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-   -   Shortwave radios (http://www.gokarters.com/vbforum/showthread.php?t=1819)

N2RJ 02-24-2008 04:46 PM

Shortwave radios
 
Besides your ham rigs, what do you use for SWLing?

I have a few radios:

eton E100 portable (lives in my bag, used at work and on the bus)

Zenith Trans-oceanic Y600 (6 tube model, transformerless with a hot chassis!)

I have a couple other trans-oceanics that I have to repair, but just not getting the time.


In fact here is a pic:



If you go to the trans-oceanic page on Wikipedia, you'll see it there.

KC4UMO 02-24-2008 05:01 PM

Hey thats nice. I have 2 of the radio 160s. There are pics in my shack thread
I am really wanting some of boat anchor era though.

Maybe one day I can find something to restore and bring back to life.
Thanks for posting that Ryan.

N2RJ 02-24-2008 08:18 PM

You're quite welcome.

I do use my Icom ProIII for SWLing though. Hooked up to the MonstIR, it really pulls out the weak ones.

When I started out as a SWL, we had an old boombox with the SW bands and the antenna was a piece of wire.

Then later on I climbed a mango tree in the back yard and hung a wire in it. I realized that by doing that I was able to hear more distant stations (DX!)

My dad bought me a lot of the old popular communications magazines, as well as CQ and 73. The book store had them on sale cheap. I especially enjoyed 73 mag, that Wayne Green was crazy as a fox, but ran a good mag. I remember an issue from the 80s having plans to build an electronic bug repeller using a tweeter, a 555 timer and a few other parts.

Of course in school, my teacher (9Y4AL) had the current issues of QST and CQ magazine, as well as books with homebrew stuff.

I enjoyed the SW hobby a lot.

In 1990 a group of radicals called the Jamaat-Al-Muslimeen overthrew the Government and took over the state owned TV stations and a couple of privately owned radio stations. So basically all TV was off the air, and some radio.

I remember hearing the reports on the BBC world service about "a group of radical muslims in Trinidad has overthrown the Government."

It was the first time in my life I remember Trinidad and Tobago making the headlines in any world news!

Of course the rich folks had their satellite dish to get CNN and the like, but we had the good old shortwave radio.


Currently listening to the voice of Russia :) on 7250 :(

KC4UMO 02-27-2008 04:50 AM

Interesting bit of histry there Ryan. I never new that.

WV6Z 02-27-2008 11:40 PM

Weeee, I have an E100, picked it up for $2.98 at Circuit City....... yeah, really. I am pretty amazed at what it can do actually and was expecting it to be something that would keep a small spot occupied in the desk drawer for many a year...... funny the batteries were as much as the radio itself.

I used to have a Transoceanic, wish I still did but, I do have fun being an SWL with the Elton and the TS-570D. After all, being an SWL is what got me in to the hobby in the first place. Thanks for sharing the picture Ryan.

N2RJ 03-22-2008 09:30 PM

Changed the oil in my car today and saw another T-O that I have to fix up. Need to replace some dry capacitors and also dust the radios out.

I also have a RCA Radiola 18 I'm fixing up, need to figure out how to power the darn thing, it's actually powered from DC from the Edison days. It's a TRF set, not superhet.

G4LNA 04-08-2008 12:51 PM

Nice to see those old Zenith radios, I remember when I was younger walking down Tottenham Court Road in London and pressing my nose up against the shop windows looking longingly at those Zenith radios and wondering if I could ever afford one, I probably couldn't afford to buy one now as they are vintage status :)

WV6Z 04-09-2008 02:20 AM

Back then you could likely get one for about 20/-.

Now it would be more like £300. Gotta love it when the word antique is invoked. :arf2:


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