DX-440 Owner'S Manual Am/Fm Direct Entry Communications Receiver
DX-440 Owner'S Manual Am/Fm Direct Entry Communications Receiver
DX-440 Owner'S Manual Am/Fm Direct Entry Communications Receiver
RADIO SHACK LIMITED WARRANTY Please read before using this equipment
This product is warranted against defects for 90 days from date of purchase from Radio
Shack company-owned stores and authorized Radio Shack franchisees and dealers.
Within this period, we will repair it without charge for parts and labor. Simply bring your
Radio Shack sales slip as proof of purchase date to any Radio Shack store. Warranty
does not cover transportation costs. Nor does it cover a product subjected to misuse or
accidental damage.
EXCEPT AS PROVIDED HEREIN, RADIO SHACK MAKES NO WARRANTIES,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not permit limitation or
exclusion of implied warranties; therefore, the aforesaid limitation(s) or exclusion(s) may
not apply to the purchaser.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have olher rights which vary from state to slals.
We Service What We Sell
RADIO SHACK
A Division of Tandy Corporation
Cat. No. 20·221A
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
~)
12A7 Printed in Taiwan ~EALIShc.:...
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
Introduction 3
You now have the world at your finger- The radio uses the latest solid-state
Features 4
tips.Just press the buttons of yourDX- technology to provide programming,
Control Locations 5
440 to listen to a variety of voices from a large liquid crystal display (LCD),
Choosing a Power Supply............... 7 and a host of other convenient .
around the world. In addition to your
Preliminary Settings 10 local AM and FM broadcast stations, features. Because this product is so
Tuning the Radio 13 you can now enjoy broadcasts from versatile, please take a few minutes
Clock Radio Operation 23 London, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, and to review the material in this manual
Special Tuning Techniques and Controls 26 Moscow. before you proceed. You'll enjoy the
Special SSB/CW Reception Techniques 28 radio much more if you do.
Using the Shoulder Strap 33 This entertainment grade, general pur-
Choosing an Antenna 34 pose, communications receiver covers Welcome to the world of the short-
System Grounding 36 an extremely wide range of frequencies wave listener.
Band Allocation 37 that also include shortwave and special
services such as marine and navigation.
The Shortwave Hooby 38
If you understand international Morse For your own protection, we urge you
Listening Notes 40
code, you can listen in and decode a to record the serial number of this unit
Frequency Conversion 41 wide variety of transmissions. in the space provided below. The serial
~~~ .............................................•.................................... ~
number is located inside of the battery
Troubleshooting Guide 46 compartment
Care and Maintenance 48
Specifications 50 Serial Numberr ~
2
3
FEATURES CONTROL LOCATIONS
• Wide Tuning Range_lets you receive • Supplemental Tuning Controls- 1. lIG HT Button 18. BFO OUT/IN Switch
more stations from more places than allow adjustment for maximum clarity 2. TIMER Button 19. FM/(MONO/STEREO)/AM(WIDE/
3. SLEEP Button NARROW) Mode Selector
ever before. of the selected frequency.
4. SIGNAL Strength Indicators 20. STORE Button
5. LCD Display 21. RECALL Button
• Fast Response LCD-shows you the • Dual Function Mode Switch-allows 6.Telescopic Antenna 22. UP Button
frequency you select in large, easy- you to display the frequency or the 7. FM STEREO Indicator 23. DOWN Button
to-read numbers. time on the LCD panel. 8. POWER On Indicator 24. SCAN Button
9. POWER Switch 25. MODE Button
10. VOLUME Control 26. EXECUTE Button
• Direct Acc~ss Keypad-lets you in- • Scanning Control-lets you check 11. Dual-Function Tuning Control 27. Band Selectors
stantly tune in any desired frequency the various transmissions on a certain 12. BALANCE Control 28. Number Entry Buttons
from 87.5 to 108 MHz on the FM band and lock on to the chosen 13. TREBLE Control 29. Time Mode/SEConds Reset button
band and from 150 kHz to 29,999 frequency. 14. BASS Control 30. STEREO headPHONES Jack
15. RF GAIN Control (3.5mm)
kHz on the AM band. 16. BFO PITCH Control
• Full Range Tone Controls-lets you 31. DC IN 9V Jack
17. LOCK Switch
• Up to 9 Storable Frequencies-give cuStomize the sound for clarity and
you instant response for your favorite listening comfort.
stations or transmission sources.
• Stereo Headphones Jack - lets you
.Multiple Power Source Operation- listen to FM Stereo programs in full
means you can use it virtually any- stereo.
where in the world.
.~ijJr---17
W--l--+---j--l-l--j~+---U
f--- rT
272625
IT
20
2928 2423 2221 19 18
4 5
CHOOSING A POWER SUPPLY
32. Folding Stand 35. Battery Compartment You can operate the DX-440 using: that you can lift them easily for
33. EXTernal Antenna'Jack 36. 9k/10kHz Step SWitch
34. EXTernal/INTernal Antenna (beneath batteries) replacement.)
37. Battery Removal Strap • Six alkaline D batteries and two AA
Selector
batteries.
• Household AC
(with an optional AC adapter)
INSTALLING BATIERIES
1. Press the latch on the battery com-
partment cover in the direction of the
OPEN label, and lift the cover off.
