Realistic DX-440 User manual

12A7
RADIO SHACK LIMITED WARRANTY
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 aproduct 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 APARTICULAR 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
ADivision of Tandy Corporation
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Printed in Taiwan
DX-440
OWNER'S MANUAL AM/FM DIRECT ENTRY
COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVER
Please read before using this equipment
------i II
VOICE OF THE WDF!LP
Cat. No. 20·221A
~)
~EALIShc.:...

CONTENTS
Introduction 3
Features 4
Control Locations 5
Choosing aPower Supply............... 7
Preliminary Settings
10
Tuning the Radio 13
Clock Radio Operation 23
Special Tuning Techniques and Controls 26
Special SSB/CW Reception Techniques 28
Using the Shoulder Strap 33
Choosing
an Antenna 34
System Grounding 36
Band Allocation 37
The Shortwave Hooby
38
Listening Notes 40
Frequency Conversion
41
~~~ .............................................•.................................... ~
Troubleshooting Guide 46
Care and Maintenance 48
Specifications
50
INTRODUCTION
You now have the world at your finger-
tips.Just pressthe buttons of yourDX-
440 to listen to avariety of voices from
around the world.
In addition to your
local
AM and FM broadcast stations,
you can now enjoy broadcasts from
London, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, and
Moscow.
This entertainment grade, general pur-
pose, communications receiver covers
an extremely wide range of frequencies
that also include shortwave and special
services such
as marine and navigation.
If you understand international Morse
code, you can listen
in and decode a
wide variety of transmissions.
The radio uses the latest solid-state
technology to provide programming,
alarge liquid crystal display (LCD),
and ahost of other convenient .
features. Because this product
is so
versatile, please take afew minutes
to review the material
in this manual
before you proceed. You'll enjoy the
radio much more if you
do.
Welcome to the world of the short-
wave listener.
For your own protection, we urge you
to record the serial number of this unit
in the space provided below. The serial
number
is located inside ofthe battery
compartment
Serial Numberr ~
2
©1987 Tandy Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Realistic is aregistered trademark of
Tandy Corporation.
3

FEATURES CONTROL LOCATIONS
•Wide Tuning Range_lets you receive
more stations from more places than
ever before.
•Fast Response
LCD-shows you the
frequency you select in large, easy-
to-read numbers.
•Direct
Acc~ss Keypad-lets you in-
stantly tune
in any desired frequency
from 87.5 to 108 MHz on the
FM
band and from 150 kHz to 29,999
kHz
on the AM band.
•Up
to 9Storable Frequencies-give
you instant response for your favorite
stations or transmission sources.
•Supplemental
Tuning Controls-
allow adjustment for maximum clarity
of the selected frequency.
•Dual
Function Mode Switch-allows
you to display the frequency or the
time
on the LCD panel.
•Scanning
Control-lets you check
the various transmissions
on acertain
band and lock
on to the chosen
frequency.
•Full Range Tone
Controls-lets you
cuStomize the sound for clarity and
listening comfort.
1. lIG HT Button
2. TIMER Button
3. SLEEP Button
4. SIGNAL Strength Indicators
5. LCD Display
6.Telescopic Antenna
7. FM STEREO Indicator
8. POWER On Indicator
9. POWER Switch
10. VOLUME Control
11. Dual-Function Tuning Control
12. BALANCE Control
13. TREBLE Control
14. BASS Control
15. RF GAIN Control
16. BFO PITCH Control
17. LOCK Switch
18. BFO OUT/IN Switch
19. FM/(MONO/STEREO)/AM(WIDE/
NARROW) Mode Selector
20. STORE Button
21. RECALL Button
22.
UP Button
23. DOWN Button
24. SCAN Button
25. MODE Button
26. EXECUTE Button
27. Band Selectors
28. Number Entry Buttons
29. Time Mode/SEConds Reset button
30. STEREO headPHONES Jack
(3.5mm)
31. DC IN 9V Jack
.Multiple Power Source Operation-
means you can use it virtually any-
where
in the world.
•Stereo Headphones
Jack -lets you
listen to FM Stereo programs in full
stereo.
f--- rT
.~ijJr---17
W--l--+---j--l-l--j~+---U
2928
IT
272625 20
2423 2221 19 18
45

CHOOSING APOWER SUPPLY
32. Folding Stand
33. EXTernal Antenna'Jack
34. EXTernal/INTernal Antenna
Selector
35. Battery Compartment
36. 9k/10kHz Step SWitch
(beneath batteries)
37. Battery Removal Strap
You can operate the DX-440 using:
•Six alkaline Dbatteries and two AA
batteries.
that you can lift them easily for
replacement.)
