The SWLing Post

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes: There’s been a new flurry of these posts on eBay, always the WJ 8711A. These items have prohibited listing practices, and should be ignored — definitely not something to bid on. I have reported these on numerous occasions to Ebay, which has expressed appreciation, but […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, TomL, for sharing the following guest post: August 21, 2017: Individual Recordings of MW During Totality by TomL I setup flimsy “Backpack Shack” loop antenna and preselector to my Sony ICF-2010 to listen to any propagation of MW signals as each transmitter experienced Totality. My location was a picnic […]

From the Isle of Music, August 27-September 2 No interviews this week – this week we focus on some great moments in recorded Cuban Jazz during the past few decades that you may have missed when they first appeared. Four opportunities to listen on shortwave: 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target […]

I find old radio souls now and again who seem, at least to me, to be in touch with the spiritual side of radio. I am not talking about religious programming or some weird cult, but rather they are folks whose souls have been touched by the magic of radio. It is mystical, magical, and […]

(Source: The Intercept via Dan Robinson) A SHORT DRIVE south of Alice Springs, the second largest population center in Australia’s Northern Territory, there is a high-security compound, code-named “RAINFALL.” The remote base, in the heart of the country’s barren outback, is one of the most important covert surveillance sites in the eastern hemisphere. Hundreds of […]

(Source: The Guardian) Consternation, mourning and national soul-searching greeted the temporary silencing of Big Ben last week, but at least another favourite fixture of the nightly and early morning radio is to continue. The hymnal cadences of Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, through Shannon, Rockall, Malin all the way to south-east Iceland, will be heard as usual on […]

(Source: Universal Radio via Dave Zantow) Universal Radio Is Moving In the coming months Universal Radio will move its operations to a more efficient location here in the Columbus, Ohio area where we can continue to serve our loyal customers. This will be the fourth location change since Universal was founded in 1942. We look […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ivan Cholakov (NO2CW), who writes: If you ever loved AM radio you will love this. Thank you WNAH for recognizing there’s more to radio than plugging into a programming network and walking away! Click here to view on YouTube. Very cool! Many thanks, Ivan! As I mentioned in a previous […]

(Source: The Washington Post) On Aug. 21, as the moon passes in front of the sun and casts a shadow across the United States, millions are expected to gaze at the totality. Meanwhile, a smaller crowd will be glued to 150 custom-made radio receivers set up across the country. The project, called EclipseMob, is the largest experiment of its kind in […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who notes that Radio Prague is asking listeners to share memories of the 1968 Soviet invasion: (Source: Radio Prague) August 1968 – share your memories August 21, 1968 – a turning point in this country’s history. The invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact soldiers crushed hopes of […]

(Source: BBC Media Centre) The BBC World Service today launched the first new language service in its biggest expansion since the 1940s. A digital Pidgin service for West Africa is being launched today. It will shortly be followed by new online services in Amharic, Afaan Oromo and Tigrinya, aimed at Ethiopia, Eritrea and diaspora audiences […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom Ally, who notes that today is National Radio Day: (Source: National Radio Day) About National Radio Day is a time to honor one of the most longstanding electronic media and its role in our everyday lives. Radio delivers information, news, entertainment and company to millions of Americans every […]

Tomorrow, we will be experiencing a total solar eclipse here in the mountains of western North Carolina. Instead of enjoying the eclipse at home, I will be volunteering as a docent at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in Rosman, North Carolina. Post readers might recall PARI as it was the location of our 2015 PARI […]

Yesterday, while listening to the BBC World Service, I heard this fascinating documentary focusing on the Voyager I and II spacecraft. It absolutely blows my mind that both of these spacecraft have been operating for 40 years and continue to send signals back to Earth. Talk about weak signal DX! Note that you will have […]

(Source: News & Observer) CARY–Even as tensions increase between North Korea and the United States (and between North Korea and the rest of the world), the Cary-based group Trans World Radio is broadcasting daily messages of hope to the people there. TWR president and chief executive officer Lauren Libby says the group started increasing its […]

(Source: YouTube via Wooferton UK Youtube channel & Mike Barraclough) Click here to view on YouTube.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Zantow (N9EWO) who writes: Just FYI. My Icom IC-R8600 “Wide Band” Receiver Review is now available. Mind you this is subject to more updates than usual at least for awhile. For any questions, yes please send them along. http://webpages.charter.net/n9ewo2/icr8600.html “The excellent ICOM IC-R8600 “Wide Band” SDR communications receiver. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Jeff McMahon who writes: “This vintage Panasonic RF-088 8-Channel Preset radio selling on eBay [see above] seems rather rare. In fact, I’ve never seen one.” Click here to view on eBay. I haven’t seen one either, Jeff. Appears to be pretty compact. At first, I was curious how an […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Jeff McMahon who writes: “This vintage Panasonic RF-088 8-Channel Preset radio selling on eBay [see above] seems rather rare. In fact, I’ve never seen one.” Click here to view on eBay. I haven’t seen one either, Jeff. Appears to be pretty compact. At first, I was curious how an […]

