The SWLing Post

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Kris Partridge, who notes that the July/August 2020 issue of the Australian amateur radio magazine QTC (an issue we noted in a previous post is free) actually has an article about the mediumwave scene in Australia. Click here to download a PDF of those pages only from the magazine, […]

A number of SWLing Post readers have been asking about SSB audio characteristics on the new Tecsun PL-990. Earlier this week, I took a moment while visiting family to make a few quick comparison videos with the PL-880 outdoors and away from RFI. As I mention in the videos, there are a lot of cicadas […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Don, who notes that Chameleon Antenna has just introduced the CHA MPAS Lite: a modular portable antennas system covering from 6M – 160 meters. I know a number of participants in the Parks On The Air program who use the CHA MPAS antenna system–the MPAS Lite is the “little […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bruce (VE6XTC), who is trying to identify noises he’s hearing on the HF bands. Perhaps readers can help. By request, Bruce has provided me with two recordings via his Kenwood TS-440S: Recording 1: 7,335 kHz at 0500 UTC on September 13, 2020 https://archive.org/download/strange-noise-7335-khz-0500-ut-13-sep-20/strange%20noise%2C%207335KHZ0500%20UT13Sep20.MP3 Recording 2: 7,405 at 0500 UT […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares the following guest post: SWLing Post readers may recall the story we published last year about the appearance of a rare QSL card from Tristan da Cunha. ZOE Tristan was for decades one of the most sought after stations — it used 3,290 kHz and […]

In July, I purchased a tiny QRP transceiver I’ve always wanted: the LnR Precision MTR-3B. It’s a genius, purpose-built little radio and a lot of fun to operate in the field. It’s also rather bare-bones, only including a specific feature set built around ultra-portable CW operation. While the MTR-3B has features like CW memory keying, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Muthu, who writes with the following inquiry after reading our Xiegu G90 review: Very nice review. I have a question. I’m preparing for a restricted ham license in Hong Kong and may try transmitting for a couple of months. However, in the long run I plan to use the […]

A number of SWLing Post readers have been asking about the pricing and availability of the Mission RGO One transceiver. RGO One designer, Boris (LZ2JR), has informed me that he’s published a new pre-order form available via the following link. The form specifies all options and pricing and applies to a third production run of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who writes: I’ve been asked by a ham radio club to do a presentation on DXing in rural central Alaska. I spent about 16 months in Galena, back in 2016 and 2017 while working as the program director for a public/community radio station. It was a very […]

Anon-Co has just posted pricing and availability of the Tecsun PL-990x: The PL-990x package like the pre-production unit I received costs $235 US shipped free via the postal service or via FedEx for an additional $9.00. This package includes the Tecsun PL-990x, Tecsun EP-20 stereo earphones, 16GB microSD card, Tecsun AN-03L wire antenna, protective carrying […]

From the Isle of Music, September 20-26: This week Yasek Manzano helps us present some of his own recent jazz recordings and the new compilation album Grecolandia. 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) […]

After posting Ron’s note about the MFK-8100K receiver kit, I touched base with MFJ and they have kindly donated a new 8100K kit to us for an SWLing Post giveaway. Thanks, MFJ! This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. MFJ will ship it directly to you if there are no Covid-19 shipping restrictions to your country. […]

Youssef with Airspy has just announced the release of the latest SDR# version. He wrote the following in a tweet: Check the latest and greatest release of SDR# with device sharing across multiple instances covering different slices of the spectrum. […]One master instance can spawn many slices with entirely separate signal paths and displays. Click […]

(Source: Elad USA) Elad USA Inc. 618 Cummings Chapel Road Ridgeville, SC 29472 sales@elad-usa.com or call 312-320-8160 (10am-6pm) PRESS RELEASE Elad S.R.L. Italy and Elad USA Inc. Elad are pleased to announce the ELAD FDM-S3 is now in production and shipping to distributors world-wide. The ELAD FDM-S3 is a 16bit state of the art Software […]

Many thanks to Mike Ladd at SDRplay who notes that they have added a new IQ Demo Files page to the SDRplay website. Here’s the intro: IQ Demo Files Here you can find off air IQ recordings for you to check your SDRuno and related software settings for a variety of different situations. If you […]

