The SWLing Post

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Fred Waterer, who writes: I've fallen down a YouTube rabbit hole. This time a video that is part propaganda, part Hallicrafters ad, and part documentary. Pretty interesting how they adapted the radios to wartime conditions: Click here to view on YouTube.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Saul Broudy (W3WHK), who writes: 13 Colonies Special Event 1-7 July 2025 For years I have been one of the operators for WM3PEN, the ham station in this event representing the city of Philadelphia, where the USA officially declared its independence from Great Britain on 4 July 1776.I thought [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Jeramy, who shares this Nebraska History Podcast episode about women radio hosts in Nebraska: Radio has always played a role in connecting people. Early homemaker radio programs, like Mary Moore Homemaker on WJAG in Norfolk, focused on providing content and support for the women in their listening areas. In [...]

Greetings to all SWLing Post community from us all the Imaginary Stations crew. This week we have a bit of an on-air conundrum that needs to be solved. On Saturday 31st May 2025 at 1100 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and then again for Sunday 1st June 2025 at 0900/1300 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and at 2000 UTC [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Robert, who writes: Hi Thomas - I am a huge fan of space movies and recently watched the 1967 film Countdown" starring James Caan and Robert Duvall. There is a radio sitting on the nightstand in a hotel room in this scene. Maybe your readers can identify it? Cheers, [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Rafael Rodriguez, who writes: Hi Thomas Greetings from Colombia. Yesterday, I saw a movie called Young Ones" (2014). It is about an apocalyptic future where water is the most precious resource. In the film, radio is present through a station called The Voice of the West shortwave", which even [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Bill Meara, who recently connected with VK6JMS-an amateur radio operator working from none other than HCJB's former shortwave site in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. In his latest SolderSmoke post, Bill shares details about the station's legacy, its impressive TCI antennas, and the ministry that still broadcasts to [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Mangosman, who shares this Rear Vision audio documentary from ABC Radio National. It explores the rise, influence, and eventual dismantling of the Voice of America, offering context on how international broadcasting shaped geopolitics during-and after-the Cold War: Click here to check it out at ABC Radio National.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Fred Waterer, who tipped us off to Patrolling the Ether-a 1944 short film produced by the U.S. Office of War Information. This wartime documentary highlights how amateur radio operators and federal agents collaborated to monitor the airwaves and track down enemy spies. A fascinating glimpse into radio's role in [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor David Iurescia, who shares a promising update from Radio New Zealand International: Papua New Guinea's national broadcaster, NBC, has announced plans to reintroduce shortwave radio as part of a strategy to achieve full nationwide coverage by 2030. This move recognizes shortwave's vital role in reaching remote and rural communities [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mario, who writes: Dear Thomas, It has been about two or three days since it was impossible for me to hear Radio Romania Int in Spanish (1900 UTC) from my home, at Zaragoza. A strange interference appeared close to my favourite SW station (13860). A little bit on the [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Terry, with Texas Radio Shortwave who notes: We added new broadcasts over Shortwave radio for June. These may provide Europeans with better reception and allow NAm SDR users additional opportunities to hear us. More changes are coming in July. 73.Terry N5RTC

By Brian D. Smith, W9IND If you still haven't caught the W9IMS Indy 500 special event, your final opportunity to earn the latest QSL card and certificate comes this weekend. As announced earlier this month, the second special event of the year by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Amateur Radio Club - honoring the 109th running [...]

Many thanks toSWLing Postcontributor and noted political cartoonist,Carlos Latuff, who shares the followingillustrated radio listening report of a recent Vatican Radio broadcast. Carlos notes: Pope Leo XIV appeals for Gaza, Vatican News, 11870 kHz: Part of Vatican Radio news bulletin (in English): Pope Leo XIV appeals for Gaza. Listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on a [...]

Many thanks toSWLing Postcontributor and noted political cartoonist,Carlos Latuff, who shares the followingillustrated radio listening report of a recent Radio La Voz De Melo broadcast. Carlos notes: Pope Leo XIV will host negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, Radio La Voz de Melo, Uruguay: Part of the news bulletin of Radio La Voz de Melo (Uruguay), [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Paul Jamet, for sharing the following eQSL card along with two recordings he made and submitted of the Vesti FM test broadcasts on May 19, 2025: Off-Air Recordings Vesti FM on 13,730 kHz at 19:40 UTC on May 19, 2025: Vesti FM on 13,730 kHz at 19:43 UTC on [...]

Greetings to all SWLing Post community from the Imaginary Stations crew. This week we bring you another episode of the Fab Four beat classic, From Beatles to Beatniks Too. Don't be a square, drop out and spin that crazy shortwave dial on Saturday 24th May 2025 at 1100 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and then again for [...]

