The SWLing Post

(Source: Pete Madtone) The last transmission of 2019 from DJ Frederick’s Free Radio Skybird will be on Tuesday December 31st at 0900 UTC on 6070 kHz shortwave via Channel 292. The show will be rebroadcast on Sunday 5th January at 1100 UTC/UK on 7440 kHz. If you haven’t got a suitable shortwave set it can also be heard on the SDR link on Channel 292’s site here. The programme will feature Justin Patrick Moore’s Radiophonic Laboratory and One […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Marty, who shares the following article from Nuts and Volts magazine–a primer on decibels: The “dee-bee” is everywhere in ham radio, and is used for characterizing everything from antenna performance to nano-sized signals. Learn the decibel (abbreviated as lower-case ‘d’ followed by an upper-case ‘B’ or ‘dB’) and you […]

This weekend Encore – Classical Music on Radio Tumbril will again broadcast on a new frequency via WWCR in Tennessee. Saturday 28th December 21:00 UTC 9350 kHz – this is the afternoon in US and Canada and the signal should carry to part of western Europe too. Encore – Classical Music this weekend is – […]

Many thanks for the following guest post about SWLing Post supporter, Mark Fahey, who will soon be launching three local Balinese radio stations: Radio Seribatu New Year 2020 A 2018 personal DX-pedition by SWLing Post supporter Mark Fahey to a remote village community in Indonesia’s Bali Province was intended to capture and record local and […]

I recently received an inquiry from SWLing Post contributor, Geroge (NJ3H), who is a big fan of the simple logging application NewLog. NewLog was written by Tom Lackamp (formerly AB9B) who was very well regarded in the community. Several years ago, however, he seemed to disappear: his callsign was reassigned and his email no longer […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike S, who shares his assessment of the Retekess TR608. Mike writes: For this model, the company marketing electronics under the Retekess brand seems to be using a different supplier compared to the previous digital-radio-plus-memory—card-player products. The result is a more traditionally styled multiband DSP radio which runs on […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan Fahrner, who writes: Didn’t know if any of your readers would be interested in the Woot deal on refurb Panasonic RF-2400s: https://sellout.woot.com/offers/panasonic-rf-2400-am-fm-radio-silver-4 Thank you, Alan! Click here to read our previous post about this radio.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Fahey, who shares the following tweet from KiwiSDR: “Happy Holidays. Software update brings integrated DRM receiver (Digital Radio Mondiale) based on Dream 2.1.1 to all KiwiSDRs. Stock BeagleBone-Green/Black based Kiwis support one DRM channel, BeagleBone-AI Kiwis support four. Development work continues.” Ironically, I had only recently published a […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gaétan Teyssonneau, who notes that Europe 1 has announced that they will close their 183 kHz longwave service on December 31, 2019 at midnight. Gaétan shared the following message, in French, from Europe 1: Cher Monsieur. Les habitudes d’écoute étant en train d’évoluer et l’utilisation des supports numérique se […]

From the Isle of Music, December 29-January 4: This week we celebrate the new year with a Cuban dance party! 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, […]

Have you ever received a gift that had a major positive impact on your life? One year, I received a gift that really opened the world of radio listening and, eventually, amateur radio. It was a Realistic Model 23-464 portable AM transistor radio. It was the very first radio that, as a kid, was completely […]

(Source: ARRL News via Harald Kuhl) The Canadian inventor, experimenter, and entrepreneur Reginald Fessenden has been credited as the inventor of radiotelephony. Fessenden claimed to have made his first voice — and music — broadcast on Christmas Eve in 1906 from Brant Rock, Massachusetts, although his account is disputed. As he has done each December […]

(Source: Spaceweather.com via Michael Bird) A SUNSPOT FROM THE NEXT SOLAR CYCLE: Breaking a string of 40 spotless days, a new sunspot is emerging in the sun’s southern hemisphere. It comes from the next solar cycle. The unnumbered spot is inset in this map of solar magnetic fields from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory: How do […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, who notes that the Eton Elite Field is currently at an all-time low price of $78.99 shipped on Amazon.com. Of course, being Amazon, this price will change without notice. Click here to view on Amazon.com (affiliate link supports the SWLing Post).

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Harald Kuhl (DL1AX), who shares the following announcement from the NDR regarding the annual Gruss an Bord Christmas Eve broadcast. Harald notes: This year on December 24 Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) will again broadcast its program “Gruss an Bord” on shortwave. They verify reception report by a detailed QSL card. gruss-an-bord@ndr.de […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Harald Kuhl (DL1AX), who shares the following announcement from Grimeton Radio SAQ: Scheduled transmission from Grimeton Radio / SAQ on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2019 On the morning of Christmas Eve, December 24, we will try to start the old Alexanderson 200 kW transmitter, from 1924 and send out […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alexander (DL4NO), who writes: For a very long time Radio Luxembourg was *the* pop music radio in Europe, especially in Germany and GB. At a time when Germany only had its public radio system, the Radio Luxembourg was the one and only. But this is history. At Christmas, several […]

