The SWLing Post

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, @andy_fab, who shared the following press release from KBS via Twitter: Test Transmission Notice KBS World Radio English Service will carry out test transmission from October 3 to 8 ahead of the B16 shortwave frequency adjustment. Please tune into the following frequencies and send us your reception reports. Your feedback […]

Hi there, I thought I would share a few recent medium wave DX catches from South America. In the past month or so, I’ve managed to record signals from Colombia, Peru, Venezuela and one that I’m particularly happy about – Ecuador, which is rarely reported in Europe. All catches were obtained with my usual indoor […]

As Hurricane Matthew makes its slow trek through the Caribbean, it is expected to have impact on the Bahamas, Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina. It has already battered Haiti and Cuba. A few readers have asked about frequencies to monitor as the storm approaches. Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) The Hurricane Watch Net is a group of […]

Jazz Night @ From the Isle of Music! Our October 11 (October 10 in the Americas on WBCQ) program presents a very special feature on Emiliano Salvador plus some music from Maraca and Grupo Afrocuba. Two options for listening on shortwave: WBCQ, 7490 KHz, Tuesdays 0000-0100 UTC (8pm-9pm EDT Mondays in the Americas) Channel 292, […]

This weekend, I received the Como Audio Solo that I backed in a summer Kickstarter campaign. I’m pleased the Solo not only met delivery expectations, but I’m happy with the overall quality of this radio. I will post a preliminary review soon. One of the main reasons I purchased the Solo was to use and review it as […]

Many thanks to Mauno Ritola who notes the following news via the WRTH Facebook page: VOA emergency shortwave coverage for Haiti in Creole & English has started as follows via Greenville [North Carolina]: 2200-0200 7305 kHz 0200-1200 7405 kHz 1200-1630 9565 kHz Last night, I looked at the projected path of Hurricane Matthew. Sadly, Haiti and […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John Cooper, who shares the following announcement: To all North American SW DX contest survey respondents and other interested North American SW DXers. The proposed SW DX Contest is a go, and will be conducted in early January 2017. I am in the process of drafting the contest rules/ […]

(Source: Independent.ie via London Shortwave) RTE is set to scrap controversial plans to axe its longwave radio service, aimed at saving the cash-strapped broadcaster €250,000 a year, the Sunday Independent has learned. As the station grapples with an unprecedented financial crisis, it was announced two years ago that it planned to wind down longwave 252 […]

Fred Osterman, President of Universal Radio, recently expressed his interest in supporting another SWLing Post Reader Contest. Of course, I eagerly agreed, and we quickly came up with a theme: Think back to your first days in radio…What was your “dream” receiver? And why? Or–if you’re new to shortwave radio–what is your “dream” receiver currently, and why? Many of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes: The number of times a shortwave classic becomes available in this condition over the course of decades, can be counted on two hands, let alone one in new unopened condition: Click here to view on eBay. Thanks for the tip, Dan! I’ve never seen the HRO-500 […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Hirst, who has once again spotted a classic radio in film: This shot of some Heathkit radios came up in the first episode of “Stranger Things”. The teacher mentions the brand by name, having sourced them for some enthusiastic school friends who then proceed to talk straight into […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Steven Roberts, who shares the following update: Hi, Thomas!! Thought I’d send an update… I did in fact find a buyer for Nomadness, and have since gone to the Dark Side… for 8 months, I have been living aboard my Delta 50 named Datawake. The sale of Nomadness was via […]

Our October 4 (October 3 in the Americas on WBCQ) program presents the finale of Caribe Nostrum with special guest Guido López Gavilán, and we will play selections from each of the Rock and Pop nominees in Cubadisco 2016. Two options for listening on shortwave: WBCQ, 7490 KHz, Tuesdays 0000-0100 UTC (8pm-9pm EDT Mondays in […]

Last week, I attended the W4DXCC convention in Sevierville, Tennessee. The road trip afforded me several opportunities to make NPOTA activations through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I took my field kit which included the Elecraft KX2, QRP Ranger battery pack (not pictured), and EFT Trail-Friendly antenna. Thursday, September 22, 2016 My first stop […]

It’s been quite a while since I posted any logs. I picked out my best ones from the last 2 months. Equipment: Tecsun PL-880, 225 foot long wires oriented for different directions, EmTech ZM2 Antenna tuner, DX Engineering RPA-1PLUS HF PreAmp and EmTech ZM2 antenna tuner. 5040 kHz, All India Radio Jaypore from 1641UTC to 1645UTC […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who is seeking help: NBC Papua New Guinea has contacted me saying they are trying to locate a DX’er named Bill Smith who lives in Douglas, Massachusetts. He sent them a reception report for NBC Bouganville by mail and wants a reply, but they do EQSL only. […]

