If a 5" wave ain't short, I don't know what is.

On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 09:33:10 -0500, dxAce wrote:



David wrote:

If you have a South facing window you may want to consider an XM
boombox. Flawless reception, including the BBC World Service 24/7.

Not shortwave... not even close.



On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 23:09:13 -0500, jwilliam
wrote:

David wrote:

If a 5" wave ain't short, I don't know what is.

Oh, I'm sure you do!

You get more and more stupid every day, don't you?

dxAce
Michigan
USA

You could always listen on the internet.

On 17 Dec 2004 08:30:16 -0800, "johndobbs"

jwilliam wrote:
I feel like apologizing right off the bat since I know this question
must be asked regularly in this group. I've searched the older posts
but still had questions.

I work in CT, about two hours from both NY and Boston. I'm on the
lower floor and get mediocre AM/FM reception in my office from my run
of the mill boom box on my desk. I was looking for a replacement
radio and in the course of doing a search online found listings for WB
radios. The idea of being able to receive not only the CBC news
(being an refugee Canadian) but also getting the BBC and other news
sources intrigued me. That of course left me with more questions than
answers.

What I'm looking for is a decent radio I can keep in my office. I
don't travel much so it probably won't move from its spot on my desk.
I'd like to keep the price below $200 if possible. I'm not sure what I
can expect to hear. Might I be able to pull in stations from Europe
with a radio in that price range or will I be limited to those that
are getting some form of enhanced reception on the eastern US
seaboard? Since I'll be at work I won't be spending much time
fiddling with dials to pull in too many really esoteric stations, but
getting news directly from the Middle East or Japan on my desktop
would be amazing.

From the research I've done I looked at the Sony 2010 (a used one,
although most of the ones on Ebay appear to be pretty old models, very
low serial numbers). I also saw good reviews for the Grundig YB
400PE, which I can pick up new for less than the used 2010. Any other
suggestions? Also, if reception turned out to be poor, would I most
likely have to run some sort of wire attenna along my wall to my
window for better reception?

Thanks in advance for any information. If I get responses fast enough
maybe I can sneak this in as a late Christmas request. heh heh...

Hi

I'm also in Connecticut, and I've got some experience with setting up
radios in offices.

The inside of a typical commercial building isn't a good place to find
the signals you're looking for. Masonry walls have rebar, wood frame
office buildings often have foil lined insulation. Apparently, when
they design these buildings, suitability for radio listening isn't high
on the list.

If you can't get decent MW reception with a good portable, don't expect
much shortwave reception either, unless you do something about an antenna.

The antenna is at least 90% of the answer.

For lower frequencies, something like a Quantum Loop is probably your
best bet for a desk top antenna. Other companies have made similar
products over the years. Unless you get very lucky, they are likely to
put you over budget.

For an in the window antenna you can get very thin coax if you want to
hide the wire, or you could choose coax that looks like a network cable
if you'd rather try to have it "blend in". Hook it up to a big loop of
wire that goes around the perimeter of the window. The wire for the
loop can be anything from thin magnet wire to the foil tape they use for
burglar alarms.

If you can put up an antenna outside, you can couple your radio to it
with a capacitive link so you don't need to drill a hole in the wall.
It's as simple as a square of foil hooked up to your coax on one side of
the window, and another hooked up to your antenna lined up on the other
side of the glass.

For the radio, I use an old Standard STR-428. You're not likely to find
one for sale, but it's a 1970's vintage commercial marine radio. Not a
lot of dials or controls, but it's quite sensitive and it's the sort of
thing clients will ask about.

The difference between a good inexpensive portable and a high end
tabletop radio isn't likely to be nearly as significant for your office
as the difference between a whip antenna on your desk and an antenna
that's away from the metal shielding that seems to be hidden in the
walls of just about every commercial building.

Popular portables worth looking at include the Degen 1103, the Grundig
YB400 and the Sony 7600gr.

Good luck.

David wrote:

You could always listen on the internet.

Yeah, that's 'real' radio all right.

Now you just hustle on down the road, toting your portable, 'tard boy.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

jwilliam wrote:

Tony Meloche wrote:
jwilliam wrote:

I feel like apologizing right off the bat since I know this
question
must be asked regularly in this group. I've searched the older
posts
but still had questions.


Well, I'm not the most knowledgeable person in this group, but I
may
be able to offer some help.



