Monthly Archives: July 2017

Médi 1 Radio may have left the shortwaves

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who forwarded a message from The Bulgarian DX blog which notes that Médi 1 Radio (Radio Méditerranée) has stopped broadcasting on shortwave:

“MOROCCO According to Jean-Michel Aubier France and a mail sent by Abdellah El-Atmami from transmitting station Nador, Radio Medi 1 (Mediterranee) has stopped shortwaves forever: 24 hours on 9575 NAD 250 kW / 110 deg to NoAf Arabic/French”

I’ll miss Médi 1 Radio on shortwave because they always broadcast a splendid variety of music. Sure, I’ll probably listen to them over WiFi radio, but it’s just not the same–I love the way music sounds over the shortwaves.

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Amazon Prime Day deals: Our picks

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My personal pick is the Tivoli Model One which goes on sale at 3:15 PM EDT today.

Today is Amazon’s “Prime Day” summer sale.

If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you might follow some of the deals that are being posted. This morning, I spent a little time picking out my favorites from all upcoming deals; ones that might interest SWLing Post readers.

I did not see a single shortwave portable in the upcoming deals, but there are other radios. Note that Prime Day pricing is only available while the deal is active or unless it sells out. Until an upcoming deals is officially posted, the sales price cannot be viewed, you’ll simply need to note the product url and return when it’s activated.

I’ve posted links to upcoming deals and current (pre-sale) pricing. I’ve also noted when these items go on sale today. I saw nothing that I personally plan to jump on. If I didn’t already have a Tivoli Model One, I would follow it closely.

Our Deal Picks

BaoFeng UV-82HP (CAMO)

This unit is currently priced at $62.89 US.

The Prime Day sale will discount this price further starting at 11:00 EDT today.

UPDATE: Prime Day sale price is $44.95.

Click here to go to this product page.

BaoFeng BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen)

This unit is currently priced at $62.89 US.

The Prime Day sale will discount this price further starting at 11:00 EDT today.

UPDATE: Prime Day sale price is $44.95.

Click here to go to this product page.

Tivoli Audio Model One M1CLA

This unit is currently priced at $99.00 US.

In my opinion, this is the Tivoli Model One is the deal to watch. I’ve owned the Tivoli Model One–it has excellent audio fidelity, smooth analog tuning, excellent FM and AM reception and overall brilliant build quality. It’s worth every bit of $99, so if Amazon discounts it further, it’ll certainly be a good deal.

The Prime Day sale will discount this price further starting at 3:15 PM EDT today.

Click here to go to this product page.

TIVDIO V-112 Portable Digital Tuning AM / FM Stereo Radio

This unit is currently priced at $23.99 US. I have no clue if this AM/FM portable has any good performance characteristics. I encourage you to read the reviews prior to purchasing.

The Prime Day sale will discount this price further starting at 4:35 PM EDT today.

Click here to go to this product page.

Trustin Portable Rechargeable 8GB Digital Audio Voice Recorder

This unit is currently priced at $39.99 US. Again, I have no idea if this is a quality recorder or not, but it receives a four star review from Amazon customers (take those with a grain of salt as well). Still, it has line-in recording and could be an inexpensive way to record radio in the field. It appears the line-in jack is the standard 1/8″ variety.

The Prime Day sale will discount this price further starting at 8:00 PM EDT today.

Click here to go to this product page.

Feel free to post other relevant deals in the comments section of this post. Again, these prices are only available during the sale window and while supplies last.

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Voice of Croatia expanding online content

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), who writes:

The Voice of Croatia is no longer on the shortwave, but it still has programs in German, English, Spanish and Croatian in the Web:

http://voiceofcroatia.hrt.hr/

They are announcing “Soon a new, more modern Voice of Croatia, with more content” in a Youtube video, in which you can take a look at the inside of the radio:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Many thanks for the tip, David!

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GfK survey concludes radio “most trusted media” in Australia

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(Source: Radio Info via Nigel Holmes)

Radio leads the way as the most trusted media in Australia and is seen as the most credible source of news, according to a new survey by global research firm GfK.

The GfK Radio Insights study found 42% of respondents surveyed consider radio trustworthy, with a wide gap to TV (24%), online (18%) and newspapers/magazines (15%).

