By Dan Anderson

It’s such a classic hobby, and one that so many of us have enjoyed tinkering with and perfecting over the years. I’m sure this whole concept is throwing you back to the days when you fiddled with needlessly complex tech in order to talk over VHF and UHF frequencies. For a while, it became a hobby that was looked down on as geeky and silly.

Guess what? Our childhood dreams came true; it’s cool to be a geek now. There are over 2.5 million hams in the world just waiting to get in touch. So, whether you’re new to the amateur radio game or you’re going to dust an old one off, this guide is the place to be. Everything is here, from what a ham radio is to the kind of licensing you need.

Read more: https://www.myaudiosound.co.uk/what-is-ham-radio-how-to-get-a-license-and-more-ultimate-amateur-radio-guide/

Tecsun PL-660

Frequency Coverage

 The PL-660 covers a wide range of frequencies, including AM (Medium Wave), FM (Frequency Modulation), and Shortwave bands. It also includes the longwave (LW) band, making it suitable for listening to a variety of radio stations worldwide.

Shortwave Reception

 This radio is particularly well-regarded for its shortwave reception capabilities, which allow users to tune in to international broadcasts, amateur radio (ham) bands, and other long-distance transmissions.

Digital Signal Processing (DSP)

 The PL-660 features DSP technology, which helps enhance the clarity and quality of radio signals, reducing interference and improving overall reception.

Multiple Tuning Methods

 It offers various tuning methods, including direct keypad entry, manual tuning, and ATS (Auto Tuning Storage), which automatically scans and saves active stations for easy recall.

Memories and Presets

 Users can store and recall favorite stations with the radio's memory functions. It has 1000 memory presets for different frequency bands.

SSB (Single Sideband) Reception

 The PL-660 often includes SSB reception capabilities, allowing users to listen to single sideband signals used in ham radio communication.

Clock and Alarm Functions

 Some models of the PL-660 come with a built-in clock and alarm features, making it useful for keeping track of time while listening to radio programs.

External Antenna Jack

 It may have an external antenna jack, which allows you to connect an external antenna for improved reception, especially in areas with weak signals.

Battery and Power Options

 The radio is typically powered by 4 rechargeable batteries, standard AA batteries, or an external DC power source. It's designed to be portable and can operate on battery power for extended periods.

Display and Backlight

 The PL-660 often features a clear LCD display with a backlight for easy reading of frequency information, time, and other settings, even in low-light conditions.

Audio Output

 It usually includes a headphone jack for private listening, and some models may have an external speaker jack for connecting external speakers.

 Frequency Range:

        FM : 76 ~ 108MHz

        Japan 76 ~ 108MHz / Germany 87.5 ~ 108MHz

        MW : 522 ~ 1620kHz (band step 1/9kHz for Asia / Africa / Europe) / 520 ~ 1710kHz (band    step 10kHz for Northern America) ·

        LW : 100KHz to 519KHz (band step 1/9kHz)

        SW : 1711KHz to 29999KHz.(band step 1/5kHz)

        AIR : 118~137MHz (band step 1/25kHz)

    Noise Limit sensitivity:

        FM band < 3uV @30dB.

        MW band <1mV/m @26dB.

        LW band <5mV/m @26dB.

        SW band < 20uV @ 26dB.

        SSB <1uV

        AIR <5uV

    Receiver: Dual Conversion, SSB (include upper side band & lower side band), Air Band, SYNC

    Tone Adjustment Treble/Bass

The Icom IC-R20 is an advanced portable scanner receiver, known for its versatility and extensive reception capabilities. Here are some key details:

Frequency Range

The IC-R20 covers a broad frequency range, typically from 150 kHz to 3304.999 MHz, making it suitable for receiving a wide range of signals, including aviation, maritime, public, and amateur signals.

Modes of Operation

 It supports various reception modes, including AM, FM, WFM, SSB, CW, and digital modes. This flexibility makes it suitable for listening to a variety of communications.

Dualwatch and Band Scope

 It has the capability to monitor two frequencies simultaneously (Dualwatch) and includes a Band Scope function to display nearby signal activity.

Memory

 Includes a large number of memory channels, allowing users to store and quickly recall favorite frequencies.

Audio Recording

 The IC-R20 has the capability to record audio signals directly onto the device using internal memory.

Design and Portability

 It is designed to be portable and rugged, suitable for use on the move or in outdoor environments.

Display and Controls

 Features a clear display and intuitive controls, making it easy to navigate through functions and frequencies.