Many thanks toSWLing Postcontributor, Bill Tilford, who shares the following update: From the Isle of Music, June 2025 June's program will be the first of several episodes featuring the best of Cubadisco 2025, Cuba's most important discographic awards. Friday, June 13: 6070 kHz at 1700 UTC 3955 kHz at 2100 UTC Sunday, June 15: 9670 [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who shares this brief note: Russian state-owned Vesti FM is on 13730 kHz as of May 19th, 2025 at 1910 UTC. While I try to stay current on news and schedules, especially regarding new stations and shows, I don't recall seeing any news about this transmission anywhere.

Many thanks toSWLing Postcontributor and noted political cartoonist,Carlos Latuff, who shares the followingillustrated radio listening report of a recent Radio Mitre broadcast. Carlos notes: Floods in Buenos Aires, Radio Mitre, 790 kHz AM: Part of Radio Mitre (Argentina) news bulletin (in Spanish) on the torrential rains that caused flooding in Buenos Aires, with a moving [...]

Don Moore's Photo Album: Guatemala (Part Seven) - Radio Maya de Barillas by Don Moore More of Don's traveling DX stories can be found in his bookTales of a Vagabond DXer[SWLing Post affiliate link]. If you've already read his book and enjoyed it, do Don a favor and leave a reviewon Amazon. Given the subject [...]

Many thanks toSWLing Postcontributor and noted political cartoonist,Carlos Latuff, who shares the followingillustrated radio listening report of a recent Radio Carve broadcast. Carlos notes: Part of news bulletin (in Spanish) of Radio Carve (Uruguay) about the funeral of former President Pepe Mujica, which was attended by his friend, Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Nick Hall-Patch, who writes: The International Radio Club's Reprints list continues to expand, now approaching 1200 separate articles. The club has recently published an update to the Reprint index, at https://dxer.ca/images/stories/2025-DA/irca-reprint-index.pdf and at https://www.ircaonline.org/editor_upload/File/reprints/irca-reprint-index.pdf, so that everyone can get access to the latest addition to this resource. The Reprints [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Perry Lusk, who writes: Here's my contribution to radios found in movies: In the 1944 movie Laura" what appears to be a Zenith pops up while Waldo Lydecker, a narcissistic newspaper editor, enjoys his bath while working the typewriter. What model are we seeing? Readers: if you can positively [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Richard Hollingham, Executive Producer of the BBC World Service Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast, who reached out with a special request to the SWLing community: It turns out that it's now 70 years since the BBC partnered with the forerunner of the British Antarctic Survey to commence broadcasts, and we're planning [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Terry (N5RTC), who writes: Texas Radio Shortwave Tests for Europe on May 18 and 21 On Sunday, May 18, and Wednesday, May 21, we'll test to Europe over Shortwave Radio (shortwaveradio.de). We want reports comparing the reception of the two frequencies each day and between Sunday and Wednesday, since [...]

Greetings to all SWLing Post community from the Imaginary Stations crew. This week we are dropping out from the normal world man and bringing you a show called From Beatles to Beatniks. Don't be a shortwave square, get yourself a radio or an SDR that picks up some of the shortwave spectrum. Spin that dial [...]

Many thanks toSWLing Postcontributor and noted political cartoonist,Carlos Latuff, who shares the followingillustrated radio listening report of a recent ZP-30 broadcast. Carlos notes: Part of Paraguay's Radio ZP-30 news bulletin (in Spanish) about Brazilian President Lula at CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Summit in China. Listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on a [...]

Just a quick note to let you know I'm hitting the road today for Four Days in May and Hamvention 2025, and will be away for about a week. During this time, I'll have very limited ability to reply to emails and publish new posts-Hamvention tends to keep me on my toes from early morning [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, for sharing the following article from Hackaday: Radio Apocalypse: Meteor Burst Communications This piece explores Meteor Burst Communications (MBC)-a method of bouncing radio signals off ionized meteor trails to enable long-distance communication without relying on satellites or infrastructure. Used historically in military systems, MBC remains a compelling [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Greenall, who writes: Many years ago, I used to enjoy listening to distant stations that broadcast a regular English language program to Eastern North America (where I live). They would generally have a newscast and commentary, which was often followed by a daily feature that would help a [...]

Do You Need a Break from Radio? by Bob Colegrove A couple months ago I became one of the last 10 people east of the Mississippi River to acquire a smart phone. It was a great improvement for someone who had been trying to navigate through modern life for several years using a flip phone. [...]

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM A friend, Bob, is a professional in the two-way radio business with deep experience and expertise. I mentioned to him this post and told him about my strong preference for radios that would run on off-the-shelf alkaline batteries. He had a few things to say about batteries for emergency radios that [...]

