The SWLing Post

If you’ve been following the Sangean DT-160CL versus Sony SRF-39FP battery endurance test, I have some news to report: one of our competitors has finally thrown in the towel…! Yesterday, while I was on the road for about 1.5 hours, the Sangean DT-160CL at last gave up the contest. Since I was traveling at the time, I can’t say with absolute […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Benn, who writes: [Skycast (WI2XER)] is a station in the Experimental Radio Service, licensed under Part 5 of the FCC Rules. Benn provided the following details: Licensed 3 March 2016: SKYCAST SERVICES LLC WI2XER 0809-EX-PL-2015 New experimental to operate in HF bands from 13.87 MHz to 21 MHz to […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, John from VORW Radio International, who writes: [I] wanted to let you know that I will be having a special shortwave broadcast on August 10th and 11th. The broadcast will provide entertainment to listeners in Europe, Asia and North America with a mixture of good music and talk to accompany it. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Mike Nikolich (N9OVQ), who writes: I am in the midst of downsizing and am selling my Eton E1 XM Receiver on eBay. It is gunk-free and the display works great. Here is the link: http://ebay.to/2aIEtZf Thanks, Mike. Looks like your E1 is in great shape! Click here to view on […]

It’s been one hundred nine hours since I started the Sangean DT-160CL versus Sony SRF-39FP battery endurance test and both radio are still hanging in there! Not knowing which radio will check out first, I’ve been taking them with me everywhere and have been careful to keep their settings identical the whole time. Last night, I […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom Servo, for sharing the following review of the Sangean DT-160. His review was originally posted on the radio discussions forum: Got my Sangean DT-160 today. Thanks, Santa Claus! Initial impressions are positive, both in the build quality and performance. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it’d be, […]

Radio Northern Ireland will be broadcasting via WRMI on 9955khz at 0130 UTC on Monday. This is a regular show from Radio Northern Ireland. Jordan Heyburn from Radio Northern Ireland has made changes to his show and he has included a news segment! Jordan said “I decided to include a news segment to bring the […]

It’s been eighty seven (!!!) hours since I started the Sangean DT-160CL versus Sony SRF-39FP endurance test and both radio are still going strong. I’ve tuned both radios to my SSTran AMT3000 AM transmitter which is currently re-broadcasting the UK 1940s Radio Station on 1570 kHz. The Sangean DT-160CL still shows two of three segments on the […]

I originally wrote this three-part WiFi radio primer and review series for the April, May and June issues of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. Each part of this series will be posted with the tag: WiFi Radio Primer. You can read Part 1 by clicking here–I hope you enjoy Part 2 below: As I mentioned last week in the first […]

Sunday, August 7, 00:00 – 02:00 UTC, The Mighty KBC will broadcast on 9925 kHz for two hours: 00:00 – 01:00 UTC It’s Radio, But Not As We Know It – Dave Mason 01:00 – 02:00 UTC The Giant Jukebox – Eric van Willegen Note that for those of us in North America, the broadcasts will start […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Patrick Mason, who writes from Juneau, Alaska: I am the owner of the radio that Paul Carlson restored in the video. The serial number is 31358. I wanted to comment about a statement regarding the receiver’s sensitivity. After Paul concluded his final tune-up of the radio I can confirm […]

(Source: Southgate ARC) Many readers will remember with fond memories from the 1960s, 70s and 80s, the famous offshore radio station Radio Caroline and the last ship they used to broadcast from, the MV Ross Revenge. From today, a group of amateurs from the Martello Tower Group are operating special event station GB5RC from the Ross Revenge, […]

Many thanks to Richard Cummings of the website, Cold War Radio Vignettes, who writes: [F]or your weekend reading pleasure, Part Two, in which I briefly examine the background to and excerpts from the RFE controversial broadcasts: https://coldwarradios.blogspot.de/2016/08/radio-free-europe-and-1956-hungarian_5.html Many thanks for sharing, Richard!

