The SWLing Post

While I’m not exactly in the market for anything other than a few radio accessories, I have been checking out some Black Friday Deals online. I must admit that there seems to be even more deals this year than there were last year. A few retailers worth checking out (in alphabetical order): Airspy As we […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Istvan Biliczky, who shares the following announcement: The annual TOP 10 DX OF THE YEAR contest will start soon. From 1 December 2021. 00:00 UTC to 31 December 2021 24:00 UTC. The contest is open for all shortwave listeners and free of charge. All the information is available on our […]

Many thanks to the folks at Airspy who shares the following announcement: It’s that time of the year again! This year we offer a generous 25% Black Friday discount on all our Airspy products though our network of distributors. Check: https://airspy.com/purchase Click here to view their announcement on Twitter. If you’ve been considering the Airspy […]

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest SWLing Post readers. To that end: Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting […]

From the Isle of Music, November 28-December 4: Part 1 of 2 parts: This week, our guest Ricardo Oropesa discusses his new book “Miguelito Valdés. La voz del tambor”, and we listen to some of “Mr. Babalú’s” recordings. 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere […]

WinRadio has just added a new SDR to their line-up: the Winradio WR-G69DDCe ‘Artemis’. In the spirit of WinRadio’s approach to iterative design, the Artemis appears to be their new flagship SDR. The specs and features (see below) are impressive. The WR-G69DDCe has two (selectable, I assume) frequency ranges. In “Range 1” it operates as […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Loyd Van Horn at DX Central who shares the following announcement: It is with much excitement that I announce the launch of a new, fun initiative from DX Central: The MW Frequency Challenge! The MW Frequency Challenge consists of DXers trying to log as many stations on a single […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom Ally, who notes that Universal Radio is accepting pre-orders for the 10th edition of John Figliozzi’s The Worldwide Listening Guide. Click here to check out the WWLG at Universal Radio. Note that Universal Radio closed their main store in Ohio, but continue to offer select radio products via […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, T.D. Walker, who writes: Greetings, Thomas. I’m writing to let you know about a program for shortwave radio I’m curating, Postcard Panorama, which is scheduled to air beginning January 2022. Postcard Panorama is a listener mailbag program with a twist. We’re collecting postcard-size stories from radio enthusiasts for broadcast […]

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest SWLing Post readers. To that end: Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark, who writes: Tom, I would like to think that owners of the CCWiFi3 are recipients of an early Christmas present! Approximately 2000 EST during the evening of 16. November I turned on my CCWiFi3 and was alerted to the download of an update. My CCWiFi3 is suffering a […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jason, who writes: Hi Thomas, Recently I was cleaning and foolishly decided to clean the face of my Tecsun PL680 with 90% iso alcohol using an ear cleaner / Q-tip. Now the LCD has a smudge look to it, almost like a fog. The display is still legible thankfully, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Fastradioburst23, who shares the Radio Carillon flyer above announcing a broadcast on Monday, December 5th and 12th, 2021 at 1800 UTC on 3955 kHz via Channel 292. Make sure to mark your listening calendar!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Haluk Mesci, who shares the following guest post: AGA is the agha of radios… by Haluk Mesci Full disclosure: Contains nostalgia of ‘my parent’s radio’ and some 36 ‘and’s… I was born and raised in Turkey. Throughout some part of my primary and secondary school years–between 1960 to 1968–we […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan Roe, who shares his B-21 season guide to music on shortwave. Click here to download Music on Shortwave B-21 (PDF) Thank you for sharing your excellent guide, Alan! Note that this dedicated page will always have the latest version of Alan’s guide available for download.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Giuseppe Morlè, who writes: Dear Thomas, This is Giuseppe Morlè, from Formia central Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea, I built this “Magic Tablet. during a rainy afternoon to test various portables I have. The tablet is composed of 2 separate circuits: one for the short waves, a single coil […]

