my dad took me to Radio Shack in 1977 on a Saturday morning and bought me a Patrolman 9 and I was glued to that thing...I heard HCJB in Ecuador and so many others and my whole world changed, then came a DX-!60 with a KRS digital readout I bought off a ad in SPEEDX ..and then on and on and on...till this day..73,s gud dx
I love reading stories like this of how other people got into radio. Thanks for sharing your story, and yeah, radios are kind of like potato chips you can't just have one. :)
How exciting! You have all the radios I once had. Started DX'ing in the summer of 1975 until 1990 when I no longer could. I still have my SQL folder that has among others QSL from Radio Rhodesia, Radio DDR and others
So nice to hear you speaking in morse. After more than 50 years after my career as radio operator I still could understand it. great. I miss in the numbers the Realistic DX160!! I have the analogue DX serie and the 160 and 200 are the best. They have all extern digital frequency readings and they are in most time equal or better than my Kenwood R1000. I have build a adjustable narrow bandpassfilter in the DX and it is fantastic. I love analogue radio's.
Nice collection. One of the joys of a drifty vintage radio is the opportunity to twist the dials...that's all part of the fun. These new radios with PLL circuits are fairly solid so not much tuning is necessary. :)
Tube equipment will normally "drift" until the temperature stabilizes inside the case. That is the nature of all tube equipment. I have an all tube Amateur Radio station plus a modern solid state Yaesu station plus a plethora of collectible tube receivers. Any radio is as good as the antenna and ground it is connected to. Yes, you do need a ground connection no matter what anyone else says.
I agree about tube type radio drift. However, while in the US Army I had the opportunity to work in a mobile Rtty unit and that was what motivated me to get my Ham license. A good friend of mine gave me a Collins R390A receiver, which was identical to the receiver in my Rtty unit. I say all this because it DID NOT DRIFT. In fact I never experienced drift during my stint as a Novice Ham. Yes indeed, rigs that are designed for Military specs are quite different. Thanks for your input here, as I also thought it was a great presentation, and without lots of technical jargon. 73, Don wb1o
I am a scout troop leader in California I wanted to say great job on sharing your little ham shack and equipment it was impressive for such a young man having such a big collection already. I am going to be introducing ham radio to my troop of boys starting with the radio merit badge and working HT on 70cm and 2 meters and maybe have them build their first 2 meter antennas and tune them. I like your Yaesu analog radio very retro 1972! Cheers and a 73!
Thanks. That would be great I thought you had your license already. The license is pretty easy to take for a Tech and its only 15.00 bucks. In the 3rd week of October they have what is known as a JOTA or radio jamboree for the scouts. Look into it if you can and maybe you can be a big help to some local scouts on that date and allow them to use your radios to do some QSO's on the date. The troop leaders will be more then happy to help you keep the kids in line and protect your radios and also give you a meal or patches for helping out. I am sure there has been some adult that helped you out with radios so remember to give back to the next guys in line. The radios are expensive and many scout troops don't have access to base station radios and you would be a big asset to help a group of local boys learn about the life of Radio Hams. I can not express the gains or feeling when you do this its very rewarding for donating a couple of hours of your time once a year.
That sounds really cool. I don't know if I'll have my license my this October, but I would that should have it for next year's JOTA. Like I said that sounds really cool, and I wouldn't mind hopefully getting some more people into the hobby.
That Yaesu FRG-7 looks like a good copy of a Collins! Love your accent. Reminds me of the movie "Fargo." Yaaah! Update: The Hammarlund design reveals their early start in making radios for the US Navy. A used one was my first receiver when I was a novice in 1963. I like the R75 a lot, but I don't think it covers the aircraft band. I live near an airport and an Air Force base, so I really want that coverage. Maybe 6m, 2m and 440mH too. Dan N5ZXX
@@Sparkyzilla85: My Elmer in the 60s had an older crackle-black finish Collins receiver, a 75-series XMTR and a Collins linear. He had a telephone pole in the back with a huge, rotatable beam array. Had some fun QSOs there while getting my novice (WN0FRS). RIP Ferris Cramer.
I had an HQ 100A for many years in the 60s and 70s. My favorite receiver of all time. I wish I had another one now. Bought it at Harrison Radio on Radio Row (Cortlandt Street).
The Yeasu FRG-7 was my dream receiver growing up. By the time I was ready to invest more than $100 in a radio the Sony ICF-2010 was out so I never did get a Frog 7. The DX-160 brought back some memories. I had one that I added a frequency counter to. It made for a good digital display as long as you could add 455 to the readout in your head.
The Yaesu FRG-7 and Realistic DX-160 are both really great radios in my opinion. If you would happen to come across a used FRG-7, I recommend picking it up.
@@Sparkyzilla85 I had both of them in the 70s. The Frog 7 was better for tuning and I was in heaven when I bought it. Unfortunately it got zapped by lightening later and with the insurance settlement I bought a FRG7700. It got mothballed after I got married, but after retiring I unpacked it and I'm using it today.
I saw a couple of times on Ebay an advertisement for a Kenwood R-600 with switchable memory channels instead of a volume control. It looks like it was a marine version of the receiver. All the inscriptions were in German. Have you seen one? What are its advantages?
