Monthly Archives: February 2015

Update: WRTH 2015 via Amazon

Last month we mentioned that Amazon had erroneously listed WRTH 2015 as a title that had “not yet been released.”

I’ve just received word from the publisher of WRTH that this has been fixed on Amazon’s site, but those of you who placed an order under the unreleased status may actually have to place a new order with Amazon. To verify, you might contact Amazon customer service, then simply place a new order.

Click here to order WRTH 2015 from Amazon.com.

Also note that WRTH is available from Universal Radio and directly from the publisher.

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Happy World Radio Day 2015: several ways you can celebrate

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Today is World Radio Day, a time “to remember the unique power of radio to touch lives and bring people together across every corner of the globe,” UNESCO reminds us. As shortwave radio listeners, we understand this power of information without borders.

Here are a few ways you can celebrate World Radio Day 2015…

Ears To Our World (ETOW)

In Belieze, ETOW works with visually impaired children through our partner and friends at the Belieze Council for the Visually Impaired. Photo by ETOW volunteer/supporter, David Korchin K2WNW

In Belize, ETOW works with visually impaired children through our partner and friends at the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired. Photo by ETOW volunteer/supporter, David Korchin (K2WNW). Click to enlarge.

Of course, at my non-profit, Ears To Our World, we celebrate the unique power of radio everyday as well.

Indeed, we’re in the process of preparing at least another 100 radios for Sierra Leone, where children are receiving education over the airwaves as schools have been closed in an effort to stop the spread of Ebola.

If you would like to help us, please consider a donation of any amount. Certainly a meaningful way to give the gift of radio and education.

On air events

If you can get on the air today, there are a few events happening around the world you might be able to catch:

Alexanderson Alternator Station SAQ

Alexanderson alternator in the SAQ Grimeton VLF transmitter.

SWLing Post reader, Greg (VA7BC), passes along this announcement from the ARRL:

“The World Heritage Grimeton Radio SAQ in Sweden plans to fire up its Alexanderson alternator on 17.2 kHz on the occasion of UNESCO World Radio Day, Friday, February 13. The station will begin tuning at 1430 UTC, and a message will be transmitted at 1500 UTC.

A message with a theme of “peace” has been put together by more than 200 citizens of Varberg, Sweden, via the “Varberg Calling for Peace” project.

SAQ will not be issuing QSL cards nor post a list of reports, but it will accept brief listener reports. The Grimeton site’s Amateur Radio station SK6SAQ will be active, using a special event World Radio Day call sign — 7S6WRD. Frequencies: 7035 kHz or 14,035 khz, CW, and 3755 kHz SSB. QSL to 7S6WRD via SM bureau.“

Read the full article at the ARRL website. I will certainly attempt to hear this broadcast on 14,035 kHz CW.

If any SWLing Post readers are able to record the SSB transmission on 3,755 kHz, I would love to add the audio to our audio archive.

Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union relay

The Southgate ARC reports that ABU members will particiapte in a round-the-world broadcast relay:

“On Friday 13 February 2015, participating broadcasters around the globe will devote at least half-an-hour of their programming to the WRD 2015 themes “Innovation and youth in radio”.

The main organisers, the European Broadcasting Union, in partnership with the ABU and other broadcasting unions, will also offer three short optional pre-recorded radio features devoted to Radio and Youth, Radio and Innovation and the History of Humanitarian Use of Radio: UN Radio.

The segments can be used whole or in part in a time slot of each station’s choice. Most of the features will also be available with scripts in French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, thanks to the UN.

Speeches by UN personalities will also be available ready to use on air, plus a one-hour rights-free concert live from Geneva by the UN Jazz Orchestra will be made available.

Organisers say that, as this will be a relay following the world’s time zones, there will be a succession of radio stations each handing over to the next participant throughout the day.

To give listeners around the world the chance to follow this special WRD program, the broadcasts will be put on an Internet stream, coordinated via the EBU in Geneva.

http://www.abu.org.my/Latest_News-@-World_Radio_Day_relays_round_the_world.aspx“

4U0ITU on-air for World Radio Day

Again, the Southgate ARC reports via the ARRL:

“The ITU International Amateur Radio Club station in Geneva will use the special call 4U0ITO to mark World Radio Day on Friday, February 13

The ARRL report this event also marks the kickoff for the International Telecommunication Union 150th anniversary.

International Amateur Radio Union President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, will inaugurate special call sign 4U0ITU at 0900 UT. He will be accompanied by ITU Secretary General Houlin Zhao, other elected officials and VIPs.

The IARC will use the 4U0ITU call sign until the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015, November 2-27.

World Radio Day commemorates the first broadcasts of UN Radio in 1946.”

Send listener reports to your favorite shortwave broadcasters

Many of your favorite shortwave broadcasters will dedicate a portion of their programming to World Radio Day.

This is the perfect day, as a listener, to let your favorite broadcasters know you’re listening! Send in a proper QSL report–mention the time, frequency and type of programming you heard. Give the broadcaster a proper signal report as well (click here to read about the universally accepted SINPO code). Broadcasters love to hear about any insight you pulled from their news items or reports–the more detail, the better. And thank them for broadcasting over shortwave.

You can typically find contact information on the broadcaster’s website. If you have any difficulty, please comment and I, or another reader/contributor, will try to help.

Happy World Radio Day!

It’s been fun to see how World Radio Day has grown over the years. I believe it’s a wonderful reason to celebrate all that we love about radio.

