Sales of shortwave radios surge

http://www.sfgate.com/ ^ | Thursday, October 4, 2001 | Eric Brazil, Chronicle Staff Writer

[freedomnews]

The global trauma caused by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has spiked demand for shortwave radio service, much as it did during the 1991 Gulf War.

Although broadcasters are shifting to the Internet in nations with mature communications systems and downloading programs to FM stations via satellite, "shortwave is the old workhorse and warhorse," said Voice of American spokesman Joe O'Connell.

[Inspector Harry Callahan]

Shortwave listening sucks when a digital is employed. I'd love to ditch my cheapo and grab a Grundig WITH A DIAL. Great radios.

[B Knotts]

Well, it depends on the quality of the receiver, of course, but I like my little Radio Shack DX-375. Not the greatest, but adequate, and it's nice to have the ability to save all my stations onto the keypad.

[Catspaw]

I miss the BBC broadcasts. I do hope they bring them back. Of course, after we'd listen to them for a while we were anchored out, we'd usually sound like a couple of Brits with Wisconsin accents.

[spinner55]

"And while it is regarded as an out-of-date, almost anachronistic means of communication in highly developed areas of the world, it is crucial for both VOA and the BBC." But SW broadcasting works! Still have a few around the house. Specially my "collins" R390-A I got a few years back. Old, has tubes but still is one of the best ever made!

[spald]

My little plastic beauty is still "crystal clear". Only one little brown earplug, tho.

[spinner55]

"And while it is regarded as an out-of-date, almost anachronistic means of communication in highly developed areas of the world, it is crucial for both VOA and the BBC." But SW broadcasting works! Still have a few around the house. Specially my "collins" R390-A I got a few years back. Old, has tubes but still is one of the best ever made!

[Inspector Harry Callahan]

That's what I have. A Radio Shack digital. Sure, the ability to store channels is nice and the portability has it's place also. But after experiencing an analog, digitals are secondary indeed. SW listening is great. I've only been at it a short while, having been introduced to it right here on FR.

Callahan

[dandelion]

Dang, I've got one with a dial AND a place where a dial used to be - now it has a dial and a pair of needle-nosed pliers. Hey, I've been waiting all this time to get a hold of a digital shortwave... you mean to tell me I my little 1981 Radio-Shack special is better than a shiny new one?

If so, this means my Darling Hubby has to buy me a Kahr MK9 for my birthday instead of a new shortwave...

[John Farson]

Does your digital have a dial? I love using the dial on the Sony 2010. The sound does not cut out when surfing around like on the comparable Grundig portables.

[ThomasPaine2000]

Re: the Collins R-350a, I have one also, Its hard to beat the old dog. My first experience with it was in the Phillipines in 65 (Air Force), would listen to the Chris Noel radio show on AFRTS and the BBC, fond memories...

[itwasntme]

I just bought a Grundig but I'm currently living in Australia. How do I find out about programing? What do you normally listen to?

[real saxophonist]

You might want to try this. Or get a reconditioned one here.

[Inspector Harry Callahan]

What do you normally listen to?

I'll answer your question with the very same link that got me interested in SW in the first place. Plenty of FReeper recommendations on programming right here.

Callahan

[invenire]

Try HERE,and HERE

[longshadow]

That's what I have. A Radio Shack digital. Sure, the ability to store channels is nice and the portability has it's place also. But after experiencing an analog, digitals are secondary indeed.

Digital tuning has the advantage of being exactly where you set it. With an old analog rec'r, it is impossible to figure out what frequency you're tuned to.

You may need a better digital rec'r than the RS rig you're using. BTW, the audio of small portable can be vastly improved by using stereo headphones, Walk-man style earbuds, or even an external speaker

Ham Radio Outlet in Salem has a fair selection of shortwave rec'rs, in addition to their usual ham equipment. You might want to check it out.

[B Knotts]

Yeah, I like the portability, too. I often listen while I'm in the barn, milking the goats.

No...seriously. :-)

I have a Zenith Trans-Oceanic (with tubes!), but there is something wrong with the output. :-(

I really need to get that thing fixed, somehow. I wouldn't know where to take it, though.

[Nuke'm Glowing]

Let me know if you ever need any advice on rigs. I've been at this hobby for over 30 years and know enough to tell you what to buy and what not to. I've been listening to Radio Pakistan in English off and on for the last 3 weeks and I'm telling you between that and VOIRI (Iran) it has been most interesting....

[zog]

--shortwave radio is great! After listening to the great patriot no holds barred no sacred cows shows, going back to any of the am or fm gasbags is tame and medicore. I carry one with me all over while I am working around here, and got a way to carry it in the jeep and stick the antenna out the top and that even works sometimes. hehe heh tuning is sometimes an artform though, but it's worth it!

[Soul Citizen]

Lets assume web access is shut down. We know we can't reliably trust the major media networks. This has to be our free press outlet!

[Inspector Harry Callahan]

Nothing really wrong with the reception or audio quality, especially since I purchased a HUGE external antenna. My pet peeve is the scanning. The damn thing goes 'round and 'round within the same band. Can't get it to start at the bottom and work it's way up thru ALL of the freqs. Secondly, the scan stops at pure noise a lot. And third, even though it has a fine tune function I still like the idea of a knob to perform fine tuning because of the "fade factor".

Don't get me wrong. Decent radio. However I think I'd be happier with an analog Grundig for home use. I'd keep the junko for travelling.

Callahan

[Pay now bill Clinton]

...but I like my little Radio Shack DX-375.

One of the best single-conversion shortwave radios under the Radio Shack label ever made. I own one too. Pity RS stopped making them. Nice sensitivity, and incredible battery life (good for emergencies). My other radio is a Sony ICF-7600G with synchronous detection and LSB/USB.

