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John’s In-Depth Review of the Choyong LC90 (Export Version)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and WWLG author, John Figliozzi, who shares the following review:


A Review And Analysis Of The Choyong LC90 (Export Version)

By John A. Figliozzi

General

To my knowledge, this is the first radio to combine AM Shortwave with Internet Radio.  This makes it the first true “full service” radio incorporating ALL of radio’s major platforms.  Many radio listeners question why this hasn’t been done sooner, so this very good first effort is most welcome.

The initial presentation of the radio to the new owner is impressive.  The stylish box in which it arrives is worthy of a respected instrument of high quality.  The radio has the solid substantial feel of a device with excellent build quality.  Its sizing – that of a paperback book along the lines of some previous well-respected AM/FM/SW receivers like the Grundig YB-400 – gives it the perfect form factor for a radio that can be enjoyed both in the home and as a portable.

There is so much to like here.  Over and above its unique combining of Internet radio and shortwave, there’s a “permanent” battery that offers many hours of use before it needs recharging, ATS tuning, the ability to save frequencies and stations in several preference lists, several ways of searching for Internet radio stations, an easy way to add Internet stations not already listed by the manufacturer, and others.

But the LC90 really shines with its fantastic audio on FM and Internet radio.  There’s a woofer, a tweeter and a low frequency diaphragm inside the speaker cavity that occupies the left half the case – and nothing else.  The radio’s excellent build quality and its developers’ efforts to produce a world class audio section in a portable radio really pays off.

But no radio is perfect, and this one obviously is a work in progress.  So, being critical – which is what a review and analysis like this does — should not imply disapproval on any level.  On the contrary, the LC90 is already a well-formed radio worthy of consideration by any purchaser.

The Screen

The screen that is the center of the LC90 provides much information depending on the platform being used.  But in some cases, useful information is missing and in other cases the information provided seems unnecessary or of questionable utility.

In AM (MW), FM and SW, it is not readily apparent what all the symbols mean or why they are there.  The time, signal strength and SNR (signal to noise ratio), bandwidth, meter band, heart (for including a frequency in “favorites”) and the “Freq. vs. Addr.” indicators are all helpful and understandable.  But what is meant by “Memo” isn’t entirely clear.  Is it holding just my preferences?  Or the number of stations found by ATS?  Or something else?

So, too, with the Internet Radio screen.  What do the three dots, the speaker icon and the return icon mean?  The ability to tune stations in sequence as they appear across the bottom of the screen depending on mode is both unique and helpful.  But the use of a timer to tick off how long one might listen to a particular station seems of dubious value.

Some suggestions for better use of the screen in some circumstances are detailed below.

Operation

Initial setup matching the radio to home internet service proceeded flawlessly.  The time clock is in 24-hour mode and showed correct time and date in my time zone.  Some purchasers had previously noted that the clock showed a time one hour earlier than the actual time.  I surmise that this is because the clock remains in standard time year-round.  There is no facility to reset the clock, compensate for seasonal time changes or set the clock manually.  This is an oversight that should be addressed.

This is a sophisticated, multi-faceted radio.  As impressive as it already may be, it should be perceived as a work in progress in need of the improvements it will get eventually through firmware updates and design modifications.  It would be helpful if those updates could come directly and seamlessly through the Internet, something that apparently can’t be done currently.

The LC90 comes with a rather short, almost cryptically worded pamphlet.  This can serve as an ok quick start-up guide.  But after using the radio, it’s obvious that there’s need for a comprehensive operation manual with copious directions for the user, along the lines that Eton provided for the E1.  A radio of this quality and at this price point demands such consideration.

In short, becoming fully familiar with and comfortable using all the features of the LC90 requires a prodigious learning curve, one that is not intuitively discerned.  I have to say that even after using it almost constantly for a few weeks, I feel I am still missing things.

Just a few examples of aspects that go unexplained include:

  • What does “Auto Play” mean in Settings?
  • Getting to preferences (the “heart” icon) is confusing and I’ve inadvertently removed them without learning how it happened.
  • Why does the screen show “Please add radio channel first” when I think I’ve already done that?
  • Why does screen alarmingly show “Saved channels removed”, having done so when I press the tuning dial thinking I am obtaining a list of my preferred or saved stations?

