SHORTWAVE RECEIVERS PAST AND PRESENT - 4th EDITION - JUST OUT!!


NEW BOOK - JUST OUT

SHORTWAVE RECEIVERS PAST AND PRESENT

Communications Receivers 1942-2013

Fourth Edition by Fred Osterman


This 800 page "labour of love" has just been released and adds many new receivers released since the 3rd edition was published over 16 years ago. It's a reference that will enthuse many shortwave listeners, amateur radio operators and vintage radio collectors. It covers 360 manufacturers and over 1700 receivers! Published by Universal Radio, the press release advises that nearly 1000 radios have been added since the previous edition.

 Information for most entries includes: receiver type, date sold, photograph, size & weight, features, reviews, specifications, new & used values, variants, value rating and availability. 1800 photographs are included.

 This may well be a book worth adding to your library, especially for older radio enthusiasts (....like....um....me, for example!!) who would enjoy strolling down memory lane or maybe on the lookout for adding some used radios to your collection. Or, perhaps you are just wondering about the current value of some of that gear you have had sitting idle in the radio shack for many years!!!

 The News Release from Universal radio can be found at http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/books/pr0004.pdf

 Currently, it seems that you can only purchase the book from Universal Radio and the relevant web page can be found at:  http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/books/0004.html

 However, I have one small criticism, and that concerns the cost (in US$) of shipping internationally to Canada $40, Mexico $50, Europe $50, Central & South America $60, Asia $70, Africa $70, and Australia/Pacific $70. Here in Australia, it's nearly A$80 for the postage - far more than the cost of the actual book. That's pretty steep (even for a book this heavy) and they seem to offer only one method of delivery - international priority shipping (with no indication of the approximate time expected in transit). Perhaps it's time they produced an optional electronic version!

 73 and have a great weekend.

 Rob VK3BVW


Comments

Post a Comment

Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. If your comment isn’t visible right away, it has been received and will be published shortly.

Popular posts from this blog

RETRO RECEIVER REVIEW # 21 - The Kenwood R-5000

Image
RETRO RECEIVER REVIEW #21 (You can click on all photos in this article for a close-up view) KENWOOD R-5000 Performance and Innovation by ROB WAGNER VK3BVW This extended blog post first appeared as a feature article in the February 2024 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. Further details on this excellent publication are available at www.thespectrummonitor.com I have always wanted to own a Kenwood R-5000 receiver. Perhaps I was dazzled by the mystique that appeared to surround this rig. Somehow, it had always been on top of my bucket list of pre-loved rigs that I wanted sitting on the desk of the radio shack.  Finally, one showed up at a local Sunday morning Hamfest, and I happened to have just enough dollars in my pocket to make a purchase. It appeared to have lived a hard life. The case looked knocked around and was pretty dirty inside and out. So, while I would have liked to have owned a unit in better condition, the price was right, and I decided to take it on as a l...
Read more

REVIEW: WELLBROOK ALA1530S+ LOOP ANTENNA

Image
PRODUCT REVIEW: WELLBROOK ALA1530S+ LOOP ANTENNA by Michael Stevenson (Guest Contributor) This is a review and my opinion of the Wellbrook ALA1530S+ P–1 Active receiving Antenna. For further information, details and specifications then please visit: www.wellbrook.uk.com Background I have been a keen shortwave listener since 1970 and have had many receivers and antenna types during this time. Currently I have two wire antennas, a PAR Electronics EF-SWL 15 meter with impedance matching transformer, made in the US; and a home made 17 meter wire with balun. I also have a dedicated multi-stake ground or earthing system to compliment my receiver and antennas. I live in suburbia Port Macquarie, New South Wales on the east coast of Australia. Even though all our electricity wiring is under ground in our housing estate, I live in an environment where there are all types of man-made noises coming from modern electronic and electrical equipment used by my neighbours The wire a...
Read more

RETRO RECEIVER REVIEW #20 - The SONY ICF-5900W

Image
RETRO RECEIVER REVIEW #20 SONY ICF-5900W by CRAIG SEAGER VK2HBT This time around, I thought we might direct our attention to one of the many portable receivers of yesteryear, and it is perhaps appropriate that we choose a manufacturer that continued to produce quality equipment featuring shortwave coverage until long after. I’m sure our Japanese friends will concur with the submission that Japan is a land of short-lived, but enthusiastically embraced fads.  Whether it be karaoke, yo-yos with brains, electronics pets or Pokémon, each craze sweeps the country in such a way that captures the attention of the rest of the world and is usually associated with some pretty smart home-grown technology.   In the mid to late 1970s, shortwave listening (or “BCL”) was the flavour of the month, with teenagers (and some older folk!) compiling large QSL collections and forming SWL and DX clubs all over the country.  Nowadays, you’d be fairly hard-pressed to find any external broadcas...
Read more