[HCDX] Why I am an SWLer (and, why are you?)

[Tomas Hood - NW7US <nw7us@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Howdy,

I am interested in hearing a few things from those of you who don't
mind sharing about yourselves.  This is a public posting -- I'd
love to start some chat about why we love Shortwave, what our start
was, what we do most, etc.  My answers follow my questions:

1.  What was your first exposure to Shortwave Listening?  How old
were you?

2.  What drew you into Shortwave Listening as a hobby?  How did you
start out?

3.  What do you now do most in this hobby?  Tropical Band DX? 
Medium Wave DX?  News Listening?  Can you list what you do most, to
least, in some order of interest?

4.  What do you wish you knew more about, in this hobby?

5.  What do you do during the summer, in this hobby?

6.  What part of the day do you do must of your listening?

7.  Do you listen while mobile?

I'll now answer this for you:

1.  When I was about 8 or 9, I discovered my parents' Sony portable
transistorized receiver, which had four bands;  FM, AM, LW, and SW.
I heard WWV and other signals and became fascinated with the
foriegn broadcasts.  Radio Canada International, Radio South
Africa, Voice of America, BBC.  It was amazing to me.  I often
snuck the radio outside to use -- but I think they were fine with
it as it always seemed to have fresh batteries.

2.  Hearing the world.  Getting away from home and thinking of
myself as a James Bond or some world-class globe trotter, by just
closing my eyes and listening to the radio.

3.  I do a lot of Broadcast listening, mostly for news from other
countries, or Armed Forces Radio, or cultural programming.  Also
enjoy listening to Air - transoceanic and military transmissions. 
As a Ham Radio guy, also like DX hunting.  And I am also into US
Army MARS.  I don't do a lot of Tropical DXing.  I have done some
great MW DX.  I would rank my activity in this order:

a.  News Broadcasts (Like "The World Today" on the BBC)

b.  Cultural Broadcasts (Some on Radio Canada)

c.  MW DXing

d.  UTE - Mostly Air and Ship, Army MARS, and Amateur Radio
operation

e.  Music - Sometimes I really get into the flutter of Radio
Bulgaria, and the folk music that sometimes gets broadcast.  Of
course, I hear many other musical programs on many other
frequencies.

f.  Occassionally, I will listen to World Harvest Radio or HCJB, to
hear stories, or great sermons, etc.

4.  I would like to know more about other hobbiests, and what they
enjoy doing.  I want to learn more about propagation and dxing and
the electronics part of the hobby.  And antenna-related knowledge
would be great to increase.

5.  In the summer, I tend to listen during camping trips.  I love
listening to a far-away country while the fire pops and the gentle
breeze sweeps up the mountain side.  I also listen in the evenings
at home.

6.  I tend to listen all day - I start early in the morning, then
off-and-on during the day, finally, evening through late-night,
when I hunt for cool signals.

7.  I do have an Icom 706MKIIG - so I try to catch the Beeb or
other loud signals while driving around.

I have not tried Tropical DXing much.  I hear a lot of folks
talking about it.  Why?
 
73 de Tomas, NW7US // AAR0JA
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