Sensitivity and Selectivity

 Known for its excellent sensitivity and selectivity, it can clearly receive weak signals and distinguish between closely spaced signals.

Connectivity

 Offers various connectivity options, including inputs for external antennas and outputs for headphones or external speakers.

Power Supply

 Operates on rechargeable batteries, making it ideal for use in situations where electrical power is not available. Features a battery charger. Average full charging time 2 hours.

The Icom R9000 is a high-end communications receiver known for its exceptional performance and wide range of features. Here are some key details about the Icom R9000:

Frequency Range

 The R9000 covers a broad frequency range, typically from 100 kHz to 1999.8 MHz, making it suitable for a wide array of applications, including amateur radio, commercial, and government communications.

Modes of Operation

 It supports various modes of operation, including AM, FM, WFM (Wideband FM), SSB (Single Side Band), CW (Continuous Wave), and more. This versatility allows it to be used for different types of signal reception.

Display and Controls

 The R9000 features a large, easy-to-read display that shows frequency, signal strength, and other relevant information. It also has a comprehensive set of controls and buttons for easy operation and quick access to its functions.

Sensitivity and Selectivity

 Known for its excellent sensitivity and selectivity, the R9000 can pick up weak signals and distinguish between closely spaced signals, which is crucial for clear reception in crowded frequency bands.

Memory Channels

 It typically includes a significant number of memory channels, allowing users to store and quickly access frequently used frequencies.

Build Quality:

The R9000 is built with high-quality components and a robust casing, making it durable and reliable for both amateur and professional use.

Additional Features

 It may include features like a built-in spectrum display, notch filter, automatic gain control (AGC), and noise blanker, which enhance its performance in various signal environments.

Applications

 Due to its wide frequency range and advanced features, the R9000 is suitable for a variety of applications, including monitoring commercial radio traffic, airband, maritime communications, amateur radio frequencies, and even signals from satellites.

Connectivity

The receiver typically offers various connectivity options, including antenna inputs for different frequency ranges and outputs for recording or processing the received audio.

Power Requirements

 It is designed for stationary use and usually requires an external power source, such as a mains adapter.

Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co KG launched the EB200 receiver in 1999.

Features

• Ergonomic design for portable use
• 1000 definable memory positions
• Battery pack with 2 lithium batteries NJ1020 12V 3A
• Extreme scan speed: 125 channels per second

• Continuous frequency range from 10 kHz to 3 GHz
• Tracking illegal transmitter
• Locate the target transmitter at close and medium range using HE200 handheld directional antenna
• Digital IF-Part with 12 bandwidths (150 Hz to 150 kHz)
• Fast, accurate level indicator, over 110 dB dynamic range

• Search cycle options: Frequency search and memory search
• Frequency spectrum (option)
• IF-Panorama-Display (Option
• Remote control via RS232 C PPP or LAN (Ethernet 10Base-T)

The R&S® EB200 is a receiver with a third intermediate frequency of 10.7 MHz. Despite its compact size, an advanced receiver concept could be implemented. The receiver input is equipped with a high-pass/low-pass combination or tracking preselection, as required, to reduce the signal sum load. Intermodulation suppression is equal to that of many receivers used in stationary applications. The low degree of oscillator repetition is the result of large-scale filtering. A modern synthesizer concept with very low phase noise allows switching times of less than 3 ms. Efficient frequency and memory scanning is thus possible.

The EB200 has proven particularly suitable for military and spectrum monitoring tasks as well as for use in radio survey services.

The range of applications includes:

• Signal detection
• Signal search in frequency and memory scan mode
• Spectrum occupancy measurement
• RF and IF analysis
• Coverage measurements (option)
• Field strength measurements

 In 2003, the M/B was upgraded because the receiver was suffering from annoying spikes on all frequencies. In the new M/B a new RAM module was added.

Users had noticed a slowness in charging the batteries, which, for a portable receiver, created some problems. In 2006 a limited series of EB200 was released with an additional power supply that solved the problem by charging one battery at a time, with a switch in the Battery pack to select one or the other battery to be charged. The only drawback was that the display only detected battery #2 and 0% the percentage of charge of the 2 batteries but the inconvenience was small.

Battery pack Ver 1.0

Battery pack Ver 2.0

The original package included:

Suitcase with internal padding

User, operating and programming manual

Battery pack

2 Batteries NJ1020

EB200 has been used especially for radiolocation of illegal radio stations by Armed Forces, Police and other state radio control agencies.