Category Archives: News

Brian Hongwe reports on importance of shortwave radios in Zimbabwe

On sale now: the CommRadio CR-1, a great little receiver

[UPDATE: Check out our full review of the CR-1 by clicking here.]

A hot tip: currently, CommRadio offers the CR-1 software-defined tabletop receiver for just $500 (US), until August 1, 2013. Check out the sale on CommRadio’s website and at Universal Radio.

I have been using the CommRadio CR-1 for almost two months now. I had planned to provide a brief review for The SWLing Post by early July, but my travel schedule has simply been too hectic.

Fortunately, however, I offer a full in-depth review in the August 2013 issue of Monitoring Times magazine (incidentally, their turn-around time from submission to print is simply amazing). If you subscribe to MT–or can get your hands on a copy–you will have my full review.

Many of you have been asking me for my thoughts on the CR-1 so you will know whether or not to take advantage of promotional pricing.

In a nutshell, here is the answer your question:

Q: Is the CommRadio CR-1 a good deal?

A: Yes!

Though I was skeptical about this little receiver when I first saw the announcement in January, the CR-1 truly does hold its own. It’s a sturdy radio built with longevity and performance in mind. It’s the little touches I love: a near-perfect tuning knob (in my opinion), size & portability, multiple antenna jacks, an excellent internal battery and gold-plated circuit board pads…Performance-wise, the CR-1 has great sensitivity and selectivity on the HF bands…

Though there are a few negatives, in my book, the positives far outweigh them. If you really want to dig into the juicy details, I would encourage you to check out my full review in the August 2013 issue of Monitoring Times magazine (especially since MT, sadly, is slated to stop publishing at the end of the year).

If you’ve been on the fence about buying the CR-1, I would encourage you to give it consideration before August 1st, 2013, when the price increases to $599 US.

Here is the press release from CommRadio regarding the current $500 sale:

(Source: CommRadio)

CR-1 News for Friday, July 26th, 2013

Our Promotional Price of $500 will increase on August 1st.

All orders made after July 31st will be priced at $599 (battery included).

Order now before the price goes up.
www.commradio.com

Please note we are working hard to get all radios out as soon as possible, although the lead time could be up to 4 – 5 weeks starting this week (7/24/2013)

For any questions about ordering and shipping

or international orders please contact

Lizz Arias

[email protected]

Bonito introduces the AntennaJet AAS300 active antenna splitter

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The Bonito AS300 AntennaJet

This year, at the Friedrichshafen Hamfest, Bonito introduced the AntennaJet AAS300–an active antenna splitter that will allow three receivers to use one antenna with very little loss. Dennis Walter, with Bonito, recently contacted me with info:

The AAS300 is a 3 way active antenna splitter with excellent specifications (like isolation of 70dB!) between the outputs.

No extra power supply is necessary, because it’s USB powered– no switching, no buttons. The physical size is exactly like the Bonito RadioJet IF Receiver.

It was one of the most popular devices at the Friedrichshafen show and we already have many preorders.

The device is fully made here in Germany.

We are starting now to resell it.

The Price for end costumers is: 210,-€ / 278 US$ as an introductory offer and will be 230,-€ / 299,-US$ regular (next year)

Thanks, Dennis!

If you would like to read more about the new AntennaJet AAS300, click here for specs on Bonito’s site.

This is certainly a device I will consider purchasing. I tend to use one large multi-band delta loop for all of my receivers. I often record broadcasts on one receiver and wish that I could band-scan with the same antenna on another receiver. The AAS300 would make for a simple solution.

Dennis tells me that the AAS300 will be available through North American retailers and global distributors that currently carry the Bonito RadioJet.

Monitoring Times Magazine ceases publication: December 2013 last issue

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I just noticed the following statement on the Monitoring Times magazine’s website:

After 33 years of service to the radio community, Monitoring Times will cease publication with the December, 2013 issue. Subscriptions and renewals for the remaining months can be made by calling (800) 438-8155.

[Update] I also received this message from MT:

After 33 years of publishing the most informative and lauded magazine on monitoring the radio spectrum, Judy and I are finally going to retire. We are grateful for the dedicated efforts of our fine staff of writers for the excellent work which has kept MT alive for all these years. While we know the discontinuation of MT, with our December issue, will be a disappointment to our readers and writers alike, we realize that a combination of a poorly performing economy, as well as the ready availability of free listening and technical information on the Internet, has reduced sales and subscriptions throughout the market place. I would like to thank you personally for your knowledge, your dependability, and your professionalism in making MT the publication that is most often referred to in the radio monitoring hobby. It is a legacy that we have all inherited.

