Monthly Archives: August 2011

The most durable portable shortwave radios for traveling

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A great portable radio is your passport to the world while traveling, even in remote areas.

I receive a lot of emails from SWLing.com readers, quite often from those who about to embark upon international travel–sometimes to remote locations–and who are looking for a durable travel shortave radio.  These travelers are looking for a basic travel radio which, while it might not need to survive being submerged underwater or dropped from a cliff, will hold up in the semi-protected environment of a suitcase or backpack experiencing some rough baggage handling.

I travel a great deal myself, and always carry a shortwave radio with me (actually, I usually take more than one). Here are some considerations I use to determine which radios go in my bag or pack, and thus make good travel companions:

  • Rugged enough to withstand typical suitcase/backpack travel conditions
  • Lightweight and relatively compact size
  • Supplied protective travel case
  • Efficient operation on AA cells, the most common batteries found in the world
  • Useful travel features, like auto-tuning, alarm/clock functions, sleep timer
  • Relatively inexpensive–if you lose your radio or it gets stolen, you don’t want it to ruin your trip
To be clear, none of the radios on the list that follows are marketed as  “ultra-tough radios”–indeed, I know of no capable SW portable that is–but these do represent the most durable I’ve personally tested and used in my travels.

The best shortwave portables for travel

Full-featured portable – The Sony ICF-SW7600GR ($130-150 US)

This Sony shortwave radio is a classic, with solid, time-tested performance, and features to please both the beginner and the seasoned radio enthusiast. It is full-featured, with excellent SSB and exceptional sync detection. I grab the ‘7600GR when I plan to do a little DXing on vacation. It has everything I need.

The Sony ICF-SW7600GR is still made in Japan and the case is metal. It feels like a very high-quality portable when holding it in your hands. The lock button is a sliding switch on the top part of the radio face–easy to turn on and off intentionally, difficult to do so unintentionally. Additionally, it comes with a decent padded case. The ‘7600GR operates on 4 AA cells. The only travel feature the ‘7600GR lacks is an alarm, and that’s okay by me; for the features and durability, I’ll keep the Sony and use my cell phone or watch for an alarm. The instruction manual is comprehensive and easy to read. Read the full review here.


Compact portable – The Grundig G8 Traveller II ($25-50 US)

Actually designed with the traveler in mind, the Grundig G8 will make for an excellent companion on your next venture. I’m quite impressed with this radio:  shortwave reception is good, and FM reception exceptional. The AM broadcast band does suffer from some images (a type of signal interference in which aural “ghosts” of other broadcasts layer over the one you’re trying to hear), though still quite respectable. The G8’s audio is a little tinny out of the built-in speaker, though quite good for a radio this compact. The customary price for the G8 is $49.95, but occasionally retailers place them on sale for nearly half this price. I especially like the fact that there is a front cover on the G8 which protects many of the controls. The body is somewhat rubberized and the zip case that comes with the radio is padded and perfectly designed for suitcase/backpack travel. The G8 is also smaller than a paperback book.

The G8 does not have SSB capability like the Sony does, but it is a good product for casual broadcast listener. The G8 also has a great alarm clock function and a world time selector switch on the front:  simply dial up your time zone as you cross the planet. The G8 uses 3 AA cells.

Pocket portable – CountyComm ETFR ($25 US)

The County Comm Marathon ETFR Emergency Task Force Radio is a very small ultra-portable radio. The ETFR is similar to the earlier County Comm GP-4L, but was produced initially for the Canadian military, thus it features enhanced cold-weather operation. It is very durable–indeed, military-grade durability at least with regards to impact. To my knowledge, it is not waterproof, but it will certainly withstand your airline’s roughest luggage treatment.

The ETFR is no incredible performer, but the price is low and it is quite capable of catching the major international broadcasters–indeed its sensitivity is better than I had anticipated. The tuning is actually analog, though the display is digital, thus you can expect a little receiver drift if you keep this radio on a broadcast for very long. The ETFR operates efficiently on 2 AA cells providing up to 150 hours at 40% volume or 70 hours of illumination from the built-in LED light. The ETFR also has a built-in clock and alarm feature.

In my humble opinion, all frequent travelers should keep a County Comm ETFR in their go-to vehicle and/or travel bag.

Also (I have to admit) this radio looks very cool in the carry case that Universal sells.  Together, these make a great bon voyage gift for any traveler.

The G6 makes for an excellent travelling companion

UPDATE 11 March 2012: Check out our latest post and review of the Grundig G6–a pocket-sized portable ready for the road warrior.

