Author Archives: Thomas

Radio Waves: Fast Radio Bursts, Czechia DRM AM Trial, Kumartuli Radio Shop, and Ekho Moskvy Off Air

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Radio Waves:  Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio

Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!

Astronomers detect a radio “heartbeat” billions of light-years from Earth (MIT)

The clear and periodic pattern of fast radio bursts may originate from a distant neutron star.

Astronomers at MIT and universities across Canada and the United States have detected a strange and persistent radio signal from a far-off galaxy that appears to be flashing with surprising regularity.

The signal is classified as a fast radio burst, or FRB — an intensely strong burst of radio waves of unknown astrophysical origin, that typically lasts for a few milliseconds at most. However, this new signal persists for up to three seconds, about 1,000 times longer than the average FRB. Within this window, the team detected bursts of radio waves that repeat every 0.2 seconds in a clear periodic pattern, similar to a beating heart.

The researchers have labeled the signal FRB 20191221A, and it is currently the longest-lasting FRB, with the clearest periodic pattern, detected to date.

The source of the signal lies in a distant galaxy, several billion light-years from Earth. Exactly what that source might be remains a mystery, though astronomers suspect the signal could emanate from either a radio pulsar or a magnetar, both of which are types of neutron stars — extremely dense, rapidly spinning collapsed cores of giant stars.

“There are not many things in the universe that emit strictly periodic signals,” says Daniele Michilli, a postdoc in MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. “Examples that we know of in our own galaxy are radio pulsars and magnetars, which rotate and produce a beamed emission similar to a lighthouse. And we think this new signal could be a magnetar or pulsar on steroids.”

The team hopes to detect more periodic signals from this source, which could then be used as an astrophysical clock. For instance, the frequency of the bursts, and how they change as the source moves away from Earth, could be used to measure the rate at which the universe is expanding. [Continue reading…]

CRA Runs DRM Digital AM Trial in Czechia (Radio World)

Transmission company CRA looks at possibility for reusing analog transmission facilities

Czech transmission services company ?eské Radiokomunikace (CRA) is testing the DRM medium-wave digital radio system on 954 kHz.

According to a tweet from Marcel Prochazka, director of legal and regulatory affairs for CRA, the transmissions are originating from ?eské Bud?jovice in South Bohemia and operating at a power of 3.16 kW from a 107-meter HAAT antenna. Continue reading →

W9IMS: From the Speedway to Your Wall

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From the Speedway to Your Wall: Taking the W9IMS Checkered Flag

By Brian D. Smith, W9IND

The Checkered Flag is in sight – for hams and SWLs who’ve completed two-thirds of the chase for the annual W9IMS certificate. And for those who haven’t, there’s still a special QSL card awaiting all who snare the final contact during the coming week.

As its initials imply, W9IMS stages special events in honor of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s three major races. The third and final operation of 2022 – commemorating the NASCAR 200 at the Brickyard – will activate between the hours of midnight Indy time (0400 UTC) Monday, July 25, and midnight Sunday, July 31 (0400 UTC Tuesday, August 1).

Earning the 2022 Checkered Flag Award depends on working or tuning in each of the three special events. Since the first two races (the IndyCar Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500) ran in May, it’s obviously too late to claim the clean sweep.

However, W9IMS also issues collectible QSL cards for the three individual races, so there’s still time to get a piece of the action.

Where to start? Well, W9IMS favors 20 and 40 meters, sometimes adding 80 meters later in the week (not to mention 2 meters on Race Day for locals and fans in the stands at the Speedway). Preferred frequencies are 14.245 and 7.245 SSB, plus or minus QRM.

But rather than spin the dial, try scanning the following tips for finding W9IMS on the air:

  1. Check DX Summit (www.dxsummit.fi) for spots listing the current frequency or frequencies of W9IMS, if any. By typing “W9IMS” in the search box at upper right, you can customize it to show reports for only Indianapolis Motor Speedway special events. Naturally, you’ll be interested in only the ones from July 2022.
  2. Go to the W9IMS web page (www.w9ims.org) and look for the heading, “2022 Operating Schedule.” Click on the NASCAR 200 link, which opens into a weeklong schedule listing individual operators and their reserved time slots. Your odds of catching W9IMS on the air improve significantly during these hours.
  3. Prime operating time on weeknights is 6 to 10 p.m. Indy time (2200-0200 UTC). However, W9IMS can appear anytime, even on two bands at once, between 0400 Monday, July 25, and 0400 Sunday, July 31.
  4. Remember that the published schedule can be shortened by adverse circumstances, such as noisy band conditions, local thunderstorms or a lack of calling stations. Don’t wait till the final hour to chase W9IMS!
  5. Operators often get on the air at unscheduled times. That’s why DX Summit is your best bet for locating W9IMS’s current spot(s).
  6. If you plan on going for the 2023 Checkered Flag Award, remember that the three required W9IMS special event QSOs (or reception reports) must come from each of the year’s three races – the Grand Prix, the 500 and the Brickyard. Making three contacts during the coming week still earns you the colorful Brickyard QSL card, but no extra credits toward the 2022 certificate.

Archive of NASWA FRENDX Journals on World Radio History website

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom Gavaras, who writes:

Hi Thomas,

I hope you are having a great summer.

In the event you are not aware, there is a large collection of NASWA magazines available online from 1971-2008 including an issue from 1962.: https://worldradiohistory.com/NASWA_Frendx.htm

I see that there are also many issues from SPEEDX from 1971-1995: https://worldradiohistory.com/Speedx.htm

Best regards,

Tom

Many thanks for the tip, Tom!  The World Radio History website is such a treasure trove of radio history and nostalgia! 

I opened and read a few 1970s era NASWA journals this morning and am so happy to see quite a few names of SWLs/DXers who are still active radio enthusiasts!

The C.Crane Digital FM Transmitter 3

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who shares information about the latest C.Crane FM transmitter:

Check out the new C.Crane FM Transmitter 3.

Everything is the same as the previous model except it now covers 87.7 to 108 MHz.

People have been reported as being in big trouble for using 87.7 MHz, or is it because of their competitor, the Whole House FM Transmitter? This also covers the entire band but has serious build quality defects according to the Amazon reviews and costs more than the C.Crane FM-3.

Click here to check out the C.Crane FM Transmitter 3.

Thanks for the tip, Ron! Like many, I use FM and AM transmitters to pipe Internet radio streams throughout my house: especially the UK 1940s Radio Station!

Rafael spots a Tecsun S2000 in “Moonfall”

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Rafael Rodriguez, who writes:

Hi Thomas

Once again the Radio Tecsun model S2000 makes its appearance in a movie, this time in the Hollywood science fiction action and adventure production called “Moonfall.”

Without being a film critic, the movie is very regular ; but it gives screen to this radio that seems to be a favorite in the setting.

Good DX

Rafael Rodriguez R.
Bogotá D.C. – COLOMBIA

Great catch, Rafael. When I watch Moonfall, I’ll keep an eye out for that S2000! Thank you so much for sharing!

The Nextube retro nixie clock

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Al Hearn (WA4GKQ), who writes:

Thomas:

I’ve just received this Rotrics NexTube [see photo above] after a year of waiting. It was a KickStarter project and suffered numerous delays, and is just now shipping. It’s beautiful — real walnut wood, glass tubes and brass fixtures.

It appears at first glance to be yet another imitation Nixie tube clock but it’s actually much more than that. Each tube is a high-res IPS display that can display almost anything, including photos. It’s highly configurable, uses WiFi to connect to the Internet, and has an (yet undocumented) open API.

Being a ham and SWLer, I can envision someone much smarter than I programming this device to show real-time propagation data from beacons, propagation forecasts, etc. or other information of interest to those of us in the hobby. Imagine each of the six tubes graphically showing real-time band conditions on six different ham bands. It can already be used as a GMT clock. A set of three touch buttons allows app switching and user interaction.

With your infinite access to members of our hobby, I thought maybe you could find a way to expose this to those who might have an interest and expertise to create such an application for this amazing little device. I believe that its potential is almost unlimited, in ways the creators haven’t imagined.

73,
Al Hearn
WA4GKQ

Thank you for sharing this, Al! What a beautiful, modern take on the Nixie Tube clock! I love the simple design and versatility.

I’m very curious if any other readers have purchased the Nextube or have tinkered with the API. Please comment!

Click here to check out the Nextube at Rotrics.

Decode the Enigma: Crypto Transmission from KPH on Saturday, July 23, 2022

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The Maritime Radio Historical Society is hosting a brilliant on-the-air event via KPH. I’ve pasted full details below, copies directly from the Maritime Radio Historical Society announcement:

ATTENTION ALL AGENTS!

