The SWLing Post

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul, who notes that John’s Tech Blog recently posted a review/preview of the $47 MLA-30 loop antenna. Click here to read. Click here to view the MLA-30 on eBay.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Steve Lebkuecher, who notes that C. Crane is now shipping the CCRadio3: Click here to read our review of the CCRadio3—a unit we consider to be one of the best full-sized AM radios currently on the market. Click here to check out the CCRadio3 at C. Crane.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jerry Rappel, who writes: Being both retired, my wife and I frequently visit various estate sales and garage sales. I’m mainly looking for ham radio items, vintage radios, Beatles items, and pre 1925 – 78 records. I have been rather lucky in finding a couple vintage phonographs, vacuum tubes, […]

(Source: ARRL News) Starting on Monday, September 16, WWV and WWVH will broadcast a US Department of Defense message to mark the centennial of WWV and to announce the WW0WWV special event from September 28 until October 2 at the WWV transmitter site near Fort Collins, Colorado. The DoD message transmissions will air until October […]

My Labor Day weekend was free of travel this year, so I was able to make another pilgrimage to the Shelby (North Carolina) hamfest with my good buddy, Vlado (N3CZ). The Shelby Hamfest–referred to, locally, as “The Grand-Daddy of them All”–has long been regarded as one of the largest outdoor hamfests in the southeast US. This […]

Many thanks to Mike Ladd of SDRplay who shared the following note on the SDRplay Facebook page: Just a heads up. The RSP1/RSP1a metal case upgrade are almost all gone. I will not be re-releasing this case. Grab them now while you can. Click here to purchase on eBay. Click here to view on Amazon […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed, who writes: I’m wondering if SWLing Post readers who use Imperial Dabman web radios might want to read about this serious security vulnerability. (Source: Threat Post) Attackers can drop malware, add the device to a botnet or send their own audio streams to compromised devices. Imperial Dabman IoT […]

Long-time SWLing Post readers know that I geek out about a number of things: radio, of course, but also travel and packs. No doubt my love of backpacks and carry bags stems from my love of travel…and the need to have a radio or two along. In the past, I’ve reviewed a number of backpacks, […]

(Source: Budapest Business Journal) Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the U.S. government-funded organization that broadcasts news and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East “where a free press is banned or not fully established,” is set to restart in Hungary, following recent relaunches in Bulgaria and Romania. During the Cold War, […]

(Source: Radio World via Michael Bird) North Korea has returned to digital radio broadcasting after an absence of nearly two years. The latest Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) shortwave transmissions began mid August. The country has had periodic DRM broadcasts for many years. It appears unclear at this time however whether the current series of transmissions […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Martin Butera, who shares the following announcement for a new radio enthusiast group in Brazil: The new 15 point 61 Crew São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the Americas, and the seventh largest in the world, with a population of 11,300,000. This was the stage for […]

From the Isle of Music, September 15-21: This week we focus on Cuba’s urban music with special guests from Zona Franca. 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 […]

(Source: ARRL) The FCC is seeking comment on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that is part of an overall plan to complete its transition to electronic filing, licenses, authorizations, and correspondence. The notice proposes to make all filings to the Universal Licensing System (ULS) completely electronic, expand electronic filing and correspondence elements for related […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Porter, who notes that the former RMP site is now on the market. (Go ahead…you know you want it!) Click here to view the real estate listing.

The EDXC conference was held in Andorra this year and I wish I could have attended. When I lived in Europe, Andorra was one of those destinations always on my bucket list in no small part due to my affinity for Radio Andorra. EDXC attendees–many are regulars here on the SWLing Post–were treated to a […]

If you’re a regular on the SWLing Post, you’ll certainly know our contributor, Robert Gulley. Robert is a wonderful friend and one of the biggest ambassadors for radio I know. Robert has mentored a countless number of ham radio operators and radio listeners–his enthusiasm is infectious. This time, Robert could really use our help. His […]

Encore – Classical Music on Shortwave – Broadcast on Sunday afternoon in Europe and USA – Radio Tumbril. Encore – Classical Music this weekend is being broadcast as usual by Channel 292 (Europe) on 6070 kHz at 15:00 UTC Sunday 8th September And by WBCQ on 7490 kHz at 00:00 – 01:00 UTC Monday 9th […]

