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Rating: 
Summary: The only guide you'll need PERIOD!
Review: "Passport to World Band Radio" is so easy to read and understand -- you will just love it! I am new to short-wave. I became tired of the US media never touching on global concerns so I decided to find out how I could listen to global news services. I bought myself a short-wave radio and this book. Now I'm set!!"Passport" tells you everything you need to know on how to get started listening to short-wave. It tells you where to tune, day or night, to find all the great global programs, and it even gives you tips on how to position your built-in telescopic antenna or set one up. Does World Time confuse you? Well, fear not! With "Passport" you will receive step-by-step instructions on determining your World Time. If you do not want to figure it out, just look at the chart they provide for your convenience! "Passport" doesn't leave you in the dark when it comes to station listings. They make sure to tell you what stations they feel are superior and worth hearing. If you are new to short-wave and do not have a lot of time on your hands, this is a definite PLUS. (Oh, and "Passport" makes sure you know when a country is changing its frequency for the summer/winter months.) If you like skipping around the dial and come across something that possibly sounds french and want to find out more, you simply need to search by frequency and time to get all the detailed information about the station you are listening to. I know you will enjoy this book. I do not have one single complaint about it! Enjoy, A.
Rating: 
Summary: This book is worth its $ if just for the 72 radio reviewed!
Review: A "must have" for those who are interested in entering the growing society of world band radio enthusiasts. This unique book is a consumer's guide, radio guide and excellent introduction to shortwave radio. Consumers Guide. This book is worth its price if just for the 72 digital radios reviewed in the book. From pocket to professional radios, each professional review gives you a `PRO', `CON' and `VERDICT'. Rating each unit with one star (junk) to five stars (stellar) you will find Sony's 7oz `cigarette pack size' receiver, rate three stars, quote "Superior overall world band performance for size"; to ICON's 44lb professional receiver, five star, "exceptional." . Prices range from ICON's mere $8,500, to the star and a half portable Chinese Bolong HS-490 , $45 dollars. The reviews of the receivers are followed up by a even dozen reviews on antennas. You can shop the net for these radios and save an average of 15 to 20% over the recommended retail listed in the book. CON: Sadly there are NO listings of contact information for any of the manufacturers. There are NO side-by-side comparisons which would help make this a comprehensive reference. And, finally, these reviews DO NOT list size or weight of these radios; all of these points would greatly enhance the value of these reviews. World Band Radio Guide. There is a wonderful channel-by-channel guide to world band schedules. So if you are a BBC junky, or need to tune in China Radio, `Passport' has conveniently listed their air-time schedules for you. Surprisingly, even though `Passport' fails to list the contact information for radio and antenna manufactures, they list addresses for hundreds of radio station throughout the world that broadcast. So, if you have been desperate to tell `Radio Vanuatu' your thoughts on the cross pollination of pineapple, the address and contact persons' name is here. Especially useful is "Passport's" listings of broadcasts in English around the globe. So if you can't sleep, flip to 3:30am and find Radio Prague or Radio Tirana. Solid Introduction, for entering the world band radio fraternity. Voice of Russia or Voice of America, you choose, throughout the world you are able to listen to world news in English. If you are a frequent world traveler, the world band radio becomes a friendly voice. VERDICT: Get this book, even if you were just contemplating dropping into the world of shortwave. The ratings, the `when' and `what' to tune into, and the introductory information to World Band Radio makes `Passport to World Band Radio 2001' highly recommended. 4 1/2 stars.
Rating:
Summary: The Consumer's Guide and TV Guide of Shortwave Radio
Review: I am new to shortwave and had this book recommended to me on a Usenet newsgroup a few times. I checked out the 2001 edition from my local library and found it to be very, very useful. It has a comprehensive list of recievers and shortwave frequencies and broadcasters. There is just too much valuable information in this book. Its reciever ratings are very helpful, as they allow you to separate the good from the bad quite easily. The blue pages of this book are extremely handy for seeing what broadcaster you are listening to at the moment if you know the frequency. I plan to purchase the 2002 edition.
Rating:
Summary: Almost everything you wanted to know about World radio.
