The SWLing Post

SWLing Post Bill Patalon sent me this piece from the ARRL stating that amateur radio applications have been on hold at the FCC as most of the agency has been closed in the US government shutdown. It appears the government will reopen now, at least for the next three weeks. Thinking about the closure of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron Chester (W6AZ), who notes that the new Godzilla film contains a number of boat anchors. What I think is so funny is how they’ve altered the logging/fine tune dial of the Hammarlund SP-600 to look like signal strength meter! For someone who has owned an SP-600, this is […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Doug Evans, who shares the following radio memory: I have been an SWL on and off for the past 30+ years, listening from New York, North Dakota, Texas, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and now from Denver and loving my Tecsun PL-660. Back in the 80’s and early 90’s the SWL […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Nad, who writes: I bought an HRD-737 a few weeks ago off AliExpress. Was going to write a review but now feel there is no point because it has so many major and minor problems beyond those already reported. Decided to take mine apart. The photo is attached. It […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who writes: [Here’s] an interesting article about former RCI transmitter site (Sackville): Former RCI transmitter site – slow transformation By Marc Montgomery The former RCI transmitter site near Sackville New Brunswick, sold to a First Nations group, is now in the process of being absorbed into native […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Robert Yowell, who writes: I walked into an awesome store today in Manhattan which specializes in vintage radios and ephemera. He had these two small lucite paperweights which I bought – one from KDKA the other from WOWO – two historic AM stations. The WOWO one contains a piece of […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Cap Tux, who spotted two ham radio rigs in IO. Cap notes: ICOM IC-740, Yaesu FT-901DM and Shortwave make an appearance in Netflix Sci-Fi film IO: Mentions “transmitting on frequency 9043kHz and listening on frequency 9560kHz daily, that’s the 31m band”. https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80134721 Thanks for sharing, Cap! I’ll add this […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Balázs Kovács, who shares the following radio sightings and notes: The Priest’s rig from the last episode of “The Walking Dead“ A Yaesu in “Jurassic World – Fallen Kingdom“ Some emergency/weather radios in the “The Darkest Minds“ The Last Ship S05E01 After a cyber attack a backup comm solution for the US […]

Hello SWLing Post readers – I would like to provide an updated broadcast schedule for my radio program. A few changes have been made including resumption of broadcasts to Europe via Channel 292. VORW Radio International is a light-entertainment program which consists of listener requested music of all genres and eras, as well as miscellaneous […]

From the Isle of Music, January 27-February 2, 2019: This week, our special guests are from Ecos del Tivoli, whose album Tributo a Rafael Hernández won the Tradición Sonera category of Cubadisco 2018. Also, music from the album Un Time by Harold, winner of the Electrónica and Electroacustica and Notas Discográficas categories. Additionally, a new […]

A few days ago, I noticed a fascinating off-air recording of a live operator covering the “failure scenario” of E17z posted to the Priyom.org Twitter account From Priyom.org on Twitter: Listen to the recording in the embedded player below or via Priyom.org: Click here to download the recording.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Glen and James Fields who shared their experience after publishing a post about the HannRongDa HRD-737 portable radio. Glen writes: I received one Saturday I had ordered from Aliexpress. In one word, avoid. The performance is really terrible everywhere except the FM broadcast band. Reception there is OK, but […]

(Source: WVXU via Michael Bird) Voice Of America Museum Sets 75th Anniversary Events The National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting will celebrate the 75th anniversary of West Chester Township’s Bethany Station with yearlong programs highlighted by a presentation by VOA White House Bureau Chief Steve Herman on March 6. Events include a talk by […]

(Source: IEEE Spectrum via Paul) The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Grundig Satellit 650 Radio The market for expensive shortwave radios collapsed in the early 2000s. But before it did, Grundig created a blaze of glory Though they’ll likely deny it, long-distance (DX) radio enthusiasts are also often romantics. For DXers, as they’re known, there’s […]