Crypto Transmission from KPH!

Background

The MHRS in cooperation with our good friends at the Cipher History Museum

will send a coded message in 5-letter groups via the facilities of coast stations KPH on Saturday July 23, 2022. The message will be encrypted using the famous Enigma code machine.

All KPH listeners are invited to try their hand at receiving and decrypting the message. Certificates will be awarded for proof of successful decode, first to decode and use of original hardware.

Mislaid your Enigma code machine? In the military you’d have some explaining to do, soldier. But for the KPH Crypto Event, no problem. See the ‘Enigma Simulator’ section below for a link to an easy-to-use Enigma simulator.

Enigma

The Enigma was the Germans’ most sophisticated coding machine for securely transmitting command and control messages via radio communications in WWII. It was considered so secure that it was used to encipher the most top-secret of messages.

The arrangement of Enigma’s rotors and plugboard connections provided a unique series of letter substitutions which changed with each keystroke. The daily rotor order and the ring and plugboard settings to be used were specified in a codebook distributed monthly to all users of a network.

For additional information on the Enigma please see Ralph Simpsons’ Cipher Museum History site

Crypto broadcast date, time and formats.

The crypto broadcast will commence at 2000Z (1300 Pacific) on 23 July on all KPH CW frequencies. The broadcast will consist of a ‘callup’ (in plain text) announcing the broadcast, followed by the cipher message. The callup and cipher messages will be sent at 15 WPM. The cipher message will be sent in 5 letter groups and the message will be sent twice to ensure proper reception.

The usual KPH channel marker or ‘wheel’ running at 20 WPM will precede the announcement for the crypto broadcast to give listeners a chance to tune to the strongest signal in their area.

The KPH CW frequencies are (in kc):

    • 426 (after an announcement on 500)
    • 4247.0
    • 6477.5
    • 8642.0
    • 12808.5
    • 17016.8
    • 22477.5

Upon completion of the CW transmissions, the broadcast will be repeated on all KPH RTTY frequencies. The RTTY transmission will be 170cps shift Baudot, 45 baud.

The KPH RTTY frequencies are (in kc):

    • 6324.5
    • 8427.0
    • 12585.5

Code Machine Key Settings – IMPORTANT!

Decoding an Enigma message requires the use of two keys: a Daily Key (valid for particular day), and a Message Key (unique to each individual message sent that day).

The Daily Key

Prior to decoding a message, the daily key must be set into your Enigma code machine. The daily key settings were specified in codebooks and distributed monthly. Please consult the following codebook to obtain the daily key setting for the GMT date of the broadcast.

Click HERE for the Enigma codebook. Use the “Armee-Stabs-Maschinenschlussel No 28” (Army Staff Machine Key Number 28). Notice each daily setting is across one line, starting with the first day of the month on the bottom of the sheet.

The Message Key

Starting in 1940, for additional security, the machine operator would randomly choose two groups of three letters to encode each message (in addition to the daily key settings above). These were known as the ‘message key’. The first group of three letters is used to encode the second group of three. Then the first group (in plaintext) and the second group (now encoded) are sent in the message header, along with the date and letter count, as explained in the above link. The recipient then uses the message key to decode the message. For more information see the following video on Enigma decoding procedures.

Click HERE to watch a video on Enigma coding procedures.

Enigma Simulators

So you had to toss your Enigma machine overboard when your U-boat was captured? Again, no worries. MHRS has you covered! Software simulations exist for the Enigma code machine.

Click HERE for an Enigma simulator. It is web-based, no download necessary.

Certificates

Upon proof of successful decode, the following certificates will be awarded:

– First to decode the Enigma message

– Successful decode using *original* hardware (i.e., an actual Enigma machine)

– All successful decodes of the message

To apply for a certificate, send the decoded message to [email protected] with the subject line ‘decoded Enigma message’. The First to Decode award will be based on the timestamp of the first email demonstrating a successful decode. For the Enigma Original Hardware certificate, send the decoded message *plus* a photo of your Enigma machine showing the daily key setting. Printed certificates will be mailed for ‘First-to-Decode and ‘Original Hardware’ awards. Certificates for ‘Successful Decode’ will be emailed in digital form suitable for printing at home.

More Information

For more information or questions about the KPH cipher broadcast send email to [email protected] with the subject line:

Crypto Broadcast