I work in CT, about two hours from both NY and Boston. I'm on the
lower floor and get mediocre AM/FM reception in my office from my
run
of the mill boom box on my desk.


The mediocre AM/FM respetion is almost certainly due to the fact
that you are in a steel frame building - no? That murders radio
reception sometimes (most of the time, in fact).



I was looking for a replacement
radio and in the course of doing a search online found listings for
WB
radios. The idea of being able to receive not only the CBC news
(being an refugee Canadian) but also getting the BBC and other news
sources intrigued me. That of course left me with more questions
than
answers.

The BBC would be no problem, if the type of radio you were
looking
for was in your own home. CBC news is tougher - none of the few
Canadian SW outlets are terribly strong. Fine sometimes, weak or
almost
nonexistent others. And I'm in a wood frame building in Michigan
with a
longwire antenna hooked to a very sensitive receiver!



What I'm looking for is a decent radio I can keep in my office. I
don't travel much so it probably won't move from its spot on my
desk.
I'd like to keep the price below $200 if possible. I'm not sure
what I
can expect to hear. Might I be able to pull in stations from
Europe
with a radio in that price range or will I be limited to those that
are getting some form of enhanced reception on the eastern US
seaboard?


With any of the radios you mention below, when reception
conditions
are good, you can occasionally do all of the things you hope for.
But
again - in that steel frame building . . .


Since I'll be at work I won't be spending much time
fiddling with dials to pull in too many really esoteric stations,
but
getting news directly from the Middle East or Japan on my desktop
would be amazing.


See above comment.


From the research I've done I looked at the Sony 2010 (a used one,
although most of the ones on Ebay appear to be pretty old models,
very
low serial numbers). I also saw good reviews for the Grundig YB
400PE, which I can pick up new for less than the used 2010.


Both are good radios in your price range, and might well give you the
results you are looking for on a whip antenna *when you are at home*.

But in a steel frame building, I doubt it.

Remember, others here may have more hopeful info for you - keep
checking this thread. And god luck to you, jwilliam.

Tony

Thanks for your reply. Actually, I may have overstated the poor
quality of AM/FM reception in my office. I can get WFAN pretty
clearly, ESPN comes in faint and with static, which probably speaks
more to the relative strength of their signal than to any issues with
reception. I've also added the Sony 7600GR to my list of possibilities
after reading some more reviews.

Jon

Consider getting the Sony ANLP-1 loop antenna with the 7600GR. Locate
the loop on one of the windows in your office. This should give you
better reception than the whip antenna on the radio. You could use the
loop with other portables too.


-----------== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Uncensored Usenet News ==----------
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----= Over 100,000 Newsgroups - Unlimited Fast Downloads - 19 Servers =-----

That's if you have internet access in a work setting. Not all computer
users do. And if they do -- many of the company security firewalls do
not allow streaming video or audio.

YFBE,

The Tivoli "Song Book" sounds (reads) like a nice Travel Radio.
SONG-BOOK = http://www.tivoliaudio.com/pdf/SBook-manual-web.pdf

However, it has good 'quality' FM Radio Reception Listening Features
with "Un-Mentioned" AM Radio reception features.

Most of these so called 'quality' Music Listener's Radios:
- Bose Wave
- Cambridge Sound Works
- Tivoli
all have 'fair' to 'good' FM Tuners;
but have 'very poor' to 'poor' AM Tuners.

Most do NOT have 'separate' External Antenna Inputs for
an AM {External} Antenna and an FM {External} Antenna.

IMHO - For a 'good' Office Radio in a Building that has
low signal levels and High RFI/EMF Noise Levels:
The Radio needs 'very good' AM & FM Tuners and separate
External AM & FM Antenna Inputs and two Antennas;
- one designed for FM (Very High Frequency) Radio Reception
- the other designed for AM {Medium Wave} Radio Reception
+ READ - Three Different Bands AM/FM/SW and Three Different Antennas
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1038
* On-the-Window Random Wire / Loop Antenna
for 'portable' Shortwave Radios
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/964
* AM/MW DXing : Three Loop Antennas and Three 'portable' Super Radios
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/775

