Category Archives: AM

Jack Berg Sales: You too can own a brand new vintage radio!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ron, who shares a link to Jack Berg Sales–a company specializing in New In Box (NIB) vintage electronics.

Ron points to one radio example in the Berg inventory, the Americana 10 Transistor AM Portable Pocket Radio:

The price is a very reasonable at $35.00 US plus $8.00 shipping and handling. Click here to view.

Jack Berg has dozens of other radios and electronics, though. It’s like walking through a vintage vault.

As Ron points out, Berg would probably make much more profit posting these vintage gems on eBay, but fortunately for us they do not.

It doesn’t appear Jack Berg does online ordering, which could make purchasing from outside the US quite complicated. In fact, they request a money order or cashier’s check sent to their office in El Paso, Texas.

(Side note: I honestly can’t think of the last time I purchased something from a company by sending in a money order or cashiers check.)

I suppose it would make sense to contact Jack Berg via email or phone (915-532-4519) to make sure your order can be fulfilled.

Additionally, there is no warranty of any sort.

These are NIB units and are untested. There’s a decent chance some radios may not function without replacing a capacitor or two and using a little DeOxit on switches and pots. For me, it’s worth the risk.

Click here to browse Jack Berg Sales full radio inventory.

Post readers: please comment if you’ve ever purchased from Jack Berg. How was your experience? See any particularly amazing models in the inventory? I bet many of the AM radios have decent ferrite bars inside!

648 kHz: Radio Caroline gets a permanent home on the MW broadcast band

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Radio Caroline circa 1960’s.

(Source: ARRL News via Eric McFadden, WD8RIF)

Radio Caroline, the latter-day incarnation of the famous shipboard pirate radio station that beamed rock music to the UK in the 1960s and 1970s, has obtained a license to operate permanently on 648 kHz at 1 kW ERP. A transmitter imported from Europe has been undergoing necessary modifications to suit the MW frequency, which falls between the 10-kHz-spaced AM Standard Broadcast Band frequencies in the US.[…]

Click here to read the full article on the ARRL website.

Puerto Rico: This radio station stayed on the air even though it lost its roof

NASB: “Digital Radio Mondiale Delivers at IBC 2017”

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Photo credit: NASB

(Source: National Association of Shortwave Broadcasters Facebook Page)

Digital Radio Mondiale Delivers at IBC 2017

Participants in the four DRM events organised at IBC by Gospell, Thomson Broadcast, Nautel and Ampegon between 15th-17th of September have had an insight into a wide range of DRM activities, from big projects in Morocco (Thomson Broadcast), India and Hungary (Nautel), to the progress of DRM in South Africa. And DRM used not just for broadcasting but for other vital activities was demonstrated by Rfmondial involved in a wide-ranging application for the US Coast Guard.

One constant for all events, each unique and so different from the other, was the positive messages about DRM in both AM and VHF and the increasing availability of new receiver and receiver solutions, many always on display. The first event on Friday the 15th (Gospell) saw the launch of GR-227 the multi-standard (DRM/DAB/DAB+) car adaptor that is compatible with any car stereo with USB port and able to work with Android Smart Tune App. As the manufacturer explained, this after-market solution can be a significant development allowing digital reception in cars initially fitted with analogue receivers.

Of equal major interest was also the Titus II multi-standard digital radio receiver produced by Titus SDR, a division of PantronX. The consumer software-defined radio digital receiver platform, which is the result of collaboration between Titus SDR/Patron X, Jasmin-Infotech, TWR, and Fraunhofer IIS, supports multi-standard radio reception, including DRM, DAB and DAB+ and core data applications. The representatives of PantronX and TWR received lots of questions about this receiver system based on a custom Android tablet platform, featuring multipoint touch, WiFi/Bluetooth and stereo sound.

Other receiver possibilities: the tablet solution presented by Fraunhofer IIS, the Indian receiver Avion, and a new concept DRM receiver produced in South Africa all enforced the idea that the excellent work done by transmitter companies like Thomson Broadcast, Nautel and Ampegon in providing a digital transmitter infrastructure in many parts of the world can link now with the innovative receiver solutions.

The Thomson event came alive with the presentation about the huge project in Morocco and the Nautel event attracted lots of guests already familiar with the big projects of this established transmitter manufacturer recently in India and now in Hungary.

The last of the DRM events, hosted on the 17th by Ampegon was a moment of celebration. First of this company (now 75 years old) displaying solid-state transmitters of all capacities successfully used globally, as well. As Ampegon has been also involved in Africa and supported the first DRM trial in South Africa two years ago, they were the natural hosts of a special DRM award moment. The DRM Enterprise Award 2017 (Africa) has been awarded to 3 pioneering experts in promoting DRM digital radio in South Africa. The winners are Dr Roelf Petersen on behalf of Radio Pulpit (member of the Pulpit Media Group) and Broadcom International involved in the trial of DRM in mediumwave. The other two winners Thembeka Khaka (Thembeka Khaka and Associates) and Johannes von Weyssenhoff have been very active in getting the legal framework and conducting the current trial (DRM for local coverage) that is taking place in conjunction with a community station in Johannesburg. (This event was streamed on Twitter click here to view.)