Following up on our recent MFJ post, SWLing Post contributor, Ron, writes: Another thing about MFJ is they still offer the MFJ-8100 as a kit or built. This is the only regenerative receiver available as far as I know. Mr. Jue and his guys did a couple of tweaks like limiting band coverage to insure […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the following note from Gilles Letourneau, the CIDX, and International Radio Report: WHRI has ceased relaying Voice of Vietnam to North America since its purchase by WBCQ. Please take the time to write them and let them know it would be important to keep shortwave […]

(Source: ARRL via RTC) Hurricane Watch Net to Activate as Paulette Bears Down on Bermuda The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) has announced plans to activate today (Sunday, September 13) at 2100 UTC on both 14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz as Hurricane Paulette is predicted to make landfall on Bermuda early on September 14 as a […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David, who writes: I live in the UK and, like many of your readers and contributors, one of the aspects of the radio hobby I enjoy is ‘content DXing’. As of yesterday [September 9, 2020], all of the US-based classical music stations and even some European news outlets are […]

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, Richard Lacroix, who shares the following: First off, thank you goes out to John Hudak’s timely post on the ODXA group. Shortly after his post, I was able to quickly tune-in and intercept 2 pirate radio stations on September 5 2020 during the period 00:30 to 02:17 UTC. John’s […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Webster (G7KVE), who shares the following article and interview from the BBC WS program Over To You: Tuning in to the future for shortwave We answer your questions about the BBC World Service’s plans for shortwave. With many tens of millions still relying on it to listen every […]

Our good friend Rob Wagner (VK3BVW) over at the Mount Evelyn DX Report has posted an excellent article on how to deal with man-made radio interference (QRM/RFI) in our homes and neighborhoods. This has been a frequent topic here on the SWLing Post (indeed, as recently as Thursday). I’ve copied an excerpt from his article […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who notes that the KiwiSDR kit is now in stock and shipping again directly from Seed Studio. Click here for the order/product page. Thanks for the tip, Richard!

Many of you have been asking about the new Tecsun PL-990, especially as compared with the venerable PL-880. If you haven’t checked out Dan Robinson’s post yet, I highly recommend you do so. His long-format video will also give you a good indication of how both radios compare. Also check out George’s review of the […]

Both the Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) and Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) will hold their 2020 annual conferences online and open to the public. Check out press releases for both evens below: RAC Canada 2020 Conference and Annual General Meeting Radio Amateurs of Canada is pleased to welcome all Amateurs to the RAC Canada 2020 […]

This morning, I received a question from Andrew, an SWLing Post reader in the UK. Andrew writes: May I ask a question please? I am very much a newbie to this. I am not really interested in FM, but I would like to listen to international stations on SW, utilities stations, amateur broadcasts and if […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Harald (DL1AX) who shares the following (translated) announcement from the RAE Buenos Aires, German Service: Dear friend, On Saturday, September 19th LRA36 Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel will broadcast from the Antarctic station Esperanza in Spanish, German and English. The transmission takes place at 15.476 kHz in USB mode. […]

For the next few weeks, there will be an additional broadcast of Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot Saturdays from 0800 to 0900 UTC on Radio Channel 292 from Germany, 9670 kHz. The schedule for FTIOM & UBMP for this week is: From the Isle of Music, September 13-19: This week Harold López-Nussa helps us present his […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark (VA3MK), who writes: I found a great website written by the former head of broadcasting in Finland. I hope this brings back memories of YLE Radio Finland. I used to listen regularly on 15.400 MHz when they were on the air. Enjoy: http://www.ulkomaanmedia.net/RFTIMELINE.html What a fabulous deep dive […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jack Dully, who writes: MFJ has gone through a metamorphosis with their marketing and I thought that some radio readers might find this brief origins of MFJ interesting! From their September 2020 Newsletter: MFJ: Labor of Love October, 1972. Richard “I am not a crook” Nixon was our country’s […]

(Source: Pete Madtone)It’s heavy on radio transmissions this month with the return of DJ Frederick’s Free Radio Skybird on Sunday 20th September at 1100 UTC (12 Noon UK time) on 6070 kHz shortwave via Channel 292 (and repeated the week after.) If you haven’t got a suitable radio it can also be heard on the SDR link on their site here. The first programme will feature DJ Frederick, Justin […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Hirst, who writes: Another radio turned up in the BBC series, ‘Death in Paradise’. Set on a picturesque Caribbean island with an infeasibly high murder rate, we see the police interviewing a witness as he listens to the local radio station. Can SWLing Post readers identify the radio […]