TIP - Consider the Grundig S350 "Super Radio" Tecsun BCL-2000
+ READ - About - External Antennas for the Grundig S350
"Super Radio" Tecsun BCL-2000
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1786
* * Dual Tuners & Dual Antennas - Grundig S350
for both AM & FM Radio Reception
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/877
* Around-the-Window Frame Loop Antennas
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1682
* Grundig S350 Antenna & Ground for 'reduced' AM/MW Interference
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1173
* Grundig S350 AM/MW Random Wire Antenna Tuner
using a AM/MW Loop Antenna
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1150
* Grundig S350 / Tecsun BCL-2000 and AM/MW Loop Antennas
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/505

Check-Out the Grundig S350 "Super Radio" Tecsun BCL-2000
eGroup on YAHOO !
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Grundig-S350/

NOTE: The CCRadio and CCRadio Plus have a 'very poor'
External Antenna Input. For a Radio with it's 'claimed' "High
Performance" and very HIGH PRICE - C Crane Co. {Sangean}
should have designed in two separate External Antenna Inputs
that actually worked [.]
CCRADIO-eGROUP = http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CCRadio/
..
..
All are WELCOME at the Shortwave Listener (SWL) "Antenna Ashram"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/502
Some Say: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
I BELIEVE: On A Clear Night . . .
You Can Hear Forever and Beyond, The BEYOND !
[ With the a SWL Antenna of your own making. ]
..
..

MSH,

Three 'different' Radio Bands and two to three 'different' Antennas

1. SW - For 'improved' Shortwave {SW} High Frequency Radio
Reception try a simple Random Wire Antenna .
OR - Try an On-the-Window Shortwave Antenna that is 'taped' to an
outside looking Window. Keep the Antenna Wire element about
3"-6" away from the Frame of the Window.

READ - Three Different Bands AM/FM/SW and Three Different Antennas
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1038

* On-the-Window Random Wire / Loop Antenna
for 'portable' Shortwave Radios
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/964

The Sony AN-LP1 Shortwave Antenna
and the Crane {Justice} AM/MW Antenna ?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/849

* Try a Compact 'portable' Shortwave Reel {Roll-Up} Antenna
for 'improved' Reception and Mobility
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1687

* Consider the Shielded & Magnetic Loop Antennas
for Shortwave Reception
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1539

* Two Vertical "Drop" Antennas for Tall Building Dwellers
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1535

* Thru the Window Antennas for Shortwave and Medium Wave
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/653


2. FM - For 'improved' FM Radio Reception try a simple FM Folded
Dipole
Antenna that is 'taped' to an outside looking Window. Keep the
Dipole about 3"-6" away from the Frame of the Window. Or try
placing the Dipole on the Window at a Diagonal Corner-to-Corner.

+ READ - FM Antenna Ideas
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1053

* Out of Sight - Out of Mind - The [Hidden] FM Antenna
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/499

* External FM Antenna "Hook-Ups" for most 'portable' AM/FM/SW Radios
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/544

* Improved FM Reception with 'portable' Radios
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/101


3. AM - For 'improved' AM Radio Reception try a simple AM/MW Loop
Antenna about 4-8 Turns that is 'taped' to an outside looking
Window. Use very thin #30 AWG Magnet Wire that is placed
on the Window about 3"-6" away from the Frame of the Window;
with about 1/2" between the individual Loops.

+ READ - AM/MW Reception requires the 'right' AM/MW Radio
and matching AM/MW Antenna
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1743

* GE Superadio - Think "Larger" AM/MW Loop Antenna {Two Plus Feet}
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1512

* "On-the-Wall" Loop Antenna and more . . .
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1459

* AM/MW Loop Antennas: Your best 'connection' may be NO Connection
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1174

* Passive and Active AM/MW Loop Antennas
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1134

* "Long LoopStick Antenna"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1043
..
..
All are WELCOME at the Shortwave Listener (SWL) "Antenna Ashram"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/502
Some Say: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
I BELIEVE: On A Clear Night . . .
You Can Hear Forever and Beyond, The BEYOND !
[ With the a SWL Antenna of your own making. ]
..
..

In 1978 I tried out one of those over priced over rated ccrane radios
that Art Bell and George Noory tout so much.That radio didn't pick up
any better than any of my many,many other old radios (and they also tout
it as having better sound quality too,that is 100 percent pure BS!) I
own so I sent it back to ccrane and then I tried out one of those
Sangean top of the line shortwave radios.That radio didn't show me
anything either so I sent that over priced over rated radio back to
ccrane too.
cuhulin