I am new to shortwave radio and found the PT-633 on a website. I
searched alot of other sites and couldn't find anything even similar
for the price.

http://www.radiolabs.com/products/receivers/pt633.php

Would this be a good beginner's radio for me to purchase? I also
travel alot and want to take it with me in my luggage.

I searched Universal and other sites and nobody even came close to
this price on the PT-633

Thanks,

DN

Dennon wrote:

I am new to shortwave radio and found the PT-633 on a website. I
searched alot of other sites and couldn't find anything even similar
for the price.

http://www.radiolabs.com/products/receivers/pt633.php

Would this be a good beginner's radio for me to purchase? I also
travel alot and want to take it with me in my luggage.

I searched Universal and other sites and nobody even came close to
this price on the PT-633

Thanks,

DN

I think I'd pass on it in favor of one with a digital frequency readout.

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 21:59:02 -0500, "Mark S. Holden"
wrote:

Dennon wrote:

I am new to shortwave radio and found the PT-633 on a website. I
searched alot of other sites and couldn't find anything even similar
for the price.

http://www.radiolabs.com/products/receivers/pt633.php


DN

I think I'd pass on it in favor of one with a digital frequency readout.


When I had analog tuning, I lusted for a digital readout.

Then, I got a radio with digital readout....
and it really didn't matter !

During late-night listening, I "scan the band".
I've found that it really doesn't matter what the frequency is,
as long as the signal's good, and the topic's interesting.

If you "listen by schedule"
ie; a certain frequency at a certain time for a certain program,
then by all means, look for a digital readout !


rj

"" wrote:

On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 21:59:02 -0500, "Mark S. Holden"
wrote:

Dennon wrote:

I am new to shortwave radio and found the PT-633 on a website. I
searched alot of other sites and couldn't find anything even similar
for the price.

http://www.radiolabs.com/products/receivers/pt633.php


DN

I think I'd pass on it in favor of one with a digital frequency readout.


When I had analog tuning, I lusted for a digital readout.

Then, I got a radio with digital readout....
and it really didn't matter !

During late-night listening, I "scan the band".
I've found that it really doesn't matter what the frequency is,
as long as the signal's good, and the topic's interesting.

If you "listen by schedule"
ie; a certain frequency at a certain time for a certain program,
then by all means, look for a digital readout !

rj

Radios without a digital display are often lacking in other features
such as dual conversion to reduce images, good selectivity and tuning
stability to prevent drifting.


----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups
---= East/West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

Radios without a digital display are often lacking in other features
such as dual conversion to reduce images, good selectivity and tuning
stability to prevent drifting.


No doubt about it! AND, you will miss the analog display for about 2
seconds.
The cheapest portable I would consider for any type of use is the Sony
ICF-SW35.
Analog dials are dead! In this day and age, why rely on tooth floss to turn
a dial?

"0ff_r/-\/\\p" wrote in message
...

Radios without a digital display are often lacking in other features
such as dual conversion to reduce images, good selectivity and tuning
stability to prevent drifting.


No doubt about it! AND, you will miss the analog display for about 2
seconds.
The cheapest portable I would consider for any type of use is the Sony
ICF-SW35.
Analog dials are dead! In this day and age, why rely on tooth floss to
turn
a dial?



Have you ever used a decent quality analog radio? Most of the analog radios
made in the last thirty years have poor tuning mechanisms with stiff plastic
dielctric tuning capacitors and no bandspread.

I have over a dozen SW radios. I'm an active listener. I have only one
digital readout SW radio, a DX-440. It's one of my least used radios. I
use it mostly to align the real radios.

Frank Dresser

wrote:
On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 21:59:02 -0500, "Mark S. Holden"
wrote:


Dennon wrote:


I am new to shortwave radio and found the PT-633 on a website. I
searched alot of other sites and couldn't find anything even similar
for the price.

http://www.radiolabs.com/products/receivers/pt633.php


DN

I think I'd pass on it in favor of one with a digital frequency readout.



When I had analog tuning, I lusted for a digital readout.

Then, I got a radio with digital readout....
and it really didn't matter !

During late-night listening, I "scan the band".
I've found that it really doesn't matter what the frequency is,
as long as the signal's good, and the topic's interesting.

If you "listen by schedule"
ie; a certain frequency at a certain time for a certain program,
then by all means, look for a digital readout !


rj


I suggest digitals for beginners for a few reasons.

I think the schedules you can download from a place like:

http://primetimeshortwave.com/

make it easier for a beginner to get to the point where they can
reliably find something "interesting".

Portable analog radios I've tried tended to drift.

