The SWLing Post

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John (KC8RZM), who writes: Hi Thomas, Don’t know if this is relevant to SWLing but maybe there’s others out there that might be interested in the following. I always kicked myself not picking up one of Icom’s IC-R8500 receivers before Icom discontiued it. I know this wideband receiver has […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark (AE2EA), with the Antique Wireless Museum who shares the following: This isn’t a SWL, or even a ham radio story, but it’s a nice technology story about a vacuum tube at the beginning of the digital age and near the end of the tube age, that I thought […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Kostas (SV3ORA), for sharing the following guest post which originally appeared on his radio website: TAP: A Morse alternative mode for the HAM, with no need for training by Kostas (SV3ORA) Introduction The thinking of this new mode, came to me when someone posted that he quit the HAM hobby because he […]

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Truth be told, I’ve been curious about the MFJ 1020C for a long time. Back when I wrote for Passport to World Band Radio, over a decade ago, I wondered if the 1020C was a worthwhile device, but then I had a big wire antenna outside connected to a communications receiver, […]

Friends, I’d like to share some good news with you! The short version: I’ve created an SWLing Post discussion board that anyone can join, free of charge, at SWLing.net. My hope is that this will be a spot for community members to get quick answers to questions and connect with other like-minded operators. Everyone is […]

You might have noticed a lack of posts this weekend and that would be because I was completely off-grid and off-line, camping with two good friends in Pisgah National Forest. It was brilliant, actually. I got to hang with friends I’ve known for over 30 years, test my new one person backpack tent (a.k.a. the […]

This morning, I was searching hundreds of half-finished articles I’ve accumulated on the SWLing Post over the years looking for a particular note. During my search, I stumbled upon the following post from September 2020 that I thought I published but had not. There’s no time like the present, right? Here you go: A couple […]

Hi all, Fastradioburst23 here letting you know about some transmissions on the shortwaves over the next couple of weekends via the services of WRMI and Channel 292. X-Raydio will explore some audio from unusual musical formats (think flexidiscs, 5″ vinyl etc.) and will feature a piece on Bone Music by Stephen Coates from The Real […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Jamet, who writes: Hi Thomas, I am reacting to the latest Radio Waves news items on the SWLing Post: Funklust is back on air with a boost Connected to a Kiwi SDR installed in Portugal, I listened to this experimental station on its 15785 kHz DRM frequency and […]

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 SWLing Post contributor, Eric Jon Magnuson, who has been taking an active role in helping to curate our Radio Waves tips. Taiwan […]

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! Russian radio voices sow fear in Ukraine war zone (France24) Lysychansk (Ukraine) (AFP) – The portable radio in the dark cellar of the rocket-damaged kindergarten […]

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 Radio Voice of Korea shortwave broadcast in English about efforts of North Korea’s government to fight covid-19 pandemic. Listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, May 26, 2022, 21h09 (UTC), […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan Roe, who shares his A-22 (version 2) season guide to music on shortwave. Alan provides this amazing resource as a free PDF download: Click here to download Music on Shortwave A-22 v2 (PDF) Thank you for sharing your excellent guide, Alan! This dedicated page will always have the latest […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Matt Blaze, for the following guest post: Matt’s Rooftop Receiver Shootout, Round Two. by Matt Blaze You may recall that back in April, I dragged eight of my favorite receivers up to the roof, hooked them up to a portable antenna, and compared their abilities to demodulate various signals at the same […]

Many thanks to my friend and SWLing Post contributor, Vlad (US7IGN), who recently shared a recording of VORW Radio International he made in Kiev (Ukraine) on May 27, 2022, at 16:00 UTC using his Icom IC-756 Pro III connected to a roof-mounted GP 5 M antenna. This show was broadcast on 9670 kHz from Austria. […]

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Disclaimer: this isn’t about shortwave; it’s about 2 meter ham radio, but it’s something I thoroughly love doing in the world of radio. About 40 years ago, a Citizens Band operator named Ed Barnat started a loose-knit group called Tri-County Assistance. Its purpose was to detect problems on the roadways and report […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave (N9EWO), who writes: Hey Thomas, Interesting little tidbit. Noticed a Sony CRF-320 being used as prop in a 1982 episode of “Taxi” (Season 4 Episode 11), See captured enhanced attached photo [above]. “I Wanna Be Around” : Louie turns the tool room into a survival shelter. YouTube (marked […]

