Author Archives: Thomas

BBC cuts broadcasts from Thailand transmission station

(Source: Malay Mail Online via R. Lewis )

BANGKOK, March 8 — The BBC World Service has stopped broadcasting from one of its major global transmission stations situated in Thailand, AFP has learned, after talks broke down with a junta riled by its uncensored coverage.

Sources with knowledge of the negotiations said the BBC’s Thai-language output impeded discussions about renewing the 20-year lease on the complex, the network’s main shortwave broadcast station for Asia.

The centre’s large red and white transmission towers in Nakhon Sawan 240km north of Bangkok beamed local language news into tightly-controlled countries such as China and North Korea, and into places where many still rely on radio like Pakistan and Afghanistan.

– See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/world/article/bbcs-thai-transmission-towers-fall-silent-as-junta-talks-falter#sthash.NsUkQnEQ.dpuf

How to voice support for the restoration of ABC Shortwave

Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post contributors who’ve shared a post from Change.org outlining how to voice support for the restoration of ABC’s shortwave service.

No doubt, emails and letters from those living in Australia will have the most impact.

Click here to read the details on Change.org. Committee Secretariat contact information can be found below.

(Source: Australian Government)

The Bill would require the ABC to restore its shortwave transmission services, following the announcement by the ABC in December 2016 that it would end its shortwave transmission service in the Northern Territory and to international audiences from 31 January 2017.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment (Restoring Shortwave Radio) Bill 2017

On 16 February 2017, the Senate referred the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Amendment (Restoring Shortwave Radio) Bill 2017 to the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 10 May 2017.

The bill seeks to restore shortwave transmission services to the Northern Territory and international audiences.

Committee Secretariat contact:

Committee Secretary

Senate Standing Committees on Environment and Communications
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 3526
Fax: +61 2 6277 5818
[email protected]

RadioShack successor may declare bankruptcy

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I’m returning after a week of travels and spending time with friends at the Winter SWL Fest in Plymouth Meeting, PA. I’m also catching up on a few news items! Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post contributors and Fest attendees for sharing this news regarding electronics retailer, RadioShack:

(Source: Chicago Tribune)

General Wireless Operations, the RadioShack successor created by a partnership between Sprint Corp. and the defunct retailer’s owners, is preparing to file for bankruptcy, according to people familiar with the matter.

A filing could happen within the coming days and will probably result in liquidation, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the process isn’t public. The beleaguered company, which does business as RadioShack, operates outlets that share space with Sprint’s retail locations, as well as franchising the name to other stores.

The bankruptcy would deal another blow to the RadioShack brand, an almost-century-old source of electronics that struggled to compete with online merchants and big-box retailers. The General Wireless venture was designed to help the RadioShack name live on following the demise of the original chain. But pressures on the business, including sluggish foot traffic at shopping centers and a shift to e-commerce, have persisted.

RadioShack Corp. filed for bankruptcy in 2015. The company closed about half of its 4,000 stores and sold 1,700 to creditor Standard General LP, which teamed up with Sprint to form General Wireless. The deal created 1,400 co-branded locations with Sprint, plus several hundred franchised units.

Click here to read the full story at the Chicago Tribune.

The TAR-224 CIA Radio

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, @K7al_L3afta, who suggested I post photos of the TAR-224 Radio. Obviously, he knows I’m a fan of this sort of rig!

He discovered the TAR-224 on the excellent CIA online museum where they give a brief description of the unit:

A compact, high-frequency, paramilitary transceiver, the TAR-224 enabled communications with field agents operating behind enemy lines. It saw service in Vietnam as well as during Operation EAGLE CLAW.

31 cm x 18.3 cm x 12 cm
(L x W x H)

A much better description of the TAR-224 can be found at the CryptoMuseum:

TAR-224 was a very compact, self-contained spy radio station, developed by AVCO Corporation in Cincinnati (Ohio, USA) around 1970 for the CIA. It was intended for communication with field agents operating behind enemy lines, and can be seen as a successor to the ageing GRC-109 (RS-1) of the 1950s. It was used for many years until it was phased out in the late 1980s.

The entire unit is completely waterproof, with all switches and controls at the front panel properly sealed, allowing the radio to be stored under harsh conditions for an extended period of time. A plastic lid can be placed over the controls to protect them against dust and dirt. It is held in place by three metal latches at the edges.

[…]The radio coverages all frequencies between 2 and 24MHz. The receiver has a Variable Frequency Oscillator (VFO), allowing continuous tuning of all 4 frequency bands, whereas the transmitter is crystal operated. The unit can be powered by an external 12V source that is connected to a 3-pin socket at the front left, or by a special 12V battery pack that is installed behind a watertight panel at the front left. A plastic grip, at the left of the radio, allows the unit to be carried around easily.

[…]Most TAR-224 units were used by the CIA on special (overseas) missions, but the radios were also used by intelligence services in Europe. It is known to be used on a mission in Angola in 1975. According to CIA communication specialist Teddy Roberts, the TAR-224 was still being used in operational context in 1983, when he trained a unit of US Army Green Barets on its use.

Continue reading…

Evidently, the TAR-224 is quite rare and I was not aware of it. Thanks for sharing, @K7al_L3afta!

Gary’s mediumwave DX FSL antenna phasing experiment

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Many thanks to SWling Post contributor, Gary DeBock, who shares the following note about his latest FSL antenna experiment:

Medium wave DX FSL antenna phasing experiment– 1593-CNR1 (Changzhou, China, in Mandarin) boosted up to strong (S9) peaks by two 5 inch “Frequent Flyer” FSL’s at 1435 UTC on February 25th in my frozen back yard in Puyallup.

Unlike other high gain MW antennas, the FSL’s can provide cumulative gain at very close inductive coupling ranges.

Click here to download and play MP3 recording.

Amazing, Gary! Thank you for sharing this excellent bit of DX!

Click here to read more about Gary’s FSL antennas.

VORW Radio International expands with shortwave broadcasts to Asia

Update: WRMI adds additional frequency to Shortwave Shindig Broadcast tonight

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Broadcasting a live performance of the Shortwave Shindig at the 2015 Winter SWL Fest.

Good news! Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Cuff, who notes that WRMI is adding 9,395 kHz (aimed north) to the Shortwave Shindig broadcast tonight. Please see updated press release below:

The Shortwave Shindig
30th Annual Winter SWL FEST
Plymouth Meeting, PA
Friday 3/3/17 10pm-1am EST (0300-0600 UTC 3/4)
Live via WRMI 6855 kHz and 9,395 kHz

Join David Goren and friends for the annual Shortwave Shindig, a late night listening hang featuring live music, interviews and audio pieces exploring the history and aesthetics of the shortwave listening experience. Festivities begin at 9:15pm EST. Then at 10 pm EST we’ll go live on 6855 khz via WRMI, Radio Miami International, for a three hour broadcast including the best of Short Waves/Long Distance, an open call for shortwave based audio work co-sponsored by NASWA The North American Shortwave Association and Wave Farm, a media arts organization. Short Waves/Long Distance celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Fest, and the 20th Anniversary of Wave Farm.