The SWLing Post

I’ve mentioned many times before what a joy it is to curate the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive (SRAA). Sometimes I’m sent recordings that evoke a flood of memories. SRAA contributor, Tom Laskowski, just submitted another such recording. Tom included the following notes with his Radio RSA – Voice of South Africa recording: Every Saturday night […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who shares the RRI 2017-2018 Winter Broadcast Frequencies (effective 29/10/2017 to 24/3/2018): You can also listen to RRI’s English language programming live over the internet using the same SW broadcast schedule given above. All you need to do is go to the “RRI Live!” section in the top-right […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Wesley, who notes: For those in Australia, the Jaycar in Bondi Junction is currently selling the Digitech AR-1780 for AUD$99. I suspect the other locations are offering the same price. I picked one up – pretty happy with it so far! Really excited that it contains several filter bandwidths, which […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who shares a link to Jack Berg Sales–a company specializing in New In Box (NIB) vintage electronics. Ron points to one radio example in the Berg inventory, the Americana 10 Transistor AM Portable Pocket Radio: The price is a very reasonable at $35.00 US plus $8.00 shipping and […]

(Source: ARRL News via Eric McFadden, WD8RIF) Radio Caroline, the latter-day incarnation of the famous shipboard pirate radio station that beamed rock music to the UK in the 1960s and 1970s, has obtained a license to operate permanently on 648 kHz at 1 kW ERP. A transmitter imported from Europe has been undergoing necessary modifications […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares the following item from BCL News and Richard Langley: Antenna of Twente SDR receiver damaged // Bclnews http://www.bclnews.it/2017/10/06/antenna-of-twente-sdr-receiver-damaged/ The antenna was damaged yesterday during a storm. As posted on the WebSDR website: “The antenna currently is not working properly. After a preliminary repair of rain/storm […]

Shortly after publishing my review of the Tecsun S-8800, SWLing Post contributor Troy Riedel contacted me and asked if I would consider comparing the S-8800 to the Grundig Field BT. Of course I was very curious how the $130 Grundig Field BT might compare with the $268 Tecsun S-8800, but I’ve got a lot on […]

C. Crane has published a full pre-order page for their latest travel portable: the CC Skywave SSB. The price is $169.99 US–they’ve noted an expected ship date of sometime after November 3, 2017. We’ve been testing a pilot run CC Skywave SSB and recently posted photos. Once we have an production unit, we’ll post comparison […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Zantow, who shares the following photos from Ham Radio Outlet’s “Superfest” in Milwaukee this past weekend. Dave notes: “Turnout was OK busy but not overcrowded. They had a “in store special” on the Icom IC-7300, few pennies under $ 1100. (after the $ 100. rebate). Saw at least […]

(Source: Universal Radio) Universal Radio is moving! Universal Radio Inc. is moving to a more efficient location in nearby Worthington, Ohio where we can continue to serve our loyal customers. This will be the fourth location change since Universal was founded in 1942. We look forward to many more years of serving the amateur and […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, The Professor, who adds to our discussion about the recently released film Shortwave: I saw that David posted a comment on your blog where he wondered what radio the guy in that “Shortwave” film might be using. Well, watched a couple trailers and discovered that the movie featured a […]

(Source: NASA History Archives) Sputnik and The Dawn of the Space Age History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world’s first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball (58 cm.or 22.8 inches in diameter), weighed only 83.6 kg. or 183.9 pounds, and took about […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares the following review of a new movie called “shortwave” Movie Review – Shortwave (2016) // Flickering Myth https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2017/10/movie-review-shortwave-2016/ Shortwave, 2016. Directed by Ryan Gregory Phillips. Starring Juanita Ringeling, Cristobal Tapia Montt, and Kyle Davis. SYNOPSIS: Isabel and Josh, a young couple dealing with the recent […]

One of the joys of running the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive (SRAA) is that, over time, more and more people have become aware of it and submit recordings they’ve had in their private collections for decades. Quite often, SRAA off-air recordings were originally made on reel-to-reel or cassette tapes which degrade with time. When SRAA contributors […]

