Monthly Archives: January 2019

Fascinating episode of The Antarctic Sun podcast

McMurdo Station, Antarctica. (Source: USAP.gov)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Justin Moore (KE8COY), who shares the following:

[T]here is an interesting podcast] that I’m sure you would like as well as anyone with an interest in radio might enjoy, especially in this weather.

It’s the Antarctic Sun podcast and this episode is about the communications staff at McMurdo Station, the MacOps department, and the things they do to stay in touch with scientists, researchers, and workers in the field, using their radio communications skills to keep everyone safe.

Listening to this is great while there is still snow on the ground, as there is up here in Cincinnati, and may be a bit of inspiration for ham radio folks who participate in Winter Field Day.

My favorite part is when they talk about using HF to sing Christmas carols to each other at the different Antarctic camps and stations.

[Here’s the description of the episode:]

Communications operator Rebecca Ricards (foreground) calls up field camp information at the MacOps control console. Josh Young looks on. (Source: NSF)

“Antarctica is a vast and potentially treacherous continent and the safety of researchers and support staff is of the utmost concern for everyone. Just knowing what’s happening is a critical first step towards keeping everyone safe, but keeping the lines of communication open between the station and people working in the field requires a lot of effort. It takes a multitude of high frequency and very high frequency radios, a veritable forest of signal repeaters, a constellation of satellite phones and more to keep tabs on everyone.

All of those communication systems are routed through the nerve center of the station, MacOps. Short for “McMurdo Operations,” it’s the central communications hub where operators keep tabs on everyone off the station. Communications operators are in almost constant contact with the numerous field camps and sea ice groups, ready to send in search and rescue teams in an emergency or just say a friendly “hello” after a long hard day of work in a remote field camp.”

Click here to download the podcast.

Thanks for taking the time to share this, Justin! This episode combines two things that fascinate me: radio and Antarctica! Certainly a win-win. I’ve also now subscribed to this podcast–thanks again!

Click here for more details at The Antarctic Sun Podcast.

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Seeking information: 1959 Radio Progreso broadcasts by Daniel Fignolé and Louis Dejoie

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SWLing Post community: perhaps you can help with an inquiry I recently received. Radio historian, Alejandra Bronfman, writes:

Dear Thomas;

I’m a historian of radio in the Caribbean, and David Goren suggested I contact you with a question about some 1959 broadcasts I’m trying to track down. These were produced by Haitian dissidents Daniel Fignolé and Louis Dejoie; one in Brooklyn, one in Havana, for broadcast over Havana’s Radio Progreso. They started in January 1959 and ended a few months later. I’m not sure whether they were in shortwave format, though I would guess that they were if they were aimed at Haiti as well as the eastern part of Cuba. I’m looking for any sources at all that might help me fill in the story, which I have mostly from some contemporary accounts, newspapers and US-based official sources.

Anyway, please excuse the intrusion and the out-of-the-blue nature of my query. I’m trying to hunt down all possible clues that may lead to more source material.

thanks so much;
Alejandra

Alejandra Bronfman
Associate Professor
Department of Latin American, Caribbean and US Latino Studies

If you have any information or leads that could help Professor Bronjman, please comment! Thank you!

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Shortwave is an alternative source of news while Internet and phone service to the Kingdom of Tonga are cut

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

Internet and phone service between the Kingdom of Tonga and the outside world was disabled after an undersea cable was cut between Tonga and Fiji.

(Source: Radio New Zealand)

“Tonga’s submarine cable to Fiji was severed on Sunday night, meaning there were no phone or internet services for several days.

Interim satellite links have since been provided but the bandwidth is nowhere near what Tonga needs.

The deputy chief executive of Tonga Communications Corporation, Sione Veikoso, said the company is now providing extra capacity.

[F]ull restoration may be possible within a week but it could take a month.”

Speaking on the Radio New Zealand Pacific program Dateline Pacific (evening edition for 25 January 2019) deputy chief executive of Tonga Communications Corporation, Sione Veikoso said that two cables were cut. Click here to listen to the audio.

I heard the RNZ Dateline Pacific program on RNZI (shortwave), 9700 kHz at 11:13 UTC 1-25-2019.

Thanks for sharing, Dan. Yes, in times like these, shortwave radio makes for an easy, accessible way to get information directly from the source. Radio New Zealand International should be an easy catch in Tonga.

I’m filing this under the tag: Why shortwave radio?

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“Perfect Fit” Cases for the ATS-909X and D-808 Radios

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I’m generally not a fan of slip-cover cases (or pouches) that are included with many portable radios. I like to have a little extra padding around radios, but I don’t like bulky cases either. My preference is to carry accessories separately and keep the case as small as possible while still offering some protection.

