The SWLing Post

(Source: Marketplace via Richard Cuff) The Trump administration wants to shut down two shortwave radio stations that broadcast time signals from the nation’s master clock. The administration’s budget proposal would eliminate nearly $27 million in funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology for the two stations. WWV, based in Fort Collins, Colorado, has been transmitting one rock-steady […]

Remember the American television game show To Tell The Truth? This very long-running show challenged four celebrity guests and viewers to identify the real “central character” in the midst of two impostors.I was reminded of this game show when attempting to tell the difference between the original and recently updated versions of C. Crane’s CCRadio-EP […]

From the Isle of Music, September 16-October 6: September 16-22, our special guest will be Alejandro Vargas with his excellent Jazz. September 23-29, we will feature the music of several of Cuba’s excellent female vocalists from various decades. September 30-October 6, we will feature Rafael Monteagudo with his excellent Jazz. The transmissions take place: 1. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Christian, who writes: Hi Thomas. Just thought you should know that Amazon has lowered the price of the Eton Field BT to $89.99 shipped. For how long this will be the price I don’t know. This is only $5 more than the lowest price I’ve ever seen for the […]

As I write this post, Hurricane Florence has her sites set on eastern North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. In terms of her path and potential for flooding, Florence is already looking like an extraordinary storm and certainly one for the history books. It’s a scary situation. My family is all about practical preparedness. Where […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who reminds us that today is Class D CB radio’s 60th anniversary. From Wikipedia: On September 11, 1958 the Class D CB service was created on 27 MHz, and this band became what is popularly known today as “Citizens Band”. There were only 23 channels at the time; […]

(Source: The Guardian) For 70 years, far-flung listeners knew they had found the BBC on their radio dial when they heard the jaunty notes of the Irish jig Lillibulero. Its brassy, old-fashioned sound spoke of men in dinner jackets and vintage radio microphones, and there was a minor public outcry when it was formally dropped […]

From Spaceweather.com: “NOAA forecasters say there is an 80% chance of minor G1-class geomagnetic storms on Sept. 11th when a stream of solar wind is expected to hit Earth’s magnetic field … There’s a chance that the storm could intensify to category G2 (moderately strong).” Image: Solar Wind flowing from this canyon shaped coronal hole could reach Earth on September […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gary DeBock, for sharing the following guest post: Supercharging the XHDATA D-808 Installation of High Performance AM and LW Loopsticks By Gary DeBock, Puyallup, WA, USA, September 2018 Introduction As a stock receiver the Chinese-made D-808 AM-LW-FM-SW-AIR portable is a very capable performer, with AM reception superior to that […]

Many thanks to Jon Hudson with SDRplay who shares the following on the SDRplay Facebook page: We have released a new YouTube video which covers some items that have been asked about by our users. First up we talk about synchronizing VFO A and VFO B between SDRuno and the rig. This leads into a […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Eric (WD8RIF), who writes: This came in the most recent ARRL Contest newsletter: The Sun, The Earth, and Near-Earth Space: A Guide to the Sun-Earth System by J. A. Eddy is a readable and accessible textbook that explains the dynamics of the Sun and its interaction with the Earth’s […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Rich (WD3C), who writes: Was browsing the Anon-Co site the other day and noticed they are selling replacement rotary encoders for the some Tecsun models. As I have a PL-660 with a bad encoder decided to order one and replace it. The cost was only $5.95 with free shipping and […]

Many thanks to Bennett Z. Kobb, Kim Andrew Elliott, and Christopher Rumbaugh for authoring “Comments of the High Frequency Parties” that is now filed with the FCC. Update: please also check out this FAQ. Here’s the introduction: The Public Notice in MB Docket 18-227 requests comment on “whether laws, regulations, regulatory practices or demonstrated marketplace […]

Yesterday, the weather was gorgeous here in Québec, thus a prime opportunity to find a beach, start a new book and, of course, play radio! I found a fantastic spot on the north bank of the St. Lawrence river near Baie-St-Paul, Québec. There were only a few folks at the beach, so it was all […]

(Source: RadioInfo via William Lee) NZ gives $10 million for Pacific Broadcasting While Australia’s ABC is cutting shortwave Radio Australia broadcasts to the Pacific, the New Zealand government has just announced a NZ$10 million grant for an enhanced free-to-air Pasifika TV service across the region. NZ foreign minister Winston Peters announced the plans at the […]

So as many of you now know, I’m in Québec, Canada, at the moment, and was here when Scott Simon with NPR’s Weeked Edition called. The show’s senior producer, Ned Wharton, asked if I would mind stepping into the Radio Canada/CBC broadcast house in Québec City for a studio-to-studio interview. It’s perhaps a thirty minute drive […]