Many thanks to my buddy, Dave Zantow (N9EWO), who writes: My long awaited “SDRplay RSP” review is now available. My apologies for the delay. It took more time then I had planned and other issues got in the way. We also tested it with the popular DSD+ software and worked well after some troubleshooting. http://webpages.charter.net/n9ewo2/perseus.html […]

SWLing Post contributor, Mark Fahey, has just announced that his new Beaglebone-powered KiwiSDR receiver is online. Mark notes: Please try out my multi-user 0-30MHz SDR[.] The test system is operating from my monitoring station at Freemans Reach in south east Australia (near Sydney). […]The test system is fully self contained and self operating. The antenna (ALA1530S+) […]

I’m very happy to see that the CBC has reported on the premier of Amanda Dawn Christie’s film, Spectres of Shortwave. (Source: CBC) For seven decades, a mysterious site on the Trans-Canada highway marked Sackville, New Brunswick. Where the hills and trees faded just past the Nova Scotia border, 13 120-metre towers rose up from the town’s Tantramar […]

If you’re around the radio this morning (Sunday, Sep 25), and you’d like to make some NPOTA contacts, note that I plan activate: Great Smoky Mountains (NP26) & Appalachian National Scenic Trail (TR01) starting around 13:30 UTC (9:30 EDT), Great Smoky Mountains (NP26) & Blue Ridge Parkway (PK01) starting around 15:00 UTC (11:00 EDT) and hopefully Trail of Tears National Historic […]

This is the first and only “WorldSpace” satellite receiver I’ve seen on Ebay, currently offered at a $175 Buy-It-Now price from a seller in Australia: http://www.ebay.com/itm/HITACHI-KW-WSI-DIGITAL-RECEIVER-WS-FM-MW-SW1-SW2-/282192383263 The radio is listed as in excellent condition with the original box and literature. Besides the long-gone WorldSpace satellite frequencies, the radio covers medium wave, FM, and most of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, William Lee, who shares a link to this article on the BBC Blog: Currently there are over 15,000 permanently available programmes, largely radio programmes, on the BBC website dating back decades, but they can be very difficult to find. From today, we’re launching a new piece of technology called […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, London Shortwave, who shared a link to this Sony CRF-V21 on eBay: Click here to view on eBay UK. I’m sure a Sony collector will eventually snag this rig. Thought the listing mentions no shipping outside the UK, the Seller states otherwise: “[I]f you don’t live in uk you […]

(Source: YouTube and WRTH Facebook Page) Click here to view on YouTube.

Around noon (EDT) today, I’ll start my short journey to the W4DXCC conference in Sevierville, TN. En route, I’ll pass through three National Parks: the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s a beautiful drive and the weather appears to be near-ideal–clear skies. This also affords me the opportunity to activate two […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, DanH, who writes: I read this news item today. AT&T has a new approach to broadband over power lines called AirGig. Supposedly, this technology will avoid RFI issues encountered with previous BPL technologies. This shouldn’t be an issue in my neighborhood where power lines are underground. Underground utilities still […]

Our September 27 (September 26 in the Americas on WBCQ) program offers special guest Yissy Garcia, one of Cuba’s most exciting young drummers and leader of Yissy & Bandancha, an explosive new project with which we think you’ll fall in love. And, of course, we’ll play a lot of other great Cuban music as well. […]

Many thanks to Luis Maria Barassi (RAE Director) and Adrian Korol (RAE Executive Advisor) for sharing the following press release: RAE- RADIODIFUSION ARGENTINA AL EXTERIOR becomes RAE- ARGENTINA TO THE WORLD A new stage begins in the history of RAE, that will transform from RAE-RADIODIFUSION ARGENTINA AL EXTERIOR to RAE- ARGENTINA TO THE WORLD, updating the identity […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who noticed an error in the original announcement about the Spectres of Shortwave Premiere. Richard has confirmed with Amanda Dawn Christie that the simulcast is at 7:15 p.m. ADT (not 7:15 AST) as it will still be Daylight Savings Time. This means it will be 6:15 p.m. EDT or 22:15 […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, John Cooper, who writes with the following update: Attention All Shortwave DXers and SW Listeners! The closing date for the Contest survey gauging the interest in having a North American Shortwave DX Contest is in 10 days from today. As of today’s date I have only received 18 […]

