The SWLing Post

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Evans (W4/VP9KF), who shares the following article from Hackaday: Before swearing my fealty to the Jolly Wrencher, I wrote for several other sites, creating more or less the same sort of content I do now. In fact, the topical overlap was enough that occasionally those articles would get […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors, Dennis, Eric, and Michael who share the following story from Radio World. Please note my comments below following a short excerpt from this piece: OTTAWA — During the height of the Cold War (1947–1991), the shortwave radio bands were alive with international state-run broadcasters; transmitting their respective views in […]

I just received a message from DJ Frederick noting that Free Radio Skybird will “broadcast on 4 August @ 1900 UTC on 6070 kHz.” Free Radio Skybird is “a shortwave radio show celebrating music & culture in the spirit of free radio.” According to our friend, One Deck Pete, he’ll feature his “Soul on shortwave” […]

I just received the following note from my contact at Sangean: “We received our first [PR-D17] shipment yesterday and are starting to ship to our customers.” After making an initial post about the PR-D17–a radio designed specifically for those who are visually-impaired– I’ve received several inquiries so I thought I’d share this status! Click here […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, George Herr, who shares the following item from the LA Times: Long before cell towers started sprouting up everywhere, the federal government commissioned telecommunication companies to build five massive fields of shortwave radio antennae. The structures, which reached up to 450 feet, were located in out-of-the-way places in California, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Marty, who shares the following article from Radio World: STOCKHOLM — Radio is part of the lives of people around the world. In Asia this can amount to where hundreds of millions of listeners who tune in every day. Radio is a strong, inexpensive and effective medium to reach […]

Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post readers who shared this latest press release from Silicon Labs. This is certainly a major upgrade to the Silicon Labs line of tuners/DSP chips. Native Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) support will, no doubt, meet the needs of car manufactures in countries (like India) that have adopted DRM […]

From the Isle of Music, August 4-10: This week, we look at the career of the late Mongo Santamaria, who left us a vast and diverse body of work recorded in Cuba and the United States. The broadcasts take place: 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors, Eric McFadden and Bruce who share the following item from NPR: The Voice of America has begun a daily radio show in Rohingya, the language spoken by Muslim refugees who have been forced to flee Myanmar. The program is called “Lifeline.” Click here to read/listen at NPR. Also, Inside […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Imre Olajos, who writes: Hi, HRD 737 lovers! I have a good news! I (became brave enough to) modify my HRD-737. I tried reverse-engineering- but I gave up. No numbers on IC-s. I found specifications for the analog switches (one for each band ) and found information about the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Harald Kuhl (DL1AX), who writes: At the beginning of August there will be two special event amateur radio stations active on shortwave, celebrating anniversaries of famous European pirate stations Radio North Sea International and Radio Caroline: Radio Northsea International PA45RNI from 01-08-2019 to 31-08-2019 http://www.radio-northsea.org email: pa45rni@radio-northsea.org [source: https://www.qrz.com/db/pa45rni] […]

Yesterday, I attended the WCARS hamfest in Waynesville, North Carolina, with my friend Sébastien (VA2SLW) who is currently on vacation in the area. The WCARS hamfest is a smaller regional hamfest, but it attracts a lot of folks from the mountain regions of north Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and beyond. The WCARS hamfest […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alexander (DL4NO), who writes: Parallel to the Hamradio fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany, there are talks and whole conferences. Over the last years, the “Software-Definded Radio Academy” (SDRA) was one of them. You find the presentations on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6D0CPBQoIVpMflpSZFqbkmr2Xt_10D_Z At least most of them are in English. Thank you for […]

Encore – Classical Music on Shortwave – Broadcast on Sunday afternoon in Europe and USA Encore – Classical Music this weekend is being broadcast as usual by Channel 292 (Europe) on 6070 kHz at 15:00 UTC Sunday 26th July. And by WBCQ on 7490 kHz at 00:00 – 01:00 UTC Monday 27th July. There […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul, who notes that the Panasonic RF-2400D is currently on sale at Amazon.com for $23.52 shipped. If you’ve been looking for a super-basic, AM/FM portable radio, the RF-2400D is worth considering. The RF-2400D reminds me of the Sony ICF-38: slide rule dial, few controls and a power cord that […]

