The SWLing Post

I received my copy of the 2017 World Radio and TV Handbook (WRTH) directly from the publisher last week, just prior to Christmas holiday ravels. As I mention every year, I look forward to receiving this excellent staple radio reference guide–and this is their 71st edition! WRTH’s team of noted DXers from around the world curate frequencies and broadcaster […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor TomL, who shares the following guest post: Backpack-Shack radio listening by TomL So, the Car Shack idea was good, but I felt constrained by lack of access to better locations to listen to shortwave radio. I took most of the original equipment and stuffed it into a photo backpack I […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike Ladd (KD2KOG), who writes with a Tecsun PL-310ET tip: Happy Holidays! I found this trying different button combos on the PL-310ET. I don’t think this is documented online. Tecsun PL-310ET Memory Reset Power off the radio Press and hold the Del key.When the radio beeps release the Del […]

Many thanks to Chris Smolinski, who shares the following update: I have a new version of Morse Pad for the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch. This update includes an improved decoder which better handles improper dot / dash / space timing by the sender (poor fist), automatic speed (WPM) algorithm, and adds AFC (Automatic Frequency Control), which auto […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Cummings, who shares the 1951 Radio Free Europe Christmas card above. Richard also notes that he recently published a two-part series on RFE and Christmas on his blog, Cold War Radio Vignettes. Christmas and Radio Free Europe, Part One: Santa Claus, Freedom Girl and the Red Invader Christmas […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John Cooper, who shares the following announcement: NORTH AMERICAN SHORTWAVE CONTEST “The Final Countdown” 2017 Just a friendly reminder that the North American SW DX Contest, “The Final Countdown,” will be starting in a few weeks. The Holidays are upon us and time is flying. Remember the Contest starts […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Rick Lewis (WPE5BST), who writes: Have been watching this radio on eBay. […] Looks like a post 97′ model SW100S and thus the ribbon cable shouldn’t be an issue. Click here to view on eBay. It appears the seller may only be willing to ship this within Europe. You […]

(Source: Space Daily) The Mechanically Based Antenna (AMEBA) program could enable radio communication through seawater and the ground. and directly between warfighters hundreds and ultimately thousands of kilometers apart. Here’s something easy to forget when you are chatting on your cell phone or flipping channels on your smart TV: although wireless communication seems nothing short […]

Many thanks again to all of you who submitted your radio holiday memories in our December contest! In the end, we had over forty entries and I’ve truly enjoyed reading each and every one of them. In the spirit of the holidays, and to conjure up some serious radio nostalgia, I’ve posted all of the […]

(Source: BBG Watch via Dan Robinson) President Barack Obama has signed into law S. 2943, the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017,” which includes a provision to reduce the Broadcasting Board of Governors’ (BBG) governing board to an advisory status while making the BBG CEO position subject to a future nomination by the […]

(Source: Tom Taylor) Swedish DX-Federation, Italian Broadcasting Corporation Swedish DX-Federation via Channel 292 at the following times and frequency: December 26th at 07.00 – 08.00 UTC on 6070 kHz New Year’s Day, January 1st 2017 at 17.00 – 18.00 UTC on 6070 kHz January 6th 2017 at 17.00 – 18.00 UTC on 6070 kHz […]

From the Isle of Music, Week of December 26-31: From Mambo to Songo: A Special Cuban Dance Party For our final program of 2016, we bring you a special Cuban dance party without interview, plus a tribute to Pérez Prado, who was born 100 years ago on December 11, 1916. Three options for listening on […]

(Source: USC Center on Public Diplomacy) Farewell, Firewall Deep in the massive FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act is a provision to eliminate, in its present form, the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors. The NDAA has been passed by the House and the Senate and is expected to be signed by President Obama. The BBG is […]

Now an annual Christmas tradition, Brian Justin (WA1ZMS) will put his longwave experimental station WI2XLQ on the air to commemorate the 110th anniversary of Reginald Fessenden’s first audio transmission. WI2XLQ will broadcast under its new callsign (formerly WG2XFQ) on 486 kHz from Forest, Virginia, beginning on December 24 at 0001 UTC. WI2XLQ will remain on the air for 48 […]

My buddy, Skip Arey (N2EI), shared the following poem on his Facebook page and has kindly allowed me to post it here! Skip writes: “I originally published this in the NASWA “FRENDX” club journal in 1987 and later in the December 1992 issue of Monitoring Times magazine. Many thanks to Steven K. Roberts for recovering […]

(Source: Southgate ARC via Mike Barraclough) French 162 kHz Broadcast Licence The French Superior Council of Audiovisual (Content), CSA, is calling for expressions of interest in broadcasting on 162 kHz They say: In accordance with the provisions of Article 26 of the amended Freedom of Communication Act of September 30, 1986 and at the request […]

(Source: Mauno Ritola via the WRTH Facebook page) Vatican Radio special broadcasts on Christmas: Saturday 24 December 2016 1600-1652 [UTC] Mass in Chinese 5975 7200 kHz 2025-2230 Portuguese 11625 kHz Angola and Mozambique French 6080 kHz West Africa English 7275 kHz Central Africa Chinese 6185 kHz China Sunday 25 December 2016 1055-1130 [UTC] Portuguese 21560 kHz […]

If you’ve been wanting to log France Inter as longwave DX, you’re running out of time. France Inter is shutting down their 162 kHz longwave service on December 31, 2016. I’m grateful to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who has persistently reminded me that these are some of the last days to catch France Inter as […]

(Source: Radio World via Andrea Borgnino) Swiss-based company Ampegon has accepted a contract from Al Rashed to handle the upgrade of five analog shortwave transmitters that are more than 20 years old for the Kuwait Ministry of Information in Al Kabd station. […]Ampegon will refurbish all of the transmitters, and in addition upgrade three of […]

Hi there, I thought I’d share with you, three recent catches from Canada that I had not previously heard here in Oxford, UK, over the past 18 months of DXing. The first is VOWR, a religous station in Saint John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. At the time of reception their TX power was 2.5 kW, thus […]

I recently received an email from SWLing Post reader, Ibrahima Ditinn Diallo, regarding a receiver I had never heard of–the Elpa ER-C57WR. Ibrahima has been searching for a new receiver and is considering the Elpa. I did a quick search and discovered that the Elpa ER-C57WR is available from a number of sellers on eBay–as both new […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jonathan Marks, who shares his latest post from Medium.com: Open Source Stupidity: The Threat to the BBC Monitoring Service Media Network, the weekly communications magazine formerly on Radio Netherlands, is set to return as an independent podcast in 2017, resuming its analysis of international broadcasting. http://traffic.libsyn.com/jonathanmarks/MN.24.08.1989BBCMS.mp3 The first time we […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, ShortwaveGuy, who shares the following guest post originally published on his blog, Shortwave.me: Tried And True. . .Revisiting Older Receivers – Realistic DX-440 by ShortwaveGuy Anyone who knows me, knows I am a fan of the “latest and greatest” when it comes to shortwave receivers. Like most of us […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Chris Kadlec, who has kindly (and upon my request) shared this interesting audio survey of Korean jammers and propaganda stations. This is the final 45 minutes of my 3-hour – exactly 3 hours – broadcast of East Asia AM radio (skywave as heard from Seoul, frequency by frequency). http://www.beaglebass.com/dx/audio/seoul/Korean_Propaganda_and_Jammers.mp3 Click […]

(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. […]