worldband radio

[miyakoji]

Anyone here listen to worldband radio?  I've been thinking about getting one for years.  Still haven't.  I often do things this way .  I've been watching Sangean ATS-909s and Kaito 1103s on ebay.  I wonder what kind of Japanese broadcasts can be tuned in without a physically large antenna (this would be in North America).

[The_Ghan]

No, I'm not into it.  But as a kid one of the houses in our neighbourhood (Sydney, Australia) had a 60' tower and antenna installed.  I'm not kidding.  This thing was craned onto it's concrete base and had a footprint of about 8' square.  About 20 years ago the guy had to put a chain-wire fence with barbed-wire top around it to stop people climbing it. It disappeared just a few years ago.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[keiman]

Depending on the frequencies you want to listen to -this will have an impact on the size of your antenna.
If you have 160' you may be able to get a HF long wire which will receive most stuff.
Suggest a check on the ARRL website. http://www.arrl.org/

[Mr Frosty]

Here is a good link to radio reviews.
http://www.eham.net/reviews/products/8

some other radios to consider are these-
Tecsun BCL-3000
Redsun RP2100
Eton/Grundig S350DL

Or if you like small & cute, the Tecsun PL210 is rather nifty.
I should also point out that Tecsun, although a Chinese manufacturer is the OEM used by Grundig & Eton for their radios.

[3railgreg]

Miyakoji, I am a ham radio operator as well has a model railroader. Please, do not buy the Kaito 1103. I have one, the reviews online seem great even at ham radio sites. Unless this one slipped through quality control, reception across the spectrum is quite poor in my opinon. If I were to do it again I would buy a Sony, I guess that is what I get for trying to save a dollar!.
Regards

[miyakoji]

Thanks for the tips, everyone 

Depending on the frequencies you want to listen to -this will have an impact on the size of your antenna.
If you have 160' you may be able to get a HF long wire which will receive most stuff.
Suggest a check on the ARRL website. http://www.arrl.org/

That would be 160 feet in a straight line, correct?  Running a 160' wire around the 4 sides of my 40' square house would not do the trick, right?  This is a problem for me because I don't have that kind of space.