My Tecsun PL-380 and the small Eagle Creek pack that also holds my Zoom H1 recorder, earphones, audio cables, external antenna, spare batteries and Kindle.

UPDATE 23 May 2012: Yes, I’ve also added the incredible PL-380 to the travel list as well.  Read the full post here. Thanks for the comment, Alan!

 

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Scrambling to keep VOA China on the air

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(Source: Fox News)

Congressional lawmakers are scrambling to prevent America’s international media arm from going off-air in China, arguing that a plan to shift much of its reporting to the Internet won’t do much good in a country notorious for its web censors.

[…]The Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees Voice of America, argues that it only makes sense to go digital in a country with the largest Internet-using population in the world. Board officials claim the existing shortwave radio broadcasts don’t have the audience they used to and that the Chinese government is jamming them anyway. In changing platforms, the board projects it will save $8 million and eliminate about 45 positions.

But critics of the move, including Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., say the United States is setting itself up to cede vital territory in the battle of information abroad.

The article goes on to mention that the BBG would like to fuel internet services, citing, “one-tenth of 1 percent of Chinese listen to VOA in Mandarin, with radio ownership on the decline…[a]nother survey showed computer and Internet usage on a steep upswing.”

Internet usage is up everywhere, but even if VOA succeeds in creating proxy servers that would allow Chinese guests to punch through internet censorship in China, there will still be a risk that Chinese authorities could monitor this circumvention and take action against the listener/web guest.  With shortwave radio, this is a non-issue. Shortwave radio listeners cannot be traced. In fact, ironically, this strength makes it difficult for the BBG and other international broadcasters to justify shortwave service. They can’t identify who is listening!

VOA China services could receive up to 14 million dollars if lawmakers are successful in their push. The hope would be that the BBG would then allow continued services into China.

One can hope.

Read the full article here.

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BBC Hindi brings Indian and Pakistani artists to talk music and peace

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(Source: indiaPRwire)

London, Delhi, London, August 2, 2011 /India PRwire/ — BBC Hindi is launching special programming which will bring together musicians from India and Pakistan. Every day, between 3 and 7 August, the Friendship beyond Borders series on the BBC Hindi FM programming, broadcast via partner FM stations across India, talks to some of the best known singers and musicians from India and Pakistan about music, mutual understanding and peace.

Artistes such as Shafqat Amanat Ali, Arif Lohar, Ali Azmat, Rekha Bharadwaj, Salim-Sulaiman and Mohit Chauhan are talking to BBC Hindi about the role of music in bringing people together from across the borders. Talking on the Friendship beyond Borders series, Salim Merchant of the Indian singer and composer duo, Salim-Sulaiman, says that music has no language: “It is a business of the heart. It has no nationality or religion.” The Pakistani singer, Shafqat Amanat Ali, tells the BBC that visa issues between the two countries should be relaxed so that people can meet their loved ones and families without any obstacles.

[…]The Friendship beyond Borders series will be aired across India by BBC Hindi’s FM partner radio stations. BBC Hindi will also broadcast the series on shortwave in the lead-up to India’s Independence Day on 15 August. The website bbchindi.com will feature special stories based on the series as well as the audio of the music of the profiled artistes.

Read full article at indiaPRwire.

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C.Crane Observer on sale this week for $29.95

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I just received an electronic sales ad from C.Crane announcing that they’re selling off their stock of the C. Crane Observer for $29.95.

Though this is not a shortwave radio, I do think this is a superb value. I’ve used the Observer; it is sturdy, has excellent AM reception (it is a C. Crane, after all) and also includes FM and the NOAA weather bands (useful in the US). It also has a flashlight and even a fully functional dial light.

The Observer also has excellent ergonomics, is simple to operate, and–best of all–has the added feature of being self-powered.

What’s more, C. Crane also includes adapters which can be plugged into many cell phones and iPods to charge them using the radio’s crank power–again, a highly useful feature if you lose power and need to place an important cell phone call.

This is a great little radio to have on hand in case of a power outage or severe weather. C. Crane claims that this offer is only good while supplies last; I doubt they will last long. I’m going to hasten this process, and take one from their stock, myself.

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CRI’s growing Tamil audience

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(Source: The Hindu)

S. Pandiyarajan was fiddling around with his shortwave radio set one hot summer evening at Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, when he stumbled upon a strange station.

At first listen, it was a language he couldn’t identify. It sounded like Tamil, but spoken in an accent he could not recognise. He listened on, straining his ears. To his surprise, he discovered that the voices were coming from faraway China.

