Is shortwave radio dead ?

[mbhangui]

Do stations still broadcast on Shortwave 1,80030,000 KHz?

To my dismay :sad: I find none of my modern audio equipment with tuner are giving me AM stations above 1600 KHz (Sony, Philips, Yamaha)

Out of the blue felt like listening to the Hindi transmission of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation on 25m band (11800kHz)

I tried reviving my old Murphy Classic Model No 1405 TM. It is still powering on after around 30 years of storage. But not catching any signal. I did some troubleshooting. The inbuilt amplifier works because if I touch the middle terminal of the volume control, I get the typical 50 Hz hum.

In this radio, one changes the channel by sliding the dial (instead of a tuning knob). It can be powered by mains, battery or external battery eliminator.

Does anyone know a good guy in Chennai who can repair the tuner section? This radio is a beautiful piece of art. This radio even has a regulated power supply inside using a zener diode and a small power transistor. The power supply is a center tap transfomer and uses two green coloured BY127 diodes for rectification. Would want to repair this radio.

Are there any other options? Does anyone make these kind of radios?

 

[miroflex]

Hi MBhangui,

Shortwave transmissions are still being broadcast. Multiband radios are still being sold as 'World Radios'. I hope you are able to get your set repaired and start listening to shortwave again.

All the best.

 

[mbhangui]

Hi MBhangui,

Shortwave transmissions are still being broadcast. Multiband radios are still being sold as 'World Radios'. I hope you are able to get your set repaired and start listening to shortwave again.

All the best.

Thanks. Just searched ebay for world radios and found plenty of choices. Will do some research on the brands and buy one of them.

 

[miroflex]

Thanks. Just searched ebay for world radios and found plenty of choices. Will do some research on the brands and buy one of them.

Hello,

You may also like to try a used Philips Hi Q International receiver which has knob tuning and a good amplifier section. It gives a very musical presentation with the matching Philips speakers. You could search for one with used equipment dealers or through the wanted columns in this forum.

I would suggest you put up a good external antenna and also an earth connection if your set has sockets for the same. Best of luck to you in your search for short wave listening!

 

[srinisundar]

Do stations still broadcast on Shortwave 1,80030,000 KHz?

To my dismay :sad: I find none of my modern audio equipment with tuner are giving me AM stations above 1600 KHz (Sony, Philips, Yamaha)

Out of the blue felt like listening to the Hindi transmission of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation on 25m band (11800kHz)

I tried reviving my old Murphy Classic Model No 1405 TM. It is still powering on after around 30 years of storage. But not catching any signal. I did some troubleshooting. The inbuilt amplifier works because if I touch the middle terminal of the volume control, I get the typical 50 Hz hum.

In this radio, one changes the channel by sliding the dial (instead of a tuning knob). It can be powered by mains, battery or external battery eliminator.

Does anyone know a good guy in Chennai who can repair the tuner section? This radio is a beautiful piece of art. This radio even has a regulated power supply inside using a zener diode and a small power transistor. The power supply is a center tap transfomer and uses two green coloured BY127 diodes for rectification. Would want to repair this radio.

Are there any other options? Does anyone make these kind of radios?

I still have typical classic murphy which is more than 30 years old and I used to remember my father used to pay licence charges or usage fees in post office in those days..The book issued for maintaining those days and the stamps affixed on that is an treasure

 

[mbhangui]

I still have typical classic murphy which is more than 30 years old and I used to remember my father used to pay licence charges or usage fees in post office in those days..The book issued for maintaining those days and the stamps affixed on that is an treasure

Yes I remember the book. My dad also has this book with stamps. Also good that you have preserved the Murphy Classic. It is a murder to see such beauties thrown away. I have grown up with this Murphy. Later on we had a Telefunken Malhar transistor radio and finally a bush baron. In those days, you could also get a leather case with a strap for these beauties. And many times we would use dry batteries (eveready white colour). When these dry battery would run out, I used to make a hole and fill water and the batteries would again get life for few days.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

"Murphy" --- memories!

"Murphy ... Made in India" --- amazing!

I guess that the BBC World Service is still very much active on Short wave, for starters.

I have had a little portable Sony multi-band for years. It is the manual tuning one; still being made, I saw one in Singapore a few months ago. The Sony pocket-size digitally-tuned is hugely more expensive!

Roberts make some nice stuff

 

[thatguy]

A topic *does* bring back memories. I didn't have any fancy equipment but have spent countless hours scanning the shortwave I and II bands on my Sanyo two-in-one.

But that was 1980s, when Salma Sultan was the face of Indian TV. The cold war was still on and radio Moscow was the loudest voice in short wave. There was BBC world service and BBC Hindi service (was her name Ramaa Pandey?). And radio Deutsche Welle, China, South Africa, VOA (trash), AIR world service, Pakistan and many others that I can't remember. Much later, I remember listening to Aum Shinrikyo radio station, months before they were booked for the sarin attacks on Tokyo subways. It was like a treasure hunt.