[real saxophonist]

exactly.

[longshadow]

Nothing really wrong with the reception or audio quality, especially since I purchased a HUGE external antenna.

That's usually a big no-no with small portable SW rec'rs. They can't handle the signal strength and overload, producing spurious phantom images of stations on frequencies they aren't on.

My pet peeve is the scanning. The damn thing goes 'round and 'round within the same band. Can't get it to start at the bottom and work it's way up thru ALL of the freqs.

Double check the manual on proper procedure for setting scanning limits; you might have inadvertently set it up to do what it is doing.

Secondly, the scan stops at pure noise a lot.

I warned you about that big antenna.... If the radio has an attenuator switch on it (reduces the signal stregnth going into it) switch it on while scanning, and see if that helps.

Good luck.

[Inspector Harry Callahan]

Thanks for the recommendations, longshadow. I appreciate it. However, I even took the radio back to the store and asked the resident geekboy about the scanning. He said that was the way it was designed and nothing could be done short of watching the indicator and when it goes back to the bottom of a certain band, stop scanning - go up a band - continue scanning. Totally sucks.

Yes, I have an "attunder" (sp?) switch on the side of the unit. Marked local/DX. I think that's what you mean, right? Anyhoo, I'll try switching it to "local" while scanning to prevent stopping at noise. The HUGE antenna is a bad idea, eh? I didn't realize that. Thanks.

Callahan

[longshadow]

He said that was the way it was designed and nothing could be done short of watching the indicator and when it goes back to the bottom of a certain band, stop scanning - go up a band - continue scanning. Totally sucks.

That's a drawback of the particular model you have, not all digitals are designed that way. I'm sure you can find a Sony or Grundig portable that will scan the entire SW range, if that's what you want it to do.

Yes, I have an "attunder" (sp?) switch on the side of the unit. Marked local/DX. I think that's what you mean, right? Anyhoo, I'll try switching it to "local" while scanning to prevent stopping at noise. The HUGE antenna is a bad idea, eh? I didn't realize that. Thanks.

Switch it to "local" while you're using the "big antenna" and see if that helps. Anything longer than about 10 -15' of wire connected to a small, portable digital SW rec'r is likely to overload it with strong signals, ruining it's ability to receive weak, faint signals. Technically, this is referred to as the rec'r having inadequate "Dynamic Range", and results in strong signals creating what are known as "intermodulation products" inside the receiver. These unwanted products are referred to as "intermodulation distortion" (IMD), and small protables are notorious for being susceptable to them (unless they are designed to be insensitive, but that makes reception of weak signals impossible also.)

Even my Sony 2010, arguably the digital best portable ever made, is susceptible to this, unless I use a outboard pre-selector to attenuate out-of-band signal strengths, or switch over to the built-in whip antenna or a short hunk of wire.

I use about 200' of longwire strung between the house and the trees, and the only thing that can handle that much signal strength without IMD problems is a full blown table-top SWL or HAM rec'r.

In conclusion, don't judge all digital rec'rs by your experience with one Radio Shack model. There many other out there, and many of those are much better and have better features. Check out the reviews in the World Radio and TV Handbook, or Passport to World Band Radio. Both are annual publications that contain lots of reviews and ratings for all sorts of SW rec'rs. Ham Radio Outlet in Salem has them; you can browse them without even buying, if your subtle....

[robnoel]

The best programs on shortwave are carried on GCN

[real saxophonist]

Yeah, there's some guy with a funny accent...

[skraeling]

>Sony 2010, arguably the digital best portable ever made

True.

[dbbeebs]

I have an old Sangean 803. I used to listen to Russian english language propaganda
with it. And the BBC. But having the 'net cuts down on my need for news.

[Publius6961]

What do you think of the Yaesu FRG-7000? and where can they be serviced?

[Timesink]

I miss the BBC broadcasts. I do hope they bring them back.

You can still pick up the BBC in the US; it's just a little harder to find. Even their broadcasts aimed at Europe usually come in here at decent-enough quality.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Shortwave listening sucks when a digital is employed. I'd love to ditch my cheapo and grab a Grundig WITH A DIAL. Great radios.

Digital sucks? My digital ICOM-746 will eat your puny Grundig with a dial. My ICOM will not only hear the Mid East, but I can talk to it if I choose.

[RadioAstronomer]

I wish I had bought the Icom R-9000 when it was still available to civilians. Now you can't get one unless you are Gov. Sigh!

[CIApilot]

We have a Sony 2010 and love it. We pack it all over the world with us.

[longshadow]

We have a Sony 2010 and love it. We pack it all over the world with us.

The design is a bit old, but no one has yet produced a better performing portable SWL radio. Even Sony's newer designs, while replete with fancier features, can't out perform the 2010. The Synchronous Detector makes a significant improvement in reception quality on signals that suffer from phase distortion cause by selective sideband fading, and the ability to tune either sideband provides a sort of poor-man's pass-band tuning.

One of the weaker points of the 2010 is the IF filters, which have rather shallow skirts and poor ultimate rejection. Thankfully, relatively inexpensive after market replacements are availble with better specs; I replaced the WIDE filter with a narrower filter with steeper skirts and better ultimate rejection, and it significantly improves rejection of adjacent signals while still providing good audio response.

My understanding is the 2010 is now out of production, though there is significant inventory still out there.

[backhoe]

Specially my "collins" R390-A

Lordy, you bring back fond memories- I had one of those, and a 51J-4, that I used to intercept radioteletype signals way back in the 1970's..... they're good sets!

[skraeling]

> have a Sony 2010 and love it. We pack it all over the world

I leave the 2010 at home as the perfect bedside radio. Too big and heavy to lug around. Use a Sony 2002 for global travel.