The SWLing Post

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Listening to the HF ham bands can be a lot of fun. All you need is a shortwave receiver capable of receiving single sideband (SSB) transmissions and a chart of the amateur bands. You can find downloadable PDF charts of the United States Amateur Radio Band Plan here or a detailed […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Uli Zehndbauer, who notes that Icom has released a new firmware update for the IC-705. Here are the details/notes about this firmware version from Icom: Changes from Version 1.27 – Displays the Receiving (or Transmitting) route icon (RF or TM: Terminal mode) on the RX History Log and QSO Log […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Julian S, who shares the following guest post and review: Panasonic RF-B45 – A Comparative Review by Julian S 18 and 19 October, 2022 I was raised on valve / tube radios. From my pre-teens in the 1960s, I enjoyed tuning through the frequencies as a form of exploration. […]

Hi all the SWLing post community from Fastradioburst23. Also a big hi goes out to all birdwatchers out there as the next programmme in the Imaginary Stations series is WREN featuring a transmission of a winged bias. Expect music featuring our feathered friends and live streaming of birdsong on 9395 kHz from 2200 utc on […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Richard and Heath who share the following message from Amanda Dawn Christie: Greetings! I am happy to announce that Amanda Dawn Christie’s next Ghosts in the Air Glow transmissions at HAARP will take place between October 23–October 26, 2022! You will find times and frequencies listed on her new […]

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy! BBC centenary marked at first national radio transmitter (BBC News) The BBC’s 100th anniversary has been marked in the town that enabled it to make […]

I received the following inquiry from Neal Lavon via the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contact form. Check out Neal’s request below and if you have any information or leads that might help him, please comment. Neal writes: I am working on a project about a Voice of America broadcaster from 1952-54 named Billy Brown. He […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares his radio log art of a recent Voice of Korea broadcast. Carlos notes: Voice of Korea, 11865 kHz, broadcasting in Japanese from Kujang, North Korea. Kim Jong Un guides test-firing of long-range strategic cruise missiles. Listened this morning [13 Oct 2022] in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Click […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mario Filippi (N2HUN), who shares the following guest post: Recent 10 Meter CW Beacon Activity Mario Filippi, N2HUN The 10m band has been coming alive lately and it’s time for all hams and SWLs to take advantage of it. For several years I’ve been listening to 10m beacons with mediocre results but […]

I received the following message from Ted Muldoon via the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contact form. If you happen to have any recordings of Radio Free Grenada, please comment so we may add these to the archive and preserve them for all to enjoy: Hello, My name is Ted Muldoon. I’m an audio journalist at […]

Hi all the SWLing post community from Fastradioburst23. Just to let you know the next programmme in the Imaginary Stations series is Radio Clarion. Expect some horn related tunes on 9395 kHz from 2200 utc on Sunday 16th October 2022 via WRMI. Tune in!

Our friend Jeff White, General Manager of WRMI is trying to repair extensive damage to the WRMI antenna farm post hurricane Ian. A GoFundMe has been created to help WRMI with repair costs. Even small donations add up! Jeff White provides the following details: Hello, WRMI has a rich history of supplying news, information and […]

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Hang out any place online where shortwave listeners gather, and you won’t have to wait long before you hear something like this: “I recently moved to a condo, apartment, or house where there is a home-owners association. Listening conditions are pretty rotten, and I cannot string up outdoor antennas because of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Uli (DK5ZU), who writes: Hi Thomas, I hope you are fine! I just bought a Sangean ATS-909X2 despite of the mixed reviews it earned in the beginning. There are a lot of reviews as on SWLING and other sources. But I think no newer models have been reviewed. Mine […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who shares the following item from Radio Romania International: Listeners’ Day on Radio Romania International Sunday, the 6th of November 2022, is Listeners’ Day on Radio Romania International Dear friends, Sunday, the 6th of November 2022, will be Listeners’ Day on Radio Romania International, celebrated a […]

