Yearly Archives: 2010

NPR’s Bob Boilen on radio listening

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I like Bob’s contemporary take on radio listening. Embrace old and new technologies:

Here’s the thing. I have radios that pick up FM, AM and short wave signals, but I also have an IP, or internet radio, that picks up signals that are broadcast from various sources. So while I’m cooking in my suburban Maryland kitchen, I can listen to WFUV originating from the Bronx, or The Current from Minneapolis or KEXP in Seattle. These are traditional radio signals but they are no longer bound by geography. Before finishing the meal I whipped up, I could also potentially hear a homemade folk music show from Norway, some classical Hindi music, a tech show and so much more.

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Myke Weiskopf on American Public Media’s “The Story”

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Myke Weiskopf, lifelong shortwave radio listener and archivist, shares his passion for shortwave radio on APM’s “The Story”:

Myke Weiskopf wrote to us to say: “I’m an old-school radio man, sound-gatherer, and old-world obsessive. I’ve been lucky enough to take my shortwave all over the world … I’ve posted recordings from broadcasts in Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan…” (His list goes on … and these are just the A’s!) This past summer, Myke went to Bulgaria and had a chance to meet the woman who started it all: the very first Bulgarian woman he heard singing on the radio whose voice has haunted him ever since.

Myke’s interview closes out this episode of “The Story”–you can listen to it online by clicking here.

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Video Over Shortwave Demonstrated at IBC

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(Source: TVB – Television Broadcast)

AMSTERDAM: Transmission of video over the shortwave radio topology is being demonstrated at IBC by Fraunhofer. The company rolled out “Diveemo,” a system delivers video via Digital Radio Mondiale, the MPEG-4-based broadcasting technology used in the AM radio band. It was demonstrated today at the convention with BBC content displayed on a NewStar DRM receiver, Fraunhofer said.

Operating at just 8 frames per second, Diveemo transmissions are not designed to compete with even standard analog television; instead, Diveemo is being positioned for large-area distribution of education and news programs where the video supplements an existing audio program.

Fraunhofer notes that shortwave transmission can reach from “100 to well over 5 million square kilometers depending on conditions and broadcast parameters. The service opens the door to a large range of unprecedented information and education services and is an ideal platform to reach audiences worldwide with a single DRM transmitter or an even more cost-efficient DRM single frequency network. Diveemo offers free-of-charge reception and is independent of gatekeeper and third-party providers like satellite and cable networks.”

The system is being demonstrated by Fraunhofer and Thomson Broadcast on their respective stands at IBC2010. Fraunhofer and Thomson, along with Chengdu NewStar Electronics, developed Diveemo. The service is being presented for standardization by ETSI, and can be implemented by any broadcaster using DRM30 or DRM+.

Video files are added to the Fraunhofer DRM ContentServer where they are converted to MPEG-4 and prepared for transmission. DRM+ is capable of devoting a larger amount of data to the video than DRM30, allowing for better video quality with DRM+. Diveemo complements existing data services within DRM30 and DRM+, including MOT Slideshow for still images and Journaline for text-based data services.– With Radio World

Read original article on TVB – Television Broadcast.

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Radio St. Helena Day 2010 has been cancelled

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Unfortunately, Radio St. Helena Day has been canceled for 2010. The following message was received last night from the Radio St. Helena crew:

RSH << RSD 2010 Cancelled >> 10 September 2010

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Radio St. Helena sincerely regrets to have to inform radio listeners everywhere that Radio St. Helena Day 2010 has been cancelled .

This very difficult decision was necessary, due to severe technical problems with the shortwave antenna tower.

RSH is quite confident that RSD will be able to continue in 2011.

With best greetings,

Mit besten Gruessen,

Gary Walters Station Manager, Radio St. Helena

Robert Kipp Radio St. Helena Day Revival Project

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Grundig G8 Traveler II on sale at National Geographic

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The National Geographic online store has a few Grundig radios on sale. Most notably, the Grundig G8 for $24.95.

The G8 is a great little shortwave receiver. I’m very impressed with the performance, especially for a $25 radio (normally, these sell at retailers for $50.00 US).

Features include:

  • FM/MW/SW/LW
  • Auto/manual tuning
  • Auto Tuning Storage (ATS) function (on FM, this will auto-populate memory slots with available stations)
  • Digital tuning with digital frequency readout (LCD)
  • Local timer setting + world timer settin
  • Sleep timer & alarm clock (either radio or buzzer
  • Snooze
  • Key lock function
  • 3.5 mm headphone output
  • DC jack – 6V
  • Comes with warranty, manual and a nice travel case

Of course, with a radio in this price class, there are some compromises:

  • No single-side band.
  • There is muting between frequency changes, so while tuning you will notice a slight “chug” sound.
  • No manual gain control.
  • Speaker is small, though audio (as with many Grundig portables) is quite impressive.

At $25 US, this is a no-brainer. Pick up a G8 today as I have no idea how long this sale will last.

If you’re reading this post after the National Geographic sale, check G8 prices at the following places:

G8 documentation:

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Yes, Passport To World Band Radio Has Closed Their Website

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Over the past weeks, many of you may have noticed that the website for Passport To World Band Radio, Passband.com (note: no hyperlinking here), has closed shop. This, of course, following the death of every SWLer’s favorite guide, the  Passport To World Band Radio. If this is new to you, read some of our previous posts about this.

Alternatives to Passport To World Band Radio

As I pointed out in previous posts, do not despair! There are alternatives for finding shortwave radio schedules. For starters, consider purchasing the World Radio and TV Handbook. If you’re looking for online sources of schedules, also consider some alternatives I listed on SWLing.com’s Resource page.

Passband.com was a great source for news in the world of shortwave radio.  I (humbly) believe our blog, the SWLing Post, is as well. Consider subscribing to our RSS feed. Also, check our Blogroll links (right navigation column) for other great radio websites.

We also offer shortwave radio reviews in simple form on our main site and also in (this) blog portion of our website.

At SWLing.com we are also active advocates for shortwave radio–we frequently make our opinions about how vital radio is throughout the world known to international broadcasters and we give you the opportunity to do the same.

Remember, you’re not alone and shortwave radio is not dead. Indeed, it’s quite an active lifeline to many communities around our small planet.

Happy listening!

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