Yearly Archives: 2018

External Ferrite Antenna by playloudfm

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Posted by SWLing Post contributor Troy Riedel:

I just noticed something on eBay.  Seller “playloudfm” based in Greece (100% feedback rating), the first to offer the high gain external ferrite antenna for the Tecsun PL-360/PL-365/County Comm GP5, has a new offering:

From the seller’s listing:

– Frequency: 530Khz – 1710Khz
– Tunable
– Passive, No external power or battery needed
– Wireless connection to AM Radios
– Plus a low impedance output 3.5mm mono plug for 50 ohm scanners
– Improves Sensitivity and Performance of your AM Radio Receiver for AM Band Dxing!
– Very small and lightweight, perfect for traveling antenna

This AM antenna can be used in two different ways
1) you can simply attach it near your AM radio internal ferrite antenna – wireless connection
2) use a 3.5mm cable to get a low impedance output for use with 50 ohm scanners

Use tuning knob to get the maximum signal

RFA200

 

Have any Post readers bought and used this?

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From the Isle of Music & Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, Feb 25-Mar 3

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From the Isle of Music, February 25-March 3, 2018
Part 1 of 2 parts
This week and next, our special guest is saxophonist/composer/bandleader Alexey León, 1st Place winner in the Interpretation category at JoJazz 2017. He already has a very impressive musical resume, and in one of our rare interviews in English, we’ll talk about his career to date and listen to some of his new album Cuban Connection, which also features other distinguished jazzistas such as Ivan Melon Lewis and Carlos Sarduy.
Four opportunities to listen on shortwave:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including parts of East Asia and Oceania) 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 0100-0200 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US). This is running on a backup transmitter due to a recent fire.
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany 

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, Sunday, February 25
Episode 51 of Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot sends us to the Balkans for some hot Roma brass from Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Romania along with our mystery song for the week. We will also do a “hang” at our Facebook page so that you can chat with us during the show if you like.
Sunday, February 25, 2300-2330 UTC (6:00PM -6:30PM Eastern US) on
WBCQ The Planet 7490 KHz shortwave from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe

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Kamchatka broadcasting on shortwave

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ralf Bender, who writes:

Here a link to a German radio station website, which yesterday released that a Russian broadcaster is back on air. In times when many broadcasters/stations are closed [this is] good news.

Here there original German website:
https://www.radioeins.de/programm/sendungen/medienmagazin/radio_news/beitraege/2018/kamtschatka.html

And here with automatic Google translation:

Kamchatka on shortwave

According to the broadcasting companies of the republics Adygea and Sakha, in the Russian Federation, a third broadcaster is again active on shortwave: the GTRK Kamchatka from Petropavlovsk. Sent for each two hours from 8.00 and 13.00 clock local time on the frequency 5940 kHz.[…]

The transmission to 5940 kHz compensates the omission of the long wave 180 kHz. Like all others, it had been shut down at the beginning of 2014 by long-wave and shortwave recordings that had previously been recorded on the account of the All-Russian State Broadcasting Corporation (WGTRK). Thus, the radio coverage ended outside the areas reached by the FM stations.[…]

The article also includes the following reception video from a DXer in Asia:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Thanks for the tip, Ralf! Perhaps some of our Russian readers can shed some light on this development?  Please comment!

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Radio Deal: Grundig Executive Satellit Radio Half Price Sale

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ralph (AJ4BI), who writes

I absolutely love your blog!

Herrington is having a half-price sale on their Grundig Executive Satellit for $99.95

Click here to view the deal.

Frys has dropped the price to $81.91. They now appear to be only available through the local Frys stores.

Thanks for the tip, Ralph! Those are excellent prices for the Executive Satellit! I’ve checked other retailers and prices are much closer to the $180+ mark.  If you’ve been looking for a Satellit, this is the time to bite the bullet!

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Video: Guide to using SDR-Console V3 remotely

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Many thanks to Jon Hudson at SDRplay who produced the following excellent instructional video about setting up SDR-Console V3 for remote use. Jon writes:

For SDR Console users, this video guide shows you how to access other people’s SDRs and how to add your own.

If you are wanting to add your own SDR for remote use, there are a couple of things to be careful with:

Be careful when plugging multiple SDRs into a single USB2 socket to make sure there’s enough power – for multiple SDRs, you may need a powered hub ( like this: http://amzn.to/2oa84kM) [or this in North America].