If you’ve been an SWLing Post reader for long, you’ll likely know that I’m a Word War II history buff and I especially enjoy exploring the deep rabbit hole that is WWII radio and propaganda. Radio broadcasts were heavily used by all of the players in WWII, and some prominent personalities emerged from the Axis […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mario Filippi (N2HUN), who shares the following guest post: A Short Review of the Airspy HF+ Discovery SDR by Mario Filippi (N2HUN) I recently purchased an AirSpy HF+ Discovery. As a SWL for over 60 years who’s owned many shortwave radios by manufacturers such as Drake, Yaesu, Icom, Zenith, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes: Wow. Appearing on the Japan Buyer site is one of the top rarities, the National HRO-600 https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/m1066450646 As veteran SWLs may recall, the HRO-600 was pictured in the old Communications Handbook receiver sections. The radio sold for the then astronomical price of $5600 US. Produced […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Andy, who writes: Hi Tom, I wonder if any of your readers has noticed anything with later model PL-660s. My old PL-660 met with an accident recently (purchased about 2015?). I bought a new one and was disappointed by what appears to be a difference with the narrow and […]

In the last issue of Radio Waves, we featured an article by Hans Johnson at Red Tech about DRM broadcasts originating in North Korea. This caused me to question exactly what these DRM broadcasts were (Voice of Korea?) and why they’ve chosen to use DRM as the mode. Of course, who really knows? North Korea […]

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy! Shortwave Station WRMI Damaged by Ian (Radio World) The vast Okeechobee, Fla., antenna farm of privately-owned WRMI, which transmits programming to the world via shortwave […]

After posting information about the new Belka upgrades yesterday, Belka designer, Aleksandr Buevskiy, reached out to me and shared the following details and clarification about the latest design: I would like to share some more details/photos about Belka so that there is clear understanding of what features the new version has. First, regarding its name. […]

I received the following message/announcement below from Ethan at Ham & HiFi regarding some inventory they have of the original Chameleon CHA RXL loop antenna. This antenna is the one Dan Robinson originally reviewed and Josh at Ham Radio Crash Course demonstrated in a video. Note that they’re offering this deal as an exclusive to […]

Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post readers who share the following announcement and request from the amazing Internet Archive: Internet Archive Seeks Donations of Materials to Build a Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications Internet Archive has begun gathering content for the Digital Library of Amateur Radio and Communications (DLARC), which will […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Garr, who writes: I have some interesting news for all of those Belka DX fans, Alex the guy behind this magnificent receiver has just announced the introduction of a new model. Ok so it is still called the Belka DX but it has now got a total frequency […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike (VE3MKX), who shares photos taken during the Hamilton, Ontario hamfest which took place on October 1, 2022. Readers: This is a large gallery of 40 photos courtesy of Mike (VE3MKX). If you would like to view the entire image gallery click on the link to see more. Photos Click […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Nick Booras, who writes: Hi Thomas I just picked up a new to me radio that [is] very rare in the US. I loved it so much I did a comparison to an 8711 and a FTDX101MP. The Skanti presented very well. Video Click here to view on YouTube. Excellent […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Robert Yowell, who writes: Tom – someone posted this week a rarely seen 1986 commercial for Eveready Batteries featuring the GE World Monitor radio (and Gold medal Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton!) Enjoy! Click here to view on YouTube. Thank you so much for sharing this, Robert. I have […]

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy! New miniature antenna can operate wirelessly inside of a living cell (Tech Explorist) An intracellular antenna that’s compatible with 3D biological systems and can operate […]

Hi SWLing post people worldwide, this weekend WRLD takes to the air in the imaginary station series. The transmission will be on air on 9395 kHz from 2200 utc on Sunday 2nd October 2022 via the services of WRMI. Expect some wonderful tunes from all around this magical globe of ours. Fastradioburst23.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor (and rare radio aficionado), Dan Robinson, who shares a link to this eBay listing. Dan notes: “The SS-1R is almost as rare as the SS-IBS which was the SWBC version of the receiver.” Click here to view on eBay. Thanks for sharing this, Dan. Seems the seller is also […]

(Source: The Guardian via Mark Hirst) Hundreds of jobs to go as BBC announces World Service cutbacks Corporation to end production of radio output in 10 languages, including Chinese, Hindi and Arabic, as it blames licence fee freeze The BBC has announced deep cuts to its World Service output that will result in the loss […]

We’ve published thousands of off-air recordings on Shortwave Radio Audio Archive over the past decade. They’re freely available for everyone to search and download. For those of us who work on the archive, it’s a pure labor of love. We are not compensated for the time and effort we put into running and curating it, […]

by Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Ever since Thomas (our Maximum Leader) posted the latest DX Central MW Challenge, I’ve been curious . . . what could I hear if I gave it a shot? Habitually, I get up early, between 4 and 5 am, so I decided to give it a try. Conventional wisdom […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Loyd Van Horn at DX Central who shares the following announcement: We are kicking off the 2022-23 DX season with the return of the MW Frequency Challenge! The MW Frequency Challenge officially started during the season premiere of our DX Central Live! livestream on YouTube on Friday, September 2022. Our frequency range for […]

