Category Archives: Mobile Shortwave

Radio travel: Rob enjoys a shortwave-capable rental car in Namibia

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Rob Gray, who writes:

I recently returned back from a three-month trip in Africa (Namibia, South Africa, and Morocco) and had a couple of shortwave-related items that you might be interested in.

The rental car in Namibia had shortwave capabilities in the in-dash radio! The rental company was oblivious to the option when I mentioned it as a huge perk, I really don’t think they understood or cared. The radio was a Sony CDX-G1200U, and while I find this radio for sale in North America, I don’t see any mention of shortwave. I suspect shortwave is either an option for foreign markets (at least Namibia in this case), or possibly activated via a modification or firmware upgrade. Perhaps any shortwave enthusiasts travelling to other regions of the world might keep an eye out for this model.

There were two ‘bands’, low (SW1) included some of the tropical bands up to 41 meters, and high (SW2) covered 31 meters through about 19 MHz or so. Decent coverage for casual mobile listening.

I found the performance of the radio quite satisfactory in Namibia, the BBC came in very well in the mornings and evenings. There was a little more on shortwave during the day in English, Channel Africa, etc., but the BBC was by far the best offering for listening.

Another equipment data point from around the world, this time in Morocco.

Several vendors in the Medina’s sold various radios (of questionable quality). The photo [above] was taken in Tetouan (which isn’t a touristy area) in March, but I did note similar for sale in Fez.

Brilliant, Rob! It sounds like you’ve visited some gorgeous parts of the world in your travels. I imagine on the long stretches of rural roads in Namibia, you could enjoy a proper low-noise environment for shortwave listening as long as the car itself didn’t produce RFI!

Post readers: Have you driven a car recently that sported a shortwave radio capabilities?  Please comment!

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eBay find: Sony CDX-GT260S car shortwave radio

I still receive a surprising amount of questions about mobile (car/in-dash) shortwave receivers. We have a dedicated category to all things mobile shortwave but it is certainly a radio category with comparatively few options.

One option to consider is the BST-1: a receiver I reviewed two years ago.

And then occasionally car receivers pop up on eBay, like this Sony CDX-GT260S:

Click here to view on eBay.

The Sony CDX-GT260S requires installation, but shouldn’t be overly complicated to install especially in older vehicles.

The seller actually posted the following video of the Sony CDX-GT260S in use:

Post readers: Anyone listen to shortwave in the car?  What’s your receiver of choice?

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Matt’s review of the BST-1

BST-1-Receiver-Label-AltMany thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Matt, who shared this review of the BST-1 car shortwave receiver:

Overall: a good sensitive receiver, with a very inventive interface. I am looking forward to my long commutes for a change.

Using the FM RDS info on the car radio is a stroke of genius.BSTFM2

Performance: Miles ahead of my old MFJ 3 band heterodyne converter. I could hear 2 or 3 stations in the day, maybe 6 or 8 at night. With this new receiver during my morning and evening commutes in the NE US, I can hear dozens of stations day or night. Performance is roughly on par with a decent shortwave portable using the built in whip. I get 6070 Canada listenable 2 out of 3 days, 9580 Australia one out of 4 days in the morning, Radio Romania is an S5-8 beacon in the evenings.

Quirks: when the receiver is powered down, it does not save the music/speech bandwidth setting. It always comes up in the speech mode.

Also, when you are in tune mode and wrap around from 0 kHz to 33 MHz or vice versa, there is a glitch. Instead of scanning on the even 5 kHz intervals, it changes to scanning on the 3 and 8 kHz or 2 and 7kHz intervals: 32.003, 32.008, 32.013, 32.018, etc. instead of 32.000, 32.005, 32.010, etc. If you go back to preset frequencies, scan, and then go back to tune mode, it is back to normal.

I have only seen spurious signals around 2 MHz or so. I think it is some 15 MHz broadcasters bleeding through – only one or two usually. No other spurious signals apart from this seen yet.

Suggestions: restrict the tune mode to the shortwave bands to save time slogging through all that dead space between broadcasting segments (toggle all or band only tune?)

