With so many different
makes and models of shortwave radio, choosing one can be
difficult if you don't understand the technical
jargon. Shortwave radios vary greatly in cost, features, size
and complexity. There is no one shortwave radio right for everyone and
different people have different listening interests.
To help you choose a suitable shortwave radio we
have matched the user requirements to features and recommended a model.
Occasional
Holiday User - As with most things in life you
get what you pay for. We recommend two radios in this category. The Roberts R862 at £30 and the
Roberts R9921 at £65 both are easy to use and relatively compact. Although the R9921 is more
than twice the price of the Roberts it does give you the advantage of a PLL Digital Tuner
PLL means (Phase Lock Loop) this is an electronic circuit in the radios that
locks onto your chosen station to give clear drift free reception. The
Roberts R9921 also has an
alarm function so you need not worry about waking up on time.
Well
Travelled Person. PLL (Phase Lock Loop) tuner is
a must for the well travelled person, this is an electronic circuit in the radios
that locks onto your chosen station to give clear drift free reception. Another must is
good Frequency Coverage the shortwave frequencies range from 1700 kHz up to 30MHz. The
addition of an external shortwave antenna will help improve your reception. For this
category we would recommend the Roberts R876 as it
is a compact, light radio with good sound quality, carry case, shortwave frequency hand
book and mains adapter.
Hardened
Traveller. Amongst the features you should be
looking for are a PLL Tuner, good frequency range, external shortwave antenna & Synchronous detector (this will help reduce the effects of
fading). Single Side Band is a useful feature that would allow you to listen to utility
stations.
Shortwave Buff.
Most shortwave radios are relatively compact making them ideal for
travelling, however this can sometime compromise the sound quality due to the very
small speaker. The Roberts R827 at £160 and the
Sony ICF-SW7600G at £130 both have larger
speakers and offer excellent sound quality. The ICF-SW7600 offer a few extra feature than
the R827 such as Single Side Band and Synchronous detector.
For the real shortwave enthusiast we would recommend the
Eaton E1
Airband Radios