6 7
3. Insert six D batteries in the main bat- USING HOUSEHOLD AC USING AN AUTOMOTIVE
tery compartment. Position them as BATIERY
shown in the illustration on the back You can power the DX-440 from house-
of the radio. For best results, use hold AC using an optional AC adapter, You can operate the DX-440 in a car, Note: When you connect the adapter,
alkaline batteries such as Radio Cat. No. 273-1455. Plug the small con- boat, or recreational vehicle that is the DX-440 automatically disconnects
Shack® Cat. No. 23-550. nector of the adapter into the DC IN 9V equipped with a 12 Volt DC, negative the internal batteries.
socket on the side of the unit. Plug the ground battery. Use a DC adapter (Cat.
adapter into a standard household No. 14-844). Caution :Do not let the adapter's barrel
outlet. plug contact any metal parts of the
vehicle when the adapter is plugged into
Note: When you use AC, the DX-440 the lighter socket of the vehicle but not
automatically disconnects the internal yet plugged into the DX-440. A harmful
batteries. short can occur that can damage the
adapter or the vehicle's electrical
system.
14-844
DC Adapter
=
PHON[
o
OCINg~
o ~
o L.....l L..-
L Bottom prOjectionJ
8 9
PRELIMINARY SETTINGS
The display shows the time in a 24-hour because mostshortwavestations sched- shows the minutes and seconds set-
ting. Press the STORE button to
CJ CJ D
4 5 6
mode except when you are tuning a ule their broadcasts on the basis of
station or performing some other opera- Greenwich Mean Time which is a 24-
hour clock.
reset the seconds to 00 and the
display, return to the hours and
CJ D CJ
7 8 9
tion. The radio uses the 24-hour mode
minutes.
CJ CJ CJ
O/SEC EXECUTE
The clock starts when you install the Note: When "CLOCK' IS flashing,
two AA batteries. The display shows a/SEC button does not function. CiJ [ 1
CLOCK 0:00. . .. --
I_ 8r5-,08MH.i 1.15()-281kH.! , _ ~2Q-",:m'H,II_'50 ·~ool){l.H.1
'l
!~~~e~--]
Note: If after installing the two AAbatteries -, -
n,nn
~
['~"e:;J
the display does not show CLOCK 0:00,
remove the batteries and install them
-=----r<
-=--..r'
~
L/I'_' LI Jb"m~1
~ CLOCK
sw _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
~
DOWN
)(
RECALL
UP
DOD 4 5 6
1[ CJ CJ D
7 8 9
(
SCAN
)(
RECALL
I
CJ ( )
FM AM LW MW SW
~)LJ
DOWN UP
00000
3. During this period press the UP or MODE STORE or
DOWN buttons to reach the correct ,----,I ( I
time in hours and minutes (or, rotate SCAN RECALL
the tuning knob to qUickly reach the ~--') (~--'
correct setting).
Note: digit of time can be adjusted only
when "CLOCK" is flashing in the display.
W~
10 11
TUNING THE RADIO
Note: Each time you select SW, the respond to the wavelengths of each
LW 150 - 281 kHz Internal - Rotate radio
radio steps through 12 sub-bands, each band. Refer to "The Shortwave Hobby"
band covering as little as 100 kHz to as section for additional information. for best reception
much as 500 kHz. The sub-bands cor-
CEIIlIIIIlIlIC:
I IMAX VOLUME
reception
12
13
You can select a frequency using four
3. Press [7], [3], [0], [5J. As you press 1 2 3
tuning methods:
QQ~Q,.
each button, the LCD shows the
number.
• Direct Tuning
• Manual Tuning
DOD
7 8 9
• Scan Tuning ~
DOD
O/SEC ~ EXECUTE
• Memory Tuning
Dr )
4. Press the EXECUTE button within
DIRECT TUNING five seconds. The display shows the
frequency and meter band of 0.00
4 5 6
SW.
DOD
You can "key in" any frequency within
the range of the radio by selecting the
band in which that frequency operates
ODD 4 5 6
7
DOD
o/sec
8 9
o (
E'XECUTE
and then pressing the number buttons
of that frequency.
DOD 7 , 8 9
zt 1
DOD 5. Extend the antenna fully stranght up.
o
a/SEC EXECUTE
for the best AM (SW) reception.
r )
FM AM lW MW SW
00000
L
'*'
MINI I I I I I I I I I IMAX
~
VOLUME
0 0 0 0 0
14
'*' 15
6. Adjust the VOLUME and TREBLE/
BASS tone controls for the desired
sound level.
... MINI I I I I I I I I I lMAX
~
LIIIIIIIIIIIR
VOLUME
BALANCE
CONTINUOUS TUNING
......
of the station you want to listen to, you
~ can check the broadcasts on a band '-----_) [L_~
LO I I I I I I I I I 11 HI TREBLE
using the UP/DOWN buttons or the tun- SCAN RECALL
~
ing knob. '------_~) [L_~
LO I I I I II I I I I t HI
c:::ElffiIII!ll
,FM, ~
BASS
OCJ
Note: If you select the FM band and
tune to an FM stereo station, move the ..