(Source: Paul Walker) KBS World Radio’s English Department Is Carrying Out Test Transmissions Next WeekKBS World Radio’s English Department Is Carrying Out Test Transmissions Next Week Europe: August 21 – 23, 1500 – 1600 UTC, 9515 kHz Southeast Asia: August 21 – 23, 0800 – 1030 UTC, 9770 kHz India: August 21 – 22, 1400 […]

(Source: Paul Walker) KBS World Radio’s English Department Is Carrying Out Test Transmissions Next WeekKBS World Radio’s English Department Is Carrying Out Test Transmissions Next Week Europe: August 21 – 23, 1500 – 1600 UTC, 9515 kHz Southeast Asia: August 21 – 23, 0800 – 1030 UTC, 9770 kHz India: August 21 – 22, 1400 […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Sandipan Basu Mallick, who writes: In reference to the post about the review of Gospell GR-216 DRM Receiver, [I enquired] about availability and price. Received response within few hours. Yes, Gospell is now shipping the GR-216 DRM Receiver. They are selling it directly. Not available via online shopping portals. Most importantly […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Sandipan Basu Mallick, who writes: In reference to the post about the review of Gospell GR-216 DRM Receiver, [I enquired] about availability and price. Received response within few hours. Yes, Gospell is now shipping the GR-216 DRM Receiver. They are selling it directly. Not available via online shopping portals. Most importantly […]

From the Isle of Music, August 20-26 This week our special guests are Feliciano Arango of Los Hermanos Arango, whose album The Arangos World was nominated for a Cubadisco Award in the Afrocuban Tradition category; Gizelxanath Rodríguez of the Afro Yaquí Music Collective and Albertico Lescay of Formas. You’ll hear some excellent Fusion in this […]

(Source: The Daily Journal via Richard Cuff) KGEI: A forgotten WWII radio story Sometimes history is hidden in plain sight or site — as is the case of a blockhouse-shaped building located, appropriately, on Radio Road in the Redwood Shores area of Redwood City. There is no plaque to remind the few visitors to the […]

(Source: The Daily Journal via Richard Cuff) KGEI: A forgotten WWII radio story Sometimes history is hidden in plain sight or site — as is the case of a blockhouse-shaped building located, appropriately, on Radio Road in the Redwood Shores area of Redwood City. There is no plaque to remind the few visitors to the […]

(Source: Southgate ARC) New owner for Practical Wireless and RadioUser magazines Roger Hall & Steve Hunt have made the following announcement on the PW Publishing website: We are very pleased to announce that Practical Wireless and RadioUsermagazines have been bought by Warners Group Publications, a Lincolnshire-based multi-million-pound turnover publishing company that specialises in producing magazines, websites and events for niche hobbies. They believe that both Practical Wireless and RadioUser are […]

(Source: Southgate ARC) New owner for Practical Wireless and RadioUser magazines Roger Hall & Steve Hunt have made the following announcement on the PW Publishing website: We are very pleased to announce that Practical Wireless and RadioUsermagazines have been bought by Warners Group Publications, a Lincolnshire-based multi-million-pound turnover publishing company that specialises in producing magazines, websites and events for niche hobbies. They believe that both Practical Wireless and RadioUser are […]

The 2017 eclipse is quickly approaching (August 21)–!! If you would like to participate in a fascinating radio experiment coinciding with the event, check out this undertaking outlined on the website HamSCI. Note that you do not need to be in the path of totality in order to participate. Here’s the summary: On 21 August […]

The 2017 eclipse is quickly approaching (August 21)–!! If you would like to participate in a fascinating radio experiment coinciding with the event, check out this undertaking outlined on the website HamSCI. Note that you do not need to be in the path of totality in order to participate. Here’s the summary: On 21 August […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed, who writes: Here’s a review on a Swedish Hobby Radio website of the GOSPELL GR-216 MULTI-BAND AM / FM /Shortwave / DRM receiver, which you reported about on 9/6/2016 and is now is reportedly about to go into production: http://www.hobbyradio.se/en/drm/gospell_en.html The latest Mediumwave / Shortwave / VHF-FM receiver […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed, who writes: Here’s a review on a Swedish Hobby Radio website of the GOSPELL GR-216 MULTI-BAND AM / FM /Shortwave / DRM receiver, which you reported about on 9/6/2016 and is now is reportedly about to go into production: http://www.hobbyradio.se/en/drm/gospell_en.html The latest Mediumwave / Shortwave / VHF-FM receiver […]

