There seems to be a lot of (deleted now) responses to my views, don’t take them so literally and chill…..I don’t dislike SDR’s but this time I get I prefer to only listen within the space of my cabin. Thankyou wonderful people who have subscribed and comment in a positive way!
There is the same sort of nostalgia associated with old radios as there is with antique cars. There's a reason Steampunk is popular. My best radio fun was when I was 10, and knew nothing about RF, but had traded my bicycle for a 2 transistor radio at the dawn of the transistor age, and I wrapped a long piece of wire around its ferrite bar antenna and listened to AM radio stations from 1000 miles away. I even heard one in French from Quebec, and a couple in Spanish from Mexico. It was the first time in my life I'd ever heard people speaking and singingsongs in a foreign language as an ongoing practice, and I found it fascinating that while I couldn't understand the words, I could understand the feeling and the meaning. I'd love to be somewhere like your location with your little cabin, huge area to put up antennas, and such a low noise floor. I miss the smell of dust slowly cooking on hot tubes, the yellow glow of the little incandescent dial and meter lights, and the big, booming, paper-coned speakers. That sound is good for the soul. Now I'm in a first-floor apartment on an alley downtown in a city, with heavy AC power-lines and transformers loaded on a pole 5 feet away from my living-room window. My S-meter hovers around S-8 with RF hash, and goes higher with regularity. I live less than 70 miles from WWV in Colorado, USA but can only hear it intermittently and only on a couple of its various frequencies. I'm building a high-Q, small mag-loop antenna I can both rotate and lean, along with a tunable preamp to run with an SDR and digital narrow-band noise reduction filters, going as high-tech as I can in the hopes of improving radio reception, or even just hearing something. No nostalgic radio for me for a while till I move away from here. Enjoy your quiet little cabin with its window on the world. It sounds like Heaven to me.
Matt, I've been a SWL since the age of five and a ham since adulthood, (many decades now - where does the time go?) and I agree with you. I do have a couple SDRs, including the RTL, and they do have their uses, but for enjoyment I still prefer my older rigs. If you look at the specs, you will not find much difference between old and new. The newer ones are (slightly) more selective, but the sensitivity is about the same. BTW, if you get a chance, try a regen receiver. Signals POP out of an almost noiseless background.
@@mikesmith-po8nd, yep on the regens. But there are good ones and bad ones. You want to get one (or build one) with good control of the feedback. Some are so touchy that by the time you hear anything it goes into oscillation.
My mum brought a diode that she took from the factory. Then I started yellow brick road of radio. ..building radios from diagrams on service books. And making my own antennas. Even carried my hobby through my 20 year army tenure. And 30 years of marriage and burying my wife and child. At 73 still listening.😊😊😊😊 Hang in there.
I was naughty when I was young and built push-pull FM transmitters on bread boards 😆🙈 I went to school listening to my own FM radio station it had a 2 mile radius 🙈
@@MattinLapland the TV factory said no radios. So took old ear phones from the funeral home and put tiny tuner in them so when the basket ball games came i sold them all hi hi. And when the mayor and her Gestapo came closed down our partys. I issued tiny receiver. And head phones we danced and ate in total quiet. The judge laffed her out of court...yes radio folks can be tricky hi hi PS" hi hi" is a telegraph laff enjoy.
When I was 13 back in 1963 I was given an old Hallicrafters SX-25 SW tube receiver. I cut down 3 saplings from the woods, dragged them back to the house, dug a hole by my bedroom window, and one outside our mowed yard to the north, and one to the east, and ran a N-S and an E-W, wire antenna and I listened to that radio with the golden tube sound every day till I left for college. I heard all sorts of exotic music and world news I never knew existed. It would come in for a few minutes then fade out and something else would fade in. From hams to Radio Moscow I never knew what to expect. I heard everything from everywhere. Though I was just a farm kid in rural Michigan After a couple of years I could easily discuss the subtle politics and economies of a dozen nations from around the world. I was a world traveler via radio by the time I left for college. Old radios are magic.
When I was young I delivered newspapers and saved my money. When I was 13 I bought a used Hallicrafters S-38E. I listened to everything on that radio. Now I'm 70 and I still use an old CB radio and I recently got a Yaesu FT-707 for very little money. I'm almost ready to take the test for a ham license. Oh, and I made the antenna from stuff I already had. I think this is what makes it interesting. And I have never heard any station that far away on MW. Very good!
I love old radio equipment from the 70s early 80s, the style, the build quality. My grandfather used to own Grundig radios, I remember as a child the sound that came from his radio a warm rich sound I now have one of my own in my collection The Grundig Transistor 865. I understand everything you said thank you
I have two vintage desktop receivers. These radios have stood the test of time. Theres just something about them, I was a farm boy in the 60s. My radio was a Transoceanic 2000. I traveled the world through that radio. I learned of different cultures, music, food. It sparked a lifelong interest in me not only for radios but to travel the world. In my adult life I did just that. My dream came true, this how I ended up in Europe. All because the first broadcast I heard was Radio Free Europe and the song "Downtown" by Patula Clark. Keep your SDRs and all those SMTs mini tin pan sounding junk. Thank you for the video, 73s Brian, Adelsheim Germany
A lot of us who were brought up in the age of shortwave radio learnt lots about the world. It also shaped my life as I moved away from my country of birth. Back in 1987 when the great storms hit the UK I was in Köln and I heard what had happened as I could receive some English stations on MW in Germany. Radio was a great companion. My favourite radio program was ‘Sweden calling DX-ers’ from Radio Sweden. Walking as a child from school I had a portable radio and in the winter could get radio Sweden on the way home in the early evening. The interval tune is etched into memory with fond regard. So sad that it’s no longer there on 1179 kHz. Enjoy listening!
I used a transistor radio as a child in Kansas to listen to Wolfman Jack from Mexico. As an adult, I used an R 390 receiver inside a Wullenweber circular antenna. There is a warmth in the acoustics of a tube amp not found in digital. Analog circuitry is different, as much as film is not a digital sensor.
Nothing modern has that Wonderful full warm sound of a tube! Not seen it or heard it from anything modern and believe I never will, not in this lifetime. Vacuum tubes, or valves have something of a soul, they bring out a sound that is just hard to explain to those who have their heads stuck in the sand. I have a room full of Analog gear and SDR stuff, but none of the SDR stuff has that truly unique sound of the Analog equipment. Something to note, as a hobby, I started doing repairs on radios, tube amps as a kid. I learned some electronics and I see radios built in the 1950's still being used by 100's of people. Even older sets ranging way back into the 1920's are brought out. Betcha apples and oranges unless something changes in build quality today, these great SDR's will not be repaired in homes and by regular folks. Now the greed level is so bad they will not even provide schematics! I saw a recent SDR and the chips had the ID's removed so even if you had any chance of repairing it, the part can't be had. LONG LIVE VACUUM TUBES AND ANALOG GEAR!
My translation of this radio clip: December, 1927. Guo Tianmin participated in the Guangzhou Uprising along with numbers of the Huangpu army school. after being defeated they retreat to Huaxian, Guangdong. Then rest of them were merged into an army camp, Guo as a leader of it.
One of my earliest experiences the sparked an interest in ham radio was listening to distant AM radio stations on hot summer nights when it was too hot and humid to sleep.
@@london19657 I simply had to find out how a radio station in Germany and Russia could be picked up by me thousands of miles away... so I started studying engineering, physics...
Radio and reception of radio waves is a black art, been tinkering with various home made antennas for nearly 40 years and have yet to make a perfect antenna.