MONO STEREO BFO LOCK LIIIIIIIIIIIR
DDllllllIIlIII1
BALANCE
... 0DilllI!IIIIlIl
the best sound result when listening with LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI BASS
the built in speaker, do not forget to
return the BALANCE control to the mid LIIII!111111R BALANCE
c:::ElffiIII!ll
position. ~ 1. Press the POWER button to turn on
•
POWER
LOIIIIIIIIIIIH! TREBLE the radio.
c:::ElffiIII!ll MINI I I I I I I I I I IMAX VOLUME
LO I I j I II I I I II HI BASS c:::ElffiIII!ll
~ 2. Select a band. FM AM LW MW SW
00000
3. a. Repeatedly press the UP or DOWN
MODE STORE
button until you reach the fre-
quency you want or reach a station
) (
you want to listen to. Press and SCAN RECALL
hold the UP or DOWN buttons to ( )( )
rapidly change frequencies.
~ DOWN UP 1#
or
[ 1[ 1
16 17
b. Rotate the tuning knob in either
SCAN TUNING
direction until you reach a desired LIIII111111IR BALANCE
Use scan tuning to quickly locate a sta-
frequency or station with all five c:::E:IillIIIII tion or to monitor several stations within
SIGNAL indicators light to obtain
a band.
LOIIIIIIIIIII>!1 TREBLE
best reception.
c:::E:IillIIIII
1. Turn on the radio.
LO I II I I I I I I I I HI BASS POWER
c:::E:IillIIIII
Note:
When you repeatedly press an When you turn the TUNING knob
UP or DOWN button, the frequen- slowly in the AM band, the display
cy on the FM band changes by changes in 1 kHz increments. Slightly 2. Select a band. FM AM LW MW SW
.05 MHz each time you press a
button. On all other bands, the
frequency changes by 1 kHz.
faster turning of the knob causes the
display to change in 10kHz and very
00000
fast turning of the knob causes
3. Adjust the antenna or radio position
When you press and hold an UP changes in 100 kHz increments. Turn according to the chosen band.
or DOWN button, the frequency the knob quickly until the display
on the FM band changes by nears the desired frequency. Then,
.50 MHz. On all other bands, it
turn it slowly for precise tuning.
changes by 10kHz. ~ FM
4. Adjust the VOLUME,TREBlE,BASS
and BALANCE
MINI I I I I I I I I I IMAX VOLUME
CTIlIIIIlllICJ
4. Press the SCAN button. The radio
LIIIIIIIIIIIR BALANCE begins to scan the frequencies in the
c:::E:IillIIIII band, from lowest to highest. It stops MODE STORE
SIGNAL
-=--./5"
when it reaches a station. The signal
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI TREBLE strength of the station registers on SCAN RECALL
-=--./4
CTIlIIIIlllICJ the SIGNAL indicators.
CEJ ~
When all five indicators light, SIGNAL DOWN UP ~
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI
c:::E:IillIIIII
BASS
is the best. [ )r,---~ -=-./1
18 19
5. Press the SCAN button again to MODE STORE
MEMORY TUNING
resume upward scanning. When the I IL(_ _I You can store up to nine different fre-
radio reaches the upper frequency SCAN RECALL
quencies and have them available for
limit of the band, it continues scan- L=t=J (L....._I UP
instant selection.
ning starting again at the lowest fre- DOWN
QQ '*'
MINI I I I I I I I I I IMAX
~
VOLUME
CElIIllIlIICJ
TREBLE STORE flashes on the display for
five seconds. During this period,
I
SCAN
1ct=J RECALL
press one of the nine number but- I L_=:J
tons. The display shows the storage
I
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI BASS DOWN UP
~ number you selected and stores the
L~[ I
chosen station in that memory
location. 1 2 3
Note: You do not have to store your
first station as location 1. You can CJ 4
CJ c::::J
5 6
choose any location as your first
choice. CJ 7
CJ c::::J
8 9
CJ
O/SEC
CJ c::::J EXECUTE
CJ L )
20
21
CLOCK RADIO OPERATION
To Recall a Frequency You can use the DX-440 to wake you turns itself off after an interval between
up to your favorite station everyday. 10 and 90 minutes. Make the following
And before you retire for the evening, settings with the power off.
1. Turn on the radio. I I POWER
you can set the timer so that the radio
... _-_.
'*'
_11111111111""'"
I I• mllllllllllill
VOLUME
2. Press the RECALL button. The dis- MODE STORE 1. Press the TIMER button. The display LIGHT TIMER SLEEP
play flashes MEMO for five seconds. I ) ( ) shows 0:00 and STANDBY for five
SCAN RECALL seconds.
(
DOWN
)L:4=J UP
I )[ I
D~""9 <";,button"me.for the, , desired
- "" ,,~"" I
i
.~-- -~-'-
I
station.
0 0 0 2. During this period, press the STORE I MODE STORE
The radio instantly tunes to that sta-
tion and displays the frequency and ,I
0
4
0
5
0
6 button. STANDBY starts to flash for
five seconds.
j C
SCAN
ct=JRECALL
the storage number. 7 6 9 )I
Note: If you make no selection while
STORE or MEMO flashes, the radio
0O/SEC
0 EXECUTE
0 L_J[~~
DOWN UP
c:::E:mIIJllCJ
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI TREBLE
c:::E:mIIJllCJ
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI BASS
c:::E:mIIJllCJ
22 23
4. When you reach the desired turn on MODE STORE 2. If you want fewer than 90 minutes
time, press the MODE button to lock L4=l ( ) playing time, press the SLEEP button
again. Each time you press the but-
LIGHT TIMER SLEEP
corner.