On Friday, 21 June 2019, the BBC World Service officially transmitted the 2019 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 […]

(Source: TX Factor) In episode 23 of TX factor we explore the process of music audio mastering at Mike Marsh G1IAR’s studio in south Devon. Mike shows us how the latest TX Factor theme tune was mixed and mastered, and demonstrates the process of cutting the audio onto vinyl disc – such nostalgia. Nick Bennett […]

From the Isle of Music, July 28-August 3: This week, our special guest is Athanai, whose album Regresar was the winner of the Contemporary Song category of Cubadisco 2019. . 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 […]

A few weeks ago, C. Crane sent me one of their newest radio accessories: the CC Buds Solo Single Earbud. Here’s the description from the C.Crane product page: Single Earbud Optimized For Voice The CC Buds™ Solo single earpiece provides a unique advantage over traditional earbuds because it allows you to interact better with others […]

Many thanks to Grace Atlee with KCRW who shares the following announcement: KCRW’s 7th Annual 24-hour Radio Race begins at 10 a.m. PST August 10 and lasts through 10 a.m. PST August 11. The Radio Race is great way for storytellers of all experience levels to break out of their daily routines and make a […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors, Paul Evans and Eric McFadden, who share this article from Atlas Obscura where author Dan Nosowitz asks if it’s time to update the spelling (a.k.a. phonetic) alphabet: WHEN SOMEONE ON THE PHONE—THE doctor’s office, the bank, the credit card company—asks for my name, I always offer to spell it out—it’s […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who shares the following news via Zenit.org: “The Brazilian program of Vatican Radio-Vatican News resumes its short-wave transmissions in the Amazon region,” announced the portal of Vatican News in Brazilian today, Monday, July 15, 2019, given the proximity of the holding of the Synod for Amazonia […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Harald Kuhl (DL1AX), who shares the following article on LZ1AQ’s website: Published on: 2018/11/20, Rev. 1.0 July 2018, Rev. 1.1 Nov 2018 Author: Chavdar Levkov LZ1AQ Setup Two identical small loops were placed one above the other according to Fig.1. One of the loops is very low – almost on the ground. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Hemphill (WD9EQD), who writes: This morning (Saturday July 20), I went to the New Jersey Antique Radio Club (NJARC) Summer Swap Meet. They typically hold three Swap Meets each year at various locations This time it was at the InfoAge Science History Learning Center in Wall, NJ. The […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul W4/VP9KFPaul W4/VP9KF, who notes that David Warren, inventor of ‘Black Box’ recorders was a ham radio operator and radio enthusiast. The following short biography comes from this memorial website: David Warren (full name David Ronald de Mey Warren) was an Australian inventor. He is most famous for his invention of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Randy (KS4L), who writes: Don’t know if you’re aware, but there are a number of Special Event Stations on the air this weekend commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. This includes W4A at the US Space and Rocket Center here in Huntsville. W4A […]

There are a hundreds of fascinating off-air radio recordings in our Shortwave Radio Audio Archive. One of our frequent contributors, Tom Laskowski, has digitally converted numerous magnetic tape recordings from his personal collection to share with the archive. Tom made the following recording of the Voice of America on July 20, 1979 at 0500 UTC […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Kim Elliott, who shares a link to this CNN Business article that briefly explores why consumers still invest in vintage electronics: New York (CNN Business) – That beaten up Walkman buried in your basement might be someone’s hot new accessory. The retro tech market is alive and kicking. In […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul W4/VP9KFPaul W4/VP9KF, who writes: A very exciting radio! One that depends on excited atoms, of a sort… (Source: Hackaday) The basic technology of radio hasn’t changed much since an Italian marquis first blasted telegraph messages across the Atlantic using a souped-up spark plug and a couple of coils […]