(Source: Broadcast and Cable Sat) Digital Radio Receivers – Availability At An Affordable Price by Yogender Pal (Chairman, DRM India Chapter) […]Transmissions in FM band in India, by AIR as well as private broadcasters, are still in analogue mode only. Aware of the advantages of digital radio broadcasting, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the regulator […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul, who shares a link to this fascinating maker/art piece from designer Irene Posch: The Knitted Radio is an installation piece that manifests how to knit a sweater that is also a FM radio transmitter. The tactile centerpiece is a functional electronic object knitted out of ordinary wool and […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who writes: I send you this link about Radio Prague´s QSL Cards for the present year. They have images of modern architecture from Czech Republic: Check out the full set of Radio Prague QSL Cards by visiting Radio Prague online. Thanks for the tip, David! Note that […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, who shares a link to this short video highlighting amateur radio at the 2017 Fort Wayne Field Day: Click here to view on YouTube. YouTube description: A 10 minute documentary investigating why people still do ham radio. Shot at the Historical Fort Wayne in Fort Wayne, Indiana, during […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Harald (DL1ABJ), who writes: Just noted that SDXF (Sveriges DX-Forbund) on 13 February will have a program via Channel 292 on 7440 kHz from 0800 UTC and again from 1300 UTC. Each year on February 13th UNESCO celebrates World Radio Day (WRD). The WRD 2019 website will give more information […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mangosman, who notes: There is a new digital receiver available. It can receive DRM in all bands from low, medium, high and band 1 & 2 VHF, as well as DAB+ and analog AM and FM. It cannot receive HD radio because Xpedia charge licensing fees on every receiver and […]

(Source: Dave Swartz, W0DAS) NCARC WWV Committee Fort Collins, Colorado: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – JANUARY 11, 2019 WWV Centennial Celebration and Special Event Amateur Station September 28 – October 2, 2019 The Northern Colorado Amateur Radio Club (NCARC) will operate a special event amateur radio station in conjunction with the WWV Centennial Celebration, a tribute to […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, The Professor, who writes: I’ve had one of these for along time, and it’s been pretty much the only way I’ve recorded radio for years. It’s an easy to use rock solid workhorse. My biggest complaint is the lack of recording format choices, and I’ve long hoped there would […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jennifer Waits, who notes that The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Radio Society (W1MX) and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) are presenting a series of radio-related lectures covering a wide array of topics, “from the design of modern wireless communications systems and 5G, to software defined […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Keith Stephens, who writes: Regarding the Audiomax SRW-710S radio. I was very pleasantly surprised at more than one aspect of this radio. First, it sounds like something with a much larger speaker. It has the base capability of at least a 6″ speaker. My favorite FM music station comes from […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mangosman, who writes: [The January 2019 issue of the Australian Silicon Chip magazine] commences a series of construction articles on building your own DAB+/AM/FM receiver. Australia was the first country to start permanent high powered DAB+ broadcasting which was in Aug 2009. It is now extensively used in Europe but […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Zantow (N9EWO), who writes: Now you just just had to talk about the Icom IC-735. In the final episode from the 1992 BBC 8 part series “Pole To Pole with Michael Palin” (Bitter End), you will see a couple of IC-735’s used. They are located about 7:04 and […]

From the Isle of Music, January 20-26: This week, we feature the music of Ramon Valle, winner of the Instrumental Music category in Cubadisco 2018 as well as a nominee in the Jazz Soloist and Jazz Ensemble categories. All this with three different albums, and we will taste a little of each. The broadcasts take […]

(Source: Southgate ARC) There are a number of vintage radio and amateur radio related eBooks available for free download on the Gutenberg site Among them is the 1922 edition of The Radio Amateur’s Handbook by A. Frederick Collins. Jarno de Haan @PA3DMI tweeted this link that will display the books available: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=radio A. Frederick Collins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archie_Frederick_Collins

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jeff McMahon, who writes: After my wife complained about our Sangean radio button problems, I made this post: Our Sangean radios are good performers for FM reception and speaker sound. They are reasonably priced. For user-friendly radios to use throughout the house, the kind that my wife and daughters […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jamie Anderson (KM4WYO), who writes: I have been browsing around eBay too much and was trying to put together a do-it-all radio for camping/backpacking that is small. It is hard to find SW/broadcast/weather/air band together (for good reason, of course). I did run across this radio that is interesting: the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, who shares the following article which appeared in Jacob’s Media Strategies on Dec 31, 2018. I’ve pasted an excerpt below, but you’ll want to read the entire piece by clicking here: Rekindling Our Fading Romance With AM Radio I know I may sound like a relic from […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Zantow (N9EWO), who notes that he has updated his Sangean DAR-101 recorder: Yes, a newly tested (latest production) sample of the [DAR-101]. My years old “lightly used” sample died back in the fall. New one seems to work less sluggish with the updated firmware as well as adding […]