The cleverness behind the LC90 is not intuitively apparent.  If I hit the wrong keys in combination or hard press instead of soft press a key, I get a result I don’t understand and for which there is no explanation in the exceedingly short manual provided now.  In some cases, I put myself in a corner I can’t get out of, so I must reset by shutting down and restarting the radio to get back to base.

Following are my observations on the performance of the LC90 by platform:

FM

The LC90 has a very good FM section that is quite sensitive.   Using the ATS feature, (automatic tuning) it found 37 stations in Sarasota FL, for example.

For its size – and even considering many larger radios — the LC90 has an excellent audio response on FM.  However, although it has activated stereo capability, it does not appear to actually provide stereo through its ear/headphone jack. This is because the same output is used to provide audio to the speakers and the ear/headphone jack.  This feels like an oversight that should be rectified.  The radio does “recognize” a stereo plug and audio does play into both ears.  It’s just not stereo audio.

As currently configured this LC90 does not offer RDBS (RDS in Europe) on FM.  This should be incorporated into a radio of this quality being offered at this price point.

Even so, in this user’s opinion it earns a 4.5 on scale of 5 on FM.  But if it had stereo and RBDS, it would easily earn a 5.

A question arises:   Were HD Radio (in North America) and DAB+ (in Europe and Australia – if these are targeted markets for the LC90) considered for incorporation into this radio by its developers?  If not, why not; and, if so, why was a decision taken not to include them?

Shortwave

Performance of the LC90 on shortwave is very good, especially since it clearly is not intended as a hobbyist’s DX machine.  As such in my opinion, it doesn’t require the SSB capability that some have said they wish it has.

Rather, this radio is intended for the content-focused listener.  I view the AM (MW), FM and SW platforms as back-up alternatives for and secondary to the primary focus — Internet Radio.  Nonetheless, the LC-90’s performance is above average on both FM and SW which should be assuring to anyone considering its purchase.

The LC90 is quite sensitive on SW for a small portable using just its built-in expandable and rotatable 9 stage rod antenna.   But it does especially well when a common clothesline reel external antenna is extended and plugged into the receptacle provided for that purpose on the radio’s right-hand side.  (Similar improvement is noted for AM (MW) and FM, as well.)

Complaints about placement of this receptacle close to the tuning knob is of no concern when an external antenna of the type described above using a 3.5mm plug connector is used.  Any more sophisticated an external antenna would likely overload this radio considering that “birdies” – false signals internally generated by the radio itself — can be detected throughout the SW spectrum even when just using its built-in rod antenna.  This flaw should be addressed in any future modification or upgrade.

The audio enhancements made on this radio through unique use of speakers and their orientation are not as apparent here as they are when listening to FM and Internet Radio.

On AM signals generally — both SW and AM (MW) – a listener can detect artifacts in the audio.  Audible random “clicks” often can be heard – usually when receiving weaker stations – which sounds as if the radio’s audio section is clipping.   Adjusting the bandwidth appears to offer only minimal help with this.

Indeed, the audio produced by SW and AM (MW) sounds somewhat mechanical except on very strong stations.  It seems to lack body or depth on SW and AM.   Some of this undoubtedly is due to the quality of AM audio to begin with.  But the latter does sound more natural on other receivers.  The 7 bandwidths provided (1, 1.8, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6 kHz) do help to somewhat shape the audio, but it appears that there could be better choices for what this radio is trying to achieve.

Nonetheless on SW, the LC90 rates a comparative 3.75 on a scale of 5 for sensitivity off its built-in antenna.  That rises to a 4.0 when the external antenna described above is connected.

An unrelated anomaly was noted from using the radio on SW:  The LC90 (or at least this test unit) apparently cannot be tuned directly to frequencies in the 25 MHz (11m) band.  The radio will only accept 4 integers here, so it reverts to 120m instead of 11m.  Instead, one must press the tuning knob to change the display to 11m and then tune manually via the knob to the desired frequency.

AM (Mediumwave)

All Internet-capable radios up to now have avoided including AM – both MW and SW – into their designs due to noise and interference issues generated by the radio’s internal control signal and screen, and the difficulty involved in shielding both.

While acknowledging the considerable effort put forward by the LC90’s developers to ameliorate this problem, the radio does not fully overcome these challenges to producing “clean” AM audio.

The developers themselves seem to recognize this problem.  While they have incorporated an internal ferrite MW antenna in the radio’s design, its utility is overwhelmed by internal interference.  Rotating the radio to emphasize or null certain signals yields no apparent difference.  Consequently, the developer suggests that the listener extend the internal rod antenna for “best results”.

