I cannot speak for the 909X but I own its predecessor, the 909. Technically it's the Radio Shack version, the DX-398, the identical radio. It has served me very well for many years. The 909 is a long-time favorite of HF enthusiasts and among the very best performers for portables, arguably better than some table-top units. However, reviews I've read on the new 909X are mixed. It seems that while the DPS does a very fine job at cleaning up the audio the radio is a bit deaf, lacking in sensitivity compared to less expensive portables. It seems this issue may be related to particular production runs. Although I don't personally have experience with the 909X I can tell you the 909 is remarkable for a portable HF radio. It will go through batteries like crazy. I use NiMH rechargeables. They are superior to alkaline in this radio. You can of course plug it in with an adapter which I highly recommend.
To get the most out of this HF radio like any other you need a good antenna. The built-in whip will be fine for the most powerful broadcast stations. But if you try listening to anything else you'll need a lot more signal. I find with most all such radios just clipping the antenna lead to the whip works better than the external antenna jack, especially with an unbalanced antenna.
Antennas do not have to be complicated, although they can be. A simple piece of wire stretched out somewhere and clipped to the radio is as simple as it gets and can produce dramatic results. If you can't have a wire outdoors you can try an attic antenna if you access to an attic. Clip a wire to an eaves trough, seriously. You can try something more complex such as a tuned loop. The tuned loop requires a small space compared to the long wire with good results. The enemy of HF reception is noise, noise from fluorescent lights, light dimmers, computer monitors, computer network routers, and cheap switching power supplies. Carry the radio around the house and listen as you move closer to various objects. You'll soon discover what that noise is. Finding a clean listening environment can be difficult.
You'll of course want to try listening to WWV at 2500, 5000, 10000, 15000, and 20000, and CHU at 3330, 7850, and 14670. This will give you a general idea of what frequency ranges are useful at that time and how your noise level is. Then you can move on more difficult stations. Before long you'll be tuning in to Trenton Military Base weather, numbers stations, pirates on 6925, KOL in Israel, and amateurs.
always good to see continued interest.