Note: Before installing the next set
of batteries, verify that the frequency
step selector switch is set to the
position correct for your country.
In
the USA, move the swifch to the 10K
position.
In other countries, set it to
9K.
32
33
34
35
36
37
•Household AC
(with an optional AC adapter)
• A 12-Volt
DC automotive battery
(with an optional
DC adapter)
INSTALLING BA TIERIES
1. Press the latch on the battery com-
partment cover
in the direction of the
OPEN label, and lift the cover off.
1
'"
6
2. Insert two AA alkaline batteries (such
as Radio ShackCat. No .23-552) in
the smaller battery chamber within
the main compartment. Position them
as illustrated on the back of the
radio.
(Place these batteries and the next
set of batteries
on top of their re-
spective battery removal ribbons so
7

3. Insert six Dbatteries in the main bat-
tery compartment. Position them
as
shown in the illustration on the back
of the radio. For best results, use
alkaline batteries such
as Radio
Shack® Cat.
No. 23-550.
4. Insert the bottom projections on the
edge of the battery compartment
cover inside the lower edge of the
compartment opening. Lower the
cover, and snap the top latch down
until it clicks closed.
=
o L.....l L..-
LBottom prOjectionJ
8
USING HOUSEHOLD AC
You can power the DX-440 from house-
hold
AC using an optional AC adapter,
Cat.
No. 273-1455.Plug the small con-
nector of the adapter into the
DC IN 9V
socket
on the side ofthe unit. Plug the
adapter into astandard household
outlet.
Note: When you use AC, the DX-440
automatically disconnects the internal
batteries.
273-1455
AC Adapter
USING AN AUTOMOTIVE
BATIERY
You can operate the DX-440 in acar,
boat, or recreational vehicle that is
equipped with a
12 Volt DC, negative
ground battery. Use a
DC adapter (Cat.
No. 14-844).
14-844
DC Adapter
Insert the adapter plug into the jack
marked
DC IN 9V on the side of the
DX-440. Plug the other end of the
adapter into the lighter socket of the
vehicle.
PHON[
o
OCINg~
o
~
Note: When you connect the adapter,
the DX-440 automatically disconnects
the internal batteries.
Caution:Do not let the adapter's barrel
plug contact any metal parts of the
vehicle
when the adapter is plugged into
the lighter socket of the vehicle but not
yet plugged into the DX-440. Aharmful
short can occur that can damage the
adapter or the vehicle's electrical
system.
9

PRELIMINARY SETTINGS
SETTING THE CLOCK
The display shows the time in a24-hour
mode except when you are tuning a
station or performing some otheropera-
tion. The radiouses the 24-hour mode
The clock starts when you install the
two AA batteries. The display shows
CLOCK 0:00.
Note:
If after installing the twoAAbatteries
the display does not show CLOCK 0:00,
remove the batteries and install them
one minutes later. The display will show
CLOCK 0:00·
becausemostshortwavestationssched-
ule their broadcasts on the basis of
Greenwich Mean Time which is a24-
hour clock.
. ..
--
I_ 8r5-,08MH.i 1.15()-281kH.! ,_ ~2Q-",:m'H,II_ '50 ·~ool){l.H.1
-,
-
'l ['~"e:;J
~
n,nn
-=----r<
L/I'_' LI
-=--..r'
~
CLOCK
Jb"m~1
~
~
sw ____________
1IiI
~I~ ~ Ui81~~J~l~~~;~]lil~~~"'
4. PresstheO/SEC button.The display 123
shows the minutes and seconds set-
CJ
CJ
D
ting. Press the STORE button to 456
reset the seconds to 00 and the
CJ
D CJ
display, return to the hours and 789
minutes.
CJ
CJ
CJ
Note: When "CLOCK' flashing, O/SEC EXECUTE IS
CiJ
[1
a/SEC button does not function.
!~~~e~--]
SELECTING ABAND AND
TURNING ON POWER
1. Press the MODE button.
2. Press the STORE button. CLOCK
flashes
in the display for five seconds.
MODE STORE
ct=J
SCAN
RECALL
) (
DOWN
UP
1[
MODE STORE
C~Lf=J
SCAN RECALL
( ) ( I
DOWN UP
~)LJ
The radio has five band select buttons
beneath the EXECUTE button.
DOD
4 5 6
CJ CJ D
7 8 9
CJ CJ CJ
O/SEC EXECUTE
CJ ( )
FM AM LW MW SW
00000
3. During this period press the UP or
DOWN buttons to reach the correct
time in hours and minutes (or, rotate
the tuning knob to qUickly reach the
correct setting).
