The SWLing Post

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan (VR2HF) who writes: “This looks like the world’s most expensive SDR to me. And a little mysterious. Like quantum computing!” (Source: NASA) Space Communications and Navigation (SCAN) Testbed The SCAN Testbed, formerly known as Communications, Navigation, and Networking reConfigurable Testbed (CoNNeCT), served as a test facility for NASA […]

From the Isle of Music and Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot will be testing 9670 kHz on Channel 292 from Germany on Friday, August 7. Times are included in the transmission schedules below. Dxers beyond Europe are encouraged to try the broadcast as its effective range is uncertain at this writing. From the Isle of Music, […]

For years now I’ve attempted to get decent reception of LRA36 Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel in Antarctica. At times, I’ve been able to barely hear their AM signal here in North Carolina–at least, see it as a faint line on my spectrum display and barely hear audio rise above the noise. But in truth […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, who shares a link to this fascinating project on the excellent Hackday site: […]RadioGlobe lets the user tune in over 2000 stations from around the world by spinning a real globe. It works by using two absolute rotary encoders that each have a whopping 1024 positions available. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Evans, who notes that the Radio Society of Great Britain has made the July 2020 issue of the bi-monthly RadCom Basics free to download. Click here to check out the July 2020 edition on the RSGB website.

I’ve just learned about a new SDR receiver in development by the Polish company Silphase. It’s called the Silphase R1 and appears to be a stand-alone, high-performance SDR receiver. What could set this receiver apart from the rest is the: Color backlit 5″ TFT touch screen display Magnesium alloy body/chassis USB out for recording and […]

One of the most amazing things about hosting and curating a massive collection of shortwave radio recordings is listening to each recording as they’re published on the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive (SRAA). SRAA contributor, Tom Gavaras, has shared some brilliant off-air and studio recordings over the years including the following shortwave recording of Voyager Experimental […]

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 […]

I mentioned in a previous post that one of my Social DX goals was to activate a Parks On The Air (POTA) site in CW (Morse Code). Mission accomplished! Yesterday, I mustered up the nerve and drove to the Blue Ridge Parkway (site K-3378 in POTA). My wife and kids were knee-deep in another project […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Adrian Korol, who shares the following announcement: RAE Argentina to the World, broadcasting from Antarctica RAE will join a trial transmission by LRA36 Radio Nacional Arcangel San Gabriel, broadcasting from Base Esperanza, in the Argentine zone of Antarctica. This Saturday, July 25, between 17:00 and 21:00 UTC, the Antarctic […]

Many thanks to Boris (LZ2JR/AC9IJ) who notes that his company, Mobimax, in Europe now distributes the excellent Belka-DSP receiver. Boris informed me that he has inventory and they ship immediately (at time of posting–July 25, 2020). The price is 145.72 EUR (roughly $170 US). They have two shipping options to US: Via International Priority Air […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jim Meirose, who asks: Each day in NJ I am hearing China Radio International in German on 9.570 MHz. It “fades in” up out of the noise about 2 pm EDT, and strengthens until the broadcast signs off just before 3 pm (1800 UTC). Two things: first, I have […]

I mentioned in a previous post that I’ve been practicing my CW (Morse Code) skills in an effort to build confidence to do a Parks On The Air (POTA) CW activation. But how in the world do you practice handling a CW pile-up without actually going on the air–? I’m glad you asked! My DXing […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jason W, who writes: You might be interested in this episode of the BBC series tomorrow’s world from 17th Feb 1993 on YouTube: 10:23 to 14:50 has a introduction and demonstration of digital radio in the UK and concluding with “the experts say we will be fully digital by […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Don (W7SSB), who shares the following photos of the new lab599 Discovery TX-500. Don notes that all of these photos were taken in Russia–where the TX-500 is manufactured–and include a number of Chameleon resonant field antennas. Thanks for sharing these, Don. The thin form-factor of the TX-500, paired with […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Zantow, who notes that the SDRplay RSP1A metal case is available once again on eBay. The price is $24.95 US with free shipping. Click here to view on eBay.

