The SWLing Post

(Source: ABC News via Trevor R) The ABC has defended the axing of its Northern Territory’s long-distance radio service, despite calls from federal representatives to reverse the decision. This month the broadcaster announced its HF shortwave radio transmitters at Katherine, Tennant Creek and Roe Creek (Alice Springs) would be switched off on January 31, ceasing […]

(Source: NPR) Physicists at Harvard have built a radio receiver out of building blocks the size of two atoms. It is, almost certainly, the tiniest radio receiver in the world. And since it’s a radio, it can play whatever you want to send its way, including Christmas music, as this video by the Harvard team […]

Please join me in congratulating Renaud Hardy and Bill Murray (AF7WM) who were picked at random out of the 45 entries in our Holiday Radio Memories contest! I have notified both winners by email and Universal Radio will soon dispatch their prize: the Eton Grundig Edition Mini portable shortwave radio! Thank you, Universal Radio, for sponsoring our December […]

Hi there, here is part two of my original post containing various reception videos for the amazing Tecsun PL-310ET pocket shortwave receiver. I continue to be amazed at the sensitivity and selectivity of this rather modest and diminutive receiver, particularly at it’s price-point of around £40 in the UK and less elsewhere! Here is the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ian P, who comments with this link to an article in News.com.au: Shortwave radio cuts risk NT lives: Labor Two federal Labor MPs have demanded the national broadcaster reverse a decision to switch off its radio shortwave service in the Northern Territory, which they say could be life threatening. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Horacio Nigro (CX3BZ) who shares the following guest post which was originally published in his blog “La Galena del Sur” (in Spanish). Horacio recently translated his article into English for us: 1923: The first reception of a U.S. broadcaster in South America. by Horacio A. Nigro, CX3BZ, Montevideo, Uruguay, “La Galena […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Harald Kuhl, who notes times and frequencies of NRD’s annual Christmas greetings: Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) program “Gruss an Bord” on shortwave on 24 December 2016: 19.00 UTC till 21.00 Uhr UTC 6.125 kHz Atlantic – North 11.650 kHz Atlantic – South 9.800 kHz Atlantic / Indian Ocean (South Africa) […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Matt, who notes a price drop on the Eton Mini at Amazon.com. Though the Eton Mini is certainly a deal at $28.90 and would make for a great last-minute budget gift. Click here to view on Amazon.com.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike Agner, who writes: [S]ome 20 years ago, Mike Chace-Ortiz, Stan Skalsky, myself and a bunch of other folks put together a FAQ about digital modes on radio – specifically modes going from LW way up into the UHF spectrum- called the DigiFAQ 5.3. I was responsible for the HF […]

From the Isle of Music, week of December 19-24 This week, our special guest will be Degnis Bofill, an emerging young percussion star in Cuba who received two awards in this year’s JoJazz competition. We’ll have a brief interview and some music that features him on percussion. Also, in honor of their GRAMMY® nominations, we […]

(Source: RadioInfo via Kris Partridge) 11th January 2017 is a historic day for the medium of radio. Norway becomes the first country in the world to move towards fully digital radio transmissions. As a result of this, the national FM network will be switched off. The FM networks will be switched off region by region, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mario Filippi (N2HUN), for the following guest post: ‘Tis the Season to be Jolly and to Remember Our Elmers by Mario Filippi (N2HUN) At this time of year when we gather with friends, family, coworkers and acquaintances to share the bonhomie and joys of the holidays let us fondly remember […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Troy Riedel, for the following guest post: A Mini-Review of the Audiomax SRW-710S by Troy Riedel Why would someone want a sub-$20 shortwave radio? Wait … I guess I should be answering questions & not asking them, right? But I’ll give you my answer to “why I want a sub-$20 shortwave […]

It’s the winter holiday season here in North America, typically a great time to slip into the shack, sip some warm mulled cider/eggnog/coffee, and explore the world via the shortwaves, mediumwaves, and longwaves. Truly an experience of comfort and joy. Fred Osterman at Universal Radio contacted me recently and offered to support a little contest to celebrate the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan Roe, who shares his updated Music on Shortwave list for the B16 period. Alan’s music guide incorporates several suggested additions by SWLing Post readers. Alan, again, thank you so much for publishing this brilliant little guide! Click here to download Music on Shortwave B-16 (PDF).