Note:digit of time can
be adjusted only
when "CLOCK"
is flashing in the display.
10
MODE STORE or
,----,I ( I
SCAN RECALL
~--') (~--'
W~
11

TUNING THE RADIO
Band Frequency Service
(Button) Min Max
FM
87.5 108 MHz Normal
FM broadcasts
AM
150 29999 kHz Entire AM Band
LW
150
281 kHz Longwave
MW 520 1620 kHz Normal
AM broadcasts
SW 2300 26100 kHz Shortwave
in 12 sub-bands
1. Press the POWER button. The
POWER indicator lights. The display II
POWER
shows the last band and frequency
you selected.
'*'
MINI IIIIIIIIIIMAX VOLUME
CEIIlIIIIlIlIC:
2. Press the band button of your choice.
The display shows the band you FM AM LW MW sw
selected and arandom frequency 00000
within that band.
ANTENNA
Telescopic -Extend fUlly
~
Swivel for best
reception
FREQUENCY
RANGE
150 -
281 kHz Internal -Rotate radio
for best reception
87.5- 108 MHz
BAND
MW 520 -1620 kHz Internal -Rotate radio
for best reception
LW
FM
AM/SWj2300 -26100 kHzTel~scoPiC -Extend fUlly
I
Do not swivel
ADJUSTING THE ANTENNA
Locate the band to which you want to
listen
in the following chart. Adjust the
antenna
as indicated.
respond to the wavelengths of each
band. Refer to "The Shortwave Hobby"
section for additional information.
Note: Each time you select SW, the
radio steps through
12 sub-bands, each
band covering
as little as 100 kHz to as
much as 500 kHz. The sub-bands cor-
12 13

You can select afrequency using four
tuning methods:
•Direct Tuning
•Manual Tuning
•Scan Tuning
•Memory Tuning
DIRECT TUNING
You can "key in" any frequency within
the range of the radio by selecting the
band
in which that frequency operates
and then pressing the number buttons
of that frequency.
ODD
4 5 6
DOD
7 , 8 9
DOD
a/SEC EXECUTE
or )
3. Press [7], [3], [0], [5J. As you press
each button, the
LCD shows the
number.
4. Press the EXECUTE button within
five seconds. The display shows the
frequency and meter band of
SW.
5. Extend the antenna fully stranght up.
for the best AM (SW) reception.
1 2 3
QQ~Q,.
DOD
7 8 9
DOD
~ O/SEC ~ EXECUTE
Dr )
0.00
4 5 6
DOD
7 8 9
DOD
o/sec E'XECUTE
o ( zt 1
FM AM lW MW SW
00000
L
Example: To tune to 7305 kHz on the
AM band
1. Press the POWER button to turn on
IIPOWER
the radio.
'*'
MINI IIIIIIIII IMAX VOLUME
~
2. Press the AM band button.
FM
AM LW
MW
SW
00000
'*'
14 15

6. Adjust the VOLUME and TREBLE/
MINI IIIIIIIII lMAX VOLUME
BASS tone controls for the desired
...
~
sound level.
LIIIIIIIIIIIR BALANCE
~
LO IIIIIIIII 11 HI
TREBLE
...
~
LO I I I I II I I I I t HI
BASS
...
c:::ElffiIII!ll
Note: If you select the FM band and
,FM, ~
LOCK
tune to an FM stereo station, move the MONO
STEREO BFO
..
FM mode switch to STEREO and ad-
~
just the BALANCE control for the best ..
.'. ..
WIDE NARROW OUT IN OUT IN
stereo headphone reproduction.
LAM-J
The built in speaker is monaural. For
MINI IIIIIIIII IMAX VOLUME
the best sound result when listening with 0DilllI!IIIIlIl
the built in speaker, do not forget to
return the BALANCE control to the mid
LIIII!111111R BALANCE
position.
...
~
LOIIIIIIIIIIIH! TREBLE
c:::ElffiIII!ll
LO I I jI II I I I II HI BASS
~
16
CONTINUOUS TUNING
If you do not know the exact frequency
of the station you want to listen to, you
can check the broadcasts on aband
using the UP/DOWN buttons orthe tun-
ing knob.
1. Press the POWER button to turn on
the radio.
