Author Archives: Robert Gulley

A New Solar Cycle Wrinkle

An interesting article caught my attention on spaceweather.com concerning new research on what is called the Gleissberg Cycle. Interested? Read on!

THE COUNTER-INTUITIVE QUIET CONTINUES: Big sunspots usually produce big solar flares. Giant sunspot 4079 is an exception to the rule. All week long, it has been strangely quiet, producing only a handful of puny C-class solar flares. If the quiet continues for a few more days, the behemoth sunspot will rotate off the sun’s western limb without having caused any significant space weather. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text

THE CENTENNIAL GLEISSBERG CYCLE: If you’ve been enjoying the auroras of Solar Cycle 25, we’ve got good news. The next few solar cycles could be even more intense–the result of a little-known phenomenon called the “Centennial Gleissberg Cycle.”

100 year Solar Cycle

You’ve probably heard of the 11-year sunspot cycle. The Gleissberg Cycle is a slower modulation, which suppresses sunspot numbers every 80 to 100 years. For the past ~15 years, the sun has been near a low point in this cycle, but this is about to change.

New research published in the journal Space Weather suggests that the Gleissberg Cycle is waking up again. If this is true, solar cycles for the next 50 years could become increasingly intense.

“We have been looking at protons in the South Atlantic Anomaly,” explains the paper’s lead author Kalvyn Adams, an astrophysics student at the University of Colorado. “These are particles from the sun that come unusually close to Earth because our planet’s magnetic shield is weak over the south Atlantic Ocean.”


Above: The South Atlantic Anomaly (blue) is a weak spot in Earth’s magnetic field where particles from the sun can come relatively close to Earth [more]

For more details, go to spaceweather.com

 

 

Navigation Map and Compass

Three Useful References in PDF Format

Guest Post by Robert Gulley K4PKM

I wanted to pass along three useful references I came across from several posts in the Utility DXers Forum posted by Steve Handler.

The first is:

Radio Aids to Marine Navigation 2025 (Atlantic, St. Lawrence, Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Arctic and Pacific

(Both English and French versions are available, published by the Canadian Coast Guard)

The second is:

WORLDWIDE MARINE RADIOFACSIMILE BROADCAST SCHEDULES published by the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  (WEFAX Weather Broadcasts, March 2025 edition)

The Third is:

US DOD / National Geospatial Agency Flight Information Handbook  (March 2018, 273 pages) containing frequencies and other interesting info

I suspect many SWLing readers are also on the Utility DXers Forum, but for those who may not be, or who might have missed these posts, I hope you find them useful!

Cheers! Robert K4PKM

Solar Ham Logo

Solar Ham Website News

A website I have used (and supported) regularly for the last 18 years is currently off-line, taking, according to the site’s founder, “an extended break” for the foreseeable future. The SolarHam.com site, operated by Kevin Gibeau, VE3EN, has been an amazing resource for solar weather news for amateur radio folks, astronomers, and, I suspect, hobbyists and professionals from many fields.

I, like many others, will miss the site, and wish Kevin well, and look for his (hopefully soon!) return.

Here is the note posted today on the Solar Ham Space Weather Website:

After 19 years SolarHam will be taking an extended break. The current world events and life in general has made me want to refocus my attention on what matters most, my daughter, my family and my health. Thank you all for the support over the past two decades, I really cannot thank you enough. Space Weather will always remain a passion of mine, but as of right now my heart is not fully committed and that is not fair to you my followers. I hope to return once I feel well enough. Sorry for the sudden departure and I hope you understand.
Kevin (SolarHam).

Robert, K4PKM

Radioddity CBL-561

The Radioddity CBL-561

The Radioddity CBL-561 is an antenna designed to work with the Radioddity QT80 10M radio (of course it can work with other radios as well), covering a range of 25 to 30 MHz. It is an extremely solid antenna, with an extensible section easily adjustable for different bands and frequencies. Frankly, I was quite impressed with how well designed the antenna is, and I suspect it could withstand just about any knocks or elements while mounted to a car or other metallic platform suitable for antennas.

There are various mounting methods available as typical for mobile antennas, but given the size, weight, and rigidity of the antenna, either a solid clamping-type mount, or one of the triangular/delta type mounts like the Radioddity M916 with its broader base area, would be my recommendation.

Radioddity M916

This type of mount provides more surface area to hold the antenna in place

The antenna has a PL-259 connector, which requires your mount to have a S0-239 female connection, or adapted to a different size mount/coax connection. Again, I would recommend keeping connections as straight forward as possible, as adapters can add line loss, but more importantly, weaken the connection chain.

From the Manufacturer:

Compatible with:
10 Meter Radio
Radioddity QT40, Radioddity QT60, Radioddity QT80, and all other brand’s 10 meter radios.

