Yearly Archives: 2014

Amanda Dawn Christie shares footage of RCI towers falling

RCI-SpectresOfShortwave

Documentary filmmaker, Amanda Dawn Christie, has been gathering footage to create Spectres of Shortwave: a 90 minute documentary film focusing on the Radio Canada International Sackville transmitting site. Little did Christie know when she started shooting the film several years ago that the site would not only be be shut down but dismantled.

Christie recently shared back-up footage of the towers falling. She describes her videos on Vimeo:

“In the spirit of the founding principles of the CBC and public access to information, i am sharing the back up videos i shot this week of the RCI shortwave towers falling. I retain the copyright to these images, but i do want to share them with anyone who would like to watch them sooner rather than later (given that my film will still be a few month in post production before release). i would also like to thank the CBC for giving me permission to film, and all of the workers on site for being so cooperative and supportive.”

Click here to continue reading and to watch Christie’s footage on Vimeo.

It’s with a heavy heart that I watch these majestic towers fall. After all, I’ve been pretty vocal about how foolish I think Canada is for destroying Sackville. Still, I’m glad someone is documenting it properly. Click here to follow Spectres of Shortwave on Facebook, set to be released later this year (2014). I’ll certainly post updates about the film here.

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RF Nomad: Synthesizer meets radio

RFNomadModularGridFor electronic musicians who love the sonic texture of shortwave radio, check out the RF Nomad, under development by Evaton Technologies.

Evaton describes the RF Nomad module:

“RF. Radio Frequency. The stuff that Marconi made famous. Or maybe it made Marconi famous. Either way, it’s not just for listening to hockey games anymore.

The RF Nomad voltage-controlled sideband shortwave receiver Eurorack module is currently in final stages of prototype evaluation.

The RF Nomad adds the squealy, squelchy, noisy, unpredictable vintage sounds of shortwave radio to your modular. But this is no ordinary shortwave; it’s been designed to be extra noisy, extra squealy, extra gritty, and just downright nasty. No built-in output filtering means that a rich spectrum of harmonic content is available on the audio output jack. Audio levels can be driven to distortion. CV control lets you add your own creative spin on sound design.

Hissy interstation audio. Squealy heterodynes. Fading stations. Atmospheric noises. Faint voices in foreign languages from distant broadcast stations. Fire and brimstone. It’s all in there, just like your granddad’s old tabletop shortwave.

But, the RF Nomad adds a twist: The tuning is voltage controlled. Sure, when you were a kid, you discovered you could make spacy noises on Papa’s shortwave by slowly turning the tuning dial. But just how fast could you twist that dial? Faster than an audio-rate LFO? Hardly. Voltage controlled tuning means that the RF Nomad will let you explore sounds you never imagined you could get out of a shortwave receiver.”

Check out this demonstration video:

Many thanks to Mitsuhiko Kagawa for the tip!

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Drew’s CB Tapes

77realisticcbradioSWLing Post reader, Chris, writes:

“I found this web page  that my be of interest to your blog readers. A guy named Drew Durigan has saved CB radio audio of himself talking to his friends when he was a teenager in the 1970’s. Its mostly kids talking smack about each other with CB radios, kind of like kids do today with text messages and facebook.  The web page is called Radio Geek Heaven.”

http://radiogeekheaven.com/cb-radio/cb-radio-tapes/

Note that Drew has also posted numerous FM/AM air checks on Radio Geek Heaven as well–a lot of good audio to dig through.

Thanks for sharing, Chris!

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Could software-defined radios empower citizen journalists in North Korea?

USB SDRs like the FunCube Dongle Pro could inspire a generation of SDRs that transmit information across the North Korean border.

USB SDRs like the RTL-SDR could inspire a generation of SDRs that not only receive, but transmit information across the North Korean border.

I was recently interviewed and quoted in an article by Ole Jakob Skåtun at NK NewsSkåtun is exploring the possibility of using inexpensive SDR dongles as a means for citizen journalists to receive and potentially send information across the North Korean border:

(Source: NK News)

“While North Korea recently ranked second-to-last on Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index, new ways of using digital radio broadcasting might prove a valuable tool for those who wish to increase information flows into and out of the country.

So-called software-defined radio (SDR) technology, brought into the country on USB devices, could be used for receiving and, potentially, sending data – text, audio and video files – on radio band frequencies.

SDR technology is a radio communications system where all components typically implemented via hardware for standard radios have been made into software. Loaded onto a flash drive-sized USB-dongle, they have the potential to turn any computer with a USB port into a receiver and transmitter. 

Radio experts and NGO representatives said that something like this might have potential as a new way of bringing information into North Korea, and in certain cases provide a tool for citizen reporters working inside the country to bring information out.”

[Continue reading…]

Click here to read the full article, How digital radio could break North Korea’s information blockade at NK News.

(NK News is an independent, privately owned specialist site focused on North Korea.)

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Mehmet Burk reviews the Kaito KA550 self-powered radio

kaito-ka550

Many thanks to Mehmet Burk of ReliefAnalysis.com for sharing his most positive review of the Kaito KA550 self-powered shortwave radio.

[Note: I’ve updated this post to link to the Kaito KA550. I initially linked to the older KA500 by mistake. Apologies!]

Click here to read his full review:
http://www.reliefanalysis.com/2014/03/review-katio-ka550-terrific.html

The Kaito KA550 currently retails for about $59.00 US shipped.

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VOA Site A for sale: surplus property notice

Surplus Notice

Want to purchase a shortwave transmitter site? VOA Site A ia a mirror image of the Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station and is being sold as surplus property:

PROPERTY DESCRIPTION: Site “A” Transmitting Station is approximately 2,822 acres with improvements containing 54,318 square feet of rentable area. The main transmitter building was constructed in 1957. In addition to the main building, there are small ancillary buildings on the site, along with 40 transmitter antennas and 160 towers, concrete foundations, asphalt paving, wood distribution poles and fencing on the property.

Click here to download the surplus notice.

Many thanks to Jonathan Marks for the tip!

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BBC Countdown via the Infinite Jukebox

DavidLowe

Referring to my obsession with the BBC Countdown, Jonathan writes:

“You may like to play with the Infinite Juke box at the bottom of this post. You can make the countdown theme go on for hours!”

What an amazing web application! Here’s Jonathan’s version of the BBC News 24 theme on the Infinite Jukebox.

Many thanks, Jonathan! 

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