Once you are up and running – please go to http://www.sdrspace.com/Version-3 and view your listing – if there is a yellow triangle, then you are not accessible outside your own firewall – attention is needed! Just because you can access it on your own LAN doesn’t mean it’s accessible via the internet!!! This is the most common area to have problems – double check your router’s port forwarding settings are correct (default port 50101 TCP).

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TheReportOfTheWeek talks shortwave radio

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Grant Porter, who notes that YouTube reviewer TheReportOfTheWeek talks his obsession with shortwave radio in his latest episode:

Click here to view this video on YouTube.

Note that the TheReportOfTheWeek produces a weekly shortwave radio show called VORW International. Check out his schedule is below:

THURSDAY VORW Radio Broadcasts:
6 PM EST – 9955 kHz – South America
7 PM EST – 7730 kHz – Western North America
8 PM EST – 5850 kHz – North America
8 PM EST – 9395 kHz – North America

SUNDAY VORW Radio Broadcasts:
4 PM EST – 7780 kHz – Europe
4 PM EST – 9395 kHz – North America

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IRRS-Shortwave: Special one-hour tribute broadcast to Tom Taylor

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(Source: Mauno Ritola via WRTH on Facebook)

From Alfredo Cotroneo of IRRS-Shortwave:
Dear Listeners and Friends,

We were approached by colleagues who produced a special one-hour’ tribute’ program to Tom Taylor, and we decided to air it on our station in the coming days.

A very great deal of effort has been taken to produce this program, and some of the most legendary broadcasters in the UK and European clandestine radio have stepped forward to pay warm tribute.

Tom has been on the air “legally” via IRRS-Shortwave since 2002. Tom’s funeral was on Monday, Feb. 12, 2018. I was told that his family were supported by some of Tom’s friends in radio, and they were surprised and delighted that he is to be celebrated in this unique programme which will end the 40-year chapter of European Music Radio (EMR).

The one-hour tribute program to Tom Taylor will be aired by NEXUS-IBA on IRRS-Shortwave at the following times/days:

Sun Feb. 18, 2018 at 00:00 UTC (streaming)
Sun Feb. 18, 2018 at 02:00 UTC (streaming)
Sun Feb. 18, 2018 at 09:00 UTC (streaming)
Sun Feb. 18, 2018, at 22:00 UTC (streaming and 846 kHz to S E)

Fri Feb. 23, 2018 at 01:00 UTC (streaming)
Fri Feb. 23, 2018 at 03:29 UTC (streaming)
Fri Feb. 23, 2018 at 06:00 UTC (streaming)
Fri Feb. 23, 2018 at 09:00 UTC (streaming)
Fri Feb. 23, 2018 at 15:00 UTC (streaming)
Fri Feb. 23, 2018 at 19:00 UTC (streaming and 7290 kHz @ 150 kW to EU)
Fri Feb. 23, 2018 at 22:00 UTC (streaming and 846 kHz to S EU)

Sat Feb. 24, 2018 at 09:00 UTC (streaming and 9510 kHz @ 150 kW to EU)
Sat Feb. 24, 2018 at 21:30 UTC (streaming and 846 kHz to S E)

Sun Feb. 25, 2018 at 00:00 UTC (streaming and 846 kHz to S E)
Sun Feb. 25, 2018 at 02:00 UTC (streaming)
Sun Feb. 25, 2018 at 09:00 UTC (streaming)
Sun Feb. 25, 2018 at 12:00 UTC (streaming and 9510 kHz @ 150 kW to EU)
Sun Feb. 25, 2018 at 22:00 UTC (streaming and 846 kHz to S E)

(*) streaming on IRN at https://mp3.nexus.org or:
direct URL: http://mp3.nexus.org:8000/irn.mp3

Additionally, it will be heard on various “alternative” frequencies in Europe (not operated by NEXUS-IBA or IRRS-Shortwave), as follows:

SATURDAY 17th FEB on 3975 and 6160 kHz
Alternating during the day. From mid-morning UK time.

SUNDAY 18TH FEB on 6070 kHz
Between 7.30 and 9 AM UK time and again in the afternoon.

MONDAY 19TH FEB on 3975 and 6160 kHz
Alternating during the day. From mid-morning UK time.
Various repeats during the week.

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