Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Seoul, Republic of Korea
Posts: 11

A shortwave radio would be a boon to many of us. The display on the visor could be used to show programming info (downloaded via website on a desktop, then "synched" to the Visor) for popular services (BBC, VOA, DW, etc), along with the precise frequency being tuned (better than the clumsy analog slide on cheap SW radios). The antenna would probably just be a wire. Cost for this Springboard would have to be less than $100 to compete with cheap portables, but the utility would be nuch better. Wouldn't compete for the serious base-station, station-grabbing long-distance listener, but would be super for us casual listener, mobile types.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Beavercreek, OH 45434
Posts: 29

I agree but the market may be a little narrow. Another problem would be the speaker which would have to be included with the model since HandSpring has chosen not to improve the speaker (unlike TRG which has with the TRGpro).

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Houston
Posts: 5

I for one would buy such a device, but it would have to be a wide band receiver that worked from .5Mhz to 1.3GHz before I'd be interested... with at least 1000 channels and fast scan rate. The problem with this idea though (in my opinion) is that it would be nearly impossible to sheild the receiver from the RF that the Visor emits. Try holding your Visor up to an AM radio to see what I mean.

73, de
N5PRE

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
Posts: 3

I think it should be 500kHz to 1.3gHz

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 1883

corect me if I'm wrong but isn't .5Mhz to 1.3GHz the same as 500kHz to 1.3gHz

like half a Mhz is 500 khz.....

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
Posts: 3

Sorry thought I saw 5mHz. MY BAD.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 1883

you are forgiven

I agree it's easy to over look the "." that's why I allway say 0.5 instead if .5

anyway we all agree on this one...

The Idea is nice but would be nicer if it would have a AM/FM tuner too...

The only problem is the price. You can get radio's pretty cheap so it will be hard to make a springboard that is compatitively priced (mmm, is this correct english?)

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Seoul, Republic of Korea
Posts: 11

- The RF interference could be a difficult problem to overcome, I hadn't thought of that.

- The main advantage of the SW Tuner (and AM/FM/TV Weather-band inclusion would be a super plus) Springboard over a cheap standalone radio is the programming feature made possible by the Visor. Go to the website, download the program times/freqs of your favorite shows (from BBC, VOA, DW, and even local TV/radio stations). Flag the programs you want to hear, a reminder pops up in your calendar on the Visor, and you tune in. No cheap radio can do that. For a few bucks more enough memory could be included so the unit can MP3 your programmed shows and you can play them back during the drive to/from work.