(Source: Spaceweather via Troy Riedel)
This weekend, old sunspot AR2738 is returning from a two-week trip around the farside of the sun. After re-appearing late yesterday, the sunspot quickly produced two CMEs (coronal mass ejections), signalling that it may be even more active than before. Last month when it crossed the face of the sun, AR2738 crackled with low-level flares and strafed Earth with loud shortwave radio bursts.[…]
After posting recent shortwave broadcast schedules and updates for the A19 season, SWLing Post reader Tom Cook asked, “What is A19?”
Excellent question, Tom! And, frankly, one I’ve never answered here on the SWLing Post even though it’s so fundamental to understand HF broadcast scheduling.
Shortwave broadcast schedules are coordinated for two seasons:
The summer season is often referred to as the “A” season, and winter the “B” season. This is often abbreviated, so “A19” equates to the 2019 “A” or summer season.
For newcomers to shortwave listening, the confusing bit is that three month period between January and March in any given year–the end of the “B” season which started the previous year. For example, in February 2019 you would still be in the B18 broadcast season even though you’re already in the year 2019.
At time of posting (May 4, 2019), we are in the A19 HF broadcasting season.
Thanks for asking your question, Tom! I hope this explanation helps.
Many thanks to SWLing Post friend and contributor, Pete Madtone, who has just released his latest EP called, “This Frequency.”
This EP features vocalist Jazz’min and off-air audio samples of contest station P49Y from Aruba.
The EP, released this week, can be found on Madtone’s Bandcamp page:
Jazz’min put up “This Frequency” the title track, up on her Soundcloud page:
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ed, who shares the following story about Radio Biafra from the LA Times:
Every evening as 5 o’clock approaches, the clogged, perpetually dusty streets of this industrial city in southeastern Nigeria begin to empty.
Groups of men just off work go inside, shut their doors and tune their radios to 102.1 FM.
Then an anthem begins to play, and a voice says “Kedu” “how are you” in the Igbo language to welcome listeners to the daily broadcast of Radio Biafra.
For the next 90 minutes, hosts and various guests proselytize for the revival of an old dream: the creation of an independent state called Biafra.
The broadcasts, conducted live from an undisclosed location in Nigeria, are illegal, and the group behind them the Indigenous People of Biafra, or IPOB has been classified by the government as a terrorist organization since 2017. Its leaders say they eschew violence and want a peaceful settlement of the issue through a national referendum.
Activists say people caught listening to the station have been arrested or beaten. But many residents here say they are willing to take the risk.
Radio Biafra is a daily reminder of the bloody civil war that ravaged Nigeria between 1967 and 1970. The conflict started when a Nigerian military general, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, declared an independent state of Biafra. It ended after more than a million deaths, mostly from starvation after the government imposed a food blockade on the region.
Ultimately, the rebels surrendered and the area was reintegrated into Nigeria under the government motto “No victor, no vanquished.”
But the memory of the brutal war looms large in Aba, feeding enthusiasm for the broadcasts despite extremely long odds that Biafra will ever come to be.[…]
Click here to read the full story at the LA Times.
Radio Biafra has also been elusive and rare DX for radio listeners. Click here to read more Radio Biafra posts in our archive.
ABC Melbourne (Photo: Mark Fahey)
David Anderson (Source: ABC)
(Source: The Guardian via Michael Bird)
David Anderson, a 30-year veteran at the public broadcaster, has been appointed ABC managing director by the chair, Ita Buttrose, replacing the sacked Michelle Guthrie.
“Mr Anderson is an exceptional media professional with strong content, digital and strategic experience,” Buttrose said.
“The ABC Board resolved unanimously to appoint David Anderson following a national and international search that produced many impressive candidates.
“With almost 30 years of service, David’s knowledge of the ABC is unsurpassed. He has a deep understanding of audience needs and the board is confident he has the skills and ability to respond to the challenges of a changing media environment.[…]
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan Roe, who notes:
I attach a copy of my “Music Programmes on Shortwave” PDF list for the
new A-19 broadcast season for you to consider adding to your SWLing Post
pages.
Alan, thanks so much for keeping this brilliant music guide updated each broadcast season and for sharing it here with the community! I always print and keep a copy of your guide at my listening post!
Click here to download a PDF copy of Alan Roe’s Music on Shortwave A-19 v1.1.
Many thanks to the host of This is a Music Show who shares the following announcement:
I’m moving to a better frequency for the longer days. The move also means a time shift 30 minutes later.
Starting May 1, continuing every week for the summer:
9395 kHz 0130 UTC THURSDAY = Wed. evenings in the Americas (930pmET/630pmPT):
5850 kHZ 0100 UTC THURSDAY will still be on for the next couple of weeks during the transition:
As always, the 3 most recent broadcast recordings are available here, processed for artificial stereo, using recordings from different SDRs. (Big thanks to Daz Man for processing these recordings, and improving the show’s broadcast fidelity!)
Click here to listen on SoundCloud.
After last week’s themed program, I’m back to the regular program of irregular second-hand record gems–hope you’ll tune in.