–UPDATE: A WINNER HAS BEEN PICKED. THIS CONTEST HAS BEEN CLOSED. THANK YOU!–
Lately I’ve gotten a lot of questions from readers about magnetic loop antennas, certainly a popular topic on the SWLing Post. Good discussions underway.
So, when I discovered an extra copy of Joe Carr’s excellent Loop Antenna Handbook on my bookshelf this morning, it occurred to me to share it with you, readers. I think I won this copy at a Winter SWL Fest a couple years ago; it’s chock-full of Joe’s handy tips and solutions to antenna questions and installation conundrums. It’s still in great shape, and I’m sure will find a good home with a lucky SWLing Post reader.
Interested? Here’s how you can participate…
The Loop Antenna Handbook is chock-full of antenna theory and practical construction projects.
If you’d like to participate in this giveaway, here’s how: Simply comment on this post, telling us about your favorite radio! Give us the make/model, and just share a few comments about why you love it above all others.
This can be any radio: a shortwave portable, an SDR, a vintage radio, a ham radio transceiver, a handheld, a scanner, an aviation radio, whatever…or, yes, more than one, if you simply can’t choose.
I’ll select a winner at random on Sunday, April 7, 2019.
This contest is open to anyone, anywhere! I’ll post the prize to the winner directly wherever you are. (Note: Well, if you’re an astronaut on the ISS, I’ll have to send it to your drop box!)
I’ll also plan to compile and publish the full list of radio favorites in a future post…stay tuned for that.
Hey, This is about the first time I’ve been on here, I don’t know if the administrator is aware, I’m using a little laptop called a HP Stream, and I couldn’t scroll down to see the bottom of the CAPTCHA to click on whatever the button under it is called. I didn’t think to change my display from 100% down a bit at the time, but now that I have thought of it, I checked on the setting and it was in fact 100%.
Cheers,
Technomaniac
I have recently purchased a Grundig Satellit 3000 for $10 Australian, at the Rockhampton Car Swap. It doesn’t operate, but I found some transistors around the audio output stage which were u/s. In making measurements and the component replacement, several single-strand wires were severed at the points where they were soldered. I have downloaded a German-language service manual, but it does not show component layouts, and there is no screenprinting on the foil side of the boards. So I am having difficulty knowing where to resolder some of them. If anyone has pages on the component layouts for the various boards, or knows where I might source this information, I would appreciate knowing. Also I need a battery cable for it as I am off the grid, running on 24volts. It is an unusual 2-pin plug they’re using, and it has to hold the Battery/Mains switch in the battery position when inserted. But I am confident that this will be my favourite SW radio if and when it is running !
Favorite radio, Yaesu FT-817_ND, it’s the one I have and it works, ’nuff sed.
My current favorite radio (it changes often) is the Yaesu FT1000MP bought several years ago at the Dayton Hamvention. It’s a 100 watt transceiver with excellent reception.
My favorite radio is the Elecraft KX3. The receiver is outstanding, and while the speaker is nearly useless, with headphones this radio sounds great – whether I’m using for amateur radio or shortwave listening.
My favourite is the TECSUN 880. Its sensitive, has good battery life, its easy to use and has a decent range of built in filters. Gareth
I have owned and upgraded several communication receivers; Icom R75 (KIWA), Icom R70, Kenwood R-5000 and Sony ICF-5900W (first). Plus several tube radios. Now I have AirSpy HF+. Somehow I still like most of those ordinary receivers even though AirSpy is by far the best and most sensitive reveiver!
My favorite radio is the GE Super Radio II. It has great sound and fidelity. Usually when I’m in the kitchen making lunch or dinner I tune it to the local new channel 1010 WINS here in NY.
Thanks for the chance to win this antenna book
Bob…..
I have had dozens of radios over the decades, but I love my SDRplay the most at this point. That radio has been revelation in terms of versatility. Other favorites are my Sony ICF-2010 and Degen DE1103.
Love my Collins 51-J radio. Listen to everything from broadcast stations to amateur radio, SSB and CW!
My Icom 725. I love my first one so much I ordered 2 more. Still, have all 3 and they have only been serviced one time by Malcolm. He sent them back to me at no charge. There was nothing wrong with them. Still kick 100 watts all day long.