The AM (MW) section is unfortunately the weakest aspect of this radio.  Daytime reception is very poor – rated comparatively a 1.5 on a scale of 5.  The LC90 receives and saves through ATS only very local stations and misses several of them.

Reception does improve after dark, largely due to skywave propagation.  But it is only comparatively fair – 2.5 on a scale of 5.

Using the external clothesline antenna described above improves daytime reception to a 2.0, but those purchasing this radio should expect only marginal pedestrian – even comparatively substandard — results with AM (MW).

In sum, the audio improvements the LC90’s developers have successfully worked to provide elsewhere in the LC90 are almost undetectable here unless one is listening to an exceptionally strong AM (MW) station.

Internet Radio

To this observer, this is the core of the LC90.

There are three equally important tasks that an Internet radio must achieve to serve as a quality example for the genre:

  • Stability of signal reproduction,
  • Superior audio quality,
  • Easy user interface.

Let me begin by pointing out that it is readily apparent that the developers put lots of work into this aspect of the LC90.

The stations that do play successfully sound very good with excellent stability.  But compared to other internet radios I own and have experienced, there are just too many stations that lack that stability (characterized by frequent audio breaks or “hiccups”) or don’t load at all.

Here are some specific observations from use over several weeks:

Simply put, the user interface needs work.  While the LC90 offers several flexible tuning assists, there seem to be too many that overlap and others missing.  The effort does not seem to be centrally focused enough.  For example, listings within each category appear randomly, and many unexplainably with what looks like the same links that are indistinguishable and scattered throughout a given category.

Indeed, there are many individual listings that are repeated within the same and different lists which are found via the Tag, Menu, News. Music, Language buttons on the radio.  Why?  Is it to provide different codecs or levels of streaming quality?  There is no indication as to the way each might differ one from another, if at all.

As mentioned earlier, there is much going on here that cannot be intuitively discerned by the user/listener — and it must be!  Comparing it to other Internet radios such as the Pure Elan Connect, which uses the constantly updated Frontier Silicon station and podcast database, the LC90’s Internet radio operation is confusing and the logic behind it is difficult to perceive.

Some stations appear in Chinese and Cyrillic script, and others just as dots across a line.  This is unhelpful to listeners outside these cultures.  Also, there appear to be features within the LC90’s architecture that are “hidden”.  For example, through an inadvertent combination of key presses I found myself briefly in a listing that appeared designed solely for the Chinese market until I reset the radio by turning the radio off and then on again.

The developers appear to have created their own stations database rather than use one of the others already in use on other Internet radios.  Since it is apparently an entirely new approach, it’s impossible to determine if it is continuously updated, systematically modified or updated periodically according to some schedule.  This observer did not see any activity or change that would indicate that anything was updated over the weeks he was using the LC90.

Many domestic BBC links (Radio 3,4,5,6, e.g.) just don’t work.  When ostensibly “loading” them after selecting them, the percentage just stays at zero.  Given the importance of the BBC internationally, this is concerning and should be corrected with all deliberate speed.

In fact, this observer experienced an inordinate number of links that didn’t seem to work at all.  Some links also play initially, but then just “hang” or stop working or “hiccup” periodically (RTE, RTHK, e.g).

When comparing the LC90’s admittedly many offerings with those on Internet radios using the Frontier Silicon database, many stations appear to be missing.  However, the LC90’s developers have included in the radio’s architecture a very accessible means for the radio’s users to add stations that are not already in the radio’s database.  Whether these are just added only to the user’s radio or added globally to the LC-90 database is unknown.

In short, the way these lists — and the way the user tunes them in — work now appear to detract from rather than enhance the performance and user’s overall experience with the LC90.  This situation leads this observer to the perception that the developer’s concept(s) behind station lists and tuning is unfocused and disorganized.  This situation cannot be allowed to continue.  As stated, this user interface needs reconsideration and refinement in the opinion of this observer to make its use more intuitive for the user.

The LC90’s display for Internet radio is attractive but supplies only stream loading percentages and the station name.  There is no means of knowing the actual quality of the audio signal other than by ear.  The timer provided counting how long the station has been playing is not really of any practical use when listening to an Internet radio station.

A better use of the LC90’s screen would be to include visuals like station logos and station-provided metadata, neither of which are present now.