Then I went to college. Then work. A bit of traveling wore off the mystique that those foreign accents carried. As I grew older I found most of the broadcasts to be shameless propaganda. I stopped listening to shortwave.

About a year ago, I decided to pick up a receiver and the only one I could find in the stores was Sony IFC-F12 (ICF-F12 : Transistor Radio : Radio : Sony India). The Shortwave sounded boring. I could hear many stations speaking in guttural voices, which I assumed were Arabic. There was no radio Moscow. VOA was as asinine as I had found it 20 years ago. After a few days of knob turning, I moved on and didn't bother with it again.

If someone is still DXing and can share program timings, I would love to give it another try.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

this is my little Sony. I think it was a bit cheaper in Singapore. Earphone outlet is mono: I spent a long time trying to get the plug to sit in the right place to give sound to both ears before I found the right adapter

 

[arindamcc]

Change the IFT

 

[captrajesh]

I used to remember my father used to pay licence charges or usage fees in post office in those days..The book issued for maintaining those days and the stamps affixed on that is an treasure

Yes I remember the book. My dad also has this book with stamps.

My mom still has the Murphy valve radio as well as the book.

Radio is not working though.

 

[miroflex]

My mom still has the Murphy valve radio as well as the book.

Radio is not working though.

Hi Captain,

It may be worthwhile to repair the radio or to have it repaired. I find that listening to radio is a very relaxing and enjoyable pastime.

Regards.

 

[gopib]

+1 to mroflex.

I have just started work on resuscitating a philips Valve radio which was abandoned. For organ transplant, I have another one. So between the two
I hope to bring one to life. Needs resoldering and replacement of caps and some
resistors too. This is going to be a challenge as I dont have a sig gen or 'scope...anyhow...will give it a shot....

I grew up with a valve radio listening to binaca geet mala/SLBC/VOA/BBC and also DX-ing and eavesdropping on the 7m ham band....ssb modulated with
another transistor....

Hope to get some sound out...even if it is motorboating....

 

[captrajesh]

Hi Captain,

It may be worthwhile to repair the radio or to have it repaired. I find that listening to radio is a very relaxing and enjoyable pastime.

Regards.

+1 to mroflex

Though I fully agree with you guys, I do not have time and energy to undertake the resurrection at present. Will surely take up in future.

 

[miroflex]

+1 to mroflex.

I have just started work on resuscitating a philips Valve radio which was abandoned. For organ transplant, I have another one. So between the two
I hope to bring one to life. Needs resoldering and replacement of caps and some resistors too. This is going to be a challenge as I dont have a sig gen or 'scope...anyhow...will give it a shot....

...

Hi Gopi,

All the best to you in your efforts to repair your Philips valve radio. If you have a multimeter it will prove very useful in the absence of a signal generator or an oscilloscope.

Regards.

 

[gopib]

Hi Gopi,

All the best to you in your efforts to repair your Philips valve radio. If you have a multimeter it will prove veryb useful in the absence of a signal generator or an oscilloscope.

Regards.

Yes, working with multimeter only......

 

[reubensm]

+1 to mroflex.

I have just started work on resuscitating a philips Valve radio which was abandoned. For organ transplant, I have another one. So between the two
I hope to bring one to life. Needs resoldering and replacement of caps and some
resistors too. This is going to be a challenge as I dont have a sig gen or 'scope...anyhow...will give it a shot....

I grew up with a valve radio listening to binaca geet mala/SLBC/VOA/BBC and also DX-ing and eavesdropping on the 7m ham band....ssb modulated with
another transistor....

Hope to get some sound out...even if it is motorboating....

Its funny how much we all kind of have in common...I grew up listening to a philips transistor radio, was more interested in scanning the shortwave bands, used to listen to SLBC predominantly and then, the BBC/VOA and Radio Australia. Later on, added Radio Deutchewelle, Radio Netherlands and Radio Sweden to the list. Was active right up till until I started working. Meanwhile, while I was doing my 10th (I think it was about then), I won a Siemens Radio for letter of the month from Radio Deutchewelle and continued my listening on this one. The Philips was given to my brother and was eventually stripped to salvage its parts when it eventually died and could not be repaired (as Holland Philips spares were not available at the time)

 

[andy78]

Sorry guys for bumping into this thread.
I have a philips 3-in-1 which has all the frequencies
FM
MW
SW1
SW2

However I get only FM reception for this. I don't get MW or SW reception on this.
My uncle who has an old Sanyo gets SW reception at the same place. I have already got it checked with one of the persons I know but I still continue to not get the SW reception.

Any suggestions?

 

[miroflex]

Hi,

It may be that your tuner requires an external antenna for MW and SW reception and you have not fixed one so far. For FM a short length of wire may suffice.

Regards.

 

[andy78]

Hi,

It may be that your tuner requires an external antenna for MW and SW reception and you have not fixed one so far. For FM a short length of wire may suffice.

Regards.

I have an external antenna for the radio. And I remember years ago able to listen MW and SW without any issue. So maybe there is a separate receiver inside which is gone bad since FM I'm able to get it.