Monthly Archives: September 2020

Win an MFJ-8100K shortwave receiver kit!

After posting Ron’s note about the MFK-8100K receiver kit, I touched base with MFJ and they have kindly donated a new 8100K kit to us for an SWLing Post giveaway. Thanks, MFJ!

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. MFJ will ship it directly to you if there are no Covid-19 shipping restrictions to your country.

Here’s how to enter the giveaway…

Simply comment on this post and tell us about your favorite kit that you’ve built. This can be your first kit, your last kit, or anything in between. Don’t just give us a model name, tell us what made it a fun or special project.

If you’ve never built a kit, but are eager to do so, tell us why you would like to build the MFJ-8100K! Do you have a soldering iron?

We simply want to make sure a kit builder or want-to-be kit builder gets this prize! We’d even invite you to share a short post about building the MFJ-8100 (no obligation–only if you wish).

Details

We will pick a winner at random from the valid comments in this post on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 16:00 UTC.

This means you must enter a valid email address in the appropriate comments field (not within the comment text itself) so that we can contact you.

Of course, the SWLing Post doesn’t sell or share emails–never have, never will–this is only so we can contact you to obtain your shipping address if you win. Feel free to use a throw-away email address if you wish.

This is all about taking us on a great kit-building nostalgia trip, so have fun!

Click here to comment with your kit story and enter the giveaway.

Many thanks again to MFJ Enterprises for sponsoring this contest!

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SDR# upgrades include device sharing and spectrum slicing

The ELAD FDM-S3 is in production and shipping to distributors!

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(Source: Elad USA)

Elad USA Inc.
618 Cummings Chapel Road
Ridgeville, SC 29472 [email protected] or call 312-320-8160 (10am-6pm)

PRESS RELEASE

Elad S.R.L. Italy and Elad USA Inc.

Elad are pleased to announce the ELAD FDM-S3 is now in production and shipping to distributors world-wide.

The ELAD FDM-S3 is a 16bit state of the art Software Defined Radio, for radio enthusiasts, shortwave listeners and radio hobbyists and test labs. The S3 contains several exciting options. It will allow for reception of up to 24Mhz of bandwidth across the frequency range of 9kHz to 108Mhz as standard. (Extended range from 9Khz- 2Ghz will be available later in the year with an optional internal downconverter.)

Oscillator features:

Standard Oscillator version with TCXO 0.1ppm lockable to GPS (included) need only GPS antenna

Optional Oscillator OCXO with less phase noise and accuracy lockable to GPS. Includes GPS Antenna.

The radio can be used with Elad’s famous SW-2 software or third-party software, like SDR- Console from Simon Brown.

The radio has Bias-T power on two of the three antenna ports, one for HF and one for VHF to enable items like powered LNA/Filters

Connects to PC via USB3.0 cable (supplied) and GPS can also be interrogated via UBlox software.

The radio is in production now and shipping, pre-order for USA/Canada via https://shop.elad-usa.com/sdr-radio/
or in the UK via Martin Lynch https://www.hamradio.co.uk/
or Germany via http://www.wimo.com/
or direct from the Elad Factory http://www.eladit.com
For Release 09/14/2020

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SDRplay has added sample IQ files to their website

Ron reminds us that MFJ still offers a shortwave radio kit

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Following up on our recent MFJ post, SWLing Post contributor, Ron, writes:

Another thing about MFJ is they still offer the MFJ-8100 as a kit or built. This is the only regenerative receiver available as far as I know.

Mr. Jue and his guys did a couple of tweaks like limiting band coverage to insure stability, using 1/8 inch 3.5mm stereo phone jacks and use an LM386 audio IC to drive headphones or speaker.

The whole thing is in a metal enclosure to minimize hand capacitance found in most regens.

The QRP crowd likes to use the 8100 with flea power CW rigs, it’s that good.

And it’s been in production far longer than the Heathkit GR-81 or any of the Knight Kit regens, too.

Thank you for sharing that, Ron! I had completely forgotten about this little kit when someone recently asked about the availability of Ten-Tec regen receiver kits (that are, sadly, no longer on the market to my knowledge)! I might have to grab one of these kits–looks like a fun one to build.

Click here to check out the MFJ-8100K.

By the way, I also believe the NM0S Ozark Patrol regen kit is still available from the Four State QRP Group. Click here to check out the product page. It doesn’t have a metal enclosure like the MFJ, but it’s also a fun kit to build.

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WHRI ceases Voice of Vietnam relays

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the following note from Gilles Letourneau, the CIDX, and International Radio Report:

WHRI has ceased relaying Voice of Vietnam to North America since its purchase by WBCQ. Please take the time to write them and let them know it would be important to keep shortwave alive and maybe suggest they could relay via WRMI, here is the contact page
Contact | THE VOICE OF VIETNAM (vovworld.vn)

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Hurricane Watch Net Activated September 13, 2020

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(Source: Brad Panovich) “Smoke, Fires, a Tropical Storm, and a Hurricane all in one satellite image today.”

(Source: ARRL via RTC)

Hurricane Watch Net to Activate as Paulette Bears Down on Bermuda

The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) has announced plans to activate today (Sunday, September 13) at 2100 UTC on both 14.325 MHz and 7.268 MHz as Hurricane Paulette is predicted to make landfall on Bermuda early on September 14 as a Category 2 storm. HWN Manager Bobby Graves, KB5HAV, noted that activation plans are subject to change as weather forecasts unfold.

As of 1500 UTC on Sunday, Hurricane Paulette was moving to the northwest toward Bermuda at about 14 MPH, with strong winds, storm surge, and heavy rain expected to begin there by evening, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported. A hurricane warning is in effect for Bermuda. Paulette was some 240 miles southeast of Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 80 MPH.

“Monday morning, after landfall, we will do what we can to gather weather data and damage reports while operating on both 20 and 40 meters,” Graves said. “Once we’ve completed operations for Paulette, we will switch gears and begin operations for Sally immediately.

The HWN will be on 20 meters during daylight hours, switching to 40 meters in the evening, although propagation could dictate going to 40 meters during daylight as well.

Tropical Storm Sally is forecast to become a Category 1 Hurricane on September 14, with landfall expected on the evening of September 15, somewhere along the coast of Mississippi.

“Of course, should the forecast track be adjusted to the left or right of the current track, landfall timing and location will change,” Graves noted. “Everyone in the forecast path of Sally should follow the directions of local emergency management.

[…]WX4NHC at the NHC will also activate on Sunday, September 13, at 2100 UTC for Paulette and Sally and will remain activated until 1900 on Tuesday, September 15, monitoring and gathering reports from the HWN on 14.325 and 7.268 MHz and via the VoIP-WX Net on Echolink WXtalk 7203 Conference and IRLP 9219.