The SWLing Post

Back by popular demand! On our quest to solve UNID utility signals, SWLing Post contributor David Crawford, is asking for help again to ID yet another interval signal. David writes: Here’s yet another memorable utili-tune from the deep archives here, again not my recording, origin uncertain. This one has a date, time and frequency on […]

The following review first appeared in the February 2020 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. A Tale of Two Radios: CommRadio CTX-10 v Elecraft KX2 As my blog readers often point out: Why focus on low-power (QRP) ham radio activities when propagation is so dismal…even for high power stations? A logical argument, I’ll admit, and lately […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ulis (K3LU), who shares the following note: I have one of the most detailed SWL QSL cards that was given to me by Fred Laun, K3ZO who is a very well known Contester and DXer. A retired USIA officer, Fred had an amazing career. Fred runs the ARRL Third […]

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’sRadio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making […]

(Source: Economy Next) ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka will turn the building of a former Voice of America relay station into a COVID-19 hospital, as part of efforts to accommodate an increase in patients, a high level task force that drive Coronavirus control activities in the country said. Sri Lanka has designated 18 hospitals to accept […]

Beginning Sunday, April 5, Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot expands to a full hour of new episodes on Sundays from 2200-2300 UTC on WBCQ 7490 hKz and Tuesdays from 2000-2100 UTC on Channel 292 6070 kHz. The expanded time will allow us to both explore musical cultures more deeply and play longer songs when appropriate. The expanded program […]

(Source: Inside Radio via Dennis Dura) Here’s How Coronavirus Is Impacting Work Habits And Radio Usage. Scores of companies across the country are encouraging their employees to work from home to help limit the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. How this is changing American work habits and their usage of AM/FM radio is the subject […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Michael Agner (KA3JJZ), who notes that AirSpy now has the YouLoop passive mag loop antenna posted on their retail websites. You can grab one for $30 – $35 US, depending on your location. That’s a fantastic deal in my book. Click here to check out the YouLoop at Airspy.com. […]

Regular Broadcast times of Encore are: 11:00 – 12:00 UTC Saturday 6070 kHz Channel 292 to Europe – This will change to 10:00 – 11:00 UTC on 4th April Repeated 01:00 – 02:00 UTC Sunday 5850 kHz WRMI to the US and Canada 09:00 – 10:00 UTC Sunday 7440 kHz Channel 292 to Europe – This will change to 08:00 – 09:00 UTC […]

Many thanks to Paul Jones with ELAD who notes that they have a couple promotions running at present: Free shipping on all orders within Italy 5% discount on all US orders by using the promo code CV5 Click here to check out ELAD Europe and here for ELAD USA.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike Hansgen (K8RAT), who shares Tamitha Skov’s latest space weather forecast video:

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Balázs Kovács, who shares the following announcement: [Check out the] Smithsonian Open Access, where you can download, share, and reuse millions of the Smithsonian’s images—right now, without asking. With new platforms and tools, you have easier access to nearly 3 million 2D and 3D digital items from our collections—with […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Fred Waterer, who shares this message from his friend, Jarrad Brooke: Radio. Now is your time to shine. As more and more mass gatherings are cancelled and outdoor entertainment is cancelled – more and more people will turn to other forms of media for entertainment. Netflix and streaming are […]

Many thanks to Sheldon Harvey who writes with an update from the International Radio Report: When we received notice that CKUT was closing the office and studio due to the COVID-19 crisis, we originally decided to go on hiatus. However, after discussing the situation, and the ability of CKUT to air pre-recorded programming during the […]

Many thanks to an SWLing Post contributor in Italy who notes that Friday, March 16, 2020 at 11:00 local, (10:00 UTC) RAI will broadcast a special program across their entire network. The transmission will start with the Italian national anthem. The announcement below was translated by Google in English. You can find the original announcement […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Scott Gamble, who writes: [T]here is an event called the HamSCI workshop that is held by a group of ham radio and scientific leaders in partnership with universities. For example, last year it was held near Cleveland at Case Western Reserve University. The two-day event covers a lot of […]