(Source: ARRL News) A program of Christmas carols will be broadcast from Antarctica on Christmas Eve. The transmissions on 7995 kHz USB will begin on December 23 at 2300 UTC, coordinated by McMurdo Communications Operations (MacOps) — known as “The Voice of Antarctica.” Each year, the station’s residents celebrate the holiday by singing Christmas Carols […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Martin Butera for the following guest post highlighting the iconic Brasilia TV tower: For Christmas 2019, the Brasilia TV tower has become the tallest Christmas tree in Brazil Courtesy of the video “Rede Globo”, through the YouTube channel “Chapada Do Coriso” Report and research by: Martín Butera Photographs by: […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill (WD9EQD), who writes: You probably have already seen this, but from The ARRL Letter, November 21, 2019: Art Donahue, W1AWX, of Franklin, Massachusetts, has posted his “Tribute to a Century of Broadcasting” video in recognition of the centennial of formal radio broadcasts. The video features a complete scan […]

This weekend Encore – Classical Music on Radio Tumbril will again broadcast on a new frequency via WWCR in Tennessee. Saturday 21st December 21:00 UTC 9350 kHz – this is the afternoon in US and Canada and the signal should carry to part of western Europe too. This replaces the 01:00 Broadcast by WWCR on […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who writes: Attached are two different recordings. Both made in South Brazil. – Florianópolis, 26/11/2019, 19h13 (Brasilia time) 12015 kHz https://archive.org/download/audioflorianopolis/Audio%20Florianopolis.wav – Porto Alegre, 12/12/2019, 20h11 (Brasilia time) 7455 kHz https://archive.org/download/audioflorianopolis/Audio%20Porto%20Alegre.wav Searching on the Web I found these two frequencies related to US Navy NATO RTTY station […]

(Source: Bloomberg.com) A rare “Enigma” machine, used by Nazi Germany to create military communications code thought to be unbreakable, sold at auction for more than $106,000. The 28.5-pound cipher machine went to an internet buyer on Saturday, according to Heritage Auctions. It comes with operating instructions, a case with an engraved Third Reich emblem — […]

Hello readers! I am pleased to announce that there will be special broadcasts of VORW Radio International on Christmas Day! This special program will feature an enjoyable mix of Christmas Music and Miscellaneous Discussion. There might be a few other songs added to the playlist as well – in short, I hope for this to […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan (KB0RTQ), who writes: Hi Thomas! Apologies if you have covered this and I missed it – the 9th edition of John Figliozzi’s Worldwide Listening guide is available on Amazon (apparently, it has been since 11/15/19). Click here to view on Amazon (affiliate link supports the SWLing Post). Just […]

(Source: The Guardian) He bought me and my brother – both of us blind – a tape recorder that dominated Christmas Day and the remainder of the holidays, and led to a long and happy career It’s eight o’clock on Christmas morning, and Uncle Tom wants to hear the news. My 11-year-old self is wondering […]

Note: We will update this post as pricing information is confirmed by retailers. Many thanks to several SWLing Post readers who have been carefully tracking the price of the Icom IC-705 transceiver which is expected to start shipping around the second quarter of 2020. Pricing in Japan: 124,800 yen Paul Evans notes that the price […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Eric (WD8RIF), who notes that the 25th episode of TX Factor was recently released. Here’s the show summary: A post-election special – well, not really! Just a look at some more new and innovative AR products from this year’s Hamfest, including a potted history of the ever-popular and much […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Phill (W9IXX), who writes: Thought might be interested in this if you haven’t already mentioned this site: http://www.theradiohistorian.org/pubs.html Check out his calendars! Thanks for the tip, Phil! I know we’ve linked to article on this site before, but thanks for mentioning it again. This is truly a treasure trove […]

From the Isle of Music, December 22-28: This week our special guest is Cuban jazz saxophonist Michel Herrera, who will discuss his recent album with Orquesta Aragon. AND, a Cuban Christmas surprise at the end. The broadcasts take place: 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern […]

Yesterday, we posted a note about the new documentary, “Australia Calling: 80 Years of International Broadcasting.” At the time, I mentioned that the video was geo-blocked–meaning, you could not watch the video outside Australia without using a VPN. Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Peter Marks, who shares this great news: I’ve corresponded with the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John Palmer, who writes: Hi Thomas, Just noticed that Retekess has introduced a new AM/FW/SW/Airband! receiver and it’s on sale at a special introductory price ($29.99) till the end of Dec 2019. Interesting that this one has the commercial aviation band (118-138MHz). Click here to view on eBay. Thanks […]

Another [sun] spotless day on the sun. Spaceweather.com reports that today we surpassed the largest number of spotless days (270) of the previous 2008 Solar Minimum cycle. The current spotless streak stands at 33 days and is quite possibly on its way to surpass the previous longest streak of this minimum at 36 days. And […]

Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post contributors who contacted me about a new documentary focused on the impact of Radio Australia. Peter Marks writes: The celebration of 80 years of international broadcasting from Australia continues. The ABC has published “Australia Calling: A look at 80 years of Radio Australia and ABC international broadcasting” […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan Roe, who notes: I attach a copy of my “Music Programmes on Shortwave” PDF file for the current B-19 broadcast season which I hope you will find of interest, and for you to upload to your SWLing Post webpage if you wish. Alan, thanks so much for keeping this excellent […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete (WB9FLW), who notes that Ashhar Farhan (VU2ESE) has recently announced the availability of the uBITX v 6.0–as Pete notes, “just in time for the Holidays!“ Pete shared the following message from Farhan: Here is what [the uBITx v 6.0] looks like : And of course, you can buy […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Martin Butera for the following guest post: Report and research by: Martín Butera Photographs and Video by: Ligia Katze Photo edition: Mark Van Marx (Marcos Melzi) Table of contents 1. Introduction (Brief History of the Radio Voz Missionária ). 2. Interview with Luiz Carlos Machado (Chief Radio Station Coordinator) […]

(Source: Southgate ARC) Gregory Charvat N8ZRY writes on Hackaday about an un-modified-since-WW2 surplus CBY-46104 receiver with dynamotor. He writes: I’ve been told all my life about old-timey Army/Navy surplus stores where you could buy buckets of FT-243 crystals, radio gear, gas masks, and even a Jeep boxed-up in a big wooden crate. Sadly this is no […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike Ladd with SDRplay, who shares the following videos comparing the new RSPdx with a number of benchmark SDRs: SDRplay RSPdx and ELAD FDM-S2 weak NDB station SDRplay RSPdx and ELAD FDM-S2 medium wave selectivity SDRplay RSPdx and Airspy HF+ Discovery medium wave selectivity SDRplay RSPdx and Airspy HF+ Discovery […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Evans, who writes: George Laurer (K4HZE), the inventor of the Bar Code (that’s on everything you buy) died recently: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50726950 I happened to meet him and fellow IBM ‘pusher’ of the idea (Norman Woodland) when they were visiting Bermuda. Ed Kelly (VP9GE) invited them to give a presentation to the RSB […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Marty, who shares the following article from Popular Science: NASA’s solar probe reveals stunning results after swooping in close to the sun Rogue plasma waves and sideways, 100,000-mile-per-hour solar winds abound. The sky is full of stars, but only one sits within our reach. Even as close as it […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Hemphill (WD9EQD), who shares the following guest post: Power Cubes and USB Cables Multiply Like Rabbits by Bill Hemphill (WD9EQD) If your house is like mine, you have a box or drawer somewhere that has a tangle of 5V power cubes and cables. This is what one of my […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, T. D. Walker, who shares the following announcement: Short Waves / Short Poems is a 15 minute program that features poets reading their work. Attention to a poem parallels in many ways attention to a shortwave radio broadcast–both require a deliberate searching for and listening to the medium. I also […]

This coming weekend Encore – Classical Music on Radio Tumbril will be broadcasting on a new and even better frequency and time via WWCR in Tennessee. Saturday 14th December 21:00 UTC 9350 kHz – this is the afternoon in US and Canada and the signal should carry to western Europe too. This replaces the 01:00 Broadcast by […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Michael Bird, who shares the following news via Cambridge Consultants: Digital launched, ever so long ago, with TV and radio. So what’s the big story? It’s that the last piece of the digital jigsaw is finally in place: a system called Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM), designed to deliver FM-radio-like […]

(Source: Southgate ARC) Earth has many stories to tell, even in the dark of night. Earth at Night, NASA’s new 200-page ebook, is now available online and includes more than 150 images of our planet in darkness as captured from space by Earth-observing satellites and astronauts on the International Space Station over the past 25 years. The images […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jake Brodsky (AB3A), who writes: I am a regular at https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/space-weather-enthusiasts I just noticed today that the formerly crunchy low resolution x-ray view of the sun has been replaced by the GOES-16 SUVI images on a three hour loop. This has a 195 Angstrom view of the sun in […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Evans, who shares the following short radio documentary from the BBC World Service: The end of the Cold War in 1989 spelt the demise of a little-known, but surprisingly popular sport behind the Iron Curtain – high-speed telegraphy competitions. With the help of two of Czechoslovakia’s best former Morse-coders, we revisit […]

(Source: Southgate ARC) Join us on the River Blackwater for the final Radio Caroline North broadcast of 2019 over the weekend 14th – 15th December This month’s sponsor is Rush Jets and our on-air competition is sponsored by Rush Jets and sister company Inflight Goods, who are kindly providing three gents Rotary watches as prizes. We’re LIVE from […]

From the Isle of Music, December 15-21: This week our special guest is Maria Victoria, who will discuss the her new album Entre Cuerdas; we will also listen to more jam sessions by Estrellas de Areito. The broadcasts take place: 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the […]