The SWLing Post

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Don Moore–noted author, traveler, and DXer–for the following guest post: Monitoring DSC with YADD By Don Moore (The following article was originally published in the April/May 2022 edition of the Great Lakes Monitor, bulletin of the Michigan Association of Radio Enthusiasts. An all-band listening club, MARE publishes a bi-monthly print bulletin […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Benn Kobb (AK4AV), who notes that the FCC has posted for public inspection two lobbying documents by DPA Mac, applicant for a new DRM HF broadcast station with 2 kW of transmitter output power. Benn notes: “Regardless of DPA’s claims that its broadcasts will be free of charge and […]

I recently learned from a few reports on Twitter that WTWW left shortwave for good on November 9, 2022 and will now only broadcast over the internet. I missed this announcement on the air and WTWW’s website doesn’t seem to reflect this information yet. The WTWW wikipedia page has already been updated, however, with WTWW’s […]

Hi SWLing post community and birdwatchers everywhere Fastradioburst23 here. Just to let you know if WRMI is on the air this Sunday (fingers crossed) after an encounter with yet another hurricame expect an additional programme of WREN. This week’s Imaginary Stations show on Sunday 13th November 2022 features our feathered friends again with lots of […]

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! Identify that antenna by sight (Hackaday) It’s a skill that radio amateurs pick up over years but which it sometimes comes as a surprise to […]

Yesterday, I published a post listing several radios for sale. These are all portables I haven’t used in a while–I would like them to be in the hands of someone who could put them on the air. I have so many portables that many get overlooked because I’m just one guy. That, and I’m also […]

I’m in the process of re-arranging my small office/radio shack and building a dedicated fold-out workbench for all of my projects that require a bit of solder and tinkering. I need to downsize some of my radio collection to not only free up space but also re-fund the radio kitty. I literally have dozens and […]

I was recently searching for my review of the Tecsun H-501x on the SWLing Post to send to a reader when I realized I had not yet published it here! Let’s fix that… The following review of the Tecsun H-501x was originally published in the November 2021 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. Enjoy: A […]

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: Part of news bulletin from Voice of Korea Radio, 12015 kHz, broadcasting in English from Kujang, North Korea, and listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, November 4, 2022, 21h (UTC). “Press Statement of Pak […]

Hi all SWLing post community, Fastradioburst23 here letting you know of our next episode of renaissance music radio across the shortwaves this weekend thanks to WRMI. This Sunday 6th November 2022 from 2300 utc on 9395 kHz there will be another transmission of WREN and in keeping with last week’s show they’ll be much more […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mangosman, who shares the following announcement from the DRM Consortium: Encompass Plans A One-off Broadcast From Uk To India On Nov 4th Encompass Digital Media will be running a one-off transmission from its site in Woofferton, UK, on Friday 4th of November. This electronic music broadcast will target the […]

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 Book: QSL? (Do You Confirm Receipt of My Transmission?) (Standards Manual) A collection of over 150 “QSL cards”, QSL? chronicles a moment in time […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Don Moore–noted author, traveler, and DXer–for the following guest post series: Don Moore’s Photo Album by Don Moore Introduction When I discovered DXing over fifty years ago I also discovered the world. Through my ears I traveled to other countries and explored other cultures. But DXing has also literally taken […]

If you’ve been reading the SWLing Post for long, you’ll know that I think the Icom IC-705 is a brilliant radio for shortwave, mediumwave and even FM DXing. I mention this in my IC-705 review. Indeed, I realize that I may even use the IC-705 as much as I use some of my excellent computer-connected […]

The new 2022 “Belka” (generation 3) general coverage receiver by 13dka Since its introduction in 2019, the super-tiny Belka (back then called “Belka DSP”) shortwave receiver sure gained an enthusiastic followership among SWLs and hams. The main reason for this is certainly the way how the Belka is incredibly small yet playing in a different […]

Good day to all SWLing post readers, Fastradioburst23 here letting you know of our next episode of Imaginary Stations via WRMI on shortwave this weekend. This Sunday 30th October 2022 on 9395 kHz from 2200 utc there will be another transmission of WREN, this time it’s music of a Renaissance style, so turn back the […]

I’ve been running the SWLing Post for fourteen years (!!!) and during that time I’d say that one of the top three questions I receive is a variation of “Which radio is better?” followed by a list of radio makes and models. Sometimes that question is easy to answer because the reader is new to […]

If, like me, you received your latest C.Crane catalog, you’ve no doubt noticed the new C.Crane CC Skywave SSB 2 on page 3. The CC Skywave SSB is one of my favorite all-time travel portables. I love it for its versatility, frequency coverage, and overall performance. Click here to read my review. Version 2 of […]

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 […]