The SWLing Post

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Vladimir, who writes with a tip: I'd like to share a very simple lifehack for improving reception on a regular radio broadcast receiver. I've been reading SWLing Post for a long time and I remember that you already had something similar, but I'm not sure how much it's the [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following post: Much to the delight of DXers, Trans World Radio began broadcasting from the African country of Swaziland over 50 years ago. According to the 1975 World Radio TV Handbook, they had four 30 kW transmitters to conduct initial testing in the 90, [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dennis Dura for sharing this fascinating Nuts & Volts article exploring the history of FM radio in American automobiles. While AM dominated dashboards for decades, FM began to make its way into U.S. cars in 1958, slowly changing how drivers listened to music and news on the road. The [...]

Hello all! As some time has passed, I felt it appropriate to publish the latest schedule for my transmissions to North America and beyond! My radio program is 1 Hour in length and features discussion (often about current events, other times about random subjects on my mind) at the start of the program and [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dennis Dura, who shares news via Radio World that the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (H.R. 979) has cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee with overwhelming bipartisan support (50-1). If passed, the bill would require automakers to include free, easily accessible AM radio receivers in all new [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who writes: I have lived in southern Ontario, Canada my entire life, have been DXing since the late 1960's and have held the amateur radio call sign VE3HLC for over 50 years. Most of this area's AM broadcast stations had been considered pests" over the years as [...]

Greetings all SWLing Post community, here's the Imaginary Stations shortwave schedule for this week. On Saturday 20th September 2025 at 1100 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and then again on Sunday 21st September 2025 at 0900/1300 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and at 2100 UTC (new time slot) on 3975 kHz and 6160 kHz (via the services of Shortwave [...]

One of our sponsors, Choyong Radio, has launched a new Kickstarter campaign for what they call the next generation walkie-talkie." Click here to check it out. According to the campaign specs, the WT2 combines: Dual-Mode Communication: Analog 450 MHz band for classic two-way radio. Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) via 4G/Wi-Fi for worldwide communication. World-Class Reception: [...]

As recalled by Bob Colegrove Uncle Clayton was my very first SWLing buddy. In the late 50s there was no Internet - very few ways for SWLs to interact with one another. There were clubs that published mimeograph bulletins every month or so. These were mailed to SWLs across the country and around the world. [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and buddy, One Deck Pete, who writes with a question. I am not sure if I have sent you this before but this alternative version of a Joe Meek produced single has what I think are shortwave samples bookending it and also a couple of times during the tune. [...]

Many thanks toSWLing Postcontributor Terry (N5RTC), who shares the following schedules for Texas Radio Shortwave (click image to enlarge):

Greetings all SWLing Post community, Imaginary Stations have a couple of great programmes this week over those short waves. The first is on Saturday 13th September 2025 at 1100 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and then again on Sunday 14th September 2025 at 0900/1300 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and at 2000 UTC on 3975 kHz and 6160 kHz [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dennis Dura for sharing this excellent Hackaday feature: Quieting That Radio. If you've ever struggled to hear weak signals through modern RFI, this piece, featuring content from Electronics Unmessed, is well worth checking out. It explores the hidden interference SDR setups often face and offers simple, practical/inexpensive fixes-like adding [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who writes: Back in the 1980's, KBS World Radio was known as Radio Korea, and they could be heard quite well at times here in eastern North America. Even with modest receiving equipment, their familiar interval signal, that included regular ID's in English and Korean, made it [...]

Many thanks to David (F1JXQ) who notes that his radio retailer, Passion Radio in France, has temporarily suspended shipments to the United States. This decision follows: A new 15% US tariff on goods imported from the European Union. Service suspensions by La Poste (as of August 25, 2025) and new UPS processing fees (effective September [...]

Many of you long-time SWLing Post readers may also be followers of my good friend Jeff McMahon's blog, The Herculodge. Since 2006, Jeff has been writing thoughtful, candid, and often entertaining and cheeky posts about radios, reviewing countless models, and chronicling his fascination with radio. Sadly, with the pending demise of Typepad on September 30, [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Bruce, who writes: Hi Thomas, I came across this item on eBayand then found a copy on YouTube: Enjoy! - Bruce F. Wow-what a nostalgic treat! Thank you for sharing, Bruce! The eBay seller listed all of the broadcasters on the recording: Side A" RadioNepal, Kathmandu, Nepal [00:00] Radio [...]

Many thanks to Carlos Latuff who writes: Dear Thomas, I'm happy to share with you and all our friends at the SWLing Post the feedback I received from the French-language department of Voice of Vietnam radio, which published the illustrated radio listening reports when Typhoon Kajiki hit Vietnam in August. Click here to view on [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Giuseppe Morle, who writes: Dear Thomas and Friends, I'm Giuseppe Morle (IZ0GZW) from Formia, in central Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. This time I wanted to experiment by combining three different antennas that interact with one another through induction. In the video, you'll see the Milk Box Loop, the [...]

Do you remember the C60, C90 and C120? We at Imaginary Stations do! On Saturday 6th September 2025 at 1100 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and then again on Sunday 7th September 2025 at 0900/1300 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and at 2000 UTC on 3975 kHz and 6160 kHz (via the services of Shortwave Gold) we bring you [...]