Review: I purchased this book to learn more about radio. Great book for learning about the "how to" of World radio and packed with lots of information for the experienced radio person. It comes complete with listening times for World Radio stations. The program guide is somewhat difficult to understand at first. I also subscribe to a magazine, Monitoring Times. This magazine is like a monthly TV guide with local times listed for your time zone. This book and the magazine make a great tool for the World radio listener.
Rating:
Summary: Best book to get started; worth getting each year
Review: If you want to start listening to World (shortwave) Radio, this is the first, and maybe only book to buy. I get it each year for the latest listings and reviews. I listen to world radio for alternate news and views, and for world music. The book starts with up-to-date reviews on radios costing from $50 to $6,000. It has everything you need to get started, which can be no more than getting a radio and plugging it in, or setting up an outdoor antenna if you want to. The book describes the most accessible stations, but lists more stations than you'll ever be able to hear: hour-by-hour, station-by-station, channel-by-channel.. Lists English broadcasts, but also "voices from home": native-language broadcasts for those living outside their own country. The only thing that they don't cover that I wish they would is reviews on the new radios that are controlled entirely by a computer. The book describes only very simple antennas, enough for many. It does not attempt to be a guide to designing an outdoor antenna: that's a subject for an entire book. I prefer this book to The World Radio TV Handbook, the only real alternative. If, like me, you want to get this book each year when it's available, the authors will notify you if you drop an email to mwk@passport.com.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: SW band-cruising can be entertaining. But just as a good map can help you to better enjoy a road trip or sunday drive then a good 'map' of the shortwave bands can also make the shortwave-surfing experience much more rewarding. By far and away the best 'map' is the Passport To World Band Radio which is published annually. This is a great book that contains a wealth of information on equipment and procedures as well as the broadcaster's frequency listings showing who is on the air at what time. It also gives contact details for the broadcasters - a boon for those who extend their hobby to collecting QSL cards. Hard-core DX-ers with Ten-Tec or Racal gea through to enthusiastic newcomers with a budget portable - all manner of SW listening is catered for by this book. Buy it every year!
Rating:
Summary: A great investment for both beginners and experienced users
Review: The hour-by-hour listings of what's on for each of the major (and not so major) international broadcasters really helps me get my money's worth out of my receiving equipment. I do use the blue pages, which sort broadcasters by frequency rather than time, since I am mostly a casual broadcast listener, but they are invaluable to a DX'er who is simply tuning around and comes across something they are not familiar with. This section would help you locate what you are listening to by frequency and time. My favorite section, every year, is the receiver reviews, since there's so little objective analysis of the hardware available anywhere else. Most seasoned listeners eagerly await the release of Passport to World Band Radio year after year and most new listeners quickly find it as essential as the batteries or the AC adapter. In my opinion, this is the ultimate shortwave guide. It has reviews of equipment and listings of most every station every station. It is a good book for both beginners and experienced listeners. A wonderful channel-by-channel guide to world band schedules. So if you are a BBC junky, or need to tune in China Radio, 'Passport' has conveniently listed their air-time schedules for you. Surprisingly, even though 'Passport' fails to list the contact information for radio and antenna manufactures, they list addresses for hundreds of radio station throughout the world that broadcast. So, if you have been desperate to send 'Radio Vlaandren' your your monitoing information so you can obtian that coveted QSL card to complete your collection, the address and contact persons' name is here.
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Shortwave Guide
Review: This book is the ultimate shortwave guide. It has reviews of all the radios and a listing of every station. It is a good book for both beginners and experienced listeners.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This is a great book for both the beginner and experienced shortwave radio listener. This book lists tons of stations with the frequencies and time they are on the air in an easy to read format. Find a station on a frequency and don't have a clue as to what station it is? Just look in the blue pages, it lists every shortwave frequency and has a table that lists station, time they are on, and language spoken for that frequency. This book also has a section with a list of stations that broadcast in english, along with frequencies and time. Along with frequency information this book also has reviews on a few of the popular radios on the market along with some in depth information on a few stations on the air. Overall this is a great book to have for the avid shortwave listener.
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