Category Archives: Contests

Giveaway alert: Joe Carr’s Loop Antenna Handbook

–UPDATE: A WINNER HAS BEEN PICKED. THIS CONTEST HAS BEEN CLOSED. THANK YOU!–

Lately I’ve gotten a lot of questions from readers about magnetic loop antennas, certainly a popular topic on the SWLing Post. Good discussions underway.

So, when I discovered an extra copy of Joe Carr’s excellent Loop Antenna Handbook on my bookshelf this morning, it occurred to me to share it with you, readers. I think I won this copy at a Winter SWL Fest a couple years ago; it’s chock-full of Joe’s handy tips and solutions to antenna questions and installation conundrums. It’s still in great shape, and I’m sure will find a good home with a lucky SWLing Post reader.

Interested? Here’s how you can participate…

The Loop Antenna Handbook is chock-full of antenna theory and practical construction projects.

If you’d like to participate in this giveaway, here’s how:  Simply comment on this post, telling us about your favorite radio! Give us the make/model, and just share a few comments about why you love it above all others.

This can be any radio: a shortwave portable, an SDR, a vintage radio, a ham radio transceiver, a handheld, a scanner, an aviation radio, whatever…or, yes, more than one, if you simply can’t choose.

I’ll select a winner at random on Sunday, April 7, 2019.

This contest is open to anyone, anywhere! I’ll post the prize to the winner directly wherever you are. (Note: Well, if you’re an astronaut on the ISS, I’ll have to send it to your drop box!)

I’ll also plan to compile and publish the full list of radio favorites in a future post…stay tuned for that.

Click here to comment on your favorite radio…

Top 10 DX Of The Year Contest Results!

Many thanks to Istvan Biliczky, from the Top 10 DX Of The Year Contest who shares the following results from the December 2018 contest:

Click to enlarge results sheet.

Istvan tells me that the “certificates are printed, verified, t-shirts are done, and all packed, will be sent this week.”

Check these photos:

Brilliant news and congratulations to the many friends and SWLing Post readers I see in the winners circle! Thank you for sharing, Istvan and thanks for hosting this impressive DX contest!

RCA Transmitter Window Contest: We have a winner!

Click to enlarge

Over the past five weeks, we’ve been promoting our contest to win an authentic Woofferton RCA Transmitter window that has been generously donated by our long-time friend and contributor, Dave Porter (G4OYX).

We are pleased to announce our winner: Kenneth Kopp (AK0A)

Congratulations, Kenneth!

Kenneth correctly answered at least one of the Wooferton Transmitting station questions we’ve posted over the past five weeks. His entry was picked at random.

RCA Window from MI-7330

In case you were wondering, here are the original questions and answers:

Question 1:What was the operating frequency range of the six original RCA 50 kW MI 7330 transmitters?
Answer: 5.9 to 22 MHz

Question 2: What was the BBC code name for the site from the 1944 build to about 1961? Answer: OSE 10 or Overseas Station Extension 10

Question 3: Besides the current HF services from the site what other broadcast services are radiated?
Answer: BBC Hereford and Worcester MF Local Radio on 1584 kHz and Sunshine Radio on 105.9 MHz FM

Question 4: Who is the present owner / operator of the site?
Answer: Encompass Media

Question 5: The Woofferton site straddles two English counties, what are they?
Answer: Herefordshire and Shropshire

Of course, Dave and I looked over all of the entries and accepted any answer variation that was essentially correct.

We had a total of 318 entries from SWLing Post readers–a fantastic turn-out for a contest that often required serious research!

Thank you once again, Dave, for donating this brilliant piece of shortwave broadcasting history! And congratulations, Kenneth–I’m sure that RCA window will look amazing in your radio shack!

Post readers: We’re plotting a number of contests over the next year to celebrate 10 years of the SWLing Post! There will be other amazing prizes involved! Stay tuned!

