Author Archives: Thomas

Global Pirate Radio Weekend March 31-April 1

Voice of Nigeria broadcasts DRM from their new facility

VON’s ultra modern transmission station launched
Lawan Hamidu, Abuja

President Goodluck Jonathan has commissioned Voice of Nigeria’s (VON) ultramodern super transmitting station and its revolving antenna, located at Lugbe, Airport Road, Abuja.

President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by the Vice President, Namadi Sambo at the event, stated that the project was in line with Federal Government’s commitment to meet the 2015 global deadline for the digitization of the broadcast industry and international best practices.

Sambo said “We are today empowering the Voice of Nigeria to robustly project our international profile and make Nigeria heard positively and more widely around the world,” adding that “the transmitting station we are commissioning today is therefore aimed at making VON better able to meet its vital obligation of telling our story from our own perspective.”

The President noted that VON established in 1961, as an external arm of the then Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation, was in recognition of the critical role the country was playing in freeing other African countries from the shackles of colonialism.

“Nigeria understood in her early history that it needed an external voice to reach the world as the leader of Africa and to provide a platform for rallying African voices,” he stated.

President Jonathan, charged the management and staff of VON to as a matter of priority develop programmes that would make the Radio station the choice of listeners in and outside the shores of Nigeria.

He added that “You have the duty of helping to inculcate in all Nigerians abiding peace and pride in Nigeria and the knowledge that we all have a stake in ensuring that our strive towards sustained economic growth and development is not compromised by breaches of peace and security in any part of the country.”

Similarly, Dr. Jonathan assured that Government was committed to meeting its obligations to VON and other broadcast organisations.

“In keeping with my avid policy of expanding the political space and driving the ideals of democratic process, this administration is not interested in turning VON, or any government broadcast organisation into an uncritical mouthpiece for our policies,” he emphasised.

In his remarks, the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, called on President Jonathan to ensure the immediate completion of the second phase of the VON project.

He also appealed for additional funds for the nation’s information sector for the smooth execution of government transformation agenda.

The Minister said “Mr President what we now need is the second phase of this project, that second phase would mean the construction of two more transmitters and we don’t have those two transmitters we are going to have a heavy burden on the existing transmitters and this will not be good for this technology. So, we plead with Mr President that after this commissioning we will want Mr President to approve the immediate execution of the second phase of this project. The Information sector is need of infusion of funds to make us give Nigerians and Africans all over the world the best programmes.”

In his welcome address, the Director-General of VON, Abubakar Jijiwa, expressed optimism that the second phase of the project, when completed, would enable VON to embark on 24-hour broadcasting.

Alhaji Jijiwa solicited for Presidential intervention for the VON expansion projects which included the construction of two additional transmitters and antenna systems in line with global best practices and standards, construction of VON Abuja Broadcasting House as well as rehabilitation and upgrading of the ageing Ikorodu Transmitting Station.

Mal. Jijjiwa stated that “The second phase of this project needs be commenced urgently. It will comprise of two additional super power transmitters and one fixed and one rotatable antenna. When this is done and completed, VON would have the capacity for 24-hour broadcast and we can move this from our existing 18-hour broadcast and this would be the hall marks of simultaneous broadcasting which every external broadcaster hopes to achieve.”

The event included, the commissioning of three Super-Power Transmitters, three fixed and one rotatable antenna, the first in Africa and sixth in the World.

Voice of Nigeria, Nigeria’s external broadcast station is mandated to project Nigeria and Africa’s views to the world.

Located in Lugbe, a suburb of Abuja in the Federal Capital Territory, the transmitter has a rotating antenna, with the capacity of a hundred and fifty kilowatts and is powered by one thousand two hundred high tension generators.

New Digital Studio

On Monday, the Voice of Nigeria commissioned an ultra-modern digital studio in Abuja, as part of efforts to enhance its broadcast.

The new studio, commissioned by the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, is named after Mrs Stella Bassey, a seasoned broadcaster and former Deputy Director, Programmes of the Voice of Nigeria.

Commending Voice of Nigeria for its quality broadcasting, Mr Maku urged the radio station not to relent in its efforts to maintain world class broadcast standards.

The Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Mallam Abubakar Jijiwa said the station had a culture of rewarding hard work.

Mallam Jijiwa said the studio was named after Stella Bassey because of her immense contributions to the corporation and the country in the area of broadcasting.

Listening to Coronal Mass Ejections, close to the source

VOA launching interactive humanitarian shortwave programs for Burundi

Remembering radio enthusiast Jay Smilkstein

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I’ve only attended the Winter SWLFest for four years thus far, yet the friends I’ve made there have become like family. It shouldn’t be a surprise, really; we’re all passionate about radio and things related to radio and broadcasting. It’s an event where we can be who we are–no need to explain to these compatriots why you like tuning in shortwave stations, while the internet seems (at least to everyone else) to be so much easier.

Jay had a strong interest in AM DXing, tube gear, amplifiers and, I learned this year, IF filter design.

Jay Smilkstein, 1961-2012.

Our friend Jay was, I believe, at the higher-functioning end of the autism spectrum. While Jay had some social hang-ups and behaviors that made some uncomfortable, fortunately, at the SWLFest, there were a number of folks who went out of their way to take Jay under a wing, assist him with personal interactions, and generally welcome him back each year.

I’m pretty sure that he considered the SWLFest, and many he’d interacted with over the airwaves, his radio family, too.

Jay passed away suddenly from a heart attack two days ago, on Monday, March 12th, 2012.

As my friend, David, phrased it: Long may you ride the radio waves you loved so much.

