What’s Left To Do On ShortWave

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What’s Left To Do On ShortWave

Ahhhh Shortwave radio.  If you’re my age you probably remember it fondly in the 70’s and 80’s. Every home probably had at least one World Band radio.  If you are my kids age you may not even know it exists or if you do ………… what exactly it is.

Everyone knows what AM radio is.  What most don’t know is AM Radio is actually called Medium Wave (MW).  The frequencies BELOW AM are called LONGWAVE.  So it stands to reason the frequencies on the other side of AM are called “SHORTWAVE”.

Shortwave kind of fell out of popularity mostly due to the big old orange ball in the sky firing solar storms at us.  The sun works in cycles and sometimes shortwave listening is really really good and sometimes it is really really pointless to try.

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XHDATA D-808 Put Through Some Paces

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I’ve had this radio for a few months and have used it sporadically and feel like I’m getting a good grip on its strengths and idiosyncrasies.

It’s a good strong radio with lots of features.  When I got this radio it was pretty much unobtanium except through AliExpress and eBay.  I got mine from eBay but paid a few extra dollars for it.

The XHDATA D-808 is about the same size and weight and has most of the normal features found on the other shortwave radios in its class and then some.  Of particular delight to me is an external antenna connector.  I know a lot of people judge radios on their stand alone merit but I like pushing the envelope.  I seldom use a shortwave radio without an external antenna of some kind.
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Alinco DX-R8T Review

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First of all let me say that I own just about 25 portable shortwave radios and probably almost as many SDR radios.  I absolutely love shortwave listening.  I also love the various modes on shortwave such as DRM, WeFAX, Numbers Stations, etc.  Also you never know what you are going to hear.

Somewhere along the line I decided I wanted to get a dedicated tabletop receiver.  Some of the old military grade stuff really intrigues me.  Some of that stuff costs big bucks.  The government seems to have pretty high standards for HF radios and that type of radio is highly desirable.

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CCrane CC Pocket Radio Review

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I like CCrane Radios.  I probably shouldn’t because they are among some of the more expensive radios out there but I find them kind of hit or miss for the money.

For example I LOVE my CCrane 2E AM/FM/Weather/VHF radio.  I also love and could never part with my CCrane EP Pro (version 2).  Great little radio.

However I DESPISE my CCrane Skywave SSB radio.  It has AWFUL reception and it costs $170.  On paper it looks great.  In reality it sucks.

So it has been with some trepidation that I purchased the CC Pocket Radio.  I have wanted one though since they released it because, hey, I’m a radio nut and I want to hold them all and try them all.

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CCrane CCRadio EP Pro Review

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Recently picked up a new CCrane CCRadio EP Pro and have the difficult task of shaking it down.  Why?  Because I also own the CCrane CCRadio 2E which is a FANTASTIC RADIO.

So why did I get an EP Pro?  Because I can.  It’s true, I don’t need it but I’m a radio buff.  And I own enough radios that I can form an opinion FAST on whether or not I think a particular radio is viable or not.   So what do I think about the EP Pro?

First impression.  Nice looking, attractive radio.  Not too heavy.  Good placement of controls. Also it has one of my favorite features for a radio……….a Line Out.  It does not have a jack labelled Line Out, however, the manual says it can be hooked to “an optional recording device” also known as “a computer with Audacity” on it.

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Radiwow XHDATA R-108 Short Wave Radio Review

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Radiwow XHDATA R-108 Short Wave Radio Review

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XHDATA (Radiowow) R-108

Hi, I’m John and I’m addicted to short wave radios.

You can never have enough radios I always say.  I’ve seen the radio in question here around since 2018 or so but initially it was a buy from AliExpress only kind of radio.  It since crept over to Amazon and I recently decided to pick one up even though the last thing I need on planet earth is another short wave radio.

I have maybe 20 or 25 radios (I’m scared to actually count).  That being said I do actually break them all out and use them from time to time so they don’t just totally collect dust. I do use my gear.

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HF Listening. My Favorite Way.

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I’m an old dude that grew up in the height of the CB radio craze.  CB radio is a gateway drug to ham radio or short wave radio.  I love listening to short wave radio, aka HF.

I have TONS of short wave radios.  There are tons of web pages on which radio is best and I personally think we get wrapped up too much in technical details. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful that people are giving things a proper shakedown but I’m a simple guy who just likes to spin the dial and listen to unusual things on HF.

I’ll show you what I’m up to this morning.  I have my Sangean ATS-909x which is probably my favorite short wave radio.

I’ll GUARANTEE you there are people out there who would scoff at that but I’m telling you…..I have at least 20 or 25 short wave radios and pound for pound, for where I live, under my conditions the Sangean almost lays everything else to waste.

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OP25 Dashboard

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OP25 is my FAVORITE police scanner program.  I track two trunked radio systems with ONE software defined radio.  My Uniden Police Scanner that does that costs $800.  This way costs about $30.

Anyway, I’m reading through some OP25 stuff today and I found out it has a web interface.  SAY WHAT?  Looks like this.

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Fixing Your Own Appliances

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I am a HUGE advocate for buying appliances that are easy to maintain, without computer chips and boards, and that have an abundance of readily available spare parts.

I have a washer dryer combo I purchased in 2003 which is still going strong.  In 16 years I have only changed the pump on the washer (about $20) and replaced the belt on the dryer as far as general wear and tear goes.   When I moved back from Japan the movers crushed the top of the washer and dryer and broke the timer switch on the washer and some plastic brackets.  I negotiated a settlement and fixed all that stuff up like new as well.

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Good Swiss Army Knife Find

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I have a thing for Swiss Army knives and I’m a somewhat sporadic collector and sometimes modifier of them, and by that I mean changing the appearance of the scales.

The Swiss Army Knife has been around for quite some time and when a company has been making a product with robust sales for over 100 years you have to figure they are doing something right.   Over all those years there are some knives that are a bit more collectible than others.

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