Monthly Archives: August 2017

September 10: PCJ Radio International special

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(Source: PCJ Press Release)

On September 10, 2017 PCJ Radio International will present a special Happy Station Show on frequencies outside our normal schedule.
This special edition is our way to say thanks to all those so far who have been assisting us in our continuing work to preserve programs that were produced by Radio Netherlands between 1947 and 1992.

The Happy Station Show distributed to our partner stations on that date will have a 55 minute version of the program.

All dates and times

Europe
0700 to 0900 UTC – September 10, 2017
9am to 11am CEST – September 10, 2017
Frequencies: 7780khz, 11580khz

North America
0100 to 0300 UTC – September 11, 2017
9pm to 11pm EDT – September 10, 2017
Frequency: 7570khz

There will also be a special program inside the program, which will have a lucky draw of two Sangean receivers. But you will need to tune in to find out more.

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Dave reviews the Icom IC-R8600

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Zantow (N9EWO) who writes:

Just FYI. My Icom IC-R8600 “Wide Band” Receiver Review is now available. Mind you this is subject to more updates than usual at least for awhile. For any questions, yes please send them along.

http://webpages.charter.net/n9ewo2/icr8600.html

“The excellent ICOM IC-R8600 “Wide Band” SDR communications receiver. Direct Sampling SDR below 30 Mhz. Hybrid Superhet / SDR above 30 Mhz. It is NOT just a IC-7300 “receiver” section with VHF / UHF Coverage added on (however overall HF receiver performance is similar). In our view the best receiver Icom has produced to date (“Wide Band” or not). One MUST remember this is NOT a “scanner” type receiver, so no Trunking etc. Audio quality while very good, we detected some minor harshness and or spurious gremlins that we could not put a handle on in the AM / FM and WFM modes (with all 3 test speakers, Firmware 1.10, see text) ?? This was not an issue at all with the IC-7300 Transceiver cousin, but it has much less dynamic (flat) audio in comparison.”

Many thanks, Dave! Post readers, please bookmark Dave’s IC-R8600 page for all updates.

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eBay: Jeff spots a vintage Panasonic RF-088

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The Panasonic RF-088

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Jeff McMahon who writes:

“This vintage Panasonic RF-088 8-Channel Preset radio selling on eBay [see above] seems rather rare. In fact, I’ve never seen one.”

Click here to view on eBay.

I haven’t seen one either, Jeff. Appears to be pretty compact. At first, I was curious how an analog radio could have so many presets until I took a peek at the top of the radio.

Each preset is individually tuned. Hard to believe such a compact radio has a total of eight tuning mechanisms! Two presets are designated for FM, two for AM and four presets can be either. Pretty clever! Since it’s a Panasonic, I bet it’s a sensitive little portable.

At $59.80 US shipped, I’m sure someone will snag it.

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KBS World Radio test transmissions schedule

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(Source: Paul Walker)

KBS World Radio’s English Department Is Carrying Out Test Transmissions Next WeekKBS World Radio’s English Department Is Carrying Out Test Transmissions Next Week

Europe:  August 21 – 23, 1500 – 1600 UTC, 9515 kHz

Southeast Asia:  August 21 – 23, 0800 – 1030 UTC, 9770 kHz

India: August 21 – 22, 1400 – 1700 UTC, 9835 kHz

India: August 23 – 24, 1400-1700 UTC, 9785 kHz

If you live in target areas, please tune in and send us reception reports. Your reports are crucial in helping them find better frequency options.

Reception reports can be sent to [email protected] or on the web at https://world.kbs.co.kr/english/about/about_report.htm

If conditions are good next week, the transmission meant for Europe could be audible in the US

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Gospell GR-216 DRM receiver price and availability

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Sandipan Basu Mallick, who writes:

In reference to the post about the review of Gospell GR-216 DRM Receiver, [I enquired] about availability and price.

Received response within few hours.

Yes, Gospell is now shipping the GR-216 DRM Receiver.

They are selling it directly. Not available via online shopping portals.

Most importantly Price $200 + Intl. Shipping (FedEx/DHL) $100 = $300

Payment via PayPal.

Anyone interested can contact Mr Jerry Luoy

GOSPELL Digital Technology Co., Ltd.
Mob/Whatsapp: +86-136 7909 3866
Skype: luo-jerry;
Wechat: luo-yunjun
Email: [email protected]
http://www.gospell.com

Attaching product brochure, mail and product snaps as received from Gospell.

[Click here to download product brochure (PDF).]

Appreciate if the information can shared over your blog for the benefit of the radio enthusiast.

Warm Regards,
Sandipan Basu Mallick.
DXer, Radio Enthusiast from India.

Many thanks, Sandipan, for sharing this info!

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From the Isle of Music & Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, Aug 20-26

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From the Isle of Music, August 20-26
This week our special guests are Feliciano Arango of Los Hermanos Arango, whose album The Arangos World was nominated for a Cubadisco Award in the Afrocuban Tradition category; Gizelxanath Rodríguez of the Afro Yaquí Music Collective and Albertico Lescay of Formas. You’ll hear some excellent Fusion in this episode.
Four opportunities to listen on shortwave:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in all directions with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, 9400 KHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)
2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0000-0100 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EDT in the US)
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.
From the Isle of Music is not available for listening on demand but some broadcasts can be heard online during the time of the broadcast using Web SDRs or the WBCQ website (during their broadcast) if you are not receiving the radio signal.

FOOD FIGHT! Episode 26 of Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, a musical variety program that features a little bit of everything from around the planet, will air on WBCQ the Planet, 7490 KHz, Thursday, August 24 from 2300-2330 UTC (7:00pm-7:30pm EDT in the Americas). This week we honor the mighty pierogi, the subject of a nasty court battle by two festivals, with various songs about food. Also, another contest.
WBCQ’s signal has been reaching the Americas, East to West, down at least as far as Sao Paolo, Brasil, and well into Central Europe of late.

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KGEI’s role in WWII

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(Source: The Daily Journal via Richard Cuff)

KGEI: A forgotten WWII radio story

Sometimes history is hidden in plain sight or site — as is the case of a blockhouse-shaped building located, appropriately, on Radio Road in the Redwood Shores area of Redwood City.

There is no plaque to remind the few visitors to the area that the two-story building played an important role in World War II: It housed the transmitter for shortwave radio station KGEI, which was the only voice from home for GIs fighting from island to island in the Pacific.

Among other accomplishments, the station broadcast Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s “I have returned” speech that fulfilled his promise to return with victorious American troops to the Philippines, occupied by Japanese forces since 1942.

Today, the building of about 7,000 square feet is owned by Silicon Valley Clean Water, the wastewater plant operated jointly by Redwood City, San Carlos and Belmont. The plant is adjacent to the KGEI building, which itself is right next to a much larger transmitter building used by KNBR. Ground was broken in late 1940 for the KGEI structure made of reinforced 3-foot thick concrete walls designed to withstand bombing.[…]

Continue reading the full article at The Daily Journal…

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