Author Archives: Thomas

100th Anniversary of Transatlantic Tests: Special event station using a 1921 replica transmitter

1BCG Transmitter in 1921 (Source: 1BCG.org)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark (AE2EA), who shares the following announcement:

2021 marks the 100th year anniversary of the historic Transatlantic Tests, where radio amateurs using the call sign 1BCG were responsible for the first successful radio communication across the Atlantic Ocean on “short waves.”

On December 11, 2021 the Antique Wireless Association will recreate these historic transmissions on 160 meters from the Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut, using a replica transmitter constructed by volunteers at the Antique Wireless Association. This special event is your opportunity to relive a historic moment in amateur radio history.

More information can be found here http://1BCG.org

Here’s a summary:

The 1BCG replica transmitter will be operating as W2AN/1BCG on 1.820 MHz, plus or minus, using CW, from The Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut. Transmissions from W2AN/1BCG will be one-way, just like the original transatlantic tests in 1921. You can get a SWL certificate for this Special Event by sending a copy of the transmitted message to [email protected]

Schedule: Transmissions start on December 11, 2021, on 1.820 MHz, +/-, at 1800 EST or 2300 UTC, then every 15 minutes thereafter for a total of five hours thusly; 1815, 1830, 1845, 1900, 1915, 1930, 1945, 2000, 2015, 2030, 2045, 2100, 2115, 2130, 2145, 2200, 2215, 2230 and the last transmission at 2245 EST.

Mark ~ AE2EA
Antique Wireless Association

I will definitely be listening! Thank you so much for sharing this, Mark!

Mario finds a monophonic earphone with 6 foot cord

2 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mario Filippi (N2HUN), who writes:

Attached is a picture of a recent purchase of mine from eBay, a six foot long monophonic earphone for use with my Panasonic RF-2200.

Single mono earphones of that length are not easy to find. Most are too short for night stand use. And with the abundance of RFI emitting appliances in the home, a six-foot long earphone allows me to move my portable radio far away from things like laptops, cell phones and noisy power supplies.

73’s,

Mario N2HUN

Thank you for sharing this, Mario. I love how practical and affordable this is and the fact that the earpiece is identical (save cord length) to the original that would have accompanied the RF-2200. Click here to check out this item on eBay.

WGTR via WRMI on December 6, 2021

1 Reply

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Fastradioburst23, who shares the WGTR flyer above announcing a broadcast on Monday, December 6, 2021 at 0000 UTC on 9395 kHz via WRMI.

As I understand it, this WGTR broadcast is a tribute to the Golden Throats LP series. Who knew? Make sure to mark your listening calendar!

Large archive of CW off-air recordings from Italy

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, LUIGI Ciampoli (IZ4KBW), who writes:

Some time ago with a friend of mine I created a very big archive of CW QSO recordings available for everybody who want to listen to CW traffic. The idea was born by the need to give to newcomer HAMS material to train on real CW traffic on the bands (with QSB, QRN, QRM, etc.).

So we started to record our ragchewing, ordering files with date/calls of participants/frequencies/keys used and WPM speed of QTC. At the beginning it was not a serious matter, but nowadays the archive counts thousands of records with local and international radio friends…hours and hours of “swinging morse code.” Some of these QSOs are made with ex professional RT involved on radio ham bands spending time talking about the past golden era and having QSO with OMs on the radio.

We released this large archive of recordings in a Google drive folder that can be shared. The archive is located at the following link : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XaF3Mvwa6WvgOCzZjp0NwzgnYdNHsW2Q

de IZ4KBW/op Luigi

Sample recording made on November 21, 2021. I8QFK, IZ8VKW, IU1MRY (Using a Paddle on 7036 kHz):

Thank you for sharing this, Luigi! What a wonderful idea. I think I will approach you about adding a few of these to the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive as well as there are very few ham radio CW recordings.

Click here to check out IZ4KBW’s CW QSO off-air recording archive.

Radio Waves: Cassette’s Role in Creation of Internet, AU2JCB Special Event, Joel Hallas (W1ZR) SK, and Shortwave Chatter

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Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio

Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest SWLing Post readers. To that end: Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Datta (VU2DSI), Kim Elliott, Ron, and the Southgate ARC for the following tips:

How the Cassette Tape Helped Create the Internet (WNYC Studios)

In 1983, Simon Goodwin had a strange thought. Would it be possible to broadcast computer software over the radio? If so, could listeners record it off the air and onto a cassette tape? This experiment, and dozens of others in the early 80s, created a series of cassette fueled, analog internets. Our friend Simon Adler at Radiolab reports.

This is a segment from our November 26th, 2021 program, How Cassette Tapes Changed the World. [Read and listen to this piece at WNYC Studios…]

AU2JCB operation 19 NOV to 14 DEC 2021 (Datta, VU2DSI)

AU2JCB is a special event callsign to commemorate the birth date (30 NOV) & to pay homage & tell about the great INDIAN scientist Aacharya JAGADISH CHANDRA BOSE who is recognized as the “Father of Wireless Communication” by the scientific community of our world.
VU2DSI- Datta Deogaonkar will operate with this AU2JCB special event call sign. Continue reading →