There is a truly excellent article by Robert Gulley in the September issue of The Spectrum Monitor. Entitled Radio Myths and Misunderstandings: Then and Now." it cover such myths as Radio is Dying, There is Nothing to Listen to, Digital Modes are Killing Amateur Radio, Radio isn't Relevant Anymore or is Obsolete, and other topics [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following guest post: Europe on shortwave in the 1970's by Dan Greenall During the golden years of shortwave listening, many European countries had an international shortwave service and broadcast programs to North America (where I live) in English. As a result, these stations were [...]

Speaking from Prague at the latest HFCC (High Frequency Coordination Conference), Jeff White-chairman of the HFCC and founder of Radio Miami International-shares why shortwave broadcasting still matters now more than ever. He reflects on decades of shortwave listening, recalls how Radio Prague hooked him in as a kid, and shares the practical work the HFCC [...]

The Guardian is reporting that more than 500 full-time employees at Voice of America and other U.S. government-funded broadcasters will soon be laid off. The U.S. Agency for Global Media announced that 532 federal positions are being cut, part of a larger restructuring effort that's already stirred up legal challenges and concerns about leadership changes [...]

(This Review was originally published in The Spectrum Monitor in the April 2025 issue, and is used by the kind permission of Ken Reitz) The Choyong LC90 is, to my knowledge, the first of its kind: a portable Wi-Fi/4G/E-SIM FM/LW/MW/ SW/SSB radio. Or, to put it in simpler terms, a radio that can connect to [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors David Iurescia and Richard Cuff for sharing the following article from the Voice of Nigeria which reports that the Nigerian government has officially begun restoring shortwave transmission for the Voice of Nigeria (VON). The project focuses on bringing the 250 kW TX2 transmitter at the Lugbe station in Abuja [...]

Many thanks toSWLing Post contributor, Alan Roe, who shares his A-25 (version 4.0) season guide to music on shortwave. Alan provides this amazing resource as a free PDF download: Click here to download Music on Shortwave A-25 v4.0 (PDF) As always, thank you for sharing your excellent guide, Alan! This dedicated page will always have [...]

Greetings to all SWLing Post community, Imaginary Stations have a couple of hours of shortwave shows coming your way this week. We've a special edition of SURF 7 on Saturday 30th August 2025 at 1100 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and then again on Sunday 31st August 2025 at 0900/1300 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and at 2000 UTC [...]

Many thanks toSWLing Postcontributor, Bill Tilford, who shares the following update: From the Isle of Music, September 2025 September's program will be the fourth of several episodes featuring the best of Cubadisco 2025, Cuba's most important discographic awards. This is the best of the best of Cuba's new releases (and recordings from Cubans elsewhere) and [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Amy Barry for sharing this tip. WNYC's On the Media recently aired an episode titled The Power of Shortwave Radio-and What Gets Lost with Voice of America? Reporter Katie Thornton explores shortwave's historic role in connecting the world, its continuing importance where the internet cannot reach, and the implications [...]

by Dan Greenall Back in the early 1970's, a wide variety of Mexican stations could be heard on shortwave as evidenced by the loggings columns in the SPEEDX club's monthly bulletins. Examples from this time period can be found here: https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Speedx.htm As well, the late Dr. Richard E. Wood wrote about what was available to [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Giuseppe Morle, who writes: Dear Thomas, I'm Giuseppe Morle, IZ0GZW, from Formia, in central Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. I'd like to show you my antenna board for shortwave and mediumwave listening with portable receivers like the Tecsun PL-660. The board has two distinct circuits: A small-diameter loop with [...]

Robert K4PKM Raddy has come out with what I call a miniature wonder - a feature-rich radio that really does fit in the palm of your hand! The Raddy RF750Plus is a very small radio. It measures roughly 2"x3"x1-1/2" without either antenna extended/attached. In fact, one of the reasons I agreed to review yet [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Markku Koskinen, who shares the following tip from Guelph Today: Hammond Museum of Radio reopens after two years After a two-year-long closure the Hammond Museum of Radio has reopened. The museum at 595 Southgate Dr. attached to Hammond Power Solutions was closed because of a major renovation to the [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Carlos Latuff, who shares the following radiofax images and notes: Hurricane Erin, featured on NOAA's 24/48 tropical surface forecast, received a radiofax last night in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from the USCG radio station in Honolulu, Hawaii (16135 kHz USB). Curiously, the signal from the USCG radio station in Honolulu [...]

Greetings to all SWLing Post community, Imaginary Stations have a couple of shows coming your way this week via those shortwaves. There's even more about the art of surfing with SURF 6 on Saturday 23rd August 2025 at 1100 hrs UTCon6160 kHz and then again on Sunday 24th August 2025 at 0900/1300 hrs UTCon6160 kHz [...]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Paul Jamet, who notes that the Maritime Radio Historical Society is hosting another Crypto Transmission from KPH on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 20:00 UTC. Click here for full details about the event and how you can participate on the Maritime Radio Historical Society website.

Many thanks toSWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who writes: Here in Porto Alegre, for the past two days, it's been difficult to receive radiofax from the USCG radio station in Boston. Weak signal, short radio propagation window and lots of noise. Only today morning I was able to receive NOAA chart featuring Cat 4 Hurricane [...]