My favorite radio is my Grundig Satellit 800 Millennium. The main reason being, every time I turn it on it reminds me of my father. Over 40 years ago he saw my interest in radio and one day he came home with a Grundig Satellit and gave it to me. I cherished that radio for years. Unfortunately it was stolen. It’s also simply a great SW radio with just the whip antenna, however I have a long wire antenna attached to it now. Thanks for the opportunity to enter!
It was a Panasonic portable that my brothers and I won selling candy for Little League. I have no idea of the model but it was small and picked up AM stations very well at night. I got hooked on MW DXing with this radio and I am still an avid MW DXer almost 50 years later. I would love to find another one. Currently my favorite is my beautiful Panasonic RF-2200. It’s clean, in great shape and works well but might need a good alignment. I’m eying the new CCRadio 3.
i live my little cute SONY ICF SW07 radio comes with AN-LP2 active loop antenna.
it looks small but a powerful radio packed with lots of features.
its best of my all radios and its like a religious idol to sit in front of it every evening to listen to various radio stations.
https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/portable/0007.html
73
My favorite radio is an old workhorse: the Sony ICF-2010. Mine is one of the later units produced and the last one left in stock in the Denver HRO store in 2003. There’s little to be said about this portable marvel that hasn’t been a repeated topic of conversation among SWLs for decades. It’s sensitive, reasonably selective, and has the best synchronous detection I’ve experienced in any portable vintage or modern. It’s often said “they don’t make ‘em like this any more”, but that’s usually a statement shaded by the rise colored glasses of nostalgia. With the 2010 it’s just plain truth. If I could keep only one radio from my collection, this superb portable would be the one.
My drifty old Hallicrafters S-22R marine radio. Low bands, middle wave AM, and shortwave. 100 khz to 18 Mhz. Not sure I’d know what to do with a digital readout, lol.?
Though I have newer and more capable radios, my favorite remains the Realistic Astronaut 6 from Radio Shack, given to me when I was 11 years old, because it opened up the world to my ears. Someone in our area was retransmitting radio communications from Skylab, which was haunting to hear late at night. My family, not knowing much about radio, believed that we were listening directly to NASA, perhaps because of the radio’s name (so did I, until much later.)
It also picked up highway patrol chatter, shortwave stations, and ordinary AM and FM stations as well as the audio feed from a television station or two.
It set me on the path to a lifetime of listening.
My favorite radio for SWLing is my Kenwood R-5000. Great reception and really cool looking radio, a joy to use.
My favorite radio is my RTL-SDR.com USB dongle radio that I bought for shortwave listening because it was cheap. Using it to visually browse through the radio spectrum, I accidentally stumbled upon one of the ham bands and listened to their conversations on SSB, which inspired me to get my ham license. That $30 radio was my gateway to a hobby that I really enjoy.
My fav radio is still my Magnavox D2935. It was my first “real” SWL radio in 1989 and still in daily use today.
Handbook givaway.
SONY ICF-2010
I use my SONY ICF-2010 almost daily mated with a boat-anchor tx.
It is also great as a accurate signal finder when repairing boat-anchor rx and tx.
Just recently, I lost the SONY blue key function.
Can you recommend a repair service ?
I’m to old to repair such tiny electronics 🙁
bob…w2ami lic 1962
My favorite receiver is a BC-348 converted to 115 Volts AC. Still working after 70 years.
My favorite radio these days is an Airspy HF+. I have owned many radios.
My current radio sets include an old Icom R-70 (AM mode is awful, but SSB has a wickedly good IF notch and decent IF Shift capabilities), an assortment of ham transceivers including a Kenwood TS-50 that I used to take mobile with me and often listen to shortwave, and a Grundig YB 400 that has traveled with me around the world.
I’m overdue for another radio. But first I really want to set up a better antenna system. I’m looking at a K9AY loop system for the lower bands, and a couple of vertical antennas that I could phase together for the higher bands.