It’s been thirty seven hours since I started the Sangean DT-160CL versus Sony SRF-39FP endurance test and both radio are still going strong. So far, the DT-160CL’s battery indicator still shows full voltage. The SRF-39FP has no battery indicator, but through experience I know it’s nowhere close to quitting. I’ve spent some time tuning both radios […]

As is my typical style, I’ll do some DX’ing for weeks, if not a month or more before I sit down and write out logs. I focus on logging and recording first, then writing reports later as I’m worried i’ll miss something on the dials. I have a few good ones this time around, like […]

Our August 9 (August 8 in the Americas on WBCQ) program includes our final segment with María Felicia Pérez, director of Coro Exaudi, winner of the Choral Music category in Cubadisco 2016, and our other special guest will be Jazz guitarist Emiliano Martiní, who leads the Natural Trio in addition to playing with César López […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Dobosz (K8PD) who shares his review of the Kaito KA108. Paul originally wrote this for the Michigan Area Radio Enthusiasts and has kindly allowed us to post it here: Kaito KA-108 Review by Paul Dobosz (K8PD) Kaito just introduced a pocket sized DSP based MW/SW/FM receiver with some interesting features missing […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Hawkins, who comments in reply to our post about the Sangean HDR-18: Darn. Just when you thought you read a review of the latest Sangean radio another one comes out. I have yet to find a review of the Sangean HDR-16. [The] HDR-16 is a portable AM-FM HD […]

Yesterday, I received my Sangean DT-160CL–the correctional version of the DT-160–from Amazon. Even though the Amazon product page showed 5 units in stock on July 29, and though I get free two day shipping via Amazon Prime, my DT-160CL took four business days to arrive. Out of curiosity more than anything else, I asked Amazon […]

CBC Radio 1, Gander, heard in Oxford UK A really great signal from CBC Radio 1 Gander – the best I’ve ever heard on this or any other medium wave frequency, complete with a clear station ID and very much out of season so-to-speak. I can’t remember recording any Medium Wave transatlantic signal with an […]

Many of you might have noticed I’ve been absent on Facebook/Twitter , slower to correspond, and not posting quite as often this summer. Yes, you guessed it: I’ve been on the road again. Starting in mid-May, we made our annual pilgrimage to Dayton, Ohio, where we hosted an inside exhibit at the Hamvention, made some NPOTA activations, and visited the […]

Many thanks to Richard Cummings of the website, Cold War Radio Vignettes, who notes that he has posted a new article about Radio Free Europe and the 1956 Hungarian Revolution (Part 1). The article spotlights Operation FOCUS, which was the combined balloon/leaflet and RFE broadcast endeavours 1954-56. Richard notes that Part 2 will be posted next week […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Ron, who shares a link to Jay Allen’s review of the Sangean HDR-18. Jay gives the HDR-18 high marks for audio fidelity, and HD radio sensitivity. He’s also impressed with its noise-free power supply. In general, HD radios fly beneath my radar–they’re not terribly useful to me in the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following article by James Careless in Radio World Magazine. The article includes interviews with Andy Sennitt, Kim Andrew Elliott, Nigel Fry, and even yours truly. The following is a short excerpt taken from the introduction of the article: (Source: Radio World) OTTAWA, Ontario — […]

(Source: Amateur Radio Astronomy blog) Thanks to the efforts of Nathan Towne, we now have the ability to use [the SDRplay RSP] with Radio-Sky Spectrograph (RSS). […]As with RTL Bridge, a intermediary program sits between RSS and the receiver. This program was written by Nathan Towne and is named SDRPlay2RSS, not too surprisingly. This is a […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Scott Gamble (W5BSG), who writes: I just saw this local news post about the venue for Hamvention 2017. (Source: WDTN) XENIA, Ohio (WDTN) – Days after Hara Arena announced it will close its doors, an announcement from Greene County officials revealed that Hamvention will be held at the Greene […]

Yesterday, an SWLing Post reader contacted me with questions regarding budget antenna choices for an urban apartment. He’s about to purchase an SDR, but knows that a decent antenna capable of coping with urban radio interference is a critical component. I suggested that, since I’m no expert with urban interference, he pose his question to the SWLing Post […]

As some of the subscribers to Oxford Shortwave Log will know, I’ve been talking about building a battery pack for my Elad FDM DUO to take it out on a DXpedition. Finally, I found the time to quickly do just that with some parts that cost less than £10 – as the video below demonstrates in […]

My buddy, Jeff McMahon, has just published a review of the Sangean DT-160 on his blog, the Herculodge. It’s well-worth reading if you’re considering a DT-160. Overall, Jeff believes the DT-160 is a keeper and he’s very pleased with FM performance. He notes one major annoyance: “The toggle tuning wheel on the radio’s right side. […]

I originally wrote this three-part WiFi radio primer and review series for the April, May and June issues of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. Each part of this series will be posted with the tag: WiFi Radio Primer. I hope you enjoy Part 1 below: I’ve always been a hard-core shortwave radio listener. I like the tactile experience of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Tomasz Pabich (SP7Q), who has created the following Instructable describing how to build a cardboard stand for the Elecraft KX3. Click here to view on Instructables. I love how practical and affordable this project is. The stand would be simple to disassemble and take to the field in a go-bag […]

