# What shortwave radio is best for me? (new/used)



## ABTOMAT (Mar 10, 2006)

All right, I'm hoping the experts here can help me with this. I'm looking for a good shortwave receiver that isn't horribly expensive. Used is fine, preferred actually, as long as it has a record of reliability. Please forgive me if I say or forget anything obvious, I haven't concentrated on SW for years. Feel free to correct me if you know better.

OK, to basics. Must have good reception and range, the ability to use external antennas (but have an internal too), good sound, get full SW/LW/AM/FM. It must work on both AC and DC (either batteries or external DC feed, doesn't matter). I'd prefer an internal AC supply, but a wall wart is acceptable. Must be reliable. I also can't afford a ton.

Size is totally unimportant. I'd actually like to avoid lightweights or travel radios. Don't want an internally complicated radio, but hard to use is fine.  

I've listened to SW casually for years. Also use my main radio for AM listening in my home office. I've had two Zeniths (still have the tube one, although I need to fix it), a GE, a Radio Shack, a Grundig Satellit 6000, and a Sony ICF-SW1. The Grundig and the Sony are far and away the best, but the Grundig (1960's vintage with woofer and tweeter) is horribly complicated and I can't keep fixing it any more. It's also worth more as a collectible than a radio. The Sony (ealy '90s) is dead from well-known design defects. I've been contemplating replacing some of the electronics but I'd rather just get a better radio.

Sorry for the long-winded post. If there's a good SW board out there I'd be better off pestering, let me know.

(Edit: I used to have a military AN/GRR-5 that weighs 50 pounds so I don't mind a freaking huge and heavy radio)


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## Flying Turtle (Mar 10, 2006)

I've had no problems with a Radio Shack DX-398 (Sangean ATS-909) for a number of years, except for the folding stand finally breaking. I got this one during a sale for $199. You would have to buy the Sangean model now, since RS stopped selling them. Even though it's an old model the features and performance are pretty good. It does eat batteries fast. I've also got a twenty year old Sony ICF-7600d that was a gift from my uncle. Pretty basic, but still works great. If I was going to buy a new one now I'd be looking at the latest Sony ICF-7600 model. They're size is nice and they have synchronous detection. I think they're around $150. Kaito also has some interesting models for around $75 with lots of features. One that sounded pretty good was the model 1103. Check out the reviews at RadioIntel.com.

Of course, there's always the little GL-1 from CountyCom with the built-in LED flashlight.

Geoff


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## sniper (Mar 10, 2006)

How's the reception where you live? You sound as if you are fair to middling capable with electronic wizardry, to even be messing with repair of the old sets.

International Broadcasting offers a "Guide to World Band Radio", which has reviews of equipment, both new and "vintage". Do a Google for "World Band Radio", and you should find it O.K.

I have had a Grundig Yachtboy 400 for years, (which is the reason I am no longer as involved in short wave listining as I once was.) While AM and FM are outstanding, and the size is great, the intermountain west, (Utah) USA has the reputation for being a dead zone for reception. That's true! Of course, when I have travelled to other parts of the U.S., the reception hasn't been very exciting,even with Grundig's neat little roll up external antenna. 

Some of the larger "portatop" Models like the Drake, or even a ham transceiver attached to a decent antenna may be a good option for you, depending upon budget. 

Sony used to have a model SW 2001 or ? that was supposed to be very good, but likely has been "improved" it several times since I was involved.

Good luck in your search.


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## Sub_Umbra (Mar 10, 2006)

I still have my old Sony 2010. I would think that you could find one of those used for a reasonable price. At one point Sony tried to discontinue it, but brought it back by popular demand.

If you can get the Sony cheap enough, add a KIWA 2010 filter kit for DXing. I also use the KIWA Pocket Loop Antenna, which is a little pricey but you still may find them used and they work very well for difficult reception regions (like the States).


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## ABTOMAT (Mar 10, 2006)

Thanks, I'll look into those. I'm honestly not sure how to judge the reception where I am--whenever I've gone outside the area I've never taken a radio with me. It's not as good as where I used to live on a hill though.

I think the Sony 2010 looks good, but I'm still soured on Sony from my experience. I guess I'll give it another look. I recall that it's recently been replaced with some kind of Eton E1 variant.

I also have a Grundig Concert Boy Stereo that's the same vintage as the 6000. Same problems (falling apart) and also doesn't have nearly the same SW coverage. But it sounds good.

I've been considering somewhat-old hardcore listener sets since a fellow I know is into those. Might sell one cheap. Yasu gear mostly. But of course I loose the DC ability in most cases.


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## sotyakr (Mar 10, 2006)

If I couldn't get my hands on a Sony 2010, I might consider a modded Sangean 909 like the one from Radiolabs. Looks like a nice package for not too much $$$.


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## Siriuslite (Mar 10, 2006)

I picked this one up last year for my annual camping trip to Algonquin - Sony ICF-Sw7600GR.

