I got one, too, and it's not worth the cost, in my very humble opinion. They are not made to last, very flimsy.

One of the judgment calls everyone gets to make is whether to buy cheap stuff or expensive stuff. Sometimes cheap stuff is just what the doctor ordered, but sometimes you _need_ for something to work reliably and paying for good stuff is worth the price. If the little shortwave is not a piece of critical equipment, go for the county comm receiver. When it breaks, toss it.

Most hams use SSB on HF frequencies, so if you want to hear ham transmissions, you'll need a receiver that has USB and LSB. The OP doesn't say what he wants his HF receiver for, so I won't guess.