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I recently had the opportunity to talk with Jessica Crotty of C. Crane about my experience with radio during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene here in western North Carolina.
We talked about how our neighborhood stayed connected when cell service, internet, and 911 were unavailable, the important role local broadcasters played, and a few lessons I learned about emergency preparedness along the way.
I hope you find the conversation useful. It was certainly a sobering experience, but one that reminded me just how valuable radio—and good neighbors—can be when the infrastructure we normally depend on goes down.
UPDATE (16:15 UTC, August 14, 2026): This post has been updated to clarify that XHDATA is preparing to release two different receivers, the D-228 and D-226. The original version of this post conflated some of the specifications and features of the two models. Many thanks to Paul Jamet for the clarification.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Paul Jamet, who shares the following news:
Have you heard of the D-228? XHDATA’s new dial-type receiver? Description and additional info:
The D-228 includes reception of the NOAA weather band and is therefore primarily intended for the North American market. The D-228 is currently available only in green.
Both the D-228 and D-226 feature three power modes—rechargeable battery, AA batteries, and 5V DC—as well as a small flashlight, allowing XHDATA to classify these compact receivers as emergency radios.
There is, however, another model that should not be confused with the D-228: the XHDATA D-226, which XHDATA says will also be available soon.
The D-226 does not support the NOAA weather band and is intended primarily for the global market. Its specifications are:
Paul notes that he had initially assumed the D-226 would follow the reception specifications of the D-219, but he now believes that assumption may not be accurate. XHDATA subsequently clarified the distinction between the two new receivers.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Mark Hirst, who writes:
Thomas,
I spotted a movie in a local charity shop recently called “Operation Chromite”, a Korean production featuring Liam Neeson as General MacArthur.
A fictionalised depiction of the true story behind preparations for the Incheon landings during the Korean War, much of the film follows members of a military intelligence unit known as the Korea Liaison Office (KLO). Their task is to secure information about the mine defences, which posed a significant danger to the already audacious plan to land UN troops against the North Korean army.
Clandestine radio communications between the KLO and General MacArthur’s staff appear regularly in the film. One such scene which I enclose [above], shows a female KLO operator receiving crucial last-minute orders from the UN forces.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who writes:
Hi Thomas
Radio Bonaire 1530 went on the air July 27, 2026.
According to its website,
“Radio Bonaire 1530 is your source of information during emergencies, specifically for residents and visitors of Bonaire. Thanks to an off-grid system and continuous broadcasting, you stay informed at all times, even during power outages or other emergencies.”
It continues:
How did the idea come about?
During the major, prolonged blackout of 2023, all sorts of things went wrong.
The FM transmitters located at Subi Rincon had no audio; the studio also had no power, so nothing was being sent to the FM transmitters.
Most FM stations had already gone off the air, and those still broadcasting had no sound. Eventually, these stations also went off the air as their backup power ran out.
For many, the internet was also inaccessible because the Wi-Fi modems in their homes had no power.
Phones could still be used for quite a while; however, making calls was virtually impossible because everyone wanted to do so at the same time. But after 36 hours, the telephone connections also failed one by one.
In response, a few amateur radio enthusiasts put their heads together. Some already had experience setting up so-called LPAM transmitters in the Netherlands—LPAM stands for Low Power AM on the medium wave band. These LPAM transmitters achieved a remarkably wide range despite their low power output (400 watts).”
I came across the station last night, purely by chance, while doing some random tuning on a KiwiSDR located, where else, but on Bonaire. Here is a recording that I made around 0400 hours UTC.
While most of the announcements (about the 3:20 mark) are in (presumed) Dutch, there is a brief one and a jingle in English.
Hi to all SWLing Post community. Here’s the Imaginary Stations schedule for this week’s listening pleasure.
On Wednesday 12th August 2026, at 0200 hrs UTC on 9395 kHz on WRMI we have WHFM – Herman’s Radio and Record Room. This is another show in a series of programmes by DJ Frederick Moe in memory of his father Herman (1919-2001) and features mid-century sounds including country, jazz, folk and easy listening.
Later that day at 2000 hrs UTC on 3975 kHz/6160 kHz via Shortwave Gold, we bring you a repeat of last week’s episode of Skybird Radio International. It’s a show that features music from all around this world of ours.
While on Saturday 15th August at 1100 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and then again on Sunday 16th August at 1300 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and 2000 hrs UTC on 3975 kHz/6160 kHz, we bring you the return of that hot shiny thing we call the Sun with WSUN. The show is a tribute of the star we revolve around, with tunes about it and all things solar. Tune in and let the sun(shine) back into your life.
For more information on all our shows, please write to us at [email protected] and check out our old shows at our Mixcloud page here.
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Jessica Crotty of C. Crane about my experience with radio during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene here in western North Carolina.