I[I m::XjUl
SLEEP gO 1
I Ii
24 25
SPECIAL TUNING TECHNIQUES AND CONTROLS
In addition to the standard tuning oper- AM NARROW!WIDE USING HEADPHONES USING THE LOCK CONTROL
ations described previously, use the SELECTIVITY SWITCH
following controls for special operations. While not a control, you might consider Use this switch to prevent unauthorized
Some stations transmit their signal so using headphones to obtain the best use of the radio or to ensure that any
RF GAIN CONTROL that very little space exists between reception. Many stations broadcast station you might be monitoring remains
their airspace and the station next to marginal signals. Only headphones can tuned in.
This control adjusts the receiver's sen- them on the band. If, while tuning, you capture the subtle difference between
sitivity. For shortwave reception, rotate encounter interference, caused by the the signal from such stations and the When you move the LOCK switch to the
the control to the MAX position. This signal from an adjacent station, press surrounding noise often encountered at IN position, you disable the POWER
provides the maximum sensitivity. When the button for the band you are listening night. Be sure that the headphones button and the tuning controls. If the
you listen to the MW, standard AM to and select the NARROW position. terminate in a 1/8 inch plug, Insert the radio is on when you use the LOCK
band, or LW band, rotate the control The interference is reduced or muted. plug into the PHONES jack on the side switch, you cannot turn off the radio or
only as far as needed to obtain a good of the radio. When you plug the head- change the current frequency.
signal. If you turn the knob further you ,FM-, phones in, you silence the speaker. To release the LOCK function, set LOCK
MONO STEREO BFO LOCK
might hear a distorted signal. For weak switch to out position
ciIiII:I.m
.. .. ..
o
stations, rotate the control to the MAX
position. WIDE NARROW OUT IN
r FM ,
o~
LAM..J
MONO STEREO BFO LOCK
ciIiII:I.m
.. .. ..
WIDE NARROW OUT IN OUT IN
.,. LAM-J
Because the radio can receive stereo
If you encounter interference, adjust FM, when you listen to FM stereo
the control in both directions until you broadcasts, be sure your headphones
If you plan to listen to Morse code,refer-
obtain the best compromise between are designed for stereo operation so
your station and the interference. red to as CW (continuous wave), set the
that you can obtain the full benefit of
BFO switch to IN position. If you en-
this feature.
counter too much noise as you tune,
set the AM NARROW/WIDE switch to
NARROW position.
BFO PITCH RF GAIN
rFMi
001
r- FM -, MONO STEREO BFO LOCK
MONO STEREO BFO LOCK
~
.. . . . . ciIiII:I.m
.. . . ..
WIDE NARROW OUT IN OUT IN
WIDE NARROW OUT IN OUT IN
LAM--.J
~SB USB MIN MAX LAM-.J
26 27
SPECIAL SSB/CW RECEPTION TECHNIQUES
'"
4. Rotate the BFO PITCH control to the
telegraph transmissions in the shortwave with a suppressed carrier in the single BFO PITCH RF GAIN
midpoint.
band. To receive these special Morse side band.(SSB),part of the radio trans-
code characters, the radio uses a
special circuit, a beat-frequency oscill -
ator, to modify the transmitted signal so
that you can hear it. This particular type
of telegraph transmission is called Con-
mission spectrum that lies to the side
of the primary frequency signal. Amat-
eurs tend who transmit voice below 10
MHz use the lower side band (LSB).
Above 10 MHz, they use the upper side
00 USB MIN
i'
POWER
00000
MINI I I I I I I I [ I IMAX VOLUME
i'
~ 7. Tune in the CW station using the
tuning knob, or enter the frequency LIIIIIIIIIIIR BALANCE
2. Extend the antenna fUlly straight up. using the direct access buttons. ~
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI TREBLE
i'
iFMi
MONO STEREO BFO LOCK
CJ CJ CJ
7 8 9
!DIBmJ
. . .. .. CJ CJ CJ
WIDE NARROW OUT IN
CJ ( 1
EXECUTE
28 29
8. Adjust the CW tone using the BFa 4. Rotate the BFa PITCH control to the
BFO PITCH RF GAIN
PITCH control. BFO PITCH RF GAIN LSB position for stations below 10
0 0
'"...., oe,
"f'
"" ""
MHz or to the USB position for sta-
tions above 10M Hz.
{OO
lSB USB MIN MAX
9. Reduce strong signals by using the 5. Rotate the RF GAIN control to the
BFO PITCH RF GAIN BFO PITCH RF GAIN
RF GAIN control. This also reduces MAX position.
interference and noise.
0 0
'"
oe,
""
"in
,""
OOJ USB MIN
DOD
DOD 7 8 9
3. Set the BFa switch to the IN position.
rFMr
MONO STEREO BFO LOCK
000
o (
O/SEC EXECUTE
~
.. .. .. 1
WIDE NARROW OUT IN OUT IN
LAM~ •
30 31
USING THE SHOULDER STRAP
8. Rotate the BFO PITCH control to ad- To Attach The Shoulder Strap
BFO PITCH RF GAIN
just the signal quality.
0... 0
1. Insert about five inches of the end of
the strap into the strap hanger.
co,
, "" ." ." 2. Pull the free end of the strap upward,
Figure 1
and insert the end into the lower
9. Rotate the RF GAIN control to
BFC PITCH RF GAIN edge of the strap buckle as shown
dampen strong signals. This dm im-
in Figure 1.
0 0
prove signal clarity as well.
co,
"" ." ."