Our August 2 (August 1 in the Americas on WBCQ) program includes more of María Felicia Pérez, director of Coro Exaudi, winner of the Choral Music category in Cubadisco 2016, and we will have a special extended segment with César López, whose Habana Ensemble is one of the most important and exciting Jazz combos in […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Eric (WD8RIF) for passing along the following news via WDTN and DARA (the Dayton Amateur Radio Association). (Source: WDTN) TROTWOOD, Ohio (WDTN) – The iconic venue brought sports, concerts, entertainment and special interest shows to the Miami Valley for 60 years is closing their doors due to not being able […]

After publishing a post referencing the new Sangean DT-160 AM/FM radio, a number of readers noticed that Sangean has also produced a clear-cased version of the DT-160: model number DT-160CL. This version, no doubt, was designed for sale in prison commissaries and is probably seen as a replacement for the venerable Sony SRF-39FP (which has been discontinued). The SRF-39FP […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who shares his impressions of the new Sangean DT-160: The DT-160 just came in and here are a few impressions: 1.) The heft and feel of this set is superb…it has that solid feel the earlier DT-200X doesn’t. It is markedly smaller,too and the buttons have a firm solid feel the earlier […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who shares a link to Jay Allen’s review of the new Sangean DT-160 and notes: https://radiojayallen.com/sangean-dt-160-amfm-mini-portable/ 100 hours on two AA’s. Selling like hotcakes on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2agELDo With Sony no longer making Walkmen,this is worth a look. Sangean has finally “perfected” their mini portable. Thanks, Ron! This is […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mehdi Asgari, who writes with news from his amateur radio club (EP2C): We had a one-day [amateur radio] program on July 16, 2016. Our club organized an activity from 5:00 AM local time to 8:30 PM (local time) in Karaj’s heights (50 km of Tehran). We had a vertical […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Edward Ganshirt, who writes: This is a “mystery brand” radio that I picked up at a swapfest for a buck, I never heard of a Star-Lite Town & Country FM-820 by the HOKUYO MUSEN KOGYO CO in Japan. This portable behemoth is not “lite”, It is heavy (13 pounds). The […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Marla, who writes: Perhaps you already know that the Crane CCRadio-SW has been discontinued. I spoke with their customer service today and learned that they can no longer get parts, so the SW is not repairable. Neither Crane nor Amazon has any. Thank you, Marla! I was not aware of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, William Lee, who shares this item from the BBC: (Source: BBC News) For the first time, the BBC has given detailed access to the plans it drew up in the Cold War for a Wartime Broadcasting System to operate in the event of nuclear war. Paul Reynolds, a former BBC […]

Saturday, I published a post referencing Cold War Clandestine Radio from Greece with links to Richard Cummings’ excellent website Cold War Radio Vignettes. My post was written some time earlier and scheduled to publish Saturday while I was traveling. Unfortunately, the Cold War Radio Vignettes articles I had linked to were removed prior to Saturday. I contacted Richard […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Neil Bernstein, who writes: I travel quite a bit for my job and I want your opinion and your readers’ opinions on whether it is more important to have the NOAA weather radio stations or shortwave radio (with or without SSB), in a compact travel emergency radio. At this point I’m […]

UPDATE: The links to Cold War Radio Radio Vignettes below became inactive just prior to publication. Richard Cummings has kindly assembled the texts I referenced and made a PDF booklet available for SWLing Post readers. Click here to download. Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Kim Elliott who (some time ago) shared a link to a […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Clint Gouveia, who writes: As the designated driver, I found myself waiting for friends at the Beyonce concert at Wembley Stadium last Sunday [July 3rd], Not wishing to miss an opportunity and taking advantage of 8 stories of elevation (top floor of the car park!) I spent about 3 hours […]

Conditions haven’t been so great lately and combine that with just being a bit tired and worn out means I haven’t DX’ed as much as I’d like. But I have spent a little time at the radio dials and when I do, I usually pull out a few good logs, so here we go: 3325 […]

The July 26 (July 25 in the Americas on WBCQ) edition of From the Isle of Music includes more of María Felicia Pérez, director of Coro Exaudi, winner of the Choral Music category in Cubadisco 2016, and we will feature some Cuban Rock by Miel con Limón, winner of the Rock category in Cubadisco this […]

I’ve been offline and off-grid this week and have accumulated quite the backlog of email. One news item that caught the attention of a large number of readers (thanks to all for the tips–!) was North Korean spy numbers. I’m very curious if any readers have logged and recorded this station–if so, please comment and consider […]