Anyone here a shortwave radio listener?

[StarHalo]

Did a little research on Pocket Reel Antenna, and sounds pretty doable for sure

Yeah, they're super easy to use; attach the clip to your radio's whip antenna, then unreel it as far as you can in a straight line, oriented in the direction of the station you're trying to get - it's easiest to start out east-west, but you can dial it in for specific signals, SW-NE for Australia, SE-NW for Cuba, etc.

 

[Flying Turtle]

I've attached alligator clips to the end of an old long appliance power cord and gotten good results, too. Not as convenient as the reel type, but they are tough.

Geoff

 

[Full Power]

Yeah, they're super easy to use; attach the clip to your radio's whip antenna, then unreel it as far as you can in a straight line, oriented in the direction of the station you're trying to get - it's easiest to start out east-west, but you can dial it in for specific signals, SW-NE for Australia, SE-NW for Cuba, etc.

Pretty kool.. ..finally after yrs of not getting much use from my SW unit, will be like having a "new" toy to break late night boredom.!?
Cheers,
Full Power


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[Rafael Jimenez]

At this moment 6:39 am on 6150 Radio Australia has a very good music program. ShortwaveSchedule.com is a good guide to listening, plus a good quality radio is also important.
There is still plenty activity on SW. I am bilingual, so I also enjoy the spanish speaking programs, but there are many programs in english. It's important to have a good radio!! I don't use external antena, but I have very good radios. The Eaton e1 xm, and the satellit 500 and 700 are super!! also the Sony 2010 is great and very reliable. I also use a panasonic 2200, that is very good for long distance am stations.

I don't watch TV at all, I only listen to good radio programs in am, fm, or sw.

 

[Spork]

I've always loved radio stuff. We rely too much on the internet and mobile phones for communications. You also have to pay big $$ to use these services but it seems tough to get by without it anymore.

I subscribe to the portable radio thread and picked up a new sw radio as well. I wanted it mostly for emergency purposes so I've only messed with it a few times. I did find a cool prepper broadcast but forgot the name. They were discussing the possibility of solar flares bringing down the power grid. Most stations were not in english or I had no interest in listening to them anyway. I probably listened to the scanner more often. I don't think our local pd is encrypted yet but there is a web page that lists any major event announced over the scanner anyway. The internet is faster and easier to obtain the information that I want.

Is there much activity on the ham bands for 10m and below besides cw? 2 meters is usually fun to listen. I have the urge to get my technician license and maybe go for general if those bands have anything going on. I wanted to do this when I was a kid but never got around to taking the test even though I studied for it. Monitoring bands that have 2 way communications that I can also participate in seems more fun.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

I got my technician license after they dropped the morse code requirement. I was going to experiment with ATV but other things just kept eating up my time.

The technician license isn't that difficult. You should go for it.

 

[Obijuan Kenobe]

LA4VSA.

Got my card in Norway.

Mostly listen to dits and dahs. Only have yet to CQ with my key...just voice for me.

73

 

[Sub_Umbra]

I was an avid SWL for about 40 years. I can still remember listening to HCJB, "The Voice of the Andes" as a kid in the 1950s. In the 70s I got news from Europe on SW via 'the polar hop' when I lived in the Upper Kuskoquim area in Alaska. It was pretty good except for the flutter.

Anyone remember SW calls to SAC bombers? Looking Glass?

I still have the radios but I don't SWL anymore. It seemed to me in the 90s that much of the money spent broadcasting SW was increasingly diverted to try and reach people via the Internet.

Sad.

 

[Full Power]

I've always loved radio stuff. We rely too much on the internet and mobile phones for communications. You also have to pay big $$ to use these services but it seems tough to get by without it anymore.

I subscribe to the portable radio thread and picked up a new sw radio as well. I wanted it mostly for emergency purposes so I've only messed with it a few times. I did find a cool prepper broadcast but forgot the name. They were discussing the possibility of solar flares bringing down the power grid. Most stations were not in english or I had no interest in listening to them anyway. I probably listened to the scanner more often. I don't think our local pd is encrypted yet but there is a web page that lists any major event announced over the scanner anyway. The internet is faster and easier to obtain the information that I want.

Is there much activity on the ham bands for 10m and below besides cw? 2 meters is usually fun to listen. I have the urge to get my technician license and maybe go for general if those bands have anything going on. I wanted to do this when I was a kid but never got around to taking the test even though I studied for it. Monitoring bands that have 2 way communications that I can also participate in seems more fun.

Other than the internet (via cell phone), the radio is all I listen too. I haven't watched TV in years.


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[Pellidon]

Its been a few years but I got Radio Prague very clear one night. I went to the website and posted a listener report. I expected a reply but got a very good swag collection and letter. The radio sits on the coffee table but hasn't been on lately.

 

[StarHalo]

picked up a new sw radio as well. I wanted it mostly for emergency purposes

Shortwave isn't for emergencies; if there's a flood in your area, you're not going to get much help from Radio Philippines. Your local news and community radio is where it's at emergency-wise, usually on the AM band.

 

[Lebkuecher]

For the last week or so I've been able to pick up the BBC English broadcast on 12095 KHz off the whip starting at 10pm central time. I'm in Tennessee and am curious if anyone is able to pick tune the BBC in and where you are. The signal is weak but it is audible.

 

[StarHalo]

For the last week or so I've been able to pick up the BBC English broadcast on 12095 KHz off the whip starting at 10pm central time. I'm in Tennessee and am curious if anyone is able to pick tune the BBC in and where you are. The signal is weak but it is audible.

That's the Mediterranean broadcast, out of Oman.

 

[Lebkuecher]

That's the Mediterranean broadcast, out of Oman.

Thanks StarHalo

It's obvious the BBC is not targeting North America with this broadcast. I can barely pick it up tonight.

 

[StarHalo]

The BBC doesn't broadcast to North America, but they broadcast to everywhere else from everywhere else. I used to catch the France repeater aimed at Africa.