Choosing a Radio | Intro to Shortwave Radio, Part 3

[@teresathomley3703]

Great, great channel. You are calm and objective and apolitical. A lot of SW KZbin channels are filled with a bunch of political nonsense and the way you treat the subject of radio is seriously refreshing. I can't speak highly enough of you.👍

[@PotterPossum1989]

It would be nice if the majority of devices weren't foreign. I wish America would get into it.

Best series of videos I have seen to get new people into the hobby!

[@tignim231]

I like how you explain why someone would purchase a particular radio, it makes it easier on what kind of radio to invest in... Grate job!

[@perrycouloufacos7821]

A real pleasure to listen to tom the radiodog.

[@hamandshortwaveradioirelan4773]

Great channel Tom, it’s always good to see experienced shortwave listeners passing on tips to newcomers 👍

[@emmag7599]

I bought a cheap weather radio for emergencies and it has SW on it. Now im super interested in this particular thing!! Who knew!! I’m slowly but surely learning

[@Funk-DX]

amazing, great, super: your audience is deep satisfied, dear friend Tom! Thank you very much for this fine video show ! Yours, the Klaus

[@tedtower6758]

Please do a segment on antennas for shortwave and ham.

[@michaelkinsella3514]

This is a very helpful video with nice explanation on the differences of each radio. Nice work.

[@anthonymiller8979]

I picked up a Tecsun R-9012 analog and was amazed at how well a $22 radio could perform. many nights it holds its own against my CCrane Skywave SSB. No digital bells and whistles but a great budget start

[@goranserka3601]

Nice choice very portable. I love mine

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

Oh yeah a very good radio that is also a fantastic all-analog tuner for beginners who are not sure if it's worth it and don't wanna spend too much. Definitely a fantastic Model in its price range. That model and also the DR-920C if you want an LCD readout but the same formfactor.

[@refinedrapture_]

great stuff...I hope you go over antennae one day!

[@robertrockwell7581]

the Tecsun R9700dx is the first Radio I bought and then bought the Tecsun pl330 for the SSB mode. love both Radios and have fun with both.

[@Bob-Horse]

Great video. I have ordered a Tecsun PL 680, so I hope it serves me well.

[@TheGhungFu]

The Tecsun 310ET is a great starter radio that currently can be found for less than $50 , free shipping (I just paid $49),, and it has an external antenna connection for FM and SW. Now seeing it on Amazon for $48. Great value, that. I find myself using it alot over my other radios. The Eton/Grundig and CCrane units are very nice but a little pricey. The Tecsun is an ultra-portable and is amazingly easy on batteries. I go for several weeks on 3 EverReady NiMH rechargables. Has a built-in charger (microUSB). Currently listening to Quebec from NC on a random wire. WRMI (Radio Miami International) also coming in very strong this evening. Great stuff. Keep it coming! PS: Stuff from China is taking forever right now.

[@edhollingsworth2335]

So glad I found your channel. Thank you for your work to help us learn. Greetings from Canada.

[@greggaieck4808]

Radio dog your utube videos are awesome 📻😎📻😎🎊🎊🎊👍

[@acidphaze]

Personally I would recommend using WebSDR online receivers first, before buying a physical radio. That way you will get used to listening to shortwave radio and it's modes, then you will have a much better idea what type of radio you want to buy. I would also recommend a radio with SSB capability, as I would guess your listening hobby will expand into different aspects after getting into the hobby. Also a good desktop like a Kenwood R-1000 or R-2000, their old receivers but have enough features for a beginner. You get a solid radio which won't break easily, analogue tuning with digital display. Freqency coverage from 0 to 30000kHz. SSB LSB/USB modes, with noise blanker and a simple timer which can be used for automated recording. Analogue S meter and AGC control and wide or narrow filter for AM mode. All for around £100 or $100 second hand. Also they have an awesome built in speaker too, with good sound quality. Many times I would have the receiver slightly out of tune in USB mode near a carrier signal, waiting for something clandestine to start. You could literally feel the table rumble with the sound, from the speaker and the radio wasn't turned up very high either. It doesn't get any better than that.