The reception was incredible with it. I even picked up strong AM signals from Toronto (5 hours away as the crow flies) in the daytime. My friend brought up his "good" Grundig on the same trip and couldn't get these signals. Also, doing the auto scan for SW signals was almost annoying because it picked up so many stations, my friend didn't get half of what I got.


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## wmirag (Mar 10, 2006)

I have the Sony ICF-Sw7600GR Stereo FM/AM World Band Receiver.

It's great on all bands. FM sounds very good with headphones.
Shortwave reception is great even without an external antenna.
It has single side band and synchronous detection for AM/SW.
And DXing broadcast AM from far away is just amazing.

Has AC adapter but I don't have it as the AA batteries last a long time.

Has a nice little lighted display and lots of memory organized into pages.

One negative - the user interface is confusing and awkward.

Well worth $150. I'd buy it again if mine broke.

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=1627439


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## Omega Man (Mar 10, 2006)

Yikes, where's Radio when you need him??
I have a Degen DE1102, and really like it. Only negative about it is the interface, you need to use designated "pages" to cycle through the bands by single steps. It complicates things, but it's my first and only SW, got it off Ebay, came with rechargables, ext antenna, and carry bag, for I think $64.
http://www.radiointel.com/review-degende1102.htm


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## CM (Mar 10, 2006)

Radio Shack DX-398. Very good value though I don't know if they're still made. It's the same as the Sangen ATS-909 IIRC.


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## sotyakr (Mar 11, 2006)

RadioIntel is a good place to find info on shortwave radio and reviews on shortwave receivers .


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## alberto (Mar 12, 2006)

Go to http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/8 for user reviews of most SW receivers on the market.

I own the Grundig (now Eaton) YB400PE (the newer version is the G4000A) and I have to say that it is not a great radio. Yes, it has lots of nice features, but performance is not great. It may be acceptable for the price (about $150) but, compared to higher priced receivers from Icom and others, it doesn't even come close.


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## Aloft (Mar 18, 2006)

I've got a beef with Sony. That said, their SW radio receivers are generally top notch. I owned an older SW7600, and still have an SW-55 and a new SW7600. Radio friends of mine have also liked the SW100, SW77, and SW2010. Battery life is usually better than Grundig or Sangean's equivalent models, though Grundigs are known for good, rich sounding audio when the signal is clean (like on local AM or FM).

But here's my quibble with Sony...not only do they NOT include an AC adapter with their SW7600, they don't make a suitable AC adapter AT ALL. You can get a walkman adapter that will fit and power the radio, but for SW reception, it is NOT a good choice as you will hear static in the receiver while using it. This is because the Walkman adapters are not radio quiet like the older AC adapters that Sony made specifically for radios (in fact the Walkman adapters state specifically on the package that they are NOT for use with radio receivers). It will work ok for local AM/FM reception if you have a good signal though. I called Sony and they had one left in stock for $80! "Take it or leave it" the guy actually said to me. Thinking I could find one on the internet, I passed. Sony's Canadian website sells them for about $30 Canadian, cheaper than they were when widely available in the US! But they will not under any circumstances ship it to the US. So much for the global marketplace! I think Sony is concentrating more on marketing to 14 year old girls with their colorful plastic radios than they are on us 'old guys' in the SW crowd. Sad to see Sony's problems these days, what with installing spyware on your computer, digital copyrights, etc. Sorry for the rant, but I want you to be careful buying a Sony!


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## MadMag (Mar 18, 2006)

I think you should make sure to have SSB (single side band) capability. This means you can get the Amateur Radio bands. You may not normally use SSB, but it gives you the ability to listen to the HF "HAM" bands. In large emergency the Amateur bands will be on the air with information when most others cannot operate. I know that some think HAM radio is becoming obsolete, but not so, they still have this unique ability to be on the air because of stand alone operation.


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## Jumpmaster (Mar 18, 2006)

Sony Pro-80...I have had mine for about 8 years now and it works as new. Excellent reception.

Here is one on ebay (not mine...I won't sell mine...)
http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-PRO-80-WID...5879963656QQcategoryZ4673QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

...and it does receive SSB. In fact, it receives AM/FM/Wide FM/SSB...(and CW of course, if you know code...)

JM-99
(My "other" one is a Harris RF-301 AKA: AN/GRC-165A...)


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## was_jlh (Mar 18, 2006)

Ten-Tec 320


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## MrThompson (Mar 18, 2006)

Find a used Lowe HF150. When it comes to reception and audio recovery it will outperform any of the plastic portables.


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## Radio (Mar 18, 2006)

This is what I use as my portable shortwave battery powered radio, runs on internal supplied rechargeable battery or any 12vdc source, price is actually not bad and you get VHF and UHF as well, quite the little box, and if you ever get your ham ticket you can transmitt!!