(Source: National Geographic via Eric WD8RIF) Hurricane Damages Giant Radio Telescope—Why It Matters” at National Geographic, written by the daughter of Frank Drake, pioneer SETI investigator: Scientists and ham radio operators have confirmed that the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico—arguably the world’s most iconic radio telescope, which has a dish stretching a thousand feet across—has […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Cap, who has just notified me that his shortwave radio schedules app for Android–Skywave Radio Schedules–is now available via the Google Play store. You might recall that Cap first shared this app in Beta form and invited us to share feedback and comments. Cap has spent weeks incorporating our suggestions […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Van Hoy, who forwards the following story from The Verge: FCC chairman Ajit Pai wants Apple to turn on the FM radio that’s hidden inside of every iPhone. In a statement today, he asked that Apple “reconsider its position, given the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.” […]

(Source: Salvation Army Team Radio Network via Eric WD8RIF and ARRL) Greetings: The Salvation Army’s Eastern Territory has asked SATERN to begin recruiting amateur radio operators from our Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) for potential deployments to the Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands Division. THIS IS A RECRUITMENT REQUEST TO BE ON STANDBY ONLY! This […]

(Source: GlobalNews.ca) One of the BBC’s newest radio stations began broadcasting across the Korean peninsula on Tuesday. And the signal was almost immediately jammed by the North Korean government, according to news reports. […]But cracks are appearing in the system. InterMedia, a research firm, interviewed defectors from North Korea and found that 48 per cent […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors, Michael Taniwha and Mark Hirst, who share this link to a video at the BBC where a reporter quickly discovers that many can’t find BBC Radio 1 or even tune a radio. Click here to view. It’s hard for a radio enthusiast to believe, but there is little reason for […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Hans Johnson, who shares the following guest post: Irma-induced Radio Reviews by Hans Johnson The primary disaster we face here in Naples, Florida, is hurricanes. Naples had been spared for over a decade until Irma. So while I had prepared, I had not needed my supplies or equipment for […]

(Source: NPR via Eric, WD8RIF) Volunteer HAM operators have set up informal radio networks to connect family and friends with their loved ones in Puerto Rico. NPR’s Kelly McEvers talks to one of those volunteers, Greg Dober. Click here to listen via NPR.

(Source: CNN) (CNN)The phone call from the Red Cross came in late Friday night, just as the full scale of Hurricane Maria’s calamity began taking shape. “We need 50 of your best radio operators to go down to Puerto Rico.” In the days after the worst storm in three generations hit the American island — […]

(Source: NBC News) When things went dark and quiet in Puerto Rico, a cadre of amateur radio operators became a lifeline on the island. About two dozen amateur radio operators on the island helped police and first responders communicate when their radio networks failed completely. Some of the radio operators, or hams traveled on […]

(Source: The Miami Herald) SAN JUAN Normally, Rubén Sánchez would not interrupt a live interview with as prominent a newsmaker as Gov. Ricardo Rosselló. But Wednesday was anything but normal. Less than an hour after Hurricane Maria plowed into Puerto Rico, Rosselló was updating Spanish-language radio listeners by phone on the Category 4 storm’s destructive […]

Here on the SWLing Post we tend to cover topics related to shortwave radio, ham radio and international broadcasting. We also cover an array of other topics our contributors and readers find appealing. Lately, I’ve noticed an uptick in one particular question–at least, variations of it–from readers and people who found our site searching for […]

I just received the following sale via an email from Ham Radio Outlet: All of these are great prices, but I’m especially attracted to the SDRplay RSP2 for $139.95 and the CX-210N for $29.95. If you’ve been on the fence about purchasing an RSP2, this is the lowest price I’ve seen for one. Click here […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Larry Thompson (WPE8EKM), who writes: I’ve just finished building a variation of the W6LVP amplified magnetic loop antenna. I was able to purchase the preamplifier, power inserter, and the power supply separately. I then created my own loop antenna using LMR400Max coax and designed my own knock-down PVC support. I […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, for noting the following deals on Eton radios via Amazon.com. The Mini, Traveler and Field are all excellent prices. The Executive Satellit is also a good price, but note there may still be non “Executive” versions of the Satellit via the eBay deal we posted earlier ($113 […]

(Source: The Telegraph) The BBC’s new Korean-language service is being “aggressively targeted” by North Korean jamming of its broadcasts. The service was launched on Monday and delivers a mixture of global news, sport and radio features to the whole of the Korean Peninsula for a three-hour window that starts at midnight local time. Broadcasts are […]