The old Kenwoods are enjoying a resurgence of popularity, especially the R-1000 and R-2000. It's hard to beat the 1000 for top performance in a radio that is solid and basic. The R-2000 speaker has to be one of the best ever put on a SW radio.
+Dan Robinson I've noticed that. I saw an article the other day about how the R-1000 has been seen selling for at least $400 on eBay. The speaker on the Yaesu FRG-7 is also pretty good in my opinion.
Great shack Dennis - like the integration with the Godzilla's. I too like the PL-880 and the R75. Looks like a fun place to chase signals in. Nice collection!
+D Raff Thank you! I am quite pleased with my how my shack and my collections have progressed. I just need a better desk though for the radios. The two boat anchors are putting too much weight on the desk and it is bowing in the middle a bit.
I'm an old pirate. However I have a Uniden 2510 with a chip. I wanted to go for a no-code license but got discouraged. I want to just run my Antron99 on a pine tree and maybe talk some skip sometimes. Am I wrong to still roll without a license? And yes I run a helper. FCC needs to change the rules. 4 watts is stupid.
Nice collection !!! I had a Realistic years ago. And I can see you have the same problem as I have with the Frog 7, the red switch !!! Regards. Ruben , VK3PRA.
Thanks. Yeah, when I bought my FRG-7 off of eBay it came without the red power switch. The whole switch itself is shot, so I have to either unplug it when I'm not using it, or use one of those outlits with an on off switch on it.
Nice video Dennis, much better videography but just a little too much "CW ambience" for my tastes. I have never asked but do you have an issue with a higher noise floor on the R2000 from the integrated processor? Additionally have you tried desensitising the FRG7 with the pre selector when experiencing adjacent frequency interference?
+SpectreOZ Yeah, even I thought I went overboard with the CW, but it made me chuckle so I kept it. :) No, the noise floor on the R2000 seems just fine. A bit higher than the R75, but not too bad. Actually, I haven't tried that with the FRG7. I'll have to give it a try the next time I use it.
paxwallacejazz. Love the jazz bit! You could not have spoken a truer word.. When the public water supply collapses, the man with a hole called a WELL will be out upfront!
..Also, the Hallicrafter has one side of the AC power input grounded to the chasis. You MUST GROUND the chasis. ..unless you like to be shocked with 60V AC. It also generates noise.
I have a Tecsun just like yours. It is used as a portable home am/fm. I started off in 1963 with a Hallicrafters SX-110 purchased for my 13th birthday from Henry Radio in West Los Angeles. Radio Moscow beamed propaganda each night. It drifted a lot and I learned all about SSB. I was licensed as Advanced Class Ham in 1989. I now operate on the 20 and 40 meter bands using the newest, very popular ham mode of FT8. Radio hobby has been quite a ride and I still enjoy it. Hope you are also hooked on radio.
Hi Carl! I am very much indeed hooked on radio, and I too have been playing with FT8 alot lately. What is your call sign? Hopefully we can make contact sometime on 20 or 40 meters.
Hi My call is KN6SB. I use a Icom 7610 with a Maldol HVU-8 multi-band trap array. It is a very primitive small antenna mostly for limited areas. However I did make a FT8 contact to Japan last week. Do you have a call sign?Carl
@@carlwest1913 Cool! My call sign is KD9LVR, and I run an Icom IC-7300 for regular HF phone communications, and a Kenwood TS-590 SG for mixed modes. I use a home made inverted L and a Radiowavz double bazooka for 40 meters.
Hello subbed to ur channel ,, trying to get into sw listening can you do a clear diagramme on paper how ur arieal is wired outside and centre brade were they connect to either end many thanks Shane uk
Can you help me by suggesting a good radio that can pick up on different types of radio stations and police band. I'm just getting into the hobby and im confused. Something affordable.
Do you mean the Grundig Satellit 750, which in overseas markets is the Tecsun S-2000? I do have some older videos of it, but I really don't use it anymore since it doesn't work.
Have you ever thought about doing a video review of vintage analog shortwave portables such as the Zenith Transoceanic series, the pre-digital Grundig Satellit series, the Nordmende Globetrotter series, and the top shelf offerings from Japan, such as Panasonic, Sony, etc.?
Hello, really beautiful work. I like Kenwood R2000 very much.. But what about kenwood r5000 or, in tecsun radios, tecsun s2000 (also nice when going on hollidays) ?
I had both R2000 and R5000..and the 5000 blows the R2000 away...because it has the crystals installed which 100% changes the radio..I loved it..and WISHED I NEVER SOLD IT...if you get one..get one complety loaded with all the crystals...you wont regret it..
Hi @sparkyzilla85 - which SWR would you recommend simply for someone trying to fine-tune shortwave oddities (in reception)? I'm looking for a SWR that has filtering, EQ... something that allows me to manually tune between stations and get all that abstract noise and odd signals.....Thanks so much!!!!
I am a ham. Mostly listen to other hams and broadcast SW. I agree the speaker sounds great. Great for AM MW and FM but problem for MW is you cant add an external ANT. It forces you to use the internal. My kick stand broke and so did the battery cover. Gonna get a SDR soon. 73.
I'm not an expert, but I would recommend something like the Icom IC-R75 or the Alinco DX-R8, basically a really good desktop radio with single sideband.