Next week, I’ll be in the City Park area of Denver on a short trip. I’ve often thought about doing SWLing Post meetups when travelling, so why not start now? If you plan to be in Denver on September 10th, please leave a comment here or email me and perhaps we can get a group […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who shares this article from Radio World: We can’t fully appreciate the importance of news from home to those who served in World War II. In the Pacific campaigns, G.I.s, sailors and Marines fought bloody island-hopping battles; as each island was cleared, garrison troops and hospitals moved in and carried […]

(Source: VOA News via Richard Cuff) WASHINGTON – The U.S. Agency for Global Media’s Chief Executive John Lansing said he will be leaving his post at the end of the month. Lansing, a veteran government broadcast and cable television executive, was named four years ago by U.S. President Barack Obama to be the first chief […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian (W9IND), who writes: If you’re chasing the W9IMS Checkered Flag Award, this weekend marks your last chance to snare the third and final special event of the year. The Brickyard 400 operation will conclude at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8 (Indianapolis time)/0359 UTC Sept. 9. The W9IMS crew […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Lou Lesko, who shares the following guest post: Missing the Static by Lou Lesko Nineteen-ninety-one, my girlfriend Michelle and I were asked to house-sit her parent’s place in a remote part of Morgan Hill, south of San Jose, California. One had to drive for two miles on a dirt […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bruce Atchison, who writes: I came across this video last year and I thought you’d be interested in it. I also picked up Jupiter on my CB radio one morning. We all wondered what was generating those sounds of waves crashing on the beach. Later on, I learned about […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Fred Waterer and Mike Hansgen who share the following article from the BBC: A new archive has revealed the BBC’s role in secret activities during World War Two, including sending coded messages to European resistance groups. Documents and interviews, released by BBC History, include plans to replace Big Ben’s […]

(Source: Radio Prague International via David Iurescia) For 83 years now listeners of Czech Radio’s external service broadcasts have been accustomed to hearing our specific call-sign. Both the call sign and the station’s name have changed over the years. Another small change is now in the pipeline. As of September 1, Radio Prague will become […]

(Source: Radio World via Marty) […]For years, NASB members have wanted to replace (or at least augment) the poor audio quality of analog SW with the crystal-clear sound of digital SW radio, specifically the Digital Radio Mondiale standard developed in Europe that is now being used in China and India. […]There are some DRM radios […]

From the Isle of Music, September 8-14: This week our special guests are members of Grupo Canela, which celebrated its 30th Anniversary in August. We also present a portion of a new recording by Legendarios del Guajirito. The broadcasts take place: 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bob Colegrove, who shares the following guest post: National Association of Armchair Adventurers (NAAA) as recalled by Bob Colegrove Those of you who were into SWLing in the late ‘50s or early ‘60s may remember the NAAA. It was an engaging promotional effort by the National Radio Company to […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tudor Vedeanu, who shares the following update regarding the threat to RRI’s shortwave service. Tudor writes: I contacted MediaSind asking for more details about the suspension of the SW broadcasts at RRI. Liviu Grosu, the general secretary of MediaSind told me this: “Following the reactions of MediaSind, the members […]

Important: Click here to read our update. Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post readers who have shared a link to this article on the AGERPRES website. The article is in Romanian and many are interpreting it as stating that the shortwave services of Radio Romani International have already been cut. I asked SWLing […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Nigel Holmes, who writes: My good friend Peter has done an analysis of registered HFBC. Tentative results at this stage – with some clearly silly results – but heading in an interesting direction. He’ll refine the methodology based on feedback. Click here to read the full article at Marxy.org.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who shares this article from swissinfo.ch regarding the history of the Esperanto language service of SWI. The following is an excerpt: Esperanto Esperanto (literally “one who hopes”) was the brainchild of Polish Jewish ophthalmologist Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof, who published his first brochure in the language in […]

I just published an announcement about the new Icom IC-705 portable transceiver, but omitted an important question for SWLing Post readers: How well could the IC-705 serve shortwave listeners and DXers? Keeping in mind that the IC-705 is not yet in production, we can only go by the features and few specifications Icom has revealed […]

This weekend at Tokyo’s Ham Fair 2019, Icom announced an innovative transceiver to their line-up: the Icom IC-705 QRP transceiver. The IC-705 introduces several industry firsts for a backpack portable radio: It uses the same BP-272 Li-ion Battery pack as the ID-51 and ID-31 series D-Star handy talkies. To my knowledge, this is the only […]