As Ruxandra Obreja, Consortium Chairman, remarked: ”All those who have hosted successful DRM events, the new and old supporters and specialists interested in digital radio and DRM, all the other companies supporting DRM and present at IBC (BBC, Babcock, Becil, RFI, Riz, NXP, Rfmondial, Sentech, to mention just a few) all the guests from countries as far apart as India, Argentina, the Netherlands, Belgium, Pakistan, the Philippines have seen how much effort goes so that DRM can deliver for all, globally.”

1296 kHz: Help Andy identify this 1970s/80s mediumwave broadcaster

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Andy (G0FTD), who writes:

Back in the 1970’s, there was a rather strange medium wave transmitter on
1296Khz. Originally I think it was in Sussex, and then changed to Orfordness
in Suffolk UK.

It was a weird thing.

I think it was “owned” by the UK’s Diplomatic Wireless Service, not the BBC.

It seemed to be fairly random in its transmissions, and often sent the letter
V in a strange bong-bong-bong-BONG! loops for hours.

Programmes were English by Radio, and a seemingly random mix the BBC World
Service, and BBC Radio 1 (I think).

It slso had a creepy signature tune for the English by Radio programme,
and the modulation had an odd tinge to to it, like it was slightly over modulated.

At some time (the 80’s), I think it’s QTH changed, and the pause between the
letter V being sent was shortened from about 3 seconds to 1 second.

I understand that it had a sharp antenna beam, towards easter Europe, and
was not widely heard in the UK. Those of us that lived in the south east
of the UK could of course hear it off the back of it’s beam.

I’ve never ever seen it mentioned on any radio forums, no archive recordings
seem to exist of these creepy English by Radio them tunes or programmes,
or any off air recordings.

Saying that, I did come across a studio copy of the interval signal, but no
details about it. (But I knew what it was).

Click here to download MP3.

Sometime about 1995 I think it might have been mothballed, and lays ready
for possible future use should there be a need to by the DWS.

If you can help Andy identify, or at least provide more information about this station, please comment! I would love to know about this broadcast service myself.

Relive This Day In Radio History: When WJSV recorded an entire broadcast day

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Patalon, who reminds us that 78 years ago today (September 21, 1939) radio station WSJV made an audio recording of its entire 19 hour broadcast day. Bill points to these details from Wikipedia:

This undertaking was a collaboration between the station and the National Archives, and it was the first time that such a comprehensive recording of a radio broadcast had been made. The station then donated its original set of recording discs to the National Archives, giving it a rare and complete artifact from an era frequently called the Golden Age of Radio. Due to their historical significance, the United States Library of Congress has since added these sound recordings to its National Recording Registry.

https://www.radioarchives.com/WJSV_A_Day_in_Radio_History_p/ra140.htm

Let’s travel back in time…

If you would like to relive September 21, 1939, you can listen to all of the WSJV recording segments courtesy of Archive.org. I’ve embedded the full playlist below–simply press play at the top of the player and each segment will load automatically as long as this page is open. Note that in the very first segment, due to a WSJV equipment glitch, there is a period of silence. Enjoy:

Click here to view or download the full set of recordings on Archive.org.

Many thanks for sharing this bit of radio history, Bill! As a radio archivist, this sort of thing makes my day.

Chris reviews the Eton Field BT and an important note about the discontinued Grundig S350DL

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The Eton Field BT

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Chris Freitas, who notes that’s he’s published a favorable review of the Eton Field BT on his blog: Chris Freitas on Radio

The Field BT shares the same basic chassis as the Tecsun S-8800 (check out the review published yesterday) and several other receivers including the Grundig S350DL, S450DLX, and the C.Crane CCRadio-SW.

Chris and I both agree that one benefit to this type of large portable is the excellent audio fidelity they can provide.

Read Chris’ full review here.

Not all large portables are created equally

The S350DL may look like a digital radio, but it’s actually analog inside and tuning is prone to drift.

Important clarification: The Field BT–just like the S-8800 and S450DLX–does not have the flaky analog tuning of the discontinued Grundig S350DL series.

Since I started publishing videos of the Tecsun S-8800 in action, I’ve received feedback indicating that many assume the S-8800 will drift off frequency like the 2008 era GS350DL.

It’s true that both radios share a common form factor, but that’s where the similarities end.

The S350DL is actually an analog single conversion receiver with a digital frequency display. The S350DL tuning knob has an inner ring for fine tuning and an outer ring for speedy tuning. The big disadvantage of the S350DL is that it drifts off frequency every time the wind blows. At least, that’s how it seems. It’s a little frustrating, and that’s why mine pretty much stays tuned to one station on my kitchen shelf. Even then, it manages to drift off frequency every few days.

The Eton Field BT, Eton Field, Grundig S450DLX, C. Crane CCRadio-SW and Tecsun S-8800, on the other hand, all have a pure digital tuning experience with no drift at all. Most of these are at least double conversion and the S-8800 is even triple conversion.

Chris, thanks again for sharing your review of the Field BT! It sounds like a major improvement over its predecessor, the S450DLX. I understand you’re also evaluating the excellent Grundig Traveller III–we look forward to that review when published!