"W P Dixon" wrote in message:

Thanks for all the advice. I know it is probably beyond my electronic
capability but it sure is something I may try later on.

For lots of folks kits are sometimes a great way to get started. You
might be interested in something like this:

http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/cgi...ction&key=AR1C

It's a pretty straightforward little airband receiver (single conversion,
manual/varactor tuning). It's cheap and hard to go wrong. There's also
*plenty* of room for improvements and customization while you're
learning and experimenting 8-)... You'll instantly learn about the value of
an antenna and what phrases like "selectivity" mean. There are many
small mods you can make and - even if you manage to toast it - easy to
fix and you're only out a few bucks anyway.

When you get bored with it you can stick it out in your garage or
workshop and listen to the local traffic - not *really* exciting, but beats
listening to "elevator music"...........8-)

Beyond that - there are *zillions* of widgets, tools and doodads you
can build (Jim's being among some of the more useful, BTW)...

Bill