Any radio hobbyists here?

[orangecrush]

Hams or collectors, or both, such as myself?

I'm getting lonely.

If anyone can hear me -

Post something about radios.

[gay texan]

1. Yep.

Real radios glow in the dark

[orangecrush]

11. Thanks, Gay Texan!

I'm having a blast with the NC-77X. (X for experimental?)

For an AA5, this thing is amazing!

I expected the BFO to be crap, but it works beautifully, totally unrestored!

[gay texan]

21. ANYTHING national is the bomb!!!

My lineup thus far...

Collins R-390
Collins R-392
RCA CRM-R6A
National HRO "Sixty"
Collins 75A3
RCA RBB and a RBC
Hallicrafters SX-101 (on the repair bench)
Hammarlund HQ-140x
Hammarlund HQ-180a

[orangecrush]

25. For those who don't know

Gay Texan just described a dream collection of professional intelligence service/military grade high end radio gear.

These are not plug and play radios.

Only experts play with these big boy toys.

[gay texan]

27. LOL

Mate each radio i have, has a story.

The RCA CRM-R6A was the absolute first, bought for $50 in 1993. I had no idea what i bought other than it was heavy and i wanted a freaking radio with a BFO. I was dying to decode SSB signals! It looked like it was an all business sort of rig, not something you would set flowers on in the living room....

Up until this point, i was using a cheap Sears homemade stereo with a coil of wire wrapped around the AM antenna coil to fashion a crude SW rig. (try that sometime, it really freaking works!!!)

The RCA flat blew my mind. I had no IDEA a radio could be that good!!!

On a freaking clip lead for an antenna, stuff was rolling in left and right! I stayed up until 3AM that night, jus tuning up and down the bands, the things i heard!!!!

[aka-chmeee]

29. Roger GT

I have several to help me keep warm on cold evenings: A couple Hallicrafters, SX100, SX128, Echophone, and buy and restore old home consumer radios (only if they include SW bands). Plus a regen I just shook out of my junk boxes and put together using a 954 and a 955 acorn tube and a number of pieces of a 40 meter command set...still winding coils for this. Still catch a numbers station once in a while; Still gives a tingle after 50+ years! Good ol' Hollow State Technology.
73 HUCK OUT

[a kennedy]

2. Ah, love NPR?? Does that count?? 😂 🤣 😂 actually some stuff I don't like on NPR.

[multigraincracker]

3. If the link works, I have one of these in the garage

that needs a new power cord. Use to work, but I have a small tube tester if it does not work.

?v=8D072877FCA8490

[a kennedy]

4. Oh my......that is beautiful. The craftsmanship, and the style.....absolutely beautiful.

[multigraincracker]

6. Strange to look in the back and see such

a simple radio. Very few parts back then.

[orangecrush]

15. Beautiful as is

But I would look to see if there is a restorer near me!

Those old sets sound beautiful.

[orangecrush]

14. Agree 100%.

[orangecrush]

13. Gorgeous

Looks like late 20's, early 30's.

Don't know make or model.

Do you know it's story?

[multigraincracker]

28. Came from GFs family.

Wood and its finish are in great shape. The cord is so bad, I’m afraid to plug it in. Got some repo cloth cord to replace it with.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

30. Just a note of caution

Vintage electronics almost invariably use electrolytic capacitors. If it’s old enough for the power cord to have degraded badly, it should have the capacitors replaced and the resistors checked and replaced as needed.

If you want a resource for Vintage electronic restoration information, look at Mr Carlson’s Lab on YouTube.

It’s very rarely that a “just change out the power cord” works out. It would most probably result in damage to components.

Radios and Electronics is how I’ve made my living for 45 years. This is sort of an oversimplification of the matter, but I want to caution you against damaging what looks like a beautiful piece.

[multigraincracker]

33. Thanks for the advice.

Think I'll take it.

[yonder]

36. +1. This is what makes DU so great.

I might never need this advice but still have few bits of brain cells left for this info to set and take root.

[orangecrush]

12. It totally counts!

NPR is the last reliable source of intelligent, interesting radio programming.

It is NY ritual Saturdays to listen to *This American Life" and the music shows.

It sounds best on THIS radio!

Panasonic RF-1150.

Note the big fat speaker!

Early 1970's vintage.

LOUD!

[Iwasthere]

5. I'm a ham

NL7AH. Going to get out my old gear and get back on the air. Gotta quit watching him win with his stall tactics over and over. Can't take it anymore. Indictments are LONG overdue. Maybe we should all put together legal micro broadcasting stations and try to even the playing field. Right wing wackos have owned the airwaves far too long.

[orangecrush]

16. Technician here

Last edited Fri Sep 16, 2022, 11:33 PM - Edit history (2)

AM has become a no mans land of hate jocks.

And 15 minutes ago, I heard some racist asshole ranting on 75 meters about how happy he is with DeSantis.

I thought politics were a no no in good amateur practice.

Very bad form.

Makes us all look bad.

[gay texan]

22. It's why i dont get on the air n/t

[orangecrush]

24. I totally get what you're saying

But our voices need to be heard out there.

But, be safe.

Some of those fuckers are seriously sick.

[usonian]

7. I was replying to another post today, about a shortwave someone removed from doorstop duty.

My first SW radio, built from a kit, and IT WORKED.
Lafayette Explor-Air KT-135


Starts out like this:


These are not mine. All my old radio gear is gone.
I picked up a Sangean ATS-803A at the thrift store, which more than meets my radio needs.

