An Introduction To Shortwave Radio. A neat hobby you can get into cheap!

Shortwave Radio is a great inexpensive way to get into the radio hobby. I've been listening to distant stations since I was about 8 years old. While the heydays of these bands are over, there are still 100's of broadcasts on the air at any one time, and if you find the right radio, you also have the ability to listen in to all the HAM bands as well.
I have 6 Radios here on the farms that I have collected over the years. Some are higher end sideband units that really pull in those faint signals, and others are $1.00 thrift store finds. The great part is that many times these "El Cheapo" radios work just as well!

Stay tuned as I will be doing reviews of many of the radios I own in future videos and I'll also be talking about Long wire and loop antennas that I use to help pull in those distant lands.

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[stevebrian]

At 52, I'm just getting back into SWL. Sadly, there's not as much as there used to be. When I was a kid in the 70s, I would listen to my dad's sw. It was so magical to me to pickup obscure and far away broadcasts!! Although now the internet communicates a cross the world with ease, it doesn't have the same effect as finding something on sw. Thanks for the video!!!

[charliemcdermott]

You have definitely brought back a lot of memories. In the late 50s, early 60s my friends and I would go to the Army Navy surplus and buy ww2 field radios. Then string wire down fence lines (there was definatly a different neighborly mind set then) crank the handle and talk to each other. We thought we were so cool then. Our buddy's dad installed a ham radio tower in his backyard (couldn't do it now for someone would have a hissy fit) WOW it was great talking to Australia. For some reason I can still remember his call letters. Anyway now that I'm retired the interest is back and am starting a new/old hobby.

[lynnee.pagels]

As a Radio Shack manager for 13 years in the late 70’s to 90’s, I picked up a DX-440 shortwave radio. It is a portable unit, so I can use it with battery or ac. A lot of times we used the larger desktop units on Saturday with the rooftop antennas to pickup the English football (soccer) matches while we worked.

[DrCrabfingers]

I'm totally with you on the SW fade in/out being pleasurable to listen to. It's funny how some people just don't like it. I find it very pleasing and dream like...and relaxing. Long may it continue...

[Cormac]

My dearly departed Dad was a radio nut. He had a rather interesting collection. He had an old Yaesu FT-401D and used a D-104 mic and had it all connected to a huge Moonraker beam antenna on a 30 ft tower. I remember listening to him talking to his friend in Australia a few times a week.
He had CB radios and not all of his equipment and mods were legal.
This was back in the mid 1970's when I was a young teen.
And he did all the work on them himself. He was quite the radio nerd.

[knuckle]

As a ham for the last 40 years, it was back in the late 1970’s I walked into an electronics store and asked the guy if he could order this Kenwood transceiver and he said..” well, you’re better off with CB etc. Etc. “. Took another 2 years before I took my tests at a military base and upgraded at 201 Varick St. in Manhattan. The nostalgic presentation you’ve provided here stirs up so many great memories. I had a friend, long gone, who as a kid, copied code from the Carpathia to the Titanic. OTher friend stationed in Alaska during WWII powered the filaments of huge transmitting tubes to generate heat and stay warm.... these were older guys at the time but their stories inspired me to learn code and take the exams

[mojavedxer]

I got interested into shortwave when my uncle showed me his basement lab back in the mid 70's. After hearing radio Australia on a vintage Halicrafters and I was hooked. The first radio I bought with my own money as teen was the DX100. The radio lasted about a year until some static electricity killed it with a $150 repair bill back in 1982. Luckily my mon was able to get the store manager to do the repair for free and the radio ran great for the next 10 years.

[paulbainjr]

One of my favorite shortwave radio books was Passport to world band radio, Great video thanks😊

[TheRealhotboyQ]

This seems like something that would come in handy during the apocalypse

[lianeclemen]

I came to the right place! Thanks for sharing your valuable info. And that bit about perpective. By the time your video was over I had already bought one : )

[gruntohseven]

That old radio is so cool.Just imagining a family sitting around listening to their favorite radio shows on that thing.Very nice looking radio.

[moterdude]

You do great videos. I have bin into listening to anything for many years now. shortwave and CB and ham, Police scanner. Very good you mentioned the single side band feature makes a shortwave radio listening into a ham radio listening radio also. That was a must have feature that I needed to have on my radio. Thank you for your great video keeps people entertained during these crazy times with the virus.

[SimDeck]

Great stuff. Fascinating to me who really doesn’t know much about this but has always been interested.

[WesPsWorld]

I'm a General Class Licensed Amateur Radio Operator and I LOVE radios. Been Licensed since 98' and I've talked all over the world, and listen to everything Shortwave, Medium wave, and Long Wave. Thanks for the video, I really enjoyed it, and I subscribed!!

[knightstemplar]

Quality journalism. That's really informative. Thanks 👍. Paul, UK England 🙂🇬🇧

[lanbaode]

Beginning around 40 years ago in my youth, DXing - complete with the outdoor wire antenna - was my hobby and marveled at listening to radio stations all over the world. Now I can do the same with internet radio. In fact, I still listen to my favorite BBC World Service online now as I used to listen to it on short wave and on local AM and FM in a good number of cities and countries around the world then.

[robertwilliamson]

Bought a Sony ICF-2002 shortwave with side band years ago. I take good care of it and it still looks and runs like brand new.
Also bought at great little radio called the Kaito KA1102. Full coverage plus side band. Much smaller than my Sony. I loved it so much I bought a second one for backup and found great protective mil-spec cases for them that fit like a glove with room for an extra length of wire to boost signal.
Used to have a Panasonic RF-2200 and had a long wire outside for it and my Sony. Great table radio. But my Kaito KA1102 are much smaller and more compact for putting in my backpack for travel in the world. And they work great. Love ‘em. 👍🏼😃

[peterbehringer]

What memories! The Radio Shack rig in your thumbnail was my pride and joy way back in 1983.

[dangerfoxgaming]

That's a great dial on that old radio. As soon as you see it, it makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to make and share the video!

[roeydaz]

Great memories for me as well. I had a ham licence in the 70’s and had an HRO 1- 30 MHz ? Forgotten now…world war 2 valve receiver ! Super set. I strung up a long dipole antenna and rigged up an electrical tuner. I could listen to the world from Public broadcasts to ham to police… great fun! After I took up career at sea I always used a Sony Multi band to get news out on the ocean. I guess the seafaring lot are among the only lot still interested in SW!!