To celebrate World Radio Day 2013, UNESCO asked me to record why I believe radio is relevant today. Here was my response:

Click here to read more about World Radio Day.

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Reader Survey: Comparing the Tecsun PL-660 and PL-680 on AM shortwave

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[Update: Please note that this survey has been closed, but the audio samples–labeled Radio A and Radio B–will remain to allow others the opportunity to make an evaluation prior to reading the PL-680 review.]

[Update 2: The PL-680 review and readers’ survey results have now been posted! Check it out here.]

I’ve been spending a little time with my new Tecsun PL-680 today, and it’s been most interesting. Of course, I’ve already begun to form a few opinions about the radio and am taking notes. Yet I never believe a shortwave radio can be judged in one sitting; there are simply too many variables to account for, such as minute changes in propagation, fading, local radio interference, all of which can have a temporary effect on performance. It’s better to judge a radio after having used it over the course of at least a week or so, in diverse reception conditions.

Still, as I tuned the PL-680, I was already wondering how it compared with its predecessor, the PL-660–? And since I’ve received at least ten emails from readers curious about the same thing, I thought I might start a series of blind audio tests in order to let our readers decide for themselves.

So…ready for some fun?

Below, I’ve embedded eight recordings comparing the PL-660 and PL-680 on shortwave. All of these are recordings of broadcast stations, no SSB yet (I simply didn’t have the time today).

To participate, just listen, then fill out the form that follows with your choice of “Best Radio” for each broadcast. But do note the following:

I’ve attempted to set the audio levels equally on both radios. Iused the broadcast in the first recording to set the audio levels; they remain at this level for the remainder of the recordings. Nonetheless, you’ll note that one of the radios seems to have lower audio on a couple of the higher-band recordings; this is not due to any change in the incoming volume nor adjustments to the audio levels.
As seen in the photo above, I used a Zoom H2N digital recorder to make these recordings on the tailgate of my truck. Any time you hook a digital recorder up to a radio on the medium wave or shortwave bands, you most likely will inject a little noise. When I listened to each radio without the recorder in-line, I determined that the Zoom injected very little audible noise.
The assignment of “Radio A” and “Radio B” was chosen by a coin toss–so pretty much at random!
I included two recordings of WWV on 25 MHz. This is because the reception conditions from WWV change in a a matter of minutes, which would provide recording variation. I thought it would be best to include two such recordings.
Both radios have the gain set to “DX” and bandwidth set to wide. None of these recordings employ synchronous detection. The telescopic antenna was fully extended on both units. Additionally, both radios had the tone control set to “bass.”
No less relevant: it was 32F/OC with strong wind gusts and blowing snow in my face when I made these recordings. But I knew our readers would understand (and likely appreciate) this dedication to the absorbing art of SWLing…just as I appreciate your participation in judging this head-to-head radio showdown!

Audio Samples

9,395 kHz – Radio Prague via Global 24 (strong signal example)

Radio A

Radio B

25,000 kHz – WWV Fort Collins, CO

Radio A – 1st recording

Radio B – 1st recording

Radio A – 2nd recording

Radio B – 2nd recording

17,620 kHz – Radio France International (weak signal example)

Radio A

Radio B

Submit your response

Click here to use our response form to vote on your favorites, or simply use the form embedded below:

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Mother Jones takes a look at new BBG CEO Andy Lack

Digitech Audio AR-1945 manual anyone?

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SWLing Post reader, Ralph, writes:

I bought the Digitech Audio AR-1945 today at a Jaycar outlet and when I got out, it has no manual. As most functions are new to me, can you help with a manual?

Regards, Ralph

Can anyone help Ralph? I don’t have an AR-1945 and couldn’t find a manual online.

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Unboxing the Tecsun PL-680

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When I got home, after a very long day, I found that FedEx delivered the Tecsun PL-680 I ordered from Anon-Co. I haven’t even had a moment to listen to the PL-680 yet, but I hope to make time tomorrow.

I’m happy to see that the PL-680 has hassle-free, well-designed packaging: a simple cardboard insert inside the box, yet everything was held in place firmly (no rattling).

The PL-680 comes packaged in its padded case.

Once it’s removed from the box, you can see the accompanying accessories: four standard Tecsun AA rechargeable batteries, one external wire antenna, one set of earphones and one AC adapter/charger.

The PL-680 was enclosed in a poly bag inside the padded case–it also ships with a protective plastic film over the display.

Wow! The PL-680 certainly looks like a spitting image of the PL-600. I believe this is a good thing as I always preferred the look of the PL-600 over that of the PL-660.

More to come tomorrow! Follow the tag PL-680 for all posts about this new Tecsun radio.

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The Tecsun PL-680 now shipping

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SWLing Post reader, Steve, writes:

Anna [at Anon-Co] has the PL-680 in stock according to a email I received from her this morning. Readers who are interested in ordering the radio should be aware of the Chinese New Year and the potential for delays.

Thanks, Steve. I received a similar email from Anna. They have listed the PL-680 on their website and, I’m sure, will post on eBay soon. The price is $95 US plus shipping; a reasonable price, if the PL-680 is an improvement over the PL-660.

I have already ordered a PL-680 from Anon-Co and it is on the way. I paid extra for FedEx shipping, so it should arrive before week end. I’ll post updates as I test this radio.

As Steve mentions in his note, Anon-Co will observe the Chinese New Year and will be unavailable from February 13th to the 26th.

I *should* have at least a preliminary review posted before the 26th so those of you who are tempted by the PL-680 will at least have some insight prior to purchase.

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