2. Select aband.
3. a. Repeatedly press the UP or DOWN
button until you reach the fre-
quency you want
or reach astation
you want to listen to. Press and
hold the
UP or DOWN buttons to
rapidly change frequencies.
or
MODE STORE
'-----_) [L_~
SCAN RECALL
'------_~) [L_~
OCJ
LIIIIIIIIIIIR BALANCE
DDllllllIIlIII1
lOlll11111111H1 TREBLE
c:::ElffiIII!ll
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI BASS
c:::ElffiIII!ll
POWER
•
MINI IIIIIIIII IMAX VOLUME
c:::ElffiIII!ll
FM AM LW MW SW
00000
MODE STORE
) (
SCAN RECALL
()()
~
DOWN UP
1#
[1[ 1
17

POWER
FM AM LW MW SW
00000
~ FM
1. Turn on the radio.
2. Select aband.
3. Adjust the antenna or radio position
according to the chosen band.
SCAN TUNING
Use scan tuning to quickly locate asta-
tion or to monitor several stations within
aband.
MINI IIIIIIIII IMAX VOLUME
CTIlIIIIlllICJ
LIIII111111IR BALANCE
c:::E:IillIIIII
LOIIIIIIIIIII>!1 TREBLE
c:::E:IillIIIII
LO I II I I I I I I I I HI BASS
c:::E:IillIIIII
When you turn the TUNING knob
slowly
in the AM band, the display
changes
in 1kHz increments. Slightly
faster turning of the knob causes the
display
to change in 10kHz and very
fast turning of the knob causes
changes
in 100 kHz increments. Turn
the knob quickly until the display
nears the desired frequency. Then,
turn
it slowly for precise tuning.
b. Rotate the tuning knob in either
direction until
you reach adesired
frequency or station with
all five
SIGNAL indicators light to obtain
best reception.
4. Adjust the VOLUME,TREBlE,BASS
and BALANCE
When you press and
hold an UP
or DOWN button, the frequency
on the
FM band changes by
.50 MHz.
On all other bands, it
changes by
10kHz.
Note:
When you repeatedly press an
UP or DOWN button, the frequen-
cy
on the FM band changes by
.05 MHz each time you press a
button.
On all other bands, the
frequency changes by 1kHz.
SIGNAL
-=--./5"
-=--./4
~
~
-=-./1
UP
STORE
RECALL
MODE
DOWN
SCAN
CEJ
[ ) r,---~
4. Press the SCAN button. The radio
begins
to scan the frequencies in the
band, from lowest
to highest. It stops
when it reaches astation. The signal
strength of the station registers
on
the SIGNAL indicators.
When
all five indicators light, SIGNAL
is the best.
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI TREBLE
CTIlIIIIlllICJ
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI BASS
c:::E:IillIIIII
LIIIIIIIIIIIR BALANCE
c:::E:IillIIIII
18 19

UP
STORE
RECALL
5. Press the SCAN button again to
resume upward scanning. When the
radio reaches the upper frequency
limit of the band, it continues scan-
ning starting again at the lowest fre-
quency on the band.
6. You can fine tune the station using
the
UP or DOWN buttons. Tune so
that the most SIGNAL indicators
light for best reception.
7. Adjust the VOLUMEffREBLE/BASS
and BALANCE contorls.
20
MODE
I IL( __ I
SCAN
L=t=J (L....._I
DOWN
L~[ I
MODE STORE
LI __ I( )
SCAN RECALL
( )( I
QQ
MINI IIIIIIIII IMAX VOLUME
~
LIIIIIIIIIIIR BALANCE
o::illIlIIII!II
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI TREBLE
CElIIllIlIICJ
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI BASS
~
MEMORY TUNING
You can store up to nine different fre-
quencies and have them available for
instant selection.
To Store aFrequency
1. Turn on the radio. I I POWER
'*'
MINI IIIIIIIII IMAX VOLUME
~
2. Tune to any frequency using any of ,
the previously mentioned techniques.
3. Press the STORE button. The word MODE
STORE
STORE flashes on the display for I
1ct=J
five seconds. During this period, SCAN RECALL
press one of the nine number but- IIL_=:J
tons. The display shows the storage DOWN
UP
number you selected and stores the
L~[
I
chosen station in that memory
location. 123
Note: You do not have to store your
CJ CJ
c::::J
first station as location 1. You can 456
choose any location as your first
CJ
CJ
c::::J
choice. 789
CJ CJ
c::::J
O/SEC
EXECUTE
CJ
L)
21

CLOCK RADIO OPERATION
MODE
STORE
C
ct=J
SCAN
RECALL
) I
DOWN UP
L_J[~~
SCAN RECALL
~~)(L.- __
WW
MODE STORE
'----~) (L.-_~
LIIIIIIIIIIIR BALANCE
c:::E:mIIJllCJ
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI TREBLE
c:::E:mIIJllCJ
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI BASS
c:::E:mIIJllCJ
LIGHT TIMER SLEEP
turns itself offafter an interval between
10 and 90 minutes. Make the following
settings with the power off.
i
------------~~~-i----~~~~~~--~~~~_i
I
I
j
2. During this period, press the STORE
button. STANDBY starts to flash for
five seconds.