This Realistic DX-160 radio has a dissimilar metal problem on the tuning printed circuit board with the rivets that connect the top side printed circuit to the printed circuit on the bottom side of the PC board. Resoldering is not sufficient, the fix is to solder jumper wires on the top side of the board to replace the connection made by the printed circuit on the bottom side. Shining a bright light through the bottom of the board shows clearly where to solder the jumper wires on the top side. This is the RF amp and Local Oscillator circuit so it will require alignment. Operation without repair may be intermittent.
Where can i find replacement potentiometers (value unknown) for the Squelch, RF gain and the SB BFO controls? The radio is a Eton Grundig Satellit 750 which is the same as Tecsun 2000. Anyone with the schematic diagram please tell me the values. Thank you so much !
Nice crib and rigs.. especially like all the Zillas- just like my room.... really wish you had included info on noise blocking/ limiting feature of these. My first Ham receiver in 1960 was a HQ-129x.. it would pick up Mars! Your 100R is sweet. Blast us with some new waves Daddio...
@@Sparkyzilla85 Nice to see people still using the R2000. I bought mine new back in the early 80's and it has been a workhorse. And in those decades, I've never had one issue. The tuning is now about 100 kc's off and I'm sure it could use an alignment, but after all this time, it has just been an outstanding radio. My-go to receiver is my Drake R8, which in terms of sensitivity and selectivity is a couple steps above the Kenwood. Also the front end of the Kenwood is more prone to overloading than the Drake. Check out a used Drake R8, R8A or R8B one of these days. 73, N7BWB
I just got an 880 this year, I like it for tuning in the house to find active frequencies using a reel. My bedroom one though for when I'm laying down is a Grundig Satellit 800, I've always loved how that radio looks since I was in high school and it was just a picture in passport to the world band radio... wouldn't have any idea how big it was until I actually got it though. For when I'm out hiking or other stuff got the county com gp5, really fully featured for a radio the size of a large candy bar
Not only our their international stations to listen to you can also listen ham radio operators, which in times of an emergency, will greatly come in handy. Plus, it's just a fun hobby to get into.
Hmmmm, that's hard to say since I have pretty much built most of my antennas. For an indoor antenna, you could always try a loop antenna, but an outdoor antenna will work the best. A dipole antenna or even and inverted L antenna will serve you well.
nice video :) trying to get started with this world, new stuff for me. is there any known nice/cheap (good quality/price ratio) transceivers for beginners ? (i would need to buy 2 in order to communicate of course). looking for something really basic, but that has a good reputation.. any advices ?
The FRG7 uses a barlow wadley circuit and thus more accurate its designed for SWL, compared to the HAmmerlands and other Radios they are designed more for ham use and thus the fine tuners for SSB. They are apples and oranges.
Your Hammarlund is well worth fixing. I have a Hammarlund HQ-160 and spent the time to realign it and it sprung to life and is really solid, no drift. I love using it, very sensitive, it can hear "Peanut Whistle" stations with no problems. Check out "Mr. Carlsons Lab" and "D-Lab" RUclips channels to find out how to align your Hammarlund. Once aligned you'll fall in love with it, it may even be your new #1 receiver.
If I had the knowledge, time and patience to work on it, I would've kept it. Sadly I got rid of it, but one day I wouldn't mind owning tube equipment again.
If you want to talk receivers try the ICOM IC R-9500 international version, (illegal in the US). The US version is crap. This is the radio that the FCC uses to listen to all illegal radios it will even track and receive cell phone. Get it with the digital board UT122 P25 Digital unit. It runs about $15,000 with another $1,000 for the digital board. ICOM Canada will sell you one but you will have to smuggle it across the border.
The communications receiver (general coverage) is the best shortwave radio receiver ever made. They say...The Realistic DX-302 is the best of the best.
Oh, the venerable, FRG 7. I used to have one, but got rid of it because I had to move. It's a "boat anchor" as far as the weight but I'd give anything to have a Frog 7 again. Nice shack you have, good DX and 73's from Radio 645.
@@Sparkyzilla85 I just bought FRG7 from a friend, I got it hooked up enjoying the heck out of it! Good review you have here, a very nice collection of radios.
Great video. I like your fresh unscripted approach, it's like visiting with you in person. By the way... As an old ham, I enjoyed the addition of the cw. Nice Touch. You have a new subscriber.
+Roy Row Thanks! Some people like it when I go unscripted and some people say my videos would be better if I did script them. I'll have to try a little of both to see what works. I'm glad that you liked the cw. I wanted to do something a little bit unique with this video and thought that using cw for the intro cards was a great idea.
Just keep it up. What comes through is your passion for your hobby. I started short wave listening in high school during the Viet Nam war. Plenty of exciting broadcasts. I still enjoy it today.
The FRG-7 is a very nice one! - and Oscar Hammarlund was a Swedish immigrant! - the country where i live - i mysel f have a Tecsun handheld PL-368 which i use in bed!! - then i have the predecessor to your Icom, the IC-R72, just got it a couple of days ago, so still new to me, seems very nice, - i was an avid DXer when i was young, and had many different radios in my schack, that was in the 80ies - but still fun though! - i also have a Uniwa B8000 pocradio, to communicate with, greetings, Levi in Sweden (but Finnish origin)
Nice set up, what do you think of the Tecsun pl660 vs the pl880, considering getting one of the two, interested to know why you prefer the pl880 and if you feel it's worth the higher price? Thanks
Thank you. I've only used the PL880, and it's a good radio to buy, just make sure you get a later model number. I have one of the earlier models and the SSB reception is kind of messed up. From what I understand the earlier PL880s weren't as good as the PL660.
