2012 Annual Radio Buyer's Guide
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www.monitoringtimes.com Scanning - Shortwave - Ham Radio - Equipment Internet Streaming - Computers - Antique Radio ® Volume 30, No. 11 November 2011 U.S. $6.95 Can. $6.95 Printed in the United States A Publication of Grove Enterprises 2012 Annual Radio Buyer’s Guide In this issue: • Linears, Keys and Other Necessities • Guide to Buying a New Scanner • Next Level Shortwave Listening ALINCO DJ-X7T SCN 3 $179.95 DJ-X11T SCN24 $329.95 GRE PSR-100 SCN16 $89.95 PSR-200U SCN17 $89.95 PSR-310 SCN22 $179.95 Your Source for Radio Scanners, PSR-410 SCN23 $179.95 PSR-500 SCN18 $399.95 Receivers, Accessories, PSR-600 SCN19 $399.95 PSR-700 SCN56 $189.95 and Publications PSR-800 SCN57 $449.95 UNIDEN Grove means service. You won’t find BCT15X SCN31 $219.95 better customer service anywhere. BUY TODAY! BCD996XT SCN21 $469.95 BCD396XT SCN53 $469.95 BCD346XT SCN45 $214.95 Established in 1979 by well-known communications BCT8 SCN08 $162.95 expert Bob Grove, Grove Enterprises has become a HomePatrol-1 SCN55 $499.95 BC355C DS-BC355 $99.95 world leader in radio monitoring equipment, BC95XLT DS-BC95XLT $109.95 accessories, and publications. ICOM If you decide you don't like a product, Grove R6 SCN54 $199.95 Enterprises doesn't penalize you for it. There is NO R20 SCN 20 $539.95 restocking fee so long as you call our toll free number for a return authorization within fifteen days of shipment AOR and the item is returned in new condition. Once the AR8200IIIB SCN51 $669.95 item is received we will give you credit toward another RAMSEY item or issue a full refund (less shipping charges). ABM1 Air Band Monitor SCN05 $149.95 Software cannot be returned if opened. ANTENNAS & CABLES That's it! No hassle! No negotiations! Just call 1- Grove Hidden Flex-tenna ANT49 $19.95 Austin Condor ANT 14 $34.95 800-438-8155 and our friendly staff will assist you with Grove Scanner Beam III ANT 03 $69.95 a return authorization number. Procomm CD144M/BN mag mount antenna ANT50 $19.95 OMNI II Scanner ANT 5 $29.95 WiNRADiO AX-71C Discone ANT01 $89.95 WiNRADiO AX-37A Wide-band Log Periodic ANT28 $389.95 WiNRADiO AX-37AM Wide-band Log Periodic ANT29 $499.95 WiNRADiO AX-07B flexible VHF/UHF ANT47 $27.95 WiNRADiO AX-91M magnetic antenna base ANT48 $27.95 Shipping/ Icom AH-8000 Wide-coverage Discone ANT54 $269.95 Grove Flex-tenna HVU ANT45 $14.95 Handling Charges Grove Flex-tenna VU ANT46 $9.95 Total Shipping Professional Wideband Discone ANT 9 $99.95 Scantenna + 50’ coax ANT 7 $49.95 Order Charges Super-M Ultra Base Station ANT61MBS $189.95 $1-$19.99 $3.00 Super-M Ultra Mobile antenna w/NMO mount ANT61NMO $109.95 BUY $20-$49.99 $6.95 Super-M Ultra Mobile mag mount ANT61 $124.95 Super-M Multiband base antenna ANT10MBS $99.95 $50-$99.99 $9.95 Super-M Mobile antennna w/ NMO mount ANT10NMO $79.95 $100-$399.99 $13.95 AOR DA3200 ultra wideband discone antenna ANT 62 $199.95 NOW! $400-$899.99 $17.95 AOR MA500 Wide Range ANT 12 $109.95 $900-$1499.99 $20.95 AOR SA7000 super-wide receiving ANT 39 $249.95 WiNRADiO WR-AX-31C Log-Periodic Antenna ANT 58 $139.95 $1500-$1999.99 $24.95 WiNRADiO AX-24B discone antenna ANT 63 $349.95 $2000-$2499.99 $28.95 Grove Universal Telescoping Whip ANT 6 $14.95 $2500+ $32.95 Diamond HT/Receiving & Scanner antenna ANT 64 $21.95 Super-M Superior Mobile Antenna ANT 10 $94.95 Create CLP51301N Log-Periodic Antenna ANT 16 $439.95 Create CLP51302N Log-Periodic Antenna ANT 17 $319.95 Diamond SRH77CA HT/Receiving & Scanner Ant ANT67 $21.95 25’ of RG-6U cable CBL25 $14.95 CALL 50’ of RG-6U cable CBL 50 $19.95 TODAY! 100’ of RG-6U cable CBL 100 $24.95 MISCELLANEOUS ACCESSORIES UNIDEN UA-72 DC CORD DCC 19 $19.95 Universal Cigarette Adaptor DCC 3 $12.95 Ramsey Broadband Preamp PRE 2 $59.95 (800) 438-8155 Scancat Gold for Windows SFT 2W $79.95 Scancat Gold for Windows SE Upgrade SFT 2SE $49.95 Scancat-Lite Plus SFT 19 $29.95 www.grove-ent.com PAR VHF Intermod Filter 152MHz FTR 152DS $69.95 PAR VHF Intermod Filter 158MHZ FTR 158DS $69.95 PAR VHF Intermod Filter 462MHz FTR 462DS $69.95 FM Trap Filter 88-108MHz FTR-FMDS $69.95 Grove Enterprises, Inc. - www.grove-ent.com PAR NOAA Weather Filter 162 MHz FTR 162DS $69.95 (800) 438-8155; (828) 837-9200; fax: (828) 837-2216 GRE Superamplifier PRE 1 $53.95 7540 Hwy 64 W; Brasstown, NC 28902 - email: [email protected] Noise Cancelling Mobile Speaker SPK 7 $8.95 CONTENTS MT’s Guide to Buying a new Scanner .......................... 