3. During this period, use the UP and
DOWN buttons or the tuning knob
to reach the daily turn-on time, using
a24 hour clock, displayed in hours
and minutes. For example,
to set the
radio to turn
on at 1:24 P. M. each
day, use the buttons or turn the knob
until the display shows 13:24.
You can use the DX-440 to wake you
up to your favorite station everyday.
And before you retire for the evening,
you can set the timer so that the radio
1. Press the TIMER button. The display
shows 0:00 and STANDBY for five
seconds.
SETIING THE ALARM
To Recall aFrequency
1. Turn on the radio. IIPOWER
'*'
_11111111111""'" VOLUME
II•
mllllllllllill I
... _-_.
2. Press the RECALL button. The dis- MODE STORE
play flashes MEMO for five seconds. I)()
SCAN RECALL
()
L:4=J
DOWN UP
I)[I
, ,. D~""9 <";, "me. ,,- "" ,,~"" I
.~-- -~-'-
123
number button for the desired station. 000
The radio instantly tunes to that sta- 456
tion and displays the frequency and I0 0 0
,
the storage number. 769
Note: If you make no selection while 000
STORE or MEMO flashes, the radio
O/SEC
EXECUTE
returns to the normal playing mode. 0[1
22 23

4. When you reach the desired turn on MODE STORE
time, press the MODE button to lock L4=l ()
the setting. STANDBY stops flashing.
SCAN
RECALL
In afew seconds, the display reverts
L=:JI
)
to the clock mode and shows the
DOWN UP
current time. rIrI
5. Press the TIMER button once.
LIGHT
TIMER
SLEEP
STANDBY disappears.
I[~::J]I
6. To check the daily turn on time, press
UGHT
TIMER
SLEEP
it again to display the STANDBY
I[~
iD::-:JJ]
TIMER all the time.
i'
USING THE SLEEP TIMER
To have the radio turn itself off after a
period of
90 minutes or less, proceed
as follows:
1. Press the SLEEP button. The display
shows SLEEP
90 in the upper right LIGHT TIMER
SLEEP
corner. I
[I
m::XjUl
I
SLEEP gO 1
Ii
24
2. If you want fewer than 90 minutes
playing time, press the SLEEP button
again. Each time you press the but-
ton, the playing time reduces by 10
minutes.
To turn off the radio before it normal-
ly turns itselfoff, press the POWER
button.
LIGHT TIMER SLEEP
POWER
i'
MINI IIIIIIIII jMAX VOLUME
DDIIIllIlllIIlI
25

SPECIAL TUNING TECHNIQUES ANDCONTROLS
BFO PITCH RF GAIN
RF GAIN CONTROL
"-
LOCK
r
FM
,
MONO STEREO BFO
• •
•• • •• •
WIDE NARROW OUT IN OUT IN
LAM..J
USING THE LOCK CONTROL
When you move the LOCK switch to the
IN position, you disable the POWER
button and the tuning controls. If the
radio is
on when you use the LOCK
switch, you cannot turn off the radio or
change the current frequency.
To release the LOCK function, set LOCK
switch to out position
Use this switch
to prevent unauthorized
use of the radio or to ensure that any
station
you might be monitoring remains
tuned in.
'fH~
o
OCIN9i
o
~
While not acontrol, you might consider
using headphones to obtain the best
reception. Many stations broadcast
marginal signals. Only headphones can
capture the subtle difference between
the signal from such stations and the
surrounding noise often encountered
at
night. Be sure that the headphones
terminate
in a1/8 inch plug, Insert the
plug into the PHONES jack
on the side
of the radio. When you plug the head-
phones in, you silence the speaker.
USING HEADPHONES
rFMi
MONO STEREO BFO LOCK
ciIiII:I.m
......
WIDE NARROW OUT IN OUT IN
LAM--.J
Because the radio can receive stereo
FM, when you listen to
FM stereo
broadcasts, be sure your headphones
are designed for stereo operation
so
that you can obtain the full benefit of
this feature.
o
AM NARROW!WIDE
SELECTIVITY SWITCH
rFM,
MONO STEREO BFO LOCK
ciIiII:I.m
.. ....
WIDE NARROW OUT IN OUT IN
.,. LAM-J
r-
FM
-,
MONO STEREO BFO LOCK
~
......
