New to shortwave radio

[cwilliamsws6]

Recently inherited my grandpa's RadioShack DX-394. Already have my favorite local AM radio stations programmed into the presets and I have programmed in the frequencies to CB channels 6, 9, and 19. I have all the frequencies of WRMI programmed in but so far that's all I have caught.

Does anyone know what else I might be able to pick up in Ohio?

 

[user52165]

Read up on antennas. Use a good one and you will pick up stations far outside Ohio.

 

[Nitronoise]

google search the local ham repeaters and skywarn frequencies ,,

 

[wag123]

If you have a good outside antenna, particularly one that is directional, during periods when skip is coming in (mostly at night) you can listen to radio stations from around the world. In many lessor developed countries short wave is the only kind of radio they have. Long wire antennas are simple, cheap, and work well, but you really need two of them at a right angle to each other to get directionality.

 

[super20dan]

use the schedule on the internet to see whats on at what time etc. it takes a while to learn this hobby. there is an expert on u tube who teaches novices the in and outs of this hobby. officialshortwave radio channel its called. take the radio outside and even on its whip antenna it will pick up a lot of stuff. works best at nite. I love this hobby

 

[spasm3]

As a kid i built a heathkit shortwave receiver. We were on a farm. Had about 20-30 acres of 3 strand barb wire fence. I connected all three strands together. I ran a wire from the fence to my bedroom and used the entire 30 acre fence as an antenna. Reception was great. I had no idea how dangerous it was though. I am so lucky it never got a lightening strike!!

 

[AC1DD]

Originally Posted by cwilliamsws6
Recently inherited my grandpa's RadioShack DX-394. Already have my favorite local AM radio stations programmed into the presets and I have programmed in the frequencies to CB channels 6, 9, and 19. I have all the frequencies of WRMI programmed in but so far that's all I have caught.

Does anyone know what else I might be able to pick up in Ohio?



Oh if you want to hear some interesting and hilarious chatter and characters you DEFINITELY should listen to Amateur Radio Operators.
Good frequencies are 3.860 Lower Side Band (SSB) from about 9 pm until early morning hours! Also 7.200 Lower Sideband SSB from about 11 am -3pm
also 3.822 LSB from 11 pm until 5 am...out west you might hear 3.840 LSB from 7pm until 12 am or later....

I swear some of the things you hear will be 100 times more funny than anything you'll see on TV or at the movies. Lots of interesting characters on Ham radio.


Usually for reception on those frequencies you can just use a long piece of stranded insulated copper wire (18 gauge) and string it near a window.

 

[OldSparks]

You don't even need a radio to listen to shortwave radio. Check out some of the software-defined radio sites web-SDR

 

[cwilliamsws6]

I've already came across some hilarious things on shortwave.. I have stumbled upon cult leader Brother Stair on several frequencies and he's a nutty one for sure.

I believe my DX-394 is only lower frequency shortwave, I tried programming in local repeaters and it refuses to tune that high. I tried tuning it to local weather radio 162.550 and it wouldn't go.

Also I have used the WebSDRs before and I own a few RTL-SDR dongles but ever since I got my new PC I haven't been able to get the software to work right.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted by spasm3
As a kid i built a heathkit shortwave receiver. We were on a farm. Had about 20-30 acres of 3 strand barb wire fence. I connected all three strands together. I ran a wire from the fence to my bedroom and used the entire 30 acre fence as an antenna. Reception was great. I had no idea how dangerous it was though. I am so lucky it never got a lightening strike!!


Heathkit builder here too (It dates us, for sure)! I was into both shortwave and amateur ham radio. We used to collect QSL cards from around the world. My dad was concerned that I was receiving correspondence from listening to communist Radio Cuba in 1969.

Have some fun with the radio, cwilliamsws6, especially because it was your grandpa's.

QSL cards: https://rsgb.org/main/get-started-i...ation/how-to-send-and-receive-qsl-cards/

 

[Y_K]

Broadcast is not dead yet, but nearly dead. Unless you want to listen to some fringe propaganda from Cuba or North Korea. Amateur band, as advised above can compensate for the loss and is a lot of fun.

As with Hi-Fi speakers, where room is more important, antenna is more important with SW Radio, I have witnessed tremendous results with a 1928 radio connected to a nice circuit.

73

here is something from "stuff seen" department:
============================================

AM receivers, best I ever worked with was a Collins 51-S1, from Midway Island to Oklahoma City, KOMA 1520 ON THE AM DIAL. About 4500 miles. Don;t know what radio gear the airplane had, but during Viet Nam,, at 35,000 feet with a trailing wire antenna dragging along, we received San Francisco, when Bobby Kennedy was shot. This was not SSB, but AM. About 7500 miles. Learned an early lesson, height was everything when it came to antennas. Length also helped. At Midway, we had real long wire antennas, than ran from the ops hanger to a real far off water tower. Used for contacting DEW line aircraft all over the Pacific. After that, it was all downhill on antenna designs.

 

[FADEC]

Originally Posted by OldSparks
You don't even need a radio to listen to shortwave radio. Check out some of the software-defined radio sites web-SDR

How do you get that web site to work? I tried several links and all I could hear was static.

 

[AC1DD]

Originally Posted by FADEC
Originally Posted by OldSparks
You don't even need a radio to listen to shortwave radio. Check out some of the software-defined radio sites web-SDR

How do you get that web site to work? I tried several links and all I could hear was static.


If you are using Chrome, or Opera, there is an issue with some kind of security feature....My suggestion is to use IE or Edge, but I have been able to get Chrome and Opera to deliver activity...

Important to know that the lower bands will work well after dark while higher bands work better after dawn/daylight...

Use frequencies of 7.000 Mhz and above after dawn but before use 5.000 and below after dark/dusk.