Monthly Archives: May 2022

WBOB: Last minute 50 kW DX test on 600 kHz

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who notes that he has only a few details about what appears to be a last minute DX test of WBOB in Jacksonville, Florida.

According to Paul’s source, WBOB on 600 kHz will be running 50 kilowatts from midnight to 3:00 AM local (04:00-07:00 UTC) on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Paul’s source noted the test will take place Friday and possibly Saturday nights, but technically these are early Saturday and Sunday times.

We’ve no other details, but Paul wanted to share what info he has. Thanks, Paul!

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Skybird takes to the skies again

Hi all, this is Fastradioburst23 calling the SWLing Post community to let you know of the return of Free Radio Skybird with their Spring 2022 broadcast on shortwave this weekend.

This Sunday 15th May 2022 Free Radio Skybird is being beamed out of the WRMI transmitter from Miami on 9395 kHz at 1800 EST/2200 UTC. Expect some free radio goodness from DJ Frederick. Nice flyer by the way!

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Giuseppe’s Ponza Island DXpedition with the Icom IC-705

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Giuseppe Morlè (IZ0GZW), who shares the following guest post:


Report from Ponza Island: May 6-9, 2022

by Giuseppe Morlè (IZ0GZW)

Ciao Thomas and Friends at the SWLing Post!

This is the summary of 3 days of testing of my Icom IC-705 just purchased and immediately taken to Ponza Island, my hometown, for a full immersion DXpedition only listening to amateur radio bands especially on 20 m.

Day 1

I left Formia on the ship that went to Ponza and it was not a good start given the adverse sea weather conditions. After 3 hours of crossing in the rain and the strong sirocco wind, I arrived on the island at my father’s house.

In the early afternoon in the rain, I hoisted a 20 meter row on the “sloper” type roof not so high from the ground and connected directly to the Icom 705 without any counterweight given the place without electrical noise.

The position of my father’s house is open from West to North but totally covered to the South by a hill of 200 meters …

In this video you can see all of this:

During the first night, 20 meters was full of signals especially from the USA; it was, in fact, what I had hoped for given the position open to the West.

Really good overseas signals despite bad weather … below is a series of mixes of North American stations: Continue reading

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Frans compares the BH5HDE QRP, GRAHN SE3, and his home made loop antenna

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Frans Goddijn, who shares the following article and video originally posted on his blog:

I got the little BH5HDE QRP portable QRP loop, assembled it and could not wait to try it out even though it was during that day and signals were sparse and weak.

This new loop performs well, in part thanks to the tuning & impedance knobs. I compare it with the GRAHN SE3 and a big home made loop that I bought second hand. The latter has no tuning but is as directionally sensitive as the others and it delivers an amplified signal to the receiver.

Click here to view on YouTube.

I found a manual for the QRP, not included in the package:

Instructions for use of BH5HDE QRP portable small loop antenna

Welcome to use the BH5HDE QRP portable small loop antenna. This product can easily and quickly set up a short-wave transceiver antenna, allowing you to enjoy the joy of multi-band reception and communication indoors, windows, balconies and outdoors.

Installation:
(BNC mount equipment needs to bring a pair of photography tripods)
Use the right-angle adapter and double male docking to connect the antenna to the m seat at the rear of the radio station or erect the ring body to the connector on both sides of the controller and tighten, then install the tripod to the fastening seat on the back of the tuner Open the tripod, place the antenna body firmly on the tripod, and finally connect the feeder (the feeder is attached with a choke, one end of the choke is placed near the small loop antenna).

use:
Now that the small loop antenna has been connected to your radio station, you can now tune in.
First introduce the function of the tuner panel. The toggle switch on the left is the band selection switch (up: 7MHz, down: 14-30MHz).
The main control knob, the upper knob is the frequency tuning knob, the frequency tuning value does not change due to environmental changes; the lower knob is the impedance matching knob, the impedance matching value will change due to environmental changes. (The tuning range of the two knobs is 180 degrees, and the panel value is 0-60).
When you start using the radio, select the desired frequency, and then turn the band switch to the desired band position, then adjust the impedance matching value of the lower knob to 30, and then adjust the upper knob to tune. At this time, pay attention to listening to the noise floor of the radio station. The more resonance, the louder the noise floor of the radio station (in the environment with extremely low noise floor, the antenna resonance noise floor is almost inaudible. It is recommended to let the radio station observe the standing wave). At this time, let the radio transmit (cw, fm, and am modes are available), pay attention to the standing wave indication, and fine-tune the frequency tuning knob while transmitting. Since the knob of the portable version does not have a deceleration function, the method of fine adjustment must be more delicate, and the smaller the rotation angle, the better.

At this time, you can observe a significant change in the standing wave, but generally the minimum standing wave ratio will not be below 1.5. At this time, you need to adjust the impedance matching knob. It is recommended to adjust the positive and negative 5 scale values randomly, and then repeat the frequency tuning steps and observe The standing wave ratio. Due to the change in the matching value, there are two possibilities before the comparison: 1: the minimum value of the standing wave ratio decreases; 2 the minimum value of the standing wave ratio becomes larger. If the minimum value of the standing wave ratio becomes lower, it means that the impedance matching adjustment approaches the correct value and can be further adjusted. If the minimum value of the standing wave ratio becomes larger, it means that the impedance matching is far from the correct value and must be adjusted in the opposite direction.

Repeat the above steps to adjust the VSWR of the antenna to 1.0.

The VHF and UHF bands are fixed with the upper knob hitting 60 to the end, and the lower knob can adjust the impedance to resonate.

Note: The best effect for outdoor use is to use antennas indoors as close as possible to windows, fully enclosed reinforced concrete, against walls and other environments where the standing wave ratio is not ideal.