Back in February 2014, I first published a post about Outernet: a company with a goal to provide free access to information across the globe through a network of satellites. I was an early backer of their crowd-funded all-in-one self-powered satellite receiver and digital storage wifi hotspot device, the Lantern. (That’s a mouthful.) In short, […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Larry, who notes that the price of the Grundig Mini has just dropped to $24.99 shipped on Amazon.com. Larry notes, “I believe this is the lowest price I’ve ever seen for the Mini which is a decent little pocket radio.” I should add the standard Amazon disclaimer noting that […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who notes that, “Jackie Gleason was a radio nut during his last years.” He shares the following quote from Gleason’s stepson [source]: “The majority of his time at home was spent quietly,” he said. “He was a prolific reader. Constantly reading. There was a store called Bookland… Every […]

From the Isle of Music, September 9-15: In one of our occasional episodes off-island, our special guest this week is Steve Roitstein, leader of Palo!, an Afrocuban Funk band based in Miami. This is one of our rare interviews in English, and if this doesn’t make you dance, you might need a nurse. The transmissions […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tim, who writes: I am a regular subscriber here, but until now have not formally commented. I’ve been an avid SWL since 1977. I am intrigued by your in-depth article on understanding and setting up SDR’s. But, what about an antenna? How well will these radios work for someone […]

(Source: Atlas Obscura via Eric McFadden) One of the most stunning sights of the Bay Area is the historic KPH Radio Station, also known as Marine Coast Station KPH. To reach the station, you must first pass through a clerestory tunnel of cypress trees near the Point Reyes National Seashore.[…] KPH began providing Morse Code […]

(Source: New York Times via Howard Bailen) Since 1851, obituaries in The New York Times have been dominated by white men. With Overlooked, we’re adding the stories of remarkable people whose deaths went unreported in The Times. By Rebecca Halleck Every so often our sun emits an invisible burst of energy. This energy ripples through […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike Barraclough, who notes the following update to BBCeng.info: Skelton, Penrith and the World 1943-1993 A personal account by the author Ken Davies. Following my request I have been notified that Cumbria County Council, the publishers of this book, would have no objection to it being on bbceng. Unfortunately I have […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian D. Smith (W9IND), who shares the following information about SWL-friendly awards offered by his amateur radio club to commemorate the three major auto races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Brian writes: W9IMS: Last special event station of 2018 Amateur radio station W9IMS will conclude its special event season during […]

Many thanks to an SWLing Post contributor who shares this item which was originally posted by Kai Ludwig on the Shortwave Sites email group. Kai writes: There is a new name to get familiar with: Encompass to Acquire Babcock’s Media Services ENCOMPASS TO ACQUIRE BABCOCK’S MEDIA SERVICES Note the statement from Encompass about their reasons […]

The following article originally appeared in the June 2018 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine: SDR Primer Part 1: Introduction to SDRs and SDR applications I author a radio blog known as the SWLing Post; as a result, I receive radio-related queries from my readers on a daily basis. Among the most common questions are these: […]

Many thanks to reviewer Jay Allen for sharing the news that a significantly updated version of the CCRadio-EP Pro is now available: C. Crane CC-EP Pro AM/FM Analog-tuned Radio The update eliminates the “false signal peaks” (images) of the EP Pro, a tuning anomaly that was widely criticized at introduction of this model. In addition, a […]

As an amateur astronomer, I knew it was only a matter of time before the astronomical community became involved to save WWV. Specifically, it’s a group of mostly amateur astronomers who observe and record occultations. What’s an occultation? It’s the term when a solar system object passes in front of, and blocks out a star. […]

From now through September 4th, Ham Radio Outlet in the USA is discounting the SDRplay RSPduo SDR receiver by $30–down to $249.95. This is a great deal on SDRplay’s newest and best SDR receiver! https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-016162 Guy Atkins is a Sr. Graphic Designer for T-Mobile and lives near Seattle, Washington. He’s a regular contributor to […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Robinson who shares this fascinating story about what has to be “one of the most important occurrences involving a SWBC station that no longer exists — the Voice of Biafra”: Biafra: One of the rarest of SWBC QSLs by Dan Robinson Many SWLing Post readers will no doubt […]

Monday, September 3, is Labor Day throughout most of North America; shortwave pirates love to operate on long holiday weekends (though you can hear them most any weekend for that matter). So, if you’ve never heard a live pirate station on shortwave radio, this is a great opportunity to catch your first pirate. Don’t know how/where to […]

