SW newcomer questions

[Ktwann]

Hello, I got my first sw radio today, it is a Grundig S450DLX. I understand the basic workings of it but had a few specific questions.

First, what does the acronym "DRM" stand for and what is it?

Second, what kind of broadcasts will I be able to pick up with an SSB decoder?

Third, what is the difference between SSB and "Short-wave broadcasting"?

Finally, my radio has an AM IF out jack (F Type?) I believe this is where I can attach an SSB decoder, what product do you guys suggest?

Thank you all very much!

 

[MR.DX]

1. Digital Radio Mondiale (abbreviated DRM; mondiale being Italian and French for "worldwide") is a set of digital audio broadcasting technologies designed to work over the bands currently used for AM broadcasting, particularly shortwave. DRM can fit more channels than AM, at higher quality, into a given amount of bandwidth, using various MPEG-4 codecs.

2. SSB can pick up Pirate Radio, Utility Stations, Numbers Stations.

3. Single-sideband modulation (SSB) or Single-sideband suppressed-carrier (SSB-SC) is a refinement of amplitude modulation that more efficiently uses electrical power and bandwidth.
Amplitude modulation produces a modulated output signal that has twice the bandwidth of the original baseband signal. Single-sideband modulation avoids this bandwidth doubling, and the power wasted on a carrier, at the cost of somewhat increased device complexity and more difficult tuning at the receiver.

4. I don't have one, so I can't personally tell you which one is the way to go.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Don't forget that nearly all voice communications on the HF ham bands is SSB.