Ah the FRG-7, I remember it well! Mine had feet, though. Something to do with allowing air flow through from under the set and out through the top. Sitting flat on a surface, there's a risk of it overheating without them. So, you might consider buying some feet for it, if you're not the one who removed them and put them in a drawer somewhere....
Yeah, I removed the feet. I still have them, somewhere. LOL. Luckily, as of lately, I don't use the FRG-7 as much as my other receivers and transceivers.
Nicely done video. You might hav e less trouble with drifting on SSB if you have a cooling fan running nearby the set. not sure but seems logical. Keep making videos you have a talent for it .
my dad took me to Radio Shack in 1977 on a Saturday morning and bought me a Patrolman 9
and I was glued to that thing...I heard HCJB in Ecuador and so many others and my whole world
changed, then came a DX-!60 with a KRS digital readout I bought off a ad in SPEEDX ..and then
on and on and on...till this day..73,s gud dx
I love reading stories like this of how other people got into radio. Thanks for sharing your story, and yeah, radios are kind of like potato chips you can't just have one. :)
Excellent presentation! Seen in March of 2023!
Nice to see more younger people into SWLing and radios .
Nice radios too.
Thank you! :)
Agree but as an 80+ old dxing since 1952, ive had some of the above receivers
Jeff King,
Couldn't agree more, Jeff! Pity that they aren't interested in building the same simple radios of the time!
How exciting! You have all the radios I once had. Started DX'ing in the summer of 1975 until 1990 when I no longer could. I still have my SQL folder that has among others QSL from Radio Rhodesia, Radio DDR and others
So nice to hear you speaking in morse. After more than 50 years after my career as radio operator I still could understand it. great. I miss in the numbers the Realistic DX160!! I have the analogue DX serie and the 160 and 200 are the best. They have all extern digital frequency readings and they are in most time equal or better than my Kenwood R1000. I have build a adjustable narrow bandpassfilter in the DX and it is fantastic. I love analogue radio's.
"This thing is just a monster" as the radio is covered with monsters.
Nice collection. One of the joys of a drifty vintage radio is the opportunity to twist the dials...that's all part of the fun. These new radios with PLL circuits are fairly solid so not much tuning is necessary. :)
Listening in Lemoore CA - I listened to the Berlin Wall Fall Down - on Radio Berlin International ( Radio East Berlin)
Tube equipment will normally "drift" until the temperature stabilizes inside the case. That is the nature of all tube equipment. I have an all tube Amateur Radio station plus a modern solid state Yaesu station plus a plethora of collectible tube receivers. Any radio is as good as the antenna and ground it is connected to. Yes, you do need a ground connection no matter what anyone else says.
I agree about tube type radio drift. However, while in the US Army I had the opportunity to work in a mobile Rtty unit and that was what motivated me to get my Ham license. A good friend of mine gave me a Collins R390A receiver, which was identical to the receiver in my Rtty unit. I say all this because it DID NOT DRIFT. In fact I never experienced drift during my stint as a Novice Ham. Yes indeed, rigs that are designed for Military specs are quite different. Thanks for your input here, as I also thought it was a great presentation, and without lots of technical jargon. 73, Don wb1o
I am a scout troop leader in California I wanted to say great job on sharing your little ham shack and equipment it was impressive for such a young man having such a big collection already. I am going to be introducing ham radio to my troop of boys starting with the radio merit badge and working HT on 70cm and 2 meters and maybe have them build their first 2 meter antennas and tune them. I like your Yaesu analog radio very retro 1972! Cheers and a 73!
That's really cool that you are able to get kids into ham/shortwave radio. I hope to get my license as soon as we're done moving around.
Thanks. That would be great I thought you had your license already. The license is pretty easy to take for a Tech and its only 15.00 bucks. In the 3rd week of October they have what is known as a JOTA or radio jamboree for the scouts. Look into it if you can and maybe you can be a big help to some local scouts on that date and allow them to use your radios to do some QSO's on the date. The troop leaders will be more then happy to help you keep the kids in line and protect your radios and also give you a meal or patches for helping out. I am sure there has been some adult that helped you out with radios so remember to give back to the next guys in line. The radios are expensive and many scout troops don't have access to base station radios and you would be a big asset to help a group of local boys learn about the life of Radio Hams. I can not express the gains or feeling when you do this its very rewarding for donating a couple of hours of your time once a year.
That sounds really cool. I don't know if I'll have my license my this October, but I would that should have it for next year's JOTA. Like I said that sounds really cool, and I wouldn't mind hopefully getting some more people into the hobby.
+Sparkyzilla85 get your license its not to hard to study and it's easy to pass the tech license. 15 bucks for the test.
Hi there, my advice would be: get rifd of the R75 And the R2000 and get a second hand Kenwood R5000. You'll be very satisfied.
Very nice collection. I just bought a Tecsun S2000. Received it last week.
Thank you. Tecsun makes some really nice radios, it's nice to see a company making great radios for a decent price.
Hey Crabby, how you liking the S2000?