At age 74 I look back and realize that I was an experimental physicist at age 5, playing with magnets, staring into the swirling rainbows of oil spilled on mud-puddles, lying on the merry-go-round as it turned slowly around and I moved my finger back and forth in the dirt below, and when I got back to where I'd started I saw my first sine wave, playing with magnifying glasses, then springs and pulleys, learning about pry-bars and hammers, hatchets and such. Then bicycles, rockets, hi-fi, radio, antennas, telescopes, cars, sailboats, and computers. Physics has been my life since I was old enough to think and be fascinated with my surroundings.
It's actually very simple, why do you drive a vintage car or motorcycle, because of the feeling! that's exactly what it's all about. the charm of an old house, car, radio, bottle of wine, jukebox etc, have a nice day. Albert the Netherlands 🇳🇱📻
You expressed the pleasure of radio listening perfectly. There is a certain elegance to the shortwave receivers of the '80's and '90's that you just can't get in an SDR. I have a Kenwood R-2000 like yours and also a Yaesu FRG-7700 and an Icom R-71 and I love them all. That JRC is a beautiful piece of equipment.
Damn , I also use the exact same receivers, my Icom is a 71e model, also use an old Sanyo RP8880 receiver that could pick up practically anything on a bit of damp string, a big chunky old school set that makes the Icom look like a pocket radio.
Matt. I completely agree. There is something surreal about capturing a station ideally further the better and from a land far from your own surroundings. After 70 years I still listen for whatever crops up; sometimes a planned listen in depending on atmospherics, time etc or just turn on and see what happens. There is a magic in trying your luck and the enjoyment of older receivers is enticing. I use Kenwood R600 and 1000 together with an Icon 735 (Rx only) … fine for me. Long wire and basic dipole antennas. Yes compared to 50 years back there is less to receive, but it’s still fun. Stay listening….
I use to have a nice Kenwood R2000, sadly Hurricane Katrina got it along with most everything else... I sure miss is... Yours looks like new. Nice Video.
Agree with your point of view. As for myself I will add that I tried the SDR dongle and software ( the kind where in effect my computer is my receiver) and found that most of the time was dealing with insuring the computer was set up properly, which I am not interested in. My interest is what's on the air out there. So I got a couple of top-notch (to me) radios and am all set.
I LOVE your outlook and APPRECIATE your mindset! Something you’ve done does matter indeed. I miss the days of my favorite ambience, listening to Art Bell on shortwave and AM. You can’t put a price on that sound!
i totally get it - something about listening to music on shortwave, the fading in and out, the drifting signal, the total concentration on just the sound . I have always carried a shortwave radio with me on my travels - it can make you feel close to home or it can make you feel thousands of miles away.
Hey Matt, I am glad that you did not allow the negative comments to hijack this comment thread and the video. There is simply nothing like a good old radio, and nothing like real DXing, catching radio signals that actually travelled all around the world to your location. That is kind of the point of DXIng, in my opinion. I have only two "old" radios, my Kenwood R1000 and the Barlow Wadley, but they are very special. Tuning slowly through the noise until you find something new and far away remains one of my great pleasures!
I have a wooden shortwave radio, an old zenith, built in the 1940s. It's thrilling when I pick up distant stations. I love the tuning eye on that thing.
I started exploring outside the commercial AM and FM band way back in my early teens. I started out with yard-sale junker radios that I'd take home and put way more time and TLC into them than they were worth, but I loved bringing them back to life and seeing what signals they could capture on those SW and LW bands. Most of those radios used vacuum tubes, and there's something really amazing about watching those big rotary air capacitors move and a bunch of glowing glass tubes pulling in signals from around the world. No computers designed them, and there's something humbling in realizing that someone(s) had to come up with all the ideas, likely draw them out on paper and design those old radios from scratch and pure intelligence and ingenuity. And you know what? My 1938 Westinghouse pulls in distant radio stations with ease while most modern radios can't even detect them.
I recently acquired an old National Panasonic Cougar RF-877. It’s certainly a large radio but with a lot of features you just don’t find on radio these days. Very cool and sophisticated in design. It was selling “as is” and not working. I got out from Japan and when it arrived I took it apart and found that two of the battery contacts were corroded/rusted away. I replaced them and cleaned the radio up. It works beautifully now and the sound is super fantastic and pretty loud even at a very low setting!!! This thing has AM/FM/SW. I love these radios!
Hi, currently using the Trio R2000 and an R1000 for listening with a couple of long wires .....never had a problem and must agree with the audio quality....my R1000 has a deep, rich sound .
My father was a field service engineer for McDonnell Douglas. He had a Radio Shack (Realistic) DX-160 radio he listened to for years. I think he purchased it in 1978 or 1979. He worked with Finnair lived in Porvoo and passed away in 2011.
You explained it so precisely in way which makes so much sense! All the noises make it seem so much more distant and mysterious. And on equipment that you enjoy using with no other infrastructure involved other than the antenna. Please take my subscription!
I really enjoyed this video. Perhaps of topic but for some reason the ABBA song, SOS, reminds me of dxing. I grew up with discarded 30's style floor standing radios that I would usually pull the chassis and speaker and set it up in my "cave" in the basement. I had several antenna, one that worked very well was a vertical wire that ran up a well established pine tree. This was in the 1960's
Well said Matt. I just chuckle when I read those silly comments about radio listening is dying and I could do everything on a smartphone LOL. Great video. 👍
It’s always nice to hear from others that appreciate the ambience of broadcast listening on older equipment. I was reminiscing with a friend not long ago about winter evenings listening to an old radio in a dimly lit room with a coal fire crackling away. Almost gives me goosebumps and I sometimes want to recreate that atmosphere. I still have a Lowe HF-125 and a Yaesu FRG7, 49m band is my favourite place with the private music stations and the pirates when they appear. Music fading in and out on SW almost gives it a psychedelic sound. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the hobby. 73 Franco
These are beautiful receivers! There are so many well crafted radios from past years that stand up well - even compared to the finer radios of today. I am an amateur radio operator and build radios - kits usually - and I have an Elecraft I built in the 90s and still use today to communal over the world. I shared your sentiment!
I used to have a FGR7, R2000, R5000, now using a PL880 which has analogue tuning like old times. I also use an AirSpy RF+Discovery with SDR# software which is great for Ute DXing. But I miss all the knobs and dials and the mellow sound but one has to go with the times. I am always on the lookout for a R2000, a great receiver in its time.
Listening to my Eton' and the excitement I get when I pick up a far away station brings me right back to when I was a child owning an old shortwave radio. There were so many stations across all bands including police, fire, utilities and countless options I'd stay awake until the early hours so that I could listen to England, now there are far less broadcasting out there but still enough to keep me interested such as getting New Zeland from the Kootenay mountains, BC. I'm not interested in the graphics either and the internet options are too easy and simply boring. Peace from BC and thank you for touching on this topic.
It was great when as a child I got Radio New Zealand for the first time on Christmas day back when they only had low power (7.5kW). Yes that excitement still carries through even today. A few days ago I heard Mozambique on the MW band and it was amazing. Keep listening and thanks from Finland!
I couldn't agree with you more! The newest equipment is certainly not always the best, and the vintage equipment has the ambience. Most of it can be repaired, as well, when necessary. And I don't make TH-cam "content" for anyone but myself and a few friends. Critics in their moms' basements can pound sand. Stay well!!
