The SWLing Post

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Sam Alcom (KB3DFJ), who shares the following guest post: Genealogy and radio meet by Sam Alcom (KB3DFJ) Who knew two of my hobbies – genealogy and radio – would joyfully collide in such an unexpected way? My grandfather died in the 1950s when I was just a few months […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, for the following update to his previous post regard the DSP-2 and HFDY Malahit SDRs: Malahit and HFDY Updates by Dan Robinson HFDY CLONE: As noted by a reader in comments, the Chinese-made HFDY leaves out a large portion of the military AIR band, with no coverage from 250MHz to […]

I’m absolutely chuffed to announce that the excellent Cities and Memory sound project has partnered with the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive for an all-new take on the soundscape of cities, and YOU are invited to be part of it. From Cities and Memory: Open call – remix and reimagine the world of shortwave radio Shortwave […]

From the Isle of Music, September 26-October 2: This week we reprise our episode featuring Manolito Simonet, producer/participant in the album Al son del caballero by the Alianza Musical de Cuba. This tribute to Adalberto Álvarez won a Grand Prize, the Producer’s Prize, and one of the Popular Dance Music prizes in Cubadisco this year. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, for the following guest post: Malahit 2 versus Chinese Clone: Taking the Gloves Off New DDC (Direct Digital Conversion) Version in Development by Dan Robinson It’s been a few weeks since my last commentary on the Malahit/Malachite, which as of this writing remains at the DSP-2 level, though there are continuing […]

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 recently shared the following comments in response to Dan Robinson’s excellent Malahit DSP-2 review series. Mark writes: I’ve been playing with my new Malachit for a week now and I am very impressed. It’s got a superb receiver and last night I was pulling in several South […]

Many thanks to Jon Hudson with SDRplay who shares the following information about the latest release of SDRuno on the SDRplay blog: Try out the new features in SDRuno V1.41 released today SDRuno V1.41 was fully released today. It includes the much requested full scheduler facility which allows you to set up numerous recording events […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dean Bianco, who writes: I have purchased another C Crane SSB Skywave brand-new from an on-line retailer called KM4MPF Sales On-Line Store out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. [I paid a] discounted price of $149.99 vs the $169.99 price charged by C Crane direct. […] I feel not enough listeners would […]

If interested, I’ve now published both parts of my Anatomy of a Field Radio Kit series over on QRPer.com. This series was originally featured in the June and July 2021 issues of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. Here are links to both articles: Anatomy of a Field Radio Kit Part 1: Basic components and advantages of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Fastradioburst23, who shares the flyer above for CTRN’s broadcasts on September 19th & 26th, 2021, at 2300 UTC on 9395 kHz (WRMI).

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, Andy (G0FTD), who writes: Thomas Not sure if you’ve come across this, but earlier when I was cleaning my Tecsun PL660 and took the main tuning knob off the spindle, I discovered what looked like 4 holes of a hidden connector behind it ! I just did a quick […]

From the Isle of Music, September 19-25: This week we reprise our episode featuring Gaston Joya and Fusión de Almas, one of the Grand Prize winners of Cubadisco this year. 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 […]

Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post readers who’ve informed me that their Reciva-based WiFi radios may be on their last legs. I’ve gotten a number of messages from WiFi radio owners who note that when they try to tune to a WiFi radio station, their radio now displays the following message: “Reciva Gateway […]

I’ve been going through some old paperwork recently and discovered this map of the antenna farm at Radio Canada International’s former Sackville, NB, transmitting site (click to enlarge): I was given this printout by one of the staff members at Sackville when I visited there in the summer of 2012–only a few months before they […]

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 […]

Yesterday afternoon, I spent a few hours sorting through old radio books and magazines. I discovered this issue of Monitoring Times from September 1993: It was the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks yesterday so this cover image, and especially the feature headlines, caught my attention. Of course, this feature referenced February 26, 1993, […]

Today marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11; a day where we honor all of those who were lost, their families/friends, and all of those who who served during and after the attacks. This morning, I’ve been listening to a number of off-air shortwave radio recordings made on September 11 and 12, 2001. Many thanks to […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul, who writes: Radioshack.com has a promo code, “LABORDAY”, which takes $40 off $80 and expires Sept. 30. This makes the Eton executive shortwave radios (and other brands such as Sangean) quite a bit cheaper, with free shipping, if folks are interested. Click here to browse radios at Radioshack.com. […]

Special Broadcast: México le canta a las Américas (Mexico Sings To the Americas) Date/Time: Tuesday, September 28th, 0300-0400 UTC** **Monday, September 27 2200-2300 Mexico City Time / CDT WRMI 5800 kHz In honor of the 200th anniversary of the end of the Mexican War of Independence, a special hour of Mexican music hosted by Luis […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Giuseppe Morlè (IZ0GZW), who shares the following: Dear Thomas my friend, I built another Tferrite, (TFERRITE 2), for medium waves–this time also with the shortwave option. A single variable capacitor, 800 pf, and a primary winding on the 2 ferrites of about 46 turns, a secondary winding of 3 […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, DJ Frederick, who writes: Just a quick note to let you and SWLing readers know that Radio Thrift Shop will be broadcast this Sunday at 23:00 UTC via WRMI 9395 kHz. Radio Thrift Shop is my long-standing (two decades & counting) show for LPFM stations. Thanks DJ Frederick Fantastic! […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Kris Partridge, who shares the following: I belong to a FaceBook group “The Broadcasting Club” and [recently] there was posted a link to a YouTube video of a 70 year old 1951 US Army film called “The Independent Radio Station WMCA”. It’s worth a view to show what the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who shares the following: I bought a small analog radio and I’ve been listening with it. On September 4, around 17h48 UTC, I heard a strange signal on the band of 13 kHz, since it’s not a digital dial, I don’t know precisely the frequency but maybe […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jock Elliott, who shares the following guest post: Perhaps the ultimate radio nerd story . . . by Jock Elliott (KB2GOM) Perhaps I am the only guy on planet earth with a “kinda” interest in DXing NOAA weather radio, but there you have it, and this led me down […]