Make it so you can switch the AM broadcast filter in and out, maybe with an attenuator. I live over 50 miles from the nearest high powered AM station, and it would be nice to be able to BC/LW DX. The receiver is quite sensitive down there. On 1700khz where the filter doesn’t have much of an effect I can hear an AM station 80 miles away. Instructions on putting in a manual switch to do the same would be good as an alternative to this.

Thanks for sharing your review, Matt! I agree that the BST-1 is surprisingly sensitive, especially for a mobile receiver.

Click here to view the BST-1 order/information page.

Click here to view our review of the BST-1.

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A review of the BST-1 car shortwave radio

BST1 FM1

The following article originally appeared in the June 2016 issue of The Spectrum Monitor Magazine.


The BST-1 receiver.

The BST-1 receiver.

Last year, I was approached by die-hard shortwave radio listener Fred Studenberg, who had an idea that at first seemed outmoded, but soon had me intrigued: he wanted to design and build a car radio. Well, a car shortwave radio.

Studenberg described his ideal car receiver. It seems he’d abandoned the idea of making a radio along the lines of a Sony, for example, that takes the place of an existing car radio. Rather, Studenberg, with singular purpose, envisioned something quite unique: a little black box shortwave that could be easily installed in the back of a vehicle, transmitting audio from the shortwave receiver to the car’s system via an FM transmitter link. One would tune the car radio to an FM frequency––say, to 88.5––and listen to the shortwave receiver which would be located at a convenient location, near the mobile antenna, somewhere in the car (in the trunk, under a seat, etc.).

I was doubtful…and for good reason. To begin with, I’ve never used an effective audio FM transmitter link in a vehicle. They’re all rather mediocre, and usually inject noise––or, are simply too weak to be effective. Secondly, I imagined it would be frustrating to remotely operate a little black box stashed in the trunk of your car without some form of display feedback at hand, showing frequencies and so forth. Plus, I concluded, wouldn’t it be a pain to install? And how would you control such a shortwave receiver? To top it off, I just couldn’t imagine such a system coping with the RF-noisy environment of an car. The more I thought about it, the less feasible it seemed. I hated to disappoint Fred with my concerns.

I needn’t have worried. Thing was, Studenberg had already developed said car shortwave radio, and even had a video of it being used in his own car:

And this video silenced my concerns: remarkably, it appeared Studenberg had managed to overcome each of my doubts. I was impressed, and interested.

All Studenberg wanted to know was, might any other SWLs benefit from such a device?

I thought of all the commuters and frequent travelers out there, with a penchant for shortwave and a shortage of time in which to enjoy it. Are you kidding? I thought. What SWLers wouldn’t give to turn a tedious traffic jam into a shortwave jam session?

Fast-forward to this year, when Studenberg put his BST-1 on the open market. And in late February, he kindly sent me a loaner BST-1 to evaluate.

Installation

As many regular readers know, this has been a particularly busy winter and spring for me, so I had to delay installing the BST-1 in my car. I was sure it would require dedicated time and likely a bit of troubleshooting to get the shortwave working as intended.

But recently I finally had a moment to install the BST-1. And I quickly I realized that, yet again, I had been fretting over nothing. My Toyota minivan was actually well-suited to installation of the BST-1, since it has a hinged hatchback door, a dedicated 12VDC plug in the rear, and even a small niche in which to tuck the BST-1.

The BST-1 is also supplied with a 12VDC cigarette lighter plug. If you have a minivan or SUV with an auxiliary DC port, powering the BST-1 will require no tools.

The BST-1 is also supplied with a 12VDC cigarette lighter plug. If you have a minivan or SUV with an auxiliary DC port, powering the BST-1 will require no tools.

The radio’s proud papa also sent a Model CBST-1 mobile shortwave whip antenna with the BST-1. The antenna came with the steel whip and base, a trunk lip mount, and antenna feed line terminated with the appropriate connector. [Note: this whip is surprisingly short!]

The supplied shortwave radio steel antenna whip is short and effective. It should mount on most vehicles with little problem.

The supplied shortwave radio steel antenna whip is short and effective. It should mount on most vehicles with little problem.

Admittedly, my minivan’s hinged door doesn’t work perfectly with lip-mounted brackets—but after some trial and error, I found just the place to mount it where the door wouldn’t damage the base of the antenna. The feed line was easily long enough to cover the span from the top of the door to the receiver.