[@bowieterrance9513]

i guess Im asking the wrong place but does any of you know a method to log back into an Instagram account?? I somehow lost the password. I love any assistance you can give me!

[@elliotjerome6294]

@Bowie Terrance instablaster :)

[@bowieterrance9513]

@Elliot Jerome thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site thru google and I'm in the hacking process atm. I see it takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.

[@bowieterrance9513]

@Elliot Jerome It did the trick and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy:D Thank you so much you really help me out !

[@elliotjerome6294]

@Bowie Terrance no problem :)

[@alannorthdevonuk763]

Thank you. Good advice. I've decided to order a Tecsun P380. After watching the video I thought I'd go for the P380 as I like the size and really did not want the SSB. I'm a UK Ham and it's nice to get away from it and concentrate on some other radio stuff. Cheers.

[@RJDA.Dakota]

The XHData D808 is the best value on any radio under $100. I have one of these and am very happy with it.

[@duncan3417]

Hi, I agree with you. This radio really pulls in the stations when others don't. This radio out performs my more expensive ones, especially digitals, Thanks

[@hanksta34]

It's under $150 now

[@RJDA.Dakota]

@@hanksta34 hate to be a name dropper but I call this “the Todderbert Effect”. When you see a radio review on that or another station like that I think that it brings the price of the item up.

[@SuburbanDon]

Thanks for this. I ended up ordering the PL880 instead of the Crane Skywave because it has auto browse stored stations.

[@gracewright7938]

Great thak you. I bought KAITO Voyager KA 600. I am having a difficult time working it . Think I'll return and get an analog.

[@yarabamba]

The XHDATA D808 I think is the best budget radio.

[@scottbelcher9026]

I love my XHDATA D808!!! I also love my Kaito KA-1103!!! Those are two great less expensive choices!!!

[@357bullfrog2]

I like analog because you can just sit and slowly go across the dial never knowing what you might pickup

[@Radiodog]

It's always an adventure. It's like being able to fly over the terrain, finding a good place to land and explore.

[@jsb1964]

Tom! Come back! We need your knowledge and your calming voice in these uncertain times.

[@DXPedro]

Yup!!

[@jw6180]

Yes!

[@gregmihran8616]

Hey Tom, I just subscribed today! I've been enjoying your radio and antenna videos a lot. You have such a nice, calming demeanor on camera. You are very easy to listen to - many other channels yell at u. I'm curious, what is your profession? Keep up the great work. 73s Greg KJ6ER (Silicon Valley)

[@georgemccune5281]

Very informative indeed! Might have to go buy a radio now!

[@KongKingman]

Tom, great video as usual, I own several vintage “Realistics” aka “Sangean from the 80s and 90s good radios as I’m sure you know this!

[@DeputatKaktus]

The D-808 is a great little beginner radio. I picked one up myself and haven’t regretted it at all. As of 2024, you can snap them up new for around 70 bucks if Amazon has one of their special deal days. Highly recommend it. The little Tecsun is also great for the price. It does not have Airband, SSB and no RDS though. I like prefer having the latter but it’s not a dealbreaker. The Tecsun definitely has a nicer travel pouch. It has a zipper and is made of some neoprene type material. The XHDATA has a faux leather sleeve with a drawstring at the top. I don’t really like it, because it makes packing up the radio a pretty fiddly affair. Even though the radio itself is more expensive, it feels like they definitely cheaped out on the bag. Again, not a huge deal. Just a detail to be aware of. Speaking of which: The Tecsun PL-380 that I got has a practically ancient Mini USB-B port. I don’t care for that too much as I use rechargeable AA batteries anyway, and I don’t have the radio hooked up via USB. The D-808 has received an update recently - the newer ones come with a USB-C port. It also uses an 18650 battery which lasts a really long time.