SWLing Post Contest Question #5: Our final question for a chance to win a piece of broadcasting history!

RCA Window from MI-7330

Four weeks ago, we announced a new contest to celebrate the SWLing Post‘s 10th Anniversary.

The prize is an amazing piece of broadcast history: a 75 year old round plate glass window that was fitted in the central main door of the RCA senders at the Woofferton, UK, transmitting site in 1943. This prize was generously donated by SWLing Post contributor and friend, Dave Porter (G4OYX).

Please read our original contest post (click here) which describes how you can enter to win.

The original post also contains the first of five contest questions which count as individual entries in the contest.  The second question can be found here, the third question by clicking here and the fourth here.

Today, we present our final question…

Please note: This contest will close on Friday December 14 at 12:00 UTC–you have until then to submit answers to all five questions. The winner will be announced once we verify contact with them.  If you have entered this contest, please check your email this weekend.

If you read the SWLing Post email digest, you will need to view our prize questions on the web to see the embedded form. If the form below does not display, click here to open it in a new window.

We will close all entry forms to responses

Our fifth and final question:

Click here to answer question #1.

Click here to answer question #2.

Click here to answer question #3.

Click here to answer question #4.

SWLing Post Contest Question #4: A chance to win a piece of broadcasting history!

RCA Window from MI-7330

Three weeks ago, we announced a new contest to celebrate the SWLing Post‘s 10th Anniversary.

The prize is an amazing piece of broadcast history: a 75 year old round plate glass window that was fitted in the central main door of the RCA senders at the Woofferton, UK, transmitting site in 1943. This prize was generously donated by SWLing Post contributor and friend, Dave Porter (G4OYX).

Please read our original contest post (click here) which describes how you can enter to win.

The original post also contains the first of five contest questions which count as individual entries in the contest.  The second question can be found here and the third question by clicking here.

And now for our fourth question and fourth possible contest entry…

Please note: If you read the SWLing Post email digest, you will need to view our prize questions on the web to see the embedded form. If the form below does not display, click here to open it in a new window.

Our fourth question:

We will post question #5 (the final) next week!

Click here to answer question #1.

Click here to answer question #2.

Click here to answer question #3.

SWLing Post Contest Question #3: A chance to win a piece of broadcasting history!

RCA Window from MI-7330

Two weeks ago, we announced a new contest to celebrate the SWLing Post‘s 10th Anniversary.

The prize is an amazing piece of broadcast history: a 75 year old round plate glass window that was fitted in the central main door of the RCA senders at the Woofferton, UK, transmitting site in 1943. This prize was generously donated by SWLing Post contributor and friend, Dave Porter (G4OYX).

Please read our original contest post (click here) which describes how you can enter to win.

The original post also contains the first of five contest questions which count as individual entries in the contest. Last week, we posted the second question.

And now for our third question and third possible contest entry…

Please note: If you read the SWLing Post email digest, you will need to view our prize questions on the web to see the embedded form. If the form below does not display, click here to open it in a new window.

Our third question:

We will post question #4 next week!

Click here to answer question #1.

Click here to answer question #2.

SWLing Post Contest Question #2: A chance to win a piece of broadcasting history!

RCA Window from MI-7330

Last week, we announced a new contest to celebrate the SWLing Post‘s 10th Anniversary.

The prize is an amazing piece of broadcast history: a 75 year old round plate glass window that was fitted in the central main door of the RCA senders at the Woofferton, UK, transmitting site in 1943. This prize was generously donated by SWLing contributor and friend, Dave Porter (G4OYX).

Please read our original contest post (click here) which describes how you can enter to win.

The original post also contains the first of five contest questions which count as individual entries in the contest.

And now for our second question and second possible contest entry…

Please note: If you read the SWLing Post email digest, you will need to view our prize questions on the web to see the embedded form.

If the form below does not display, click here to open it in a new window.

Our second question:

We will post question #3 next week!

Click here to answer question #1.