FT-817ND

100 kHz - 56 MHz( USB/LSB/CW/AM/FM/Packet/PSK-31/RTTY), 76 - 108 MHz (W-FM only), 108 - 154 MHz, and 420 - 470 MHz

includes a 1400 mAh NiMH Battery pack



http://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cm...rodID=4muXjWdMWmk=&DivisionID=65&isArchived=0


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## ABTOMAT (Mar 18, 2006)

Thanks guys, again.

Jumpmaster, any idea what the difference is between the Sony Pro80 and the SW1? The one in that photo looks identical to my dying SW1. Right down to the lettering and button placemant. Maybe I'll just fix the thing. Although I'd still need to get the SSB adapter for those bands.


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## Jumpmaster (Mar 18, 2006)

ABTOMAT said:


> Thanks guys, again.
> 
> Jumpmaster, any idea what the difference is between the Sony Pro80 and the SW1? The one in that photo looks identical to my dying SW1. Right down to the lettering and button placemant. Maybe I'll just fix the thing. Although I'd still need to get the SSB adapter for those bands.



I'm not sure exactly, but I know the Pro-80 has SSB capability built-in. No adapter necessary. Mine also (as the one in the auction) has the high-band adapter, but that's for VHF/UHF/Air band, if I recall correctly.

It is a fine radio...old, but much, much better made than Sony's current offerings.

This may help in repairing your SW1 (also not my auction):
http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-ICF-SW1-SH...ryZ15051QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I remember seeing that SW1 back in the 80's in the Galleria in Houston and really wanted one! But my allowance precluded me from acquiring it. 

I have an FT-817 also and it is nice...especially for 17m portable.  But for general shortwave listening (and for a lot less money), I enjoy the Pro-80.

Good luck...

JM-99


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## ABTOMAT (Mar 22, 2006)

Well, my SW radio hunt has taken a detour for the moment. I started poking around on the shelves in my basement and unearthed some radios I didn't know I still had! Found a working Hallicrafters S-38C and the AN/GRR-5, plus managed to relocate the Zenith Trans-Oceanic Y600. The S-38 works pretty well, Zenith needs some TLC, and the Angry-5 is my new project.

Opened the old clunker up to figure out what's wrong with it. I think the copper oxide rectifier for the relay and vibrator circut is bad. Looks like I'll be making a diode bridge.

I guess I'm still in the market for a portable. And something that gets FM and LW. Hmm, time to open up that Sony...


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## ABTOMAT (Mar 27, 2006)

The darn thing works! Made a bridge and put in a dropping resistor and it fired right up. Might need some new capacitors, too, since I'm still getting some funny goings-on.


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## Aaron1100us (Mar 27, 2006)

C Crane has some of the best radios out their for reception. $60 on up I think. Just type CCrane in google.


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## Sub_Umbra (Mar 27, 2006)

ABTOMAT,

Those old rigs are a hoot -- lucky you!

I'm confused about the posts mentioning the Sony Pro-80 and the Sony SW1. I looked at the Ebay link below and that's a Pro-80 alright. The SW1 is a later model (by years) and is much, much smaller than the Pro-80. Below is a link to a pic of the SW1 that I'm familiar with:

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/icfsw1s.jpg

I've still got the 2010, the 55 and the second model Pro-80. The Pro-80 is really nice with about 5 different types of scans available IIRC. Some in the SWL world just hated it's complexity -- but then some folks VCRs always blinked 12:00, too.  It's a complex machine in a compact package. If I ever lived out in the bush again that's the one I'd want with me.


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## chmsam (Mar 28, 2006)

I still use my RS DX-398/Sangean ATS-909 a fair amount, even though the XM is the radio of choice. The 398/909 has SSB, an external antenna hook up, good sound, and is the right size for me. Good MW and SW reception from a small-ish radio.

The RDS feature (dispalys station info on an LCD screen) on the FM allows for easy ID-ing of stations through their call signs or logos. The real kicker is that I can catch upwards of 70 FM stations (I'm in a rural area in NY) and the record for me is Windsor, Ontario/Detroit, MI -- about 300 miles. Now that's an FM section that rocks!

Best of all I got mine new on sale years ago and paid only about $150.

To prevent the fold out stand from breaking (it isn't the strong suit of the radio), I use a small wooden easel I found at an art supply store. The easel is only about 10" high. It holds the radio pretty well on its own, but I glued a rubber eraser to the top clamp so it doesn't mar the radio. Now it holds it nice and secure and at an ease to read/use angle. All the controls are very easy to reach this way.


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## Sub_Umbra (Mar 28, 2006)

chmsam,

300 mi on FM is so cool. I came close to that ONCE using a GE SRIII with TV rabbit ears fed into a broadband FM amp.

It's funny you mention building an easel for a radio. I have built them for all of my SW radios. They have little feet that key into different cutouts into an end table I altered. Mine strap right in with velcro. It not only holds the radio at the angle I like and keeps the cat from knocking it down but I also extend the easel wherever jacks are plugged in to it to protect them from damaged if bumped.


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