~
3. Pull at least three inches of the strap ------, Figure 2 Figure 3
Note: Before choosing another band. More than 3··
end through the buckle. See Figure
set the RF GAIN control to MAX, and BFO PITCH RF GAIN __ i
2. Then bring the end of the strap -T
0 OJ
move the BFO switch to the OUT
beneath the upper end of the buckle. More than 2'"
position.
Refer to Figure 3.
co,
iFMi
"" MIN MAX
~
4. Pull the free end taught. Be sure that
.. .. . . at least two inches of strap extend
WIDE NARROW OUT
LAM~ --t- IN OUT IN
from the upper end of the buckle.
Slip the extra strap beneath the belt
loop. See Figure 4.
32 33
CHOOSING AN ANTENNA
The radio uses a telescoping antenna • Use a combination TV/FM antenna. Refer to the following charts. The first specified band. The second chart gives
and an internal ferrite bar antenna for chart indicates the length of wire re- you the required length of wire to receive
reception of signals between 150 kHz Note the amateur radio operator's bands.
quired for optimum performance on the
and 1620 kHz. These antennas provide eTo use an external antenna,
equipped with 300-ohm twinlead,
acceptable reception for most situa- connect the twinlead's terminals Antenna Wire Length (feet)
Frequency
tions. However, if you use an external to a 300 to 75-ohm matching trans-
antenna, you can receive more signals, former, Cat. No. 15-1253. 150 kHz 500 kHz 1440 Lengths generally
and the signals you receive will be Then insert the 75-ohm connector
of the transformer into an F-to-RCA 520 kHz 1600 kHz 441 impractical to erect
better. 1600 kHz 4500 kHz 153
adapter, Cat. No. 278-252.
Finally, insert the RCA type plug 4500 kHz 12000 kHz 57
of the adapter into the RCA antenna 12000 kHz 29999 kHz 22
FM BAND jack of the receiver. Be sure to move
the antenna switch to EXT.
• Use a set of VHF-TV rabbit ears.
Those made for TV/FM coverage can • If your antenna uses 75 ohm coaxial Wave Length - Ham Band Antenna Wire Length (feet)
help get better performance on the cable, attach the connector of the
cable to Cat. No. 278-252, which also 160 meter 246
FM band.
terminates in a RCA type plug. In- 80 meter 117
sert the RCA plug into the ANT jack, 40 meter 66
and move the switch next to the jack 20 meter 33
to EXT. 15 meter 22
AM - SHORTWAVE BANDS
For AM reception, you can use many
different types of antennas. Unfor- To calcuate antenna length for a This formula results in a half-wave
tunately, no single antenna can effec- specific frequency antenna.
tively cover the entire frequency range
of the DX-440, from 150 kHz to 29999 Length of a 1/2 wave antenna =
kHz. You can determine the exact length of 468000
wire you need for a specific frequency Desired Frequency (kHz)
A general purpose shortwave antenna, using the following information. Then,
• Use an outdoor FM antenna. This such as Cat. No. 278-758, can provide obtain bare copper wire, stand-off in- For example, to pick up international
type, specially designed for optimum better reception than either of the built- sulators, and an appropriate length of shortwave signals in the 19 meter band,
FM performance, requires rooftop (or in antennas. However, if you want the lead-in wire. Be sure to use a static 15100 to 15600 kHz, pick a represen-
similar location) mounting. best possible reception on one specific discharge unit to guard against lightning tative frequency, such as 15350 kHz.
band, your antenna must be a certain damage. For complete information, The formula then becomes:
refer to The Radio Amateur Handbook,
.}> .
~
length. 468000
published by the American Radio = 30 1/2 feet
n,,-.
......-
Relay League.
15350
34 35
SYSTEM GROUNDING BAND ALLOCATION
To ensure the best reception, always A suitable earth ground can be a clamp To avoid interference and confusion, Note that broadcasts and hams share
connect a ground wire to the externai around a metal water pipe or a copper certain portions of the radio spectrum 7,100 -7,300 kHz, and interference is
antenna jack. Connect the single wire rod driven several feet into the earth. have been set aside for specific pur- heavy in that range.
lead-in to the center terminal of the Radio Shack seils a copper ground rod poses. Perhaps the most familiar exam-
RCA plug. Connect.a suitable earth (Cal. No. 15-530) and the appropriate ple is 540 - 1600 kHz, the standard AM Broadcasts in tropical regions have
ground to the outer terminal of the plug. hardware. broadcast band. special bands set aside for them. In
such areas shortwave is the only way
Ham radio operators use the foilowing to reach isolated locations:
bands:
160 meters = 1,800 - 2,000 kHz 120 meters = 2,300 - 2,500 kHz
80 meters = 3,500 - 4,000 kHz 90 meters = 3,200 - 3,400 kHz
40 meters = 7,000 - 7,300 kHz 75 meters = 3,900 - 4,000 kHz
$1 I 20 meters = 14,000 - 14,350 kHz 60 meters = 4,750 - 5,060 kHz
EXT.ANT· 15 meters = 21,000 - 21,450 kHz
11 10 meters = 28,000 - 29,700 kHz
@I The rest of the shortwave range is filled
with marine, aeronautical and military
International broadcasting stations have stations. Such stations usuaily use
I
several bands set aside for them: either SSB or CW, and can be found
outside the amateur and broadcast
I bands.