[@timcollingwood6158]

Hi thanks,you have a very interesting channel very inspiring keep up the good work Best Regards Tim .Uk

[@PotterPossum1989]

Just a heads up, prices are sometimes lower on Amazon. I bought an alternate model to that first retro radio pictured in the video, for my grandmother's upcoming birthday. I just wanted something small and cute for her, and it doubles as a Bluetooth speaker for if I ever want to seriously get into shortwave (I would get a more dedicated radio, but still use this little household one as a speaker). I wish radios had both excellent components and aesthetic, not either one or the other. Anyway, the consumer model that I bought cost me $26 through Amazon from the same company, but costs $46 on eBay. Excellent video and a great explanation, thank you. Wish I had come across it before I made my purchase, I might have reconsidered. This will be a great AM FM set, though, and it will allow me to dabble in SW, even just casually as a listener. It also comes with a small solar panel, I was curious to see how well they worked, I thought they looked like a gimmick, too, but if it works, I'll take it. Had to start somewhere. I would gladly pay more money for a decent radio with a good internals if it had a nice exterior aesthetic, but like I said, it's either one or the other, it seems.

[@davidbuck5864]

Good advice here. I have an old Grundig Satellit 800. I had an older Drake SW8 scanning receiver which did not survive my time in Cambodia. When I got back I tried to replace it, but they had stopped making short wave recievers and now only made sattelite TV equipment. They did voluntyeer that the Grundig had all the same components of thei rold radio, so I bought one. Anyway, I can recomment the Grundig, if you can find one,. They are huge, but they worl well and have good sound quality. My main radios these days are an ICOM IC R75 and as AOR AR8600.

[@emaksoud]

Thank you for your information ❤

[@greggaieck4808]

Radio dog me and my cousin are going to a Swap meet in September 11 Sunday morning at 8 am in Milwaukee 2022

[@parcel1980]

Kaito KA1103 & Tecsun R9700 DX both are unique with inner display light ! The XHDATA D-808 is benchmark in modern times !

[@jarrodanderson2124]

I just checked EBay and all of these radios are marked up about 10% each. Maybe it's the holiday season idk. I bought XH Data d-808 radio ($105) and I'll update when it comes in. Thanks for the video.

[@jediwompa]

Will I need to hook it up to a large antenna to hear other countries?

[@airwolf1987]

What about the antique looking radios on ALIEXPRESS? Would they be good for shortwave?

[@jsb1964]

Hello! I hope you are doing well. I miss your videos!

[@shortwavelisteningforbegin418]

Very enjoyable video very good for the beginner 👍🤗

[@ronaldzuccala1889]

Hello. I would say either xhdata d 808 or tecsun pl 330.take care. Ron Z. Now 67 receivers and counting.

[@tombouie]

Alright, yous just convinced me. ?What is a budget radio with AM/FM/Shortwave/ssb/Weather/etc on amazon? I always just use amazon. Thks

[@Radiodog]

This little guy looks like fun: www.amazon.com/Portable-Shortwave-Weather-Emergency-Flashlight/dp/B078JLVZRK/ref=sr_1_19?dchild=1&keywords=shortwave+radio&qid=1614511042&sr=8-19

[@tombouie]

@@Radiodog It's in my amazon shopping cart rights-now, thks much.

[@357bullfrog2]

Your right. Some prices are tediculas on eBay and Amazon both.

[@receivedSE]

Is Siemens RK 661 better than XHDATA 808 in receiving signals from shortwave radio stations?

[@edbouman5013]

Radiodog, just found your channel, because I was looking for a Shortwave Radio, because my Eton Fr-300 Weather Radio has finally failed me. I loved my Eton Fr-300, because of the weather channel features, and the fact that it was a crank radio, so it worked if we had hydro or not. Now seeing as I am not a genius when it comes to radios, I would like your opinion o the Grundig S350! It comes with a crank as well for the use when we have no hydro, which happens a lot where I live. I was hoping I could get you to do a review on the radio, so I would know whether or not to consider it for my next radio. My Eton Fr-300 didn't have shortwave o it, but it had the 7 weather bands, plus 2 Tv bands which I thought was kind of useless, but all the other features on it came in handy. I would appreciate any help you could give me on this topic! I subscribed to your channel, because I enjoyed the several videos you posted! Keep up the good work!