“I could hear two Chinese people speaking in perfect Tamil!” he said. “And this was Sentamizh [classical Tamil], which you never hear anywhere, anymore, even in Tamil Nadu.”

That evening, Mr. Pandiyarajan became the latest member of China Radio International’s fast-growing overseas fan base. The station, run by the Chinese government, has, for more than six decades, been tasked with carrying news from China — from politics to arts and culture — to boost the country’s image overseas.

[…]Remarkably, CRI’s Tamil station enjoys the widest reach of all its channels. Its popularity underscores the quiet success China’s “soft power” push is having in unlikely locations. The Tamil station, which broadcasts every day from a modest 12th floor office, has more than 25,000 registered listeners — besides thousands of others who tune in casually every day — in Tamil Nadu and the rest of India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Germany, the United States and Japan.

The Tamil station started broadcasting in 1963. Since then, it has continued to beam its shows uninterrupted, building up an almost cult following overseas, with its fans even organising themselves into a network of listeners’ clubs.

[…]This month, the station invited the heads of some of its listeners’ clubs in Tamil Nadu to visit its Beijing headquarters, part of an effort to engage more with listeners.

S. Selvam, head of the All-India Listeners’ Club, said the station’s popularity was driven by its novelty. “The first thing that strikes you is, why are these Chinese people learning Tamil, and speaking perfect Sentamizh?” he said. “You think, if they are making such an effort, we have to reach out to them.”

Mr. Pandiyarajan agreed. “This is something completely new,” he said. “We have Villupuram Tamil, Chennai Tamil, Puducherry Tamil. But I never thought I would discover that there would also be a Cheena [Chinese] Tamil.”

Read the full article at The Hindu. Also, read about CRI’s broadcasts in the local US radio market.

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QRZ visits the American Museum of Radio and Electricity

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Fred Lloyd (AA7BQ), publisher of QRZ.com (a very popular ham radio call sign website) has written about a recent visit to the American Museum of Radio and Electricity:

Earlier this week we were treated to a tour of the American Museum of Radio and Electricity, a must-see landmark in the city of Bellingham, Washington. The AMRE is located in the central downtown district of the city and despite it’s rather plain looking exterior, inside is one of the most interesting and engaging museums of its kind anywhere.

[…]The museum includes more than 11 distinct period exhibits that commence with the very discovery of electricity itself, recreating the initial experiments of Ben Franklin, Ohm, Volta, Hertz, Tesla, and others. Here, you’ll find Leyden Jars, static electricity experiments, some of the first batteries ever made, the first electromagnet, the earliest electric motors, and other devices that were truly genius for their time. Sometimes, you just have to stop and wonder how these great pioneers, some more than 400 years ago, had the insight and inspiration to make the discoveries they did.

Read the full story here.

Also, check out the American Museum of Radio and Electricity website.  It’s packed full of information and will certainly give you a much needed dose of nostalgia.

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Radio Afghanistan now on shortwave

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(Source: Bakhtar News Agency)

Sunday, July 31, 2011 Kabul (BIA) Dr. Sayed Makhdoom Raheen Minister of Information and Culture inaugurated the foreign section of Radio Afghanistan yesterday.

Dr. Sayed Makhdoom Raheen Minister of Information and Culture inaugurated the foreign section of Radio Afghanistan yesterday. This section in the first place will air program in English and Urdu languages each night from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. Opening the section Dr. Raheen said that this section has been revived with the efforts of the director general and employees of the radio and in the first place it will air English and Urdu programs and followed by Arabic and Russian programs and subsequently French and German programs. According to Dr. Raheen revival of this program shall assist in recognition of Afghanistan to its outside friends and will inform them about our country’s events. Abdul Ghani Mudaqaq head of the publications department of Radio Afghanistan said that this program shall cover Asia, Africa and Europe regions. According to officials of the radio ten years delay in the radio programs was inactivity of the short wave in Yakatout. Ghulam Nabi Farahi, Deen Mohammad Mobarez Rashidi deputy ministers of information and culture, Zareen Anzur general director of National Radio-TV and some other officials participated. Radio Afghanistan started its publications in 1304 and after a short lapse restarted its publications in 1320 and now it is 20 hours on the air. An employees of the radio said that Afghanistan was the first country in the region which had radio publication on that time.

Additionally, I just noticed this same story in RNW Media Network’s feed. They had an additional update with frequencies:

Thanks to Mikhail Timofeyev in St Petersburg, Russia who reports English at 1530 UTC on 6100 kHz, followed by Urdu at 1600, so the schedule is confirmed as 1530-1600 English and 1600-1630 Urdu.

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