I wish it could tune like PL 880 and have the bfo.
That Yaesu FRG-7 looks like a good copy of a Collins!
Love your accent. Reminds me of the movie "Fargo." Yaaah!
Update: The Hammarlund design reveals their early start in making radios for the US Navy. A used one was my first receiver when I was a novice in 1963.
I like the R75 a lot, but I don't think it covers the aircraft band. I live near an airport and an Air Force base, so I really want that coverage. Maybe 6m, 2m and 440mH too.
Dan N5ZXX
I would love to own, or at least use a Collins radio.
I get that a lot. It must just be a midwestern accent.
@@Sparkyzilla85: My Elmer in the 60s had an older crackle-black finish Collins receiver, a 75-series XMTR and a Collins linear. He had a telephone pole in the back with a huge, rotatable beam array. Had some fun QSOs there while getting my novice (WN0FRS).
RIP Ferris Cramer.
I had an HQ 100A for many years in the 60s and 70s. My favorite receiver of all time. I wish I had another one now. Bought it at Harrison Radio on Radio Row (Cortlandt Street).
The Yeasu FRG-7 was my dream receiver growing up. By the time I was ready to invest more than $100 in a radio the Sony ICF-2010 was out so I never did get a Frog 7. The DX-160 brought back some memories. I had one that I added a frequency counter to. It made for a good digital display as long as you could add 455 to the readout in your head.
The Yaesu FRG-7 and Realistic DX-160 are both really great radios in my opinion. If you would happen to come across a used FRG-7, I recommend picking it up.
@@Sparkyzilla85 I had both of them in the 70s. The Frog 7 was better for tuning and I was in heaven when I bought it. Unfortunately it got zapped by lightening later and with the insurance settlement I bought a FRG7700. It got mothballed after I got married, but after retiring I unpacked it and I'm using it today.
Awesome collection of radios! You remind me of a friend of mine who was a ham and had a multitude of radios and other electronics.
That's funny, I am now a ham and I have added a couple transceivers to my collection.
Cool stuff. Nice rigs. All I gotta do is replace some dry caps in my 1957 Lafayette unit. N2ZNN. 73’s
Interesting. informative. Funny.
You are a cool dude :-)
Happy New year
Very nice video there, Dennis. You have a great collection! Enjoyed it. Thanks and 73 from Australia, Rob VK3BVW
+Rob Wagner Thanks. I'm glad you liked the video.
+Rob Wagner Thank you! :)
What is the difference between the Eton Elite NELITE750 Classic and the Eton Elite 750?
I saw a couple of times on Ebay an advertisement for a Kenwood R-600 with switchable memory channels instead of a volume control. It looks like it was a marine version of the receiver. All the inscriptions were in German. Have you seen one? What are its advantages?
To tell you the truth, I'm not familiar with that receiver. I would have to do some research on it.
The old Kenwoods are enjoying a resurgence of popularity, especially the R-1000 and R-2000. It's hard to beat the 1000 for top performance in a radio that is solid and basic. The R-2000 speaker has to be one of the best ever put on a SW radio.
+Dan Robinson I've noticed that. I saw an article the other day about how the R-1000 has been seen selling for at least $400 on eBay.
The speaker on the Yaesu FRG-7 is also pretty good in my opinion.
I still have my old Kenwood r600
I enjoyed the video of your top 5 shortwave radios from 2016.
73 Paul AA1SU
Thank you for watching, and thank you for noticing that this is from 2016! It drives me crazy people who think this is a newer video.
Nice to see your video quality getting much better with new cam and tripod. Makes all the difference. Enjoyed the vid.
+The Radio Hobbyist I'm so glad that I picked up this webcam. Next I'll be picking up a camcorder and a more flexible tripod for mobile videos.
Enjoyed your video, nice collection.
Thanks!
Great shack Dennis - like the integration with the Godzilla's. I too like the PL-880 and the R75. Looks like a fun place to chase signals in. Nice collection!
+D Raff Thank you! I am quite pleased with my how my shack and my collections have progressed. I just need a better desk though for the radios. The two boat anchors are putting too much weight on the desk and it is bowing in the middle a bit.
Sparkyzilla85 How about the Austalian Digitech AR 1945? Is it available in your country? I'am from Philippines
the tecsun 880 has problems on ssb
How about the DX-440?
Old, but still good radio?
I haven't used one, so I really can't comment on it.
I'm an old pirate. However I have a Uniden 2510 with a chip. I wanted to go for a no-code license but got discouraged. I want to just run my Antron99 on a pine tree and maybe talk some skip sometimes. Am I wrong to still roll without a license? And yes I run a helper. FCC needs to change the rules. 4 watts is stupid.
Nice collection !!! I had a Realistic years ago. And I can see you have the same problem as I have with the Frog 7, the red switch !!! Regards. Ruben , VK3PRA.
Thanks. Yeah, when I bought my FRG-7 off of eBay it came without the red power switch. The whole switch itself is shot, so I have to either unplug it when I'm not using it, or use one of those outlits with an on off switch on it.
@@Sparkyzilla85 ah, I see. No, my is working ,only the level is broken. Regards.
Amazing collection you have there. you are very fortunate to have such a nice collection.
much respect and 73,kb3aum
Thank you! :)
Great video, and equipment. Working on getting a Xiegu G90 soon. Subscribed, and look forward to watching more. The morse code is great also :)
Awesome, thank you!
