The SWLing Post

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 […]

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 […]