[@Radiodog]

Hey there, thanks for the nice comment. I don't have a s350, so I can't say anything firsthand about it. It seems the word on the street is that it's prone to drifting. The way I tend to fly around on the bands, that's not a big issue for me. Do they make the S350 with a crank? That's news to me...but I've gotten out of the "gotta-have-another-radio" habit these days, so I'm not paying very much attention. I've actually been downscaling, so I'm not planning any further "radio review" videos.

[@edbouman5013]

@@Radiodog Are you selling any of your short wave radios?

[@ronfullerton3162]

Does a higher dollar radio such as the Eton Elite Longwave or the Grundig 5450DLX get you any more advantages other than less money in our bank account?

[@redf7209]

Would have like to know what options were on these for connecting additional antenna. Appreciate Ebay is probably not giving you that info though.

[@randalusa]

Louder would be nice. If sitting at home, no problem. If out doing this g, I missed about 30%.

[@twatmunro]

I've just been browsing the various radio channels and almost all of them are trying to sell me a radio after having received a freebee from the manufacturer. You'd think they'd be embarrassed, but no.

[@laheart1957]

I heard on one video that an analog radio is any day better than a digital radio. I s that correct?

[@soochingleong3216]

Hi, I am new to world band radio. Is it necessary to buy one with SSB? Thanks.

[@bethg.5611]

No. It's optional.

[@1953MMike]

Do you play the guitar for the music at the intro

[@wallamboklahong9125]

Dear Bro, could u make radio analogue videos in Indian sub continental or South East Asia perspective, channels n signals, etc, will appreciate greatly in buying strong n good signals n entertainment for 24 hours. Thank you. Please.

[@doctordearmas8645]

Good morning.......I am new to the radio world and I can spend more than $100. I'd like to get a radio I can "grow" into rather than buy an inexpensive radio and then continually upgrade. Any suggestions for something in the range of 200-300

[@greggaieck4808]

Radio dog my hobbys are painting pictures and lisining to shortwave and ssb iam thinking about getting my ham license I have 4 shortwave

[@wesfoulds47]

Do you think a gaundig g1000a had Ssb

[@tonykeltsflorida]

A radio shack dx-398 is one of the best in the $100 range.

[@From_the_mil]

Is a Sony icf-sw100 any good?

[@aizazhashmi9433]

I am a radio hobbyist. I am studying Electrical engineering and want to work on RF systems. Please tell me the radio for Medium Wave dxing... I want to have reverse engineering on a MW radio receiver with highest sensitivity so far. Although Shortwave radios are best for dxing but I want to work on medium Wave. Please recommend me a best one you have experimented with or used.

[@markbailey1423]

I got a realistic dx100 for free how good are they and can I use a a99 on it

[@yan24to]

Hi Tom 👋

[@broadcast-monitor508]

Dear Tom, you are a little bit quiet, we hope all is okay? you are well and in good health ? best wishes from Austria

[@sprucerunlutheranchurch7647]

You are very kind. Thanks for your concern. All is well here...just super busy with other projects at the moment. Hope to get back to the radio videos soon. Take care!

[@santhoshk.p697]

I am in the Dxing field for the last 22 years. Now I am going to buy a new portable receiver . Which one do you suggest for me?

[@johnlomasney]

Interesting

[@cloudstreamfilms14]

You showed of SSB capability and did not tell us what that means.....Is that Ham radio? And how does that compare with using an HT ham radio.

[@devinsword5777]

sub'd im already a licensed ham and operate my own modest station, but im learning alot from your channel

[@juanantonini2030]

Hola..hello...you homemake the radio sw...??!....