Does your model of the Icom IC-R75 have the synchronous detector?
No, it does not. I would have to buy that separately if I wanted it for this radio.
Great video. What state are you in?
Thanks! I live in Wisconsin.
Nice video Dennis, much better videography but just a little too much "CW ambience" for my tastes.
I have never asked but do you have an issue with a higher noise floor on the R2000 from the integrated processor?
Additionally have you tried desensitising the FRG7 with the pre selector when experiencing adjacent frequency interference?
+SpectreOZ Yeah, even I thought I went overboard with the CW, but it made me chuckle so I kept it. :)
No, the noise floor on the R2000 seems just fine. A bit higher than the R75, but not too bad.
Actually, I haven't tried that with the FRG7. I'll have to give it a try the next time I use it.
Oooooh, the Realistic. I had one of those. Loved it!
Realistic made some really nice radios. I have owned a couple over the years.
When the internet goes down that's how we'll have to try to get some recovery going.
paxwallacejazz.
Love the jazz bit!
You could not have spoken a truer word.. When the public water supply collapses, the man with a hole called a WELL will be out upfront!
Of all the receivers that you own , what receiver do you think is the most sensitive, pulling in the weakest signal ?
I would say it's a tie between the Kenwood and the Icom R75. Those are the two radios that I rely on the most for dxing.
Just have to watch this again...love it..
+Gene Paradis I'm glad you liked the video.
..Also, the Hallicrafter has one side of the AC power input grounded to the chasis. You MUST GROUND the chasis. ..unless you like to be shocked with 60V AC. It also generates noise.
I have a Tecsun just like yours. It is used as a portable home am/fm. I started off in 1963 with a Hallicrafters SX-110 purchased for my 13th birthday from Henry Radio in West Los Angeles. Radio Moscow beamed propaganda each night. It drifted a lot and I learned all about SSB. I was licensed as Advanced Class Ham in 1989. I now operate on the 20 and 40 meter bands using the newest, very popular ham mode of FT8. Radio hobby has been quite a ride and I still enjoy it. Hope you are also hooked on radio.
Hi Carl! I am very much indeed hooked on radio, and I too have been playing with FT8 alot lately. What is your call sign? Hopefully we can make contact sometime on 20 or 40 meters.
Hi My call is KN6SB. I use a Icom 7610 with a Maldol HVU-8 multi-band trap array. It is a very primitive small antenna mostly for limited areas. However I did make a FT8 contact to Japan last week. Do you have a call sign?Carl
@@carlwest1913 Cool! My call sign is KD9LVR, and I run an Icom IC-7300 for regular HF phone communications, and a Kenwood TS-590 SG for mixed modes. I use a home made inverted L and a Radiowavz double bazooka for 40 meters.
Pretty nice radios
Thank you!
Hello subbed to ur channel ,, trying to get into sw listening can you do a clear diagramme on paper how ur arieal is wired outside and centre brade were they connect to either end many thanks Shane uk
Can you help me by suggesting a good radio that can pick up on different types of radio stations and police band. I'm just getting into the hobby and im confused. Something affordable.
I would suggest a SDR. You can listen to LW, AM, SW, FM, and the police bands. Either SDRPlay or Airspy are the brands that I would suggest.
You have a Tecsun on cupboard. Do you have video for that
Do you mean the Grundig Satellit 750, which in overseas markets is the Tecsun S-2000? I do have some older videos of it, but I really don't use it anymore since it doesn't work.
Great video😀 Great radios too. Many thanks
Thanks! :)
Good Job. Right to the point!!!!
Thanks!
cool shack man, great collection of radios!
+Jimmy Jim Thank you.
Sparkyzilla85
Very nice enjoyable video 👍😊
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.
nice radio!
Thank you!
thank you for sharing ! PL 880 reviewed in ham radio QST magazine
+Eric Higbie You're welcome, and thank you for watching! I'll have to see if that review for the PL-880 is available online.
I love my Tecsun PL-880 too and just bought me a Commradio CR-1a and getting used to using it as it's complicated for me :)
I was thinking about getting the CR-1a, but I went with the Icom IC-R75 instead.
Have you ever thought about doing a video review of vintage analog shortwave portables such as the Zenith Transoceanic series, the pre-digital Grundig Satellit series, the Nordmende Globetrotter series, and the top shelf offerings from Japan, such as Panasonic, Sony, etc.?
Hello, really beautiful work. I like Kenwood R2000 very much.. But what about kenwood r5000 or, in tecsun radios, tecsun s2000 (also nice when going on hollidays) ?
Tecsun s2000 is not a good radio, specially if you consider its high price.
+jtownshend
thanks a lot. ☺
I had both R2000 and R5000..and the 5000 blows the R2000 away...because it has the crystals installed which 100% changes the radio..I loved it..and WISHED I NEVER SOLD IT...if you get one..get one complety loaded with all the crystals...you wont regret it..
Kennynva T.
Ok, thanks a lot... I'm french and I would be sure by what you mean by "crystals"....
I meant to say filters..instead of crystals...
Nice choices old man!
LOL, thanks!