(Source: news.com.au via Trevor R) The ABC has been slammed by all sides of politics over its “foolish” decision to cut the transmission of shortwave radio to remote Australia and the Pacific Islands. The Senate debated a private bill on Thursday by crossbench senator Nick Xenophon to force the ABC to restore transmission after it […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who notes that CountyComm has announced a 48 hour sale on the GP5-SSB (read our review here). The price is currently $71.99 US plus shipping. Click here to view the deal at CountyComm.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Cap Tux, who writes: The Zastone ZT-D9000 radio has actually been out for a while and is a Dual Band Mobile (Triband with option), nothing fancy there and bears a striking resemblance to the Icom IC-2820H (clone?). Options include GPS, Bluetooth, 220Mhz and LW (The latter is really weird!). What […]

(Source: Talking Biz News via Howard Bailen) Marketplace and BBC World Service announced Tuesday a new daily global business broadcast, “Marketplace Morning Report” from BBC World Service. The new broadcast launches Tuesday, Sept. 5 on U.S. public radio stations nationwide. The program will be hosted live from London by the BBC’s Anu Anand, who has […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Jeff Dumps (KL4IU), who writes: I was wondering if you would be interested in sponsoring my amateur radio science experiment at HAARP. I am a new ham, and have participated in the February HAARP campaign, assisting Dr. Chris Fallen. It has inspired me to try an experiment. My experiment is […]

There’s an interesting YouTube documentary released by the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation on the refurbishment of both transmitters and antennas for the mediumwave outlets of 558 and 990 kHz. This was completed with the financial and technical assistance of the Japanese government. It will be very interesting for MW DXers to see how well the new […]

Yesterday, prior to heading out the door for two days of travel, I received the Digitech AR-1780 I ordered ten days ago from an Australian eBay vendor. I’m very pleased with how quickly the order was processed and delivered via the post. The radio arrived in a rugged mail pouch and was double boxed inside. […]

(Source: CNN) There are few more important inventions in the history of the world than the radio. While in recent years it may have become less popular than television or the internet, it could be argued that the radio was the first electronic gadget to play a prominent part in people’s lives. Radio is where […]

(Source: Radio Today UK) Ten BBC local radio stations will lose at least one AM transmitter in January 2018 as part of the BBC’s Delivering Quality First plan. BBC Radio Sussex, Surrey, Humberside, Wiltshire, Nottingham, Kent, and Lincolnshire will no longer be accessible on medium wave, whilst BBC Radio Devon, Radio Lancashire and BBC Essex […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Lennart Weirell, who shares the following I read the posting about Radio FAX, and I heard the station 1988-10-23, but on MW 1611 kHz a frequency they also used. [Please see above and below] a copy of the QSL-card and stencil from Radio FAX. Thanks so much for sharing your […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ivan Cholakov, who writes: Thomas, I did not see a story on the blog about the HF atmospheric heating experiments conducted by the Arecibo observatory a couple of weeks ago. Thomas Cholakov N1SPY made a video about it but I am also sure a bunch of other listeners were able […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, William Lee, who shares this item from ABC News: Radio Caroline: Golden age of British pirate radio remembered, 50 years on They were the pirates of the open seas — bringing rock and pop music to a new generation. And the British government was furious. Back in the 1960s, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, William Lee, who notes that the radio documentary Elettra is now available to rent (A$5.10) or download via Vimeo. Note that this program has geographic restrictions and may be limited to streaming in Australia: ELETTRA from Ronin Films on Vimeo. Encouraged by her friendship with Australian broadcaster, Ben Starr, the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ante Milisa, who writes: I came across a new product from well known radio producer Sangean: the Sangean TR-108. I believe this is a successor to Sangean’s well-known Sangean PR-D8, which I had and which was great. It seems like this one is currently only produced for the Asian […]

(Source: Radio Info) Bill to restore shortwave rejected by Senate Committee A Senate Committee inquiring into the possibility of restoring ABC Shortwave services has rejected proposed legislation to restore the international radio service. Several members of the committee presented dissenting reports. The ABC ended its shortwave transmission service in the Northern Territory and to international […]