I think my choice for favorite goes towards versatility: My Kenwood TH-F6A
When I travel (which if you consider my commute to be travelling, then every day) I always have the F6 with me, because it covers all of the bases. It receives from LW thru the 1.2 G band, in all modes (AM, FM, WFM, SSB) and is a tri-band Ham transceiver. AM and low-band HF performance is better than a lot of other wideband handhelds because of the addition of a ferrite bar antenna, yet that can be turned off in the menus for using a large whip or external antenna. WFM is available for FM broadcast listening, and there are enough memories and scanning options to use it as a scanner. The giant extended battery is great, usually giving me an entire weekend of use and more.
Icom IC-7300 is my radio. I’ve been using it since December and learn something new about it almost every day. I expect to be using and learning about its capabilities for years to come. It’s worked pretty good with my home brew fan dipole in the garage attic. However to do the radio justice, it needs a better antenna that will fit in the space I have. I’ve been considering a loop for my next project. Hopefully I’ll be able to work 80m and the low end of 40m, neither of which i can work now.
Thanks for your consideration.
73
Frank
W3UF – Whiskey 3 Uncle Frank
i know everyone is going to talk about their favorite portable SW receiver, or some giant boat anchor. but mine is a little different. when i was kid my grandma had this little black GE handheld radio. she passed away when i was probably 6 or 7. it was the only thing i got and my only remembrance of her, my only grandparent (all the others passed away before i was born). i used to plug in a pillow speaker and listen it to it every night, easily killing batteries every few days. i learned to listen to and love Tom Snyder and would listen to literally any hockey game. now, i’m in my 40’s and still love listening to hockey on radio, and am a fervent fan etc. my love of radio, too, came from that little portable. here’s the link to the radio i’m talking about: https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/general_el_7_2500_b72500.html
thanks for letting me remember how much that little guy means to me.
Re: joe carrs loop antenna handbook giveaway
I have two favorites, one for sw listening and the other a hf tranceiver for sending and receiving -both allow me to operate mobile. The Sangean ATS-909X and the Yaesu FT-817. If I have to pick between them, I’ll choose the Yaesu because I like to talk and listen… but sometimes it’s just nice to listen! What can I say… depends on the radio! 😉
I’d have to say the Kenwood TS-2000X.
I have one set up in a go box that is battery and solar powered. No matter what’s going on… just drop an antenna for the band your on and roll!!
I don’t recall back in mid 70’s which was my first real boat anchor receiver, was it SP600 or the AR-88 but those two open my ears to the magic of shortwave. I had just ~2 years each before I had my license and got on HF with TS120.
Now many years after the only “real” SW feel I have is thru the SDR.hu great network.
** If I win no need to ship to Israel, just list me as first win and go pick another…Thank you.
I’m still amazed with my old Sony 2010, LW and MW is super nice, and the fact that it runs a good long time on 3 D cells gives it the edge when I want to DX off-grid. Synchronous detection is also really effective when needed. Terrific little rig!
mi radio favorita es la SONY-DE DOS PARLANTES : A.M-FM- SW1-SW2
Y CON CASSETERA REPITIDORA IGNORO EL MODELO ,ME CUESTA MEMORISARLA.
DESDE LA DECADA DE LOS AÑOS 70.
POR INTERMEDIO DE MI VECINO ME ENSEÑO SINTONIZAR LAS ONDAS CORTAS INTERNACIONALES
CIENTO DE RADIOS CAPTABA ENTRE ELLAS:LA VOA-RADIO MUSCU-CHINA INTERNACIONAL .
DIFERENTES RADIOS DE EUROPA-ASIA-AMERICA-DEL MEDIO ORIENTE Y DE AFRICA.
FUE MI GRAN DESCUBRIMIENTO CON MI SONY RADIO.
PERO LLEGO EL FUTURO MUY PRONTO PARA MY
QUE SE FUERON DE SAPARECIENTO LAS EMISORAS DE LA ONDAS CORTAS.
DANDOLE PASO AL INTERNET,PERO DE REPENTE CAPTO EMISORAS CON MI sony radio
Y TODAS EMICIONES EN ESPAÑOL.
ERA UN RADIO ESCUCHA MUY FELIZ QUE MESENTIA COMO ESTUVIERA EN EL PAIS DE LA EMISORA
Y PARTICIPABA EN VARIOS CONCURSOS Y EN OCACIONES GANABA.
My favorite radio is the bitx 20. In an effort to inspire me to obtain my General liscense the building of the kit brought it all together for me.