As for the receiver, it really was a cinch to install: I simply connected the antenna feed line, plugged in the supplied 12 VDC power cord (note that, alternately, there are also twelve VDC pigtails that can also be used) and placed the BST-1 in the back pocket compartment of the minivan.

I’m sure some vehicles will lend themselves to an easy installation like mine, while some may actually be a bit more difficult. Regardless, I do think the installation process is very easy compared with, for example, installing a mobile ham radio transceiver.

I turned on my car’s power, tuned the radio to the default FM frequency, and after a brief spot of tuning, recognized the unmistakable vociferations of Brother Stair—a sure sign that we’re (a) in North America, and (b) on the shortwaves!

Operating the BST-1

If, like me, you’re the type of person that likes to dive into a new product without referencing a manual, you may need to dial down your impulsivity a little to experiment with the BST-1. While the remote control—a two-button key fob—is extremely simple to use, it’s important to learn how it interacts with the BST-1 receiver.

Key fob

Studenberg’s tuning system is amazingly multifunctional, permitting the tuner to keep his/her hands on the wheel––and car on the road!––while simultaneously pursuing the SWL hobby.

Studenberg unlocked a total of twelve functions on a two-button key fob by employing a clever system of short or long presses.

The BST-1 Key Fob

The BST-1 key fob includes a handy quick reference tag

With a short press of the top or bottom button of the key fob—essentially a quick “click,” like you would use to unlock a car door, and which can readily be done while driving—you can single-step tune in 5 kHz steps, or cycle through preset memories.

Long presses, though, are where you unlock the bulk of the BST-1’s functionality. This was a little confusing to me at first, so I’ll explain how the long presses work:

After pressing and holding the top or bottom button, you’ll hear an audible feedback beep. As you hold the button down, you cycle through one, two, three, and four selections, each marked, again, by an audible beep, thus: beep, beep-beep, beep-beep-beep, and finally beep-beep-beep-beep. Each sequence has a slightly different tone to enable you to better distinguish them.

For example, if I want to toggle the AM filter between narrow (voice) or wide (music), I press and hold the bottom button until I hear one beep, then two beeps, then three beeps: as soon at the three-beep sequence is heard, I let go of the button, and the filter will toggle.

As another example, if I want to store a frequency in memory, I’d press and hold the top button until I heard a sequence of four beeps, then let go.

The commands are logically arranged, in that the most common functions are associated with the shortest key presses. Here’s the complete list of remote functions, courtesy of the BST-1 Owner’s Manual (PDF):

Top Button

Short press (click) – Single step PRESET channels or tune in 5 KHz steps in TUNE mode

1 Beep Toggles sensitivity between HIGH and LOW sensitivity

2 Beeps Sends frequency in Morse code and toggles S-Meter update on/off and toggles squelch on/off

3 Beeps Quick to tune Preset Channel 50, WWV at 5 MHz.

4 Beeps If in TUNE mode, stores currently tuned frequency (Morse code “S”). If in PRESET mode, it will delete the channel. To prevent accidental deletions, this delete function must be executed twice. The first activation will display the message “R U SURE” and send the Morse code “?”. The second activation will delete the channel and then display the message “DELETED”.

Bottom Button

Short Press (click) – Starts scanning up or down in PRESET and TUNE mode

1 Beep Toggles tuning direction up or down

2 Beeps Toggles between PRESET or TUNE Mode

3 Beeps Toggles receiver bandwidth between SPEECH (3 KHz) and MUSIC (5 KHz)

4 Beeps Starts scanning of FM transmitter among 4 frequencies : 88.3, 88.5, 88.7, 88.9 MHz.

It took a couple of days to get used to the commands I used the most (tuning by steps, scanning, memory scans, and changing the filters/sensitivity) mainly because I was driving while using the BST-1.

Several models of shortwave portables, like my Grundig G3, have RDS which allows me to easily set BST-1 station memories. Note that RDS is a standard feature on most vehicles sold today--sadly, my 2008 model minivan lacks RDS.

Several models of shortwave portables, like my Grundig G3, have RDS which allows me to easily set BST-1 station memories. Note that RDS is a standard feature on most vehicles sold today–sadly, my 2008 model minivan lacks RDS.

