wonders though).

Later I switched to the SW dial and I started to tune stations using the
main manual dial and the fine dial knobs, reaching to listen to the
following stations, not without big efforts using those analogic knobs:

#1 RFI - French - France
#2 BBC World Service - English - United Kingdom
#3 DOA News - English - USA
#4 Radio Canada Internacional - Spanish - Canada
#5 World Wide Christian Radio - English - USA
#6 Radio Bulgaria - Spanish - Bulgaria
#7 kilo - papa - alpha - two - What was that?
#8 Radio Internacional de China - Spanish - Vhina
#9 Radio Exterieur d'Espagne - French - Spain
#10 Radio Exterior de España - English - Spain
#11 CBC News - English - Canada
#12 Radio Rumania Internacional - Spanish - Rumania
#13 Radio Netherlands - Spanish - The Netherlands
#14 Canada International - English - Canda
#15 Radio Japan - English - Japan
#16 Radio Slovakia International - English - Slovakia

The above list was collected after four hours of discontinued listening;
besides those, I was able to listen to a few more stations from Moldova,
Colombia, ... a station which appeared to broadcast a "repetitive nanny
song" in clock intervals of around 15 seconds and 5 mute. Other stations
which broadcasted "noise" and a plethora of stations bradcasting in German
and Arabic (many many stations!).

Almost all the radio programs were radiating news, all stations seemed to
bradcast the same news despite being all from different countries. That's
globalization! Although I find amusing to being able to listen to all those
stations I must confess that listening only to news is really bothersome!
The exception being, perhaps, Radio Internacional de China which had a
varied grill.

Therefore, as a naive short wave listener I would like to know whether using
this dial all I will find will be news, always the same all over again the
same day, or whether there are wider program grills. Moreover, from the list
of stations I heard can sombody advise me on whether buying new equipment
(receiver plus antena?) I will be able to pick up more stations? Something
below $100.00, even if it is second hand.

Eventually, as I am a completely novice in SW I would like to listen to all
your advices concerning radio equipment (cheapo!), stations to listen to
(English; French; Spanish), prime times, ...

You did a good job in a few hours time with a cheap portable. Imagine
what you could do with a good table top radio and an out door antenna.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

"Telamon" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Teddy Bear" wrote:

Hi There,

I was curious to try the short wave radio listening so I went
for my old
and very cheapo Sony CFM-140L casette-recorder unit (16m; 19m;
21m; 25m;
31m; 41m; 49m). I don't remember how much it cost, but sure it was
well
below $30.00 I got a 1.5mm diameter coated wire "plugged" atop of
the radio
antenna, it was around 30 feet long (it, somehow, improved a wee
bit the
radio reception. No wonders though).

Later I switched to the SW dial and I started to tune stations
using the
main manual dial and the fine dial knobs, reaching to listen to
the
following stations, not without big efforts using those analogic
knobs:

#1 RFI - French - France
#2 BBC World Service - English - United Kingdom
#3 DOA News - English - USA
#4 Radio Canada Internacional - Spanish - Canada
#5 World Wide Christian Radio - English - USA
#6 Radio Bulgaria - Spanish - Bulgaria
#7 kilo - papa - alpha - two - What was that?
#8 Radio Internacional de China - Spanish - Vhina
#9 Radio Exterieur d'Espagne - French - Spain
#10 Radio Exterior de España - English - Spain
#11 CBC News - English - Canada
#12 Radio Rumania Internacional - Spanish - Rumania
#13 Radio Netherlands - Spanish - The Netherlands
#14 Canada International - English - Canda
#15 Radio Japan - English - Japan
#16 Radio Slovakia International - English - Slovakia

The above list was collected after four hours of discontinued
listening;
besides those, I was able to listen to a few more stations from
Moldova,
Colombia, ... a station which appeared to broadcast a "repetitive
nanny
song" in clock intervals of around 15 seconds and 5 mute. Other
stations
which broadcasted "noise" and a plethora of stations bradcasting
in German
and Arabic (many many stations!).

Almost all the radio programs were radiating news, all stations
seemed to
bradcast the same news despite being all from different countries.
That's
globalization! Although I find amusing to being able to listen to
all those
stations I must confess that listening only to news is really
bothersome!
The exception being, perhaps, Radio Internacional de China which
had a
varied grill.

Therefore, as a naive short wave listener I would like to know
whether using
this dial all I will find will be news, always the same all over
again the
same day, or whether there are wider program grills. Moreover,
from the list
of stations I heard can sombody advise me on whether buying new
equipment
(receiver plus antena?) I will be able to pick up more stations?
Something
below $100.00, even if it is second hand.

Eventually, as I am a completely novice in SW I would like to
listen to all
your advices concerning radio equipment (cheapo!), stations to
listen to
(English; French; Spanish), prime times, ...

You did a good job in a few hours time with a cheap portable.
Imagine
what you could do with a good table top radio and an out door
antenna.

You know what this means, don't you?? Teddy's
going to have to have a lot of shelf space to handle
a lot of radios in a quest for the "perfect" radio... ;-)

--Mike L.

You know what this means, don't you?? Teddy's
going to have to have a lot of shelf space to handle
a lot of radios in a quest for the "perfect" radio... ;-)

Ouch! That's gonna be expensive!

I'll start looking for something cheap on eBay, the better :p

And go to a building supply store and buy lots of shelf brackets and
boards for shelves and to a Goodwill store and buy some book cases.
cuhulin

gently used Sony ICF-SW7600G. Be careful, Sony has made a variety of

I assume (being unliterate in the SW stuff) the Sony ICF-SW7600G will be the
one to look for (used).

Up to now I found some (not on the inexpensive side though...) Sony
ICF-SW7600G and Sony ICF-SW7600GR for sale.

Is there any special requirement for an antena (if I need one)?

And go to a building supply store and buy lots of shelf brackets
and boards for shelves

it's also a good source for antennae projects. I built a great little
10m dipole from conduit, worked the world with that and 5 and 25 watts,
with a tuner it doubled as a decent enough SWL ant. as well
Cost? $5 if that...

gently used Sony ICF-SW7600G. Be careful, Sony has made a variety of

Just one more beginner question, it is a GRUNDIG S350 model any comparable
to that Sony ICF-SW7600G?

"Teddy Bear" wrote in message
...
gently used Sony ICF-SW7600G. Be careful, Sony has made a variety of

Just one more beginner question, it is a GRUNDIG S350 model any comparable
to that Sony ICF-SW7600G?



No.
I use my BCL 2000 (Tecsun OEM S350) only for MW. If you are interested
in Shortwave go with the Sony 7600 or a Degen/Kaito 1103.

in Shortwave go with the Sony 7600 or a Degen/Kaito 1103.

Is the Sony 7600 comparable "feature by feature" to the Degen / Kaito 1103
(or 1102)? The Degen / Kaito seems to be better priced, maybe I could even
afford it new in the box.

"Teddy Bear" wrote in message
...
in Shortwave go with the Sony 7600 or a Degen/Kaito 1103.

Is the Sony 7600 comparable "feature by feature" to the Degen / Kaito 1103
(or 1102)? The Degen / Kaito seems to be better priced, maybe I could even
afford it new in the box.



Performance for dollar spent = Degen 1103.