The SWLing Post

From the Isle of Music, April 25-May 1: This week, we listen to several recordings by guitarist Elmer Ferrer. The broadcasts take place: 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, 9400 […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who writes: Technology considered obsolete, the fax, or better, radiofax (transmitted by radio) continues to be used by several meteorological agencies around the world, which broadcast weather charts to vessels on the high seas. These two images were transmitted today by the Japan Meteorological Agency and received at 19h10 and […]

Last month, Mobimax announced a new speaker option for the Belka-DX DSP receiver. This speaker is slightly different from the original Belka-DX speaker in that it has a full-size battery pack and fold-out legs to prop up this pocket-sized receiver. Mobimax sent one of these speakers to me to install and evaluate at no cost […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors, Toy Riedel and Robert Gulley, who note that the price of the Sangean ATS-909X2 has dropped to $259.49 on Amazon.com. Amazon pricing is dynamic, so could change without warning. If you’ve been waiting to pull the trigger, now is a good time! Click here to check out the Sangean […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who writes: Even with the latest communications technology available in the world today, radio remains indispensable. Japan, a country known for its state-of-the-art technology, has a network of coastal radios to communicate with fishing vessels, transmitting in medium and shortwaves. In this audio I made, the Okinawa […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, for the following guest post and review: Tecsun PL-368: Large Receiver Features In Smaller Vertical Handheld by Dan Robinson It was back in 2020 that the first photos surfaced online of the PL-368 – posted on Facebook by someone attending the electronics fair in Shanghai, China. Photos showed the successor to the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom Gavaras, who shares the following video posted on the WFFJ-TV YouTube channel: Description: “Sit down interview with Allan and Angela Weiner, owners of WBCQ radio – 9.330 AM. Technical discussion about station construction, its electronics and the importance, and relevance, of short-wave radio in the modern world.” Thank […]

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, DanH, who provides his final evaluation of the new Sangean ATS-909X2: This should be the last update for my multi-part introduction to the new Sangean ATS-909X2. I am not expecting major new factory revisions or modifications for this fine radio. I received the 909X2 from Amazon on Sunday, February 21, 2021. This […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Madtone who notes that a new Radio Lavalamp episode will air on Sunday, April 18, 2021 at 23:00 UTC via WRMI. Thank you for the tip, Pete!

(Source: Rest Of World via Tom Daly) Young Burmese activists are broadcasting anti-coup messages on pirate radio “This is revolution radio.” In a safehouse in Yangon last Thursday morning, a small group of 20-somethings gathered to assemble a portable radio transmitter. For several hours, they broadcast translations of international news into Burmese—tributes to protesters killed […]

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, April 18-24: This week, in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month, we repeat a 2020 episode with special guest Harold López-Nussa. The broadcasts take place: 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, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who notes that Dave (N9EWO) has posted his review of the Sangean ATS-909X2. Click here to view. I must admit: as I put the Sangean ATS-909X2 through the paces, I’m impressed with this fine machine. While no radio is perfect, the ‘909X2 has enthusiast-grade characteristics. The ATS-909X2 […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, William, who asks: Hello, Firstly thank you for the blog – I have been reading occasionally for several years – it’s really interesting. I live in the UK. I own (was given as a gift many years ago) a Sony ICF-SW07 and have been playing with it for the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Porter (G4OYX), who writes: Thought you might like to post this pic (above) just in from Phil Brooks who used to be an engineer at Woofferton. In front of the operator on the desk is what was described as “The External Services Operational Schedule”. The WOF version was […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Christian, who writes: Hi, Thomas, I just discovered that the Retekess V115 is currently $16.99 shipped on Amazon with free freturns. You might wish to mention this to your readers because this is a low price for this very inexpensive radio. As I mention with any Amazon sale, pricing […]

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, Giuseppe Fisoni, who reached out a few weeks ago noting that he was very impressed with the Icom IC-705‘s receiver performance even compared with his Icom IC-R8600 wideband receiver. I asked Giuseppe if he would perhaps write up a short informal report to share here on the SWLing Post. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Rob Gray, who shares the following tips: Extracting Audio Stream Information from Reciva Here is a proposed procedure for extracting audio streams from Reciva, while the website still exists. [Please note that in these examples, the Brave web browser is being used in a Windows environment. The procedure is […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan Roe, who shares his latest A21 season guide to music on shortwave. Click here to download as a PDF. Note that we’ve created a permanent page for Alan Roe’s guides! This page will always have the latest version of Alan’s guide.

