Should I buy a shortwave radio?

[amoking]

There has always been something fascinating about tuning into shortwave broadcasts from afar but I never really jumped into it. It seems now that if I want to pursue it, I can simply go onto the web and tune in. I am fine with that as I'm not looking to turn dials to 'discover' something new on the air.

As I search for a new emergency weather radio (WX/AM/FM), I am asking myself if I should invest in a good portable that offers SW as well. I certainly would not want a large tabletop unit but something whose function would be primarily for weather events or power outages here in Texas. The SW portion would be to pass the time and not for emergency monitoring. To be clear, I am not shopping for a Kaito type radio with cranks and solar panels. I have enough batteries in garrison to not need those features.

Thoughts and opinions?

73

 

[popnokick]

Get a SW portable. As the name implies it is much more portable and independent than anything that relies upon an Internet connection. Unless you can guarantee that you will never leave your tabletop for ANY reason while you would like to hear the radio (no leaving the house, no driving, no mountain topping, no camping, no going to the lake, etc.)

 

[amoking]

Get a SW portable. As the name implies it is much more portable and independent than anything that relies upon an Internet connection. Unless you can guarantee that you will never leave your tabletop for ANY reason while you would like to hear the radio (no leaving the house, no driving, no mountain topping, no camping, no going to the lake, etc.)

Of course. But I suppose that the greater question is whether or not I should even buy a radio with SW. A basic weather radio is under $50 and to get a good one with quality SW tuning capabilities tacks another $100 on at least.

 

[popnokick]

And you have just given the cue to all in this Forum to light up this thread with replies about the sub-$100 SW portables.... good ones... that are available out there. A simple search on any of the popular store sites or search engines will confirm. But let's let the users here in RR tell their stories....

 

[GadgetGeek]

If you do get one, get one that can receive SSB mode too as a lot of communications use it. I have a Sangean ATS-909X2 that I'm happy with. Tecsun also has some highly recommended portables like the PL880 & PL990.

 

[amoking]

And you have just given the cue to all in this Forum to light up this thread with replies about the sub-$100 SW portables.... good ones... that are available out there. A simple search on any of the popular store sites or search engines will confirm. But let's let the users here in RR tell their stories....

That's what a forum is for but I have found that tuning a 'cheap' radio is less than favorable.

 

[W8WCA]

CCRane makes a nice little Skywave SSB - Wx - Shortwave - Air band.

It does a decend job and can receive SSB well

 

[Boombox]

That's what a forum is for but I have found that tuning a 'cheap' radio is less than favorable.

It depends on what you call "cheap". Cheap as in inexpensive, or 'cheap' as in poorly made?

Cheap, as in inexpensive, in SW radios today is much better performance wise than it was in the 1980s and 1990s. DSP chips make most decent, $100 or less SW-AM-FM radios a lot better than their 25-35 year old equivalents. I'm not aware of ones with Weather band but I would guess that Tecsun makes some good performers that are reasonable in price.

I got my Tecsun PL-398 for around $75 or so online and it's a great radio. Off the whip. Good on 3 AA batteries. For emergencies, just by a couple extra sets of AAs. Use headphones. Listen to radio a few hours a night for months, possibly. No weather band, but it's an example of how good relatively inexpensive radios are today.

If you just want AM-FM-Weather, consider the Sangean PR-D4W. Awesome radio.

 

[a29zuk]

This may be around $200, but is an excellent receiver...credit card size.

They make one without a speaker or you can pay more for a unit with the speaker.

BELKA-DX: A Pocket-Sized Radio for Pocket Change

Well, not pocket change for most people, but I couldn’t pass up a clever headline! I want to alert SWLing Post readers to a lower cost option for the new BELKA-DX than the Mobimax source: the…

swling.com

Jim

 

[StoliRaz]

CCRane makes a nice little Skywave SSB - Wx - Shortwave - Air band.

It does a decend job and can receive SSB well

I 2nd this recommendation. I got one new off Ebay for about 100 bucks shipped last fall. Fun little radio, I like the bonus of getting air band too.

