Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who writes:
Here in Porto Alegre, for the past two days, it’s been difficult to receive radiofax from the USCG radio station in Boston. Weak signal, short radio propagation window and lots of noise. Only today morning I was able to receive NOAA chart featuring Cat 4 Hurricane Erin.
Collins QSL Card via the Collins Bookshop
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor David Iurescia, who shares this fascinating article from The Gazette:
CEDAR RAPIDS — Years before the first trans-Atlantic phone call, and decades before international direct dialing would become available, a Cedar Rapids teenager had a direct line to one of the most remote places on earth.
And decades before companies like Collins Radio and Rockwell Collins became multibillion dollar enterprises, a 15-year-old’s ham radio was connecting Arctic explorers with the world from an attic on Fairview Drive.
On Aug. 3, 1925, Arthur A. Collins made headlines as the first person to communicate with MacMillan scientific explorers in Etah, Greenland on short-length radio waves — what The Evening Gazette in Cedar Rapids hailed as “a new chapter into the history of radio.”[…]
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report incorporating four different broadcasters: ZP-30, All India Radio, CGTN and CBN.
Carlos notes:
Trump-Putin meeting: 5 audio recordings from 5 different radio stations in 5 different languages, plus a Kyodo News radiofax.
Click here to view on YouTube.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Paul Jamet, who shares the following article:
by Paul Jamet
Two and a half years ago, I shared my enthusiasm for an XHDATA receiver, the D-219, first launched at the end of 2022:
Read: Paul explores the incredible affordability of the XHDATA D-219
The XHDATA D-219 stands out for its low price and impressive performance. It combines nostalgic analog charm—with its needle dial—with the power of modern DSP technology, delivering excellent multiband performance for its class and cost. Whether you’re an enthusiast, a traveler, or simply discovering shortwave for the first time, the D-219 is a wonderful gateway into the vast world of radio.
More than 25 readers have commented on or contributed to discussions about this little receiver. The D-219 is very easy to use, has a vintage look, a classic needle dial, and runs on two AA batteries. Sources confirm that it is based on a Si4825-A10 architecture, with analog tuning (via potentiometer and voltage), mono audio output, and reception across the following bands:
Switching between bands is simple—just turn the side-mounted dial.
Recent events have also renewed interest in battery-powered radios and resilient technologies like AM radio, particularly during massive power outages such as:
In such emergency situations, the D-219 becomes even more appealing: it’s lightweight (150 g without batteries), very intuitive to use, and powered by standard AA cells. On top of that, its performance is excellent.
Until recently, XHDATA offered the D-219 in just two classic colors: gray and silver-gray.
But in the past few days, XHDATA has introduced two new finishes on its website: malachite green and grayish white—still under €9 (excluding shipping). Stocks appear to be limited.
Personally, I was immediately drawn to the Malachite Green version.
Its matte finish looks elegant and really highlights the receiver’s craftsmanship. Honestly, I think it’s beautiful! The green gives it a distinctive character and elevates the quality of the finish.
Elegance, performance, and price all come together to make the D-219 an excellent way to discover—or rediscover—shortwave across its nine bands.
With the D-219 ‘Malachite Green,’ radio isn’t just something you hear—it’s something that catches your eye.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Van Hoy, who writes:
I finally made a video that I’ve wanted to do for a long time covering the false claims on Amazon and elsewhere that portable power stations are “solar generators.” That was after I heard a radio ad by one prepper-type company bragging about the features of their “solar generator.”
Probably most of the SWLing Post crew is aware of this problem but may want someplace to send their family and friends with more details:
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report of a recent CGTN broadcast and radiofax imagery.
Carlos notes:
China raises Typhoon Podul emergency response levels, CGTN Radio, 11770 kHz
Click here to view on YouTube.
Typhoon Podul hitting China: Himawari satellite image via Japan Meteorological Agency radiofax, received in Porto Alegre, August 13, 19h10 UTC, frequency of 7795 kHz USB.
By Sam (WN5C)
Picture this: a cool July evening on the northern shores of Lake Huron, the water gently lapping on the beach. Feet being warmed by a smoldering fire with crystal clear skies and the Milky Way brilliantly displayed overhead. Radio in my lap, hastily deployed 20-meter vertical antenna in the sand, and zero RFI. Radio New Zealand coming in strong, and SSB contacts between Scotland and Australia sounding local. I’ve never felt so connected to the electromagnetic spectrum. The radio? Surprisingly, a cheap ATS-20+ from AliExpress.
I’ve been curious about the radios built around the si4732 chip for a while and purchased an ATS-20+ [affiliate link] to throw in my pack to try out. It’s pretty good (and cheap!), especially after flashing the firmware by Goshante. With a long wire it does well on HF (I carry 30 feet with a BNC connector) and even better on my dipole at home or a full-sized vertical. The UI is clunky but after some practice gets better. For my family trip to Michigan and the shore of Lake Huron it was a lot easier to just pull this out to listen versus setting up my transceiver and I’m glad I did, there’s a beautiful simplicity in passively taking in whatever the ether sends my way.
I’m sold on the idea of these cheap general coverage receivers. Sure, they’re not as good as a radio with a real RF front end (gulp), but they’re more than toys. A perfect middle ground for tinkering.
And there are a lot of variations! In past few months one variety, the mini (it’s called many names), caught my attention. I purchased the AMNVOLT V3S version from AliExpress before my Michigan trip, and it was in the mailbox when I arrived home. New versions come out every couple of months but for the project described below it doesn’t matter the version, here’s something similar [affiliate link]. It’s tiny, but it’s not a Belka, and does best with FM and AM broadcast stations on the small whip. The advantage that this little guy has over the ATS-20+ is a much more capable microcontroller (an ESP32 versus an Arduino Nano) and a beautiful 1.9-inch color display. The included firmware is fine, but there is an active development community that makes it better. I’ve been using Max Arnold’s v2.30 firmware. This firmware has lots of features, but some of the standouts include being able to download shortwave schedules to display what you’re listening to and a lot of display customization.
But I wasn’t too impressed with the hardware design for my purposes. My version has a high-impedance RF amp for the whip and would overload with my dipole at home. The audio wobbles when touching the base of the antenna. The speaker is tiny and tinny. And, although the size is super novel I like using big antennas so the scale seems out of whack. Some of these design limitations have been addressed by Peter Neufeld (particularly addressing the wobble). But I decided to pursue a different route.
I stumbled upon a video by ElectroBananas on Youtube where he lays out, in exacting detail, how to create a hybrid of the ATS-20+ and the si4732 mini radio. The wiring isn’t difficult, and he even provides the design for a new front panel to 3D print.
The advantage of combining these radios is that I have the better-designed RF front end of the ATS-20+, the powerful ESP32 microcontroller and the beautiful display of the mini, and the big speaker/audio/battery of the ATS-20+. While I was in there I also added some protection diodes (two back-to-back 2N4148s) to the antenna input. What’s fun is that I added a “bail” using a single mini laptop stand [affiliate] and changed the display to an orange theme. It looks like a miniature version of my Icom IC-703 (and in A-B tests they’re not too far off). It’s the best of both worlds. And it’s still very small, a perfect bedside radio, or one to carry to the beach.
The combination of cheap hardware with open-source software development is creating a very exciting time in radio, and I look forward to see what emerges in the months ahead.
Until then, I wonder if I could fit a low-powered CW transmitter in the case…