{"id":9469,"date":"2014-05-03T08:50:51","date_gmt":"2014-05-03T12:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=9469"},"modified":"2020-09-10T11:15:40","modified_gmt":"2020-09-10T15:15:40","slug":"frugal-swling-investing-little-but-getting-a-lot-out-of-your-radio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/frugal-swling-investing-little-but-getting-a-lot-out-of-your-radio\/","title":{"rendered":"Frugal SWLing: Investing little, but getting a lot out of your radio"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article originally appeared in the April 2014 issue of\u00a0The Spectrum Monitor Magazine<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"RadioDial\"<\/a>Let\u2019s face it: SWLers and amateur radio operators are some of the most frugal hobbyists out there. \u00a0But the good news is that radio is a hobby that favors the frugal. \u00a0There are many practical and time-tested ways to make radio listening fun and effective\u2013such as improving your shortwave radio reception\u2013that are absolutely free, or that cost very little.<\/p>\n

And how do I know this? \u00a0Among the frugal, I\u2019m <\/i>the most frugal SWLer I know! Yet there\u2019s a method to my frugal madness: \u00a0because I simply can\u2019t afford to waste hard-earned radio money on gadgets and accessories that are ineffective, I count my pennies in order to make quality purchases with longevity in mind. \u00a0Meanwhile, I track down ways to keep my hobby cost-effective.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve gathered here some of my favorite frugal tips and quality purchase suggestions here.<\/i> So, without further delay, let\u2019s start SWLing\u2013and<\/i> saving money.<\/p>\n

1. Check your shack\/home for RFI. <\/b>Cost: Free<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n

Checking your shack for RFI is vitally important, a procedure every radio listener or operator should undertake.<\/p>\n

The truth is, very few of us regularly experience ideal conditions for HF or AM radio listening. Devices like plasma TVs, laptop power supplies, and the ubiquitous AC adapter inject distracting noise into our otherwise peaceful environs, disrupting our hobby. This noise is known as RFI (Radio Frequency Interference).<\/p>\n

\"These<\/a>

These “wall wart” type adapters can create a lot of RFI<\/p><\/div>\n

A number of times, I\u2019ve received a message from one of my readers on the SWLing Post<\/em> claiming that their new shortwave radio can \u201conly\u201d hear strong, blowtorch stations. My simple advice? Put batteries in your radio, turn it on to an unoccupied frequency in your favorite shortwave meter band, go to your circuit breaker box, and turn off everything in your house<\/i>. (Warning: Do warn your housemates beforehand, to avoid any loud protestation! And do reset your clocks and check your refrigerator\/freezer after this test.)<\/p>\n

Did the noise level on your radio decrease? If the decrease coincided with the power cut, then one or more electronic devices in your house are generating RFI. RFI often sounds like static\u2013very loud<\/i> static\u2013and is often so wide in bandwidth that it can cover several megahertz. RFI can overwhelm your portable radio and basically \u201cdeafen\u201d it to anything but the loudest stations that break through the elevated noise floor.<\/p>\n

Next comes the process of elimination: systematically turn on circuit breakers until you hear the noise return. If you\u2019re fortunate enough to have accurately-labeled circuit breakers, you will at least know what area in your house holds the infamous disruptive device. Here\u2019s a short list of the usual RFI culprits:<\/p>\n