While driving alone, obviously I couldn’t divert my attention from the road to read the included reference guide attached to the key fob, so I had to simply take a bit of time off the road to review the manual.

Performance

Studenberg’s tuning system is amazingly multifunctional, permitting the tuner to keep his/her hands on the wheel––and car on the road!––while simultaneously pursuing the SWL hobby. My very first day on the road with the BST-1, I was pretty impressed with its performance.

The BST-1 has the same form-factor of most SDRs: a black box. The small size and light weight make it ideal for stashing under a seat or in your vehicle's trunk.

The BST-1 has the same form-factor of most SDRs: a black box. The small size and light weight make it ideal for stashing under a seat or in your vehicle’s trunk.

Of course, “mileage may vary” depending on your particular vehicle and receiver installation, but in my case the BST-1 proved to be a fairly quiet receiver on the road. I heard no significant RF noise due to the car’s ignition or engine, and the FM transmitter audio link worked very effectively. I live in a relatively rural area with only a few broadcasters in the BST-1’s 88.3 – 88.9 MHz transmitter range. There is, however, a fairly strong broadcaster on 88.9, but surprisingly the BST-1’s FM transmitter is strong enough that my car’s FM receiver blocks it. Not bad!

Additionally, the shortwave audio is unexpectedly good through my car’s audio system. The 5 kHz/3kHz bandwidth selections are appropriate for decent audio fidelity; indeed, the 5 kHz filter actually sounds more like a 7 kHz filter to my ears.

In terms of sensitivity, the BST-1 exceeds my expectations. The sensitivity is ample enough to receive almost every domestic shortwave broadcaster, strong international broadcasters, and time stations like WWV and CHU Canada. To be fair, I’m sure the sensitivity is being hampered somewhat by the fact the receiver must operate in a mobile environment with the accompanying local interference, but it’s still quite capable.

In the time I’ve been using the BST-1, I’ve logged the following stations here in eastern North America while mobile:

  • WRMI
  • Radio Australia
  • Radio Havana Cuba
  • HM01 (Numbers Station)
  • WWCR
  • WTWW
  • China Radio International
  • All India Radio
  • WBCQ

Of course, here in North America (during the daytime especially), you’ll hear a lot of the Overcomer Ministries via various private/religious broadcasters. Most of the time, these broadcasts are received as clearly as a local AM broadcaster.

In terms of selectivity, the BST-1 is effective. For about ninety percent of my listening, it rejects adjacent signal interference. In extreme cases—like that of Radio Australia (9,580 kHz), which experiences regular interference from China Radio International (9,570 kHz)—it struggles. But in truth, only the very best of my receivers—typically ones with selectable sync detection—can mitigate most of CRI’s spurious emissions. In other words, I’m pleased I’m able to listen to Radio Australia with the BST-1 despite the noise from CRI.

Click here to view a video I made listening to Radio Australia while waiting 20 minutes in construction traffic.

The BST-1 is unlike any other receiver I’ve reviewed here on the SWLing Post. So let’s get to the point: is it worth the purchase?

What the BST-1 isn’t

If you’re looking for a receiver to snag rare and weak DX while mobile, you will be disappointed. Expectations should be kept in line on this point. Especially while your car is running, the BST-1 simply doesn’t have the characteristics of a DX receiver (low noise floor combined with excellent sensitivity and a super stable AGC, for example).

And frankly, the process of band-scanning in 5 kHz steps seeking an elusive weak-signal station would not be fun.

What the BST-1 is

Simply put: the BST-1 is a lot of fun! Without breaking the bank, the BST-1 can bring many of your favorite broadcasters, and the SWL experience, to your vehicle. Once memories are loaded, it’s a simple process to scan them manually or automatically. And at night? You may very well snag serious DX here and there—especially if parked in an area far away from urban radio interference.

In short, the BST-1 is simple to use, unobtrusive, and, frankly, does what it’s designed to do: permit you to SWL in your car.

BSTFM2

If your vehicle’s radio has RDS, you’ll have full access to the BST-1 display information.