GfK’s General Manager Media, Dr Morten Boyer, said the results reflected high levels of trust in radio presenters and the live and human nature of radio, which made it a credible source of information for news, traffic information and emergency updates.

Click here to read full article.

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Off-grid/RV enthusiasts need a radio-quiet solar charge controller: reader advice?

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The Solar Boost 3000i solar MPPT charge controller

I’m currently in the process of adding 200-300 watts of 12-volt solar panels to my truck camper.

Solar panels will keep my camper’s 12V deep-cycle battery topped off, thus allowing longer stretches of time for boon-docking or primitive camping, during which an occupied camper is off-grid from shore power.

My truck camper actually came with a simple built-in charge controller which charges the battery via shore power. Thing is…this shore power charger is incredibly noisy when I’m on the radio. The QRM it generates is broadband, and almost entirely wipes out HF and MW radio listening.

Because of this, I’m forced to unplug my power whenever I’m in the camper and want to hop on the air. And since the whole idea of camper living is to enjoy a bit of rest-and-relaxation, in other words, to pursue one’s hobbies in modest comfort, having to unplug the power––or else not play radio––limits my total enjoyment of RV camping.

But. Before I invest in a new solar charge controller, which would essentially charge the battery any time the sun is out, I need to be absolutely certain it doesn’t create RFI, too. Yet I’m finding it difficult to confirm whether a charge controller is RF-quiet prior to purchasing…

What’s more, I suspect I’m not the only radio listener or ham radio operator with an RV who has encountered the noise dilemma.

What’s a radio geek with an RV to do––?

A ham radio buddy who is an avid RVer recommended the Solar Boost 3000i (see top photo above). While it might be overkill for my application, I’m willing to invest, knowing it may charge without creating RFI.

But before I do, I’m curious if any SWLing Post readers have any experience with solar charge controllers, and/or can confirm models that create little to no RFI? I’d even appreciate knowing which models do pollute the spectrum––models to avoid, in other words, if radio listening or ham radio operations are your goal.

My hope is that SWLing Post reader recommendations may not only help me with this problem, but might help other RVer/off-grid radio enthusiasts, as well.

Please comment!

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Sticky radios: time may be your friend

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One thread that’s had a surprisingly long run here on the SWLing Post deals with sticky radios.

A number of portable radios manufactured in the past decade were coated in a rubberized, tactile material that was quite functional when the products were new. With time, however, the coating breaks down and becomes incredibly sticky to the touch. We’ve published a number of articles about how to clean sticky radios–click here to read our archived posts.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Lee Reynolds, who writes with his suggestion:

Gunk on radios – I was the lucky winner of an E1 at one of the ‘fests.

Of course, the coating went bad and it would up looking like the flypaper/Wino of radios.

I made a desultory attempt at cleaning it (using that Purple Power stuff) but it was a nasty, dirty job that I didn’t complete. A disheartening mess.

Fast forward three or four years after that. I had some time on my hands, I took another look at the radio.

I found that the gunk continues to mutate – it had actually lost most of its ability to adhere to the radio’s casing. Now it would rub off with a paper towel and nothing else.

A couple of rolls of paper towels and some Pledge left it something you no longer needed to put gloves on in order to feel comfortable touching.

So – another fix for the gunk – time and patience. No cleaners needed.

Thanks for sharing, Lee. Worth noting: if you gave up on your sticky radio some time ago, perhaps you should pull it back out of storage and see if the coating has deteriorated to the point it might simply rub off? Time might have made the job much easier.

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Deal Alert: Rebadged Tecsun PL-606 $31.99 shipped via Anon-Co

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Troy Riedel, who writes:

Anon-Co is offering a Tecsun PL-606 Clone for $31.99 shipped. It’s badged as a: “Ritmix RPR-7020”. I’ve never heard of that badging/brand, maybe you have?

Kaito (via Amazon) currently prices the PL-606 at $41.80, Amazon’s price is $46.50.

Click here to view special on Anon-Co’s website.

Thank you for the tip, Troy! That is a great price for the PL-606 and Anon-Co is a retailer I certainly trust. I’ve never heard of the Ritmix name either.

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