Ham would be nice but that is way out of my budget. Next idea is shortwave, but I do not know how shortwave radio fits into the whole emergency preparedness scenario. Anyone see a use for shortwave over ordinary radio?
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Ham would be nice but that is way out of my budget. Next idea is shortwave, but I do not know how shortwave radio fits into the whole emergency preparedness scenario. Anyone see a use for shortwave over ordinary radio?
Shortwave provides you the opportunity to listen to broadcasts world wide under the right conditions. If you think something apocalyptic were going to occur then it is entirely possible that individual operators might still be broadcasting long after commercial radio has gone belly up. Whether there is a use for it depends on what you prep for and/or what you are interested in.
When I was in college, a class I was taking on Signals Intelligence had us monitor shortwave radio transmissions online. Here is one of the pages. It was pretty cool to listen to some of the worldwide transmissions.
http://www.globaltuners.com/
Radios are cool......just remember that anything you broadcast can be picked up by others....if you care about that.
Funny this is, cell phones have pretty well made the little hand held radios kinda obsolete, in a lot of applications....and they are private......even texting (don't like it).
Ham radio is fun.....haven't done it in a long time.
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Originally Posted by Hunter
Yeah, sure they are. No telephone conversation is private. There are any number of technicians that might be monitoring your call. And that's just within the phone company.
Yeah you are correct....but still a bunch more private than a open channel radio.
I'm just saying that the use of the small Talkabouts are down, at least in my group....and theses remind me of the old CB and 2 meter hand-helds that amateurs could use with out a full license.
Short wave gives a decided advantage on communication in most all conditions, coupled with the fact that most radios, know how to build repair and protect their equipment.....so remote cabins, boats, even air travel make use of different radio types and channels.
Shortwave is very useful, but go with HF ham frequencies. You can get into it cheaper than you think if you learn what to look for and shop around for good used equipment. I've been a licensed ham since 1995 and have worked the world with a very modest station and a wire antenna ! These days you don't have to learn Morse code to get a license either but I do recommend learning it because you can communicate with Morse code when other modes don't work and do it with very little power. I have a complete Morse code station that will fit in a coat pocket that runs about 2 watts out and have talked to folks all over the world with it !
I used to be pretty good at code....had a little 5 watt crystal 80 meter home made transmitter, long wire antenna, could talk to Israel in 1963 shooting skip......but couldn't get the math teacher at my high school 8 blocks away.
I built a little 6V6 tube transmitter a few years back that ran about 4 watts out on 40 & 80 meters and used it with a Hallicrafters receiver - boy was that a fun little rig. But now I'm into the pocket sized solid state QRP rigs that run a couple of watts out, and I've got seperate rigs for 20, 30, & 40 meters. With those little rigs I can toss a wire antenna up into the trees at camp and run them on AA batteries and work the world from anywhere !Quote:
Originally Posted by hunter63
For those that are interested, you can build a simple crystal radio with household items that require no power to run except that supplied by the radio waves themselves. In WWII they were called Foxhole Radios and the guys built them with lead pencils and razors blades. Probably the hardest thing to acquire today is the crystal or ceramic earphone but you can find them on the internet. Modern earphones/earbuds will not work. You can substitute more modern electronics such as a germanium diode for some of the items such as the razor blade. If you are interested in an authentic version here are some plans.
http://www.43scout.org/wordpress/wp-...hole_radio.pdf
And plans for a slightly more up to date version.
http://crystalradio.net/beginners2/index.shtml
these are receive only of course. You can not transmit on them.
There is a kit made by Slinky for kids that they can build a crystall radio. I bought one for my scout to work on this summer. I'll let you know how it goes.
Red
I had one years ago....and had a lead mounted "crystal" kicking around in the juck box for a long time....haven't seen it for a while.
I very much doubt that I'd believe a word anyone said on it. i certainly dont believe regular radio or tv.
I guess I don't get what you are saying......?Quote:
Originally Posted by diddap
I was reading thru this again....and I do remember the 6V6 transmitters....pretty sure that rocked a memory on my small basement unit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lamewolf
I've never been liscened but dabbled in a little radio when I was a teen. It was a cool thing at the time but was very handy, everybody wanted the biggest radio. lol I still have a couple radios one of which can get ham freqs. The other only does upper and lower sideband and am. I often think about cobbeling together a home base station just for giggles! Anybody got a power mic for a president 2510?
Third attempt at a post. No URLs or bad words this time either.
I give up. This crazy forum doesn't like commonly used words or something.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lifer Prepper
It's the forum software. It does not allow you to post links until you have at least 10 posts. I know it's a PITA, but the trade off is that it keeps most spammers at bay.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lifer Prepper
SWL used to be a big hobby... long ago. Now enternets and cell phones have robbed the youth of the spark and miracle of RF. These hobbies are "dieing out" due to lack of interest, and thats a good indication of the dumbing down of Merica.
Anywho... My best advice is, if you want to listen to SW, take at least 50 feet of wire, any wire... throw it up in the trees and put an alligator clip on the end to clip to your telescoping antenna. Otherwise, you will NEVER hear SQUAT. Because this is an RX (receive) only antenna, it does NOT need to be resonant length... in the case of RX, the more the better.
I feel really sorry for those that get the SW radios and fail to hear something and sum it up thats its a piece of junk, when the designers should have included a long hank of wire INSTEAD of a telescoping antenna.
The telescoping antenna is only good for local AM and FM stations.
They are not made anymore, but the Radio Shack DX-394 is a GREAT receiver!
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...tegory=0&page=
http://www.ebay.com/sch/?_nkw=dx394&...d=688193887273
I regret selling mine, Ill have to get another!
HTH,
EB