Which Long wave radio for the boat, to pick up shipping forecasts etc

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NPMR

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We have a useless car radio in the boat, that even has a powered aerial booster of some sort but in France we really struggle to pick up long wave for weather forecasts (and R4! Not the Archers, I will add) and in the UK it is pretty hopeless for picking up FM.

I want to upgrade to something usable.

Music/MP3 from an input jack would be nice as we have it now. Jack is also currently used to put output from standalone cheapo battery radio so we can get some reception! Preferably something that didn't suck amps for a pastime as well would be good.

Any thoughts on what to get?
 
This is my favorite..
Degen 1103
de1103-dsp-e1446840975964.jpg


As well as long wave and fm just add a tablet or smart phone and you can get weatherfax as well . and navtex Though the speaker is a bit tinny, I have it going through a little class t amplifier as well, which provides excellent sound for music and radio. Low power draw with both on.
Hot-Sale-2013-Newest-High-Quality-LVPIN-LP-2020A-Class-T-AMP-Amplifier-Tripath-Stereo-for.jpg
 
Just replaced my old Sony with a Sony DSX-A200, about £50 from Halfords.
Semms to get LW, MW and FM fine with just a short piece of wire as aerial, but the boat is only in Scotland.
Has an input jack and usb port.
When I looked at a few specs. sensitivity seemed much of a muchness, so I went on low price.
Don't think there's such a thing as a mere car radio these days, it's a "digital media player", and lights up like Blackpool Illuminations!
 
earlybird said:
Just replaced my old Sony with a Sony DSX-A200, about £50 from Halfords.
Semms to get LW, MW and FM fine with just a short piece of wire as aerial, but the boat is only in Scotland.
Has an input jack and usb port.
When I looked at a few specs. sensitivity seemed much of a muchness, so I went on low price.
Don't think there's such a thing as a mere car radio these days, it's a "digital media player", and lights up like Blackpool Illuminations!
Click to expand...

+1 for the Sony. It actually gets used for Test Match Special more than the shipping forecast but that's another story. (Bewildered faces of French people hearing this weird English commentary coming from my rucksack when cycling in France...)
 
Degen is by far the best bang for the buck - outstanding RF front end. But the User Interface takes some learning.

Have had a fun few hours seeing what we can receive when in the middle of nowhere.
 
The Degen seems to eat batteries, I have recently got a Tecsun PL310et that seems to be very good with better VHF reception and uses a usb power supply
 
You can get a Roberts portable radio / cassette job - RC9907 - for about £40 from Force 4.

It has LW, FM & MW and a timer, so you can record the forecast.

It does its job well and is quite compact ( one speaker, it is NOT a ghetto blaster ! ) BUT is a right fiddle to set up for timed recording, takes a bit of practice.
 
Seajet said:
You can get a Roberts portable radio / cassette job - RC9907 - for about £40 from Force 4.

It has LW, FM & MW and a timer, so you can record the forecast.

It does its job well and is quite compact ( one speaker, it is NOT a ghetto blaster ! ) BUT is a right fiddle to set up for timed recording, takes a bit of practice.
Click to expand...

That's what I have, and very useful it is too, especially in the crinkly bits of Scotland where not much else can be received. The R4 forecast is more reliably received than Navtext which seems often to be off air. The ability to do timed recordings means not having to stay up to or get up at silly o'clock to listen to the forecast. Don't know how long compact cassettes are still going to be available for though.
 
Im going to look really old here but i just acquired an old Hacker Sovereign radio for the boat, LW, MW & SW plus its got a line in so you can plug a guitar into it.
Proper quality sound from a radio nearly as old as i am!
 
Keith 66 said:
Im going to look really old here but i just acquired an old Hacker Sovereign radio for the boat, LW, MW & SW plus its got a line in so you can plug a guitar into it.
Proper quality sound from a radio nearly as old as i am!
Click to expand...


Fabulous ! The next time some antisocial twerp tries the ' we're leaving at dawn ' routine and I raft alongside anyway, I'd love to casually set up a radio / amp in the cockpit then emerge wearing a bandana, brandishing an electric guitar ! :encouragement:
 
I reckon the problem will be with the booster. Easy to test - just unplug the aerial and stuff a long piece of wire in the center pin socket.

My last car had bad reception. But with the radio on the kitchen table I could get a perfect signal by sticking a screwdriver in the aerial socket. Virtually all cars these days have an active aerial. Probably to avoid interference from the drivers mobile phone. When I opened it up it was water damaged. I simply bypassed it with a wire and it was fine for years.

On the boat I use a length of coax in the headlining. Works fine most of the time. Though I find LW a problem on any radio on the boat because of the clicking from the 100khz depth sounder.
 
I've got a small but loud Roland mini cube amp for my guitars - I wouldn't risk it on the boat though although it'll work on a handful of penlight batteries, mains or 12volt supply.
Seajet said:
Fabulous ! The next time some antisocial twerp tries the ' we're leaving at dawn ' routine and I raft alongside anyway, I'd love to casually set up a radio / amp in the cockpit then emerge wearing a bandana, brandishing an electric guitar ! :encouragement:
Click to expand...
 
Forgot to say, I use a small Roberts for long wave, it also does FM, MW and short wave for the rare places you can pick up BBC world service. Usually rely on coastguard broadcasts for weather though.
 
st599 said:
Degen is by far the best bang for the buck - outstanding RF front end. But the User Interface takes some learning.

Have had a fun few hours seeing what we can receive when in the middle of nowhere.
Click to expand...

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but how do you find R4 LW on the Degen? I have tried and failed....
 
Last edited:
VicS said:
There are 4 ways you can do it according to the instruction manual'

  • By using the tuning knob
  • By entering the frequency ( 198)
  • By auto scanning
  • By selecting from presets


See https://www.manualslib.com/manual/735255/Degen-De1103.html?page=9#manual
Click to expand...

Tuning knob doesn't work, flips back to top end of MW from bottom of that band at 520Khz. Same with autoscan. Manually put in 519Khz you can use the knob to tune lower again. Manual entry seems the only way to get past 520Khz.
 
GHA said:
Tuning knob doesn't work, flips back to top end of MW from bottom of that band at 520Khz. Same with autoscan. Manually put in 519Khz you can use the knob to tune lower again. Manual entry seems the only way to get past 520Khz.
Click to expand...

Spot on, that was my problem. Your simple, type the number works a treat. Thank you.
 
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