The SWLing Post

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 […]

I’ve just received the following formal response from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) regarding the President’s NIST FY 2019 budget request: (Source: NIST) NIST has a long-standing history of providing time and frequency services through our radio stations and we appreciate that many people use these services. NIST’s WWV is the longest continuously-operating […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul, who writes: On a recent visit to London’s Design Museum, I was thrilled to see a number of very interesting radio designs and models, some of which were familiar, and others I had never seen before. Two which caught my eye were tiny Sony models from the mid […]

Do you have a self-setting “atomic” clock or watch? Yep, so do I. A number of them. In fact, although I’m a tech geek of a sort, I don’t even know how many of my standard, everyday devices––devices I rely on every day––fall into this category…But I may find out soon. Many of us own […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Lee Reynolds, who shares these images and notes after he visited Monticello, Maine recently: Here’re a few shots to show where the state of play of the new station setup stands as of [six] days ago. Thanks for sharing these shots, Lee! Looks like the station is coming along […]

From the Isle of Music, August 26-September 1: Our special guest this week is José Dos Santos, one of Cuba’s foremost living experts on Jazz, the Producer of La Esquina del Jazz, a fine radio program on CMBF, and Editor in Chief of D’Cubajazz, the most important website about Jazz in Cuba. The transmissions take […]

(Source: The Verge via Richard Cuff and Kim Elliott) An experimental unit within Google has been quietly developing a new app for discovering and playing podcasts. Called Shortwave, the new app was revealed by a trademark filing embedded below, which describes it as “allow[ing] users to search, access, and play digital audio files, and to […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor John with TheReportOfTheWeek who writes: Hello Shortwave Listeners! A few changes to the radio schedule of VORW Radio Int. have been made, please check below and take a look. I’ve both added and deleted several transmissions. My show is a weekly light entertainment program, featuring misc talk and commentary […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who shares a few photos he took at the Berryville, Virginia, hamfest recently. A fitting post for Boat Anchor Tuesday! Thanks for sharing these, Dan!

Regarding the NIST FY2019 budget which includes a request to shutdown WWV, WWVH, and WWVB, many of you have been asking if there has been an update. We will keep you posted as this budget moves through the process, but in the meantime I’ll share the feedback and links provided by Gail Porter, Public Relations Director […]

(Source: Hindustan Times via Dan Robinson) The external services division of All India Radio (AIR) is caught in a turf war between the ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB), which runs it and the ministry of external affairs (MEA), which is expected to fund it. While the MIB wants the service to continue and even […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Eaton (WB9FLW), who writes: QRP Labs has just announced the QSX an All-Band All-Mode Transceiver Kit that should be available later this year. The Target price for the 10 Band Model is $150, also available will be a 40 Meter version for $75.00. Details from QRP Labs: QSX […]

(Source: WIRED via Michael Addy) THE EMAIL BLAST from the head of my son and daughter’s theater group relayed a frantic plea: “We need to raise $16,000 before the upcoming spring performances,” Anya Wallach, the executive director of Random Farms Kids’ Theater, in Westchester, New York, wrote in late May. If the money didn’t materialize in […]

(Source: RadioInfo via William Lee) Dr Amanda Krause, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions and the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne, is currently exploring the listening habits of older Australians. With the country’s aging population rapidly growing, Dr Krause became interested in the link between listening […]

Yesterday, I took note of the following Twitter message and image (above) from Corrie Corfield, who is a Newsreader/Announcer for BBC Radio 4: I’ve been reading the Ships on @BBCRadio4 for nearly 30 years & this is the first time I’ve had a TROPICAL storm. Becoming EXTRA tropical to boot ?#BraceYourselfForErnesto I’ve been reading the Ships on @BBCRadio4 […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Laurence Neils, who shares the following guest post: A review of the Tecsun R-9012 by Laurence Neils I have cheap radios. I can’t really justify buying more expensive ones given how much time (not all that much) I spend listening to the short wave broadcasters. The consequence of this […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Lennart Weirell, who writes: I saw the recent posting of a QSL card from WWV. Here is my QSL card from WWVH, Hawaii 5 MHz from 2006 [above]. Thanks for sharing this excellent QSL, Lennart! Update on shutdown of WWV, WWVH and WWVB Post Readers: please keep in mind that […]