I know exactly what you mean. My Kenwood R2000 gets regular use for tuning through the HF bands, with (soon) its dedicated antenna(s). At the moment I swap antennas around, but I think the listen-only sets need receive loops of their own, which will cut noise down a lot, too. My ham sets are fed from a variety of sources, and I have dongles attached (both directly and indirectly) to make tuning one-click. The addition of the visual aspect revolutionised my hobby, but sometimes I just like to go back to the simple desktop receiver.
Until you "glue" your eyes to the dial of a 'mid-thirties wood tombstone Zenith, or Philco, or RCA, etc. and hone your ears to the aura of the field coil speaker, you really haven't experienced radio. Families were spellbound to sit quietly and listen to war news broadcasts along with the soothing sounds of Artie Shaw along with the great comedians and crime-sleuths of the day. Properly restored, these nearly century-old marvels still provide the same capture as they did then.
I own SDR receivers and transceivers with waterfall displays. Yes they are good, but I do like my old radio sets. You have a better physical relationship with them. And yes listening to stations from a antenna you have built yourself is most rewarding. Best wishes
The best vintage radio I owned was a RCA AR 88D. It was due for a complete overhaul and recapping. But it still worked exceptionally well for it's age. Don't have it now, I gave it to a friend who was just starting out in the hobby. David M0DUU
I listen to an HRO-5TA1 every night. I have ALL the coil sets ever made for it, and are fixing to recap it to bring it back to original performance. It was my dad's morale radio on board his LSM 203 in the Pacific in 1943. Great reception, easy to use, better sensitivity than more modern receivers. I will it to my Son when I pass on.
Radio has always been like magic to me. I've been a licensed Amateur radio operator for 30 years now,and there is nothing wrong with using an old radio. My first HF transceiver was a Heathkit HW 8 and then a Kenwood TS520. I use a Yaesu FT DX 1200 now. I agree 100% using a real radio and antenna that you put up is awesome. These internet receiver SDR stations are fun, however it will NEVER be like actually doing it yourself. I use these web SDR's for one thing, and that is to check where my transmissions are going and their signal strength. Keep up the good work. 👍 73 good DX
I've just bought my first transceiver, Quansheng U-V K5 (8). It has moddable firmware, so quite interesting. I'm quite excited about learning how to use it and finding out more about radio. That's how I ended up here I suppose! And yes, there is so much more magic in these radios, than soulless modern digital stuff.
80's radios are lovely, I grew up with FRG7's etc and while I still like the vintage receivers I use websdrs to practice CW particularly on 80m where my noise floor is terrible at home. Waterfalls add another dimension to listening. I have had 80m cw QSO's transmitting from home and listening on a websdr. Old and new compliment each other!
I find the old radios interesting. Anyone can have a new one just like everyone else’s. I do like the online sdr’s as well especially when traveling down the road in my 18 wheeler. Or when trying to hear both sides of a ham conversation. All best from Texas.
I got a Zenith Trans-Oceanic in 2020, it cost a small fortune to get it from the U.S.A. but I always wanted one so I got one. I had to replace two transistors. Simple is good, like my h/b tcvr, 5 Watt s.s.b. and c.w. only with one luxury, a Maplin c.w. audio filter. G4CLF main p.c.b. from a 1980 design but I started it around 1990. I have several PM2 type valves and want to make a replica H.A.C. one valve radio I had when aged 14. I have several wooden cased valve radios, they sound great. G4GHB.
I have a McMichael portable 4 1930’s, Klosters pup and a few other old receivers. 2 AR88’s D and LF and a boxed R1155 in totally original condition with all the jones plugs. I used to repair valve radios but I was no expert! Hoping to go for my licence this year so that will be something to add to the hobby. 73
I agree. I had a R2000 bought as advised by my local NZPO Radio Inspector. A great receiver, analogue tuning and lots of knobs and switches. You really had to know how the drive it for optimum performance. Now I use a PL880 for SW, and Airspy HF+ Discovery SDR for Ute listening. SDR s are too easy to use when searching for rare broadcasts and diminish the satisfaction of logging the rare catch.
Completely agree.. older gear hopefully requires more effort, dedication and skill.i have found medium wave listening on a well designed crystal set quite fulfilling..
I agree with every word of that I also love operating old valve /tube receivers .Sitting in a low lit room watching a softly lit dial . Tuning the bands , needing to adjust all the knobs and hearing a distant station coming in . The aroma of hot tubes adding to the thrill . I have solid state receiver's as well but older ones . I started by building crystal sets on the kitchen table with my father decades ago. The interest has stayed with me all my life . The magic is still there . SDRs ..... Not for me . Great video . We share the same passion . Enjoy your hobby. Best wishes from a radio nut in the UK .
Sorry I stepped on your comment which I found after posting mine. You however express things more concisely. Magic, what you don't hear is not there !. 73's G8WOF Wirral UK Ps, 198kHZ is closing down !. Please sign the petition ' keeplongwave ' The BBC is destroying our radio infrastructure
Matt, I enjoy your videos. It really annoys me that people criticise you. But people tend to be like that. I like the vintage radios, I can reminisce about radios I couldn't afford at the time.
Exactly one of the reasons I listen is to go back and find out what these radios were like to listen to. Many of us knew about them but could not afford them. I’ve owned hundreds of radios over my lifetime from 1930’s sets to things like the RCA AR88D of 1943 but these 80’s/90’s sets were far beyond what I could afford at the time.
Matt, I love the dark scene and the radio lights in your cozy cabin. A nice windy blizzard outside would be the cherry on top. I recently bought an sdr, but still drag out the Drake R8. It’s that rich Drake sound which rings!
I'm also enjoying using my (new to me) JRC 525 - I do have an SDR and I use it time to time to see what the bands are up to, but its much more enjoyable to 'catch' a distant station the old way.
I listen via websdr. It’s easier than having to put up an antenna. I still do shortwave listening via a radio but because it doesn’t have SSB which I love to listen to, I do it via websdr.
love that NRD 525i have the JST135 HF transceiver that i resurrected and recapped love the JRC kit of the period they have an ambiance and a sound no SDR can replicate and i have an RSP1 sdr to compare and it now serves as an IF panadapter to my Ten Tec transceiver!
1st people are so negative anymore, you can't really speak, do much of anything without someone trying their best to find fault. I have several SDR rigs and several analog rigs. I have an amateur radio license and have been playing with radios since I was a kid back in 1968. Radio brought me escape from certain aspects of life. They became my friends; my playmates and I have a great love for them. SDR radios have their place as do Analog radios. Neither are perfect! Both have faults! That said, on a sleepless night nothing much has brought me greater joy than listening to some far-off station. Scanning for that rare signal! I have had many hours of joy listening to Vacuum Tube sets and I still love that warm sound they have. I would not be bothered by what some person or persons who lacks the care, the desires or the imagination to consider other people may enjoy their older radios just as much as that Brand new Lifeless toy. Keep on enjoying what YOU like and do not worry about it.
Remember listening to Luxembourg under the bed clothes on a large Princess Margaret VALVE radio. The aerial was a frame wound loop built into the lid and had a 90volt HT battery and a 1.5 Volt heater battery which lasted for ever. Why did Luxembourg always fade when my favourite song started playing??? Now I get sore eyes looking at the SDR. G4BTI age 70.