Summary

Invariably, all radios have strengths and weaknesses; here’s a list of my notes from the moment I put the BST-1 on the air:

Pros:

  • Simple installation for a mobile radio
  • Ample sensitivity & selectivity
  • Little ignition/alternator noise in tested installation
  • Surprisingly good audio via FM transmitter link
  • Remote control/key fob (see cons)
    • Non-distracting while driving
    • Easily-to-learn common commands
    • Responsive beeps and “click” sounds to aid tuning
  • Two ways to connect to a DC source: 12V plug or traditional two-wire
  • Two AM bandwidths
  • Two sensitivity settings
  • Appropriate 5 kHz steps for broadcasting tuning
  • RDS tags work amazingly well (see con)

Cons:

  • Remote control/key fob (see pros)
    • Learning curve for infrequently used functions
    • Audio feedback only (no visual feedback) if your car’s radio doesn’t have RDS capability
    • Only two buttons control twelve functions
  • Limited tuning functionality (5 kHz steps up/down with band scan and memory scan)
  • No SSB
  • No sync detection

BST-1-Receiver-Label-Alt

In conclusion, I’m so glad I finally installed the BST-1. If your vehicle has a RDS capabilities, the BST-1 will feel like a fully-integrated part of your mobile audio system. Even without RDS–like my situation–it still packs a lot of punch and is impressively engineered for distraction-free operation..

I must admit, it’s awfully magical to be driving down the highway here in the States, listening to, for example, Radio Australia, some 15,700 km away… So if you travel or commute regularly, and you love SWL, this little mobile shortwave receiver might be just made-to-order for you, too.

At $179.50 plus shipping, the BST-1 costs about the same as a decent portable shortwave receiver–a good value in my book!

Click here for BST-1 ordering information.

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Video: Listening to Radio Australia via the BST-1 car shortwave radio

Car-Shortwave-Radio

I’ve been evaluating the BST-1 car shortwave radio for a review that will soon appear in The Spectrum Monitor magazine.

I must admit: it’s mighty fun to be able to listen to shortwave broadcasters through my vehicle’s audio system.

Last week, the BST-1 saved my sanity, too. You see, I was in a rush to get to a morning appointment in town when Murphy’s Law stopped me dead in my tracks!

A construction crew began resurfacing a two mile (unavoidable) stretch of asphalt road on my route. As the road crew set up their gear, I was forced to wait a full 20 minutes (!!!!) before being allowed to pass.

Fortunately, I remembered that I had the BST-1 hooked up in the car. I tuned to 9580 kHz and there was Radio Australia. Somehow, hearing my staple broadcaster soothed my nerves. I accepted that I would be late for my appointment and simply enjoyed the moment. In your face, Murphy–!!!!

Here’s a very short video I made while stopped:

Click here to view on YouTube.

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Car Shortwave Radio

sw_car_audioTonight on Allan Weiner Worldwide (WBCQ  7490 kHz coming in beautifully on my FRG-7) Allan mentioned a shortwave radio converter for car radios. The package uses a small box which plugs into the cigarette lighter socket and can either use an antenna made for the converter or an antenna supplied by the user. The unit can display frequencies through the FM RDS display, and has a key-fob controller for scanning and saving stations into memory.

Here are some of the features listed by the manufacturer:

FEATURES OF THE BST-1
Excellent sensitivity – 0.5 microvolt at the antenna connector will stop the preset scan and provide a very listenable signal.
Automatic Gain Control – Keeps audio levels constant for weak and strong stations.
Full Shortwave band coverage – tune to any 5 kHz spaced AM channel from 2.3 to 26.1 MHz.   The frequency coverage is actually from 150 KHz to 30 MHz but with reduced sensitivity when operating outside of the shortwave bands, especially below 1.8 MHz.  This extended frequency range lets you listen to the 10 and 160 meter ham radio bands as well as CB channels.  If you are close to the transmitting antenna, you can even hear airport beacons in the 200 to 400 KHz radio-location band.
DSP (digital signal processor) selectivity – Sharp 3 kHz for speech or wider bandwidth for Hi-Fi music.
Noise Blanker – A digital noise blanker greatly eliminates any spark plug noise from car engine that can disrupt reception.Built-in crystal controlled FM transmitter –  Has RDS to display 5 digit tuned shortwave frequency and preset channel number/ “S” meter on the vehicle’s FM radio.
Four BST-1 broadcast FM frequencies can be selected by the Key Fob Controller so you always have a clear FM channel to use.  Programmed with 88.3, 88.5, 88.7, and 88.9 MHz – one of these channels will always be clear to listen for the BST-1’s FM transmitter.
If you know Morse code for the numbers 0-9 (very easy to learn), you can use the Key-Fob to activate a Morse code annunciation of tuned frequency.   This aids in operation if your FM receiver doesn’t have RDS display or if you can’t look at the display on the FM radio while driving.

