HF Listening

[bearcatrp]

Anyone listening to HF? If so, what kind of setup? Am looking into it using my Icom R30 for now, then if it interests me enough, will look at HF rigs or maybe the Icom 8600. Still researching antennas but sounds like loop antennas are about the best. Appreciate any comments.

 

[ka3jjz]

Sadly the days of desktop radios is long gone. HF Ham transceivers have very capable general coverage receivers built in; but why go so expensive? SDRs are really the way to go here. But before we get into that - what are you looking to hear? The R30 would be a decent portable solution, but you can do better for a home based unit - and for not a lot of money...Mike

 

[56FB666]

If SDR, then don't buy a cheap RTL receiver. I tried the SDR-RTL Blog v3 and it was disappointing. I can recommend the Airspy HF + receiver. Of course, if there is money then there are some better equipment

Airspy HF+ - airspy.com

 

[kb6hlm]

I would not recommend any SDR for HF work I have many SDRs including the Airspy they all sound awful and have very weak receive ! however they are ok for a spectrum analyzer but not worth a nickel for listing too even with a good HF antenna. They seem to work fine for VHF/UHF work and I use one of them for spectrum analyzer for my Yaesu FT950 and it works great

Your better off just getting cheap used "REAL RECEIVER" and a home made long wire antenna to start off with

Hope that helps
73s
KB6HLM

 

[ka3jjz]

I can't agree with SDRs sounding awful on HF. There are numerous ones online that you can play with, and you shouldn't expect hi fidelity on a HF signal anyway. Just too costly and too much bandwidth.

The days of the 'real receiver' are sadly long gone. Hamfest season is coming, though, and you might find a bargain if you have some idea of what you are looking for.

Our wiki has extensive links for looking at reviews and much more...here are just a few of the articles...

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Software_Defined_Radios

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Category:Receiver_Reviews

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/General_Coverage_Receivers

Of course, much depends on what you want to hear, and what your situation is re having antennas (can you put something outside, which is always best?). We have several forums here that cover these topics in much greater detail

Mike

 

[bearcatrp]

Am one of the older crowd that likes the great big knob to turn frequencies. Many years ago I had a yeasu ft 840 (think that was it) hooked up to a Antron 99. Was able to listen to a tanker in the Gulf of Mexico hacking with someone. Also used it for cb, just a little. Yeah, I know, Yada yada. Anyways, getting back into the hobby a bit more. The R30 is my starting radio and thinking to use this at 1st before going bigger and listen. Just curious what antennas and radios folks are using plus any particular bands your scanning. My dilemma is antenna. Go loop or different. Long wire is out of the question. Allot of options out there but like to hear from folks that has experience good luck with a particular antenna.

 

[ka3jjz]

Post a question in our Receive Antennas Below 30 Mhz forum and you will get a ton of answers..

https://forums.radioreference.com/forums/receive-antennas-below-30mhz.213/

Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

Just to close out the 'tour', so to speak...

If you have questions about SDRs, go here...

https://forums.radioreference.com/forums/software-defined-radio.193/

And for HF receivers (not ham transceivers - we have another forum for that)...

https://forums.radioreference.com/forums/hf-mw-lw-equipment.215/

Mike

 

[K5mow]

I use an ICOM 718 and a super antenna. Works beautifully. Listening to shortwave or transmitting on HF.

Roger
K5MOW



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[WB9YBM]

With all the budget cuts that have forced shortwave broadcasters off the air (and/or to go on the Internet to disseminate their information, I don't know how much is left to listen to out there--sold my receiver about two years ago because there was so little to listen to.

as far as antennas go, I used the stealth approach (which also kept it out of the weather) by running a random-length long wire along the peak of my roof on a ranch house and had it come out at my listening post. I used one of those wall-mounted boxes that are used for feeding TV Antennas/cable TV into the room to make it look neat. (Also got some height advantage that way.) Worked a lot better than the hunk of wire that had been included with the radio for the same purpose (which was only long enough to string around the room).
73 DE WB9YBM

 

[spongella]

Avid HF listener here using a Yaesu FT-100 and 31 foot vertical. Mostly listen to utilities and band openings on 10 and 11m. Also use a SDR dongle and Nooelec Upconverter when I want to see scans of the spectrum. Am still still using the RTL-SDR.com dongle, never needed anything more complex. All in all the dongle satisfies my needs, works great on all modes, and great for decoding some digital modes. Not very good for below the broadcast band though, but now we're talking LF not HF. Antennas make all the difference in what you will hear.

