Any Hams or DXers In The Lounge?

[Don_G]

I've been thinking about getting an Icom R-75 Shortwave Reciever with a good active antenna.

Any advice on filters, modifications, antennas or possibly a better reciever?

[htuttle]

1. I'm 'in charge' of an industrial band FM system at work

'In charge' meaning that if it stops working, I'm the one who's supposed to call the radio shop (and I know what all the components do, so they can talk me through procedures on the phone)

My advice would be to get yourself a 110 foot antenna tower like we have. Works great!

:evilgrin:

[Don_G]

2. Hard To Do In An Apartment Surrounded By City

:shrug:

[htuttle]

3. Well, at least you can change channels if you want.

All we have is 'All Taxi, All The Time, WQL815 FM'.

:hi:

[Shakespeare]

4. I know of a couple who are...

DemoTex and NNN0LHI are both Ham guys.

[Caution]

5. I DX a bit (mostly shortwave)

I've got a portable unit though (Grundig YB400) with a spooled antenna. Very nice set and I get great reception in suburbia (and got pretty decent DX even in downtown Boston). The Icom is supposed to be a great set (I'm planning on getting a nice set top as soon as I purchase a home). Have you checked on

http://md_dxing.tripod.com/hobbyandhowto/id9.html">R-75 Page

for modification info?

[Don_G]

6. I've Checked

I've currently have several myself including the YB400 with a MFJ active antenna and a '30's Zenith with a copper chassis my grandfather owned.

I'm looking to upgrade and need information and informed opinions on what to get/modify on the R-75, advice on active antennas w/filters in an electrically noisy environment and if I can buy a better reciever for the same money I'm willing to spend.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

7. Before you do...

Look into Winradio. A very neat unit, indeed.

Having said that, most anything Icom makes is top-notch.

[Don_G]

8. Winradio Will Be A Backup

I'm moving very soon and intend to have a DSL installed in my apartment.

I have CATV now and there's absolutely nothing on there that I can't get from DU, a video rental place or the SW radio AND without paying another monthly fee for crap.

Besides, I want to listen to something besides our "state-controlled" media and that includes Ham Radio operators from around the world discussing the stuff that happens to them from time-to-time.

[NNN0LHI]

9. Hi Don

I have never looked into recievers before so my knowledge is very limited. Only transcievers. My personal preference for HF equipment is Yaesu Corporation. Don't own any stock or anything, but I have had the best luck with their equipment and service out of all of them over the years. There are some very good sites on the web that give the skinny on all of this equipment from people who seem to really know their stuff. Sorry I could not be of more help, but good liuck and happy DXing.

73 Don

[DemoTex]

10. I'm a ham operator.

I have a mix of Icom and Yaesu trancievers. My main HF transciever is an Icom 756-PRO. I love it! I've never used an active antenna, but the concept sounds good and the reviews from SWLers are usually pretty good.

But listening is only half the enjoyment. Get your license and join us on the air. Put some fire in the wire!

73s
Mac

[Don_G]

12. I Wish I Could

I just don't talk a whole lot and grew up listening to "news" instead of crap since my Dad introduced me to an Allied Reciever before the Vietnam War.

The license isn't a problem; erecting antennas on rental property with a fat hairy cat is....

[NNN0LHI]

13. Antennas are less than a problem than you think

I have made contacts into Japan, Russia, Europe, and Australia, (all confirmed by QSL) using a magnetic mount whip antenna on top of my refrigerator. Yup. All you need is an imagination. Good luck.

Don

[ldoolin]

14. Antennas

Apartment dweller here. A half-wave dipole cut for the 10m band is strung from one end of the living room ceiling to the other. That's an option if you don't mind the "what is that?" questions when guests come over...

[DemoTex]

15. Clandestine Dipole (the Slinky antenna)

http://www.qsl.net/kd4cga/slinky.htm

[ldoolin]

16. Whoa

I'm going to have to try that. Too bad my childhood Slinky got thrown out at some point many years ago along with all my baseball cards (thanks mom!) :)

Reminds me of the Pringles can antenna...