I took delivery of the Tecsun H-501x yesterday morning and the Sangean ATS-909X2 last week. I’ve been waiting for these portable receivers for what seems like ages, and both arrive within one week of each other. My initial impressions are positive for both radios, but I know it’s time to start some proper comparisons. These […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, for the following guest post and review: The H-501: Jewel in the Tecsun Crown, With Some Attractive Features by Dan Robinson Since 2020, there has been one Tecsun receiver I have been most looking forward to reviewing, and that is Tecsun’s H-501. Videos showing the pre-production and […]

From the Isle of Music, April 11-April 17: This week, in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month, special guest Toni Basanta helps us present the music of Gabriel Hernández. The broadcasts take place: 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including parts of East Asia and […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Randy, who notes: One thing that has gone under the radar here is that several Grace Radio models, in addition to being impacted by the Reciva shutdown, can’t stream SiriusXM as of March 31st. Grace Radio posted the following announcement about this here: SiriusXM on all Legacy radios stopped […]

I’m very pleased this morning to see that SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, appeared in an interview on ABC News Breakfast: A brilliant interview, Paul! Thanks for representing your radio DXing community so very well. And…WOW! Hobart from McGrath, AK! What a catch indeed!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jason Walker, who writes: Dear Thomas, I noticed a New Zealand news article that may be of interest to SWLing Post readers. Approximately 400 vintage radios are to be auctioned in Nelson, New Zealand. Whilst I use more modern Tecsun radios, the article will be of interest for vintage […]

I recently noticed that Fenu (at Fenu-Radio.ch) has added a review of the Belka-DX on his excellent website. He agrees that the Belka-DX is a brilliant little portable that delivers a lot of performance and features for the modest price. As with my Belka-DX, Fenu’s unit includes the built-in speaker option. In a video he […]

(Source: WSCS) Colleton County pastor Ralph Stair dies CANADYS, S.C. (WCSC) – The Colleton County coroner said an evangelist who founded the Overcomer Ministry in the county has died. Ralph G. Stair died of heart failure at his home, according to Coroner Richard Harvey. Harvey said Stair had been under hospice care. His age was […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bob Colegrove, who writes: Hi Thomas, I came across this article on Wikipedia. It is a few days late, but thought it might be of interest to others. The link is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Regional_Broadcasting_Agreement. Briefly, this past Monday, was the 80th anniversary of the implementation of the “Havana Treaty,” which was […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Roseanna, with Radio Northern Europe International who shares the following announcement: Hei alle, While the Norwegians are getting into Påskekrim (Easter Crime), the Swedish and Finnish kids are dressing up as Easter Witches and the Danes are making their Gækkebreve (Teaser Letters), we’ve created a jam-packed show for you this month with more guest spots, […]

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, Brian, who writes with the following inquiry: I found a pic of a printed circuit board, based on Mr. Carlson’s Sony CRF-320 panel light mod, on the Yahoo 320/330 fan page but no board dimensions or component values. I plan to order a bunch of these so if anyone […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Fastradioburst23, who shares the broadcast flyer above for KSOL. Broadcast times are April 18 and 25, 2021 at 1500 UTC on 9670 kHz. Thanks for the tip!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, DanH, who provides the following update and news as he evaluates the new Sangean ATS-909X2: I have a few items to report after hitting the six weeks mark with the new Sangean ATS-909X2. My radio was equipped with firmware VER 070. I have been on the lookout for gremlins […]

