Monthly Archives: October 2021

Rare 1968 Radio Dzaoudzi QSL card fetches $158 at auction

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:

In recent years, a number of records have been set for QSL cards from former shortwave stations around the world. The latest example shows that there is still strong collector demand for one of the rarest stations on the air from Africa, Comoros Islands.

In this eBay auction, a classic photo QSL from the station at Moroni went for $158. That’s in the high end for QSL auctions — there have been higher, for example for QSLs from the former AFAN station at McMurdo, Antarctica, and for some other African and Asian cards.

This card shows the 90 meter band shortwave frequency for the station, 3,331 kHz which as veteran DX’ers who are still around recall could be heard with great difficulty from 0300 UTC when the station signed on for morning programming. The other frequency of 7,260 kHz was also heard, though the 90 meter frequency was the easiest for U.S. DX’ers.

– Dan Robinson

Wow! Thank you so much for sharing your insight, Dan. What a fascinating find!

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Carlos’ VOK Shortwave Log Art and Audio Clip

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who shares one more example of his radio log art, this time for a Voice of Korea broadcast in Spanish.

Here’s Carlos’ clip of the Voice of Korea which accompanies the log art at the top of this post:

Carlos has been posting his shortwave logs on his Twitter feed–definitely check them out!

Many thanks, Carlos!

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FCC approves FM for CB Radio

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron who shares the following news via the Southgate ARC:

FCC signals FM CB will be permitted on 27 MHz

63 years after the introduction of Class D 27 MHz AM CB Radio the FCC has agreed to permit FM to be used

From FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order on Reconsideration WT Docket No. 10-119, issued July 15, 2021:

What the Memorandum Opinion and Order on Reconsideration Would Do:

• Grant Cobra’s Petition requesting that the Commission allow FM as an optional modulation scheme for all existing 40 CB Radio Service channels (with AM remaining mandatory).

• Grant Motorola’s Petition requesting that the Commission allow automatic or periodic location and data transmissions in the GMRS and FRS. The Commission’s rules currently permit the transmission of location information and brief text messages initiated by a manual action and automatic responses of location information.

• Grant Medtronic’s Petition requesting the correction of typographical errors and rule changes in the Part 95 Personal Radio Services Rules Report and Order that inadvertently altered the substance of the Medical Device Radiocommunications Service (MedRadio) rules

The FCC say:

After considering this additional information, we conclude that allowing manufacturers to add FM as an optional modulation scheme will not substantially change the fundamental nature of the CB Radio Service and will improve the user experience, as described by Cobra and President. How people use the service will not materially change or be expanded. Further, Cobra states that AM is a “well established” operating mode that is unlikely to disappear, even if we permit operations in FM mode.

Continuing to mandate AM capability while permitting dual modulation will provide benefits to CB radio users who will have an additional modulation option, while maintaining the basic character of the service.

The addition of FM as a permitted mode will not result in additional interference because users who hear unintelligible audio on a particular channel can simply select another channel or switch modes.

Read FCC Memorandum Opinion and Order on Reconsideration WT Docket No. 10-119
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-374114A1.pdf

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Looking for firmware files? Don’t download unless you know the source!

A quick PSA from SWLing Post HQ…

Many of our modern receivers, transceivers, and SDRs allow us to perform firmware updates in order to upgrade product functionality and even fix known bugs. I try to keep the latest firmware on all of my radios.

With that said, always go to the original manufacturer or authorized retailer’s website to download firmware files, drivers, and firmware installation tools.

The internet is chock-full of deceptive sites offering “firmware files” for a wide variety of products that are nothing more than viruses and malware.

Never follow a firmware file link from a radio discussion forum, for example, unless that link can be verified as authentic and supported by the manufacturer or product designer/developer. It’s too easy for someone to pose as a discussion member and drop a link to a malicious bit of code!

I was contacted by two different SWLing Post readers recently who found links to malware posing as firmware files for radios in discussion groups. Obviously, I’m not going to share those links, so I simply ask that you double check the authenticity of the site before downloading.

That is all! Have a wonderful weekend and good DX!

-Thomas

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