Besides making great receivers, one of the things I love about SDRplay is their focus on providing user documentation and tutorials. We’ve mentioned before that SDRplay’s Mike Ladd (KD2KOG) actively creates tutorial videos exploring a number of SDRplay topics. To date, he’s produced over 20 videos–! If you own an SDRplay product, I’d strongly recommend […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Adid, who writes: I just watched first episode of Netflix’s “White Gold” when out of the blue I saw that rack. The rack has no significance in that scene (that dates to the 1980’s) may be because it was cut much shorter than in the original script. The Radio […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Doug Hunsinger, who notes that Universal Radio is now shipping the Sangean PR-D17. The PR-D17 has a unique design to make operation easier for those who are visually impaired. Per Universal Radio: It has high-contrast, large yellow rotary tuning and volume control knobs, preset buttons with raised symbols to […]

Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post readers who sent a link to this piece from the BBC News: Computer pioneer and codebreaker Alan Turing will feature on the new design of the Bank of England’s £50 note. He is celebrated for his code-cracking work that proved vital to the Allies in World War […]

I’ve always said that the key to success is to surround yourself with amazing people. I’ve been incredibly fortunate in this life to do that very thing–and certainly one of those amazing people is my friend, George Knudsen (W4GCK). You see, besides being a ham, devoted radio enthusiast, and all around good guy, fifty years […]

From the Isle of Music, July 21-27: This week, a Cuban dance party with some excellent charangas including Orquesta Estrellas de la Charanga, Enrique Álvarez, and Ritmo Oriental. 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 […]

Today and tomorrow (July 15 and 16) Amazon.com carries on an annual tradition of offering deep discounts and flash sales for their Prime members–they call it Prime Day. In all honesty, I’m not the biggest fan of Amazon Prime Day because when I check out the deals–and some of them are pretty impressive–I end up […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed, who writes: I ran across this fascinating historical article about how the Associated Press and the New York Daily News each smuggled a covert shortwave radio transmitter into the 1935 courtroom trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, who was charged with kidnapping and murdering the young son of Charles […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul, who notes: This video is in Chinese, but at least we can see what’s inside the box: Click here to view on YouTube. Thanks for sharing, Paul. If you’ve ordered the MLA-30, please let us know your thoughts about the construction and performance!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, who notes that after seeing a number of posts about radio cases, he thought he’d share a link to the case he uses for the C. Crane CC Skywave SSB. It’s the Hermitshell Travel Case and it fits both the CC Skywave SSB and original CC […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Magdiel Cruz, who shares a link to the new Degen DE1108. Perhaps “radio” doesn’t really describe this multimedia device, but it does feature shortwave, MW, LW, and FM reception along with the following features: Dual touch screens WiFi radio (at least, I believe it does based on the description) […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who writes: I started to watch season 3 of “Stranger Things”. In the first chapter, “Dustin” uses a “ham radio” rig to contact his new girlfriend and builts a strange Antenna in the top of a hill. She didn´t answer, but he listens a coded transmission […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Zantow (N9EWO), who notes the following episode of “Father Knows Best” (link below) features shortwave radio. Dave also points out that the website streaming this episode can be somewhat slow to load, but is very watchable. Click here to view on Shout Factory TV. Thanks for the tip, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Robert Yowell, who writes: Thomas – while I was in Dayton last month (after Hamvention), I stopped in a Waffle House and noticed all the workers were wearing the same T-Shirt which had emblazoned on the back “Proudly Serving Ham Radio Operators”! I asked if the shirts were for […]

(Source: Southgate ARC) RTÉ on 252 Khz is now off air for a possible 10 weeks or so and in the UK we can hear signals from Algeria Chaine 3 even now in the middle of the day. Earlier this year the chair of Ireland’s Oireachtas Communications Hildegarde Naughton TD (Galway West and South Mayo) announced […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares a link to this 31″ Singer Eaton loop antenna found on eBay. The seller knows nothing about this antenna, but did provide some detailed photos of the connector and product information sticker: This loop obviously came from US government inventory based on the sticker. It […]

Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post readers who have shared a link to the following article that follows the debate and discussion over an FCC proposal–RM-11831 (PDF)–to “Reduce Interference and Add Transparency to Digital Data Communications.” The IEEE article, written by Julianne Pepitone, covers both sides of the debate: Is Ham Radio a […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Marty, who writes: I have a question about loop antennas; specifically which type is “better,” passive magnetic loops or active electric loops? I know, “It depends.”–? I live in a ground-floor apartment, with a small porch, lots of RFI and restrictions against visible antennas. Also there are no trees […]