An anomaly that came to light through use:  The “Podcast” button only seems to provide stations like other buttons, not podcast lists.  This observer could find no way to access or listen to podcasts.  Again, this needs to be corrected.

In the opinion of this observer, the Internet section of the LC90 earns an overall 3.5 on a scale of 5 with the proviso that the radio’s audio performance with the highest quality Internet streams earns a clear 5.

Bluetooth

The LC-90’s Bluetooth feature works well.  Audio volume is jointly controlled by the source and the radio.  Its set-up and operation appear seamless.

TF and SIM cards

Not tested.  Since most SIM cards are tied to phones here, I anticipate that Internet access for the LC90 Export Version will remain with WiFi for the vast majority or, when and where WiFi is unavailable, by linking one’s phone to the radio using Bluetooth.

Neither was the timer or sleep function tested, but it can be assumed that both work as they should.

Final Notes

Other reviewers have expressed a desire for an air band, SSB capability and a fold out strip on the rear of the radio’s case so that it might be angled when used.

Frankly, I don’t see the need for any of these with the LC90 or any future enhancement or modification of it.  Anyone wishing to angle the receiver can find an inexpensive tilt stand on which to place it.  But, in that regard, I would suggest that the developer recreate the rod antenna so that it clears the perimeter of the case and allows it a full 360-degree rotation.

Otherwise, my preference would be that any such effort and the resources necessary to pursue them be concentrated on the more important matters I highlight for improvement in this analysis.

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An interview with Glenn Hauser

Glenn with his wrist-mounted altazimuth DX-398 for MW direction-finding.

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM

Since he was in grade school, Glenn Hauser has had the itch to receive broadcasts at long distance, and that interest, continuing throughout his lifetime, has led him to become one of the most respected authorities in the world of radio.

SWLing: How did you get started in radio?

GH: I started with TV DXing, trying to pick up Albuquerque 100 miles away, but often getting sporadic E skip stations more than 1,000 miles away. I also started tuning around medium wave. I was 8 or 9 years old.

SWLing: How did you get started with shortwave radio?

GH: In 1954, the family moved to Oklahoma City. By 1957, I acquired a Hallicrafters S-38E and was listening to shortwave using a longwire antenna, sending off for QSL cards. I was still doing TV DXing.

Then in 1961 the family moved to Enid, better for TV DXing, away from all those local stations, also radio DX. I acquired a Hammerlund HQ160, which was quite an improvement.

SWLing: Were you professionally involved in radio?

GH: In college, I worked on the campus radio station and also at a classical music station, KHFM. My BA was in broadcast journalism. After college, I continued to work on classical musical stations as programmer and announcer. I was very interested in foreign languages, learned phonetic schemes of various languages and learned to pronounce them. Radio Budapest was particularly helpful with Hungarian, which some announcers find difficult. I spent my professional career working for classical music stations.

I spent a year in Thailand, working for the American Forces Thailand Network. I was a newsman on the air in 1969 and 1970.

I had the HQ160 and a small TV in a footlocker, and in my spare time, DXed TV from as far as South Korea and the Philippines and medium wave from Europe.

After four years in the USAF, I resumed classic music radio, notably at WUOT, Knoxville.

By then I was contributing to various DX programs on SW stations, clubs, and eventually started my own program World of Radio. You can find out when to hear my program on the Schedules page at www.worldofradio.com . One of the main places to hear it is on WRMI in Florida. I was SW columnist for Popular Electronics, and later, Monitoring Times. Also published my own magazines, Review of International Broadcasting, and DX Listening Digest; at first on paper, then online.

SWLing: How did you get involved in logging SW radio stations?

GH: It was a natural outgrowth of enthusiasm for hobby; I was a regular contributor to DX Jukebox on Radio Netherlands (monthly) and Radio Canada International’s DX/SWL Digest (weekly).

SWLing: What sort of equipment do you use?

GH: A JRC NRD 545 and an Icom R75 for shortwave and medium wave. For antennas, I use a Wellbrook loop, a 100-foot random wire oriented east-west outside, and some shorter random wires inside the house. It is noisy where I live, and I’ve been trying to get the local electric company to fix line noise radiation.

Here in the town, my property is limited in space for antennas. I’ve been known to hook on to a wire fence in the country as a de facto Beverage antenna.

SWLing: How many hours a day do you monitor?

GH: It varies. Because of my program and my logging reports, I have made myself a nexus for information, so a lot gets sent to me. As a routine, I am always tuning around at bedtime, as well as various times during the day. At random times, I may do a band scan to see what’s happening.