A follow-up from our post yesterday. Most impressive response from the amateur radio community–incredible… (Source: ARRL News via Eric, WD8RIF) Fifty of the nation’s most accomplished Amateur Radio operators responded within 24 hours to the call of the American Red Cross to deploy to Puerto Rico and provide emergency communications. At the behest of Red […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Troy Riedel, who notes: The Eton Satellit [Black Case] is on closeout from Radio World Canada on eBay right now for slightly less than $115 + Free Shipping. Thank you, Troy. That is an excellent deal for an excellent portable! If you’ve been considering the Eton Satellit, you should […]

This morning, I received a message from a friend. Knowing that I’m an amateur radio operator, she asked if I could contact someone in Puerto Rico and verify that her friends’ family are safe–no one has heard from them since Hurricane Maria hit the island. The situation in Puerto Rico (and many other islands in […]

The following review first appeared in the August 2017 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. What can one say about portable antennas? They’re up, they’re down, they’re basic in design: they either work for an intended purpose or they don’t. But, I wondered, could they provide their service easily and conveniently, even in the field? […]

(Source: BBC Media Centre) BBC News launches Korean language service The new Korean language service announced in November 2016 by the BBC World Service began broadcasting today. Audiences in the Korean peninsula and Korean speakers around the world can now hear radio broadcasts and access the latest news online at BBC.com/Korean. BBC News Korean is […]

(Source: National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters Facebook Page) Digital Radio Mondiale Delivers at IBC 2017 Participants in the four DRM events organised at IBC by Gospell, Thomson Broadcast, Nautel and Ampegon between 15th-17th of September have had an insight into a wide range of DRM activities, from big projects in Morocco (Thomson Broadcast), India and […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, John, who hosts TheReportOfTheWeek channel on YouTube and writes: Hello Thomas, the broadcasting schedule of VORW Radio International has changed somewhat so I would like to provide an updated schedule for your readers! The biggest update is that our service to Europe has been fully restored.Listeners in Europe, the Middle East and even […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Ed and Richard Langley for sharing information about the latest receiver from Gospell: the GR-227 digital radio car adaptor. According to Radio World: […]The compact GR-227 can be added to car stereos, via a USB cable, in order to receive digital radio programs and corresponding data. Based on software-defined […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed, who writes: An old friend of mine just emailed me from London after seeing an extraordinary modern art exhibit at Tate Modern. The exhibit, according to my friend Rebecca Crysdale, “is about how we are being overload by communications, particularly digital communications.” She says, “It was a very […]

(Source: Radio World via Richard Langley) Radio World supports efforts to save our radio and audio heritage, including the work of the Radio Preservation Task Force,?a project of the Library of Congress. Here is one in a series of guest commentaries about the topic. Jeremy Morris is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Arts at […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Andy (G0FTD), who writes: Back in the 1970’s, there was a rather strange medium wave transmitter on 1296Khz. Originally I think it was in Sussex, and then changed to Orfordness in Suffolk UK. It was a weird thing. I think it was “owned” by the UK’s Diplomatic Wireless Service, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Patalon, who reminds us that 78 years ago today (September 21, 1939) radio station WSJV made an audio recording of its entire 19 hour broadcast day. Bill points to these details from Wikipedia: This undertaking was a collaboration between the station and the National Archives, and it was […]

Note that, in terms of press freedoms, Reporters Without Borders ranks Eritrea the second most repressive country in the world, next to North Korea. (Source: BBC Media Centre) BBC World Service continues expansion with new services for Ethiopia and Eritrea Three new language services for Ethiopia, Eritrea, and the diaspora are being launched today by […]

(Source: Servosila Press Release) Servosila introduces a new member of the family of Servosila “Engineer” robots, a UGV called “Radio Engineer”. This new variant of the well-known backpack-transportable robot features a Software Defined Radio (SDR) payload module integrated into the robotic vehicle. Servosila introduces a new member of the family of Servosila “Engineer” robots, a UGV called […]

Since we’ve been following WRMI in the wake of Hurricane Irma, I’ve posted a few photos below that WRMI shared on their Facebook page. These photos give us an idea about the magnitude of damage to their antenna farm. Amazingly, Jeff White confirmed a few days ago that WRMI is back up to full power on […]