Hi The fading was caused by the D layer no longer absorbing medium wave sigs as nighttime approaches allowing sigs from Europe to reach us in Uk. As the D layer changed, then sigs would phase in and out. I believe this was known as “skying”
Good one mate, I think I might get one of these as they are not to pricey used. Currently awaiting on a ATS25 AMP unit. 1980's equipment was built solid and built to last compared to a lot of stuff these days. Good channel Like n sub.👍
Matt If I was you at (-)10C I’d try to tune into the tropical band looking for a station playing “We’re Having a Tropical Heat Wave”…😂 That would help me warm up…😂! Here in Tucson, Arizona I too enjoy listening to my portable radios outside, my little Belka (All Mode 2022) radio is amazing for its size. My new XHDATA 608-WB and QoDosen SR-286 are also great for their size. I’m going to have to buy a power station for my JRC -535D so I can take it outside also. Please don’t let the naysayers get you Down…I enjoy your channel!’73! Have a great day!
Modern tech really sleeps on shortwave radio, starting to lose AM recieve capability in some cars and home stereo equipment, for a few years now. You can tune in to a record player in a foreign country, 1-16 mhz during the night, and 16-22 mhz during the day.
6:07 It was a fantastic radio , yes I've seen the replacement screens the crt worked perfectly in mine it was a super sensitive radio, at the time I sold it it was not being used due to business commitments, I've retired now so more time for radio.
@@MattinLapland sdr has its own place simply because you can see a whole section of the band your monitoring also there’s all kind of projects you can do with them.. But for sensitivity you can’t beat a dedicated radio..
Something you might enjoy is having both Vertical and Horizontal antennas to compare wave propagation (with 2 separate radios). I think it's fascinating myself..
I had thought about this as MW signals are not horizontally polarised. We have some really big trees here and maybe I could try this. I rely mostly on the early evening somewhat sporadic layers that seem to give amazing DX. It tends go back to normal later in the night. It’s like right now I can get Thailand, Korea and China on MW but they will be gone later in the evening.
And you could try something that has both vert. and hor. components, like a sloper or inverted L. Wire antennas are cheap and easy. If you don't like it then take it down and use the wire for a different one.
I remember horror movies were the radio scanner was pumping out atmospheric disturbances and it was just brilliant.. still applicable in any modern si-if or horror
I’d also note that static atmospheric pulses are currently being monitored by high tech computers and the feed show high level atmospheric meteorite strikes.. Simply radio is still affording us cutting edge technological advances, even through the static…lol
I like old and new...i like LW and MW DX....i like MB 1.6 to 5 marine Skip....and Shortwave AM and SSB.....30 to 90 E Skip....VHF and Satellite and Internet DX....I like it all 😮
Brought a bit of Chinese warmth in so prkl cold Finland ;) Actually I sleep better with that purple noise of AM radio with distant txes or without them.
Ive scanned through the commentscand didnt teally see negative comments. On another note i owned a trio kenwood r2000 in the 80's, had many long nights listening to all sorts on shortwave. In the 2000's i owned a jrc nrd545, a great reciever. Ive since owned other great radio a and currently own kenwood ts590sg and yaesu ftdx101mp, top recievers and yes i do have a standalone sdr play duo. We all have different tastes in radio. Just enjoy the hobby and shortwave or whats left of it. Steve.
Hi @MattinLapland I bought the R2000 brand new, cost about £600 to £695 around 1986 and loved the radio. Sadly our shortwave bands have been destroyed by so much pollution from our electrical homes. My interest is ham radio and hold the call mm0sgq. I've recently moved home and have not set up any antennas so I am missing out on the good conditions. Have fun with your radio. Steve..
In the 70s I used old Marconi Marine Com Receivers and it was wonderful. The SDR guys just don't get it because they've not had that magic. QSL cards from around the world and picking up rare stations on say a small island in the Pacific that's the fun.
@@MattinLapland That's great. I remember picking up a radio amateur CW guy on Pago Pago in the Pacific and also a descendant of Fletcher Christian on Pitcairn Island. It's an art picking up weak signals out of the ether and takes dedication. I'm in the UK. That was using a Marconi CR300
Old radios are the only real radios. The newer ones are really nothing but computers. I am a general class amateur, and when I got my license, I quickly bought a newer HF radio. I quickly got tired of how complicated it was, and how poorly it worked. I found a beautiful old Yaesu FT-DX 560, that didn't work. I spent months learning about tube radios, and completely rebuilt it. It now works beautifully, and is my main HF radio. I also have an Icom IC-728 from the early '90s, which has full coverage of all the LW, MW, and HF bands, both AM and SSB. It's not a tube radio, but it sounds so much better than the new "radio on a chip" stuff. It has a triple conversion superheterodyne receiver that can pick out the weakest signals. There are no microprocessors in it.
I used to repair valve radios years ago. I kept my RCA AR88D going for decades. I’m hoping to take my licence this year but yes some of the radios seem overly complicated! I’ll look for something that’s easy to manage. 73
Believe it or not once upon a time there were three radios that were superior in their day: the Zenith Transatlantic portable, which was futuristic looking then, any upper level Grundig and Telefunken radios both german. They were advanced for their time period and you'd only see them owned by out of the ordinary peeps who paid top dollar for them! 🏹♐
ilike SWL have an alinco dxr8 and old yupiteru mvt7100 scanner a gundig yacht boy and Alinco djx11 scanner. i have started collecting graphic novels, you can "download" never!!! a hard copy always..
There seems to be a lot of (deleted now) responses to my views, don’t take them so literally and chill…..I don’t dislike SDR’s but this time I get I prefer to only listen within the space of my cabin.
Thankyou wonderful people who have subscribed and comment in a positive way!
There is the same sort of nostalgia associated with old radios as there is with antique cars. There's a reason Steampunk is popular.
My best radio fun was when I was 10, and knew nothing about RF, but had traded my bicycle for a 2 transistor radio at the dawn of the transistor age, and I wrapped a long piece of wire around its ferrite bar antenna and listened to AM radio stations from 1000 miles away. I even heard one in French from Quebec, and a couple in Spanish from Mexico. It was the first time in my life I'd ever heard people speaking and singingsongs in a foreign language as an ongoing practice, and I found it fascinating that while I couldn't understand the words, I could understand the feeling and the meaning.
I'd love to be somewhere like your location with your little cabin, huge area to put up antennas, and such a low noise floor. I miss the smell of dust slowly cooking on hot tubes, the yellow glow of the little incandescent dial and meter lights, and the big, booming, paper-coned speakers. That sound is good for the soul. Now I'm in a first-floor apartment on an alley downtown in a city, with heavy AC power-lines and transformers loaded on a pole 5 feet away from my living-room window. My S-meter hovers around S-8 with RF hash, and goes higher with regularity. I live less than 70 miles from WWV in Colorado, USA but can only hear it intermittently and only on a couple of its various frequencies. I'm building a high-Q, small mag-loop antenna I can both rotate and lean, along with a tunable preamp to run with an SDR and digital narrow-band noise reduction filters, going as high-tech as I can in the hopes of improving radio reception, or even just hearing something. No nostalgic radio for me for a while till I move away from here. Enjoy your quiet little cabin with its window on the world. It sounds like Heaven to me.
Matt, I've been a SWL since the age of five and a ham since adulthood, (many decades now - where does the time go?) and I agree with you.
I do have a couple SDRs, including the RTL, and they do have their uses, but for enjoyment I still prefer my older rigs.
If you look at the specs, you will not find much difference between old and new. The newer ones are (slightly) more selective, but the sensitivity is about the same.
BTW, if you get a chance, try a regen receiver. Signals POP out of an almost noiseless background.
@@mikesmith-po8nd, yep on the regens. But there are good ones and bad ones. You want to get one (or build one) with good control of the feedback. Some are so touchy that by the time you hear anything it goes into oscillation.
A good portion of people now days do not appreciate the magic of radio.