SWLing: What are you most memorable moments listening to SW?

GH: Certainly one was October 4, 1957, hearing Sputnik on 20 megahertz.

SWLing: Any tips, tricks or advice you would care to offer to SWLs or DXers?

GH: Become as well informed as possible by participating in groups such as https://groups.io/g/WOR . Be aware of various references online such as the big 3 SW frequency listings, Aoki, EiBi, and HFCC, among those linked from my homepage http://www.worldofradio.com . In addition, scan the radio bands until you are familiar with what’s there, so you can notice something new or different.

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Don Moore’s Photo Album: Costa Rica (Part One) 

Radio Reloj, Costa Rica (1990)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Don Moore–noted author, traveler, and DXer–for the latest installment of his Photo Album guest post series:


Don Moore’s Photo Album: Costa Rica (part one) 

by Don Moore

Costa Rica is one of the most visited countries in Latin America. I only visited there once, for three weeks in May-June 1990 when the country was just beginning to become a major international eco-tourism destination. Visitors were few and prices very affordable. Except for a short trip to the Monteverde cloud forest, we spent all our time in the central valley, staying in San José and nearby Heredia. Rather than nature, our visit focused on cultural and historical sites … and a lot of radio stations.

Since the 19th century, Costa Rica has been one of the most literate and educated countries in Latin America. That quality is reflected in its radio broadcasting industry, which has always been very professional. Curiously that’s even reflected in station verifications. Almost every Costa Rican shortwave station that I’ve verified had a professionally printed QSL card.

Despite being one of the smallest countries in Latin America, Costa Rica had a lot of shortwave radio stations. I have fifteen in my logbooks and some of the most famous ones were already off the air when I started DXing. Unfortunately, shortwave broadcasting from Costa Rica ended almost twenty years ago so there’s no more to be had. It is still possible to log Costa Rica on medium wave but it’s not as easy as it once was. When I started DXing in the early 1970s, stations in the San José were spaced twenty-five kilohertz apart. That meant that every other station, such as Radio Sonora on 675 kHz and Radio Columbia on 725 kHz, was on a split frequency that fell between the normally assigned 10 kHz channels. I logged nine Tico stations on medium wave while DXing from Pennsylvania in 1972-1981 and only one of those, Radio Reloj on 700 kHz, was on an even channel.  Those split channels were eliminated in the 1980s so logging Costa Rica on medium wave is no longer a slam-dunk.

I visited a lot of radio stations and took a lot of photos on my one long-ago trip to Costa Rica. I’m going to focus on just five shortwave broadcasters in this first look at Costa Rica. The others will be featured in two or three future columns.

In the 1970s the first Costa Rican station most shortwave DXers heard was Faro del Caribe, or Lighthouse of the Caribbean. This religious station used two kilowatts on 9645 and 6175 kHz and got out surprisingly well as long as there wasn’t a more powerful international broadcaster also using the same frequency. In the late 1970s they added 5055 kHz in the sixty-meter band.

When I visited in 1990 the antennas were located right next to the studio building. The site was outside the city of San José when the station was founded but gradually a residential area built up around it.

Engineer checking one of Faro Del Caribe’s shortwave transmitters.

Fortieth Anniversary pennant from 1988. When Faro del Caribe began broadcasting on February 23, 1948, it was the first Evangelical Protestant radio station in Central America.

For DXers, Radio Reloj was one of Costa Rica’s best known radio voices for several decades. The station was founded as Radio Cristal by Roger Barahona in 1945. The shortwave frequency of 6006 kHz was added in the early 1950s. In 1958 the station was renamed to Radio Reloj when the format changed to focus on news and community announcements with very frequent time checks. (Radio Reloj means Radio Clock.) Roger’s brothers Isaac and Francisco had joined the broadcasting company and Radio Reloj was assigned the callsign TIHB for Hermanos Barahona (Barahona Brothers). Continue reading

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TomL’s Guide to Audio Plugins For Radios: Part 2 – SDR Recording

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, TomL, who shares the following guest post. Click here to check out all of the posts in this Audio Plugin series:


Audio Plugins For Radios, Part 2 – SDR Recording

by TomL

I started investigating using the old Kenwood transceiver to send audio to my laptop and process the receive audio using VST Host for a number of functions: Noise reduction, Equalization, reduce Sibilances and fading distortion, increase presence of vocals without sounding boxy, etc.  It was a qualified success depending on what VST apps I used, in what order they were used, and what settings each of them were set to.  In this episode of ongoing discovery, I will attempt to show how easy it is to OVER-process the shortwave broadcast audio plus comparisons to my regular Audacity post-recording treatment.