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 1st September. And by WBCQ on 7490 kHz at 00:00 – 01:00 UTC Monday 2nd September There is […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, “One Deck” Pete, who shares the following announcement: DJ Frederick’s Free Radio Skybird returns to the shortwaves on Sunday September 1st 2019 via http://www.channel292.de/ on 6070 kHz at 1900 UTC (8pm UK time). With a mixture of features and music, the hour transmission will include One Deck Pete’s “Soothing sound of shortwave”, Steve with Mini indie radio and Justin Patrick Moore from Sothismedias with another episode […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jack Blanke (WB5LVP), who shares the following: Really enjoyed your article yesterday, and felt compelled to respond with a similar DX’ing jaunt of mine two days ago. I found myself in the same mindset and ventured out to a nearby peaceful fishing and yacht harbor to try out my […]

Yesterday, my calendar was pretty full. Not an uncommon thing these days. I needed a break from all of the running around town, so I set aside the better part of an hour to play radio. I packed up my Panasonic RF-B65 and the latest copy of the WRTH. (I didn’t plan to actually reference […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Balázs Kovács, who shares the following video of a Swiss Army knife and tweezers being used as FM antennas: Click here to view on YouTube. Thanks for sharing this, Balázs. The video actually makes a good point: it takes so little to make an effective FM antenna to receive […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post friend John (AE5X) who posted the following warning on his blog regarding “Esthetic upgrade kits” to make an Elecraft K3 look like a K3S. From the AE5X blog: If you’re in the market for a used K3S you might want to pay extra diligence to what you’re actually buying. An […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, William Lee, who notes that the following eBook (PDF) is available as a free download: Free download http://gen.lib.rus.ec/book/index.php?md5=7DD55EE49111BBFF5A3681FA85E706B7 Radio Fun and the BBC Variety Department, 1922—67: Comedy and Popular Music on Air Author(s): Martin Dibbs Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Year: 2018 This book provides a narrative history of the BBC […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, G. Koopal, who shares the following analog and DRM broadcast schedule for “Direkt aus Tamsui“ (“Direct from Tamsui”). Aktion “Direkt aus Tamsui“ 2019 Testsendungen am 16. August (Freitag) ANALOG Frequenz 11990 kHz (325): 17:00-17:05 UTC Frequenz 9540 kHz(315): 18:00-18:05 UTC DRM Frequenz 11990 kHz: 17:15-17:20 UTC Frequenz 9540 kHz: […]

I had a number of important plans and goals yesterday which I conveniently set aside to build kits instead. Have you ever had one of those days? Building kits is a little like therapy for me. I find it relaxing, fun, and it gives me an opportunity to tune out everything else in the world […]

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 25th August. And by WBCQ on 7490 kHz at 00:00 – 01:00 UTC Monday 26th August There is […]

The highly anticipated AirSpy HF+ Discovery SDR has been in the hands of early adopters for about two weeks–and I’ve seen nothing but positive comments! After a long run (2007-2013) with a Microtelecom Perseus, my SDR of choice became the Elad FDM-S2, and more recently an Elad FDM-DUOr “hybrid” SDR receiver. The two Elads have […]

(Source: Southgate ARC) Alexanderson Alternator station SAQ says it received 438 listener reports — ‘an incredible amount’ — for its June 30 Alexanderson Day transmissions from Sweden including 8 ‘super’ DX reports, five from the USA and three from Canada. The historic electro-mechanical transmitter, which dates back to the 1920s, is fired up periodically throughout the year […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike Ladd (KD2KOG), who shares the following guest post. Note that the following tutorial is also available as a PDF (click here to download). Basics to decoding Inmarsat L-Band signals using the RSP SDR by Mike Ladd Note: CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL LAWS BEFORE DECODIING ANY SIGNALS FROM THE […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, who shares the following note from Paul English (WD8DBY), Chief, Army MARS: DOD Broadcast and Listener Survey on WWV and WWVH From 14-24 August, WWV and WWVH will be broadcasting a DOD message at 10 mins past the hour on WWV and 50 mins past the hour […]

(Source: ARRL via Eric McFadden) WWV Centennial Committee Prepares for Trial Run of WW0WWV Special Event The WWV Centennial Committee reports that it will conduct a trial run of special event station WW0WWV over the August 24/25 weekend. Radios and antennas began arriving last week, and a tower and beam will be erected, along with […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who shares the following review of the PK Loop Mini (A-LOOP-MTAM): Standard PK Loose-Coupled Loops (the “A” series) are 14 inches in diameter…they are for use with a receiver having a built-in ferrite bar antenna. Don’t think they’re not capable of serious DX…a few years ago a friend […]