Decent = $250 -> and up to, possibly past, infinity. <grin> A "decent" SW
receiver, in Video terms, is one that (a) is fairly stable, that is, for
the time period of a fax image (approximately 10 minutes) does not drift
more than about 25 hz, and has a frequency readout that is accurate to at
_least_ 1Khz, preferably 100hz. It must tune to within 10 hz, readout
notwithstanding.
Kenwood makes two outstanding SWL receivers: The r-2000 and the r-5000. The
r-5000 (Anne has one) is a truly outstanding machine, but costs in the
neighborhood of 700$. The r-2000 is more on the 200-300 level.
THis is all recent technology, of course. If you hunt around, particularly
in a HAM freind's cellar, you're quite likely to come up with a tube
receiver that can do all of this, and very well, too – for about 25$. After
it's warmed up for an hour, anyway. THinking of doing some SWLing?