Recommend FM, AM, Shortwave radio?

Sony or Realistic/RadioShack. Not sure if you can still get SW Sonys though.

Surely you can get batteries cheaper than that. Unfortunately I haven't seen a large size (i.e. D cells) radio with shortwave for a long time.

Maybe even try the RadioShack website, dunno if you can place international orders or not, but they'd have the biggest and best selection of SW sets by far.

You're right, $25 each at Jaycar. Maybe try WES

If you're serious about shortwave you'll need a double conversion superhet to get anything respectable signal separation -- unless you're only interested in a very limited selection of signals.

Mine's an old Sony (CRF-160) which is probably no longer made. It's got provision for batteres but I don't remember what they are as only ever run it off the mains. (You also need a decent antenna system if you're really serious.)

DSE have (or at least had) a fair selection of receivers, ranging from toys up to a very respectable looking Yaesu communications receiver. Last printed catalogue I have is 2001. It also lists a few Sangean models that run on AA's.

Thanks for that. I will have a look at DSE's catalogue. Funny, isn't it: you get out of the habit of looking to DSE for anything but toys. I'm not interested in getting hifi music, just news and so on. If the end of the world happens while I am in the bush, and the ABC has gone with it, perhaps I can hear about it from Radio Zagreb or something.

There is a modern version of the GE SuperRadio that DSE sells for around $159. This large portable doesn't have shortwave, but does well on AM.

They may still have a couple of Sangean receivers, though the newer ones are a bit more plasticky. They are synthesised and have a digital display so battery life may be poorer than on your existing (dial) set.

Also the $2 shops are selling SW receivers that have a digital readout and wide coverage for about $25-30. Haven't tried one, but at the very least the tuning would be heaps easier than those old sets that covered a megahertz in about 1cm of dial.

Peter

I am more than happy with the 2 Sangeans I have (an ATS 818 and a DX380). I think the ATS 818 is still available. If you want to seriously get into shortwave the annual publication Passport to Worldband Radio review most sets on the market see

Both world wars started in Yugoslavia - what makes you think they'd survive the first five minutes of the next one? :-)

"T.T." while reading the NewsGroups, found courage and express out opinion in news:IfMMf.17581$ snipped-for-privacy@news-server.bigpond.net.au:

Sony still make their little multiband radios.

A couple of AA batteries could lasts for weeks in one of those beauties. Got my Sony ICF-SW20 for over 20 years now and its still working fine. Great little toy that is :)

Par.

Thank you all for your replies. I will probably buy a Grundig. There are two available locally, one at about $130 and the other at nearly $200.