Boy, you got that right.
Exactly. 👍
My mum brought a diode that she took from the factory. Then I started yellow brick road of radio. ..building radios from diagrams on service books. And making my own antennas. Even carried my hobby through my 20 year army
tenure. And 30 years of marriage and burying my wife and child. At 73 still listening.😊😊😊😊 Hang in there.
I was naughty when I was young and built push-pull FM transmitters on bread boards 😆🙈 I went to school listening to my own FM radio station it had a 2 mile radius 🙈
@@MattinLapland the TV factory said no radios. So took old ear phones from the funeral home and put tiny tuner in them so when the basket ball games came i sold them all hi hi. And when the mayor and her Gestapo came closed down our partys. I issued tiny receiver. And head phones we danced and ate in total quiet. The judge laffed her out of court...yes radio folks can be tricky hi hi PS" hi hi" is a telegraph laff enjoy.
@@Steven-re7xt Great commentary
When I was 13 back in 1963 I was given an old Hallicrafters SX-25 SW tube receiver. I cut down 3 saplings from the woods, dragged them back to the house, dug a hole by my bedroom window, and one outside our mowed yard to the north, and one to the east, and ran a N-S and an E-W, wire antenna and I listened to that radio with the golden tube sound every day till I left for college. I heard all sorts of exotic music and world news I never knew existed. It would come in for a few minutes then fade out and something else would fade in. From hams to Radio Moscow I never knew what to expect. I heard everything from everywhere. Though I was just a farm kid in rural Michigan After a couple of years I could easily discuss the subtle politics and economies of a dozen nations from around the world. I was a world traveler via radio by the time I left for college. Old radios are magic.
This was the case for so many of us back then. Radio was so important as a gateway to the rest of the world
When I was young I delivered newspapers and saved my money. When I was 13 I bought a used Hallicrafters S-38E. I listened to everything on that radio. Now I'm 70 and I still use an old CB radio and I recently got a Yaesu FT-707 for very little money. I'm almost ready to take the test for a ham license. Oh, and I made the antenna from stuff I already had. I think this is what makes it interesting. And I have never heard any station that far away on MW. Very good!
I love old radio equipment from the 70s early 80s, the style, the build quality. My grandfather used to own Grundig radios, I remember as a child the sound that came from his radio a warm rich sound I now have one of my own in my collection The Grundig Transistor 865. I understand everything you said thank you
I have two vintage desktop receivers. These radios have stood the test of time. Theres just something about them, I was a farm boy in the 60s. My radio was a Transoceanic 2000. I traveled the world through that radio. I learned of different cultures, music, food. It sparked a lifelong interest in me not only for radios but to travel the world. In my adult life I did just that. My dream came true, this how I ended up in Europe. All because the first broadcast I heard was Radio Free Europe and the song "Downtown" by Patula Clark. Keep your SDRs and all those SMTs mini tin pan sounding junk. Thank you for the video, 73s Brian, Adelsheim Germany
A lot of us who were brought up in the age of shortwave radio learnt lots about the world. It also shaped my life as I moved away from my country of birth.
Back in 1987 when the great storms hit the UK I was in Köln and I heard what had happened as I could receive some English stations on MW in Germany. Radio was a great companion.
My favourite radio program was ‘Sweden calling DX-ers’ from Radio Sweden. Walking as a child from school I had a portable radio and in the winter could get radio Sweden on the way home in the early evening. The interval tune is etched into memory with fond regard. So sad that it’s no longer there on 1179 kHz.
Enjoy listening!
I could not explain this better, you feel exactly the way I do as well as many more of us. Great video👍
I used a transistor radio as a child in Kansas to listen to Wolfman Jack from Mexico. As an adult, I used an R 390 receiver inside a Wullenweber circular antenna.
There is a warmth in the acoustics of a tube amp not found in digital. Analog circuitry is different, as much as film is not a digital sensor.
Wolfman Jack " American Graffiti "
X-E-R-B
Nothing modern has that Wonderful full warm sound of a tube! Not seen it or heard it from anything modern and believe I never will, not in this lifetime. Vacuum tubes, or valves have something of a soul, they bring out a sound that is just hard to explain to those who have their heads stuck in the sand. I have a room full of Analog gear and SDR stuff, but none of the SDR stuff has that truly unique sound of the Analog equipment. Something to note, as a hobby, I started doing repairs on radios, tube amps as a kid. I learned some electronics and I see radios built in the 1950's still being used by 100's of people. Even older sets ranging way back into the 1920's are brought out. Betcha apples and oranges unless something changes in build quality today, these great SDR's will not be repaired in homes and by regular folks. Now the greed level is so bad they will not even provide schematics! I saw a recent SDR and the chips had the ID's removed so even if you had any chance of repairing it, the part can't be had. LONG LIVE VACUUM TUBES AND ANALOG GEAR!
My translation of this radio clip:
December, 1927.
Guo Tianmin participated in the Guangzhou Uprising along with numbers of the Huangpu army school. after being defeated they retreat to Huaxian, Guangdong. Then rest of them were merged into an army camp, Guo as a leader of it.
One of my earliest experiences the sparked an interest in ham radio was listening to distant AM radio stations on hot summer nights when it was too hot and humid to sleep.
I did too...listening to baseball games
Radio got me interested in physics, science; it's priceless to me.
Exactly, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
@@london19657 " From Acorns do Great Oaks grow "
@@london19657 I simply had to find out how a radio station in Germany and Russia could be picked up by me thousands of miles away... so I started studying engineering, physics...
Radio and reception of radio waves is a black art, been tinkering with various home made antennas for nearly 40 years and have yet to make a perfect antenna.
At age 74 I look back and realize that I was an experimental physicist at age 5, playing with magnets, staring into the swirling rainbows of oil spilled on mud-puddles, lying on the merry-go-round as it turned slowly around and I moved my finger back and forth in the dirt below, and when I got back to where I'd started I saw my first sine wave, playing with magnifying glasses, then springs and pulleys, learning about pry-bars and hammers, hatchets and such. Then bicycles, rockets, hi-fi, radio, antennas, telescopes, cars, sailboats, and computers. Physics has been my life since I was old enough to think and be fascinated with my surroundings.
It's actually very simple, why do you drive a vintage car or motorcycle, because of the feeling!
that's exactly what it's all about. the charm of an old house, car, radio, bottle of wine, jukebox etc, have a nice day. Albert the Netherlands 🇳🇱📻
You expressed the pleasure of radio listening perfectly. There is a certain elegance to the shortwave receivers of the '80's and '90's that you just can't get in an SDR. I have a Kenwood R-2000 like yours and also a Yaesu FRG-7700 and an Icom R-71 and I love them all. That JRC is a beautiful piece of equipment.
Damn , I also use the exact same receivers, my Icom is a 71e model, also use an old Sanyo RP8880 receiver that could pick up practically anything on a bit of damp string, a big chunky old school set that makes the Icom look like a pocket radio.
Matt. I completely agree. There is something surreal about capturing a station ideally further the better and from a land far from your own surroundings. After 70 years I still listen for whatever crops up; sometimes a planned listen in depending on atmospherics, time etc or just turn on and see what happens. There is a magic in trying your luck and the enjoyment of older receivers is enticing. I use Kenwood R600 and 1000 together with an Icon 735 (Rx only) … fine for me. Long wire and basic dipole antennas. Yes compared to 50 years back there is less to receive, but it’s still fun. Stay listening….
