RHF...

Awesome post!

On the JRC reception, the radio is only part of the equation. Your antenna
is a bigger part of the equation. The best radio in the world won't make up
for a poor antenna. It's easy to buy a nice radio but it takes some research
and work to put up a nice antenna. One of the nice things about shortwave
radio is that someone can buy a $100 portable and put up a nice antenna and
do very well. Try playing around with some different antenna ideas. RHF's
post is an excellent place to start. It sounds like you have some room to
work with. Good luck!