6 By Larry Van Horn N5FPW Product models for scanner enthusiasts in the market for a new scanner have never been Vol. 30 No. 11 November 2011 better. The latest crop of scanners can put you in the middle of the action with little or no effort. But, such convenience comes with a price. And, while this new generation of public service www.monitoringtimes.com band radios is more capable than ever, there are tradeoffs to consider. It all comes down to Scanning - Shortwave - Ham Radio - Equipment Internet Streaming - Computers - Antique Radio frequencies and what’s happening where you live. Larry looks at conventional analog, trunk- ® Volume 30, No. 11 tracking, APCO25, civilian and military capable receivers, and guides you toward a decision November 2011 U.S. $6.95 Can. $6.95 Printed in the that will be useful now and in the future. United States A Publication of Grove Enterprises Taking Shortwave Listening to another Level ............ 10 2012 Annual By Ken Reitz KS4ZR Radio Buyer’s Guide Rising sunspots lift all SWLers’ spirits, but to really enjoy HF to its fullest you may need to take your listening to another level. Ken looks at three recently introduced radios spanning the price point range. Sangean’s new ATS-909X proves to be a capable and portable shortwave, AM and FM receiver; Alinco’s DX-R8T delivers a solid table-top performance with pluses that include DRM reception at a reasonable price; and, for the SWL who needs an all-in-one HF to UHF top shelf performer, AOR’s AR2300 is just a credit card swipe away. In this issue: • Linears, Keys and Other Necessities • Guide to Buying a New Scanner • Next Level Shortwave Listening The Quest for Power, the “Keys” to Success, Cover Story ........................... 8 and the Accessories of Life ........................................ 12 By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z 2012 Annual Radio There’s nothing like being able to put a little steam into a frequency when band conditions Buyer’s Guide get rough, that’s the attraction of linear amplifiers. While Kirk is an old school QRP man, he This month MT’s third annual understands your quest for more power and brings his veteran operator insights to the ques- Radio Buyer’s Guide looks at some of tion of which amp is right for you. Here he examines the pros and cons of low-end to high-end the things that make our shacks click: linear amplifiers. scanners, accessories, antennas and a Kirk also examines other accessories that have long attracted hams, including outboard new crop of shortwave radios. speech processors, after-market microphones, antenna rotators, and special CW keys. There In addition, some of our regu- are dozens of brands of each product on the market vying for your hard earned dollar and Kirk lar columnists have chipped in and makes it a little easier to find just the right product to help you decide. examined other products of interest to readers. For example, Kirk Klein- schmidt NT0Z looks at the subject Finding the Perfect Antenna (it’s not that easy!) ..... 16 of amateur radio antenna rotators, By Bob Grove W8JHD what works, what doesn’t; Dan Farber Without an antenna your radio is just a curiosity on a shelf. MT publisher and antenna AC0LW reviews the stealthy Chame- guru Bob Grove W8JHD looks at some of the most important aspects of radio antennas: size, leon VI 80-10 meter vertical antenna frequency, design and feed. In this in-depth analysis, Bob examines vertical and horizontal that proves to be inexpensive and antennas, mono-elements and beams, ground-planes and log periodic dipole arrays with effective; Bob Grove W8JHD looks at examples and prices for some of the best available. If you’re a ham, scanner enthusiast or the Sangean ATS-909X shortwave por- shortwave listener, Bob will help you find the perfect antenna for your radio shack. table as well as the Jetstream power supply, and Ken Reitz KS4ZR looks at two inexpensive, amplified TV anten- nas that actually work. And, as usual, there’s plenty more to pique the interest of every radio REVIEWS enthusiast from radio restorations to plumbing the depths of longwave; chas- ing new HF digital signals to working the oldest AMSAT still circling the globe. Sangean ATS-909X Portable SW On Our Cover This month MT looks at radio accessories for your shack. Tokyo Hy-Power solid state linear and Two Jetstream Power Supplies ...............................70 amp (Courtesy: Tokyo Hy-Power); Heil Pro Set By Bob Grove W8JHD Plus (Courtesy: Heil Sound); Ten-Tec 715 speech Sangean has a new portable shortwave radio and MT founder processor (Courtesy: Ten-Tec); ALS-600 linear amp (Courtesy: Ameritron); GHD single-lever Bob Grove W8JHD puts it to work in his listening post.