Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom Ally, who shares the following note from WRMI:
WRMI has a new schedule as of today, February 17th. We have some new frequencies — a total of 21 now. You can find the complete broadcast
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nEVwCMB9RSKowLzLXamyayVpCzjmPAw_SB1r3YOdzQc/edit#gid=0
If you’re in the mood for a little Cold War era nostalgia, check out this video produced by Radio Free Europe in 1964. One of the things I found most fascinating was seeing the number of rack-mounted Hammarlund SP-600s (and other benchmark receivers) at the RFE monitoring station near Munich.
(Source: KBS World Radio via Andrea Borgnino)
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) will launch a shortwave radio service to North Korea this fall.
A BBC insider said the British government has given final approval to the public broadcaster’s plan to broadcast news to North Korea and has even earmarked a budget.
The 30-minute daily broadcast in the Korean language will include news from the two Koreas, China and Japan. BBC will also run a website with a listen again section.
[…]The news program will be produced at the BBC headquarters in London and transmitted via shortwave from locations including Singapore. Many North Korean residents are known to own a shortwave receiver.
BBC has been discussing the launch of a North Korea service since last year, which has faced strong opposition from North Korea. A high-level North Korean diplomat visited the U.K. parliamentary in protest of the plan two months ago.
BBC is also considering broadcasting its Korean news service in South Korea as well.
February 13th is World Radio Day, a day “to remember the unique power of radio to touch lives and bring people together across every corner of the globe,” as UNESCO reminds us. At the SWLing Post, we get it: shortwave radio listeners understand the unique power of information unhindered by borders, censors, or subscription fees, as supplied by radio.
This year, the UNESCO theme for World Radio Day is a worthy one: “Radio in Times of Emergency and Disaster.”
And here are just a few ways you can celebrate World Radio Day 2016…
GSM Bohnso School, Cameroon (Photo courtesy of ETOW partner, EduCare Africa)
Of course, at my non-profit Ears To Our World, we celebrate the unique power of radio everyday. While we use a variety of technologies in rural and remote communities, radio still plays a central role since it’s such an accessible technology.
In 2014 and 2015, for example, we distributed Sony AM/FM radios that gave children in Sierra Leone the opportunity to listen to over-the-air classes while their school system was shut down due to Ebola.
Powered by this success, we’re now in the process of putting together radio projects for rural, off-the-grid communities in Haiti, Cameroon, and Kenya, where children and their families need the education and information radio can provide.
If you would like to help, please consider a donation of any amount. This is unquestionably a meaningful way to give the gift of radio, as well as education.
The Phoenix Amateur Radio Club will celebrate World Radio Day on the 13th and 14th of February with on-air shortwave activities, as a key part of the club’s ongoing British Scientists Commemorations. This sounds like an enjoyable way to honor the day as well as the contributions of British scientists.
Radio Romania issues the following fun invitation:
On World Radio Day 2016, we invite you, dear friends, to send us short recorded messages on this [year’s] topic, by e-mail, as audio-attachments, at [email protected]. You can also send us short written messages on the importance of radio in times of disaster by e-mail or…post them on RRI’s Facebook page, on Google+, LinkedIn and Tumblr.
The most interesting texts and audio messages will be included in a special program on RRI, around February 13th, 2016.
Also, if you have royalty-free personal photos illustrative of the role played by radio in your life, or… the role of radio in times of emergency and disaster, please send them to us in electronic format, accompanied by the necessary explanations, in order to create a photo gallery on RRI’s website and to post them on our social network profiles.
Click here for the full article.
VOA RadiogramVOA Radiogram will honor World Radio Day with text and images sent via shortwave radio; you may enjoy receiving this fun “coded” message:
Old shortwave, medium wave, and longwave transmitters can be used to transmit text and images. This can be useful when the Internet is not available for any reason.
VOA Radiogram, an experimental Voice of America radio gram, transmits text and images via a 50-year-old shortwave transmitter located in North Carolina. VOA Radiogram during the weekend on 13-14 February will include a mention of World Radio Day. Receive VOA Radiogram on any shortwave radio, patch the audio into a PC or Android device using software such as Fldigi from w1hkj.com.
VOA Radiogram transmission schedule
(all days and times UTC):
All via the Edward R. Murrow transmitting station in North Carolina.
There are dozens of World Radio Day events happening around the world. For a full list of registered events, check out the World Radio Day website.
Here’s to WRD 2016! Enjoy!
How will you celebrate World Radio Day 2016?
Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Terry (VE7TEB) who writes:
You may have already posted this, but if not here is an excellent Public Radio resource, perhaps worthy of another mention: http://www.publicradiofan.com/
Indeed, Terry! Public Radio Fan is a fantastic resource–especially for SWLs who enjoy listening to public broadcasters who are no longer on shortwave. The site makes it easy to search for broadcasters; it has a very simple and responsive user interface.
Public Radio Fan was created in 2001 and is maintained by its creator, Kevin Kelly. I don’t know where he finds the time to curate this database, but I’m glad he does!
Definitely worth the mention. Thank you, Terry!
Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Paul Walker, who writes:
Remember the “transmission tests” from Babcock and Wooferton last summer? I finally got an email QSL…
My original email is first along with an audio sample of what I heard….
Original message sent on Tuesday, August 11, 2015:
I wanted to send you a reception report after hearing your broadcast.
“This Is A Test Transmission” on 15745khz heard at 1655UTC/11:55am Central today (08/10/2015) in Beaumont, Texas (far southeast corner of the state). This is 4 1/2 minutes, recorded until abrupt sign off in mid song.
I used a Sangean ATS909X with a PK’s Loop 6-18mhz tuneable Shortwave loop. The loop can be tuned to a certain frequency with a dial and can be rotated.
Tuning the loop to your exact frequency and orienting it in your general direction resulted in a pretty decent signal with good audio. The signal was about a 5 out of 10 with some fading, but generally pretty steady.
A link to the 4 1/2 minute audio clip is here:
Do you offer QSL’s? I would very much appreciate a QSL card or letter via regular mail if that is possible.
Warmest Regards,
Paul Walker
Fast forward to yesterday (Wednesday, January 27, 2016):
Thank you for your report and I confirm the details are correct. These transmissions were to fault-find on a 300 kW sender at the UK HF transmitter station at Woofferton.
The engineers needed a long test time as the fault was of an intermittent nature.
Babcock, Woofferton is the only remaining UK HF sender broadcast station and also is the only one with this transmission test audio and email address.
The audio is contained in a file playout system and incorporates non-copyright music and voice announcements from one of the employees at the transmitter site.
Thanks for your interest.
73
Dave G4OYX,
(Retired) Senior Transmitter Engineer Woofferton 1982-2012.
Very cool, Paul! And many thanks to Dave Porter for supplying Paul’s confirmation!
If you haven’t already, I would highly recommend Dave Porter’s video presentation of Woofferton on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/wooffertonuk) and this history of WOF (http://www.bbceng.info/Technical%20Reviews/technical_reviews.htm).
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Andrea Borgnino who, as a follow-up to his post yesterday, is sharing the following photos of the Radio Nacional de España (RNE) Casa de la Radio in Pozuelo, Madrid, Spain. Andrea also includes some excellent interior shots of the Radio Exterior de España studios. Click on the images below to enlarge:
Again, thanks so much for sharing these, Andrea!