Hi all, Fastradioburst23 here letting you know about KZOO Too, another installment of the imaginary radio stations show to be broadcast this weekend via WRMI. It’s on Sunday 29th May 2022 at 2200 UTC/ 1800 EST on 9395 kHz and will feature more music using those strange and wonderful instruments. To check out the previous […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jonathan Marks, who notes that BBC Director General Tim Davie announced a digital strategy along with a number cuts following the BBC licence fee settlement. This was all outlined in his “A digital-first BBC“ speech to staff this afternoon. I’ve pasted the full copy of his speech below, but […]

Hello shortwave listeners! I just wanted to make this short post as a reminder for an upcoming broadcast of mine – transmitted with high power for listeners in Europe and beyond! Friday 1600 UTC (7 PM EEST/MSK) – 9670 kHz – Moosbrunn 100 kW – Europe, Russia, Central & East Asia You can hear this […]

W9IMS: A Radio Run at the Indy 500 By Brian D. Smith, W9IND You can’t win the Indianapolis 500 until they wave the checkered flag – and you can’t win a W9IMS Checkered Flag Award unless you contact the Indy 500 special event. You’ll have that opportunity from now through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, May 29 […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gareth Buxton, who writes: Hi Thomas I see that Anon-co have the Tecsun PL-990 Ferrite rod aerial for sale. It even says in the product description “You can use it for your DIY projects.” I thought it might be of interest to your MW/AM radio constructors, especially if they […]

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 Radio Voice of Korea shortwave broadcast in English about efforts of North Korea’s government to fight Covid-19 pandemic. Listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, May 23, 2022, 21h18 (UTC), […]

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! Spotlight on Broadcast Tower Climbers in New Documentary (Radio World) NATE, in collaboration with Storybuilt Media, has created a feature-length documentary titled “Vertical Freedom,” which […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Roseanna, with Radio Northern Europe International who shares the following announcement: RNEIxtra Japanese Show Special Announcement Hei alle sammen, The first week of June is a special week at RNEI: It’s a 5th show week! This means that there are 5 broadcasts before the next RNEI show airs on 6070KHz, (Channel […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Kim Elliott, who shares the following report from CBS Weekend News: Florida residents broadcast Ukraine war news to Russian citizens (CBS Weekend News) A farm in central Florida has become one of the largest shortwave radio operations in the world. Using Cold War era radio technology called shortwave, Jeff […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jock Elliott, who shares the following guest post: How can you tell if you are a radio nerd? By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Jeff Foxworthy made a name for himself with his comedy routine, “You Might Be a Redneck.” That phrase – you might be a redneck – is always followed by a […]

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! The improvised Led Zeppelin song that was lost by the BBC for over 40 years (Far Out) During Led Zeppelin’s 12 years together, the group […]

Hi SWLing Post community, Fastradioburst23 here letting you know about a transmission of KZOO, another installment of the imaginary radio stations show to be broadcast this weekend via the good folks at WRMI. It’s on Sunday 22nd May 2022 at 2200 UTC/ 1800 EST on 9395 kHz and will feature music using those strange and […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Goren, who shares a link to this PDF which is a primer on soldering…in comic book form! Thing is, this primer is brilliantly illustrated and all of the soldering techniques are truly textbook. No wonder, though: the amazing Mitch Altman provided the “Soldering Wisdom.” (You might recall my […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Giuseppe Morlè (IZ0GZW), who writes: Dear Thomas and Friends, Giuseppe Morlè (IZ0GZW) here from Formia, central Italy. This my latest video is about everything I have done to protect and transport my Icom IC-705. I bought an aluminum case, light and very resistant with everything one needs inside to be able to […]

From Bill Tilford, curator of WBCQ’s Radio Angela program block: Effective immediately, WBCQ’s Radio Angela block of programs is moving from 4790 kHz to 5130 kHz. The actual schedule is not changing, only the frequency. This will get the broadcasts away from the existing CODAR and other major interference issues while hopefully maintaining a similar […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Kostas (SV3ORA), for sharing the following guest post which originally appeared on his radio website: Collins 51S-1 band scope using a Heathkit SB-620 by Kostas (SV3ORA) The purpose of this project, is to connect a Collins 51S-1 receiver with a Heathkit SB-620 “scanalyzer”, so as to give the 51S-1 band scope capability. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jock Elliott, who shares the following guest post: It’s about time . . . and beacons By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Shortwave time stations can be incredibly useful for shortwave listeners, not just for checking the time, but also for finding out what’s going on with radio signal propagation. What makes these stations […]