Readers have asked if I ever sell radios I purchase for review: I certainly do–all the time–but typically via ham radio classified sites like QTH.com and at local hamfests. By request, I’ve decided I’ll start posting some rigs and accessorie here on the SWLing Post first. This will give readers first dibs if they’re interested. […]

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, Carlos Latuff, who shares these screen shots from “Death Wish 2” (1982). Carlos is curious if anyone is familiar with or recognizes this brand of radio: Do you think this radio a fabricated stage prop, or a real model? Please comment! I’ll add this post to our ever growing archive […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Rob (PE9PE), who writes: This is an interesting tool for those hams suffering from lots of local QRM. https://catsyncsdr.wordpress.com/ Thanks, Rob! CATSync seems to allow control of a web-based SDR from any OMNI Rig-supported radio via CAT control (which is the majority of transceivers). It appears CATSync allows control […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Eric McFadden (WD8RIF), who asks: Thomas, what’s the orange thing on the MTR-3B in the last photo in your post about the Red Oxx Booty Boss? [see photo above] Glad you asked, Eric! It’s a 3D-printed protective cover. My daughters have been asking for a 3D printer since they’ve […]

If you’ve been following ham radio news lately, no doubt you’ve heard that the International Space Station now has an FM repeater in operation. Pretty much any amateur radio operator can use this repeater with a capable dual band radio and (ideally) a directional antenna. Here’s the information about the new system from an ARISS […]

Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post readers who’ve recently contacted me regarding announced closures at Weatheradio Canada. Dennis Dura recently shared this link from the Weatheradio Newsletter which is essentially a call to action to save the Weatheradio service. For those of you not familiar, Weatheradio Canada is very much like NOAA Weather […]

If you’ve been reading the SWLing Post for long, you’ll have already sorted out that I’m both a radio geek and a pack geek. I recently purchased an LnR Precision MTR-3B QRP transceiver. I added it to my collection because the rig is so incredibly compact, it gives me the opportunity to keep a full […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Roseanna, with Radio Northern Europe International who shares the following announcement: Hello everyone, RNEI has arranged a deal with WRMI to bring you our latest monthly show every Thursday at 1UTC on 5850 kHz (Wednesday night US time – just before TIAMS!) Because these broadcasts are 1 hour long rather […]

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, Eric McFadden (WD8RIF), who shares the following story from Spaceweather.com (my comments follow): On Sept. 1st, 1859, the most ferocious solar storm in recorded history engulfed our planet. It was “the Carrington Event,” named after British scientist Richard Carrington, who witnessed the flare that started it. The storm rocked […]

From the Isle of Music, September 6-12: This week Kiki Valera, a popular previous guest, returns to tell us about his period with the dance band Los Karachi, and we will listen to some recordings of that band that include him on keyboards. One of our English-language interviews with some fun and interesting stories. The […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, April TimeLady, who writes: Please find in this email links to two months of Japanese SDR recordings I have made. One is for July and the other is for August. I have uploaded them to archive.org. I send you these links because I think it may interest your audience […]

Have you ever ordered an item knowing you would be facing shipping delays, and when it finally arrives, you forgot you had even ordered it in the first place? Sort of feels like you got a gift from yourself? Please tell me you do–! That’s how I felt recently when my copy of Radio War […]

The following review of the Xiegu G90 originally appeared in the August 2020 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine: A comprehensive review of the Xiegu G90 general coverage transceiver My coming of age in the world of radio was during the era of big US and Japanese radio manufacturers. Icom, Kenwood, Yaesu, JRC, and Ten-Tec––these […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Evans (W4/VP9KF), who writes: At last, the tinySA is out and target is $50 (orders at R&L): https://www.tinysa.org/wiki/ tinySA Introduction Video The following information regarding orders and availability was taken from the tinySA Wiki Page: Buying the tinySA There are currently (September 1st, 2020) no clone tinySA. All […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who writes: Hope this message will find you well. I just monitored in Porto Alegre, Brazil, this signal on 9460 kHz. Searching on Internet I found that it’s the same frequency where the Russian MR-102 Baklan radar is operating. But it could be a weather fax. Do […]