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The asteroid will be making a 0.85 lunar distance flyby of Earth on November 8.
While the listening frequencies are well above the HF (shortwave) spectrum, many of you may have wide-band receivers or ham radio equipment that could tune in the signals. So, apologies for this slightly off-topic post. The amateur radio astronomer in me couldn’t help but promote this rather cool and unique opportunity.
From Southgate ARC:
Because YU55 will be so close to Earth, its radar echo will be detectable with even small antennas (~1 m^2). YU55’s echo will be a slowly drifting signal with a bandwidth of ~1 Hz within a few kHz of 2380 MHz or 8560 MHz.
[…]On November 8, 2011, 19:15 – 19:30 UTC, Arecibo will be transmitting a continuous wave tuned to put the asteroid’s echo at a constant 2380.000000 MHz at the Green Bank Telescope. Observers elsewhere on Earth will see the echo within 2 kHz of 2380 MHz, Doppler-shifted by the Earth’s rotation. It will be slowly drifting in frequency and have a bandwidth of ~0.6 Hz.
On November 9, 2011, 01:30 – 02:00 UTC, the Goldstone Deep Space Network facility will be be transmitting a continuous wave tuned to put the asteroid’s echo a constant 8560.000000 MHz at a second antenna at the Goldstone site. Other observers may see the echo shifted by as much as 6 kHz, and it will have a bandwidth of ~2 Hz.
The BBC World Service has launched special radio broadcasts on its Somalia service aimed at helping those affected by the famine in the Horn of Africa.
According to a release, the daily 15 minute programmes, called Gurmad (Rescue), feature news bulletins offering practical information and expert advice “to help people to make informed decisions that may help them survive the famine”.
The editor of BBC Somali, Yusuf Garaad Omar, said while the broadcaster has been covering the humanitarian crisis its reporters have been “overwhelmed” with questions on relief aid.
“So we decided to devote a special programme to address these issues, and as a majority of those affected are Somali-speakers, it was also obvious that BBC Somali is the right channel to reach these people.
“We hope that timely, up-to-date information, provided by experts, about issues these people are facing every day, will help them survive this crisis. We will do our best to maintain the supply of such knowledge to all those who are in need of it.”
It pleases me to no end to know that someone at the BBC World Service acknowledges that shortwave radio is still the most effective way to reach those who live in the most rural and impoverished parts of our globe.
Marie Lamb has announced that DXing with Cumbre show 702 is now available for download.
DXing with Cumbre, for those of you who are not familiar, is an excellent program for anyone interested in the shortwave radio listening hobby. Best of all, it’s free to everyone!
Last night, I tuned to the pirate radio watering hole of 6,925 kHz shortwave. I caught a bit of the Southern Relay Network as they played several hurricane and storm themed songs.
I recorded a bit of the end of the show for you. Note that there was a lot of noise on the frequency–many of the static crashes were attributed to Hurricane Irene herself.
ETOW's self-powered shortwave radios continue to be an invaluable source of information in post-earthquake Haiti.
August 20th is National Radio Day, a day for celebrating the invention of radio and this amazing 110+ year old communications medium, still so vital to information access throughout our world.
Those of you who still believe in the relevance of radio, please consider giving the gift of radio by making a tax-deductible donation to Ears To Our World (ETOW). ETOW sends self-powered (wind-up) shortwave radios to some of our planet’s most rural and impoverished schools and communities, often where there is no internet access nor power grid.
Those who think shortwave radio has limited use in today’s information age should see how much impact it has in parts of the world where ETOW works. In these regions, often remote or war-torn, radio connects communities with the rest of the world–and it can mean the world.
All India Radio (AIR) will broadcast a running commentary in English and Hindi of the flag hoisting ceremony and the Prime Minster’s speech to be held at Red Fort, New Delhi between 0135-0240 UTC (0705-0810 hrs IST) on 15th August, 2011 (Monday) on the following frequencies.
The new Tecsun PL-398BT will feature Bluetooth technology, which should allow for remote radio listening on computers, mobile phones and other devices with Bluetooth capabilities.
This week, I noticed a post on the excellent Herculodge blog that Tecsun is about to update their product line, placing an even stronger emphasis on quality control and offering up innovative features like Bluetooth technologies on their new PL-398BT. Some of the Herculodge’s information came from one of their own sources and a discussion thread from Tecsun’s user group that was started by a member who had recently taken a tour of Tecsun’s Shanghai service center.
This is very exciting news indeed as I have become quite fond of the Tecsun product line. Tecsun portable radios seem to have excellent quality control (especially when compared to the likes of Degen and Kaito, for example) and offer innovative features like an adjustable IF bandwidth and ETM (Easy Tuning Mode)–features not typically associated with shortwave portables.
The Tecsun PL-505 looks to be an improved version of the popular Tecsun PL-606.
I would have to assume that these radios will primarily be available through Honk Kong distributors on eBay. This year, Kaito USA became North America’s only authorized distributor of Tecsun radios–meaning, they can offer a manufacturer’s warranty, something Hong Kong distributors cannot. However, reports are that Kaito USA’s Tecsun radio stock may not be as updated as the versions sold by Tecsun distributors on eBay. In general, feedback from eBay purchasers has been very positive as eBay sellers offer their own guarantee and many check each radio before it is shipped (hence, your box may look like it has already been opened). Before purchasing any radio on eBay, make sure you check each seller’s user feedback points.
If history is an indicator, the Tecsun PL-505 and Tecsun PL-398BT will first be available to purchase on eBay. I have provided links below to automate your search–please note that until these products are available, don’t expect to see any results.
Last night, I tuned to the pirate radio watering hole of 6,925 kHz shortwave. I caught a bit of the Southern Relay Network as they played several hurricane and storm themed songs.
This is very exciting news indeed as I have become quite fond of the 