CB Radio
Radioddity CS-47, Radioddity CB-27 Pro, Radioddity CB-500, Radioddity CB-900 Pro, and all other brand’s CB radios.

Specifications:
Frequency Band: 25-30MHz
SWR: ~1.3:1
Maximum Power: 500W (PEP)
Connector: PL-259
Whip Length: Adjustable
Material: Aluminum Alloy

Works with
1. Radioddity M916 Antenna Base (recommended)
2. Radioddity RA-M5 Antenna Base

What’s in the box?
1 x The bottom section of the antenna (fixed length of 44.5 cm/17.5 in)
1 x The middle section of the antenna (fixed length of 32 cm/12.6 in)
1 x The top section of the antenna (variable active length between 26.8 cm/10.6 in and 72 cm/28.3 in)
1 x 2mm Allen-key

———————————

Adjusting the antenna

Adjusting the antenna is very simple. The provided Allen key is all that is needed. The top section of the antenna is adjustable between ~10.5″ and ~28″, based on the frequencies you wish to cover. If you plan on using the antenna for different bands, you might want to mark the antenna with some paint after determining the best height for each band, so as to quickly make the adjustments.

The chart below gives suggested starting points for various frequencies. As each mounting situation is different, you will want to start with these numbers and then make adjustments as needed. For those who may not have done this type of adjustment before, I recommend making very small changes until you get a feel for how much difference an adjustment makes, otherwise you may end up “chasing your tail” as the saying goes.

Length Chart based on frequency

This Length Chart based on frequency can be used as a starting point

You will want some form of an SWR meter to check the antenna match. If your radio has one built-in, that may be sufficient for getting it close. If you have access to a stand-alone meter, your readings will likely be more precise. I used an MFJ-269c for my readings, but any basic SWR meter capable of covering the ranges you need will be sufficient.

Another useful suggestion is to try different placements to see where you get the best readings. If mounting to an automobile trunk lid, for example, you might be surprised to realize you often only have two connection points to the trunk and the rest of the car body, namely the trunk lid hinges (as most trunks have rubber insulation around the seam to prevent water leakage).

If you do a search on the Internet for antenna grounding on automobiles, you can find out some interesting ways to increase the effectiveness of any antenna mounted to an automobile which can make use of a much greater surface area. Some solutions are quite clever!!

Conclusion

This is a great time to be working the upper amateur bands, and by extension, the CB band. This antenna should serve you well for those tasks, and should last a good long time! I doubt you could find a more solidly built antenna.

(For my review of the Radioddity QT80 10-meter radio click here.)

73, Robert K4PKM

Sunspots

A Second Solar Max Peak?

 

SOLAR MAX — IS A SECOND PEAK COMING? Last October, NOAA and NASA announced that Solar Max has arrived. Only half the sun got the memo. The majority of solar activity has been happening in just one of the sun’s hemispheres–the south. The solar superstorm of May 10, 2024, for instance, was caused by a monster southern sunspot.

It makes you wonder, is the other half of Solar Max still coming? This plot of hemispheric sunspot numbers from SILSO provides some context:

Here we see all seven solar cycles of the Space Age, punctuated by current Solar Cycle 25 on the far right. The most recent cycles are double peaked, with northern sunspots (green) and southern sunspots (red) reaching their own Solar Max ~two years apart. This isn’t big news. Researchers have long known that the two hemispheres of the sun are slightly out of sync. The north vs. south delay is called the “Gnevyshev gap.”

This composite image of last year’s sunspots shows how dominant the southern hemisphere has been:

For forecasters of the solar cycle, this raises an interesting possibility: Maybe the northern peak is still coming. Indeed, there are signs in February 2025 that the pendulum is swinging. This month’s sunspots have been more evenly distributed between the two hemispheres, a sign that activity may be shifting north.

On the other hand, the northern peak might have already occured [sic]. Take another look at the first plot. There is a puny northern peak near the beginning of Solar Cycle 25. Perhaps that was it. (Indeed, that would jibe with the north-first, south-second order of recent double peaks.)

This discussion focuses attention on the north-south balance of sunspots. A northern shift in the months ahead could herald a second peak and another year or two of excellent auroras before Solar Cycle 25 finally peters out. Stay tuned!

Published by Spaceweather.com

Posted by Robert Gulley, K4PKM

SIHUADON R-108

SIHUADON R-108 Bonus Coupon Extended

Hi Folks,

Just a quick update on the additional 20% coupon offered by XHDATA on the SIHUADON R-108 – it has been extended until the 13th of February 2025. I received a note this evening and wanted to share the news immediately. Here are the links to the American Amazon listings for the Black or Gray versions:

“I wanted to share some exciting news regarding our recent collaboration on the SIHUADON R108 promotion. Due to the enthusiastic support from our customers, we have decided to extend the promotion period.

