Monthly Archives: June 2023

July 2023 Broadcast Schedule for VORW Radio International!

Hello shortwave listeners! With a new month just around the corner, I wanted to provide an up to date broadcast schedule for my transmissions to North America.

This radio program is 1 Hour in length and features miscellaneous discussion (sometimes about current events, other times about random subjects on my mind) at the start of the program and is then balanced out with listener requested music. I hope for it to be an enjoyable light entertainment program with good music and discussion!

There are two new shows each week, along with various repeat airings for listeners who might not be able to catch the new shows as they first air.

Main Broadcasts:

Saturday 0600 UTC (2 AM Eastern / 1 AM Central) – 4840 kHz – WWCR 100 kW – North America

Monday 0400 UTC (12 AM Eastern / 11 PM Central Sunday Evening) – 4840 kHz – WWCR 100 kW – North America

Repeat Airings:

Tuesday 2000 UTC (4 PM Eastern / 3 PM Central) – 15770 kHz – WRMI 100 kW – Eastern North America

Thursday 1600 UTC (12 PM Eastern / 11 AM Central) – 15770 kHz – WRMI 100 kW – Eastern North America

Friday 2100 UTC (5 PM Eastern / 4 PM Central) – 9955 kHz – WRMI 100 kW – South America

Saturday 0700 UTC (3 AM Eastern / 2 AM Central) – 1300 kHz – WNQM 5 kW – Tennessee

Saturday 2200 UTC (6 PM Eastern / 5 PM Central) – 6115 kHz – WWCR 100 kW – Noth America

Saturday 2300 UTC (7 PM Eastern / 6 PM Central) – 5950 kHz – WRMI 100 kW – North America

Sunday 0100 UTC (9 PM Eastern / 8 PM Central) – 1490 kHz – WITA 1 kW – Knoxville, Tennessee

Monday 0000 UTC (8 PM Eastern / 7 PM Central) – 5950 kHz – WRMI 100 kW – North America

Listener reception feedback & reception reports are much appreciated at [email protected]

Happy Listening!

93-95 was my number

Underground Sounds Worldwide: A New Shortwave Music Program Broadcasting on WRMI

8 Replies

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

Hi Thomas,

We have just launched a new bi-weekly music show on WRMI. Underground Sounds will be playing the freshest tracks by new and established independent artists from all around the world, together with the latest music news, exclusive performances, and interviews. The first show went out on June 25th, with the next due to go out on Sunday July 9th, with new shows occurring every other Sunday at 2100 UTC on 15770 kHz.

Thanks

DJ KEL / Underground Sounds Worldwide
https://undergroundsoundsworldwide.com
15770 kHz WRMI Radio Miami International

Thank you, Kelsie! We look forward to tuning in Underground Sounds! I’m putting you in my listening schedule.

July 2023 Program Schedule for Texas Radio Shortwave

Cycle 25 may peak sooner than expected

Solar Cycle 25 May Peak Much Sooner Than Expected

“In April 2019, the Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel, which is made up of dozens of scientists from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), released its forecast for Solar Cycle 25, suggesting that the solar maximum would likely begin sometime in 2025 and would be comparable in size to the maximum of Solar Cycle 24, which peaked unusually late between mid-2014 and early 2016 and was quite weak compared with past solar maximums.

But from the beginning, the forecast seemed off. For instance, the number of observed sunspots has been much higher than predicted.”

TomL notes:

To read the rest of the article go to web site link here:
https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/solar-maximum-could-hit-us-harder-and-sooner-than-we-thought-how-dangerous-will-the-suns-chaotic-peak-be

Not mentioned in the article are implications for a sooner-than-expected Peak may mean that the Peak will be about the same strength as Cycle 24 but with a shorter duration. It may also mean that the future Cycle 26 may be weaker than both 24 or 25, but that remains to be seen.

Guest Post: Here Come the Lithiums

17 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bob Colegrove, who shares the following:

Power Play – Here Come the Lithiums

by Bob Colegrove

I have belonged to several radio-oriented user groups in recent years and can’t help noticing how often the subject of batteries comes up. It’s almost a sub-hobby within the hobby. There are a couple of reasons for this, first is the unending quest for the ultimate cost-effective, everlasting battery, and second, it’s a rare opportunity for most of us to tinker in an increasingly complex world of technology.

Lithium batteries offer a sustainable voltage output well into their discharge cycle and can deliver a higher rate of current than alkaline batteries. They are somewhat lighter in weight than alkaline batteries – 2.5 oz. versus 5 oz. for D-cells.

Considering the fast pace of technology, lithium batteries have been with us for a comparatively long time, this in the form of cell phone and camera power, not to mention a host of electric appliances. Most of these batteries have limited purpose, that is they have been developed and packaged for just a few applications, thus resulting in an incredible variety of sizes and shapes, and no doubt a host of frustrations due to obsolescence. It’s somewhat reminiscent of the early days of transistor radios which ran on a wide array of zinc-carbon batteries.