Advanced technique: when the signal is weak, you can rotate the antenna direction to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, which is conducive to reception. The unique gain lobe of the loop antenna makes the horizontal gain directivity when it is erected, and its characteristics can be used to select multiple signals in the horizontal direction. It can also reduce the co-frequency interference in the horizontal direction. Of course, If the interference signal is extremely strong, much larger than the useful signal that needs to be accepted, the attenuation effect will not be too significant, compared to the whip antenna can still have the attenuation effect.

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18th Edition of the Global Radio Guide (Summer 2022) Now Available

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gayle Van Horn (W4GVH), who shares the following announcement:


18th Edition of the Global Radio Guide (Summer 2022) Now Available

Familiar players and familiar places.  

Familiar fears pushed by familiar voices.

The world has held its breath during the Russian invasion of Ukraine as images of the human suffering of war have brought back old memories and old fears from years gone by.

Just like these events have brought up once buried feelings, it has also brought what many thought to be “old” technology back to the forefront.  While internet access is one of the first targets of invading regimes intent on controlling the narrative, the vast reach of shortwave radio transcends borders and other forms of connectivity.

It is déjà vu with a front row view.

For those who want to be on the front lines of the action, Gayle Van Horn’s (W4GVH) 18th Edition of her Amazon bestselling Global Radio Guide (Summer 2022) has all of the details you need to catch up with the latest from the front lines.

As one of the only remaining publications available with international broadcast frequencies and schedules, the Global Radio Guide (GRG) puts everything a radio enthusiast needs to navigate the action right in their hands.

In this completely updated edition, regular GRG contributors Ken Reitz, KS4ZR, and Fred Waterer (both also of The Spectrum Monitor) post features on monitoring the international broadcasters at the very forefront of the events.  Larry Van Horn, N5FPW, adds his detailed information on monitoring of utilities on the shortwave bands, including military communications.  

With the help of the GRG, you can tune in shortwave broadcast stations from additional hotspots such as China, Cuba, India, Iran, North/South Korea, Taiwan, and many other counties. If you have a shortwave radio receiver, SDR or Internet connection, pair it with this unique radio resource to know when and where to listen to the world.

This newest edition of the GRG carries on the tradition of those before it with an in-depth, 24-hour station/frequency guide with schedules for selected AM band, longwave, and shortwave radio stations. This unique resource is the only radio publication that lists by-hour schedules that include all language services, frequencies, and world target areas for over 500 stations worldwide. 

The GRG includes listings of DX radio programs and Internet website addresses for many of the stations in the book. There are also entries for time and frequency stations as well as some of the more “intriguing” transmissions one can find on the shortwave radio bands.

In addition to the global hotspots, the GRG brings the world to you from other places on the radio dial.

Gayle Van Horn brings us into the tropics with her regular stroll through the tropical bands – one of the most challenging and rewarding pursuits for the shortwave listener.

Not only are the bands heating up with world events, but the HF bands themselves are becoming more alive as our sun wakes up from its slumber.  What impact will this renewed solar activity have on listening?  Tad Cook, K7RA, shares his atmospheric expertise with a primer on radio propagation while maintaining an eye on the ever-evolving Solar Cycle 25.  

A bit lower on your radio dial, DX Central’s Loyd Van Horn, W4LVH, breaks down the basics of getting started with mediumwave DX and even gives us a fun summer project by diving into the powerful KAZ antenna that listeners can use to pull in elusive mediumwave signals from far beyond their home.

Whether you monitor shortwave radio broadcasts, mediumwave, amateur radio operators, or aeronautical, maritime, government, or military communications in the HF radio spectrum, this book has the information you need to help you to hear it all. Teak Publishing’s Global Radio Guide “brings the world to you.”

You can find this edition of the Global Radio Guide, along with all of our titles currently available for purchase, on the Teak Publishing Web site at www.teakpublishing.com.  Details will be available at www.teakpublishing.com

The 18th edition of the Global Radio Guide e-Book (electronic book only, no print edition available) is available worldwide from Amazon and their various international websites at 

https://amzn.to/3kXqjqw

The price for this latest edition is US$8.99. Since this book is being released internationally, Amazon customers in the United Kingdom, Germany, France Spain, Italy, Japan, India, Canada, Brazil, Mexico and Australia can order this e-Book from Amazon websites directly servicing these countries. Customers in all other countries can use the regular Amazon.com website to purchase this e-Book.

You can read any Kindle e-Book with Amazon’s ‘free’ reading apps on literally any electronic media platform. You do not have to own a Kindle reader from Amazon to read this e-book. There are Kindle apps available for iOS, Android, Mac and PC platforms. You can find additional details on these apps by checking out this link to the Amazon website at www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771. 

Teak Publishing Company
P.O. Box 297
Brasstown NC 28902
www.teakpublishing.com

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CTV: “How shortwave radio is resurfacing as a tool in Ukraine”

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, William Lee, who shares this story from CTV which focuses on the resurgence of interest in shortwave radio following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This item features our good friend, John Figliozzi; author of the Worldwide Listening Guide:

How shortwave radio is resurfacing as a tool in Ukraine (CTV)

In a world of mobile phones, satellites and the internet, some old school technology is making a major comeback. The shortwave radio, used by spies for decades to send encrypted messages, is being resurrected for the war in Ukraine.

According to Dr. Andrew Hammond, curator and historian at Washington, D.C.’s International Spy Museum, the shortwave radio “is a classic tool that was used for espionage.

“With a shortwave radio like this, you can transmit information over huge distances,” he told CTV National News.

But now, decades later, shortwave is coming back into use. [Continue reading…]

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