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, Josh (KI6NAZ), who shares a link to his YouTube channel where he takes us on a tour of the lab599 TX-500 Discovery: Click here to check out Josh’s channel, Ham Radio Crash Course on YouTube. Thanks for sharing this, Josh! The TX-500 is certainly a unicorn in the world […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Lacroix, I was intrigued by your post, “The ghostly radio station that no one claims to run (BBC Future)”. I attempted to listening to the station on 4625 kHz from my home location here in Toronto, Ontario Canada but unfortunately could not receive the signal. WebSDR to the […]

From the Isle of Music, July 26-August 1: This week, we present some of the more folkloric selections from the album Bendita Guanabacoa by Los Hermanos Arango with commentary in English as well as some rumba by Afrocuba de Matanzas. The broadcasts take place: 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul, who asks: How does the Icom compare with the Xiegu G90, besides lack of a built-in antenna tuner, and having lower transmit power, and a better screen? Good question, Paul. The G90 is a great radio for sure and has better specs and features than I would expect […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Phillip, who writes: It’s worth sharing that this year’s HOPE conference is a completely on-line event and features an RF Village daily event: “This virtual village will help people experience various wireless communications used by makers, hackers, and amateur radio enthusiasts across the radio frequency (RF) spectrum.” https://www.hope.net/ If […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Evans, who notes that The Radio Amateur Society of Australia Inc. has made two issues of their QTC Magazine available to view free online. Click here to view the free issues of QTC magazine. Thank you for the tip, Paul!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who writes: I have a tape with a recording I made in 1982 while listening to shortwave. I’m not really sure if I caught some kind of polytone numbers station. Could you or your readers be able to identify it? Post readers: If you can help Carlos […]

This evening, I discovered that HRO now has the long-awaited lab599 TX-500 transceiver available for purchase on their website. I had actually placed an order for the radio, but I’ve asked to cancel it because I should have a loaner available for review. Without a doubt, the TX-500 is one of the most anticipated QRP […]

I’ve been getting a number of inquiries from readers lately about the new, yet-to-be-released, Icom IC-705 QRP portable transceiver. Here are a few quick answers to frequent reader questions: “Will you review the IC-705?” Yes, I certainly will. If the loaner unit from Icom has a long lead time, I’ll plan to purchase one from […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Evans, who notes that the July 2020 issue of Radio Rivista is available to view online or via a PDF download for free this month. Click here to download the July 2020 issue of Radio Rivista (PDF). Thank you for the tip, Paul!

This morning, I read a message from a ham radio operator who was just awarded a vanity call sign in honor of his father’s 1970s era CB radio call sign. He was obviously very proud of the role CB played in his “formative” radio years. Although I often only think of the impact my first […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Ulis (K3LU) and Harald (DL1AX) who note that Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel (LRA36) will broadcast tests again Saturday July 18th and July 25th, 2020, from 1700 to 2000 UTC on 15476 kHz USB. Check out Harald’s LRA36 QSL card above!

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, David (G4EDR), who writes: I enjoyed reading about the vintage shortwave radio book memories from Bob W6ACU and it prompted me dig out the book which got me started in SWLing back in 1970. It was in a series of illustrated teach yourself books and the title was ‘Radio’ […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bruce Atchison, who shares the following guest post: What is Lightning Scatter DX? by Bruce Atchison (VE6XTC) Believe it or not, it’s possible to receive distant FM stations during a thunder storm. While lightning makes it difficult to hear AM and shortwave broadcasts, its crackles aren’t as evident on […]

Herein lies one of the wonderful things about our SWLing Post community…. Yesterday, we posted a message from John (KC8RZM) asking readers to help identify a vintage radio book that had meaningful impact on his life. Within a few hours, SWLing Post contributor, Bob LaRose (W6ACU), came to the rescue with the following comment: I’ve […]

SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, has recently written a series of opinion articles for the BBG-USAGM Watch website. Dan worked 34 years with the Voice of America, most recently serving as the senior White House correspondent from 2010 to 2014 before his retirement. Dan’s Op-Ed pieces (in five parts at time of posting) take a […]

From the Isle of Music, July 19-25: This week, special guest Ethiel Failde helps us present his new album Faidle con Tumbao, then we listen to some jazz from trombonist Juan Carlos Marín. The broadcasts take place: 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, John (KC8RZM), who writes: I wonder if anyone at SWLing can help me identify this book on shortwave listening from my childhood. It was an older book when I checked it out from the local library mid-1970s but what I remember specifically is that it had a cartoon of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Neil Goldstein, who writes: I added a sub-page to radiokitguide.com with a list of the remaining electronics and radio surplus outlets I was able to find and verify. The list is evolving, but is complete enough to publish at this point. Enjoy! https://fofio.blogspot.com/2020/07/sources-parts--outlets-and-more.html Many thanks for sharing, Neil!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Rob, who writes: I recently made another video on the AirSpy YouLoop – this time paired in a configuration that shouldn’t really work. I used it with an RTL-SDR v3 dongle in direct sampling mode, and signals still came in. This was somewhat of a surprise given the RTL-SDR […]

Hello readers! I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be doing a special broadcast of VORW Radio International on Saturday the 18th of July and Sunday the 19th of July. This is purely being done for the fun of it and no other reason. The show will feature good music, listener requests, comments and responses to […]

I had planned on today being a rather laid-back Sunday with a good book lined-up and lots of radio time. Instead, my wife has convinced me to work on a home project this afternoon. That’s okay, because it is a project I’d like to get out of the way and the weather today is ideal. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Frank (ON6UU), who shares the following guest post which expands upon his previous DB4020 article: The EA3GCY DB4020 transceiver now has CW mode by Frank Lagaet (ON6UU) After telling you all about the DB4020 SSB build I’m here with the CW part of the kit, let’s say this 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 […]

Last week, I took delivery of an IQ32 SDR Transciever on loan from HobbyPCB. The IQ32 has been on the market for a few years now and is a fusion of the HobbyPCB RS-HFIQ and the STM32-SDR. I’ve been told by the HobbyPCB team that the STM32-SDR was developed a few years ago “when PSK31 […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, April TimeLady, who writes: This is a collection of SDR recordings made of Japanese language radio stations for June 2020.” It may be useful to note that I had encoded them at .ogg from .wav, and archive.org automatically converts audio to .mp3 format. The great majority of the recordings are from […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Adrian Korol, who shares the following notice from the Argentine Antarctic station, LRA36: Saturday, July 11, from 1400 to 1500 UTC, a test broadcast from LRA 36 Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel on 15476 khz using USB. Thank you for the tip, Adrian!

Tuesday, many of us in the shortwave and DXing community learned about the unexpected passing of our good friend and veteran radio reporter, Allan Loudell. I got to know Allan via the Winter SWL Fest community. Allan attended every year and was well known for being not only wonderfully good-natured, the sort of guy who […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Zantow, who shares the following video (in Japanese) where a technician performs an IC-705 cabinet breakdown and examines the internal PC board layers:

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bennett Kobb, who shares an FCC Informal Objection he drafted and filed together with Kim Elliott and Christopher Rumbaugh. Click here to download the Informal Objection. (PDF) Radio World published a great summary of the filing today: There’s a plan in the works to build a new international shortwave […]

On Sunday, 21 June 2020, the BBC World Service officially transmitted the 2020 BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast–an international radio broadcast intended for a small group of scientists, technicians, and support staff who work for the British Antarctic Survey. This is one of my favorite annual broadcasts, and I endeavor to listen every year. Once again, the SWLing Post called […]