(Source: WIRED) IN THE EARLY 1930s, Bell Labs was experimenting with making wireless transatlantic calls. The communications goliath wanted to understand the static that might crackle across the ocean, so it asked an engineer named Karl Jansky to investigate its sources. He found three: nearby thunderstorms, distant thunderstorms, and a steady hiss, coming from … […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Diego Collado who writes: My name is Diego Collado and I’m an 18 year old student from Barcelona, Spain. First of all, thank you very much for your website. It is a great place for getting to know the amazing yet sometimes mysterious world of shortwave listening. It has […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, 13dka, for the following guest post: Tecsun S-8800 Review by 13dka Looking for a new toy again I recently revisited the Tecsun S-8800, which looked like it could replace both my battered old Grundig Satellit and my Tecsun PL-660. Being in production for a few years now, and with […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Derrick Yamaura, who reached out to Eton Corporation seeking a solution to sticky radio chassises. Derrick writes: I phoned Eton Canada’s customer support number and reached a friendly lady who immediately responded with a solution as soon as I mentioned “sticky rubber”. She stated that Eton officially recommends a product […]

From the Isle of Music, September 2-8: Our special guest this week is Roxana Iglesias, leader of Frasis, a very intriguing Fusion group in Cuba, plus some electroacoustic experimental music by Juan Blanco, one of Cuba’s pioneers in that style. The transmissions take place: 1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area […]

Late last year, we learned that Sangean was planning to introduce a small portable HD radio to their product line: the Sangean HDR-14. Readers were excited about this release––indeed, I’ve received more inquiries and comments from readers about this radio than about any other HD radio. While there have been numerous portable FM HD radios […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares the following recordings and writes: With the news over the past few years, and especially over the last few weeks, of the rapid decline of Venezuela, it’s interesting to recall that there was a day when that country was a powerhouse on the shortwave band, […]

I still receive a surprising amount of questions about mobile (car/in-dash) shortwave receivers. We have a dedicated category to all things mobile shortwave but it is certainly a radio category with comparatively few options. One option to consider is the BST-1: a receiver I reviewed two years ago. And then occasionally car receivers pop up on eBay, […]

(Source: BBG/USAGM Press Release) WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2018 Effective immediately, the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), an independent U.S. government agency that employs thousands of talented journalists, storytellers, and media professionals, is now the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). The U.S. Agency for Global Media is a modern media organization, operating far beyond the […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Myke Dodge Weiskopf, who shares the following update and request regarding At The Tone: A Little History of NIST Radio Stations WWV & WWVH (read about it here). Myke writes: The times have demanded that I kick out a slightly updated version of “At the Tone”, as well as […]

(Source: Saudi Press Agency via Paul Walker) Riyadh, Shawwal 24, 1439, July 08, 2018, SPA — The Saudi Broadcasting Corporation has changed its English title into Saudi Broadcasting Authority, according to an announcement by its board of directors which reached the decision at a meeting held recently under the chairmanship of its chairman Dr. Awwad […]

As an avid amateur astronomer, solar observation has been quite boring during 2018. As a shortwave radio enthusiast, the lack of solar activity has impacted that hobby as well. Well, the catchword of the day is “surprise”! I was alerted yesterday evening by Spaceweather.com that a large sunspot had emerged and developed into a group […]

Hi, folks! If you just heard me on NPR’s Weekend Edition regarding the NIST Budget cuts to WWV, WWVH, and WWVB, welcome, and stick around! This is where the SWLing Post (and other projects we work on, such as the Shortwave Archive, the Radio Spectrum Archive, and the non-profit, Ears to Our World) serve up all things […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares the following procedure for calibrating the Tecsun S-8800. Dan received this procedure from Anna at Anon-Co: Apparently there is a “hidden function” through which you can manually calibrate the SSB frequency display. Please follow the below calibration steps to see if it helps: 1) Turn […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill (WD9EQD), who writes: I’ve owned a Tecsun S-8800 for about eight months and have come to enjoy it more all the time. It, along with my PL-880, have become my main work horses for shortwave listening. The S-8800 is perfect on the desk connected to a wire antenna and […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gary DeBock, who shares the following notes and recordings from the latest Rockwork DXpedition. Top Ten DU signals from the August 2018 Rockwork DXpedition – Gary DeBock Life is good– breathtaking ocean scenery, an innovative compact antenna, thunderous DU signals and even a partner (Craig Barnes) to share in the bounty. Who […]

(Source: SDRplay via Facebook) We are pleased to announce the release of the ExtIO plugin for the RSPduo. This release uses the latest API (v3.01) which is also being updated today. The plugin will work both in single tuner as well as dual tuner mode so multiple applications can use the same RSPduo at the […]