Hi there, I’ve owned my Sony ICF-SW100S for about a year now and in that time it has demonstrated a level of performance way beyond my expectations. Notwithstanding it’s incredibly small size (about the same as a packet of cigarettes, give-or-take), the DX results I have obtained with it are simply incredible. A fully featured […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who writes: From time to time, I get some interesting shortwave catches here in Alaska. Sometimes on 10 MHz, I get WWV. Sometimes I get WWVH. Sometimes I get BPM China. And from time to time, I’ve heard all three at once. Well this clip is something […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Mike, who shares a link to the following interview with Fayyaz Sheheryar, Director General of All India Radio. I’ve pasted a couple of Sheheryar’s responses below–click here to read the full interview. But there had been some talk in the government at one time to disband short wave broadcasts? Yes, but we had […]

As I mentioned in a previous post, what I love about the National Parks On The Air program is that it combines two of my favorite things: national parks and ham radio. My family visits national parks regularly, so it’s easy for me to pack a small radio, do a quick NPOTA activation all while incorporating […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike Ladd (KD2KOG), who notes the release of SDRuno version 1.03: Beta testing is complete. Changelog is below. Version 1.03 (18th September 2016) Bug Fixes High DPI resolution issue. Various minor bug fixes and typos Updates Reworked filter cutoffs Separate out EXTIO functionality RSP Ready indicator in Main Window/SETT/Input […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom Ally, who shares the following short videos of the PatronX Titus II: Click here to view on YouTube. http://titusradio.com/files/titus%20intro%20to%20cover-base.mp4 Click here to download.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Aaron Kuhn, who writes: The HFCC is now collecting “pre-orders” (really expressions of interest in purchasing/demand) for the PantronX Titus II Android Radio at http://hfcc.org/delivery/receivers.phtml “The purpose of this form is to collect the information on the demand for pre-production samples of the Titus II receiver. It is NOT […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, A. Black, who shares the following article from Slashdot: This week the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed “The Ham Radio Parity Act” — a huge victory for grass-roots advocates of amateur radio. Slashdot readerbobbied reports: This will allow for the reasonable accommodation of amateur radio antennas in many […]

(Source: RTÉ) Wherever you are in the world, here’s how you can follow this year’s All-Ireland football finals with RTÉ Sport. On TV with RTÉ television, online via RTÉ Player, worldwide with GAAGO, on your mobile device with RTÉ News Now and via shortwave to Africa with RTÉ Radio, there are no shortage of ways to […]

I’m very pleased to share this press release from filmmaker Amanda Dawn Christie: WORLD PREMIERE : Thursday, Sept. 22, 7:15 pm AST (11:15pm UTC) Spectres of Shortwave / Ombres des ondes courtes A film about radio waves, relationships, landscape, and loss. ============================================ Exciting news! Spectres of Shortwave is finally finished! After seven long years, it’s finally […]

Today, I plan to activate both the Blue Ridge Parkway (PK01) and Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (TR10) two-fer for the National Parks on the Air (NPOTA). I should go on the air sometime between 16:00-17:00 UTC (12:00-13:00 EDT), weather permitting. I’ll plan to start on the 20 meter band (14286 kHz) then move to the 40 […]

TIMBA TIME, ONE MORE TIME! Our September 20 (September 19 in the Americas on WBCQ) program offers more of Caribe Nostrum, winner of Cubadisco 2016 in the Concert and Chamber Music category and one of the two Gran Premio winners. Guido López Gavilán, the Director, will join us to talk about the music. Then, special […]

Hi there, here is a selection of North American medium wave stations logged in Oxford UK, over the past couple of weeks using the Elad FDM DUO and Wellbrook ALA1530 active loop antenna (indoors). A quick list of stations logged follows below – with URL links which will take you directly to the respective reception video […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gary Wise (W4EEY), who writes: A good friend of mine recently bought an RTL-SDR (Version 3) from Amazon after seeing the unit in action at my house. He primarily uses Apple computers, however, and the software selections for Apple’s IOS recommended at the RTL-SDR Quick Start Guide (http://www.rtl-sdr.com/rtl-sdr-quick-start-guide/) don’t […]

Though I have a lot of shortwave portables, the Sony ICF-SW7600GR is still one of my favorites. Why? Despite its ergonomic shortcomings, it’s a solid performer with a robust sync detector and stable AGC. Check out how it compared with other benchmark portables in our Mega Review. I understand that Sony no longer manufactures the ‘7600GR–perhaps […]

I’m honored to have been interviewed by Eric (4Z1UG) for his QSO Today podcast. The interview was posted as a podcast this week. We recorded it a couple weeks ago via Skype. My home Internet service was so terrible that day, I actually drove into town, parked in a parking lot, and used Skype via my mobile hotspot. I […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who notes that Jay Allen has just published a review of the Sangean PR-D6. Jay gives the PR-D6 high marks on AM performance–especially for a $30 radio. I also love the simple analog design! Thanks for the tip, Ron!