Guest Post by Troy Riedel Every radio enthusiast or ham operator knows this definition – something we all dread. Electromagnetic interference – also known as radio-frequency interference when in the radio frequency spectrum – is a disturbance generated by an external source that affects an electrical circuit by electromagnetic induction, electrostatic coupling, or conduction (Source: Wikipedia). I’ve been “off the shortwaves” (in […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jock Elliott, who shares the following guest post: The Essential Listening Post By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Listening to shortwave radio (or any radio, for that matter) is just plain fun. So what do you need to get in on the fun? A radio. With today’s crop of portable SW radios, many of […]

From the Isle of Music, November 21-27: This week, we present a new minialbum by Septeto Ñico Saquito with the help of Alejandro Fernández and José Armando Calzado from the group. Ñico Saquito was a legendary guarachero. 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including […]

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest SWLing Post readers. To that end: Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paolo Viappiani (SWL I1-11437), who shares the following guest post. Note that, as with any radio modification, perform this operation at your own risk. This is a very simple mod, but if you feel it might be beyond your skill level, consider hiring a radio technician to perform it on […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bob Colegrove, for the following guest post: Remembering the Radio Shack TRFs As recalled by Bob Colegrove There has always been an interest in DXing on the cheap. At the same time, most of us don’t want to sacrifice any more capability than necessary. In the late 1970s and the early 1980s, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Peter Laws, who shares the following guest post: Thomas is Famous! by Peter Laws A few weeks ago, a summary of the recent change to Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 95, Subpart D — better known as the rules for the CB Radio Service — […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Meara, from the excellent Soldersmoke Podcast, who writes: Thomas: A recent comment on the SS blog about the roots of our podcast got me thinking about one of our favorite segments: the Mailbag. I know that in coming up with this segment — and its name — I […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jerome van der Linden, who writes: Hello Thomas, I have managed to break three of these flimsy PL-880 back stands, and thought, “how hard can it be to make one out of metal?” These two photos are the result from a piece of aluminium that I had in the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Frank, who shares the following: Hello Thomas, HanRongDa has built a new mini portbale called HRD-700. Information of it is still rare, and of course it is not a professional radio. But it is interesting as it is a special analogue tuner with digital background. I have bought one […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Patricia, who writes with the following inquiry: I wonder if anyone has heard and identified the station or signal I heard on 7075 kHz at 0745 October 30, 2021 on my C. Crane Skywave, and I live in southern California. I would like to know where this signal originates, […]

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest SWLing Post readers. To that end: Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting […]

From the Isle of Music, November 14-20: This week, we repeat a 2019 episode with Yanela Brooks plus vintage recordings by Estrellas de Areito. 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including parts of East Asia and Oceania) with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jack Kratoville, for the following guest post: Important travel decisions… For the first time, (in a very long time), I’ll be traveling outside the country. This will be my first visit to Germany, and while I’ve already put Thomas’ packing skills to the test domestically with moderate success and confidence, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mario Filippi (N2HUN), who writes: Hi Thomas, I recently purchased an Oiiwak Digital Endoscope [affiliate link] for household use. It consists of a 33 foot optical cable and handheld four inch monitor It has an internal battery that can take photos and videos of areas that are hard to […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jock Elliott, who shares the following guest post: The noise, the neighbor, and the box By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Imagine the annual meeting of an international corporation called SWLing Inc. (or SWLing LTD). The CEO, looking splendid in his custom-tailored suit, is addressing the assembled multitudes. On the giant screen is an […]

