Monthly Archives: May 2021

Antenna array on NBC television show “Debris”

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bruce Fisher, who writes:

Hi Thomas,
I recently watched an episode of a science-fiction tv series on NBC called “Debris”. There was a brief scene of an antenna array and the following dialogue:

“What is this place?”
“It was used to transmit news reports to the Allied Nations during World War Two.”
“Voice of America?“
“Yes, yes. And also shortwave radio communication with spies…”
Can anyone identify this location and the veracity of the information?

Thanks for sharing this, Bruce! I’m certain some of our savvy readers can positively ID this transmitting site. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a military site rather than the VOA.

Please comment!

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Armin hears “clicks” after update of SI473x receiver firmware

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Armin Sander, who writes:

Hello Thomas,

Thanks for posting the info on the SI47xx firmware-update.

I have done the update and the receiver runs now on firmware ver. 3.0.7a

It works fine but I hear now on am/lw/shortwave “click” noises on the radio.

Is this the sign that something is wrong with the firmware programming?

Before I had the ver. 1.5 on my radio without these noises.

Maybe you can post this info on your homepage.

Best Regards from Germany

Armin Sander

Thank you for the feedback, Armin. My hope is that an SWLing Post reader might be able to help you hear. I haven’t heard others report of click noises yet.

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Circa 1959 Spectra-Radio Spectacles

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mario Filippi, who writes:

While perusing through a 1959 Lafayette Radio sales flyer, this hybrid radio/sunglasses radio was spotted (see image above). Put a huge smile on my face–a three-transistor, germanium diode model hihi. Runs on a Mercury battery which were common years back.

That is fantastic, Mario! Love it.

I can tell you that I think Spectra-Radio seem a lot cooler than Google Glasses! Thank you for sharing!

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UNID Russian Numbers Station recorded April 26, 2021

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who recently shared this recording of an unidentified numbers station in Russian.

Paul recorded this on April 26, 2021 at 0218 UTC in McGrath, Alaska, on 11,615 kHz:

I’m not an expert on numbers station identification–if you can ID this station, please comment!

Update: Many thanks to a number of readers who have suggested that this is the “S06 Russian Man” station.

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SI473x Receiver Firmware Update and Internal Photos

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Robert Richmond, who writes:

Hi Tom,

Ricardo (PC2CLR) recently published an excellent firmware update for the SI473x kit-based receivers flooding AliExpress, eBay, etc.

I purchased a preassembled SI473x model, and it has a much better user interface following the update IMO. Other changes include being able to tweak or disable soft mute, finer grained attenuation, and a few options being moved to the encoder instead of multiple button presses.

The update including directions and a list of features can be found here:

https://github.com/pu2clr/SI4735/tree/master/examples/SI47XX_KITS/AliExpress

Best Regards,

Robert Richmond

Internal Photos

Robert also kindly shared the following internal photos of the SI473x receiver:

Robert, thank you so much for sharing the information and your SI473x photos/mods!

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John’s 1965 RCI Shortwave Club certificate triggers serious shortwave nostalgia!

View of the western cluster of curtain antennas from the roof of RCI Sackville’s transmissions building. (Photo: The SWLing Post) –Click to enlarge

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John (G3VUO), who shares the following:

Hi Tomas,

Seeing [the] article about RCI prompted me to remember the halcyon days of SW Listening.

I still have my RCI Shortwave Club certificate issued in 1965 when I was only 14 years old!

In those days you had to monitor their broadcasts regularly and send listening reports on (if I remember correctly) green airmail reception forms every month.

Hope the attached may give other readers some memories.

73

John G3VUO

Wow! Thank you for sharing this, John. Those were, indeed, the halcyon days of shortwave radio listening!

Post readers: Please comment if you’ve also received a certificate from RCI!

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Radio Songs by Silvia Swart

(Photo: Silvia Swart via Facebook)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Hemphill, who writes:


I ran across a reference to Radio Delta International Shortwave, a Hollands station on 6020 kHz.  The reference was to a song that was recorded for them by Silvia Swart en het Radio Delta lied.  Which (according to Google) translates to The Radio Delta Song.  It’s on YouTube and I like the sound of it even thought I don’t know Dutch.

YouTube link to the Radio Delta song:

There’s some nice photos and background to the station equipment on Delta Radio web site;

https://radiodelta.am/

After listening to the song by Silvia Swart, I did a search on her and found that she did other radio songs.

Radio Krachttoer:

Radio Combination Team:

Hopparadiotune:

Radio Waubach:

Hinnehok fm lied:

Supervision Radio:

Next step was to dive in and learn a little more about her.  Thank goodness for Google Translate.  From her website

https://www.silviaswart.nl/

I learned that Silvia has made over 155 tunes for legal / illegal pirate stations, associations.

Her parents run a record shop in Holland and that her father, Record King JB Swart, produced the Original Pirate Hits.  From his web site

https://www.jbswart.nl/

I learned that his store carries Pirate Music as well as the usual Dutch and other stuff a record store would normally carry.  Now I understand her interest in radio.

One last song I found that she recorded with her group, The Greenlights:

Mijn opa is een zendpiraat

Which translate to: My grandfather is a radio pirate

Maybe one of the forum members can give us a quick translation/summary of the songs.

73

Bill Hemphill

WD9EQD

Thank you for sharing this, Bill! Any fans of Silvia Swart out there? Please comment!

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