On May 13, 11:24 pm, RedPenguin wrote:
I have been trying to listen to broadcast stations on my Sony
ICF-7600GR radio. I want to hear radio habana cuba, but I swear, the
sound will go in an out, low to where you can't hear it, then
blasting, then low again, it will not ever stay stable to the point
where I can sit there and just listen to it. I don't have any external
antenna yet, I can't put on on the roof or in an attic since I don't
own this house nor have any attic or basement. Do I just need a better
antenna or do I just have to live with the fading or whatever this is
called?

Hello.

We are presently at the "bottom" of the eleven-year sunspot cycle.
This cycle greatly affects shortwave communications. Keep your ICF-
SW7600GR as near to a window as is practicable and make sure there are
few, if any, interference-creating electronic items (fluorescent light
bulbs, computers, televisions, especially HD models, etc.) operating
within ten or fifteen feet of the radio, extend the whip vertically,
tune in the station and set the sync detector to its on position. Try
USB and LSB to see which of the sidebands sounds best to you.

An external antenna would most certainly be of help but to hear
Havana, the whip should suffice, depending on your location.

Please remember too that listening to shortwave radio is not like
listening to your local MW or FM stations. Hearing these foreign
stations depends entirely on the vagaries of the ionosphere which,
like all other aspects of the earth, is in a constant state of flux.
One must allow for this. Frankly this is one of the joys of the hobby
as one never knows precisely what one will hear on any given night.
While most of the more powerful stations are received consistently,
more or less, sometimes one night a station will come in like a local
and the next night it will not be audible at all! So you must always
keep trying.

Radio Havana Cuba transmits in the evening (east coast of North
America) on 6000 kHz and 6180 kHz. Try both frequencies to see which
is the better. If you like Cuban music and don't mind announcements in
Spanish, Radio Rebelde on 5025 kHz often comes in well in the
evenings.

There are other frequencies in use by them; often their European
transmissions (afternoons eastern time) come in well. I do not
remember the frequencies in use but check the 25 and 22 meter bands.

Beginning later this year, or next year, conditions should slowly
start to improve and by 2010-2012 the bands should really be
"jumping." Let's hope so, anyway. In any event, do not become
discouraged. Shortwave signal variability is a fact of life and all of
us are always trying to do whatever we can to improve the listening.
But when it's good, it's VERY good. And the information (and
entertainment) available on the shortwaves just can't be duplicated
anywhere else, in my opinion.

I hope this helps you.

Best,

Joe