From the Isle of Music, September 12-18: This week we our guest is Ernesto Oliva, whose album Mi Aldea was nominated in four Cubadisco categories this year. Lovers of modern concert music will especially enjoy this episode. 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Kris Partridge, who shares the following information about a free online lecture hosted by the The Institute of Engineering and Technology. This presentation will take place tomorrow (September 8, 2021 staring at 19:00 BST/18:00 UTC). You must register online to attend this lecture. Here are the details from the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mangosman, who shares the following off-air recording via the KiwiSDR network and notes: Attached is a diagram showing the path and the receiver data, the end of a one hour daily broadcast is in the other file. They switched the transmitter back to AM before the end of the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ted Ostrowski, who writes: Hey Thomas Thought your SWListeners might enjoy this bit of Canadiana. It’s a bit dated and cheesy, but radio buffs may enjoy it. I did. Ted CBQM This feature-length documentary pays tribute to CBQM, the radio station that operates out of Fort McPherson, a small […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Rogers, for the following guest post: “Lost Radio” by Bill Rogers When I was ten years old I lost my first wristwatch and my first radio. I think I have been trying to get them back ever since. It was all part of a rather catastrophic family vacation […]

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, Peter Wilson, who shares the following guest post and recordings from his listening post in Botswana: MWDX from Australia and the USA received in Botswana by Peter Wilson Hello Thomas. I moved my 16.2 metre random wire slightly farther away from the house, and installed a binocular balun and […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Fastburstradio23, who shares the flyer above for the next WSFR broadcasts on September 5th & 12th, 2021, at 1100 UTC on 9670 kHz!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jonathan Marks, who recommends this video tour of the Czech Radio Building from Radio Prague’s Facebook page. Jonathan notes: “[The video os very] nicely done. It compliments episode 4 of the video I made with Olrich Cip”: Many thanks for sharing this, Jonathan, and for documenting this important piece […]

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, September 5-11: This week we our guest is Ilmar Gavilán, whose album Hermanos/Brothers with Aldo López Gavilán won the Instrumental category of Cubadisco this year. Lovers of modern concert music will especially enjoy this episode. 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gérard Koopal, who writes: Dear Thomas, Just received the following message from CRI’s German language service. They will stop their German language on shortwave from August 31, 2021. The only way to listen to their German presence will be via the Internet. Sorry that they made this decision since […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Robert Richmond, who shares the following series of videos about the new ATS-25 receiver (mentioned in this previous post) from Kevin O’Reilly’s YouTube channel. The ATS-25 – A First Look: ATS-25 First Power Up: ATS-25 Useful Features:

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes: A rare AEG 1800 receiver fetched over $5,000 in an auction on the Japan Buyee site, complete with its original metal cabinet. As collectors/users of premium receivers know, the 1800 was once described as the best HF radio ever made. And this particular unit contained […]

In the past few weeks, I’ve gotten a lot of questions from readers who are trying to decide if they should install a magnetic loop antenna or a simple wire antenna at their home. Obviously, most of the questions come from shortwave radio listeners, but some have come from ham radio operators as well. I […]

Many thanks to Jon Hudson who shared the following on the SDRplay Facebook page: In this new video, Mike Harwood compares 4 different active mag loop antenna at various frequencies up to 52MHz using two SDRplay RSPduos which allowed simultaneous spectrum snapshots of the 4 loops in action with real signals. These are loops from […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, for the following guest post: Additional Thoughts on the Malahit DSP-2 Potential for Noise Reduction Using Non-Whip Antennas Latest Firmware Changes by Dan Robinson After my last update on the Russia-made Malahit DSP-2, I thought it important to add something about the receiver, as it could well influence those who […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who has kindly allowed me to published some notes he recently shared among MW DXers about DXing in McGrath, Alaska, USA: During a Zoom hang out with a bunch of Pacific NW DXers, one of the things that come up was why my DXing in Alaska is […]

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, August 29-September 4: This week we our guest is Janet Valdés, whose album ¡Ay Mama Inés! Llegó la Valdes was nominated in the Antología y Versiones category of Cubadisco. Our interview will be in English, and we will listen to some great music from that album as well as from […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Greg Hathaway, who writes: Hi there – I bought a Belka-DX recently and am really enjoying it! The stand from my Uniden Home Patrol 1 scanner works great with it. The stand is sold separately by Uniden for those who may be interested. Best, Greg Hathaway Thank you for […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ralf Bender, who notes: Hello Thomas, For all interested, extensive technical work is in progress at the DWD Pinneberg weather radio transmitter. Affected are NAVTEX, facsimile, rtty and voice transmissions. Complete shutdown: 16.08.2021 00:00 by 21.08.2021 24:00 UTC. Other scheduled shutdowns will occur during the day on the following […]

Hello, SWLing Post community! I just wanted to share a few quick notes this morning: 1.) New email subscription service up and running As we mentioned in previous posts, we are now using a new paid email subscription service (Aweber) for those who want to receive a daily digest of SWLing Post articles. It’s super […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, NT, who writes: Hi Thomas, A few months ago, a city in northern California gave away weather radios to help their community prepare for fire season. And last year a county in Georgia did the same thing in advance of extreme weather. With all the fires and severe weather […]