WR-3 REVIEW The WR-3 VLF receiver is a popular hand-held VLF receiver made by Stephen P. McGreevy who has been working with VLF since 1989. The WR-3 has been produced since 1991 and is designed for listening to natural radio signals between 50Hz and 14Khz. It is powered by a 9 volt battery that powers the device for about 20 hours. It also has inbuilt pre-amplification which means you can listen to the signals coming in at high level.
£86, £121, $135 + postage device is famed for being great at picking up whistlers so I look forward to picking some up in future recordings. The WR-3 operates as a standalone device – just plug in some headphones and listen – or can be connected to a recording device. I found the WR-3 to be sensitive to the sound of my recorder’s internal electrics, partly as I had a very short audio cable. To resolve this issue I think a cable of several feet or more would be of benefit so as to isolate the recorder (on the floor or in a backpack) away from the receiver. I was able to get clean recordings with some manoeuvring directing the audio recorder away from the receiver.
The WR-3 is an electrostatic receiver, which operates slightly differently to the large loop receivers mainly mentioned in the guide. Electrostatic receivers pick up the voltage or current of a signal, whereas the loop receivers pick up the magnetic influence of a signal.
It’s been great to finally test out a WR-3 after hearing about it for so long. It’s a really effective VLF receiver especially for listening to natural radio and the compact size is very useful for travelling or as a portable recording setup.
I tested the WR-3 over a period of several days. I was able to pick up very strong sferics almost immediately. I found that areas far away from power lines, with less cover from trees which tend to weaken the device’s sensitivity, were the most effective for picking up natural radio. The
You can purchase the WR-3 here. 15