Hi SWLing post community. On Wednesday 28th September there’s the return of Radio Free Skybird via Channel 292. The broadcast will beamed to Europe at 1700 UTC on 3955 kHz and features a freeform blend of music & culture from the 1960s to the present day for all to enjoy! Fastradioburst23

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM It was Don Moore’s excellent article — An Introduction to DXing the MF Marine Bands — that inspired me. If you haven’t read it, do so now; it’s terrific. But be warned: my guess is that it will inspire you too. Bottom line, ever since I read it, I have very […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom Kamp (PA/DF5JL), who shares the following brief report and video: Today (September 21, 2022) around 2015 UT strong signal on 5006 kHz (CF) from JG2XA beacon from Japan (0.2 kW) near Den Helder, in North-Holland, The Netherlands. JG2XA transmits continuously at 200 W on 5006 kHz and 8006 […]

Hi SWLing post community, just to let you all know this weekend there’s another in the Imaginary Stations series, this time the return of WFCR – Flying Carpet Radio. The transmission will be on air on 9395 kHz from 2200 utc on Sunday 25th September 2022 via WRMI. Expect some apt magical tunes. Fastradioburst23.

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy! RadioStack’s Maverick-603 Is a Fully-Functional Open-Silicon Software-Defined Radio for FT8 (Hackster.io) Built using open tools and readied for manufacturing at SkyWater using the Efabless platform, […]

I just received a message from Chameleon Antenna who is a proud sponsor of the SWLing Post. They’ve added an SWLing Post affiliate code to all of their CHA-RXL Pro orders. If you’ve decided to purchase a CHA-RXL Pro, by adding the code QRP5 at the checkout page, Chameleon will give the SWLing Post a […]

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM I just received this: Dear Jock: It is with a heavy heart that I must report that 102 year old, Agnes Joan Negra passed away last Friday, peacefully, and at home. She went into Hospice care about three weeks ago. We had a private funeral for mom…immediate family only. But I […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jake Brodsky (AB3A), who shares the following guest post: How I Listen to Encore on Radio Tumbril Listening to Classical music on shortwave is a challenge. It has loud and soft parts to the music. There may be selective fading. It isn’t a simple thing. Also, configuring a software […]

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Man on the run thrillers, like The 39 Steps by John Buchan* and Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household hold a special fascination for me. Give me a yarn about someone being pursued by the bad guys, and I am enthralled. (Incidentally, there are a couple of good lists of these thrillers. […]

Hi SWLing post community, do you enjoy shopping? Do you like getting bargains? Well if so please join us for a grand opening of another KMRT, your one stop shortwave shopping experience! Experience the thrill of a bustling supermarket live on shortwave this Sunday 18th September 2022 via WRMI on 9395 kHz at 2200 hrs […]

Hello shortwave listeners! I wanted to make this post in order to provide an updated broadcast schedule for my transmissions to Europe and North America for the Fall of 2022. This radio program is 1 Hour in length and features miscellaneous discussion (sometimes about current events, other times about random subjects on my mind) at […]

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy! How the BBC (still) sends audio to transmitter sites (Hackaday) Running a radio station is, on the face of it, a straightforward technical challenge. Build […]

(Source: IEEE Spectrum via Dennis Dura) A Four-Year Program to Tackle a Fundamental Antenna Challenge — IARPA hopes to break past an 80-year-old limit on making small radio antennas more effective For 80 years, a class of antenna called electrically small antennas has been stymied by a seemingly insurmountable barrier. These antennas, which can receive […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Giuseppe Morlè (IZ0GZW), who shares the following: Dear Thomas and Friends of the SWLing Post, I’m Giuseppe Morlè from Formia, central Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. This time I want to show you 2 QRP connections made with minimal antenna over long distance and very few watts of power… The antenna […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jason Walker, who shares the following advice: H501x Tecsun Battery Issue – False Low Battery Indication – Solution As a H-501x owner I have found a solution to ‘false’ low battery indications on the radio, having tried several high quality batteries to lengthen the runtime, even a high capacity […]