Monthly Archives: June 2017

Swiss Army Knife radios: Dave plugs the discontinued Kaito KA1121

Leave a reply

On the topic of “Swiss Army Knife” shortwave portables, many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Zantow (N9EWO), who adds:

Since the KA1121 was referenced in a comment on your blog today, [my review is] now located at: http://webpages.charter.net/n9ewo2/de1121.html

Sadly the set is no longer manufactured either as the Kaito KA1121 or the Degen DE1121 (the actual manufacture version) and has not been in sometime.

Near impossible to find one on the used market properly working now. But I must say it’s STILL as close as one can come to from a Swiss army knife portable SW radio even today, so be it a bit weird to operate and understand.

Makes decent off air 128 kbps recordings and in actual MP3 format. Dual conversion, excellent selectivity, 2 bandwidth filters and fairly decent SSB. Dynamic range not too shabby either. Alpha tags on memories that are PC programmable via a formatted text file.

Caveats are a very poor reliability record (2 of my test samples over the years have gone to radio heaven / parts), the strange MP3 unit battery (this likes to totally fail, especially if abused) and oh we can’t forget the sticky cabinet syndrome and that has hit all of them by now.

In our case we carefully removed this goo with 91% isopropyl alcohol and little elbow grease. We still have 2 in active use at our QTH and “still” love them bugs and all.

73 and many thanks
Dave Zantow N9EWO

Thank you, Dave!  Yes, the ‘1121 is also a choice radio for many Shortwave Archive contributors. Indeed, one of our contributors has snagged fantastic DX off of her DE1121. Click here to browse her recordings.

I created an eBay search for the DE1121/KA1121 some time ago, thinking I would snag one if it popped up. Turns out, you’re right about scarcity, Dave–at the moment, there are only two units, both of which are missing the MP3 bit. Of course, as with anything else on eBay, new units could pop up at any time.

Click here to search eBay for the Kaito KA1121 and Degen DE1121.

Spread the radio love

Future of ABC Shortwave Service: Nigel Participates in Senate Committee Hearing

6 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Nigel Holmes–formerly of Radio Australia–for the following update regarding Nick Xenophon’s bill to resume ABC shortwave services:

Last Friday I travelled to Canberra and fronted the Senate Committee hearing testimony on the matter of HF broadcasting & Senator Xenophon’s Bill to compel ABC to resume HF domestically & for RA. I was grilled like a breakfast kipper. It went well.

Another witness was Graeme Dobell, a legendary radio & print journalist who has travelled & worked all over the Pacific region. Graeme has written some good articles on the current subject. See here:

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/abc-gets-wrong-south-pacific-service/ and here

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/smart-stuff-shortwave-south-pacific/

Interestingly another ex-RA journalist & RA senior executive Geoff Heriot wrote a recent piece critical of ABCs degradation of RA specialist programming. See here:

The crowded Pacific: re-considering the sharp edge of broadcasting’s soft power

Thank you, Nigel. We appreciate your updates and are certainly thankful that you have been representing the interests of those who believe in ABC maintaining a presence on shortwave.

Spread the radio love

David seeks a feature-packed “Swiss Army Knife” portable

6 Replies

The CC Skywave

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, David, who writes with the following inquiry:

I really enjoy the SWLing site. It’s great and you guys have such good reviews and information!

I’m looking for a radio and one thing I have not seen on the site is a “features” type breakdown when you could limit the radios by the features you’re looking for. Maybe I missed it???

I’m looking for a portable radio (option to run on batteries, rechargeable, etc.) that has SW/AM/FM and the NOAA bands (perk if it has SAME) and has an Aux In so I can play music from my phone/whatever on it.

This will be a radio that I can take camping, to parks, have in the car for trips, gatherings, etc. I’d like it to have enough speaker that music is enjoyable, but not such a large form factor that it’s impossible/silly to lug around when needed.

Does such a thing exist!? Any recommendations? Thanks so much.

Good questions, David! I like your suggestion about a master feature list for comparing portables. If I have the time someday, I might try to put something like this together (else, perhaps, a Post contributor can volunteer for the job?).

To answer your question…

You’re certainly looking for a “Swiss Army Knife” of a radio. The only model that comes to mind is the C.Crane CC Skywave. I published a full review of the Skywave a couple years ago and can whole-heartedly recommend it. (Click here to browse our archive of Skywave posts.)

The C.Crane CC Skywave

The Skywave ticks every box on your feature list–it is even capable of SAME weather alerts! It’s also an excellent performer and my favorite compact travel radio that’s currently in production.

The only item missing on the Skywave is an audio AUX-in port, but I can’t think of any other radio on the market that comes closer to meeting your wish list than the Skywave.