We’d like to provide you with a stackable 20% discount code.
Here are the exclusive discount codes:

  • R108 (Black & Gray):  20R108forSWL

Effective time:

 From 2025-2-6 To 2025-2-13  11:59?Pacific Standard Time?

Product links:

———————————————————————————
As a reminder, this coupon is in addition to the 10% coupon already on Amazon, making the radio ~$45 (if your state requires tax) or less.
Thanks to XHDATA for extending the extra coupon deadline available only to SWLing Blog readers!
Update by Robert Gulley K4PKM
SIHUADON R-108

SIHUADON R-108 – A Truly Portable Radio

By Robert Gulley K4PKM

The SIHUADON R-108 is a compact, inexpensive and capable radio with many features radio hobbyists have come to expect. While I no longer have one of my earliest AM transistor radios, it is comparable in size, but not much else!! Being a radio “old-timer”, I never cease to be amazed at what can be fit into a jacket pocket these days!

For those who have seen, or own, a CCrane Skywave, the radios at first blush look very similar. Size and weight are almost identical. While they are indeed quite similar, they also have some significant differences, and so I will simply say even if you already own one or the other, having both in your radio arsenal can be easily justified given the prices involved.

With all of that as preface, the usual disclaimer applies – I was asked by XHDATA to review the SIHUADON R-108 with the complete understanding that I give fair and honest reviews, good or bad. Like all radios, the R-108 has a few nits I will pick at, but the short answer to the question of value and capabilities is: this is an excellent portable/travel radio which works great in the arm chair, as well as on the road or in far off locations.

We will start with the usual specifications according to the manufacturer:

Frequency Range:

  • FM: 64 ~ 108 MHz
    • Russia: 64 ~ 108 MHz
    • Japan: 76 ~ 108MHz
    • EU, USA:87.5 ~ 108MHz
  • SW: 1711 ~ 29999 kHz
  • MW: 522~ 1620 kHz
    • USA: 520-1710kHz
  • LW: 150 ~ 450kHz
  • AIR: 118-137MHz

Features

  • Speaker: 5W / 4Ohm
  • Earphone Jack: 35mm,Stereo type
  • 500 Memories
  • Power supply : USB 5V/250mA external adaptor (not included), BL-5C battery
  • External Antenna Connection

Unit Size:

  • 120(L)×70(W)×30(H)mm
  • Weight: ~190g (Battery not included)

Package includes:

  • 1 x SIHUADON R-108 Radio
  • 1 x USB charge cable
  • 1 x BL-5C lithium battery
  • External Wire Antenna
  • 1 x User Manual

Ergonomics

The R-108 has very good ergonomics for its size – even with rather large fingers the controls are easy to operate. There are a few multi-purpose buttons but these do not get in the way of typical operation, as most of them are designed to be used in the secondary function while the radio is off, such as setting the FM starting frequency for different parts of the world, or setting the MW bandwidth setting or clock function.

Tuning Dial, USB-C Connector, and Volume wheel

Tuning knob changes between Fast, Slow, and Stop with a press.

One feature I particularly like is the multifunction tuning knob. Rotating the knob does as one would expect in changing frequencies, and pushing the knob in switches between fast and slow tuning depending on the band. But a third option is “Stop”, which locks on to the frequency such that turning the knob will not change the current frequency. For a portable radio one is likely to be holding in the hands often, I find this a nice feature.

Direct keyboard entry is always a useful feature, one which I use quite regularly. With the R-108 you simply press the Frequency button and enter in the frequency based on the band – LW, MW, etc. There is no need to press a separate “enter” key when finished, as the frequency setting is complete with the last digit press.

The radio features a robust 19-inch telescoping antenna, and while any antenna is able to be bent or broken if enough force is applied, this antenna should easily last the life of the radio if handled reasonably. The screen is bright and easy to read, and the radio features a flip out stand on the back and a replaceable battery.

Bright Screen and External Antenna Jack

Bright Screen and External Antenna Jack

There is also an external antenna jack for the included wire antenna, and one could certainly build a longer wire antenna or adapt an existing external antenna with the appropriate plug. I only tested the included wire antenna and did not find that it overloaded the front-end of the radio, but the performance of the wire antenna was less than desirable (see Cons below). However, your mileage may vary, as they say, whether due to location or by using a different external antenna.

One of the more obvious design intentions for this radio is an appeal to a world-wide audience, as evidenced both by the variable FM frequency range options and the inclusion of the LW band. Depending on your location, the time of year, and listening conditions, this can be a nice addition. I cannot speak to the effectiveness of this radio’s implementation of the band in that there are few longwave signals I have been able to receive on my desktop radios, even with external long-wire antennas at my current location.