I am a licensed ham from the 70s and I fully understand what u mean and share those feelings
I use to have a nice Kenwood R2000, sadly Hurricane Katrina got it along with most everything else... I sure miss is... Yours looks like new. Nice Video.
Agree with your point of view. As for myself I will add that I tried the SDR dongle and software ( the kind where in effect my computer is my receiver) and found that most of the time was dealing with insuring the computer was set up properly, which I am not interested in. My interest is what's on the air out there. So I got a couple of top-notch (to me) radios and am all set.
I LOVE your outlook and APPRECIATE your mindset!
Something you’ve done does matter indeed.
I miss the days of my favorite ambience, listening to Art Bell on shortwave and AM.
You can’t put a price on that sound!
i totally get it - something about listening to music on shortwave, the fading in and out, the drifting signal, the total concentration on just the sound . I have always carried a shortwave radio with me on my travels - it can make you feel close to home or it can make you feel thousands of miles away.
Hey Matt, I am glad that you did not allow the negative comments to hijack this comment thread and the video. There is simply nothing like a good old radio, and nothing like real DXing, catching radio signals that actually travelled all around the world to your location. That is kind of the point of DXIng, in my opinion. I have only two "old" radios, my Kenwood R1000 and the Barlow Wadley, but they are very special. Tuning slowly through the noise until you find something new and far away remains one of my great pleasures!
I have a wooden shortwave radio, an old zenith, built in the 1940s. It's thrilling when I pick up distant stations. I love the tuning eye on that thing.
I started exploring outside the commercial AM and FM band way back in my early teens. I started out with yard-sale junker radios that I'd take home and put way more time and TLC into them than they were worth, but I loved bringing them back to life and seeing what signals they could capture on those SW and LW bands. Most of those radios used vacuum tubes, and there's something really amazing about watching those big rotary air capacitors move and a bunch of glowing glass tubes pulling in signals from around the world. No computers designed them, and there's something humbling in realizing that someone(s) had to come up with all the ideas, likely draw them out on paper and design those old radios from scratch and pure intelligence and ingenuity. And you know what? My 1938 Westinghouse pulls in distant radio stations with ease while most modern radios can't even detect them.
I loved the RCA AR88D from 1943 it was one great set, I used it for decades. I think some of the old radios are exceptional.
I recently acquired an old National Panasonic Cougar RF-877. It’s certainly a large radio but with a lot of features you just don’t find on radio these days. Very cool and sophisticated in design. It was selling “as is” and not working. I got out from Japan and when it arrived I took it apart and found that two of the battery contacts were corroded/rusted away. I replaced them and cleaned the radio up. It works beautifully now and the sound is super fantastic and pretty loud even at a very low setting!!! This thing has AM/FM/SW. I love these radios!
Hi, currently using the Trio R2000 and an R1000 for listening with a couple of long wires .....never had a problem and must agree with the audio quality....my R1000 has a deep, rich sound .
My father was a field service engineer for McDonnell Douglas. He had a Radio Shack (Realistic) DX-160 radio he listened to for years. I think he purchased it in 1978 or 1979. He worked with Finnair lived in Porvoo and passed away in 2011.
You explained it so precisely in way which makes so much sense!
All the noises make it seem so much more distant and mysterious.
And on equipment that you enjoy using with no other infrastructure involved other than the antenna.
Please take my subscription!
I really enjoyed this video.
Perhaps of topic but for some reason the ABBA song, SOS, reminds me of dxing. I grew up with discarded 30's style floor standing radios that I would usually pull the chassis and speaker and set it up in my "cave" in the basement. I had several antenna, one that worked very well was a vertical wire that ran up a well established pine tree.
This was in the 1960's
Hi there, I really liked what you said. I feel exactly the same way. thank you.
Great sr. nice nostalgia and dreams going back to my childlife.
Well said Matt. I just chuckle when I read those silly comments about radio listening is dying and I could do everything on a smartphone LOL. Great video. 👍
thank you... enjoyed
It’s always nice to hear from others that appreciate the ambience of broadcast listening on older equipment.
I was reminiscing with a friend not long ago about winter evenings listening to an old radio in a dimly lit room with a coal fire crackling away. Almost gives me goosebumps and I sometimes want to recreate that atmosphere.
I still have a Lowe HF-125 and a Yaesu FRG7, 49m band is my favourite place with the private music stations and the pirates when they appear. Music fading in and out on SW almost gives it a psychedelic sound.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the hobby.
73 Franco
Exactly it’s all about that atmosphere!
73
These are beautiful receivers! There are so many well crafted radios from past years that stand up well - even compared to the finer radios of today.
I am an amateur radio operator and build radios - kits usually - and I have an Elecraft I built in the 90s and still use today to communal over the world.
I shared your sentiment!
Nothing wrong with old radios, my favorite is Drake R4C, have several of them here :)
Spot on, mate! Good radio experience get images in your head!
I used to have a FGR7, R2000, R5000, now using a PL880 which has analogue tuning like old times. I also use an AirSpy RF+Discovery with SDR# software which is great for Ute DXing.
But I miss all the knobs and dials and the mellow sound but one has to go with the times.
I am always on the lookout for a R2000, a great receiver in its time.
Great video. Telling it as it is. I agree. Refreshing
Very well explained sir. You are not alone, believe me.
I love my old radios and scanners.
nothing wrong with old radios, they will still be going with all the computers have died
Listening to my Eton' and the excitement I get when I pick up a far away station brings me right back to when I was a child owning an old shortwave radio. There were so many stations across all bands including police, fire, utilities and countless options I'd stay awake until the early hours so that I could listen to England, now there are far less broadcasting out there but still enough to keep me interested such as getting New Zeland from the Kootenay mountains, BC. I'm not interested in the graphics either and the internet options are too easy and simply boring. Peace from BC and thank you for touching on this topic.
It was great when as a child I got Radio New Zealand for the first time on Christmas day back when they only had low power (7.5kW). Yes that excitement still carries through even today. A few days ago I heard Mozambique on the MW band and it was amazing.
Keep listening and thanks from Finland!
I couldn't agree with you more! The newest equipment is certainly not always the best, and the vintage equipment has the ambience. Most of it can be repaired, as well, when necessary. And I don't make TH-cam "content" for anyone but myself and a few friends. Critics in their moms' basements can pound sand. Stay well!!
You have wonderful receiver. It is one with the best audio quality on the market.
They will never know mate keep going i have had the plesure of owning that radio the meter and light always did it for me
I know exactly what you mean. My Kenwood R2000 gets regular use for tuning through the HF bands, with (soon) its dedicated antenna(s).
At the moment I swap antennas around, but I think the listen-only sets need receive loops of their own, which will cut noise down a lot, too.
My ham sets are fed from a variety of sources, and I have dongles attached (both directly and indirectly) to make tuning one-click. The addition of the visual aspect revolutionised my hobby, but sometimes I just like to go back to the simple desktop receiver.
Until you "glue" your eyes to the dial of a 'mid-thirties wood tombstone Zenith, or Philco, or RCA, etc. and hone your ears to the aura of the field coil speaker, you really haven't experienced radio. Families were spellbound to sit quietly and listen to war news broadcasts along with the soothing sounds of Artie Shaw along with the great comedians and crime-sleuths of the day. Properly restored, these nearly century-old marvels still provide the same capture as they did then.
I own SDR receivers and transceivers with waterfall displays. Yes they are good, but I do like my old radio sets. You have a better physical relationship with them. And yes listening to stations from a antenna you have built yourself is most rewarding.
Best wishes
I will setup a Kiwi SDR here at some point with a 1km wire but just finding the right place and direction for it.