WIDE NARROW OUT IN OUT IN
LAM-.J
,FM-,
MONO STEREO BFO LOCK
ciIiII:I.m
.... ..
WIDE NARROW OUT IN OUT IN
LAM~ '"
For full reception, leave the switch in
the WIDE position.
Some stations transmit their signal
so
that very little space exists between
their airspace and the station next to
them
on the band. If, while tuning, you
encounter interference, caused by the
signal from
an adjacent station, press
the button for the band you
are listening
to and select the NARROW position.
The interference
is reduced or muted.
If you plan to listento Morse code,refer-
red to as CW (continuous wave), set the
BFO switch to
IN position. If you en-
counter too much noise
as you tune,
set the
AM NARROW/WIDE switch to
NARROW position.
RF GAIN BFO PITCH
001
~SB USB MIN MAX
This control adjusts the receiver's sen-
sitivity. For shortwave reception, rotate
the control to the MAX position. This
provides the maximumsensitivity.
When
you listen to the MW, standard AM
band, or LW band, rotate the control
only
as far as needed to obtain agood
signal. If you turn the knob further you
might hear adistorted signal. For weak
stations, rotate the control to the MAX
position.
In addition to the standard tuning oper-
ations described previously, use the
following controls
for special operations.
If you encounter interference, adjust
the control
in both directions until you
obtain the best compromise between
your station and the interference.
26
27

SPECIAL SSB/CW RECEPTION TECHNIQUES
RF GAIN
RF GAIN
BFO PITCH
'"
BFO PITCH
USB MIN
00
i'
ODD
4 5 6
CJ CJ CJ
7 8 9
CJ CJ CJ
O/SEC EXECUTE
CJ (1
FM AM LW MW SW
00000
i'
LIIIIIIIIIIIR BALANCE
~
LOIIIIIIIIIIIHI TREBLE
~
5. Rotate the RF GAIN control to the
MAX position
7. Tune in the CW station using the
tuning knob, or enter the frequency
using the direct access buttons.
6. Press the AM band button to select
the AM band.
4. Rotate the BFO PITCH control to the
midpoint.
00
use M,.. ..~x
BFO HTCH RF GAIN
POWER
i'
MINI IIIIIII[I IMAX VOLUME
~
iFMi
MONO STEREO BFO LOCK
!DIBmJ
......
WIDE NARROW OUT IN OUT iN
LAM-.J "*'
Many stations transmit voice signals
with asuppressed carrier
in the single
side band.(SSB),part of the radio trans-
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 upperside
band (USB). Commercial utility stations
generally use the USB. Acarrier has
to
be added to make these signals audible.
1. Turn on the radio.
3. Set the BFO switch to IN.
2. Extend the antenna fUlly straight up.
Many stations transmit unmodulated
telegraph transmissions
in the shortwave
band. To receive these special Morse
code characters, the radio uses a
special circuit, abeat-frequency oscill -
ator, to modify the transmitted signal so
that you can hear it. This particular type
of telegraph transmission
is called Con-
tinuous wave (CW) transmission.
TO RECIEVE CW
28 29

USB MIN
BFO PITCH RF GAIN
OOJ
{OO
lSB USB MIN MAX
8. Adjust the CW tone using the BFa
PITCH control. BFO PITCH
RF GAIN
00
'"
oe, ""
""
....,
"f'
9. Reduce strong signals by using the BFO PITCH
RF GAIN
RF GAIN control. This also reduces 00
interference and noise.
'"
oe, ""
""
"in
,
4. Rotate the BFa PITCH control to the
LSB position for stations below 10
MHz
or to the USB position for sta-
tions above
10M Hz.
5. Rotate the RF GAIN control to the
MAX position.
BFO PITCH RF GAIN
TO RECEIVE SSB VOICE
1. Turn on the radio.
2. Extend the antenna fUlly, in astraight
up position.
3. Set the BFa switch to the IN position.
30
POWER
i'
MINI IIIIIIIII IMAX VOLUME
c::EIDill1IIIII
rFMr
MONO STEREO BFO LOCK
~
......
WIDE NARROW OUT IN OUT IN
LAM~ •
6. Press the AM button to select the
AM band.
7. Tune in the SSB station using the
tuning knob, or enter the frequency
using the direct access buttons.
FM AM LW MW SW
00000
i'
LIIIIIIIIIIIR BALANCE
0illIIIIIIIIlrr
LOIIII111111lHI TREBLE
0illIIIIIIIIlrr
DOD
DOD
7 8 9
000
O/SEC EXECUTE
o ( 1
31

USING THE SHOULDER STRAP
Figure 3
Figure 1
------, Figure 2
More than 3··
__ i
-T
More than 2'"
To Attach The Shoulder Strap
2. Pull the free end of the strap upward,
and insert the end into the lower
edge of the strap buckle as shown
in Figure
1.
