Advice on Vintage World band radios

[simpsons]

Whilst each recommendation is worthy of consideration, the Selena isn't one I would support if only that the particular analogue scale makes searching for a particular frequency near impossible. On my examples there are also many issues with scale alignment which I couldn't correct.

I have a Philips D2935 which is dual conversion, has a digital display and has an excellent SW sensitivity but MW was spoilt by digital noise until extra screening was fitted. Unfortunately, many examples also suffer from membrane fatigue on the direct frequency input keyboard although one is on eBay for 80 squid which looks OK. The sound quality is very good.

There are several "SW radios" on ebay, some at a reasonable price and members experience plus many many reviews should help.

The early Grundigs have sound quality second to none but it is down to is an analogue scale sufficient for the task?

Have a look at SWLing.com. The site is an eye opener on what is available.

Chris

[Radio Wrangler]

If you go for one of the more serious 'communications receivers' you'll get better screening from all the domestic hash, and the FRG7 and R1000 mentioned earlier, along with a lot of other models are fully depreciated, so if you find yourself not using it, you can sell it for what you paid and the whole exercise is therefore zero cost. You'll also get more precise tuning and the ability to return to exact frequencies, and tuning knobs that don't require safe-cracker's fingers/

I'd only go for one of the portable 'world radio' type sets if portability was something I needed.

There are amateur radio clubs in most areas, and some of them have a collection of spare receivers which can be loaned to people with a new interest so that they can try things out. Not feasible just at the moment, but hopefully normality will break out again.

David

[Northyorks1]

I am looking at all recommendations and have liked everything I have seen up to now, and that is a good point Paul that they have fully depreciated, so would not lose out financially.

Ian

[peterpiper]

Hi Ian, no one has yet mentioned aerials. After much faffing about with home made loops I finally bought a Wellbrook loop, better than my efforts and it resists local interference quite well. I,ve got it on a rotator in the loft but thats not really necessary as its not that directional Other aerial is a PA0RDT mini whip on a pole outside. My choice of radio is the Trio R5000, No broadcast FM and an ext. speaker needed for music.

Peter

[Bazz4CQJ]

Originally Posted by peterpiper

Hi Ian, no one has yet mentioned aerials.
Peter

yes they did - see post #15, referring to loops, as per your Wellbrook

B

[G6Tanuki]

To me, the #1 question would be "what do you want to listen to on these radios?"

As others have noted, there's vastly fewer SW broadcast-stations on-air these days.

Amateurs are still out there - but we all use SSB - so your radio needs a BFO/CIO, a product-detector, decentky narrow [ideally selectable-sideband] IF filtering, and - ideally - a synthesized local-oscillator if you want to avoid having to continually have your hand on the tuning-knob in order to 'hold' a station.

Maybe look at something like a Drake SSR1 - https://www.qsl.net/pa2ohh/06ssr1.htm or Barlow-Wadley XCR30 - https://www.qsl.net/pa2ohh/06barlow.htm

[peterpiper]

Sorry G6 I missed that but agree with the point made. For a tryout of SWLing google Twente SDR. Its a dutch SDR that you can log onto and tune, for free! No I dont know how it works either¬

Peter

[shortwaverx]

Try to find a Hacker Helmsman. They are a bit deaf but the audio quality is superb!