I’ve been sent this message from a number of sources. I hope it’s true as it’s a fascinating concept: Hi, my name is Les Kinney and I am a retired federal agent and historical researcher. I am part of a group that will be traveling to a remote atoll in the Marshall Islands in mid-December. […]

(Source: ABC News via Richard Cuff) An Indigenous ranger group in the Northern Territory says the ABC’s decision to end its shortwave radio service could be life threatening. The ABC announced this week its three HF shortwave radio transmitters at Katherine, Tennant Creek and Roe Creek (Alice Springs), would be switched off on January 31, 2017. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors David and Monti who share a link to Radio Garden, a new web-based interface for exploring online radio stations across the globe. […]Radio Garden, which launched today, is a similar concept—a way to know humanity through its sounds, through its music. It’s an interactive map that lets you tune […]

Tour of a medium wave spectrum with over 20 transatlantic signals Hi there, I thought some of the readers of SWLing Post might be interested in a review of a MW spectrum with multiple transatlantic signals – all with audio. This is one of the recordings I took with the 200 metre Beverage antenna […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares this editorial from the The Washington Post:” “FOR YEARS, members of Congress have fumed about what they regard as ineffective U.S. public diplomacy, including the failure of broadcasting operations such as the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to match the reach and […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Kris Partridge, who writes: [R]esearch on DTH satellite TV service took me to a public website which is an archive going back to 1934. And boy, there is so much information there ..! So what I pass to you for the Blog is this one as a start: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/rd/pubs/reports/1991-12.pdf […]

(Source:Tom Taylor) Hamurger Lokal Radio via Shortwave Station Göhren, Germany with 1KW to Western Europe: 6190 KHz Every Saturday 07.00 to 11.00 UTC 7265 KHz Every Saturday 11.00 to 16.00 UTC 9485 KHz Every Sunday 10.00 to 13.00 UTC Contact email: redaktion@hamburger-lokalradio.de Radio City via: IRRS to Europe on 9510 KHz (every Saturday) between 09.00 […]

FROM THE ISLE OF MUSIC NEW WINTER SCHEDULE STARTS DECEMBER 12 This week, our special guest will be guitarist and composer Sergio Valdés Garcia, who in addition to doing much of the soundtrack for the film Juan de los Muertos also recorded some excellent music with his group Elévense. Also, we will have some authentic […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, TomL, for the following guest post: “Car Shack” radio listening by TomL My car is an unusual place to listen to shortwave radio but has interesting possibilities. Due to the obscene noise at my home QTH, I decided that I must try something away from this unfortunate situation. So […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mario Filippi (N2HUN) for the following guest post: An Unusual Night for CB by Mario Filippi (N2HUN) December 2nd was an unusual night for CB (Citizen’s Band) radio, as the band was open late (0030 GMT) when I turned on the President Washington CB radio just to see who was on. […]

More than two months ago, in the Mount Evelyn DX Report I posted a review of the Tecsun PL-680 portable receiver, entitled Tecsun PL-680 Beats Expectations. In that article, I pointed out many of the positives and a few of the flaws surrounding the unit. At the end of the review, I promised I would do some […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jonathan Marks, who writes: Found a rather topical edition of media network and posted it[…]with Mike Bird talking about shortwave and Radio Australia. http://jonathanmarks.libsyn.com/mn16121999 [Additionally] I have started the prequels to Media Network’s return in 2017. I found a great cassette sent to me by Africa media correspondent Richard Ginbey […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Michael Guerin, who writes: Interesting article from the US Naval Institute on the role of radio intelligence before and during the December 7 attack. “The key to the success of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor-specifically, what enabled the Pearl Harbor Striking Force to reach its launch point undetected (and […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who shares this appeal from Radio Romania International: Personality of the Year 2016 on RRI We would like to ask you which person you think left their imprint on the world in a positive way in 2016. We are preparing to designate, based on your options, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Patalon, who shares the following QSL card via Twitter: Cool #hamradio #QSL card from #PearlHarbor in 1940. Sobering to consider what was to come. #ARRL #SWL #dx #radio pic.twitter.com/uBLNWbTOPz — @PrivateBriefing (@PrivateBrief) December 6, 2016 Thank you, Bill!

We’ve been posting holiday deals since before Thanksgiving. HRO seems to be extending some of their special pricing through December 12, 2016. I did notice that, among other discounts, HRO has the Eton Traveller III for $49.95. Not a bad price for a great little portable! Check out their full sale by clicking here.

