good shortwave radios?

[majoco]

I should have kept my big mouth shut! All you blokes are going to be hunting for one now and I won't stand a chance!

[ianj]

Ive got a DEGEN 1103, and can really recommend it! They are all over Ebay, and mine cost me with postage, about £35--so thats about $40?? It is very sensitive, I find it works best with its own aerial extended, but it does have an input socket as well--ssb/cw capable, and great sound for a little set--its about 7"x 3 1/2" and is complete with its own rechargeable batteries and mains power pack(which charges the batteries as well) . ianj

[Sandy G]

Ian, you oughta spring for a Racal RA-17- They are sorta the English answer to an R-390A. Big, multi-tube set, VERY stable, should last a lifetime in civilian use. One drawback-They only receive down to approx 900 KC, so you miss a little of the MW band- But they DO have a built in speaker, which is NOT hi-fi, but is very adequate for most SW/MW work. Mine cost a small fortune, but I still like it. It would be better if I had the correct antenna adaptor for it...

[chicks]

Does anyone know what this one is? Is it worth $10?

[KentTeffeteller]

Looks like it's a Zenith Trans-Oceanic Royal 7000 or a D7000Y. The best of that line. Has a BFO for SSB and CW reception. Nicely made in the old Hand-Wired Zenith tradition and a superb performer in any language. Worth many times $10 in nice shape.

[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by KentTeffeteller

Looks like it's a Zenith Trans-Oceanic Royal 7000 or a D7000Y.

The $10 radio pictured earlier is not a Zenith 7000. I own a Royal 7000 and R7000-2. You can see TransOceanic photos at http://www.transoceanic.nostalgiaair.org/ .

Regards,

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

[AUdubon5425]

I'll have to do that - it skips around using the tuning knob.

I found that radio at a thrift store with no price on it - the lady at the counter says "It sure looks like it uses a *lot* of batteries - $5." I reach in my pocket and start to tell her "why don't you take at least ten for it," but before I could say much she knocks a dollar off "to make sure I'm happy with it." Well, God bless her, I certainly am.

[jerrymrc]

Originally Posted by AUdubon5425

I'll have to do that - it skips around using the tuning knob.

I found that radio at a thrift store with no price on it - the lady at the counter says "It sure looks like it uses a *lot* of batteries - $5." I reach in my pocket and start to tell her "why don't you take at least ten for it," but before I could say much she knocks a dollar off "to make sure I'm happy with it." Well, God bless her, I certainly am.

I had two. last one I bought for $40 and it was like new. My old one has been going strong for ten years. I sold the newer looking one to a friend that wanted one for $75 I did pick up the RS powered antenna for a couple of bucks awhile back. Hooked up to a long wire it does make fine tuning the station much better.

[audiofred]

Would you consider one of the table-top tube ( those good ole radios) shortwave radios with nice speakers and looks really nice?
my Dad's Grundig has a 5X7 oval and a couple other drivers for a really nice sound. Just hang some wire on the antenna terminal.
The R390A is definitely a gud BA radio...love it

Fred

[majoco]

Another Zenith wannabe! I had a similar-looking Nivico FA6000 (or something like that) that I bought in the Persian Gulf in the 60's for US$30 new. After exhaustive (ie one Atlantic crossing!) trip I realised that the model number FA was about all it was worth!

Nivico of course became JVC - hope the quality improved!

[majoco]

Disregard - found itself in the wrong column!

[Delawheredad]

I could almost kick myself for the shortwaves I have given away. Every time I bought a new one I gave my old one to someone I thought would enjoy the hobby. In one case I created a monster. They guy went whole hog into SW DXing and bought tons of expensive equipment including a device that allowed him to intercept fax transmissions. I apologized to his wife. The other guys never took to it and now i am out of some very nice radios.

[Sandy G]

I bought the DX-440 about '89 or '90 to get over this girl I'd just broke up with...Then, I started reading Popular Communications & kept reading that "This radio is as good as an R-390A" or "That radio is almost as good as an R-390A". There was a guy, Rick Mish, who had ads in the back of the mag, "Miltronix, R-390/390A Sales & Service", I called him, & soon became the proud daddy of a 1968 Dittmore-Friemuth R-390A...Then, I started reading "Electric Radio" magazine & found out about stuff like SX-28s, SP-600s, R-389s, R-392s, R-391s, RA-17s, SX-73s, NC-183Ds, SX-62s, & a mysterious German set, the EK-07...20 years later, I are the proud, but considerably poorer, daddy of EACH of those, plus a WHOLE lot more...People who see 'em are either 1) Floored, 2) Dumbfounded that I have SO MANY old junky, too-big tube radios that all do more or less the same thing, or 3) Think that I have a SERIOUS personality problem/defect. Myself, I pick 3.

[ChiefRider]

I started out listening to my dad's Zenith TO Royal 1000 when I was a kid, around '64 or so. My own first sw was a 1941 Philco that I got from the original owner when I was 15 or so, for $10. I even rented it to a filmaker back then for $10 as a prop, so I guess it was really free! I still have that one, and it still works pretty well. The one that gets the most use these days is a Panasonic RF-2600 that I'm very happy with. I'd still like to find a nice TO 1000 one of these days.

[radioactive]

People who see 'em are either 1) Floored, 2) Dumbfounded that I have SO MANY old junky, too-big tube radios that all do more or less the same thing, or 3) Think that I have a SERIOUS personality problem/defect. Myself, I pick 3.

i'd pick 1 as i probally fit 2 and 3 myself