Hi @sparkyzilla85 - which SWR would you recommend simply for someone trying to fine-tune shortwave oddities (in reception)? I'm looking for a SWR that has filtering, EQ... something that allows me to manually tune between stations and get all that abstract noise and odd signals.....Thanks so much!!!!
Excellent presentation.
+hamrad88 Thank you, Tom. :)
I am a ham. Mostly listen to other hams and broadcast SW. I agree the speaker sounds great. Great for AM MW and FM but problem for MW is you cant add an external ANT. It forces you to use the internal. My kick stand broke and so did the battery cover. Gonna get a SDR soon. 73.
What do you as expert recommend to listen to eam or emergency action messages
I'm not an expert, but I would recommend something like the Icom IC-R75 or the Alinco DX-R8, basically a really good desktop radio with single sideband.
This Realistic DX-160 radio has a dissimilar metal problem on the tuning printed circuit board with the rivets that connect the top side printed circuit to the printed circuit on the bottom side of the PC board. Resoldering is not sufficient, the fix is to solder jumper wires on the top side of the board to replace the connection made by the printed circuit on the bottom side. Shining a bright light through the bottom of the board shows clearly where to solder the jumper wires on the top side. This is the RF amp and Local Oscillator circuit so it will require alignment. Operation without repair may be intermittent.
Thanks for posting.
Nice radios you have there.
Thank you! :)
Where can i find replacement potentiometers (value unknown) for the Squelch, RF gain and the SB BFO controls? The radio is a Eton Grundig Satellit 750 which is the same as Tecsun 2000. Anyone with the schematic diagram please tell me the values. Thank you so much !
Nice crib and rigs.. especially like all the Zillas- just like my room.... really wish you had included info on noise blocking/ limiting feature of these. My first Ham receiver in 1960 was a HQ-129x.. it would pick up Mars! Your 100R is sweet. Blast us with some new waves Daddio...
I have owned a number of SW radios and my favorite is the Grundig Satellit 800. Have you ever had one of those?
+Richard2003 Not yet. I might replace my Grundig Satellit 750 with the Satellit 800.
Its cool but not good for ssb, i have it
Great video, nice radios !
Thank you!
Great video thank you! I will definitely check out the kenwood.
It's a great radio that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a really good communication receiver.
@@Sparkyzilla85 Nice to see people still using the R2000. I bought mine new back in the early 80's and it has been a workhorse. And in those decades, I've never had one issue. The tuning is now about 100 kc's off and I'm sure it could use an alignment, but after all this time, it has just been an outstanding radio. My-go to receiver is my Drake R8, which in terms of sensitivity and selectivity is a couple steps above the Kenwood. Also the front end of the Kenwood is more prone to overloading than the Drake. Check out a used Drake R8, R8A or R8B one of these days. 73, N7BWB
I just got an 880 this year, I like it for tuning in the house to find active frequencies using a reel. My bedroom one though for when I'm laying down is a Grundig Satellit 800, I've always loved how that radio looks since I was in high school and it was just a picture in passport to the world band radio... wouldn't have any idea how big it was until I actually got it though. For when I'm out hiking or other stuff got the county com gp5, really fully featured for a radio the size of a large candy bar
I've always wanted a Satellit 800. The thing is a modern boat anchor radio. LOL :)
Sorry about your dad. I enjoy your videos on your sw radios. Keep making them.
+Larrys LeatherWork Thank you. I still plan on making videos, it's just things are going to slow down until after we move.
Where is the best receiver FRG-100?
This video was made years before I bought my FRG-100.
@@Sparkyzilla85 Kongratulation!
no Watkins Johnson HF 10000?
Nope, only radios that I personally owned. :)
I still have AOR 3030. Great stuff... but nowadays I only use kiwisdr for online shortwave listening.
Hope you can get your hands on an Icom r8500...I love mine..
+Gene Paradis Hmmm, that's an expensive radio. If I ever decide to buy some that expensive, it's going to be the JRC NRD-545.
Why would you listen to hf frequencies?
Where is the point ?
I'm trying justify a purchase like that but cant .
Can you help me?
Not only our their international stations to listen to you can also listen ham radio operators, which in times of an emergency, will greatly come in handy. Plus, it's just a fun hobby to get into.
Search for Pirate stations, numbers stations, drug cartel stations, scientist posted in the Antarctic.
What's your favorite indoor s.w. antenna and your OUTSIDE s.w. antenna???✍
Hmmmm, that's hard to say since I have pretty much built most of my antennas. For an indoor antenna, you could always try a loop antenna, but an outdoor antenna will work the best. A dipole antenna or even and inverted L antenna will serve you well.
I want to thank you, for Sharing your radio experience with me on radios I purchased a TECSUN PL-880 What a great buy, thanks Again for Sharing!!✍🤓
Pity you never found a Kenwood R-5000. That has brilliant audio and has direct input from the keypad. It also had a VHF module for FM and AM and SSB.
Maybe sometime down the radio I'll own one, but as of right now, I have plenty of radios.
nicegodzilla collection
Thanks! :)
nice video :) trying to get started with this world, new stuff for me. is there any known nice/cheap (good quality/price ratio) transceivers for beginners ? (i would need to buy 2 in order to communicate of course). looking for something really basic, but that has a good reputation.. any advices ?