Many thanks to our friend, Raoul van Hall, who writes with some exciting news: Hi Thomas, Wanted to let you know that Jazz from the Left returns to WRMI stating tonight for two weekly broadcasts. 0000-0100 UTC Wednesday on 7730 kHz. 2000-2100 UTC Tuesday on 11580 kHz. Brilliant Raoul! Nothing like Jazz over the shortwaves. […]

An early Christmas gift for space enthusiasts around the world is coming again this year with Slow-Scan TV images from the International Space Station. Reception varies wide;y from location to location, but there are usually at least several passes which will yield good results. Here is the announcement with pertinent details: SB SPACE @ ARL […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Chris Smolinski, who shares this guest post from his blog, RadioHobbyist.org: Yet Another !&*%$! Noise Source by Chris Smolinski The past few days, I have noticed higher than usual noise levels, generally on the lower frequencies, and particularly on the longwave band, including the 285-325 kHz DGPS band, where […]

Like many SWLing Post readers, I’m a huge fan of Radio Australia’s service on 9,580 kHz. For ages, listening to their news headlines over shortwave has been a part of my morning routine. I’ve been listening to Radio Australia since I was 8 years old. I’m going to miss this friend on the shortwaves. (Source: […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Andrea Borgnino and Tom Ally who’ve notified me that WRTH 2017 is available for pre-order! Here’s a description from the WRTH website: The Features section for this 71st edition includes articles on Remote Receivers, a Pacific Radio Adventure, The Mighty KBC radio station, CKZN St John’s, the International Radio […]

Hi there, here is the second set of reception videos for my transatlantic MW DX catches using the 200 metre Beverage antenna. Most of the signals originate from the United States and Canada, however, there is also a catch from Mexico – XERF La Ponderosa – which is a personal first and another from Bogotá, Colombia – […]

Hi there, a few weeks ago I posted a couple of medium wave DX catches with the Elad FDM DUO and newly constructed 200 metre Beverage antenna. Since then (and following my trip to Brazil) I have uploaded several more catches, some of which I would like to share with you. It has become evident […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Arthur Smith, who shares the following guest post: The Story And Restoration Of My Hallicrafters SX-42 by Arthur Smith As a junior high student way back in 1978, I had a natural interest in radios. My dad was a ham radio operator, electronics engineer, and designer. We always had cool, […]

(Source: Wave Farm via David Goren) Open Call for Sound Works: SHORT WAVES / LONG DISTANCE Wave Farm and The North American Shortwave Association are pleased to announce “Short Waves / Long Distance,” an open call for works exploring the sonics of the shortwave radio spectrum (2-30 mHz), and the experience of long-distance listening. The […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Zach, who writes: [W]hile going through an SDR recording I’d made on Saturday, I listened to the Radio Prague program via WRMI on 5850 and was surprised to hear it was the last edition of their Mailbox program. They cited the loss of shortwave broadcasting and the movement of commenting […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jonathan Marks, who shares the following photos he snapped during the final meeting of the DSWCI meeting (click images to enlarge): Thank you for sharing these photos, Jonathan. It’s sad to see an institution like the DSWCI come to an end–especially because clubs like this become an amazing venue […]

(Source: WRMI) Last-minute program change: WRMI is broadcasting a special program about the final meeting of the Danish Shortwave Club International this Sunday, December 4. The program was scheduled to air at 2030 UTC on 11580 kHz, but it will instead be broadcast at 2000 UTC on the same frequency, in place of our regular […]

If you have thirteen minutes today, do yourself a favor and listen to this excellent radio documentary about the NBC chimes from the podcast Twenty Thousand Hertz. It’s fascinating! (Source: Twenty Thousand Hertz via 99% Invisible) NBC’s three little chimes didn’t just define a television network, they defined a generation. Where did they come from and […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who discovered this excellent condition Panasonic RF-8000 which recently sold on eBay for $5,100 US: Dan believes this is possibly a record price for this receiver. I would tend to agree. It does look like a beautiful receiver. Any SWLing Post readers own a Panasonif RF-8000? What […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John Figliozzi, author of The Worldwide Listening Guide, who comments with this critique of the Wired.com review of the Como Audio Solo: I wonder how experienced this reviewer is with this class of audio devices. First he states that the Solo receives AM. I doesn’t. (Unless you count receiving AM […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jeff McMahon, who shares this review of the Como Audio Solo: Here’s a $300 internet radio review from Wired: Review: Como Audio Solo Click here to view on Wired.com. I was an early backer of the Como Audio Solo and reviewed it in October. Since then, the Solo has […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Moshe, who writes: Hi Thomas! You must see this restoration job from Mr. Carlson’s lab: Click here to view on YouTube. Thank you for sharing this video, Moshe! I truly enjoy watching Paul’s videos–no doubt, any radio turned over to him is in expert hands. I love how he explains, […]