I got this case for it as well, it's worked out well

Hermitshell Travel Case Fits C Crane CC Skywave AM/FM Shortwave Weather Airband Portable Radio Clock Alarm https://a.co/d/es6iap0

 

[bearcatrp]

This may be around $200, but is an excellent receiver...credit card size.

They make one without a speaker or you can pay more for a unit with the speaker.

BELKA-DX: A Pocket-Sized Radio for Pocket Change

Well, not pocket change for most people, but I couldn’t pass up a clever headline! I want to alert SWLing Post readers to a lower cost option for the new BELKA-DX than the Mobimax source: the…

swling.com

Jim

I have a Belka. It’s is a great HF receiver. Very sensitive.

 

[ka3jjz]

We have a wiki with many relevant links for the Belka here

Belka DX and DSP Receivers - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

Note that it doesn't cover FM broadcast - a concern for those that listen there - but almost every report on the performance of this radio is exceptional.

If I didn't live in this RF hell hole that would be my first choice for a travel portable, too.

Mike

 

[MUTNAV]

Although I have no information on the Belka radios.... I do have an slight observation about the reviews on various sites.

ALL of the reviews are very positive.... This is a little unusual, they usually have SOME negative reviews about anything and everything, compare the criticality of the reviews of something like a KX3 or a PL-880, PL-380 etc... to the Belka radios and you can get the idea...
Most reviews will even have someone complain about buttons or tuning rate, or display contrast or something... Not Belka products though...

Thanks
Joel

 

[a29zuk]

Although I have no information on the Belka radios.... I do have an slight observation about the reviews on various sites.

ALL of the reviews are very positive.... This is a little unusual, they usually have SOME negative reviews about anything and everything, compare the criticality of the reviews of something like a KX3 or a PL-880, PL-380 etc... to the Belka radios and you can get the idea...
Most reviews will even have someone complain about buttons or tuning rate, or display contrast or something... Not Belka products though...

Thanks
Joel

I don't have a Belka receiver and was only reading the reviews on it. I may purchase one in the near future.

Maybe bearcatrp can chime in with the pros and cons of the portable!

Jim

 

[k8ble]

There has always been something fascinating about tuning into shortwave broadcasts from afar but I never really jumped into it. It seems now that if I want to pursue it, I can simply go onto the web and tune in. I am fine with that as I'm not looking to turn dials to 'discover' something new on the air.

As I search for a new emergency weather radio (WX/AM/FM), I am asking myself if I should invest in a good portable that offers SW as well. I certainly would not want a large tabletop unit but something whose function would be primarily for weather events or power outages here in Texas. The SW portion would be to pass the time and not for emergency monitoring. To be clear, I am not shopping for a Kaito type radio with cranks and solar panels. I have enough batteries in garrison to not need those features.

Thoughts and opinions?

73

the way things are going nowadays you need to learn all the basics.solar cells and a lot of wire.. YES

 

[bearcatrp]

I don't have a Belka receiver and was only reading the reviews on it. I may purchase one in the near future.

Maybe bearcatrp can chime in with the pros and cons of the portable!

Jim

I can tell you it’s one sensitive little HF radio. Different than any other radio I have owned. The little black box is not like our hand held receivers or scanners. Just plain HF. Turn the knob to go through the frequencies. You can save hits. Not much bells and whistles but this little box a sensitive. I take it with me when going to Cozumel each winter. Don’t want to chance taking my R30 in case they confiscated it. I can pick up stations sitting in the middle of my house almost as good as my R8600 using a wire Outside.

 

[mass-man]

thumbs up for the Belka...

 

[wenzeslaus]

no, you don't need SW to get through a weather event. you will get 1000% of all the news and info you need from AM/FM/WX.

I can't think of any other radios that do both SW and WX besides the Kaitos. if it does it will probably be a "survival radio" with a crank and solar panel.

 

[W8WCA]

no, you don't need SW to get through a weather event. you will get 1000% of all the news and info you need from AM/FM/WX.

I can't think of any other radios that do both SW and WX besides the Kaitos. if it does it will probably be a "survival radio" with a crank and solar panel.

The C Crane Skywave SSB does AM FM SW WX and Civil Air Band

 

[popnokick]

The Retakes TR110 also does SW w/SSB, Airband, AM/FM, and NOAA radio.