Many thanks to Richard Cummings of the website, Cold War Radio Vignettes, who writes: I am putting together a series of blog posts about Radio Free Europe and Czechoslovakia, 1968. In doing so so, I came across a clandestine radio station called Radio Vltava that broadcast from East Germany into Czechoslovakia in support of the Soviet […]

(Source: Inside Radio via Dennis Dura) The proposed sale of an AM station along the Mexico-U.S. border to a group of Chinese investors has stoked fears that the 50,000-watt station will be used to infiltrate the U.S. with Chinese propaganda. Spanish news-talk “W-Radio 690” XEWW (690), which blankets Southern California from Tijuana, is being sold […]

(Source: WAGM via Richard Cuff) MONTICELLO, Maine – The town of Monticello will soon be home to one of the largest short wave radio stations in the world, according to those involved. In this week’s Aroostook 2020, Newssource 8’s Ashley Blackford finds out what this major project could mean for the area. Click here to view […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Hemphill (WD9EQD), who writes with the following update to his previous post: As you may remember, back in May, I picked up a beautiful home-made loop antenna. It was 25 inches on a side with 23 turns of wire. My initial testing showed that it would tune from […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Will Schutz, who notes that CountyComm is offering an “Exclusive Limited Overrun Sale” on the “Organic Gray” version of the CountyComm GP5-SSB. The price is $69.95 US and I assume available while supplies last. Click here to view the sale. Click here to read our review of the GP5-SSB.

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Paul Golder, who writes: This is a bit of a long shot. I used to listen to a lot of DX programmes in the 1980s (around 1982-1985 mainly) and one of the stations I used to listen to was BRT’s English service on 1512kHz. Does anyone remember the closing […]

(Source: Radio World via Richard Langley) Beginning in the early 1940s and for more than 50 years, the U.S. armed services produced long-form radio programs on vinyl disc to broadcast to troops overseas. These were usually recorded by the top voice talents in Los Angeles and were heard over the American Forces Radio TV Service. […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom Kelly, who shares the following: I recently read your article concerning the proposed shutdown of the NIST stations WWV/WWVH. To that end, I have gone ahead and created a Whitehouse petition to see if this decision can be reversed: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/maintain-funding-nist-stations-wwv-wwvh Would there be any way you could perhaps […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Schreiber (KE7KRF), who writes: The NIST article about WWVH was very interesting and informative. It reminded me that lately WWV’s broadcast on 25 MHz has been received from time to time here in southern Arizona. I emailed a report and recording to NIST in late June and received a […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gary DeBock, who shares this note from the recent Rockwork Ocean Cliff DXpedition: The most distant AM-DX received during the August 2018 Rockwork Ocean Cliff DXpedition was 558-6WA in Wagin, Western Australia, received during the last session (9 out of 9) at 1252 on August 9th. At 9,154 miles (14,732 […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who notes that Hamcrafters appears to be planning a replacement for the Palomar VLF converter. Here’s the product description: The Hamcrafters VLF Converter is based on the original Palomar design and converts 10 KHz – 500 KHz to 4.010 to 4.5 MHz. This allows use of your HF […]

From the Isle of Music, August 19-25, 2018: Our special guest is Ricardito Rivera, former lead vocalist with Los Latinos and Rumbavana. He is still performing in Spain, and we will discuss his career and listen to music from the the Los Latinos period until today. Four options to listen to the transmission: 1. For […]

Many thanks to SWLing Post and SRAA contributor, Tom Laskowski, who shares the following off-air recording of Radio Netherlands and notes: Along with RCI’s Shortwave Listener’s Digest, Radio Netherlands Media Network was another favorite DX program of mine. Here is a recording of an episode from April 9, 1982 which is the first recording of […]