As we here in North America are about to see how deep the Covid-19 pandemic is going to go, some of us are trying to turn lemons into lemonade and make the most of our social distance. My buddy, Eric (WD8RIF), has inspired me to add another item to my growing Social DX Bucket List: […]

(Source: Southgate ARC) The number of Americans obtaining their ham radio licenses is soaring as the country comes to grips with the coronavirus pandemic. Just as shoppers are hoarding necessities and food in panic buying, more people have quickly studied to become amateur radio operators to ensure they can maintain communications with others in emergency […]

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’sRadio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making […]

(Source: BBC Media Centre) Today the BBC is setting out how it will ensure it keeps the nation informed, educated, and entertained in unprecedented times. Director-General Tony Hall says: “We all know these are challenging times for each and every one of us. As the national broadcaster, the BBC has a special role to play […]

Many thanks to Sheldon Harvey with the International Radio Report who shares the following announcement: Hi, all. We received the following notice from the management of CKUT-FM. As a result, International Radio Report is on hiatus, effective immediately. In the meantime, we encourage you to continue to post items of interest here [on our Facebook] group. […]

From the Isle of Music, March 22-28: This week, our special guest is Liz Castillo, we also listen to music from Orquesta America, Enrique Lizaga’s Orchestra and Imagen Son. 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 […]

Over at the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive, we receive some truly amazing recordings from our devoted contributors. How many of you remember Ian McFarland’s Shortwave Listener’s Digest on Radio Canada International? It was certainly one of my favorite DX and SWL shows! Our good friend Tom Laskowski recently sent in the following recordings of the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John (AE5X), who recently shared a link to the following story on his excellent radio blog: […]It was the late 1990’s in Montclair NJ. A friend played guitar in a local band and wanted to get some air time for a few of their original songs. He knew his […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Robert Gulley, who shares the following announcement from the 2020 Hamvention Chairman: The Hamvention Executive Committee has been monitoring the COVID19 pandemic. We have worked very closely with our local and state health Departments. It is with a very heavy heart the Hamvention Executive Committee has decided to cancel […]

Let’s face it: COVID-19 is certainly disrupting “business as usual” across the planet. It’s hurting economies, and of greater concern, hurting people. Besides washing our hands frequently and not touching our faces, one of the most effective means of slowing/halting the spread of the Coronavirus is by exercising social distancing. Simply staying home, and if […]

(Source: National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters) IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: The CEO of EWTN, owner of WEWN shortwave, announced on March 13 that they will not be able to host any meetings in the near future due to the COVID-19 coronavirus situation. As of now, there is no way to know how long the virus is going […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Arecki, who notes that the HFCC shortwave broadcast schedules for the A20 summer period are now available. Click here to view on the HFCC website.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Hirst, who writes: Going to a local UK charity shop will usually turn up a grim selection of romance novels, old DVD box sets and children’s toys. They do a brisk trade in clothing, shoes and bags, but technology often consists of dire examples of cheap DVD players, […]

(Source: Inside Radio) Broadcasters would likely call it money well-spent, but it’s still cash coming from the federal government’s hands. The Federal Communications Commission estimates it will cost the agency at least $11 million to enforce the newly-adopted law that requires it to step up pirate radio enforcement. “Specifically, in order to combat the problem […]

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’sRadio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making […]

(Source: BBC Reel) In a remote forest, a few kilometres from the Chernobyl power plant, the huge Duga-2 radar tower stands as relic of Soviet mismanagement. Click here to view on BBC Reel.