[@Jeff_AA8HF]

Why would suggest shopping on eBay to beginners? You admit that prices can be outrageously inflated and you don’t know why? Also ordering direct from China is sketchy if you don’t have experience. There are better places to shop for your first radio.

[@indiawale3077]

Come back

[@practicallmen4690]

90 to 11 miter radio sw

[@robertvarner9519]

Shortwave radio listening isn't what it used to be in the past (1960s-1970s). Stations like the BBC World Service, Radio Netherlands, Radio Prague and the rest are nonexistent these days. I owned many SW radios back then and enjoyed it very much. I am an amateur radio operator and use a Yaesu FT-950 as my radio.

[@jerrydiver1]

Robert, some of those international, government-run stations are not on shortwave (over the air) radio anymore, but they do certainly still exist; it's just that they've moved to the internet. But as a ham, you know how the airwaves are filled with plenty of other activity for a newbie to tune in and enjoy.

[@kirozahariev502]

📻❤️🇧🇬

[@357bullfrog2]

I bought the R 9700 DX ain't won't even work. Tecsun has the worst customer service I've seen

[@resumewriterbrian]

I'm going to be honest with you. You are very slow and all over the place. I am looking for someone who can explain DSP, PPL, SSB, and how to get the very best FM and Shortwave reception--with great sound and a wall plug. Seriously, it's that simple. You confirmed the top ten lists, but I would now have to research the discreet meanings of DSP, PPL, SSB -- and then make sure I found the right mix/match. I like the low end of the FM dial, and shortwave is of interest to me. Mostly, reception is my issue--I go from sound to silence. Not sure why. I have bought three stereos and as many antennas for each. I do not want to stream. I want good sound for jazz as well-often played at night on the low end of the dial. One video that recommends 6 radios within some and all of these parameters would be great. Hours of viewing is not efficient, and there is not one silver bullet video. I did learn a lot, and you confirmed my brand choices from a credible perspective. However, I just want a reliable radio for FM, SW and with good speakers and a plug for the wall. AM is an added bonus, and likely a great concern for people who do not live in robust radio markets like mine. Thanks for all the help!

[@escapetherace1943]

literally any of them

[@67nairb]

Aren't shortwave radios obsollete now.

[@67nairb]

@G H thanks

[@harrybaulz666]

The cheap kaitos suck

[@cressi777]

This is a long dead hobby all the short wave stations are long gone, i dont get this.

[@josephtein3835]

Sorry ... not satisfied with this! I really liked the talk about shortwave listening. Here I think there's too much emphasis on finding a cheap receiver and no mention of the sensitivity and selectivity of the units. Cheap receivers aren't ever going to give you a good experience and you make it sound like they all have the same ability to tune in stations (which you know very well is not so). In addition you shouldn't be discussing radios that you've never tried. Please give us a better presentation 😃

[@wukket]

First of all, I know this is an old comment but you aren’t entitled to anything. If you want a video like that, make it yourself. Don’t tell others what to do. Secondly, I’ve been messing around with a $70 radio that has effectively picked up stations from the exact opposite side of the world from me! It’s worth mentioning that you DO NOT have to spend tons of money to get a good radio. We live in the future buddy. Radio tech is verrryyy widely understood and the technology is insanely impressive. But mostly, nobody held a gun to your head and forced you to watch this video. You clicked on it, watched the whole thing, and decided it wasn’t for you - instead of doing what normal people do and just move on to a video that actually fits what you’re looking for. And then beyond that, you decided to continue that negativity by commenting? Sorry to write an essay, I’m just so mindblown by how negative people are to others in this hobby. It’s like nobody is aware that others have different ideas and opinions. Your negative comment is a year old and it’s STILL having a negative impact. Just something to think about.

[@josephtein3835]

@@wukket Hey, thank you for the essay. I appreciate the feedback and the different point of view. Dialogue is good :). I wonder if I'd make the same comment these days.

[@wukket]

@@josephtein3835 Im choosing to believe we have all grown over time :) and I hope you’re doing well!!