I’ve received a number of inquiries from SWLing Post readers lately regarding an inexpensive Si4732-based mini stand-alone receiver being sold on Amazon and eBay for around $56-66 US shipped. The radio is based on the Silicon Labs Si4732 DSP chip which provides the following frequency coverage: FM (64–108 MHz) with RDS AM/Mediumwave (520–1710 kHz) Shortwave […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom (DF5JL), who writes: At the end of last year it appeared for the first time: a telemetry transmitter in CW on 7039.60 kHz. It always transmits at the 2nd, 22nd and 42nd minute of every hour. Every day. Reception reports are available from Germany, the Netherlands, France and […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares the following guest post: Tecsun PL-330: The Powerful Mini With One Serious Design Issue by Dan Robinson As SWLing Post readers know, I have a huge radio collection – including premium receivers and portables, now nearly 100 in all. So, these days I am hesitant […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Rob Gray, who recently reached out with some potentially concerning information about Reciva radios. Evidently, some users are claiming that Reciva chips require a periodic token refresh to keep the radio functioning properly. Rob writes: From this internet radio forum a contributor wrote: “Apparently, even stations with URLs stored locally […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Madtone who notes that WRMI will repeat the first in the Radio Lavalamp series of broadcasts on Sunday 4 April @ 2300 UTC on 9395 kHz. Thank you for the tip, Pete!

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot Saturday Nights in April Saturdays April 3, 10, 17 and 24, 1900-2000 UTC, 3955 kHz Channel 292, Rohrbach Waal, Germany Saturday nights in April, Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot is adding an extra repeat to its offerings on Channel 292. On April 3 we will present music from Belize; April 10 will […]

This morning, I took delivery of an ATS-909X2 that Sangean dispatched for me to evaluate. I’ll be writing a review of this radio for an upcoming issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. I won’t lie: this is a handsome radio. I know some SWLs dislike the front panel tuning dial, but I like it. It […]

Readers might recall that last year, I reviewed the Ocean Digital WR-26 portable radio and was pretty impressed. Although it turns out a number of SWLing Post readers were familiar with Ocean Digital and had purchased some of their radios, I hadn’t heard of them until an SWLing Post contributor encouraged the company to contact […]

From the Isle of Music, April 4-April 10: This week, in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month, we reprise a 2020 episode with author Ricardo Oropesa and the music of Chano Pozo. The broadcasts take place: 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including parts of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, TomL, who shares the following guest post: Indoor Noise and Ferrites, Part 1 by TomL My magnet wire loop antenna on the porch reminded me to revisit aspects about my noisy Condo that I still needed to understand. Some RF noise I could control if I could find the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Markku (VA3MK), who shares a link to this new Belka-DX speaker option from Mobimax: This speaker option is similar to the one we featured a few months ago, but keeps the larger 2200 mAh battery pack and has fold-out legs. The compromise is the case will be a bit […]

In November 2020, we learned that the Reciva radio station aggregator would be closing down permanently which would effectively render a large portion of WiFi radios on the market useless. This closure will affect a number of WiFi radio manufacturers, but two of the most notable are Grace Digital and C.Crane. I own one of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who notes: This military version of the 51S-1 receiver is almost never seen on the used market. Click here to view on eBay. Thank you, Dan! The seller claims that this radio is fully working with tubes replaced and has undergone a complete alignment. Hopefully, caps have […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tracy Wood, who shares the following journal abstract from EurekaAlert.com: Commencement of shortwave propagation simulator (HF-START) service Demonstrating radio wave propagation paths between any two points based on real-time space weather information NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (NICT) [Abstract] The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jack Dully, who writes: I was putting some things in my radio junk parts box and came across some chokes. So I tried a test with my Tecsun PL-880 on battery and the Tecsun supplied switching AC adapter, with and without chokes on the adapter. WOW! I tuned to […]