SWLing Post readers: Perhaps you can help? Please comment if you can recommend a portable that meets all of David’s criteria. I may very well have overlooked a model. Obviously, the two features that make this search more challenging are weather radio and an an AUX-in port. Please comment with your suggestions!

Spread the radio love

The Yaesu FRG-7700 in TV series iZombie

3 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Hirst, who adds the following to our growing archive of radios in film.

Mark writes:

Another radio spotted in a TV show, this time in the Netflix show iZombie.

Having been gifted a Yaesu FRG-7700 recently, it was an easy spot.

Click to enlarge

This FRG-7700 appears to be a ‘special’ model however, with a microphone plugged into the headphone socket and able to act as a transceiver!!

You have sharp eyes, Mark! Yes, indeed, it looks like they’ve turned that ‘7700 into a transceiver by plugging a mic into the headphone jack.  Now why didn’t we think of that?!? 🙂

Thanks again for sharing!

Spread the radio love

VOA Radiogram: one more show, details about future

1 Reply

(Source: VOA RadioGram via Dennis Dura)

VOA Radiogram, 17-18 June 2017: One more show before I leave the building

The last VOA Radiogram is this weekend. The successor to VOA Radiogram is Shortwave Radiogram, which will be broadcast for the first time on 25 June on the WRMI times and frequencies in the schedule below.

To help us keep in touch after the migration from the old Radiogram to the new Radiogram, please note the following changes …

Email  address:

Website:

Twitter:

This weekend’s VOA Radiogram will be all MFSK32 and will include seven images, including one optical illusion.

Here is the lineup for VOA Radiogram, program 222, 17-18 June 2017, all in MFSK32 centered on 1500 Hz …

1:54  Program preview

2:59  Transition to Shortwave Radiogram*

7:48  Digitizing old reel-to-reel tapes*

10:57  Thanks to W1HKJ and the Murrow station*

20:48  Thanks to listeners*

23:10  Closing announcements*

* with image(s)

Please send reception reports to [email protected].

See and submit results on Twitter: @VOARadiogram

The Mighty KBC transmits to Europe Saturdays at 1500-1530 UTC on 9400 kHz (via Bulgaria), with the minute of MFSK at about 1530 UTC (if you are outside of Europe, listen via websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/ ). And to North America Sundays at 0000-0200 UTC (Saturday 8-10 pm EDT) on 9925 kHz, via Germany. The minute of MFSK is at about 0130 UTC. Reports to Eric: [email protected] . See also http://www.kbcradio.eu/ and https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyKbc/.

Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) For the complete IBC transmission schedule visit http://ibcradio.webs.com/ Five minutes of MFSK32 is at the end of the 30-minute English-language “Shortwave Panorama,” per the schedule below:

WEDNESDAY

18.55 UTC 6070 KHZ TO EUROPE

19.55 UTC 1584 KHZ TO EUROPE

THURSDAY

02.55 UTC 1584 KHZ TO EUROPE

FRIDAY

01.25 UTC 9955 KHZ TO CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA

SATURDAY

01.55 UTC 11580 KHZ TO NORTH AMERICA

20.25 UTC 1584 KHZ TO SOUTH EUROPE

SUNDAY

00.55 UTC 7730 KHZ TO NORTH AMERICA

10.55 UTC 6070 KHZ TO EUROPE

Thank you for your support during the four-plus years of VOA Radiogram!

Spread the radio love

PantronX Titus II DRM receiver June 2017 update

14 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed, who writes:

Here’s an update on the PantronX Titus II DRM boombox from Mike at PantronX:

“We are first fulfilling large orders from international broadcasters. Individual orders most likely are late fall.

If you preordered someone will contact you when the order comes up. Sorry for the delays but demand has been almost overwhelming.

Thanks for your continued support.”

Thanks fo sharing this update with us, Ed!

Spread the radio love

Video: Lightbulb vs Radio Beacon by Thomas Cholakov (N1SPY)

3 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ivan Cholakov (NO2CW), who writes:

My 11 year old son Tommy (N1SPY) completed a project where he compared a 1W lightbulb to a .25 W radio beacon that he put together and bet that the radio beacon can be heard around the world. I asked him to document his activities as he went along. The project took a couple of months but is now complete and we stitched together a video of his activities.

Click here to view on YouTube.

Wow–Tommy, you’ve done an amazing job here!

I especially like how you’ve taken time to explain the principles behind the various steps of the process. Brilliant job!

Tommy, your future videos are always welcome here. Keep up the good work and we’d love to hear how many new countries you’ve racked up on your WSPR system!

Spread the radio love