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! Holme Moss transmitter (BBC Archives) A look at how the BBC’s third television transmitter in West Yorkshire was built. These original masts broadcast to the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ulis (K3LU), who notes that today is the annual Armed Forces Day Crossband Test. Click here to download a PDF document with all details including frequencies, schedule, and QSL info. Thanks for the tip, Ulis!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Frans Goddijn, who shares the following article and video originally posted on his blog: SDR-Control for iCOM IC-R8600 (and bhi DSP demo) The new SDR-Control app that lets you use certain iCOM radios as remote controlled SDR stations for Macbook or iPad does not yet (May 2022 now) officially support my iCOM […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who notes that he has only a few details about what appears to be a last minute DX test of WBOB in Jacksonville, Florida. According to Paul’s source, WBOB on 600 kHz will be running 50 kilowatts from midnight to 3:00 AM local (04:00-07:00 UTC) on Saturday, […]

Hi all, this is Fastradioburst23 calling the SWLing Post community to let you know of the return of Free Radio Skybird with their Spring 2022 broadcast on shortwave this weekend. This Sunday 15th May 2022 Free Radio Skybird is being beamed out of the WRMI transmitter from Miami on 9395 kHz at 1800 EST/2200 UTC. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Giuseppe Morlè (IZ0GZW), who shares the following guest post: Report from Ponza Island: May 6-9, 2022 by Giuseppe Morlè (IZ0GZW) Ciao Thomas and Friends at the SWLing Post! This is the summary of 3 days of testing of my Icom IC-705 just purchased and immediately taken to Ponza Island, my […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Frans Goddijn, who shares the following article and video originally posted on his blog: I got the little BH5HDE QRP portable QRP loop, assembled it and could not wait to try it out even though it was during that day and signals were sparse and weak. This new loop performs […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gayle Van Horn (W4GVH), who shares the following announcement: 18th Edition of the Global Radio Guide (Summer 2022) Now Available Familiar players and familiar places. Familiar fears pushed by familiar voices. The world has held its breath during the Russian invasion of Ukraine as images of the human suffering […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Zantow (N9EWO), who notes that he has posted an updated review of the ATS-25 Si4732 receiver with the 4.0 firmware revision. Click here to check out his review!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, William Lee, who shares this story from CTV which focuses on the resurgence of interest in shortwave radio following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This item features our good friend, John Figliozzi; author of the Worldwide Listening Guide: How shortwave radio is resurfacing as a tool in Ukraine (CTV) […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jock Elliott, who shares the following guest post: Getting grounded – at last! By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Readers’ comments are among the best things about writing for the SWLing.com blog. When a reader responds to a post and leaves a comment, it does three things. First, it lets the author know that […]

W9IMS Special Event No. 1: The 2022 Certificate Chase Begins By Brian D. Smith, W9IND A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, as the proverb goes, and the road to a 2022 W9IMS Checkered Flag Award begins with a single QSO – or a single SWL reception. W9IMS will stage special event […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Arun Kumar Narasimhan, who writes: Dear Friends and fellow Dxers, I am Arun Kumar Narasimhan, the Producer and Presenter of DXERS DIARY programme in KTWR. An update about the programme, the 5-minute programme is broadcast every Sunday from 10.26 hrs UTC in 15200 khz DRM Mode. I provide QSL […]

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! DRM Is Part of the BBC World Service Story (Radio World) The iconic broadcaster has been supportive of the standard for over 20 years The […]

Hi SWLing Post community, this is Fastradioburst23 calling to let you know of another opportunity to dive into the KBIN. Our next bargain transmission of quality recycled radio is on Sunday 8th May 2022 at 1800 EST/2200 UTC on 9395 kHz via WRMI. Expect some great value for money as usual with free sample packs […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bob Butterfield, who shares the following guest post: Review of the Electronic Specialty Products – Model DD-103 Universal Digital Dial by Bob Butterfield I recently brought out of storage my Yaesu FRG-7 Communications Receiver to use “in the shack” once again. I have always regarded the FRG-7 as a […]