Listener’s Notebook, March 1996
WELL, although we’re still in DX season, the column’s a bit short this month. Problem is, those long, involved schedules for the big international broadcasters? Got ’em, did ’em. Some latecomers are still straggling in, but I’m sure as heck not wasting space on items good for only three weeks of listening and reference. And it’s still a wee to early to start seeing the new spring and summer skeds. So we’ll just have to muddle through with what we have. Which, in its own, all-killah-no-fillah way, ain’t too shabby.
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Equipment Reviews, March 1996
A Hamfest Shopping Guide
Since there is currently a seeming dearth of new receivers and equipment to review (although it appears that the new AOR-7030 has been released in the European market) and since Spring is just around the corner, I thought that I would step back in time and take a look at receivers that may be appearing at hamfests and swapmeets near you in the coming months. Older receivers have a lot going for them–the older tube units may represent a nostalgic return to our youth for the older listener or may be an introduction to older technology and operating techniques for the younger ones. The later solid-state receivers are an excellent step-up from portables for the frugal hobbyist or newcomer. Either type can serve well as a second receiver for band-scanning, DX station spotting or, especially in the case of the tube units, program listening. The one main caveat concerning some of the older units are the poor frequency resolution of the dials. Accurate and precise frequency readout is something that we now take for granted with PLL frequency synthesis and digital readouts, but it wasn’t always this way. That’s why there may seem to be an excess emphasis in this review of the tuning resolution of particular receivers.
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