I have an old Yasu FRG-7700 that was my dad’s. I had to do a little cleaning inside and out but it’s reliable and fun to use.
I also have a Uniden Bearcat 246 scanner for local stuff.
Retired now, going to play a few antenna options for both.
They are tanks, and I have repaired my 2 202’s and the 404 that I have. The 242 need a bit of help on the microphone cable, I’ll get it done at some point!
My favorite radio is still the HTX-202, I’d say the whole HTX line but that is not a single radio.
Currently my most favorite radio is the RSP1a from SDRPlay. This is an amazing radio covering almost the entire spectrum. Prior to that it was the DX-440 from Realistic. And the radio that started it all was the Hallicrafters S 38-D which sadly does not work very well any longer.
Wow, I see a lot of replies. The book has be really valuable! I like the IC-7300 the most. Only experienced it once when contesting with a few friends. I do not own the radio but hope to buy one when I saved enough money. 73, Bas
I love my Tecsun PL880. As a disabled veteran, I cant afford to visit all the places I pick up on my radio, but I get an insight into other parts of the world via sound, my imagination fills in for the visuals.
The radio has a wonderful sound and enough battery capacity to make listening anywhere easy without mains power.
Choosing a favourite radio feels like picking a favourite friend.
I love my IC-7200 for its great ergonomics, tuning dial and performance, but its size and weight confine it to my RF noise ridden neighbourhood. I also like my CommRadio CR1a for its compact footprint, and so it’s my going-on-holiday radio – not perfect, but still a favourite.
Mark
I own Tecsun PL310, I like it because it’s compact size, light weigh, and with that price, I got good receiver.
Hi, just adding my entry for the chance to win the fabulous Joe Carr’s Loop Antenna Hanbook. While I’m here, I’d like to add that my favourite radio is the Yaesu FRG-100. I bought it new in 1999, costing £400 and it’s pristine. All I’ve ever had to do is change the backup battery once (a couple of months ago). Looking online, it’s going for what I bought it new! What I love most about it is that it’s simple to use without being a simple radio. It has a lot of features under the hood that make it a solid performer. In a world of DSP chips and a million memory channels, there’s nothing to beat simple, well thought out design. Just sayin’
My favourite ? Well from starting with a Codar SW receiver with preselector through various rigs I must say my Tecsun PL660 comes out as my favourite . Mainly its a take anywhere portable with good sensitivity and a good ssb . I would recommend it alone on its portability and quality .
I started SWling just a few months ago and for now my favorite radio is the Tecsun PT310ET. It’s small and can be carried anywhere in my messenger bag, and I love the ETM function that easily scans the bands and finds stations in a short time.
Greetings from Italy!
Davide
My favorite radio is the Tecsun PL-660 as it is a quality performer in a size that is good both for home or while traveling.
In 1968 I was a graduate student in physics and my interest in SWL’ing was reawakened after joining NASWA. I found, in a small radio shop in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia (probably Jenkintown), an absolutely pristine Hammarlund HQ-140X receiver for $140, a small fortune on my university fellowship. Using this HQ-140X I logged over 100 countries in the 1968-1969 period from a small apartment on North Broad St with a slightly illegal 50 foot enameled copper wire antenna from the top of my sliding glass door to a 25 foot tall tree in our courtyard. Once the HQ-140 warmed up it was rock stable and the frequency readouts were pretty close to the actual frequencies of the SW stations I was listening to. This HQ-140 had good sensitivity and very good audio. Two of my favorite catches were the Windward Islands Broadcasting Services on 5.010 Mhz and Radio Tahiti on 11.825 MHz at around 0200 Hrs local time. I sold the HQ-140 to obtain funds to buy and build a Heathkit SB-310. I enjoyed the SB-310, but soon really regretted getting rid of my classic HQ-140X .
I love my Panasonic RF-2200. I love how I don’t have to have a huge, thick book to navigate monster menu trees to work it, just the knobs and dials and a small instruction manual if you forget. And all these years later it still performs like new.
My favorite portable is a Radio Shack DX-398. It’s the same as a Sangen model I believe.
In the shack it’s an Icom R75 for me. What a great radio it’s been.
What a great hobby we have!