~
49 meters = 5,800 - 6,200 kHz
41 meters 7,100 - 7,500 kHz
31 meters = 9,500 - 9,900 kHz
25 meters = 11,650 - 12,050 kHz
19 meters = 15,100 - 15,600 kHz
16 meters = 17,550 - 17,900 kHz
13 meters = 21,450 - 21,850 kHz
GROUND 11 meters = 25,600 - 26,100 kHz
36 37
THE SHORTWAVE HOBBY
Shortwave listening is a hobby with use Morse code (or CW, as they refer Ships and coastal stations can also be
thousands of participants worldwide. to it) and SSB. The ham bands are heard on shortwave. Most communica-
While no special knowledge is required divided up into CW and SSB sections tions are in SSB and CWo One in-
for SWL, you will find your enjoyment in the following manner: teresting range is 2,000 - 2,300 kHz,
increases with experience and special where the Coast Guard and many small
techniques for listening. 3,500 - 3,800 kHz: CW boats can be heard. One frequency to
3,800 - 4,000 kHz: SSB watch is 2,182 kHz, which is an inter-
Random tuning on your DX-440 is a 7,000 - 7,150 kHz: CW national distress and emergency chan-
good idea if you've never owned a 7,150 - 7,300 kHz: SSB nel. Other bands in which to tune for
Communications Receiver before. In 14,000 - 14,200 kHz: CW ships are:
this way you can get acquainted with 14,200 - 14,350 kHz: SSB
the various bands and the stations that 21,000 - 21,250 kHz: CW 4,063 - 4,139 kHz
can be heard. But after you've been 21,250 - 21,450 kHz: SSB 4,361 - 4,438 kHz
listening for a while you'll discover that 28,000 - 28,500 kHz: CW 8,195 - 8,181 kHz
you can get more enjoyment by organ- 28,500 - 29,700 kHz: SSB 12,330 - 12,420 KHz
izing your listening efforts. 13,107 - 13,200 kHz
These boundaries are not precisely 16,460 - 16,565 kHz
Doing a little bit of library research can observed everywhere in the world, so
increase your skill as a SWL. Read up don't be too surprised to find an SSB
on radio propagation and theory; try to signal in the CW portion of a band and
understand the conditions which make vice-versa.
long distance reception possible. In
your local library you can find such Some of the ranges where aircraft may
valuable references as the World Radio be flying international routes use short-
Television Handbook and the Radio wave for their communications. Most
Amateur's Handbook. Current intorma- transmissions are in SSB, although
tion can be found by consulting period- some AM is still heard. Some of the
icals dealing with communications and ranges where aircraft can be heard
electronics. include:
38 39
LISTENING NOTES FREQUENCY CONVERSION
If you have never tuned a shortwave respective countries. Among the stations Your communications receiver is Example: What is the wavelength of 7.1
receiver before, you may be a bit con- that are listener favorites worldwide are calibrated in Megahertz (MHz) and MHz?
fused by the wide variety of signals that Radio Japan, the British Broadcasting Kilohertz (kHz) . as most communi-
-:::-,....30,....0"..,..._ = 42.25 meters
can be heard. To help you find your Company, Israel Radio, Radio Neder- cations-type receivers are. You should 7.1 MHz
way around the bands, here is a sum- land in Holland and Radio Australia. be familiar with these terms:
mary of what to expect. You'll soon discover which stations will
be your personal favorites. Megahertz: Millions-of-hertz (or cycles-
The 150 - 540 kHz range is known as In tropical areas of the world, static per-second). A Megahertz is 1,000,000
the long wave band. You'll find recep- hertz (Hz for short) or 1,000,000 cycles-
makes reception on the standard AM
tion here best at night in your location. broadcasting band very difficult. This per-second. Mega means million.
The majority of stations use Morse has resulted in special Tropical Bands
code, although you will hear AM used set aside for nations located in tropics. Kilohertz: Thousands-of-hertz·A kilohertz
for weather broadcasts. The largest Programming here is intended for local is 1,000 hertz. We use the abbreviation
number of stations in this range are audiences and much of what can be kHz. Kilo means thousand.
beacons for aircraft and marine naviga-
heard is a treat - exotic languages,
tion. Beacons transmit their call letters beautiful and unusual music, etc. Some Meter: The term meter, as applied to
continuously in Morse code at a slow English can be heard, however, from shortwave listening, refers to the
speed. stations in Africa or the Pacific. wavelength of a radio frequency. In
many parts fo the world, frequencies
A manual on air or marine navigation, You'll find time standard stations quite are listed in meters, for example, inter-
available from your public library or a useful. These stations give out the ex- national shortwave stations in the 19
marine supply store, will contain lists of act time of day at specified intervals. Meter band. European radio equipment
these beacons and their locations. The National Bureau of Standards and stations often refer to the wave-
Weather broadcasts on AM often iden- operates station WWV in Fort Collins, length of a station or band (in meters),
tify themselves by their location instead Colorado on 2,500, 5,000, 10,000, rather than frequency (in MHz or kHz).
of by call letters (such as "New Orleans 15,000, and 20,000 kHz. A man's voice
Radio"). Many ship stations also use gives the time each minute along with The relationship of these three terms is:
this range, with 500 kHz set aside by periodic reports on shortwave reception 1 MHz (million) = 1,000kHz (thousand)
international agreement for distress conditions. The National Bureau of To change 9.62 MHz to kHz. we multiply
and emergency calls. Standards also operates another sta- by 1000.
tion, WWVH, on the same frequencies 9.62 x 1000 = 9620 kHz
International broadcast stations can be as WWV, in Hawaii. WWVH uses a To go the other way, from kHz to MHz,
found in the bands indicated in our sec- woman's voice to give the time. Some- divide by 1000, A station at 3780 kHz is
tion on Band Allocations. Many such times you can hear these two stations
simultaneously. Other time standard 3780 = 3.780 MHz
stations operate in English, and often 1000
can be heard during the evening hours stations are Canada's CHU on 3,330,
To convert MHz to meters, use this
(between 6:00PM and Midnight, your 7,335 and 14,670 kHz and VNG in
formula:
local time). Programming usually con- Australia on 4,500 and 12,000kHz.