Key-Fob command for instant selection of WWV channels – 5,10,15, and 20 MHz for accurate time and signal propagation checks.

High or Low sensitivity selection by the Key Fob – Optimum performance can always be obtained during conditions of very strong signals.
Rugged construction – Designed for automotive use.
Memory storage of up to 100 preset channels-  After changing channels, the preset channel is shown on the RDS display for 3 seconds and then the display switches to show the “S” meter.
The BST-1 can be manually tuned to any 5 KHz channel in the turning range and if desired, that new frequency stored in preset memory (up to 100 presets).  Note that the BST-1 radio is AM reception only so 5 KHz tuning intervals are optimum since all International Shortwave stations are on 5 KHz channels. A digital AFC (Automatic frequency control) circuit in the BST-1 is used to automatically compensate for stations that are slightly off (+/- 150 ppm) the exact 5 KHz channel.
Pre-programmed- The BST-1 is ready to start listening right away.  Comes with 50 popular U.S. and International shortwave stations as well as WWV at 5,10,15 and 20 MHz.
Easily add or delete preset channels using the Key Fob controller.

For a starting price of $179.50 (as of this writing) plus shipping, this is an intriguing possibility for having shortwave radio in the car. 73, Robert

Robert Gulley, AK3Q, is the author of this post and a regular contributor to the SWLing Post. Robert also blogs at All Things Radio.

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Vote: Support the production of a car shortwave radio

c300 photo in operation

SWLing Post contributor, Fred Studenberg, recently contacted me about an ingenious car (mobile) shortwave radio he’s designed. Though originally designed for his own personal use, Fred’s now considering initiating a production run of the radio for the commercial market. To do so, however, he needs funding to help pay for parts, and this is where we can help:  by voting for his shortwave car radio design in this contest–! Fred writes with details about his radio:

I wanted a high performance shortwave receiver in my car without the clutter of a separate unit under the dash.  It had to be easy to tune stations and not require any modifications to my car’s built-in radio and audio system.   I looked everywhere, and there was nothing that even came close to meeting my requirements.

Being a retired RF communications engineer, I set about designing a high performance digital radio.  It installs remotely in the trunk or hatchback area and broadcasts tuned shortwave audio to your car FM radio.  No modifications at all to the car radio or FM system are required.  It is powered right off your car’s power plug.

new bst photo

Operation is simple: tune your car FM radio to 88.1 or 88.3 and use a small handheld wireless key fob controller to scan through the 100 preset channels.  You have access to full shortwave band coverage in 5 KHz tuning steps with excellent sensitivity and selectivity.  There is even a digital noise blanker to eliminate spark plug ignition interference.   You can also manually scan to find new stations to add to preset memory, quick tune to WWV for time checks, and even switch the audio bandwidth for voice or music.

If your FM radio has RDS display you can see the tuned shortwave frequency as well as a digital “S” meter.  If your car radio does not have RDS, it still works.  Just press the scan button on the wireless controller until you hear something interesting or go into manual mode and scan the various shortwave bands listening for something of interest.

This started as a project just for my use, but after I showed it to a few people, I was encouraged to make it commercially available.   I’ve entered it in a design contest that will provide $10,000 worth of parts to help launch a production run.

You can see full information on the radio at www.carshortwaveradio.com and there is a link right at the top to take one to the voting site, or go directly to the voting site at Your IoT and look for the car shortwave radio entry.

If readers are interested in seeing this in production, indicate your interest by voting.  You have to vote by logging in with your Facebook account, which presumes you have a FB account–if not, they are easy to set up, and you can use a pseudonym and leave out all the personal info they ask [for] at signup.

I voted for Fred’s design earlier today. It does require using your Facebook login to vote, but the contest site can only read the public profile you choose to provide, and–if you allow it–your email address.

If you have a Facebook account, please consider helping Fred out by voting for his shortwave car radio design!

Click here to vote!

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