[Don_G]

17. I Know

I've tried it before and the concept is "down" and not out. Longwire is the way to go and I do have a "Slinky" with an antenna tuner and an amp, but it will not be possible in my new living arrangements.

[NNN0LHI]

21. I have been using an off-center fed Carolina Windom now for 6 years

Its the best long wire I have ever used. One leg is about 80 feet and the other is about 40 feet. Coax fed too. I really like the darn thing. It has even radiated well while covered with an inch of ice after ice storms. It loads up well on all bands, and everything in between using only the tuner in the 1000-D. :-)

Don

[bobbieinok]

11. my ex-husband was

When we were in Newfoundland on sabattical, he used the student set-up. He loved how many people wanted to get the verified Nfld contact.

[jmowreader]

18. One of you hams go buy this!

Go to http://www.fairradio.com/vhfuhf.htm, scroll down about halfway and find the Watkins-Johnson 8737 Panoramic Receiver. The guy says it's working and he wants $1375 for it. (If I had a spare $1375 I wouldn't be telling y'all about this thing, except to be bragging about how I finally had me a real Watkins-Johnson receiver.) When this was new, it probably cost the Air Force $100,000 easy.

Panoramic receivers are more fun than a barrel of monkeys. The panoramic is a tuning indicator; you can set the width of the display to one of several ranges, and when someone comes up within the range, you see a spike appear on the panoramic. Turn the tuning knob until the spike is centered and he's there in your headphones.

Additionally, you get to see just how good government purchasing could be--Watkins-Johnson makes the very best stuff.

This one tunes from 20 to 1000MHz, which makes it useless for anything below the 20-meter band, but it would be killer if you like chasing 2-meter or 220MHz stuff.

He has some R-390 receivers for under $600 in good working condition. The R-390 is a great old HF receiver. It was made for the Army Security Agency, and it's made to take a lickin' and...well, you know. This is the radio the Army still sics on new signals intelligence equipment repairers, because you can't kill the thing even if you drop the sumbitch out the back of a truck.

[DemoTex]

19. I wonder if it has the cell phone frequencies blocked.

I used to have a Radio Shack scanner back before cell blocking. That made for some interesting listening, especially on the calls of DC drug dealers.

[Don_G]

23. Years Ago

I used to have a Voice Pager.

I'd trick the sucker into draining the battery by listening to everything. Jerry Springer didn't have a clue from what I've heard on that pager.

[jmowreader]

24. Doubtful

Two things to keep in mind about this receiver: it's pretty old, and it was made to spy on the Russians with. That thing's 20-1000 continuous coverage.

Another fun radio: Racal's RA6790. Tops out at 30MHz but has the kind of sound quality you'd expect from a $22,000 radio. They tell me you can score these army surplus for about a thousand bucks. Be forewarned: the army's "how to use the RA6790" class is two days long.

[Don_G]

22. I'm Looking

The trouble with buying Military Stuff is that you can't exactly go out to Radio Shack and buy the batteries nor ask to modify the reciever in any way without Asskrap's opinion tossing your buns in a gaol nowdays.

[jmowreader]

25. How do you want to modify this?

It already receives every analog mode there is. It already has a 4MHz bandwidth setting, so you can chase video if you want. The only thing I can think of you might want to put on this is digital output, and if you went from the 4MHZ BNC output to an external A/D converter you could get that easy. And without pissing off Ashcroft.

Although owning a receiver that once graced a collection floor somewhere might be enough to cheese-off Ashcroft all by itself.

Parts shouldn't be a problem, though; W-J used mostly off-the-shelf components (of the very highest quality) in their gear. The little dab of W-J proprietary parts in this radio is available over the counter from an electronics store that deals in low-level microwave components.

[jmowreader]

20. This is also a good receiver

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0800.html

The Grundig Satellit 800 tunes AM broadcast, FM broadcast, the whole shortwave band, the longwave band, and VHF aeronautical. They want $500 for it and it's worth it.

Icoms are good.

But the important thing is to get something. Even the little Radio Shack cheap-ass pocket shortwave receivers will get you on the air; from there you can decide how far you want to go.