Many thanks toSWLing Postcontributor Terry (N5RTC), who shares the following schedules for Texas Radio Shortwave (click here for a printable PDF):

Award-winning journalist Katie Thornton has launched a new season of the Peabody-winning podcast, The Divided Dial, produced by On the Media and WNYC Studios. In this season, Katie focuses on shortwave radio-a medium that is near and dear to our hearts. In Episode 1, Fishing In The Night", Thornton explores the international ambitions and shadowy [...]

An interesting article caught my attention on spaceweather.com concerning new research on what is called the Gleissberg Cycle. Interested? Read on! THE COUNTER-INTUITIVE QUIET CONTINUES: Big sunspots usually produce big solar flares. Giant sunspot 4079 is an exception to the rule. All week long, it has been strangely quiet, producing only a handful of puny [...]

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Recently, this blog featured great coverage of the use of battery-powered radios during the recent blackout in Europe. It was a serious business: electric power, cell phone networks, internet, all gone in a moment, followed by an instant information vacuum. Battery-powered portable radios and local broadcasters with backup power came to [...]

The U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) has announced a new partnership wherein Voice of America (VOA) will incorporate content from One America News Network (OAN), a media outlet known for its conservative perspective. This decision, introduced by USAGM senior adviser Kari Lake, aims to provide VOA with additional news resources at no cost. The [...]

Make the Month of May Even Merrier: Earn Your First Credit Toward the 2025 Checkered Flag Award By Brian D. Smith, W9IND Never mind the old saying about April showers bringing May flowers. In Indianapolis, the month of May ushers in auto racing season, with two major events scheduled at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It's [...]

Greetings to all SWLing Post readers from all the Imaginary Stations crew. This week we bring you more programmes featuring the international onshore/offshore pirate radio sounds of Skybird Radio International. Get your shortwave radio ready for an audio journey on Saturday 10th May 2025 at 1100 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and then again for Sunday 11th [...]

Many thanks toSWLing Postcontributor and noted political cartoonist,Carlos Latuff, who shares the followingillustrated radio listening report of a recent ZP-30 broadcast. Carlos notes: Radio ZP-30: (Russia) Drone attack repelled; 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany defeat: Part of Paraguay's Radio ZP-30 news bulletin (in German) about a Ukrainian drone attack repelled by Russian army, and the [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Richard Cuff, for sharing this article from Metro.co.uk: Radio is still the ultimate survival tool during blackouts and emergencies." The piece underscores radio's enduring role as a reliable source of information when modern digital networks fail. In an age of increasing reliance on internet and mobile phone services, it's [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor David Iurescia for sharing this excellent article from Radio Prague International, which commemorates the 80th anniversary of Radio Plzen's powerful broadcast urging resistance during World War II: https://english.radio.cz/radio-plzen-voice-changed-history-80-years-ago-8849932

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Hirst, who writes: Thomas, K-dramas with Korean subtitles can be a useful form of language immersion, so I recently came across this comedy sitcom on YouTube. In this clip, we see Winter, Karina, and Giselle of the K-pop girl group Aespa. Behind them are what appears to be [...]

Many thanks toSWLing Postcontributor and noted political cartoonist,Carlos Latuff, who shares the followingillustrated radio listening report of a recent ZP-30 broadcast. Carlos notes: International news of Radio ZP-30, from Paraguay, 610 kHz AM Part of Paraguay's Radio ZP-30 news bulletin (in German). Listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on a Xhdata d-808 receiver. Click here to [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributorDon Moore-notedauthor, traveler, and DXer-for the latest installment of hisPhoto Album guest post series: Don Moore's Photo Album: Guatemala (Part Six) - Huehuetenango by Don Moore More of Don's traveling DX stories can be found in his bookTales of a Vagabond DXer[SWLing Post affiliate link]. If you've already read his [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, who shares the following video from CBS Mornings: R.E.M. has given its first single Radio Free Europe" a new remix. The song was named after the service that provides crucial, uncensored information in places with limited press freedom. Now, Radio Free Europe is one of the federally-funded [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Paul, who writes: Hi ThomasI thought readers may be interested in this YouTube video about Ham Radio in the Movies. It details quite a number of radios that were featured in different movies. Click here to view on YouTube. Cheers, Paul Christchurch, New Zealand

Many thanks toSWLing Postcontributor and noted political cartoonist,Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report of a special Radio Nacional de Espana broadcast. Note that the Spanish version of this post follows the English version: This illustrated radio listening report was particularly special to me. It's a radio station's acknowledge of the importance [...]

Good day all SWLing Post readers from us here at Imaginary Stations. Here's our transmission schedule for the forthcoming week. The first programme is a return of the onshore/offshore pirate radio sound of Skybird Radio International. It goes out on Saturday 3rd May 2025 at 1100 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and then repeated on Sunday 4th [...]