Following NWS / local EMA Freqs on a Tecsun PL-660?

[alphaninertwo]

Hi all,

I have been interested in shortwave radio since I was a child, both local and international. However, I've never really found anybody else to talk to about it and I have a burning question I was hoping you guys could answer:

My old shortwave radio broke about a year ago, and I recently purchased a Tecsun PL-660. I am amazed by the number of international frequencies I can receive on it, but I'm having a hard time picking up local frequencies (local EMA, National Weather Service, etc.) on it. Am I missing something while trying to use it? Or does it just not cover the appropriate frequencies? The frequency coverage is:

FM：76-108MHz；
AM: 520-1710 KHz with step 1 KHz/10 KHz（North America）
LW: 100-519 KHz
SW: 1711-29999 KHz
Aviation band：118-137 MHz

Do these frequencies cover local channels? If so, how could I pick them up? If I can't, I've still got a small amount of time to return the radio if it cannot pick up our local frequencies.

Finally, if I cannot pick up local frequencies on here, could you recommend a good, portable (would really prefer portable because I'm military and travel a lot) shortwave radio that would cover both local freqs as well as the same amount of international channels as the PL-660?

Thanks!

[Pigmeat]

A moderately priced handheld scanner would do nicely for those kind of transmissions.

Scanners aren't my thing, but I'm sure a number of the folks here will have suggestions on ones you might want to look at.

[BoomboxDX]

I don't know what you mean by EMA, but if you're talking police, fire, etc., those are all VHF and UHF frequencies -- 140 Mhz and much higher (VHF runs from 50 MHz to 300 Mhz, UHF 300 Mhz to 900 Mhz or more -- most police and fire comm's are in the UHF range now, and trunked. Some encrypted).

Your Tecsun picks up some VHF -- the 118-137 Mhz band is the airband and that is VHF.  You might be able to pick up the beep noises from weather satellites in the 136 Mhz band (if they still do that).

The NOAA weather band is around 162 Mhz, and your Tecsun won't pick that up.

But there are local TIS (Travelers Information Stations -- 10 watts) stations on the AM band, most of them around 530-540 khz and 1610-1700 khz, and I've heard at least three of them in my area that run NOAA weather radio transmissions.

[alphaninertwo]

BoomboxDX: I live in Alabama, and have in the past picked up the Alabama Emergency Management Agency (EMA) in order to follow damage and casualty reports. I want to have a shortwave ready to pick up this freq again, along with the NOAA weather band and the international stations I've been picking up with the Tecsun (amazing what I discovered in a short amount of time!). You've pretty much answered one of the bigger parts of my question though.

Pigmeat covered the other part of my main questions though. The only thing I'm wondering then is, what could I buy instead then? Again, I'm looking for something portable like the Tecsun (or at least something remotely portable) and that can cover the same types of shortwave bands but including the NOAA and Alabama EMS band (the Alabama EMS freq is around the 453 range. Don't remember which one exactly I'd follow off the top of my head since it's been a while).

Thanks again guys!

[Pigmeat]

The Alabama hurricane net hangs out 6913 - 6917 khz. LSB range. They use Near Vertical Incidence Skywave (NVIS) antennas to be able communicate both regionally and in-state. You should be able hear them easily with the Tecsun.

There are a number of storm nets that run in the Southeast on shortwave. If you know a local ham, I'm sure he/she could put you on to the regional frequencies as hams are the guys who run them.

The same is true of the VHF/UHF weather/emergency nets, ran by local hams, but sadly unavailable on shortwave rigs.

[alphaninertwo]

Pigmeat: I've actually never known a ham before in my life, I tried getting in touch with a local amateur radio club but no dice. I think I'm gonna return the Tecsun and next time get a portable shortwave that can definitely pick up the NOAA band along with the international freqs the Tecsun could. Only thing is, I'm not sure which radio models could do that.

[BoomboxDX]

Your choices concerning getting a SW radio that actually receives shortwave well, which also has the 450 MHz UHF band on it are pretty slim.

There used to be several small full range hand held receivers -- they looked like 2 meter handheld radios but covered everything from the AM band to UHF -- that were popular for a while but I don't know if they make them anymore.

And I'm not sure how good they were very good at receiving Shortwave broadcasts -- from what I remember reading about them, I'm not sure they would pull in SW signals as well as your Tecsun.

I'd just get a scanner and just take it along with your Tecsun -- they're small and portable enough.

[alphaninertwo]

BoomboxDX: I think that's what I may end up doing then. What would be some good models for scanners in that case? I've never gotten a scanner before so I don't know what's good or bad on the market.

[Pigmeat]

I don't know why I didn't think of this yesterday. Go to Universal Radio's website www.universal-radio.com. and tell them what you're looking for. They've got piles of gently used scanners, all checked out, refurbished, and at good prices.

They're great folks and I'm sure they could also put you into contact with scanner and ham types in your area. They've got a nationwide customer base to draw on for that kind of info.