I'd much rather have a receiver with a vernier dial than the modern digital push button receiver that can't be manipulated in KC's 👍
The FRG7 uses a barlow wadley circuit and thus more accurate its designed for SWL, compared to the HAmmerlands and other Radios they are designed more for ham use and thus the fine tuners for SSB. They are apples and oranges.
The Sony 2010 is great!
Your Hammarlund is well worth fixing. I have a Hammarlund HQ-160 and spent the time to realign it and it sprung to life and is really solid, no drift. I love using it, very sensitive, it can hear "Peanut Whistle" stations with no problems. Check out "Mr. Carlsons Lab" and "D-Lab" RUclips channels to find out how to align your Hammarlund. Once aligned you'll fall in love with it, it may even be your new #1 receiver.
If I had the knowledge, time and patience to work on it, I would've kept it. Sadly I got rid of it, but one day I wouldn't mind owning tube equipment again.
Interesting video. How would you compare the Grundig 750 to the radios in this video? Thanks!
+solidaudioTV Thanks! It's a good radio, but the model that I have has some issues. I want to eventually replace it with another properly working 750.
If you want to talk receivers try the ICOM IC R-9500 international version, (illegal in the US). The US version is crap. This is the radio that the FCC uses to listen to all illegal radios it will even track and receive cell phone. Get it with the digital board UT122 P25 Digital unit. It runs about $15,000 with another $1,000 for the digital board. ICOM Canada will sell you one but you will have to smuggle it across the border.
I want that SW8 drake. You know the portable way I do things all the time so I think it would be a good fit for me yes?n
The communications receiver (general coverage) is the best shortwave radio receiver ever made. They say...The Realistic DX-302 is the best of the best.
Oh, the venerable, FRG 7. I used to have one, but got rid of it because I had to move. It's a "boat anchor" as far as the weight but I'd give anything to have a Frog 7 again. Nice shack you have, good DX and 73's from Radio 645.
Thank you. I hope that you are able to own a Frog 7 again, they are very nice radios.
@@Sparkyzilla85 I just bought FRG7 from a friend, I got it hooked up enjoying the heck out of it! Good review you have here, a very nice collection of radios.
From Wisconsin ?
That is correct.
Great video. I like your fresh unscripted approach, it's like visiting with you in person. By the way... As an old ham, I enjoyed the addition of the cw. Nice Touch. You have a new subscriber.
+Roy Row Thanks! Some people like it when I go unscripted and some people say my videos would be better if I did script them. I'll have to try a little of both to see what works.
I'm glad that you liked the cw. I wanted to do something a little bit unique with this video and thought that using cw for the intro cards was a great idea.
Just keep it up. What comes through is your passion for your hobby. I started short wave listening in high school during the Viet Nam war. Plenty of exciting broadcasts. I still enjoy it today.
The FRG-7 is a very nice one! - and Oscar Hammarlund was a Swedish immigrant! - the country where i live - i mysel f have a Tecsun handheld PL-368 which i use in bed!! - then i have the predecessor to your Icom, the IC-R72, just got it a couple of days ago, so still new to me, seems very nice, - i was an avid DXer when i was young, and had many different radios in my schack, that was in the 80ies - but still fun though! - i also have a Uniwa B8000 pocradio, to communicate with, greetings, Levi in Sweden (but Finnish origin)
Nice collection of Godzilla figures and popcorn salt :)
LOL, Thanks!
Nice set up, what do you think of the Tecsun pl660 vs the pl880, considering getting one of the two, interested to know why you prefer the pl880 and if you feel it's worth the higher price?
Thanks
Thank you. I've only used the PL880, and it's a good radio to buy, just make sure you get a later model number. I have one of the earlier models and the SSB reception is kind of messed up. From what I understand the earlier PL880s weren't as good as the PL660.
Nice vid! You know your equipment!
Thank you.
Thank you.
Ah the FRG-7, I remember it well!
Mine had feet, though. Something to do with allowing air flow through from under the set and out through the top. Sitting flat on a surface, there's a risk of it overheating without them. So, you might consider buying some feet for it, if you're not the one who removed them and put them in a drawer somewhere....
Yeah, I removed the feet. I still have them, somewhere. LOL. Luckily, as of lately, I don't use the FRG-7 as much as my other receivers and transceivers.
The kenwood R2000 has no bfo finetune and is a handicap on SSB
I like the military and industrial lock on radios
Guiero encontrar un radio de las marca julia fortati
Boat anchors are the best. If you get your ham ticket, you’ll have the best of both worlds.
Nicely done video. You might hav e less trouble with drifting on SSB if you have a cooling fan running nearby the set. not sure but seems logical. Keep making videos you have a talent for it .
Thank you! I'll have to give that a try and see how it works.
Good detailed analysis.
Thank you! :)
Nice Video! Have you compared Kenwood R2000 to R5000? Keep it up!
I haven't, but I would love to. Maybe sometime after I buy the ham radio gear that I need.
@@Sparkyzilla85 thanks, Dennis! I bought one but now I live in a apartment and very strict with Antenna Install. I will wait for your video soon! 73!
If portable no.1 is SONY ICF-SW77 , If home base receiver no.1 is KENWOOD R-5000 , If Main receiver no.1 is JRC-NRD-93 (old one is JRC-NRD-1EL)
Those are some nice radios. I wouldn't mind owning a Kenwood R-5000.