If someone wants to get into collecting QSL cards, it's easier to be
sure of the frequency you're on with a digital.

There are at least a couple digitals with good reputations in the same
general price range as the Sangean he provided a link to.

Finally, if a radio doesn't live up to your expectations, the hobby just
won't be much fun.

"Mark S. Holden" wrote:

wrote:
On Mon, 22 Nov 2004 21:59:02 -0500, "Mark S. Holden"
wrote:


Dennon wrote:


I am new to shortwave radio and found the PT-633 on a website. I
searched alot of other sites and couldn't find anything even similar
for the price.

http://www.radiolabs.com/products/receivers/pt633.php


DN

I think I'd pass on it in favor of one with a digital frequency readout.



When I had analog tuning, I lusted for a digital readout.

Then, I got a radio with digital readout....
and it really didn't matter !

During late-night listening, I "scan the band".
I've found that it really doesn't matter what the frequency is,
as long as the signal's good, and the topic's interesting.

If you "listen by schedule"
ie; a certain frequency at a certain time for a certain program,
then by all means, look for a digital readout !


rj

I suggest digitals for beginners for a few reasons.

I think the schedules you can download from a place like:

http://primetimeshortwave.com/

make it easier for a beginner to get to the point where they can
reliably find something "interesting".

Portable analog radios I've tried tended to drift.

If someone wants to get into collecting QSL cards, it's easier to be
sure of the frequency you're on with a digital.

There are at least a couple digitals with good reputations in the same
general price range as the Sangean he provided a link to.

Finally, if a radio doesn't live up to your expectations, the hobby just
won't be much fun.

Yes, a digital offers 'repeatability', which is indispensable for a newcomer.

The days of 5 minutes of an interval signal so someone might find a transmission
from a particular country seem to be gone, and the 'crash start' seems to be
more the norm.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

Would this be a good beginner's radio for me to purchase?

DN,
If you do travel a lot, I don't see how, at the price point, you could really
go wrong, unless you end up getting sent a quality-control dud. Barring that, I
see nothing wrong with it. You get fairly wide SW coverage, SSB, and the entire
clock/alarm thing for your travels. FM should sound fine with headphones, as
most of the recent mini-receivers have been getting pretty good at sound from
phones.
But if you can get a few hams in SSB or decent int'l broadcasters while on the
road, how can you go wrong for $40?
I say go for it.
As for being a good beginner's radio, well, it's a little different than the
travel issue. I'd rather buy something I can grow into, and spend more at
first, than end up with a radio that doesn't do any one thing well enough to
keep me from being frustrated. You can drive a tractor down the highway, but
it'll take you longer to get where you're going, and you likely won't do it
again.
But if travel and portablility is the issue, God, for $40, do it!
Linus

On 23 Nov 2004 04:20:09 GMT, (GrtPmpkin32) wrote:

Would this be a good beginner's radio for me to purchase?

DN,
If you do travel a lot, I don't see how, at the price point, you could really
go wrong, unless you end up getting sent a quality-control dud. Barring that, I
see nothing wrong with it. You get fairly wide SW coverage, SSB, and the entire
clock/alarm thing for your travels. FM should sound fine with headphones, as
most of the recent mini-receivers have been getting pretty good at sound from
phones.
But if you can get a few hams in SSB or decent int'l broadcasters while on the
road, how can you go wrong for $40?
I say go for it.
As for being a good beginner's radio, well, it's a little different than the
travel issue. I'd rather buy something I can grow into, and spend more at
first, than end up with a radio that doesn't do any one thing well enough to
keep me from being frustrated. You can drive a tractor down the highway, but
it'll take you longer to get where you're going, and you likely won't do it
again.
But if travel and portablility is the issue, God, for $40, do it!
Linus

I largely agree with Linus with the exception being this radio does
not have SSB capability. If you've got $40 to dump this wouldn't be
bad, as a second radio. Though I am not personally familiar with most
of the current crop of Chinese imports I understand that some of them
aren't too bad as starter radios so you might wish to do a search on
DEGEN and TECSUN. WIth those you could probably get something that
fits both needs (travel and introduction to the hobby) in the $50 -
$100 price range. If you can swing $175 then you should look at the
Sony 7600GR; while still not at the "desktop" level I have found it
(actually the precessor 7600G which I use) to have good selectivity
(ability to discern between closely spaced stations), ability to
handle a decent outdoor antenna without overloading, handles SSB so
you can listen in to aeronautical/Coast Guard/military communications
and having used mine on travel the size isn't too bad (a bit larger
than a paperback book) and it has decent battery life.

Good luck with your decision,
Howard