Warmest regards to all our writers, Bob and Judy Grove

This is sad news, indeed. I’ve been a regular reader for many years, and more recently, a regular contributor for Monitoring Times. I only have very positive things to say about the MT staff: they’re friendly, professional and honor their word in every respect.

I’ve had articles in the past three issues–this month, there will be two that I wrote following the 2013 Dayton Hamvention. With any luck, maybe I’ll get a couple more articles in before MT closes shop.

Monitoring Times will be sorely missed.

ERT still broadcasting while Greek Public Television (EDT) emerges

KVOH test today on 17,775 kHz

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(Source: KVOH)

KVOH – Voice of Hope, Los Angeles, would like to thank all those who responded to last Saturday’s test broadcast. It was unfortunate that the time chosen for the test happened to coincide with a geomagnetic storm, but in spite of that, reports have so far been received from 13 U.S. states, as well as from Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and Indonesia.

The station will be testing again tomorrow, Sunday 7th, from 1700-1900 UTC (1-3pm Eastern). As before, the frequency is 17775 kHz, with 50 kW on a beam of 100 degrees (towards Cuba). The same test program will be used as last week, with announcements in English and Spanish, which hopefully will be easier to copy since atmospheric conditions are better this weekend. Reports will be very much appreciated to either [email protected] or P.O. Box 102, Los Angeles, CA 90078. If reporting by email, please attach a short mp3 recording of your reception if possible. If reporting by mail and requesting a QSL, please enclose return postage. In all reports, please be sure to describe your receiver and antenna used. Reception comparisons using handheld portable radios with telescopic antennas (outdoors) will be especially helpful.

KVOH currently expects to be able to launch a preliminary 2-hour daily schedule around the end of this month (July), and will build from there.

Ray Robinson
Los Angeles

Russian spies used shortwave numbers stations and satellites inside Germany

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Thanks to Andrea Borgnino for sharing this article:

(Source: Der Spiegel)

A pair of Russian agents was convicted on Tuesday of spying in Germany for more than 20 years. Russian President Vladimir Putin is personally conducting the negotiations for a potential exchange, but now a new case is straining German-Russian relations.

A treasure in the exhibit room at the German Federal Criminal Police Office in the western city of Wiesbaden has aroused a great deal of curiosity among the world’s intelligence agencies. It looks like an ordinary, black laptop bag. It contains a Siemens hard drive, or at least it looks that way. But a notch reveals that it is not an off-the-shelf product. It’s a high-frequency satellite transmitter, with an antenna hidden in the flap of the bag.

The device is state-of-the-art military technology, a “top quality intelligence product,” raves an expert. In the spy wars, German authorities haven’t gotten their hands on anything this important in years. The significance of this high-tech device, however, approaches that of the legendary Enigma code machine from World War II. Domestic intelligence officials at the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) in Cologne are eager to examine the device. The American intelligence agencies, the CIA and the NSA, as well as Israel’s Mossad have also asked for permission to inspect the miraculous piece of equipment.

The satellite device served Andreas and Heidrun Anschlag as a connection back home. They were Russian spies who lived as agents in Germany for more than 20 years, until they were arrested in October 2011.

[…]In their dispatches, which the couple received with a shortwave radio, the agent controllers in Directorate S of the SWR referred to the Anschlags as “Pit” and “Tina.” They were given the state-of-the-art satellite equipment during a trip to St. Petersburg and Moscow. They also attended a course on the use of a decoding program called “Sepal” and an encoding program called “Parabola.”

This enabled “Pit” and “Tina” to establish a secure connection to Moscow. All they had to do was pay attention to the times when one of the six to eight satellites sent into space by Russian intelligence for spying activities came into range. A red light on their radio device signaled to the Anschlags that the satellite was approaching, while a blue light indicated the transmission of encoded messages.

Sometimes, when the equipment failed, the Anschlags placed the transmitter below one of their attic windows, among the fruit trees in the garden or on a nearby hill. The hills directly behind the house proved to be unsuitable, because nearby wind turbines apparently interrupted communication with the satellite.[…]

Read the full article “In the ‘Land of the Enemy’: Spies Strain German-Russian Ties” at Der Spiegel Online International.