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest SWLing Post readers. To that end: Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Lennart Weirell, who shares the following announcement: DX-Philately: Stamps of Radio Stations by Continents and Countries The 6th edition of one of the most complete listing of radio and DX related stamps is now available and now used by stamp collectors in 8 countries in 3 continents. It is […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Hist, who writes: Thomas, A tongue-in-cheek radio sighting this time. I spotted this gun fire damaged ‘marine HF’ radio in an episode of ‘Inside Job’ on Netflix. Mark Great timing, Mark. I watched the first episode of Inside Job this morning. It was a good laugh–quirky show! I […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ken Keese (K5KGK), who writes: Hello Thomas! Thanks for all the GREAT info you post for us! It is tremendously helpful. Do you have a list of shortwave receivers that do not mute the audio when the tuning knob is turned? This is a really important feature for me […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Fastradioburst23, who shares the Radio Carillon flyer above announcing a broadcast on Monday, November 8, 2021 at 0000 UTC on 9395 kHz via WRMI. Make sure to mark your listening calendar!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gary DeBock, who shares the following notes and video: The 7.5 inch (19cm) loopstick Radiwow R-108 model “smokes” the stock R-108 model in this video demonstration of receiving daytime DX fringe station 550-KARI in Blaine, WA (5 kW at 150 miles). The modification uses the same enhanced loopstick as […]

While browsing the QTH.com classifieds last weekend, I found an ad for a Ten-Tec Argonaut V (Model 516). The Argo V was a general coverage HF transceiver produced by TEN-TEC starting around 2003 or so. When it was introduced to market, I wanted one because I thought not only would it be a great QRP transceiver, […]

From the Isle of Music, November 7-13 (includes new B21 times): This week, our guest Mario Salvador presents his interesting new jazz album on the EGREM label, Ciudad Fantasia. 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including parts of East Asia and Oceania) with 100Kw, […]

I recently received the following message from SWLing Post contributor, Larry Thompson: I’m 74 and want to pare down my extensive receiver collection. I have a number of receivers and portable shortwaves, as well as antennas that I want to get to good homes. They would be free with the recipient just paying for shipping […]

Guest Post by Troy Riedel Click to enlarge the photo I decided to compose a post that ‘kills two birds with one stone’. Almost every time a post appears here that states something like “Amazon its selling WXYZ Shortwave Portable for the lowest price I’ve ever seen”, I typically post a comment “doesn’t everyone use […]

Guest post by Troy Riedel I have badgered people I know – mainly this site’s owner, our friend Thomas. Question: does Eton still plan to bring the Elite Satellit to market? Image Credit: Eton Corp I’ve posted here before (in the Comments section of more than one post) stating “I’ll believe it when I see […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, for the following guest post and review: CountyComm GP7 / Tecsun PL-368: Is It All You Need? by Dan Robinson It’s been a long wait, but CountyComm, that supplier of all kinds of neat and useful stuff, finally released the GP7 SSB (Gen 4). As the name states this is […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jock Elliott, who shares the following guest post: Why listen to shortwave radio? By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Decades ago, an entrepreneur challenged his audience with a concept of critical importance: “Every once in a vhile, it is important to ask ourselves vhy are we in business?” He had a waaay cool Austrian […]

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest SWLing Post readers. To that end: Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Edward Kusalik, who shares the following: An interesting article appeared in the recent publication of the Canora Chronicle (Camrose Railway Museum /Historic Society) dealing with early historic facts/details/articles of Rail History in my area. It talks about how passengers were able to listen to the radio on a train: […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike, who shares the following video from David Casler featurin the CHA RXL amplified loop antenna: Click here to view on YouTube. Thank you for the tip, Mike! I just checked out the loop at Chameleon and discovered that they’re currently offering a sale on the “two sections” version […]

Halloween is typically the most active day of the year for shortwave pirates. This year, Halloween falls on Sunday, October 31st which essentially opens up a Friday through Sunday Halloween Piratefest. Expect pirates to emerge like The Great Pumpkin! Here are two things you’ll want to do this Halloween weekend: HF Underground Follow real-time pirate […]

My good friend, Jeff Murray (K1NSS) of Dashtoons fame, posted this on his Facebook page and it gave me a chuckle: Notes on our new CK722 Data Sheet, where else but www.dashtoons.com