Portable or Tabletop for Apt living?

[myequation]

First let me say I very happy to have found this forum. Wow what a resource!

I currently use an old Radio Shack DX-160 with random 20-30' wire slung around my office. Not glamorous i know but it worked well enough that I could receive a weather fax.

I'm looking to upgrade since this unit is old and performance is getting worse with age. Might need repair that I wish not to invest in.

I would be willing to spend around $200.
Since having an outside antenna is not possible. Random wire indoors seems to be the easiest solution for me.

So im wondering if a tabletop model like a RADIO SHACK DX-394 or DX-302 ==$100-200

Or a ultra pocket portable like a Sony ICF-SW7600GR? ==$135

Which would perform best in my limited antenna environment?
I enjoy listening to anything and really enjoy the PC aspect too. Like weatherfax images etc.

 

[kb2vxa]

"Which would perform best in my limited antenna environment?"
Your environment being unknown makes your question impossible to answer accurately so let's break it down a bit. Your wire antenna has nothing to do with it since it worked satisfactorily on the DX-160, the receiver aging seems to be the focus of the matter. Being one of those "which is best" questions all you'll get are opinions which don't count for much; rather you need to do a little research to see what will suit your personal needs, each one's needs and preferences being different. Speaking of opinions, I stay away from the Rat Shack DX line having had to repair a few when the front ends got popped by EMP from nearby lightning strikes. Considering the fact that low end receivers tend to be plagued with certain problems maybe you should consider spending a little more cash for the sake of quality and satisfaction.

For what it's worth I spotted something that reminded me of a comment in another thread on another web site. When the length is known (20-30') a random wire is anything BUT random. By definition "random" means the length is unknown so now you know you have a 20-30' wire antenna, not a random wire antenna.

 

[myequation]

"By definition "random" means the length is unknown so now you know you have a 20-30' wire antenna, not a random wire antenna. "




Maybe? Depends how you read the statement.

I say random not because of the wire length.
Its random because I have no idea what 20' foot of wire is capable of? SW LW MW?
I don't know?

I picked a random length to hang. I had the choice of any lenght from my wire spool but "randomly" picked 20 or so feet.