Shortwave

Any of you derelicts still have shortwave receivers?

Born in 65, as a teen on the weekends I used to love picking up shortwave on an old tube type Hallicrafter? It was really interesting listening to Radio Free America, Radio Moscow, and Radio Beijing as well as a multitude of other signals from the world.

For any reader of this post with technical competence, they would understand why a teenager in school could not really do it on the weekdays.

That’s probably what led to my wanderlust for world travel. Also built several crystal radios from scratch.

Got my HAM many years ago and learned Morse. Probably a little rusty now. Is that even still a thing?

I have a Panasonic Boombox that has AM / FM Shortwave 1 & Shortwave 2 on it works great it must be 50 years old now. It's my SHTF go to radio.

I have a Grundig YB. I listen to it occasionally.

I have an older ARS Allied SX-190 receiver.

I also have a Ham Amateur Extra license. KJ5BZT

Cool to see some hams on here. My dad was a ham and growing up I would listen to his sw radio with him. I have some ham equipment but not my license, yet. It is a hobby that is on the decline.

Former ham here. I let mine go when they came up with the no Morse code required license. That lowered the bar of entry too far IMO. I built a lot of my own antennas. Used to love sitting in a dark room with only the glow of panel lights on the radio and hear the static crashes on low bands. It was like I was plugged into Mother Earth and listening to her language. And there were the numbers broadcasts and the infamous Russian woodpecker.

I still have a working 1932 GE console radio passed down to me. Crazy hearing modern music coming out of that old thing.

I have an old Radio Shack am/fm/sw I listen to from time to time.

Dad was in signal corps in Korea and bright the radio bug home with him. He had a short wave receiver I enjoyed listening to so he bought me a little Heath Kit sw radio that I put together. Still have that thing some where. Later in life I got my ham license and while not active now I keep my General license up to date.

My shortwave is just a receiver but I keep kicking around the idea of a transmitter.

Had a Hallicrafters as a kid. Don't recall what might have happened to it but wish I still had it...the chassis would give you a healthy shock if you touched anything but the knobs/switches Participated in the CB craze of the '70's.

Some volunteer work got me back into radio comms several years ago and reignited the interest.

Yes, code is still a thing.

KG5UOR

That might be fun for your nocturnal activities as you can talk a long way at night.

Not much into radio, but have had a Baofeng BF-F8HP for awhile. Can't hear much out here, but a couple police radio and one of the christian retreat organizations during the summer. Not much good for anything else. I can talk, but don't have an amateur license.

In VFO mode, enter 146.960, 147.000 or 444.400 to hear a couple of Tyler repeaters. Local HAM chatter and fairly active. Shouldn't be a problem hearing in Lindale unless you're in a hole.

Get a Technician license (it's easy) and jump in.

Decent video on programming channels if you care to. Your F8HP works just like the UV5R in the video.

Hey appreciate that, thanks. I might be in a hole. I'm west side of 69 close to Van, but closer to Mineola than Lindale. Out in the country. I know there's a repeater on one of the higher elevations near 20.

Pardon my ignorance on this subject, but what is the benefit of having a HAM license today?

The benefit is the ability to legally (per the FCC, a congressionally instituted department run by unelected bureaucrats) transmit rf on given ranges of radio frequencies.

In other words, a Ham license allows one to participate in the hobby of amateur radio within a certain set of parameters, and do more than simply listen. Kinda' like a hunting/fishing license allows us to pursue those things.

breaker breaker 1-9

Couple I’m familiar with include:

Technical hobby
Communications in disasters
Skywarn spotters