With that in mind, others may be interested in my choice of non-original cases for the Sangean ATS-909X and XHDATA D-808 receivers.

The Evecase brand of sleeve for the Apple iPad Mini 4 makes a close fitting case for the ATS-909X. After a day or two in this sleeve, the radio stretches the fabric a little and the result is a fit “like a glove”.

The Evecase sleeve leaves NO room for anything else, except perhaps a pair of earbuds loosely coiled on top of the radio before zipping the case shut. Protection of the ATS-909X is very good though, better than the stock Sangean slip case.

For the XHDATA D-808, I discovered that a model of the popular “Pelican” line of hard cases is an absolutely perfect fit. Model 1040 (Micro Case series) is the one to get, especially if you want the extreme protection this padded, hard-sided case provides. It’ll be right at home among your camping gear for instance, and if it happens to take a tumble from your backpack or car’s trunk, no problem!

It’s important to note that the solid color 1040 cases like mine have a sheet of thin protective foam in the lid, in addition to the molded padding in the bottom half. The clear lid versions of the 1040 case do not have this extra padding.

Let the description and photos of these two case solutions inspire you to consider other ideas for protecting your radio gear! A lot of possibilities exist, considering the wide array of protection available for tablets, laptops, GPS, hard drives, and so on. Many of these can be repurposed for portable receivers.

Guy Atkins is a Sr. Graphic Designer for T-Mobile and lives near Seattle, Washington. He’s a regular contributor to the SWLing Post.

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Are government shutdowns a potential haven for pirate radio stations?

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SWLing Post Bill Patalon sent me this piece from the ARRL stating that amateur radio applications have been on hold at the FCC as most of the agency has been closed in the US government shutdown. It appears the government will reopen now, at least for the next three weeks.

Thinking about the closure of the FCC and its effect on licensed operators, also made me think about unlicensed radio operators: a.k.a. pirate radio stations.

Are government shutdowns a potential broadcast opportunity for pirates that might not otherwise take to the air?

I’m curious if anyone noted new shortwave or FM pirate stations during the US government shutdown. Did the respite from FCC enforcement bring anyone out of the woodwork? Please comment!

PS: Can you do us a favor? In comments, please stay on topic (radio) and refrain from political arguments. Many of us appreciate the SWLing Post as a refuge from the toxic back-and-forth prevalent on so many other sites. If you would like to engage in political discourse, please check out Reddit. Thank you!

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Radios in Godzilla 2 trailer

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron Chester (W6AZ), who notes that the new Godzilla film contains a number of boat anchors.

What I think is so funny is how they’ve altered the logging/fine tune dial of the Hammarlund SP-600 to look like signal strength meter! For someone who has owned an SP-600, this is a little strange to say the least!

Click here to view on YouTube.

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Radio Memories: Andrew’s brush with HCJB

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HCJB, 1987 (click to enlarge)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Doug Evans, who shares the following radio memory:

I have been an SWL on and off for the past 30+ years, listening from New York, North Dakota, Texas, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and now from Denver and loving my Tecsun PL-660. Back in the 80’s and early 90’s the SWL waves were full of awesome. It was huge fun to dial up Radio Saigon or Radio Pyongyang and listen to their opinions, in return the USA fired back with Rush Limbaugh on WRNO

Through my early years in SWLing I would always find HCJB in Quito Ecuador “The Voice of the Andes” I loved their shows especially “DX Party Line” but I’d settle for the other programming, “HAM Radio Today”, “The Music of the Andes”, “Tips For Real Living”… I always had a SW radio and a longwire where ever we went and especially on camping trips, and HCJB could always be found.

Job changes caused me to box up my radios for several years, but around 2010 I broke out the radios and found that HCJB was nowhere to be found. The hobby lost a lot of it’s attraction because of that. Not long after that my future wife asked me to drive with her from our home in Denver down to Colorado Springs to visit her relative, her mother’s cousin Tommy. She said he was a missionary in South America and handed me a book he wrote. In the preface he mentioned radio station HCJB.

Her mother’s cousin Tommy lived near the HCJB work headquarters in Colorado springs and I asked him about HCJB, he told me he was an engineer there for over 30 years and spent the afternoon telling me glory days of the largest radio stations on earth, and eventually having to take down the huge antenna farm to make room for the Quito airport. I wish I had taken notes, and I wish I had a chance to meet with him again, but like HCJB Tommy is no longer with us.

What an amazing coincidence it was to meet one of the men who kept HCJB on the air.

What a coincidence indeed! Thanks for sharing your memory, Douglas!

Post readers: Do you have a radio memory you’d like to share? Please contact me with your story!