New radio

I just bought a Sony ICF-SW7600GR shortwave receiver. It’s very small and light, about the size of a paperback book. It runs on four AA batteries, or an optional power adapter that wasn’t included.

I’ve only had it for a day, but so far it seems to work pretty well. There’s no reception inside my apartment, between the construction of the building and all the electronics, so I took it up to the roof for a quick test. Using just the built-in telescoping antenna (without the clip-on wire that comes with it) I was able to pick up KBS World Radio on 9560 kHz, which is broadcast from Sackville, Canada. That’s clear on the other side of North America–not bad for a three foot antenna!