4. Pull the free end taught. Be sure that
at least two inches of strap extend
from the upper end of the buckle.
Slip the extra strap beneath the belt
loop. See Figure
4.
3. Pull at least three inches ofthe strap
end through the buckle. See Figure
2. Then bring the end of the strap
beneath the upper end of the buckle.
Refer to Figure
3.
1. Insert about five inches ofthe end of
the strap into the strap hanger.
8. Rotate the BFO PITCH control to ad-
just the signal quality. BFO PITCH
RF GAIN
00
co,
""
."
."
...
,
9. Rotate the RF GAIN control to
dampen strong signals. This
dm im- BFC PITCH
RF GAIN
prove signal clarity as well. 00
co,
""
."
."
~
Note:Before choosing another band.
set the
RF GAIN control to MAX, and BFO PITCH
RF GAIN
move the BFO switch to the OUT 0
OJ
position.
co,
""
MIN MAX
iFMi
MONO STEREO BFO
lock
~
.... ..
WIDE NARROW OUT IN OUT IN
LAM~ --t-
To remove the shoulder strap, follow
Figures
5, 6, and 7 to reverse the
procedure.
Figure 5Figure 6Figure 7
32
33

CHOOSING AN ANTENNA
To calcuate antenna length for a
specific frequency
Refer to the following charts. The first
chart indicates the length of wire
re-
quired for optimum performance on the
Wave Length -Ham Band
160 meter
80 meter
40 meter
20 meter
15 meter
=30 1/2 feet
specified band. The second chart gives
you the required length of wire to receive
the amateur radio operator's bands.
Antenna Wire Length (feet)
1440 Lengths generally
441 impractical to erect
153
57
22
Length ofa1/2 wave antenna =
468000
246
117
66
33
22
Antenna Wire Length (feet)
This formula results
in ahalf-wave
antenna.
Desired Frequency (kHz)
For example, to pick up international
shortwave signals
in the 19 meter band,
15100 to 15600 kHz, pick arepresen-
tative frequency, such as 15350 kHz.
The formula then becomes:
468000
15350
500 kHz
1600 kHz
4500 kHz
12000 kHz
29999 kHz
150 kHz
520 kHz
1600 kHz
4500 kHz
12000 kHz
Frequency
You can determine the exact length of
wire you need for aspecific frequency
using the following information. Then,
obtain bare copper wire, stand-off in-
sulators, and
an appropriate length of
lead-in wire. Be sure to use astatic
discharge unit
to guard against lightning
damage. For complete information,
refer to
The Radio Amateur Handbook,
published by the American Radio
Relay League.
•Use acombination TV/FM antenna.
Ageneral purpose shortwave antenna,
such as Cat. No. 278-758, can provide
better reception than either ofthe built-
in antennas. However, if you want the
best possible reception on one specific
band, your antenna must
be acertain
length.
Note
eTo use an external antenna,
equipped with 300-ohm twinlead,
connect the twinlead's terminals
to a300 to 75-ohm matching trans-
former, Cat. No. 15-1253.
Then insert the 75-ohm connector
of
the transformer into an F-to-RCA
adapter, Cat. No. 278-252.
Finally, insert the RCA type plug
of the adapter into the RCA antenna
jack of the receiver.
Be sure to move
the antenna switch to EXT.
•
If your antenna uses 75 ohm coaxial
cable, attach the connector of the
cable
to Cat. No. 278-252, which also
terminates
in aRCA type plug. In-
sert the RCA plug into the ANT jack,
and move the switch next to the jack
to EXT.
AM -SHORTWAVE BANDS
For AM reception, you can use many
different types of antennas. Unfor-
tunately, no single antenna can effec-
tively cover
the entirefrequencyrange
of the DX-440, from 150 kHz to 29999
kHz.
~
.}> .
n,,- .
...... -
The radio uses atelescoping antenna
and
an internal ferrite bar antenna for
reception of signals between 150 kHz
and 1620 kHz. These antennas provide
acceptable reception for most situa-
tions. However, if you use
an external
antenna,
you can receive more signals,
and the signals you receive will
be
better.
FM BAND
•Use an outdoor FM antenna. This
type, specially designed for optimum
FM performance, requires rooftop (or
similar location) mounting.
•Use aset of VHF-TV rabbit ears.