With some SDRs, like the simple dongle you'll need a computer and there's a learning curve, not a plug and play situation.

That was a good question and glad to read the varied responses.

 

[kb6hlm]

I completely disagree with my colleague KA3JJZ however everyone has a option and that's a good thing. Like I have said before i have several cheap and expensive SDRs and they all sound like crap on HF to my old ears i guess? And no it's not my PC sound card or speakers I have a very nice modern PC with pricey sound cards also run everything through professional sound equipment it just seems to me that using a PC instead of a real Radio really sucks !!! Give me a good old radio anytime there is no comparison whatsoever.dont get me wrong SDRs are just fine for HF decoding or VHF/UHF. They have a place in my shack I love them for all kinds of experiments heck I even have one on a

PC SDR radio will never replace a real one !! Besides that it was never ment toi

 

[kb6hlm]

Not sure what happened in last post. Lol. In case your wondering. Missing words. on a 12 ft satellite dish. Its weard I was not able to edit and it just posted.

 

[bearcatrp]

12 ft satellite dish

HUH? Explain plz

 

[kb6hlm]

I use one of my SDRs to decode Inmarsat/Aero/Goes and a lot more on the L-Band / C-Band frequency's using a home-brew cantenna on a 12 ft satellite dish

More info if your interested GOES Satellite Hunt (Part 1 – Antenna System)

Easy to build and cheap (well if you can put up are already have the dish ) lol

more useful links
https://www.rtl-sdr.com/
https://uhf-satcom.com/
JAERO

Endless things to do with a SDR HF listening hmmmmmm I don't think so !!

JK JK
Have fun

 

[wogggieee]

I have a wire loop antenna in my attic. The biggest hurdle, besides the usual space and money, these days is the high noise floor from all the different electronic stuff in your house and your neighbors. I don't know your living situation but if you're in a neighborhood with relatively close houses your noise floor will probably be s5-s7. As for receivers I'd go SDR like an SDRplay.

 

[Erik71]

Thinking of dusting off my old IC-R71A.

 

[56FB666]

Thinking of dusting off my old IC-R71A.

How many decades of dust ???

 

[Erik71]

How many decades of dust ???

I'm only responsible for two lol

 

[ridgescan]

I disagree with the statement that you shouldn't expect "high fidelity" sound in HF.
WTWW out of Tennessee plays my favorite music every evening on 5085kHz.
In the living room I run my Icom R75 through the Denon AVR2800 receiver with 5 speakers/sub. Hitting the wide filter on the R75 and fading back RFgain, you'd be impressed with the audio filling my home from a SW signal.
In the bedroom, my Hallicrafters SX-88 goes through an old XAM 5E speaker and when I fade back the Sensitivity control, switch the Bandwidth to 10kc, and select Bass Boost on the Response control, that 20-tuber with its gorgeous audio is amazing in SW; and the R8600 runs through my Sony STR-D790 A/V receiver with two Bostons/sub. Between all the refining abilities of the R8600, and the many EQ and audio modes on the Sony, I get beautiful music reproduction with that setup as well.

To bearcatrp-there's still a substantial amount of good listening in HF. There are tons of folks out there like me who still play in those bands just on receive alone. Hell I just blew $2500 on my R8600 last August just based upon my last statement.
It isn't dead yet-it may have lost a bunch of SWBCs but hey-even Australia's considering bringing back SWBC, no?
And WTWW as well as WRMI are going stronger by the day with their BCs.
Come join in man!