Well, now that I think of it, maybe this was my first radio.

Crystal set.

I have lots of S-100 computer gear. It helped me carve out a career.

[orangecrush]

17. Thanks, usonian!

I built a kit once.

Just an am - fm.

It was still a thrill to turn it on and have it work!

I'll bet putting on the dial string was fun!

[rsdsharp]

8. One of the greatest jocks ever, Robert W. Morgan, had parents named

Art Morgan, and Florence Morgan.

AM and FM. It was meant to be.

[orangecrush]

18. More than coincidence

It's karmic serendipity!

[yonder]

9. I recently dug out an old RS DX-398 I've had but haven't listened to for years.

I'm basically a newbie, don't know much but have been playing around with cheap random wire antennas as that seems to be the biggest thing to get decent SW reception out of it. The standard telescoping antenna doesn't cut it probably because of too much RF interference around the house.

Beside the ubiquitous religious broadcast stations it seems there are a LOT LESS shortwave stations out there than there were 20 or so years ago. I've read that is likely because of the internet replacing what SW used to provide....still it's kind of fun to see what one may be able to pickup.

I'm all ears (pun intended) for any advice anyone might have.

[usonian]

10. Wild Guess

Those religious stations are on 24/7/365.

I remember using the WRTH (World Radio Television Handbook) to find out when English Language broadcasts were available and on what bands.

https://www.wrth.com/
35 Pounds.
You know it's British. They still ship CD's as addenda to the books.

Most internet guides just list frequencies, not times of broadcasts.
This one seems interesting. Lists all the stations broadcasting "now"
https://shortwaveschedule.com/index.php?now=


This one lists clandestine stations among others. Just the frequencies, it seems.
https://klingenfuss.org/swfguide.htm

Oh, RS. I have one somewhere. Might be the same model.
Homes are LOADED with electrical signals and noise.
Not sure what to recommend. Outside might be worse, depending on where you live.

[yonder]

31. I grew up with Brit bikes so "you know it's British....." made me laugh and yes I do.

Thanks for the links.

[orangecrush]

19. Thus may help

There are antenna suggestions in the thread.

The 398 is an outstanding radio.



http://forums.radioreference.com/threads/radio-shack-dx-398-review-and-observations.259833/

[orangecrush]

20. Here us a sw station

That has interesting programming, and a wild rock and roll "pirate" show on weekends!.





https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WBCQ_(SW)



Radio Newyork International was the name of a pirate radio station which broadcast from a ship anchored in international waters off Jones Beach, New York, United States in 1987 and 1988. The history of Radio Newyork International (RNI) is linked with the Falling Star Network and other New York City area pirate radio stations. The owner of RNI, Allan Weiner, is currently the licensee of WBCQ shortwave in Monticello, Maine.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Newyork_International


Broadcast area
North America, Europe & Asia
Frequency
3.265 MHz
5.130 MHz
6.160 MHz
7.490 MHz
9.330 MHz
Branding
WBCQ, The Planet

[yonder]

34. Thanks for all the links. Right now I'm just scanning bands and recording times.

Having some places to focus on will help in the long run I think.

I have to figure out the antenna thing. I discovered a less noisy spot near the garage wall on the away from the house side which I'll play around with. Otherwise, I get up into the hills, find a clear spot and run out some wire of differing lengths. That seems to work out okay.

Thanks for the thread too.

[orangecrush]

37. Most welcome!

[gay texan]

23. If you can set aside the religious jargon

WTWW on 5085 khz, plays the oldies and they take requests!!!!!

[orangecrush]

26. Another good one!

Thanks, GT!

30 mins ago I heard "Volare" sung in Italian.

Not sure of station or frequency, it's hard to tell on the analog NC-77X.

[yonder]

35. I'll give that try and hopefully a listen.

Thanks for the heads up on the religious stuff….otherwise, I’d just tune through without giving it a chance.

[gay texan]

39. They hit the air at 8pm CST n/t

[Brother Buzz]

32. John Fogerty was into radios back in the day with his RCA Victrola looking out his backdoor

I like to visualize John fogerty sitting in El Cerrito dialing in his radio late at night to pull in that 'Bakersfield Sound', Buck's hometown, 300 miles away

Heck, even I discovered the magic of the evening AM skip signal back in the day and was able to catch Vin Scully broadcasting Dodger games 400 miles.


Just got home from Illinois, lock the front door, oh boy!
Got to sit down, take a rest on the porch
Imagination sets in, pretty soon I'm singin'
Doo, doo, doo, lookin' out my back door

There's a giant doin' cartwheels, a statue wearin' high heels
Look at all the happy creatures dancin' on the lawn
Dinosaur Victrola, listenin' to Buck Owens
Doo, doo, doo, lookin' out my back door

[orangecrush]

38. I NEVER KNEW THAT LYRIC WAS IN THERE

Thank you so much!


"Legendary rock guitarist Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, of the Eagles is featured in a just-released set of ARRL audio and video public service announcements promoting Amateur Radio. ARRL will provide the 30- and 60-second PSAs to Public Information Officers (PIOs) to share with their Section's television and radio stations.May 30, 2018"

https://www.arrl.org/news/eagles-guitarist-joe-walsh-wb6acu-promotes-amateur-radio-in-media-announcements#:~:text=Legendary%20rock%20guitarist%20Joe%20Walsh,Section's%20television%20and%20radio%20stations.