Those made for
TV /FM coverage can
help get better performance on the
FM band.
34 35

SYSTEM GROUNDING
To ensure the best reception, always
connect aground wire to the externai
antenna jack. Connect the single wire
lead-in to the center terminal of the
RCA plug. Connect.a suitable earth
ground
to the outer terminal of the plug.
Asuitable earth ground
can be aclamp
around ametal water pipe or acopper
rod driven several feet into the earth.
Radio Shack seils acopper ground
rod
(Cal. No. 15-530) and the appropriate
hardware.
BAND ALLOCATION
To avoid interference and confusion,
certain portions of the radio spectrum
have been set aside for specific pur-
poses. Perhaps the most familiar exam-
ple is 540 -1600 kHz, the standard
AM
broadcast band.
Ham radio operators use the foilowing
bands:
Note that broadcasts and hams share
7,100
-7,300 kHz, and interference is
heavy
in that range.
Broadcasts
in tropical regions have
special bands set aside for them.
In
such areas shortwave is the only way
to reach isolated locations:
EXT.ANT·
$1 I
1 1
@I
I
I~
GROUND
160 meters =1,800 -2,000 kHz
80 meters =3,500 -4,000 kHz
40 meters =7,000 -7,300 kHz
20 meters =14,000 -14,350 kHz
15 meters =21,000 -21,450 kHz
10 meters =28,000 -29,700 kHz
International broadcasting stations have
several bands set aside for them:
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
11 meters =25,600 -26,100 kHz
120 meters =2,300 -2,500 kHz
90 meters =3,200 -3,400 kHz
75 meters =3,900 -4,000 kHz
60 meters =4,750 -5,060 kHz
The rest of the shortwave range is filled
with marine, aeronautical and military
stations. Such stations usuaily use
either SSB or CW, and can be found
outside the amateur and broadcast
bands.
36 37

THE SHORTWAVE HOBBY
Shortwave listening is ahobby with
thousands
of participants worldwide.
While
no special knowledge is required
for SWL, you will find your enjoyment
increases with experience andspecial
techniques for listening.
Random tuning
on your DX-440 is a
good idea if you've never owned a
Communications Receiver before.
In
this way you can get acquainted with
the various bands and the stations that
can be heard. But after you've been
listening for awhile you'll discover that
you can get more enjoyment by organ-
izing your listening efforts.
Doing alittle bit of library research can
increase your skill
as aSWL. Read up
on radio propagation and theory; try to
understand the conditions which make
long distance reception possible.
In
your local library you can find such
valuable references
as the World Radio
Television Handbook and the Radio
Amateur's Handbook. Current intorma-
tion can
be found by consulting period-
icals dealing with communications and
electronics.
Keep up to date
on news events around
the world. There's much interesting
listening just tuning to the international
service of anation where
an important
event is taking place.
Ham radio operators can
be found in
the bands listed in our Band Allocations
section. You'll find that hams mainly
38
use Morse code (or CW, as they refer
to it) and SSB. The ham bands are
divided up into CW and SSB sections
in the following manner:
3,500 -3,800 kHz: CW
3,800 -4,000 kHz: SSB
7,000 -7,150 kHz: CW
7,150 -7,300 kHz: SSB
14,000 -14,200 kHz: CW
14,200 -14,350 kHz: SSB
21,000 -21,250 kHz: CW
21,250 -21,450 kHz: SSB
28,000 -28,500 kHz: CW
28,500 -29,700 kHz: SSB
These boundaries are not precisely
observed everywhere
in the world, so
don't be too surprised to find an SSB
signal
in the CW portion of aband and
vice-versa.
Some of theranges where aircraft may
be flying international routes use short-
wave for their communications. Most
transmissions are
in SSB, although
some
AM is still heard. Some of the
ranges where aircraft can be heard
include:
4,650 -4,750 kHz
6,545 -6,765 kHz
8,815 -9,040 kHz
10,000 -10,100 kHz
11,175 -11,400kHz
13,200 -13,360 kHz
15,010 -15,100 kHz
17,900 -18,030 kHz
Ships and coastal stations can also be
heard on shortwave. Most communica-
tions are
in SSB and CWo One in-
teresting range is 2,000 -2,300 kHz,
where the Coast Guard and many small
boats can be heard. One frequency to
watch is 2,182 kHz, which is an inter-
national distress and emergency chan-
nel. Other bands
in which to tune for
ships are:
4,063 -4,139 kHz
4,361 -4,438 kHz
8,195 -
8,181 kHz
12,330 -12,420
KHz
13,107 -13,200 kHz
16,460 -16,565 kHz
39