Perhaps I have been asleep at the wheel, but it has only come to my attention recently that lithium chemistry has begun to backfill the standard battery sizes we have long been familiar with, namely AAA, AA, C, D, and even the PP3 standard 9 volt.

I have been running along quite successfully for more than 10 years on AA NiMH technology on several portable radios. Although these run at a slightly lower cell voltage of 1.25 Vdc, the one-for-one substitution of these for alkaline chemistry has seldom been a problem in terms of performance. In most cases, newer radios are provided with an alkaline/NiMH-NiCad setting to compensate for the difference in voltage. Even the venerable Sony ICF SW7600GR, for which alkaline batteries are assumed, seems to operate equally well either way.

My problem has always been the larger power consumers running on D-cells – the Sony ICF 2010 and Grundig Satellit 800 to cite two examples. A fresh set of NiMH batteries put the 2010 on the cusp of poor performance. Lithium batteries having a sustainable single-cell voltage of 1.5 Vdc now provide a possible alternative to a steady diet of costly alkaline cells. Even more attractive, some are equipped with a USB-C connector and can be recharged without a dedicated charger.

In the figure above, a set of four lithium D cells are connected simultaneously through a 4-lead USB-C harness and USB charger (not shown). Many of the brands include the harness with a set of batteries. I have added a USB multimeter, which I find very useful to monitor the progress of the charge, but this is not necessary. This particular meter can also show accumulated capacity. However, it should be noted that, unless batteries are charged one at a time, charging rate and capacity will show the total values for the number of batteries being charged. I would also recommend that the USB charger be rated at least 3 amps. In the figure below, one of the USB-C leads is connected at the top of the battery. The built-in LED flashes during charge and remains on when the charge is complete.

Cost is an equally important consideration. There is a lot of hype in the marketing department about how many times these batteries can be recharged. The key compound preposition here is “up to,” and as long as they use those words, they can make the number anything they want to. That said, it simply won’t take more than a few cycles for the cost-benefit cusp to be reached in favor of lithium batteries.

I am just getting started with this. Although the batteries came highly recommended for the portable radio application, I can make no judgment at this time as to their ultimate quality or convenience. It just seems like the next logical way to go.

There are some things to remember when choosing lithium batteries. Not all lithium batteries are rechargeable, particularly smaller sizes. Some do not come with the built-in USB-C charging jack, so a separate charger intended for lithium batteries will be required. D size batteries are also available at 3.6 Vdc/cell. There may be other options, so watch out. Be sure to thoroughly check the features of any batteries you consider.

I would close by warning that lithium batteries come with safety caveats regarding their transport, handling, use, charging, and disposal. These precautions are all well stated in the literature, which should be followed with an abundance of caution. Of note is the fact that not all chargers support lithium batteries, and their capability should be checked as well.

Click here to check out these Lithium D Cells on Amazon.com (SWLing Post affiliate link), or explore other brands.

Using Doppler Shift and Time Stations to Detect Solar Flares

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A WWV Time Code Generator (photo taken at WWV in Fort Collins, Colorado)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors, Troy Riedel and Jock Elliott, for sharing the following post from Spaceweather.com:

A NEW WAY TO DETECT SOLAR FLARES: Around the world, ham radio operators are experimenting with a new way to detect solar flares–the Doppler Shift method. Brian Curtis of Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, demonstrated the technique on June 20th when the sun produced a powerful X1.1-class solar flare:

Image by Brian Curtis

“I monitor the frequency and field strength of Canada’s CHU time station transmitting at 7850 KHz,” explains Curtis. “During the X-class flare event, I was able to detect the Doppler shift of the station’s carrier frequency (green plot). It shifted by 5 Hz, which is a small change, but very obvious!”

When radiation from a solar flare hits Earth’s atmosphere, it ionizes the air, temporarily boosting the thickness of our planet’s ionosphere. Any radio station skipping off the ionosphere will suddenly find its frequency Doppler shifted (because its reflection point is moving). Shortwave stations such as WWV, WWVH, and CHU transmit carriers with atomic-clock grade frequency stability, so they are perfect sources for Doppler monitoring.

Sudden changes in the ionosphere caused by flares or even sunrise/sunset can Doppler shift the frequency of stations like WWV. Image credit: Collins et al (2021) [Original image via HamSci and SpaceWeather.com]

“I have been monitoring radio stations for decades, noting sudden changes in signal strength as a means of monitoring space weather events,” says Curtis. “It is only fairly recently (~4 months) that I started to experiment with monitoring the Doppler shift of HF stations. The June 20th X-class flare event is by far the most dramatic that I have witnessed thus far.”

Would you like to detect solar flares this way? The HamSCI citizen science program has developed a Personal Space Weather Station specifically for Doppler shift measurements. This technique can also be used to study solar eclipses, earthquakes and tsunamis, and much more.

Click here to read the full story on Spaceweather.com, more on EOS.org and HamSCI.org.