Audio Examples

I noticed for the first time that the SDR creates a somewhat compressed file which can be seen when comparing the Waveforms of SDR vs. VST Host output files.  This means that the unprocessed SDR file will always appear to sound louder because of this compression.  This loss of Dynamic Range makes it harder to do the comparison.  Therefore, the Audacity-only examples below are reduced 3dB or 5dB to maintain apparent loudness.

Example 1:  KBS Weekend Playlist – S6-S9 signal, somewhat severe fading and moderate polar flutter.

SDR Console 3.2 using my usual NR4 set to 2dB Reduction, 30% Smoothing, and 3dB Rescale plus a Blackman-Harris-7, 5.3 kHz filter.

AUDACITY file is using my usual Audacity noise reduction:

VST version 2: Used my first set of VST apps.  Sounds harsh with hash-noise and overdriven:

VST version 3: Used way too much bass, too much grunge, attenuated highs, still overdriven:

VST version 4: Using a different order to the Denoiser apps, added in Modern Exciter app, cut back on some bass but still too much, and overly forward sounding midrange:

VST version 5: My current Baseline setup.  Adjusted the Denoiser apps, less extreme bass & treble, adjusted the De-Esser app, set the midrange to be less forward with just a single setting:

To my ears, Audacity processing is nice but as discovered before, sounds compressed and does not reduce some of the other problems inherent in shortwave signal fading and loss of musicality.  It sounds utilitarian.  Also, the noise is a bit more gnarly.

Versions 2-5 go through iterations of listening to the exact same segment over and over (and over) and trying different VST apps and settings.  I think my comments are mostly accurate next to each version.  However, you may think differently and perhaps prefer the sound of one of the other versions?

Example 2: Encore Classical Music, WRMI (fading S9 signal) – Audacity vs. Version 5 VST settings.  VST is quieter and sounds less harsh than the Audacity version.  A generally more smooth sound.

 

Example 3: RCI in Russian, S7-S9 with moderate polar flutter – 7kHz filter in SDR Console but VST Host is using BritPre, an analog preamp using a 6 kHz low pass filter to try to reduce DSP filter “ringing”.  It shows some interesting possibilities.

Example 4: RCI in Russian – Music from the same broadcast and VST Host setup in Example 3.  The screeching flute is under more control and strings more defined in the VST version.

Conclusions

I like the results of the audio processing that eventually ended up with “version 5” (plus the possibilities at 7kHz, too).  It is not Earth-shattering but is an incremental improvement in my opinion (there is always room for improvement).  I can use it in a simple Workflow anytime I want to record something off of the SDR.  Also, I had already been using Voicemeeter Pro, a software audio mixer.  It is setup with different profiles to do SDR, Ham, FM Broadcast, and now, VST Host audio routing.  This process took a long time but seems satisfactory to use as a Baseline setup, which then can be tweaked slightly depending on various types of audio coming from the SDR.  These changes in VST Host can be stored as their own unique profiles for audio processing.

However, a word of warning!  Messing with Windows audio Sound settings and mixer software is potentially a confusing process and one can easily end up with a spaghetti-pile of conflicting connections, no audio output, doubled echo output, distortion, way too loud, way too soft, etc.  If you start this experimentation, make sure to write down your current Windows Sound settings, both the Playback and the Recording settings for each item listed.

Having an SDR radio + Voicemeeter + VST Host is a very flexible setup.  I can now safely say that the only thing I need Audacity for is to Normalize the peak audio to the -1 dB broadcast standard volume, which is a HUGE time saver.  The SDR Console IQ files can be scheduled and processed from there at a later time.  Also, the use of Voicemeeter Pro allows me to switch when to use VST Host anytime I feel like it, and Voicemeeter Pro comes with its own (manually engaged) Recorder.

Part 3 of this series will discuss Technical details for my setup.  Your setup may need different settings or you may find a better way than I did.  This will take some dedicated time.

Happy Listening and 73’s,

TomL

Click here to follow all of the articles in TomL’s audio plugin series.