300
sists of news, commentaries, local Several other nations have similar Meters = - -
stations. MHz
music, and features on life in their
40 41
COUNTRY LOG
The following listing contains some of No attempt has been made to provide kHz STATION LOCATION REMARKS
the more frequently heard stations on an accurate up-to-date listing. For a 3,223 Radio SR Swaziland
shortwave. The stations listed can be yearly up-to-date listing, check the 3,265 Radio Mozambique Maputo, Mozambique Programs in Portuguese
heard throughout the North American world radio television hand book. 3,300 Radio Cultural Guatemala City, Religious Programs
Continent. All stations operate in Guatemala
English unless otherwise specified. 3,380 Radio Iris Esmeraldas, Ecuador Programs in Spanish
Most of these stations do not broadcast 3,385 FR3 Cayenne, Programs in French
continuously. French Guiana
3,396 Radio Kaduna Kaduna, Nigeria
Obviously, reception will vary on the dif- 4,750 Radio Bertoua Bertoua, Cameroon
ferent frequencies according to the 4,755 Imo Regional Radio Imo, Nigeria
time of day and season of the year. 4,777 Radio-TV Gabon Libreville, Gabon Programs in French
Remember that reception from different 4,795 Radio Nueva America La Paz, Bolivia Programs in Spanish
parts of the world varies with the time 4,820 Radio Paz y Bien Ambala, Equador Programs in Spanish
of day and the frequency to which your 4,832 Radio Reloj San Jose, Costa Rica Programs in Spanish
DX-440 is tuned. Consult the section on 4,855 Radio Clube do Para Belem, Brazil Programs in Portuguese
Changes in Reception for a more detail- 4,890 National Broadcasting Port Moresby,
ed explanation of these variations. Commission Papua New Guinea
4,915 Voice Kenya Nairobi, Kenya
Remember also that the 7,000 - 7,300 4,920 AustralianBroadcasting Brisbane, Australia
kHz range IS shared by hams and in- Commission
ternational broadcasts; consequently, 4,945 Radio Colosal Neiva, Colombia Programs in Spanish
interference is severe in that range. 4,965 Radio Santa Fe Bogota, Colombia Programs in Spanish
4,980 Ecos del Torbes San Cristobal, Venezuela Programs in Sapnish
While every effort has been made to en- 4,990 Radio Barquisimeto Barquisimeto, Venezuela Programs in Spanish
sure the accuracy of this list, stations 5,020 Solomon Islands Honiara, .
can and do change frequencies. Check Broadcasting Service Solomon- Islands
periodicals on communications and 5,057 Radio Gjirokaster Gjirokaster, Albania Programs in Albanian
electronics for more current information 5,950 Guyana Broadcasting Georgetown, Guyana
on station frequencies and schedules.
Service
5,954 Radio Casino Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
This list only contains broadcasting sta- Montreal, Canada
5,960 Radio Canada
tions which operate on fixed frequencies International
with regular schedules. Ham military, 5,980 Radio RSA Johannesburg,
marine and aeronautical stations operate South Africa
on varied frequencies with irregular CFCX Montreal, Canada
6,005
schedules. Radio Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Programs in Chinese
6,025
6,045 Radio Australia Lyndhurst, Australia
These listings can change at any time 6,055 Nihon Shortwave Tokyo, Japan Programs in Japanese
and are here for your reference only. Broadcasting Company
42 43
6,060 Radio Nacional Buenos Aires, Argentina Programs in spanish 11 ,850Deutsche Welle Cologne, West Germany
6,075 Radio Sutatenza Bogota, Colombia Programs in Spanish 11,890 Voice of Chile Santiago, Chile
6,090 Radio Luxembourg Ville Louvigny, 11,900 Radio RSA Johannesburg, South Africa
Luxembourg 11,910 BBC London, England
6,095 Polskie Radio Warsaw, Poland 11 ,930Radio Havana Cuba Havana, Cuba
6,105 Radio New Zealand Wellington, New Zealand 11,935 Radio Portugal Lisbon, Portugal
7,140 Trans World Radio Monte Carlo Monaco 11,945 Radio Peking Peking, China
7,170 Radio Noumea Noumea, New Caledonia Programs in French 11,955 Voice of Turkey Ankara, Turkey
7,300 Radio Tirana Tirana, Albania 11,980 Radio Moscow Moscow, USSR
9,475 Radio Cairo Cairo, Egypt 15,038 Saudi Arabian Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Programs in Arabic
9,515 Voice of Greece Athens, Greece Broadcasting Service
9,525 Radio Korea Seoul, South Korea 15,084 Voice of Iran Tehran, Iran Programs in Farsi
9,530 Spanish Foreign Radio Madrid, Spain 15,135 Radio Moscow Moscow, USSR
9,535 Swiss Radio Berne, Switzerland 15,165 HCJB Qiito, Ecuador
International 15,1900RU Brussels, Belgium
9,540 Radio Prague Prague, Czechoslovakia 15,205 All India Radio New Delhi, India
9,570 Radio Bucharest Bucharest, Rumania 15,260 BBC London, England
