homemakerof6
Inactive
I'm wanting to go ahead and purchase a SW Radio. What's the best one in your opinions ? Can you get a good one at say Radio Shack or do I need to order one onling ? I know nothing about SWs. Thank You !
…… SW Radios
- Thread starter homemakerof6
- Start date
You may want to get a copy of Passport to World Band Radio, 2008 Edition. In addition to listing broadcasts by time, country and language, it includes a review of most shortwave radios, from expensive to cheap. I listen to SW frequently, and buy a copy of the guide every year.
Hfcomms
EN66iq
Radiolabs is a great place to buy from and their Super 909 is top of the line. They took a standard Sangeon 909 (which is a good radio itself) and then they modify it with special filters and speakers to make a world class radio in a very small package. I have one myself and if I didn't know any better I would think I was listening to the audio output of one of my higher end Kenwood HF rigs.
The url is here: http://www.radiolabs.com/products/radio/shortwave.php
The url is here: http://www.radiolabs.com/products/radio/shortwave.php
HeliumAvid
Too Tired to ReTire
This may seam a bit silly at first but hands down the best radio reciever you can get currently is sold mostly into the Cuban and Ham radko markets, it is called the SDR-IQ
It uses the USB port of your radio to power the thing and any extenal antenna, long wire, trapped, you name it. The audio comes out of your sound card.
There are several programs to run this runt including the one that comes with it, one called Winrad which I prefer for no goo reason. It only costs $500 and it does everything but wash the cloths.
It has digital IF, digital pass bands, all user selectable It has a water fall 190KHhz wide so you can snoope a lot of spectra while listening to what you want to hear. The gain across MW to 10 Meters is PHENOMINAL I would swear I had a loop on it in DXing MediumWave (Low band commercial) stuff...
The only bad thing is it only doed DC to 30MHz... You will need a good scanner for above that but for the bands it does, there is no other radio that even comes close.
It is built by RFSpace and is the SDR-IQ. Worth every single penny.
HeliumAvid
It uses the USB port of your radio to power the thing and any extenal antenna, long wire, trapped, you name it. The audio comes out of your sound card.
There are several programs to run this runt including the one that comes with it, one called Winrad which I prefer for no goo reason. It only costs $500 and it does everything but wash the cloths.
It has digital IF, digital pass bands, all user selectable It has a water fall 190KHhz wide so you can snoope a lot of spectra while listening to what you want to hear. The gain across MW to 10 Meters is PHENOMINAL I would swear I had a loop on it in DXing MediumWave (Low band commercial) stuff...
The only bad thing is it only doed DC to 30MHz... You will need a good scanner for above that but for the bands it does, there is no other radio that even comes close.
It is built by RFSpace and is the SDR-IQ. Worth every single penny.
HeliumAvid
PilotFighter
Bomb & Bullet Technician
I bought a DX-399 from radio Shack back in 1998. What a great radio it was. Lasted me forever, then I finally wore it out last year. I got lucky and found another DX-399 on Ebay and got it for under $25. Was good as new. Have since picked up a 3rd 399 on Ebay for a backup.
Not trying to be a wise guy, but how do you wear a radio out? Something broke I take it?
gelatinous
Eyes WIDE Open
This may seam a bit silly at first but hands down the best radio reciever you can get currently is sold mostly into the Cuban and Ham radko markets, it is called the SDR-IQ
It uses the USB port of your radio to power the thing and any extenal antenna, long wire, trapped, you name it. The audio comes out of your sound card.
There are several programs to run this runt including the one that comes with it, one called Winrad which I prefer for no goo reason. It only costs $500 and it does everything but wash the cloths.
It has digital IF, digital pass bands, all user selectable It has a water fall 190KHhz wide so you can snoope a lot of spectra while listening to what you want to hear. The gain across MW to 10 Meters is PHENOMINAL I would swear I had a loop on it in DXing MediumWave (Low band commercial) stuff...
The only bad thing is it only doed DC to 30MHz... You will need a good scanner for above that but for the bands it does, there is no other radio that even comes close.
It is built by RFSpace and is the SDR-IQ. Worth every single penny.
HeliumAvid
I'll second this recommendation. I own one of these. The Spectravue software that comes with it is kind of clunky, but with Winrad it really becomes a very nice radio.
That's a nice radio. I've been in and out of SWL for 25 years now. Got serious when I bought my Kenwood R5000 about 15 years ago and then fell out of SWL again.
But I'm not sure that's what Homemakerof6 was thinking about. I'm sure she was thinking of a portable along the lines of the 909 HF linked to.
Homemakerof6, how serious are you about a SW radio?
As you can see it's easy to pay several hundred dollars. The 909 enhanced that HFcomms included a link is $330, the unmodified version is still $250 at CC-Crane.
What do you want this radio to do for you? or maybe I should rephrase that, what do you expect to listen to?
But I'm not sure that's what Homemakerof6 was thinking about. I'm sure she was thinking of a portable along the lines of the 909 HF linked to.
Homemakerof6, how serious are you about a SW radio?
As you can see it's easy to pay several hundred dollars. The 909 enhanced that HFcomms included a link is $330, the unmodified version is still $250 at CC-Crane.
What do you want this radio to do for you? or maybe I should rephrase that, what do you expect to listen to?