(Source: Microwaves and RF) A Selected History of Receiver Innovations Over the Last 100 Years by Brad Brannon This article, the first of a two-part series on receiver technology, looks at the genesis and early advances of this all-important area. Many contributed to the early days of wireless, but it’s safe to say that Guglielmo Marconi […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, The Professor, who notes that Radiwow is offering free and half-price units to consumers willing to review their R-108 receiver. All of the details are on the Radiwow R-108 product page at AliExpress. Here’s a copy of the statement: Dear friends Are you still struggling to find a cost-effective […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Marc Thomas, who shares a link to this site which describes modifications to eliminate the Tivdio V-115’s internal noise. In a nutshell, the author made two small mods: Decouple the power/battery with an electrolytic capacitor of around 10uF soldered to the battery connector inside the radio (see photo above) […]

Our friend, Jeff McMahon, over at the Herculodge blog has just replaced his bedside radio–he writes: Inexplicably, the Sangean WR-2 wasn’t getting 89.3 KPCC without static, distortion, and bleed-in from another station, over the last few weeks, even with the wire FM antenna attached to the back of it. Who knows why FM reception is […]

(Source: Southgate ARC) Ciarán Beggan of the British Geological Survey describes how a network of 9 Raspberry Pi magnetometers were deployed to schools around the UK to measure geomagnetic storms As computers such as the Raspberry Pi and geophysical sensors have become smaller and cheaper it is now possible to build a reasonably sensitive system which […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who writes: WRTH 2019 is finally available from Book Depository — quite a bit later than last year.[…] It’s up on their website today at $32.59 U.S. (26% off) with free shipping: https://www.bookdepository.com/World-Radio-TV-Handbook-2019/9781999830014 Thanks for the tip, Richard! Book Depository is a great source. You can also […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, James Branch, who shares the following comment regarding the shipment of heavy vintage radios: On the issue of shipping Boat Anchors, I’ve had good experiences using Greyhound Package Express, Tough-bin structural foam footlockers and proper padding. The parcel is loaded at the bus station of origin and usually remains […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Andrew, who writes: Not kidding, a friend told me that NSA released a bunch of software to open source, the main list being here: https://code.nsa.gov/ While looking at the list of projects on that page, halfway down the page, I found a project called “RedHawk” which is described as: […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Nigel Holmes, who writes: Here are a couple of interesting url following the joint Australian DFAT & DCA Review of Broadcasting Services in the Asia Pacific. [One] gives a good overview and the [other] is a concise assessment of HF and Radio Australia in the role of broadcasting to remote […]

Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post contributors who’ve shared the following news: (Source: Southgate ARC) Mysterious radio signals from deep space detected BBC News report astronomers have revealed details of mysterious signals emanating from a distant galaxy, picked up by a telescope in Canada. The precise nature and origin of the blasts of […]

Here’s a common question I receive from SWLing Post readers: “Where can I have my vintage valve/tube radio repaired? Can you recommend a good repair service?” The answer isn’t always a simple one, especially for those living in rural or remote parts of the world. Go local The short answer is: try to find a […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Emilio Ruiz, who writes: Hi Thomas, I’m writing because found this (interesting) analysis about radio components and the impact on radio receiver quality: http://www.geocities.ws/shreddermanrulz/myth1.htm I think may be are interesting topic for readers of the SWLing Post. This is interesting, Emilio. Thank you for sharing. Although the reason the […]

This weekend, I learned of the passing of my friend, Don Schimmel. Don was a prominent figure in the world of shortwave radio, author of Radio intrigue, and my go-to man on numbers stations and any other mysterious signals. Over the past ten years, I’ve gotten to spend quality time with Don at the Winter […]

From the Isle of Music, January 13-19: This week, we feature the music of Ramon Valle, winner of the Instrumental Music category in Cubadisco 2018 as well as a nominee in the Jazz Soloist and Jazz Ensemble categories. All this with three different albums, and we will taste a little of each. The broadcasts take […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, DE1DGK, who shares the following mini review of the Tecsun R-9012: I also have the Tecsun-R-9012, the little analog brother of the R-920c with digital display, and like to tune over the given bands with it. The sound is loud and clear and speaker-quality seems to be quite good as […]

(Source: The Telegraph) Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati has decided to close down All India Radio’s national channel and its regional training academies in five cities as part of “cost-cutting measures” and to “rationalise” services. The programme, technical, ministerial and other staff posted at the national channel in Todapur and Nagpur, etc., apart from those working […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and word traveler, Chris Johnson, who shares the following: This past year while traveling for business in Japan I decided to explore a district within the city limits of Tokyo known as Akihabara or better known to locals as the “Electronics District”. After jumping off the train I found […]

SWLing Post contributor, Robert Gulley (AK3Q), recently published a post on his blog discussing the edges of radio reception and his pursuit of DX in all forms. I think this article speaks to many of us. (Source: All Things Radio by Robert Gulley) Radio on the Edges can mean a number of different things, depending on […]