Author Archives: Thomas

Michael is favorably impressed with the C. Crane CC Skywave SSB

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Michael (N9YZM), who writes:

Hi Thomas,

I took the plunge and purchased the Skywave SSB. It was under the tree on Christmas morning.

It was with some trepidation that I unwrapped it and installed a pair of AA batteries. I had read all the reviews regarding whistles and whines and had decided to give it a go anyway, particularly with the knowledge of the manufacturer’s excellent reputation for product support.

I am pleased to report no whistles or whines so far!

This morning I was listening to the breakfast club net on 3973 kHz. Reception, with just the whip, was not quite as good as my Commradio CR1-a with the W6LVP loop, but still very readable, and good enough to put a smile on my face and remove any thoughts of returning the radio to the manufacturer.

Air band, Weather Channel, FM, AM all seem to work great. I bought the radio primarily to throw in the bag when travelling, and can’t wait for the next business trip! I will still take the PL-880, and do some comparisons.

If I could change anything on the Skywave SSB, It would be to soften up (or remove) the detent on the tuning knob.

Holy Grail definitely comes to mind !!

Excellent, Michael! It sounds like your Skywave SSB is one that received a proper calibration and quality control run! I think you’ll find it makes for a superb compact travel radio.

Thanks for sharing your review!

As a side note, my full (4,300 word–!) review of the Skywave SSB has been published in the January 2018 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine.  You can purchase and download the issue for $3, or (better) purchase a one year subscription for only $24. As I’ve said before, TSM is one of the best values in our radio hobby!

Overcomer Ministry to halt radio broadcasting in 2018

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Larry W, who points out the following announcement on the Overcomer Ministry website:
Since Overcomer Ministry leader, “Brother Stair” was arrested on multiple charges including sexual assault, I think many of us assumed his on air programming would soon come to an end.

A number of private broadcasters had already pulled his programming after his arrest last Monday. Now that Overcomer has announced the halt of all radio broadcasting–and the voice of Overcomer, Brother Stair, is in jail–their satellite and online feeds will likely replay old content.

While I’ll certainly not miss Overcomer programming on shortwave, the numerous private broadcasters who had Overcomer as a primary client will feel the loss of revenue in no insignificant way. Indeed, I believe this could even lead to the closure of some private broadcasters this year.

BBC Local: Mediumwave Closures in 2018

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(Source: BBC)

We are closing a number of BBC Local Radio’s medium wave transmitters in January 2018. This will not affect listeners who use FM, digital radio, digital TV, or the internet to listen.

Why is the BBC switching off these transmitters?

We know how much our listeners value BBC local radio – and have invested significantly in this area through our commitment to funding Local DAB expansion and adding all English Local Radio services to Freeview. The savings from these closures will allow the BBC to continue to modernise its infrastructure in order to meet our listeners’ changing needs.

Why have these particular transmitters been chosen?

We assessed the coverage of each BBC Local Radio station on FM, MW and digital radio which highlighted stations where medium wave transmitters duplicated good FM or digital radio coverage. Following this process, we trialled the switch off of a number of medium wave transmitters and asked for audience feedback.

Taken together, the audience feedback and the coverage data have informed which medium wave transmitters are unlikely to be value for money in the longer term.

More information on why we are doing this can be found on the BBC blog.

Listeners can also use the interactive transmitter tool to see how they can receive their local radio service on other radio and television platforms or use iPlayer Radio to access their local radio service.

AM Radio: Ivan compiles 2017 solar eclipse logs

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ivan Cholakov (NO2CW), who writes:

I never got a chance to summarize my results of the AM scans I did during the 2017 total eclipse.

I used an SDR and a 40 foot end-fed antenna located in a park near the Nashville, TN airport.

On the plus side I did notice a spike of AM signals and amateur radio signals especially on 40 meters. On the negative side, my AM scans were adversely affected by the nearby powerhouse WSM transmitter on 650 kHz.

I’ve attached my results in a spreadsheet [embedded] below.

Click here to view this Google Docs spreadsheet in a new window.

Fantastic, Ivan! Thank you for taking the time to go through your recordings and make these notes. No doubt, this log took a few hours to compile. I’ve yet to go through my eclipse spectrum recordings–!

Again, thanks for sharing!

Click here to view Ivan’s previous post which includes a bandscan of the 2017 Eclipse QSO Party.

BBC World Service will broadcast to Sámi community in Norway via FM relay

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(Source: BBC Media Centre)

BBC World Service to broadcast for the first time from within the Arctic Circle

BBC World Service English has signed a new agreement with Guovdageainnu Lagasradio (GLR) – a local FM radio station in Northern Norway that serves the local Sámi community. The agreement will allow GLR to broadcast content from the BBC World Service, bringing international news and other programmes to their listeners.

GLR will broadcast 93 hours of BBC World Service English programming weekly, enabling them to extend their broadcast to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. GLR already provides the local community with local news, culture and Sámi music. Traditionally known in English as ‘Laplanders’, the Sámi are one of the northernmost indigenous people of Europe.

Stephen Titherington, Senior Commissioning Editor, BBC World Service English, says: “Such international connections are at the core of the BBC World Service – we want to reach different cultures and communities across the globe and reflect their stories in our programmes. We’ve aired major reports on the Sámi people and culture over the last year, and this agreement with GLR will in turn provide people in the region with access to our trusted international news and documentaries through their own community radio and help link them to what’s going on in the rest of the world.”

Nils Martin Kristensen, Editor of Guovdageainnu Lagasradio, says: “As Editor of GLR – Guovdageainnu Lagasradio – I am happy to be partnering with the BBC World Service, and I am confident that the people of Kautokeino and Karasjok will welcome this opportunity to get news from all over the world from the renowned broadcaster BBC World Service. This broadcasting agreement is a very important step for GLR to be able to share international news with our audience.”

From the Archives: Yes, there is a shortwave…!

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Note: Jeff Murray and I posted at Christmas in 2014–I thought it would be fun to dig it out of the archives once again.  Enjoy!

Virginia letter Dash

Dear Editor—

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no shortwave. Uncle DX Dash! says, “If you see it on the SWLing Post, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a shortwave?

Virginia E. Layer
330 Independence Ave., S.W.

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a digital age. They do not believe what can’t be heard or seen on their smart phone. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by Google. They seek credit cards, not QSL cards.

Yes, Virginia, there is a shortwave. It exists as certainly as sound and circuits and tubes exist, and you know that these abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no shortwave! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no heterodynes, no band openings, no propagation to make tolerable this existence. It would be a world without London Calling.

Not believe in shortwave! You might as well not believe in the ionosphere. You might get your papa to hire men to listen to all of the wi-fi radios of the world, but even if you did not hear shortwave, what would that prove? The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see ground waves dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can casually conceive or imagine all the wonders there are heard and unheard in the listening world. For that, you must wear headphones.

No shortwave! Thank goodness! It lives, and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, shortwave will continue to make glad the hearts of listeners.

Happy Holidays from your friends at Dashtoons and the SWLing Post!

With apologies to The New York Sun.  Our tongue-in-cheek editorial borrows from the timeless classic, “Is There a Santa Claus?” printed in the September 21, 1897, issue of The New York Sun. Click here to read the original.