Only been in the hobby a couple of years. What got me into it was building a crystal radio, trying to see what stations I could pick up, and verifying them on a radio with a more readable dial. At odd times of the day, Brother Stair would creep into the signals, sometimes taking up half the tuneable range. Couldn’t find this station on a regular AM radio. After some research, I found out, studied up on shortwave and was hooked. My first SW radio was one I built, plus or minus some parts on a schematic and pretty easy to follow hack someone did on an old radio shack kit…a 3 transistor regen. It was a lot of fun making different coils for it, seeing what frequencies I could take it to and got a great satisfaction from the fact this radio needed to be controlled. The pops, hisses, and squeals before finally pulling a station out; you’re really working for it all. Really makes me want to build another regen. I hook it up to a speaker a lot when I’m grilling outside, something extra to play with.
Then I got a Tecsun PL-880. The speaker on that thing really sounds great. It’s a great general purpose radio. I listen to a lot of talk radio, occasional AM DX, often SWL. For all of that, it’s ready to go with no prep work. I then got a RTL-SDR, which, as promised, is endless fun. I’ve got that hooked up through an upconverter. When I’m in the mood to actually listen to a broadcast though, I find what I do if I’m undecided what it is I’ll be listening to, or don’t know yet…its soooo much faster to check the waterfalls of all the bands than just scan on the Tecsun, or scroll through your memories. My computer soundcard and speakers aren’t that great anyway. So they have a hand in hand relationship. Needless to say, I’ve got wires everywhere.
My first team favorite goes to all the time is the Tecsun PL-880.
My second team favorite is the sdr; I’m more blown away by this thing than anything.
Honorable mention to my sentimental favorite, the one I built.
Hands down, it’s the Tecsun PL-660. Starting in 2011, this is the radio that first helped me get acquainted with the HF bands. It also opened up MW DXing and it’s a decent broadcast FM receiver to boot. After listening to some local 80 meter rag-chews, the 660 coaxed me into getting my ham license. That first camping trip with the PL-660, sitting in a tent in RFI-quiet woods and dialing around just to see what I could find hooked me on this hobby.
Since then I’ve gone a lot farther than the PL-660 could take me, but having worn out the first one, I still keep a newer one around for general listening. Plugged into the stereo’s tuner input, it’s a front row seat at the Grand Ole Opry via WSM 650 AM – and many other good things as well.
It has to be a YAESU FRG-7! Some of today’s radios may be better, but the FRG was a steam locomotive. All the controls were just in front of you. The glow of the dial and preselector, as you passed through the bands, just made the atmosphere. With a good dipole, the reception was excellent. Many hours of great swling.
Since 1980s I was SWL and my favourite radios were Sony. In 2005, I became ham and my first HF was JRC Transceiver. That was solid radio. It was in my shack for more than 5 years. Perfect Rx and audio. Experimented with several dipole and vertical antenna. Once for short duration also used square wire loop antenna and made several QSOs in Europe. All this between the yeras 2006 and 2011. 73, VU2OEC, Rajesh Chandwani
My favorite shortwave radio was the Kenwood R-5000, bought in November 1988, sold it mid 1996. Great for listening to all the international news coming out at that (that was when lots of nations were still broadcasting, I remember listening to Kol Israel with their Scud missile warnings during the ’91 Gulf war). Wish I had hung onto it
My favorite radio is my Tecsun PL-660. I get great shortwave reception with its antenna, while relaxing in my recliner… low-impact DXing!
My favorite radio was Drake SPRy, & a RS SX190. Now I have a Sangean ATS 818, RS 398 & my latest & now favorite a Sangean ATS 909X. I have multiband Inverted V multiband shortwave antenna, crane twin ferret bar antenna, AM loops.
Eton Grundig Traveler III. Love the leather cover as it adds a layer of class to the appearance of the radio but the reception is what gets me. It seems to be able to pull in lots of SW on just it’s little whip. FM RDS is a major plus for me – I often want to know the song and artist that is playing.
I love it and it’s dying. I have an old ICOM R71 that is on its last legs. While it’s an ancient radio, it seems to pick up more signals than any other radio I own, including my Kenwood 440S transceiver and my Alinco DX-R8 receiver.