Radio St. Helena to go off the air

1 Reply

Though this news effects a relatively small number of people on the remote island of St. Helena, it is sad to those of us who enjoyed the annual challenge of catching the weak signal of Radio St. Helena on shortwave. In truth, for technical reasons, they have missed recent annual broadcasts. Still, it was a fun event. Would be nice if an annual shortwave transmission or amateur radio special event could be scheduled to take its place.

(Source: RNW Media Network)

One of the remotest islands on earth, St Helena in the South Atlantic, will experience big changes in its media this year. Radio St Helena, which operates on 1548 kHz mediumwave and for some years broadcast a special once-a-year programme on shortwave via a transmitter of Cable and Wireless, will be closing down. Its parent company, St Helena News Media Services, is being dissolved, and the final edition of its newspaper the St Helena Herald was published on 9 March 2012.

In its place, a new government-funded company called the St Helena Broadcasting Corporation (SHBC) has been set up, and will operate three FM radio stations on the island, one of which will be a relay of the BBC World Service. The intention is that SHBC will become self-sustainable within three years. It officially became operational in February, and will also publish a weekly newspaper to replace the Herald. The first edition will be published later this month, but the radio stations are not expected to go on air until the summer. Until then, Radio St Helena will continue operating.

The other current station on the island, Saint FM that started operating in 2005, was invited to become part of the new organisation, but station manager Mike Olsson subsequently pulled out of discussions. Saint FM provides a 24-hour community service on FM, and is also broadcast on Ascension Island, the Falkland Islands and Tristan da Cunha. Its internet stream enables Saints around the world to keep in touch with their families on the island. Former Radio St Helena station manager Tony Leo can be heard on Saint FM every Wednesday at 1500-1700 UTC. Saint FM also publishes a weekly newspaper, the St Helena Independent.

The resident population of St Helena, who are entitled to hold UK passports but have no automatic right of residence in the UK, is currently just over 4,000, but this is being boosted by the arrival of personnel from the company building the island’s first airport, which is due to open in 2015. It’s expected that the number of tourists per year will rise from the current level of under 1,000 to 30-50,000.

A traveler’s review of the Grundig G6 shortwave radio

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The Grundig G6 makes for an excellent travel companion

Last week, I traveled to New York City by air and used trains, taxis and buses en route to Philadelphia. All the while, I carted along my luggage–and it’s a good thing I like to travel light.

Indeed, I almost never check in luggage, no doubt a remnant of my days as an expatriate, when I was required to travel throughout Europe at a moment’s notice. But I love traveling with only one bag. It’s incredibly liberating. I revel in the challenge of fitting everything I need into one Eagle Creek convertible backpack/suitcase.

This latest trip was no exception, and I planned to do a little shortwave and medium wave DX along the way. So which radio did I reach for? Oddly enough, none of those I listed from my travel radio suggestions, my usual stand-bys. This time, I chose my Grundig G6.

Keypad for direct entry and as with most Grundig radios, the G6has a logical, simple key combination for entering frequencies.

I have had a mini Grundig G6 review out for a couple years now in which I praise it highly. I am surprised to find that many other reviewers only give it a lukewarm rating. I believe a lot of this stems from the fact that the radio’s aircraft band (117-137 MHz) is not terribly sensitive or selective. Since purchasing the G6, I’ve only used the aircraft band once–during review. I leave aircraft and VHF/UHF listening to a proper scanner, preferably one with triple-conversion circuitry.

Yet I find that the Grundig G6 performs quite well on the shortwave and medium wave bands. Last week, while in NYC and Philadelphia, I was surrounded by big signals and didn’t hear many instances of overloading or imaging. Sure, larger portables (like the Grundig G3, Tecsun PL-660, Sony ICF-SW7600GR, Sangean ATS-909X) will outperform the G6 on SW and MW, but none of those radios can comfortably fit in my pocket. In fact, the G6 is so small that it can get lost in my suitcase–oh, there it is, tucked among my socks. The portables mentioned above, though reasonably sized, will need some dedicated space.

The placement and orientation of the tuning knob on the G6 is genius. My favorite ultra-portable radio for band-scanning

There’s another plus about the G6. It feels good in your hand. I have big, clumsy fingers, yet I still manage to punch in the frequency correctly every time. Having the (smooth) tuning knob in the upper left corner of the radio where it’s accessible both on the side, and (more importantly) on the face, was a stroke of ergonomic genius by this little radio’s designer. I wish more manufacturers would do this. It’s so easy and comfortable to band scan using your thumb on the face of the tuning wheel, which is great when you’re sitting around a campfire or listening to FM on a bumpy bus ride.

Don’t get me wrong: if I were going on a DX vacation where I needed top-notch filtering, sync-detection and SSB, I would not pick the G6. For the odd business trip, though, it’s the perfect little radio.

The G6 even has an external antenna connection.

Pros:

Small, affordable and full-featured
Shortwave and medium wave reception are comparable to others in price class
Two bandwidth choices
Direct keypad entry of frequencies
Fluid and well-placed tuning knob
No chuffing/muting during band scans
Includes SSB (see con)
Great audio for a tiny speaker
Excellent ergonomics (especially for such a small package)
Aircraft Band (see con)

Cons:

SSB reception is mediocre–fine tuning is difficult
Volume button increments a little too steep (between 8-12) with headphones
Keypad not backlit
Some image problems on aircraft band

The Grundig G6 has been on the market a long time, in a consumer electronics life span. I would not wait to purchase one. Occasionally, RadioShack (in the US and Canada) will close out their stock of shortwave radios and the G6 can be found at bargain prices. Universal Radio currently has a promotion where if you buy a Grundig Satellit 750 for $299.95, you will receive a free Grundig G6. You get both a large portable/tabletop radio and a pocket-sized one in the same deal. That’s great value!