prophet@umcp-cs.UUCP (01/25/84)
I am interested in resuming a former very much enjoyed hobby, that of shortwave
listening. Back in the middle 70's when I was last active in this hobby, the
receiver that I used was a 50's vintage National HRO-60, and some 50's vintage
Collins and Hallicrafter's equipment. I had rigged several long-wire antennas
in the trees of my back yard, and had very successful results.
I have two problems:
1) I no longer have access to the equipment I mentioned above, and so I need
to purchase a receiver. I would prefer to purchase some equipment similar
to what I had before, but a local radio shop that carries used ham equip-
ment says that the cheapest used 50's vintage receiver they carry (which is
a Hallicrafter's) costs $400, which is more than I wanted to spend. I would
prefer to spend in the neighborhood of $250-300 for a new or used receiver.
Is this too little, or can I get a decent receiver (new or used) for that
price range? Sensitivity and Selectivity are very important, the accuracy
of the tuning dial I feel I am willing to skimp on, as long as the receiver
has good sensitivity and selectivity.
2) What to do about an antenna--I am now living in a high-rise Condominium,
and therefore cannot erect an outside antenna, nor can I dangle anything
from my windows. I have heard that the metal finger stop on rotary dial
telephones can make an excellent antenna for SWL purposes, is this true? Or
can someone else suggest something better?
I hope I have not bored you hams too muchh with my SWL questions, but I don't
know where else I can get this information. I would appreciate any comments,
advice, or suggestions on where and how much I can purchase a General Coverage
receiver for, plus what to do about an antenna, would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Dennis
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Call-Me: Dennis Gibbs, Univ. of Md. Comp. Sci. Center.
UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!prophet
CSNet: prophet@umcp-cs
ARPA: prophet.umcp-cs@CSNet-Relayparnass@ihuxf.UUCP (01/26/84)
x
Older Receivers for SWL'ing
If you pay $400 for a 50's vintage receiver, you are paying
too much! Hamfests are full of older receivers selling from
$50 to $300, depending on model and condition. If you
aren't adept at repairing older equipment, you must be extra
careful when you buy. In this case, a private deal, along
with a demonstration, may be better.
SWL'ing has changed quite a bit in 25 years. Today, digital
frequency readout is almost a must! This realization was
driven home after using an older Hammarlund HQ-180A receiver
for a few weeks. The HQ-180A was a super, top of the line
radio in the 60's, but the lack of digital readout, and
resolution to only about 10 KHz wasn't good enough for
modern, serious SWL activity.
Today's bands are much more crowded, so selectivity does
indeed count. Cheaper solid state receivers are more prone
to overload. If you live in an urban environment, with a
high density of transmitters, this will be important.
My ICOM R-70, which covers 100 KHz through 30 MHz continu-
ously, has digital readout and good selectivity. R-70's may
be had new for about $600.
Indoor SWL Antennas
MFJ, Sony, and Dymek make active indoor antennas. These
consist of a 3 or 4 foot rod and a solid state amplifier.
The MFJ 1020 indoor unit I use works much better than
expected, although still not as good as an outdoor antenna.
It lists for $80 new, but was purchased at a hamfest for
$20, and needed only one minor repair (replace a fiber
washer).
You could go the route of running antenna wire around the
inside walls of your high-rise condo. This is unsightly. A
friend used the metal window frame in his Chicago apartment
with an antenna tuner and 5 watt low power ham transceiver
(Ten Tec Argonaut) to make dozens of foreign contacts. Mak-
ing a two way DX contact is more difficult than just being
able to hear a foreign station.
Remember, indoor antennas are particularly prone to locally
generated interference, such as harmonics of the sweep cir-
cuit in a TV, home computer signals, light dimmer (SCR
variety) noise, etc. Apartment dwellers are especially
likely to encounter problems in this area, but don't be
discouraged. Living several stories above the ground can
help offset some of these handicaps.
I've never tried connecting anything more than a diode and
headphones to the telephone finger stop. I'm glad people
are finding more uses for telephones!
More Information
There are other SWLs that read this news group. If you need
more information, pick up a copy of Popular Communications
magazine on your newsstand. Although not particularly good
in technical areas, the frequency information and other
articles are very interesting.
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Bob Parnass, AT&T Bell Laboratories - ihnp4!ihuxf!parnass - (312)979-5760