Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Perry Lusk, who writes:
Here’s my contribution to radios found in movies:
In the 1944 movie “Laura” what appears to be a Zenith pops up while Waldo Lydecker, a narcissistic newspaper editor, enjoys his bath while working the typewriter. What model are we seeing?
Readers: if you can positively identify this antique radio, please comment!
Halley VI Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica (Source: British Antarctic Survey)
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Richard Hollingham, Executive Producer of the BBC World Service Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast, who reached out with a special request to the SWLing community:
“It turns out that it’s now 70 years since the BBC partnered with the forerunner of the British Antarctic Survey to commence broadcasts, and we’re planning to include some archive in the podcast version of this year’s broadcast.”
Here’s the problem:
“Unfortunately, it turns out that the only recordings of the programme we—or the BBC—have are the ones that we have made [since about 2005]. Pre-2005 programmes have not been archived (tape was typically recycled).”
Richard is hoping that SWLing Post readers might have off-air recordings of the Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast from the 1970s, 80s, or 90s. If you’ve been collecting or archiving shortwave audio over the decades, please check your tapes, reels, or digital archives—you just might have a piece of lost radio history!
If you find a recording or think you may have something of interest, feel free to comment on this post and they’ll follow up with you directly.
Let’s help the BBC reconnect with this remarkable tradition and fill in the missing chapters!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Terry (N5RTC), who writes:
Texas Radio Shortwave Tests for Europe on May 18 and 21
On Sunday, May 18, and Wednesday, May 21, we’ll test to Europe over Shortwave Radio (shortwaveradio.de).
We want reports comparing the reception of the two frequencies each day and between Sunday and Wednesday, since the broadcasts are at different times. If you have time, note how Channel 292 is received on 3955 and 6070 kHz.
We’ll have a nice QSL for correct reception reports, and maybe some other goodies if you send a really detailed report.
Our email is texasradioshortwave@protonmail.com.
73.
Terry N5RTC
Greetings to all SWLing Post community from the Imaginary Stations crew. This week we are dropping out from the normal world man and bringing you a show called From Beatles to Beatniks.
Don’t be a shortwave square, get yourself a radio or an SDR that picks up some of the shortwave spectrum. Spin that dial on Saturday 17th May 2025 at 1100 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and then again for Sunday 18th May 2025 at 0900/1300 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and at 2000 UTC on 3975 kHz and 6160 kHz (via the services of Shortwave Gold). You won’t be needing any bread for this transmission either, it’s all free via the ionosphere!
The experience won’t be dullsville, it’ll be a mop-top beatnik hootenanny. Expect some cool poetry read straight from a battered notebook, covers of the Fab Four’s greatest tunes and general beat madness.
On Wednesday 21st May 2025 via WRMI at 0200 UTC we’re bringing you a retail relay station in the form of KMRT. In the words of our (aisle) controller, it’s “Your official shortwave supermarket station” and it truly is, loyal shopping fans! Tune in for blue light specials and tunes about shopping. There may be the odd refund, a reduction for something that looks a bit battered and bruised but remember our show is fully guaranteed to cheer you up (*normal T+Cs apply).
More on KMRT here:
For more information on all our shows, please write to imaginarystations@gmail.com and check out our old shows at our Micoud page here.
FastRadioBurst 23
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report of a recent ZP-30 broadcast.
Carlos notes:
Part of Paraguay’s Radio ZP-30 news bulletin (in Spanish) about Brazilian President Lula at CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Summit in China. Listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on a Xhdata D-808 receiver.
Just a quick note to let you know I’m hitting the road today for Four Days in May and Hamvention 2025, and will be away for about a week.
During this time, I’ll have very limited ability to reply to emails and publish new posts—Hamvention tends to keep me on my toes from early morning to late evening!
Thanks so much for your patience and understanding. I’ll be back next week and look forward to catching up then.
73,
Thomas
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, for sharing the following article from Hackaday: Radio Apocalypse: Meteor Burst Communications
This piece explores Meteor Burst Communications (MBC)—a method of bouncing radio signals off ionized meteor trails to enable long-distance communication without relying on satellites or infrastructure. Used historically in military systems, MBC remains a compelling option for resilient, beyond-line-of-sight communication—even in grid-down scenarios.