Anyone dabble in Shortwave radios? I was thinking about picking one up, but I'm not very knowledgeable on the subject. Listening to foreign stations and number stations seems like a nice little hobby to get into. Tips or good models?
>>999316
add some extra coils to an old AM radio and it will pickup other frequencies.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Listen-to-Shortwave-Broadcasts-on-an-AM-Radio/?ALLSTEPS
>>999319
Thanks for the interesting read. I was really curious about buying a good model shortwave radio to just mess around on. Do you have any recommendations? I'm extremely curious about number stations.
If you have plenty of internet download start here:
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/
>>999347
Wow, this is interesting as hell. I have amazing internet speed / bandwidth, so it shouldn't be a problem. Thank you for the link!
Any tips on good models for shortwave radios? I can spend about 300 dollars for something nice. It really seems like a fun hobby to get into
>>999350
I only use this old thing I got for nothing but I hope other anons will turn up to answer your question. I have had to replace the tuner chip 3 times due to lighting damage so I don't leave it aerial connected most of the time.
I found that linked to on another board on here.
>not oc but you get the idea
Lot of the units these days are pretty easy to live with, however- you do need a bit of space for the antennas. Have had many funny times wiring up a mates backyard with 90m, 50m and a 25m length of wire, fucking pain in the arse to do (be careful around power lines as well if there's any in your area) but damn it would pick up nearly anything.
>>999372
Well that link you put in this thread was really helpful. I have been listening to stations on and off all night. So, I should thank you. I have leaned a lot.
>>999375
Sounds like a major pain in the ass to do all of that work. I don't think I would use an antenna since I live in a condo / big neighborhood. I was just hoping for some good suggestions on a nice shortwave radio. Thanks for the info though.
>>999403
>since I live in a condo / big neighbourhood.
This can be the enemy of reception with the amount of surrounding interference.
>>999408
I would love to have one, the problem is I don't have the space nor do I think it would fly with the neighbors. Who knows. I'm still going to look into it.
Better watch out or that "ex communications" officer might actually leave his basement and come after you.
>>999316
There's another thread going about radio in general, I've got a USB receiver coming in the next day or two, and one of the things I plan to do with it is attempt to pick up shortwave. Looking for SDR tuner recs to get started, will eventually just use the gnu tools once I get the hang of things.
An actual dedicated shortwave would be a fun thing to have, but they always seem overpriced to me considering what you can do for practically nothing with newer tech.
>>999316
a radio like OP pic is pretty capable but you need a good external antenna to get more out of it
>>999542
link to USB receiver dongle?
>>999316
depending on where you live, be prepared for disappointment. most everything of interest on shortwave is gone.
nothing left but religious stations, chinese stations, and old hams talking on upper or lower sideband.
>>999645
There are plenty of varying quality on amazon and pretty easy to get to come up in a search. Not gonna endorse any particular one just yet because I haven't tried any, just got the one with best reviews for a reasonable entry-level price.
There was some anon saying they had an up converter for these things >>997537
I recommend the Tecsun PL-660 receiver, and I suggest you do most listening between 3 PM and 2 AM, and between 5 AM and 9 AM, those are the best times to hear foreign broadcasts in the U.S, such as Radio Romania International, the Voice of Turkey, Radio Havana Cuba, Radio New Zealand, Radio Australia, the BBC and so on.
Remember that you'll have to hunt around for good stations, but despite what other people say, there's still other broadcasters out there to listen to. It's not what it once was, but there's still stations to hear.
Happy listening.
I have a bunch of portable shortwaves, like '90s Sangeans and the like. No need to spend hundreds of dollars until you get into serious DXing. Hell, I'll sell a few.
I don't have a good hang of the right times and frequencies, or what you can easily pick up from the New England area. I should study this shit more. As a kid I listened to "World Wide Christian Radio" which was basically the shortwave combination of /pol/, /x/, and /k/.
>>1001075
http://shortwaveschedule.com/
http://www.primetimeshortwave.com/
http://www.shortwave.be/
There's also a nice android app based on the first site.
Tecsun and Kaito are the two main brands these days, with Kaito being lower quality. Sangean's radios are outdated for their prices, Grundig only sells cheap Chinese rebrands (same models as Kaito IIRC, though the one in the OP image is also sold as the Tecsun S-2000) now, and I think Sony is only selling new-old-stock these days. But if you can find older Sony/Grundig/Panasonic radios that work, they're worth buying.
After that it mainly comes down to size/sound quality and extras. If you just want a shortwave radio that fits in your pocket and you don't mind a crummy little speaker, you can get a good Tecsun or CCraine/CountyComm for $30-60. A bigger briefcase/suitcase portable will run you around $80-150. Extra features will be stuff like NOAA weather frequencies, air traffic control frequencies or the 2 meter ham radio band, and single sideband mode for ham radio/military stuff. There are also radios with solar/hand crank options for if you're worried about disasters or whatever.
IMO the most vital feature for a shortwave radio is a tuning knob. I personally find that auto-scan functions tend to miss a lot of weak signals, and it's easier to fine tune with them.
After that the main accessory will be 25+ feet of copper wire and a clothes pin, or a active antenna like a PA0RDT Mini Whip. The standard antenna will likely get you stations like the BBC, Voice of America, DW, Radio Havana/China/Vietnam/Canada/Australia/whatever, and the holy rollers, but chances are you'll have trouble picking up lower-power regional stations or shortwave pirates. (For pirate stuff, check out the website HF Underground for frequencies and signal reports.)
>>1001091
>Grundig only sells cheap Chinese rebrands
As far as entry and mid-level stuff is concerned. Their more expensive radios aren't cheap chinkshit.
>>1001091
Oh yeah, and if you want to get a starter radio the Kaito WRX911 or Tecsun R911 (same thing) are around $20 on Amazon. They're about as simple as you can get without making a crystal radio out of scrap wire, a pencil and a razor blade. I started out with a Sangean SG-922 in like 1999-2000 which is basically the same thing but a little more expensive and made in Taiwan instead of China.
>>1001094
Yeah their nicer radios are Tecsun rebrands instead of Kaito/Degen. Same stuff in the same factories, maybe a more aesthetically pleasing case.
Radio Shack DX 394. Look into this long discontinued tabletop model with digital tuning and sideband modes. The later "B" versions corrected a lot of problems and there are still websites with mods.
Its not HAM but single side band CB radios are awesome. You can use regular CB which is a fucking mess thanks to fuck stupid black truck drivers putting 1000 watts through it who think they are a radio dj. The SSB side though is pretty low traffic, still populated enough but not insane. What is insane is the skip on those things. 150 mile range is supposed to be the theoretical limit. Without skip and a good base station, 50-60 miles usually. With skip, the other side of the planet. Its hit or miss but it skips more than any other band.
>>1001091
I have a Grundig G8, weird to see that it is a rebadged chinese brand. It says "designed and developed in Palo Alto Claifornia USA" on the back of it.
I pick up stuff with it, even with just a small telescopic antenna
>>1002072
>actually suggesting CB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoeYmG7KDaM