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The International Radio Club’s Reprints collection

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Nick Hall-Patch who shares the following announcement:


IRCA Reprints open to public

The International Radio Club’s Reprints collection of over 1100 articles about antennas, radio propagation, receivers, accessories, plus items of general interest to MW DXers, continues to grow.   We’ve published an update to the index, at DXer.ca [PDF] , so that everyone can get access to these latest additions.  (also accessible at https://www.ircaonline.org/ “Free IRCA Reprints” button)

The latest update includes items from DX Monitor up the end of June 2022. as well as many items of interest from elsewhere, used with permission.

Added items in this update are marked “(NEW)”,  plus there are a few updated articles as well.

Please pass on this information to others as you see fit.

(if you’ve used the index before, you may need to refresh your browser page to see the latest update, dated December 2022)

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Don Moore’s Photo Album: Cuenca, Ecuador (Part One)

Cuenca Cathedral

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Don Moore–noted author, traveler, and DXer–for the latest installment of his Photo Album guest post series:


Don Moore’s Photo Album: Cuenca, Ecuador (Part One)

by Don Moore

For me travel is all about seeing new places and having new experiences. When I retired in 2017 my plan was to spend the next fifteen years visiting new countries and new places in countries I already knew. Is that a viable goal? Three years ago while crossing the border from Ecuador to Colombia I shared a taxi with Dutch man who, like me, was traveling overland by bus with just a knapsack and a suitcase. And two weeks earlier he had celebrated his eightieth birthday. I don’t remember his name but he’s my hero.

The pandemic put a pause on travel but I’m happy to be back on the road. I’m currently in Ecuador, the country where I’ve spent more time than anywhere except the United States and Honduras. After landing in Quito at the beginning of December I visited four provinces I hadn’t been to before, including spending three nights at the bohemian beach town of Montañita where I had some good DX. I like seeing new places but there is also something to be said for returning to a familiar place that holds a special meaning. For me that place is where I am now – Cuenca, Ecuador.

My ex-wife and I finished our Peace Corps service in 1984, flew home to get married, and then in January 1985 flew to Quito, Ecuador to begin a long journey that would take us overland all the way to Buenos Aires and back. On our way to Peru in late February we stopped for a few days in Cuenca and fell in love with the little city. We visited Cuenca again in July at the end of our travels. When we left I knew we would be back but I never could have imagined the circumstances that would lead to that next visit. In 1997 we returned with our seven-year-old daughter to adopt a six-year-old son. We spent almost three weeks in Cuenca doing all the required paperwork but we had no complaints as we enjoyed being there so much. I clearly remember sitting in a park one day and commenting that Cuenca would be a perfect place to retire in someday. I was only ten years ahead of my time.

La Voz del Río Tarqui

Cuenca was home to several shortwave broadcasters over the decades but La Voz del Río Tarqui was probably the best known to my generation of DXers. The station was founded in 1960 by Manuel Pulla but didn’t begin its shortwave service on 3285 kHz until 1982. My loggings of the station run from July 1982 through 1997 but I believe they were on shortwave for a few more years after that. (Don’t confuse La Voz del Río Tarqui with Radio Tarqui, a sometimes broadcaster from Quito on 4970 kHz.)

La Voz del Río Tarqui in 1985. The facilities inside were no more impressive than the outside of the building was.

La Voz del Río Tarqui takes its name from the famous Battle of the River Tarqui. After the new countries of South America gained their independence from Spain there was often disagreement over just where the boundaries were that they had inherited from Spanish rule. Ecuador was in a union with present-day Colombia and Venezuela until 1830 and during this time Peru claimed much of present-day southern Ecuador, including Cuenca and Guayaquil. In 1828 a large Peruvian army occupied Loja, to the south, and a few months later marched north to complete their conquest. In February 1829 General Antonio de Sucre, a hero of the war of independence, met the Peruvians on the banks of the Tarqui, twenty-five kilometers south of Cuenca. Both sides suffered heavy losses but Sucre’s army routed the Peruvians. Cuenca, Guayaquil, and Loja remained a part of Ecuador. Continue reading

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PDF: Analysis and Design of FSL Antennas

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Zoltan Azary, who has written an extensive theoretical analysis of ferrite sleeve loop antennas. This article has a very academic flavor and for those who are interested in antenna design, he welcomes your comments!

Click here to download the 14 page PDF, “Analysis and Design of FSL Antennas: Open Source Hardware Engineering” by Zoltan Azary.

Thank you for sharing this work with us, Zoltan!

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