Black Cat Systems has just announced a version update to their popular Weather Fax software. Black Cat software engineer, Chris Smolinski, notes: I have updated Black Cat HF Weather Fax to version 1.1, which adds a bunch of new features from the series of betas, such as a built in schedule of fax transmissions, as […]

Several private shortwave broadcasters have been adding Coronavirus information and news to their scheduled programs. One of the first broadcasters to make an announcement was the IRRS–they have even made a special QSL card available. Here’s their release via the WRTH Facebook page: Hello There from IRRS & EGR, 1.) While most of Northern Italy […]

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’sRadio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making […]

As I suspected, it appears the Tecsun PL-990 batch that showed up recently on AliExpress for $399 each are the preliminary pilot run units that Tecsun offered in China last year. The final export version of the PL-990 is not ready for production yet and has been severely delayed by Covid-19 quarantines. Anna at Anon-Co […]

I was recently contacted by Allan Rosenbluth, a particularly generous SWLing Post reader. Allan contacted me because he would like to give away his cosmetically excellent Grundig Satellit 600 Professional (see photo above) with all the original paperwork. He said that the radio turns on, but does not work or produce sound. Allan purchased this […]

(Source: SiriusXM via Radio Survivor) Doctor Radio & NYU Langone Health launch 24/7 coronavirus-focused channel & hotline SiriusXM, in conjunction with NYU Langone Health, launched a special 24/7 channel dedicated to providing the public with the latest information on the coronavirus outbreak. The channel launched on Friday, March 6 at 6pm ET and features programming from SiriusXM’s Doctor Radio […]

From the Isle of Music, March 15-21: This week, our special guest is Ruly Herrera, leader of Real Project, which recently released GES, a tribute to Grupo de Experimentación Sonora del ICAIC, one of the most musically transformative groups of 20th-Century Cuba. The broadcasts take place: 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the […]

Almost two weeks ago, at the 2020 Winter SWL Fest, I gave a presentation called “A New Era in Portable SDR DXing.” The presentation was essentially an in-depth version of an article I published in the January 2020 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine (see cover above). I devoted a good portion of the presentation […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Van Hoy, who shares the following item from WFAA: GAINESVILLE, Texas — A North Texas radio station that the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles determined had call letters that were too “vulgar” to put on a personalized license plate finally has those formerly vulgar letters proudly affixed to […]

In response to our second mystery interval signal challenge, SWLing Post contributor, Dean Bianco replies: Mystery solved! This is the “interval signal” (more accurately, a placeholder with a musical station identifier) for the Compañía Telefónica Nacional de España (CTNW) from Madrid, Spain. They were a point-to-point HF radiotelephone terminal that provided overseas telephone and telegraph […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Roseanna, who shares the following announcement posted on her blog [with apologies for the late plug!]: Radio Northern Europe International has worked with This is a Music Show to make a broadcast consisting of 30 minutes of RNEI and 30 minutes of TIAMS, that’s 1 hour of great music! […]

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Broadcasting 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 stories […]

Last month, we published a post asking SWLing Readers to help Brian (W9IND) identify an elusive interval signal. Turns out, the interval signal belonged to the Voice Mirror of the PTT Habana, Cuba station. This month, SWLing Post contributor, David Crawford is asking for help to ID another interval signal which likely belongs to a utility station. David […]

(Source: Aljazeera) Radio Red Zone broadcasts from a town under quarantine and brings listeners useful health advice and sense of community. Codogno, Italy – As the coronavirus grips Italy and stringent measures are taken to slow the spread of the infection, a local radio station is providing citizens with a sense of normality amid a […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who notes that the Tecsun PL-990 has now appeared on AliExpress.com. The price is a steep $399 US shipped via DHL with an estimated delivery of late March. They claim to have about 900 units available. You can check out the PL-990 on the AliExpress website, but […]

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’sRadio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories […]

EUROPE: This coming weekend Encore – Classical Music on Radio Tumbril will be broadcast at 11:00 UTC on SATURDAY on 6070 kHz by Channel 292. There are two repeats – 19:00 UTC Friday on 6070 kHz, and 09:00 UTC on Sunday on 7440 kHz by Channel 292. NORTH AMERICA: WRMI will broadcast Encore to the US and Canada on […]

I’m back from a week of travels and the 2020 Winter SWL Fest. In short, is was another amazing Fest and so much fun. I hope to write more about it in the coming days, when I have a few moments to catch up and after I shake a nasty bug (chest cold) I picked […]