I’ve had dozens of radios over the years, some very expensive and some inexpensive. My favorite is the Bearcat DX-1000 for a few reasons. First off, it just looks so cool! It can operate as a tabletop with a coax connector for a decent antenna but also as a portable using D cell batteries and a whip or wire. It will honestly tune down to 10 herz to monitor those submarine signals from all over the world. What I like best is that it always had a bad reputation as a poor performer but when I discovered what it’s capable of, nothing could be further from the truth! You just have to actually use it and learn it’s strengths. Below 2 MHz it’s amazing in sensitivity, and above that it’s terrific on SSB/ECSS. It’s not perfect, a tuned antenna is an advantage, but it’s my go to receiver over many others here.
ETON E1
Elad FDM-S2. The reason? Record huge spectrum slices is wonderful, specially during good propagation conditions during a dxcamp with antennas like beverage or K9AY. The problem is listen to everything…
Model: RA-6 Kit – EICO Electronic Instrument Co. 1960’s AM transistor radio. I built this with my dad in 1961. The transistors plugged into transistor sockets like little tubes. I was 9. It was magic! All radios since (and there are many) have been to try and recapture that magic. Found one of these and restored it. Still unplugging and plugging transistors for fun.
The C Crane Skywave SSB is my favorite. Fits in my pocket, takes 2 AAs, SSB, and gets great reception. What’s not to love about it?
A very good source of helpful information for anyone interested in loop antennas.
(Don’t add me to the give away as I already have a well worn copy.)
Elecraft K3 is my favorite radio. It is very sensitive and has great selectivity. With dual receivers built in it becomes even more versatile.
I use the radio for ham radio operation as well as shortwave listening.
my favourite radio was an R1155 (LANCASTER BOMBER SET) it was my first introduction to SWL’ING back in the early 1960’s great memories of discovering the world through radio!!!
For a looong time I used a Sony ICF 7600D. After several 100.000 km and more than 10 years it reached the end of its useful life: The keyboard could be cleaned, but slowly it got unrelyable. No bad feelings here: I carried it around in my coat pocket, on many trains and in other hostile enviromnets.
Then I used a Sangean ATS 909 that proved to be a little to big and heavy for my usage.
When I am at home, I use two receivers: A Yaesu FT-817, mostly for 2m FM. And an SDRplay RSP1 at an active antenna some 10 m from the house.
But the most usage I get from the Yaesu FT-857D in my car. Mobile SW antennas are extremely narrow, so I can only listen to broadcasting bands near the ham radio bands. 49 m is none of these, but for example 41 m is. But at present, SW reception is extremely poor.
The RSP1 would be a fine mobile receiver if I could operate it there. For example the FM band is extremely crowded here in Germany. But if you narrow the used bandwidth below of what typical FM receivers use, you can listen to quite some “DX”. At 100 or even 80 kHz bandwidth, you should not expect full stereo Hifi. But where normally two local stations overlap, you suddenly hear completely different stations.
I have been a BCB DXer for sixty years. I have used a variety of receivers, but two stand out. For sensitivity on the BCB, nothing worked better for me than a Hammarlund HQ-180AC. With it and a good loop antenna, I was able to verify all 50 states and some 50 countries on the BCB from my QTH back in the Midwest. Interestingly for selectivity, I have had a lot of success from my Drake SW8. I can get right next to high power locals (i.e. KUAZ-1550 with 50 kW five miles away and KVOI-1030 with 10 kW four miles away) and switch the SW8 mode to either USB or LSB and hear pretty well stations that are on those adjacent channels. Plus, it works reasonably well for FM DXing.
ICOM IC-R8600: The best receiver I have ever used in my 55 years in the radio hobby (and I have used a lot of different receivers in the past 55 years)!
Favorite radio so far Radio Shack HTX 202. It was the first radio I bought after I got my license in ’91. I like the simplicity of tuning. Full 5 watts power. Was able work all local repeaters. It even survived falls from the top of my vehicle.
Back in the early 90s, when I first got into the hobby seriously, my favorite was a old Hallicrafters S-38E. I still remember listening to Gulf War news on the English service of Radio Moscow.
I’ve recently gotten back into the hobby and my current favorite is a Grundig G8 World Traveller that I picked up cheap on eBay as it was missing the antenna. I have also dusted off my DX-375 that I bought back when they were being closed out and am rekindling my love for it.
