The SWLing Post

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 […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Les (K3JTP), who writes: Lowe HF225 with FM and AM Synchro offered on eBay at about US$500 + US$50 shipping from Netherlands. Almost mint condition,. A rare find of a highly rated receiver made in the UK. Click here to view on eBay (partner link). Thank you so much […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark (AE2EA), who shares the following video presentation by the Antique Wireless Association: Radios and the the Disappearance of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan Today, when GPS provides astounding levels of absolute position accuracy, it can be hard to appreciate the navigational challenges that Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan […]

SWLing Post friend and contributor, David Goren, notes that a piece he’s produced and Maria Margaronis has presented is now available to listen to online via BBC Radio 4: The Allan B. Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas, used to be known as the Terror Dome for its high rates of inmate violence, murder and suicide. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Andrea Borgnino, who shared the following via Twitter: The next edition of the WRTH “world’s most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to broadcasting” will be published in December 2022 in a printed and a digital version. The rights have now been transferred to Radio Data Center GmbH (RDC), based in […]

Just a quick reminder of the return of Radio Lavalamp “Your ethereal shortwave music station” to your radio receivers via the transmitters of Channel 292 this weekend. The broadcast is on Sunday 11th September 2022 at 10.00 UTC/12.00 CEST on 6070 kHz and will feature a mix of chilled out tunes and a relaxed musical […]

I’m very honored to be featured with my good friend Wlodek (US7IGN) in a short radio documentary on BBC Radio 4 today. Wlodek is long-time reader and subscriber here on the SWLing Post and QRPer.com. Wlodek lives in Kiev, Ukraine and we keep in touch these days over email. Like me, he is passionate about […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave (N9EWO), who writes: Dan, shango066 on You Tube give us a nice little tour of KYET on 1070 kHz in Golden Valley Arizona which transmits in AM Stereo (6K day, 1 watt night). Harris solid state transmitter which is also shown in this video: Click here to view […]

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM The internet, I think, is darn near magic. A few keystrokes and you can find almost anything. And people use it all the time for all kinds of things. Hold that thought for a moment. At the same time, I am very nearly a free speech absolutist . . . you […]

On Friday, September 2, 2022, I had just enough time in my schedule to visit the Shelby Hamfest for a couple of hours. The Shelby Hamfest–referred to, locally, as “The Grand-Daddy of them All”–has long been regarded as one of the largest outdoor hamfests in the southeast US. Shelby Photo Gallery Weather was ideal for the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Don, who notes that Dave Casler has posted a review of the CHA-RXL Pro on his YouTube channel: Click here to watch on YouTube.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, for the following guest post and review: The Chameleon CHA-RXL Pro: Improved Amp Board Raises the Game by Dan Robinson Back in 2021 I reviewed the CHA-RXL loop by Chameleon. This loop antenna is sold by major retailers such as DX Engineering, Gigaparts and Chameleon itself – the company is […]

Hi SWLing post community, hope you are all well. This weekend there’s another in the Imaginary Stations series, this time the return of KFOG. The transmission will be on air on 9395 kHz from 2200 utc on Sunday 4th September 2022. Expect tunes in a nautical style. It will feature “music from out of the […]

(Source: RNZ via Alokesh Gupta) RNZ Pacific resumes shortwave analogue service to Pacific region (RNZ) From September 1, RNZ Pacific will resume its shortwave analogue service to the Pacific region between the hours of 5 and 9am New Zealand time. Shortwave radio is radio transmission using shortwave (SW) radio frequencies. RNZ Pacific broadcasts in digital […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jerome van der Linden, who shares the following guest post: Nothing is so constant as change by Jerome van der Linden Those of us who have had an interest in broadcasting over many years realize pretty soon that technology is constantly changing. The following relates to the situation where I live […]

(from Bill Tilford) The following is the Radio Angela (WBCQ 5130 kHz) schedule for September 2022. Radio Angela welcomes Austin Saturday Night, a new monthly program by Terry Colgan, who also produces Texas Radio Shortwave on other frequencies/stations, and Venerable Verses with Lainie Petersen on Sunday nights. That program begins with a serialized reading of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor extraordinaire, 13dka, who brings us Part Two of a three part series about the new SULA homebrew antenna project. This first article describes this affordable antenna and demonstrates its unique reception properties. The second article focuses on construction notes. This third and final article will essentially be a Q&A about the SULA antenna. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Julian, who writes: Hi Thomas, I found this eBay listing for a seemingly new in the box Sony ICF SW77 complete with accessories and paperwork. It may interest SWLing readers. Click here to check it out on eBay. Best wishes, Julian Thank you for the tip, Julian. This does […]

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! Many thanks to Eric Jon Magnuson for summarizing these news items for Radio Waves! Hubbard Is Four Years In With All-Digital AM. Here’s How It’s […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Matt Blaze, for the following guest post: Matt’s 2022 Portable Loop Antenna Shootout by Matt Blaze, WB2SRI Followers of this blog may be familiar with my “shortwave radio shootouts” that I post from time to time. The idea is to compare how well different radios demodulate the exact same signal. Basically, I […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who publishes the following guest post: Letter to Eton: Cutting Corners on Elite Satellit Won’t Succeed by Dan Robinson As SWLing.com readers will recall, weeks before Eton shipped the first group of Elite Satellit receivers I published a commentary that asked a key question: would Eton be […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor extraordinaire, 13dka, who brings us Part Two of a three part series about the new SULA homebrew antenna project. This first article describes this affordable antenna and demonstrates its unique reception properties. This second article focuses on construction notes. The third and final article will essentially be a Q&A about the SULA […]

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! AM/FM Receiver Sales Have ‘Stabilized’ Even As Audio Turns Up On More Devices. (Inside Radio) Anyone who has tried to find an AM/FM receiver in […]

Eton Elite Satellit Update (August 20, 2022) As many SWLing Post readers have pointed out, Universal Radio has posted the following update to their product page for the Elite Satellit: Our initial allocation of radios arrived 08/17/22. Our Q/C testing detected a problem with the radio. We are working closely with Eton to find a […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor extraordinaire, 13dka, who brings us a three part series about the new SULA homebrew antenna project. This first article describes this affordable antenna and demonstrates its unique reception properties. The second article will focus on construction notes. The third and final article will essentially be a Q&A about the […]