World radio - any suggestions

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davidej

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I am crewing on a trans-Atlantic trip early in January. I have been thinking about buying a world radio to entertain myself -eg listening to BBC World Service etc and also the marine band for radio nets etc.

Most of the one I looked at had numerous shortwave bands and some are advertised as SSB.

Can anyone tell me what wavebands I need and suggest a good set at a reasonable price. I would prefer one with digital tuning as twiddling with a knob can be a bit hit-or-miss.

It will need to be something available on ebay or amazon if I am to get it before I leave.

TIA
 
A Degen 1103 is very good for the money. Google for reviews. With a tablet or laptop you can receive weatherfax as well. Sadly world service isn't available much round the Atlantic any more :(
Plenty religious nutters though.
 
Don't expect to find much of interest these days - most countries have pretty much abandoned short wave these days in favor of the internet. BBC World Service mostly targets Africa - hard to receive elsewhere and not very interesting.
 
maby said:
Don't expect to find much of interest these days - most countries have pretty much abandoned short wave these days in favor of the internet. BBC World Service mostly targets Africa - hard to receive elsewhere and not very interesting.
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It is true that the greatest listenership to WS is in Africa, but not all the programmes are Africa-themed. Much of WS remains v interesting and kept me entertained over many thousands of Atlantic miles. Have a look at the schedule and decide for yourself if it's for you.

To answer he OP, this is all you need (plus an aerial perhaps) http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Radio-Listeners-Kit-ICF-SW7600GR/dp/B00009VSDM
 
The recommended Degen set claims to receive SSB which I know, is used for marine nets.

Sorry to be so ignorant but I thought SSB requires long aerials and copper ground plates. Can a set like this do without all that?
 
You only need a matched antenna and ground plate if you want to transmit.

Simple receiver (as above) with perhaps the shrouds used as an aerial will do fine for receiving.
 
The prices of various SW radio receivers seem pretty much the same with SSB reception or not so I would suggest gp for one with SSB reception. good luck olewill
 
davidej said:
I am crewing on a trans-Atlantic trip early in January. I have been thinking about buying a world radio to entertain myself -eg listening to BBC World Service etc and also the marine band for radio nets etc.

Most of the one I looked at had numerous shortwave bands and some are advertised as SSB.

Can anyone tell me what wavebands I need and suggest a good set at a reasonable price. I would prefer one with digital tuning as twiddling with a knob can be a bit hit-or-miss.

It will need to be something available on ebay or amazon if I am to get it before I leave.

TIA
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This has lots of reviews that be useful to you:

http://swling.com/Radios.htm#PortableRadios
 
I have one of the Degen radios often recommended, but I've been able to receive practically nothing on it. Wonder if I have a dud?

Pete
 
davidej said:
The recommended Degen set claims to receive SSB which I know, is used for marine nets.

Sorry to be so ignorant but I thought SSB requires long aerials and copper ground plates. Can a set like this do without all that?
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The Degen comes with several antennas, one fixed extendable, and another which is I think a 1/4 wave wire dipole.

I have been successful - picked up Moscow with it. Not all that glitters is BBC World Service.
 
The Eton g3 is a good one and can be had now for under £100 new or a lot less on e bay.With the addition of a random wire antenna I can pick up state side weather stations in Boston and Halifax from my home in the middle of the Highlands.
I can occasionally pick up the Caribbean net and listen in to Hams as far south as the Azores and right through into eastern Europe;China etc..
On one occasion I was watching Navtex on my PC and realised I was picking it up from Istanbul.
During the olympics for several days I picked up Olympic coverage from Voice of Australia on a greyline from their Victoria transmitter transmitting to the far east.
 
Anyone interested in the Sony ICF-SW7600GR should be aware that it is not manufactured anymore. So unless there is a large stock somewhere, the ones now available from different online retailers might be the last to go.
 
prv said:
I have one of the Degen radios often recommended, but I've been able to receive practically nothing on it. Wonder if I have a dud?

Pete
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Possibly
The review link said quality control was a bit iffy so a dud might have got through.
But hard to say without 2 side by side, depending on the time of day and locatation mine can be quiet as well. Have a listen between 9Mhz and 10Mhz just after sunset, there should be a load of worldwide stations around there, or Google China radio international, it usually kicks out a few strong frequencies.
 
GHA said:
Possibly
The review link said quality control was a bit iffy so a dud might have got through.
But hard to say without 2 side by side, depending on the time of day and locatation mine can be quiet as well. Have a listen between 9Mhz and 10Mhz just after sunset, there should be a load of worldwide stations around there, or Google China radio international, it usually kicks out a few strong frequencies.
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There is nothing more illustrative of the shifting nuances of world influence and power than the international short wave frequencies. I used to listen a lot a lifetime or two ago, especially in some remote Mediterranean anchorage when the light faded and before mobile phones and the internet prevailed. The BBC World Service gave me the news and thoughtful analysis on current affairs, Radio Moscow and eastern European block countries amazed me with their flagrant propaganda and Voice of America almost the same but with opposite bias on world affairs. All practically gone. Now we have Radio China International and Deutsche Welle in multiple languages all over the wavebands.
 
prv said:
I have one of the Degen radios often recommended, but I've been able to receive practically nothing on it. Wonder if I have a dud?

Pete
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Hf radio reception is generally limited by the noise on the band. So disconnect the antenna and you should have quiet. Connectt he antenna and you should receive a lot of noise and possibly somme stations. If you get lots of noise that is an indication that the receiver is receiving. it may be that local noise is simply blotting out any stations. So try another location. Also different bands are more active at different times of the day. But night time around 6 to 10 megahertz should be most active. In any case if it receeives MW there should be some stations to pick up or have they all gone to VHF FM or digital? good luck olewill
 
2nd hand Solid state Sony on ebay cost me £34 +postage, works fine and picks up most of what you want it for , don't bother buying new
 
Or a Degen 1103 for under £50, free P+P on Ebay. That's what I did and it's a good piece of kit. I've used it for weather faxes via the laptop and that works too.

Mudisox said:
2nd hand Solid state Sony on ebay cost me £34 +postage, works fine and picks up most of what you want it for , don't bother buying new
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