My most favorite radio is the PL-880, because it’s a good portable radio that does not require any AA batteries, and it works great on the short wave, medium wave, and FM bands, and sometimes on the long wave bands when used with a tunable loop antenna for the long wave band coupled to the radio receiver.. It has various bandwidth filte from 0.1 kHz to 9 kHz which is good for copying CW, SSB, AM broadcast transmissions, and AM Sync for capturing weak signals, and it’s a good radio for ham radio and short wave broadcast monitoring. It works great with any active or passive short wave antenna using the external antenna jack. It works great on the FM broadcast band for weak signal DXing during the Sporadic and Tropo season, and it’s all controlled by a DSP chipset.
Among my three portable radios XHData D-808 is the winner for most of my listening at home: it has the best audio quality among the three and good reception on FM, MW and SW. However, Tecsun PL-606 is the winner for listening distant weak signal FM stations and it is also the best radio for walks because of its small size. Even my third portable TEC 227 TR is my favorite for special situations. This radio is the winner for listening foreign language talk programs and difficult accents due to the radios better audio clarity compared to the other two. It is also currently my only radio which has acceptable LW sensitivity even though it has only a miniscule LW antenna.
My favorite radio is the Tecsun PL-600. It’s the first SW Radio I’ve had. It’s the one I’ve discovered the different aspects of SWLing with. From different state radio of the world to number station, from ham radio to volmets, it was this radio I used when first listening to all of this. Plus, it’s a present from my girlfriend, making it even more precious. I love this radio, I’m using it as much as possible and it never cease to amaze me, when portable or indoor, with its whip or with a long wire antenna, I always discover something new when using it.
In my shack I have BITX40 TRANSCEIVER..
It is cheapest with QRP power output.
The good part is the quality of sound is quite good for ssb .
My hands down favorite is my Sony 2010. It has stood the test of time, and I am fortunate that mine still works as it did when it came out of the box – the lamp didn’t work well then either ! My second long gone favorite was an antique Zenith console, one with a tuning ‘eye’. I cut my SWL teeth on that with CFCX, I believe,my first ”DX”
I just built a loop out of 1/4 inch copper tubing. yay me
I would have to go with my SDR Play RSP2. Why? Versatility. It may not be the master of any one thing but it’s capable of doing a lot and the software just keeps getting better. It’s almost like getting a new radio any time new software comes out.
Dear radio friend,
Thanks for the opportunity! The SW powerhouses have shut down one by one, the bands are mostly jostling with one big voice (need I say who?) leaving die-hard shortwave listeners and dxers (like myself) with a very limited window of opportunity for logging faint signals from dx lands operating with low power (or with reduced coverage zone). A good antenna coupled with a receiver that has good sensitivity is needed, to enjoy the hobby (and passion) called Dxing. I have a few shortwave portable receivers. My favorite radio is my Tecsun PL660. Why it’s so special to me? Well, my first SW log & confirmation from Brazil (Rádio Nacional da Amazônia), my first Volmet QSL ( Bangkok Met Radio), my first time signal station QSL (BPM), my first & only log of ABC (VL8A) Alice Springs, just days before its shutdown, DW Kigali last txn. and many firsts and lasts in terms of radio listening (and personal DX feats) all were achieved thanks to my trusted companion my Tecsun PL660.
Thanks dear friend for hosting this giveaway and giving me a chance to pen down a few words about my favorite radio. 73s
Sangean ATS 909. Easy to use, quality audio and SSB.
Right now my new fav is my Radiwow R-108 for it’s reception on SW and it’s small footprint.
My favorite is the SDR USB Dongle in combination with Ham it up -up converter.
Nice sensitivity and a built in amp for gain.
Thanks for reading. (Delaware,USA)
Elecraft KX3 is my favorite, small, can everything and superb receiver.
My prefered radio is XHDATA D808.
I heard about it from a very experienced dx-er. He said that this receptor has same or even better performance than others much more expensive.
I do recommend it for beginners.
I am now experimenting making my own antennas, and this book would be a good help.
Thanks for your blog!!!
My most favorite radio is my trusty Grundig Globe Traveler,it has taken a licking yet keeps on ticking.