The best vintage radio I owned was a RCA AR 88D. It was due for a complete overhaul and recapping. But it still worked exceptionally well for it's age. Don't have it now, I gave it to a friend who was just starting out in the hobby.
David M0DUU
I listen to an HRO-5TA1 every night. I have ALL the coil sets ever made for it, and are fixing to recap it to bring it back to original performance. It was my dad's morale radio on board his LSM 203 in the Pacific in 1943. Great reception, easy to use, better sensitivity than more modern receivers. I will it to my Son when I pass on.
This should not need explaining. If they don't get it, choose another channel. Nice video.
I think this Kenwood receiver and the next model up had provisions for VHF air receive.
Radio has always been like magic to me. I've been a licensed Amateur radio operator for 30 years now,and there is nothing wrong with using an old radio. My first HF transceiver was a Heathkit HW 8 and then a Kenwood TS520. I use a Yaesu FT DX 1200 now. I agree 100% using a real radio and antenna that you put up is awesome. These internet receiver SDR stations are fun, however it will NEVER be like actually doing it yourself. I use these web SDR's for one thing, and that is to check where my transmissions are going and their signal strength. Keep up the good work. 👍 73 good DX
I've just bought my first transceiver, Quansheng U-V K5 (8). It has moddable firmware, so quite interesting. I'm quite excited about learning how to use it and finding out more about radio. That's how I ended up here I suppose! And yes, there is so much more magic in these radios, than soulless modern digital stuff.
I enjoy your vlog ! Please go on! Greetings from the Netherlands!
80's radios are lovely, I grew up with FRG7's etc and while I still like the vintage receivers I use websdrs to practice CW particularly on 80m where my noise floor is terrible at home. Waterfalls add another dimension to listening. I have had 80m cw QSO's transmitting from home and listening on a websdr. Old and new compliment each other!
I'm with you 100%.
I find the old radios interesting. Anyone can have a new one just like everyone else’s. I do like the online sdr’s as well especially when traveling down the road in my 18 wheeler.
Or when trying to hear both sides of a ham conversation.
All best from Texas.
I got a Zenith Trans-Oceanic in 2020, it cost a small fortune to get it from the U.S.A. but I always wanted one so I got one. I had to replace two transistors.
Simple is good, like my h/b tcvr, 5 Watt s.s.b. and c.w. only with one luxury, a Maplin c.w. audio filter. G4CLF main p.c.b. from a 1980 design but I started it around 1990.
I have several PM2 type valves and want to make a replica H.A.C. one valve radio I had when aged 14.
I have several wooden cased valve radios, they sound great.
G4GHB.
I have a McMichael portable 4 1930’s, Klosters pup and a few other old receivers. 2 AR88’s D and LF and a boxed R1155 in totally original condition with all the jones plugs.
I used to repair valve radios but I was no expert!
Hoping to go for my licence this year so that will be something to add to the hobby.
73
@@MattinLapland Nice!
Might meet you on air one day.
G4GHB.
agree all the way.....pressing buttons, twisting wheels...so much more satisfying...cheers
I agree. I had a R2000 bought as advised by my local NZPO Radio Inspector. A great receiver, analogue tuning and lots of knobs and switches. You really had to know how the drive it for optimum performance. Now I use a PL880 for SW, and Airspy HF+ Discovery SDR for Ute listening. SDR s are too easy to use when searching for rare broadcasts and diminish the satisfaction of logging the rare catch.
You dont have to explain why?Because real SW listeners know.Thanks Matt
Completely agree.. older gear hopefully requires more effort, dedication and skill.i have found medium wave listening on a well designed crystal set quite fulfilling..
I prefer vintage receivers and transistor radios , I too will avoid SDR and modern plastic ,happy with what I have and enjoy them just like you .
I agree with every word of that I also love operating old valve /tube receivers .Sitting in a low lit room watching a softly lit dial . Tuning the bands , needing to adjust all the knobs and hearing a distant station coming in . The aroma of hot tubes adding to the thrill . I have solid state receiver's as well but older ones . I started by building crystal sets on the kitchen table with my father decades ago. The interest has stayed with me all my life . The magic is still there . SDRs ..... Not for me . Great video . We share the same passion . Enjoy your hobby. Best wishes from a radio nut in the UK .
Sorry I stepped on your comment which I found after posting mine. You however express things more concisely. Magic, what you don't hear is not there !. 73's G8WOF Wirral UK Ps,
198kHZ is closing down !. Please sign the petition ' keeplongwave ' The BBC is destroying our radio infrastructure
I totally agree with your thoughts Matt, thank you.
Matt, I enjoy your videos. It really annoys me that people criticise you. But people tend to be like that.
I like the vintage radios, I can reminisce about radios I couldn't afford at the time.
Exactly one of the reasons I listen is to go back and find out what these radios were like to listen to. Many of us knew about them but could not afford them. I’ve owned hundreds of radios over my lifetime from 1930’s sets to things like the RCA AR88D of 1943 but these 80’s/90’s sets were far beyond what I could afford at the time.
I had an R-1000 an was a great radio but the R-2000 was a major up great for sure! 1980s radios have a person that today radios do not have!🥰
Matt, I love the dark scene and the radio lights in your cozy cabin. A nice windy blizzard outside would be the cherry on top. I recently bought an sdr, but still drag out the Drake R8. It’s that rich Drake sound which rings!
Would love a Drake but they still command a price tag of around 1000e here. It’s interesting trying out all these old radios in todays times
I'm also enjoying using my (new to me) JRC 525 - I do have an SDR and I use it time to time to see what the bands are up to, but its much more enjoyable to 'catch' a distant station the old way.
The 525 is great, a bit slow on the tuning but I would never sell mine now, it’s a really good receiver.
A book to read " The world in my ears" Arthur T Cushen.
(He was almost completely blind) !!
I love your videos.
Thankyou so much!
I listen via websdr. It’s easier than having to put up an antenna. I still do shortwave listening via a radio but because it doesn’t have SSB which I love to listen to, I do it via websdr.
I love old radios!!! Robert K5TPC
I still use a R-2000 also..
New subscriber here. Greetings from Romania. YO5PUV.
Greetings! I hope to get my licence this year. I do hear Romania easily here on ham bands and broadcast bands.
@emillupu8790, one of my favorite SW stations is Radio Romania. Friendly folks and always a good signal here in the US.
love that NRD 525i have the JST135 HF transceiver that i resurrected and recapped love the JRC kit of the period they have an ambiance and a sound no SDR can replicate and i have an RSP1 sdr to compare and it now serves as an IF panadapter to my Ten Tec transceiver!
1st people are so negative anymore, you can't really speak, do much of anything without someone trying their best to find fault. I have several SDR rigs and several analog rigs. I have an amateur radio license and have been playing with radios since I was a kid back in 1968. Radio brought me escape from certain aspects of life. They became my friends; my playmates and I have a great love for them. SDR radios have their place as do Analog radios. Neither are perfect! Both have faults! That said, on a sleepless night nothing much has brought me greater joy than listening to some far-off station. Scanning for that rare signal! I have had many hours of joy listening to Vacuum Tube sets and I still love that warm sound they have. I would not be bothered by what some person or persons who lacks the care, the desires or the imagination to consider other people may enjoy their older radios just as much as that Brand new Lifeless toy. Keep on enjoying what YOU like and do not worry about it.
Remember listening to Luxembourg under the bed clothes on a large Princess Margaret VALVE radio. The aerial was a frame wound loop built into the lid and had a 90volt HT battery and a 1.5 Volt heater battery which lasted for ever. Why did Luxembourg always fade when my favourite song started playing???
