{"id":9815,"date":"2014-06-02T08:07:44","date_gmt":"2014-06-02T12:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=9815"},"modified":"2020-06-13T07:40:30","modified_gmt":"2020-06-13T11:40:30","slug":"the-best-general-coverage-transceivers-for-shortwave-listening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/the-best-general-coverage-transceivers-for-shortwave-listening\/","title":{"rendered":"The best general coverage transceivers for shortwave listening"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

\n
\"Icom-IC7200\"<\/a>

The Icom IC-7200 has an excellent general coverage receiver<\/p><\/div>\n

Like many amateur radio operators, I became interested in HF radio because of my real passion for shortwave radio listening. During my first fifteen years as an SWL, I relied on portable receivers, in my case, the Zenith Transoceanic<\/em>, Realistic DX-440<\/em>, and Grundig YB 400.<\/em> The Zenith was my home radio; I traveled with the DX-440 and YB400. I felt like I had the world at my fingertips.<\/p>\n

In the mid 1990s, as an undergraduate, I decided that I would pursue my ham radio license–while on my student budget, I dreamed about upgrading to a proper tabletop receiver like a Kenwood<\/em>, Icom<\/em>, JRC<\/em> or Drake<\/em>. But when I found out the real cost of buying an HF transceiver (gasp!) I realized that all of my resources would go into a transceiver, and the receiver would just have to wait.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Icom IC-735 general coverage transceiver<\/p><\/div>\n

Then, as I was studying for my license in 1997, ham buddy Eric McFadden (WD8RIF)<\/a> invited me over to his house to test drive his Icom IC-735<\/em> transceiver. Eric, along with another friend\/elmer, Mike (K8RAT) encouraged me to look for a used IC-735<\/a> for an affordable first HF radio.<\/p>\n

I recall very well tuning around the ham bands at Eric\u2019s QTH and being most impressed with how the IC-735 seemed to pull signals out of the static. It was my first time ever tuning a tabletop rig, and I was instantly hooked. Later, I asked Eric if the \u2019735 could also tune in shortwave radio broadcasters? His energetic response: \u201cSure! The \u2018735 is general coverage,\u201d then demonstrated by tuning to the 31M band.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, I was absolutely amazed by the number of stations one could hear on this ham radio transceiver. Of course, its sensitivity surpassed anything I had ever owned, especially considering that the rig was hooked up to a proper outdoor wire antenna. I realized then that a ham radio transceiver and receiver\u2013in the same radio\u2013were within my financial grasp.<\/p>\n

So, what is \u201cgeneral coverage\u201d\u2013\u2013?<\/h2>\n

A ham transceiver with \u201cgeneral coverage\u201d means that the receiver portion of the radio is not limited to the ham bands only; these receivers typically receive between 100 kHz and 30 MHz (i.e., the full medium and shortwave radio spectrum). Many transceivers, starting in the 1980s, employed a general coverage design as a feature of the radio. Some radios implemented general coverage receiving better than others. In most cases, there was a compromise to performance when the receiver was opened to general coverage reception, so many manufactures held to a ham-band-only platform to optimize performance where hams sought it most. Today, receiver architecture can better accommodate general coverage without compromising sensitivity and selectivity on the ham bands.<\/p>\n

Still, in 1997, my Icom IC-735 met all of my ham radio and SWLing expectations. For years, in fact, it was my main SWLing rig. Was the IC-735 as good as a proper tabletop receiver? No. The truth is that its filters and performance were most favorable for the ham radio bands. But as I mentioned, this compromise is much less profound in current transceiver design, and general coverage is status quo.<\/p>\n

Benefits of general coverage<\/h2>\n
\"Apps<\/a>

Apps like Amateur Radio Exam Prep make exam practice easy and convenient<\/p><\/div>\n

While the benefit of having a transceiver that can tune the full broadcast band may seem obvious, there are two reasons I always have at least one general coverage transceiver in my radio arsenal:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Since I like to travel and save space, a small general coverage transceiver (e.g., the Elecraft KX3<\/a>) kills two birds with one (portable) stone;<\/li>\n
  2. If an emergency, such as a dire weather event were to occur, general coverage will allow me the ability to monitor international broadcasters and local AM (mediumwave) stations while still performing any emcomm (emergency communications) duties.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Another advantage to owning a proper HF transceiver is that, if you currently do not hold an amateur radio license, this may just be the push you need to get your ticket<\/a>! All you\u2019ll need to do is take two multiple choice tests (Technician<\/em> and General<\/em>) to unlock the full potential of your HF transceiver, and you\u2019ll soon enjoy hamming it up with the rest of us.<\/p>\n

    Cons of general coverage<\/h2>\n

    As I mentioned, general coverage transceivers can present something of a compromise in performance; after all, the rig\u2019s main duty is to perform on the ham bands. Here are a few compromises to be aware of:<\/p>\n