9,575 Italian Radio and Rome, Italy 15,265 Finnish Radio Helsinki, Finland
Television Service 15,275 Radio Sweden Stockholm, Sweden
9,610 Radio-TV Algeria Algiers, Algeria Programs in Arabic 15,305 Swiss Radio Berne, Switzerland
9,620 Radio Berlin Berlin, East Germany International
International 15,310 Radio Japan Tokyo, Japan
9,645 Radio Norway Oslo, Norway 15,320 Radio Australia Melbourne, Australia
9,720 Radio Iran Tehran, Iran Programs in Farsi 15,400 BBC London, England
9,745 HCJB Quito, Equador 15,430 Radio Mexico Mexico City, Mexico Programs in Spanish
9,770 Austrian Radio Vienna, Austria 15,465 Radio Pakistan Islamad, Pakistan Programs in Urdu
9,800 Radio Kiev Kiev, USSR 17,720 Radio France Paris, France
9,835 Radio Budapest Budapest, Hungary International
10,040 Voice of Vietnam Hanoi, Vietnam 17,825 Vatican Radio Vatican City
11,655 Israel Radio Jerusalem, Israel 17,860 Austrian Radio Vienna, Austria
11,690 Radio Kuwait Kuwait, Kuwait 21,495 Israel Radio Jerusalem, Israel
11 ,705 Radio Sweden Stockholm, Sweden 21,525 Radio Australia Melborne, Australia
11,720 Radio Moscow Moscow, USSR 21,625 Israel Radio Jerusalem, Israel
11,735 Radio Sofia Sofia, Bulgaria 21,645 Radio France Paris, France
11,745 Voice of Free China Taipei, China International
11,815 Radio Japan Tokyo, Japan 21,735 Radio-TV Morocco Rabat, Morocco Programs in Arabic
11,825 Radio Tahiti Papeete, Tahiti Programs in Tahitian 25,650 BBC London, England
11,835 4VEH Cap Haitien, Haiti 25,790 Radio RSA Johannesburg,
11 ,845 Radio Canada Montreal, Canada South Africa
International
44 45
TROUBLESHOOTING
The DX-440 is a ruggedly built elec- Weak or intermittent sound Memorized frequency cannot be recalled
tronic unit with all parts conservatively • Weak radio batteries. • Wrong band is set. Switch bands.
rated. However, you should treat it with • Antenna adjustment insufficient. • Memory has been erased. Re-enter
care; don't subject it to excessively • Weak signal. Try moving the unit the frequency.
rough handling. You will find it will give near a window when operating inside
you long life enjoyment if kept free from a vehicle or in a metal frame building. SLEEP does not function
excessive humidity. • Tuning slightly off-frequency. Use UP • The SLEEP button is not pressed
or DOWN key to fine tune. • The power switch is set to on
If you have problems-(we hope you If none of the above suggested remedies
don't),-check the following: Frequency cannot be keyed in when solves the problem, return your set to
direct tuning. your nearby Radio Shack store for
FREQUENCY DISPLAY • EXECUTE was not pressed within 5 assistance.
No/incorrect display seconds.
• Weak microprocessor or radio • Microprocessor failed to initialize.
batteries. Remove the microprocessor batteries,
• Microprocessor fails to initialize. This wait one minute and re-install.
may happen when you first install (or
Scanning or memory frequency cannot
replace) batteries. Remove the micro-
processor batteries, wait for about be keyed in
one minute, and re-install. • EXECUTE was not pressed after the
frequency was keyed in.
Display is dim
• Weak microprocessor or radio Will not scan on AM
batteries. • Limit frequencies are not keyed in.
• Environment is inappropriate for
operation; temperature is too high Scanning stops where there is no clear
or too much humidity. signal
·Birdies-the internally generated
RADIO signals mixed with external signals. A
No sound telescopic antenna is likely to pick up
• Check the VOLUME control setting. these undesirable signals; use an out-
• Headphone jack is plugged in. door antenna.
• Weak radio batteries. A few of the most common birdies are:
• AC adapter cord not firmly plugged. 455 kHz 3,844 kHz 9,000 kHz
• DC power cord is not correctly in- 10,245 kHz 18,000 k~z 20,490 kHz
serted into cigarette lighter socket in 21,835 kHz 21,868 kHz
vehicle operation.
• AC jack or external DC jack is plugg- Scanning does not stop automatically
ed in when trying to operate on bat- • Weak signal.
teries. • RF GAIN is not set to MAX
46 47
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
48 49
SPECIFICATIONS
Antennas:
LW/MW Built in ferrite bar antenna.
SW Swivel telescopic antenna.
External antenna terminal.
FM Swivel telescopic antenna.
External antenna terminal. (Not apply to W. Germany)
51
50
ADDENDUM Cat. No. 20-221A
DX-440
AM/FM DIRECT ENTRY
COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVER
The following specifications for sensitivity, image rejection, and selectivity are
provided for your reference:
Sensitivity :
Frequency Stability:
RADIO SHACK
Fort Worth, Texas 76102