Anyone here a regular listener? I have one of the better quality multi-band radios that pull in a lot of different frequencies, but I’m not a regular user, though I think it’d be cool to do so.
once you have a good antenna connected to a good radio that you know how to use then you will have fun.
My experience was a lot of static and Spanish, which I don’t speak.
it is lots of time of day, season and year and then choosing the right frequency.
quality of antenna(s) also matters greatly.
lots of things have to act together to make it happen.
I’m a ham and used to listen on one of my HF transceivers. I have beam antennas about 80’ up and get a pretty good signal. Now I want to go down and listen.
I used mine a lot when I was a Peace Corps volunteer. Back then, they published Passport to World Band Radio, which was helpful for finding what was on when. I tuned in to stuff from around the world, from North Korean radio to Japanese pop music to US evangelical stations. I’m not sure what has replaced Passport to World Band these days.
Yes. Although the Internet has taken away a lot of the focus, SW is still there.
May I ask what sort of set-up that you have?
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I’m curious to try it out, because I want to hear the numbers stations, and all those other espionage-related broadcasts. No, that’s not a reference to shows discussing espionage; there are quite a few shortwave broadcasts that consist of coded instructions to agents, or are otherwise related to covert activity, military readiness, and so on. I love stuff like that.
I don’t listen to broadcast shortwave which it what the OP is asking about. However, I do operate on the higher amateur bands. It is interesting that hams call this HF, not shortwave.
Jealous! What kind of beam and tower?
I have a Radio Shack receiver, nothing special. Reception is better at night, but I’d probably do well to get a more powerful antenna. I’d love to do ham radio, but I’m finding out that a pretty expensive hobby
Glenn Martin 70" tower, Force 12 XR5 for 10, 12, 15, 17, 20 meters. M2 6 meter beam, 2m/70cm beam. And a vhf/UHF vertical on top.
Not necessarily depending on your interests. Many folks start with a vhf/UHF rig in the car. You can make lots of contacts with a $500 HF rig and some wire. A vhf/UHF portable HT is all you need to participate in many public service events.
ham radio is one of those how much time and how much money hobbies; from little to as much as you can spare.
at hamfests (ham radio flea markets), which which might occur once or a few times each year in medium to large cities, you could get used equipment enough from $50 to $100. it all depends on the age of the equipment and features.
most important for ham or shortwave listening is an antenna. a long wire can work if it is in the right place. some reading will help you decide the specifics.
Any of you ever play with this? Is an online audio feed from a tunable receiver.
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/
I have in the past, but not for some time now. SDR (software defined radio) seems to be the “big new thing” these days. Several of my friends have Flex Radios. I’m retired Boeing St. Louis and we have one with an antenna on one of our taller buildings here. If you’re inside the company firewall you can work it from your desk at lunch.
I was (actually mostly before I was a ham).
Most of my SW listening these days is syncing my watch to WWV
Brian