Bandwidth tuning is variable for SW/LW/MW/AIR with options of 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 kHz.

In testing the radio’s reception, I have compared it with the CCRANE SKYWAVE and it’s larger sibling, the XHDATA D-808, with some interesting results. On shortwave bands and FM I have found the three radios to be basically comparable in reception. Now, this deserves a bit of a deeper dive into performance. I say basically comparable because there are some differences in the SW reception.

The SIHUADON R-108 and the CCRANE are very similar, but the XHDATA D-808, even though it has a larger antenna (7-inches longer), did not receive signals as well as the R-108. There are likely two reasons for this. First, the most likely overall is a bit of a difference in design sensitivity. But what was more noticeable, and the secondary reason for the difference in reception, was the interference factor. The D-808 was simply more susceptible to electrical interference. There were several birdies present on portions of the SW bands which were not present on either of the two smaller radios.

This also brings up another interesting find: the audio out of the R-108 was noticeably better than the CCRANE or the D-808, even with the D-808’s larger speaker. This was a nice surprise as listening to MW and SW was much more pleasant to the ear. When connected to headphones the stereo audio quality was pretty much the same between the three units as one would expect.

This R-108, branded under “RADIWOW R-108”, was reviewed by Thomas a while back and exhibited some birdies on the MW band. This seems to have been corrected in my copy of the radio, but would be worth checking into to make sure if purchasing a new unit.

As a side note, the radio was also included in the excellent 2021 Ultralight Radio Shootout by Gary DeBock.

Replaceable Battery and Kick Stand

Replaceable Battery and Kick Stand

The radio has an ATS function which works quite well. The basic operation is like most radios with this feature in terms of scanning, but using the stored stations is not always easy with some radios, involving multiple button presses, “pages” or menu settings.

In the case of the R-108, once stations have been scanned on a particular band using the long press of the ATS key, selecting them becomes quite simple. For example, with the FM band selected, a press of the VM/VF key switches you from standard frequency tuning to your presets. This is indicated both by a change in the display to show the current preset selected, as well as a double beep, convenient for those who might be visually impaired. When in Preset mode you can tune the presets manually with the tuning knob, or make use of the U/D arrows to either fine tune or manually tune through the band. A long press on either the up or down arrows starts a scan of the preset stations, pausing for 5 seconds on each stored station for that band. Stopping the scan is done by pressing once again on the up or down arrows.

Below are a list of Pros and Cons, as well as my final thoughts on the radio.

Pros:

USB-C connector

Strong Antenna

External antenna jack

Bright backlit display

LW band inclusion

Superior Audio as compared to other portables of its size (and even larger)

Good battery life and convenient charging connection, replaceable battery

ATS function implemented well

Price

Cons:

Soft muting is present and the recovery time is a bit longer than most radios I have used

No WX band (For a travel radio in the U.S. this is a feature that will be missed)

External Antenna created more noise on SW signals with no boost in sensitivity for weak stations, and stronger stations were made less strong due to induced noise

Conclusion

As we so often say, no radio is perfect, and no radio will please everyone, or even fit everyone’s needs. I do not travel much, so a small portable radio that can be packed easily and not add a lot of weight to my luggage is not as important to me as it is to, say, our venerable leader Thomas, who travels a lot and loves a good compact radio.

I however do like to sit in my recliner and listen to AM DX, Shortwave, and the occasional classical music FM station or local AM station. I think Jock and I have a lot in common that way. For serious Amateur DX, Utility and serious DXing of almost any sort, I rely on my desktop radios and tie in my radios to my computer and external antennas. But I often like to just relax with a radio, and this is a great radio with which to do just that.

I have already mentioned the excellent audio which makes listening more enjoyable on all modes, and the ergonomics fit me quite well. The sensitivity of the radio is quite good, the range of reception band options is impressive, and the memory station tuning is a breeze.

What is most impressive in some ways is the price for which such excellent features may be found.

And speaking of price, XHDATA has offered a special coupon offer for a limited time for SWLing Blog readers:

From XHDATA: We’d like to provide you with a stackable 20% discount code.
Here are the exclusive discount codes:

R108 (Black & Gray):  20R108forSWL

Effective time: From 2025-2-6 To 2025-2-9 Pacific Standard Time

R108:
– Black: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XVVCP9L
– Gray: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HCYYW88

I have tested the codes and they are working for Amazon America purchases. Stackable means in addition to the 10% coupon offered on the Amazon site, you can add the above code during the checkout process to get an additional 20% off, making the price with tax ~$45! This code is for SWLing Blog readers only!

(Follow the tag Radiwow R-108 for additional posts.)