Now I get sore eyes looking at the SDR.
G4BTI age 70.
The Luxembourg fades were a bit extreme at times!
Hi
The fading was caused by the D layer no longer absorbing medium wave sigs as nighttime approaches allowing sigs from Europe to reach us in Uk. As the D layer changed, then sigs would phase in and out. I believe this was known as “skying”
Ha ha , I had the same radio. Made by Vidor I think . I also listened to Luxembourg Sunday night pop show under the sheets ! Great memories ;
Good one mate, I think I might get one of these as they are not to pricey used. Currently awaiting on a ATS25 AMP unit. 1980's equipment was built solid and built to last compared to a lot of stuff these days. Good channel Like n sub.👍
Matt If I was you at (-)10C I’d try to tune into the tropical band looking for a station playing “We’re Having a Tropical Heat Wave”…😂 That would help me warm up…😂!
Here in Tucson, Arizona I too enjoy listening to my portable radios outside, my little Belka (All Mode 2022) radio is amazing for its size. My new XHDATA 608-WB and QoDosen SR-286 are also great for their size. I’m going to have to buy a power station for my JRC -535D so I can take it outside also.
Please don’t let the naysayers get you Down…I enjoy your channel!’73! Have a great day!
I did listen to some reggae on WMR on 15700 kHz it felt a bit warmer 😆
Thanks have a good day
well said
Modern tech really sleeps on shortwave radio, starting to lose AM recieve capability in some cars and home stereo equipment, for a few years now.
You can tune in to a record player in a foreign country, 1-16 mhz during the night, and 16-22 mhz during the day.
I ran an Icom R9000 for many years, i sold it back in 2003 i miss it
There’s one here for sale I was looking at it. The CRT screen is ok but you can buy a kit to replace it with LCD. Interesting radio!
6:07 It was a fantastic radio , yes I've seen the replacement screens the crt worked perfectly in mine it was a super sensitive radio, at the time I sold it it was not being used due to business commitments, I've retired now so more time for radio.
Love the video really nice and totally correct best regards from YU7VSN from Serbia
Greetings from Finland, thanks so much.
Sdr radios are handy and do play a part in anybody’s radio hobby but you can’t beat a truly dedicated radio… I’ve got both and regularly use them..
I will try an SDR sometime, there’s a few old radios in the line first though 🙈😆
@@MattinLapland sdr has its own place simply because you can see a whole section of the band your monitoring also there’s all kind of projects you can do with them..
But for sensitivity you can’t beat a dedicated radio..
Something you might enjoy is having both Vertical and Horizontal antennas to compare wave propagation (with 2 separate radios). I think it's fascinating myself..
I had thought about this as MW signals are not horizontally polarised. We have some really big trees here and maybe I could try this. I rely mostly on the early evening somewhat sporadic layers that seem to give amazing DX. It tends go back to normal later in the night.
It’s like right now I can get Thailand, Korea and China on MW but they will be gone later in the evening.
And you could try something that has both vert. and hor. components, like a sloper or inverted L.
Wire antennas are cheap and easy. If you don't like it then take it down and use the wire for a different one.
I understand you.. the crackle make you aware of your separation or isolation..
I remember horror movies were the radio scanner was pumping out atmospheric disturbances and it was just brilliant.. still applicable in any modern si-if or horror
I’d also note that static atmospheric pulses are currently being monitored by high tech computers and the feed show high level atmospheric meteorite strikes.. Simply radio is still affording us cutting edge technological advances, even through the static…lol
I like old and new...i like LW and MW DX....i like MB 1.6 to 5 marine Skip....and Shortwave AM and SSB.....30 to 90 E Skip....VHF and Satellite and Internet DX....I like it all 😮
Brought a bit of Chinese warmth in so prkl cold Finland ;)
Actually I sleep better with that purple noise of AM radio with distant txes or without them.
And that rig is amazing, does it say JRC? They used to be top drawer.
Yes the second radio is a JRC NRD-525 they are still one of the best receivers especially for the money now.
Ive scanned through the commentscand didnt teally see negative comments. On another note i owned a trio kenwood r2000 in the 80's, had many long nights listening to all sorts on shortwave. In the 2000's i owned a jrc nrd545, a great reciever.
Ive since owned other great radio a and currently own kenwood ts590sg and yaesu ftdx101mp, top recievers and yes i do have a standalone sdr play duo. We all have different tastes in radio. Just enjoy the hobby and shortwave or whats left of it. Steve.
I deleted the comments. It’s manageable on a small channel so not too bad. I may go down the SDR route with a Kiwi at some point!
Hi @MattinLapland I bought the R2000 brand new, cost about £600 to £695 around 1986 and loved the radio. Sadly our shortwave bands have been destroyed by so much pollution from our electrical homes. My interest is ham radio and hold the call mm0sgq. I've recently moved home and have not set up any antennas so I am missing out on the good conditions. Have fun with your radio. Steve..
What you have costs a fortune, especially if it works You must be a wealthy person to afford such a radio.
No I sold some things to buy these radios and I paid much less than current auction prices. Not wealthy in the slightest!
In the 70s I used old Marconi Marine Com Receivers and it was wonderful. The SDR guys just don't get it because they've not had that magic. QSL cards from around the world and picking up rare stations on say a small island in the Pacific that's the fun.
I think I got the Seychelles on 1368 khz the other night but sadly could not confirm it.
@@MattinLapland That's great. I remember picking up a radio amateur CW guy on Pago Pago in the Pacific and also a descendant of Fletcher Christian on Pitcairn Island. It's an art picking up weak signals out of the ether and takes dedication. I'm in the UK. That was using a Marconi CR300
nothing wrong with a R2000 still have a R1000 great receiver
If the distance is not real, why bother?
Old radios are the only real radios. The newer ones are really nothing but computers. I am a general class amateur, and when I got my license, I quickly bought a newer HF radio. I quickly got tired of how complicated it was, and how poorly it worked. I found a beautiful old Yaesu FT-DX 560, that didn't work. I spent months learning about tube radios, and completely rebuilt it. It now works beautifully, and is my main HF radio. I also have an Icom IC-728 from the early '90s, which has full coverage of all the LW, MW, and HF bands, both AM and SSB. It's not a tube radio, but it sounds so much better than the new "radio on a chip" stuff. It has a triple conversion superheterodyne receiver that can pick out the weakest signals. There are no microprocessors in it.
I used to repair valve radios years ago. I kept my RCA AR88D going for decades.
I’m hoping to take my licence this year but yes some of the radios seem overly complicated! I’ll look for something that’s easy to manage.
73
Believe it or not once upon a time there were three radios that were superior in their day: the Zenith Transatlantic portable, which was futuristic looking then, any upper level Grundig and Telefunken radios both german. They were advanced for their time period and you'd only see them owned by out of the ordinary peeps who paid top dollar for them! 🏹♐
📻
If it has transistors in it it's not an old radio in my book.
Well it may not be old but I’ve had decades using valve equipment (RCA AR88D) so if it’s ok I’ll enjoy something a bit more modern for a change…..
@@MattinLapland I used to listen to SW on 1939-era Hallicrafters S20 and SX15 receivers.
Totally agree with you on graphical displays. Operators nowadays *watch* their radios, rather than just listen to them.
ilike SWL have an alinco dxr8 and old yupiteru mvt7100 scanner a gundig yacht boy and Alinco djx11 scanner. i have started collecting graphic novels, you can "download" never!!! a hard copy always..