Category Archives: News

The New Happy Station Show via WRMI

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SWLers will be happy to know that one of the longest running shortwave radio shows of all time will be back on the air after a 15 year absence. The return of The Happy Station Show? Well, sort of.

The original Happy Station Show host, Edward "Eddie" Startz. Photo courtesy of RNW.

The original Happy Station Show host, Edward "Eddie" Startz. Photo courtesy of RNW.

A little history…The original Happy Station Show was broadcast by Dutch station PCJJ from 1928 until 1946 when Radio Netherlands took the show.  The format was eclectic and very much tailored to an international crowd–it included popular music (mostly European), vintage recordings and multilingual banter; shows were in English or Spanish (sometimes both). As the name implies, the show was light-hearted and fun.

The Happy Station Show was first hosted by the popular Edward “Eddie” Startz who served until his retirement in the early 1970s.  Many hosts took the reigns after Eddie, including Tom Meijer, Pete Myers, Jonathan Groubert and Jaime Báguena. Unfortunately, the show was canceled by Radio Netherlands in 1995.

I was delighted to hear (via Kim Andrew Elliot) that The Happy Station Show will once again be on the air. At least, a show called “The Happy Station Show” will be on the air.  You see, this show will be based in Taipei, Taiwan and will not be sponsored by Radio Netherlands. The new host is experienced Canadian broadcaster Keith Perron.

Radio Miami International

Radio Miami International

I can’t wait to hear the first broadcast in March from WRMI to North America (9955 kHz)–sounds like those of you who’d rather listen on an iPod will probably have that option available, too.

I will post info here as it becomes available–please subscribe to our feed and comments.

Addendum

Just heard from host Keith Perron, who writes:

The first show will be March 11th at 0100. March 11th, incidentally, is the same date Philips Radio signed on with broadcasts to the Dutch East Indies.

He adds, regarding the new format:

…I don’t want to give too many details, but the first new Happy Station in almost 15 years will have some surprises.

Tom [Meijer] will appear in the new series in guest spots every now and again.

Keith Perron, host of the New Happy Station Show

Keith Perron, host of the New Happy Station Show

I’m looking forward to it!  Thanks to Keith for the scoop.

More info on the new Happy Station Show:

Podcasts/MP3s of past shows:

Also, check out this great article on Edward Startz by Radio Netherlands Worldwide.

A Voice of WWV Goes Silent, Off The Air

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I was very saddened to learn recently that Don Elliot Heald–the voice of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) radio station, WWV–passed away Feb 19th, 2009. My earliest memories of listening to shortwave radio included hearing his voice read the time on WWV’s frequencies (2.5, 5, 10, 15 and 20 MHz) in the 1970s.

Heald was also heavily involved in broadcasting and charitable organizations. You can read his full obituary here.

All India Radio to begin DRM transmissions

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All India Radio (AIR) Headquarters in Dehli, India. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

All India Radio (AIR) Headquarters in Dehli, India. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Source — All India Radio News:

“The first digital shortwave transmitter of All India Radio will start functioning from Friday. The Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati, Mr. B. S. Lalli will inaugurate this transmitter to mark the Golden Jubilee of High Power Transmitter Centre of AIR at Khampur in New Delhi. It will provide quality output to the listeners on the shortwave. The External Services programmes of AIR and Vividh Bharati services will be available with a boosted backup.”

The Magno Medium Radio

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The Mango Medium Radio

The Magno Medium Radio by designer Singgih Kartono

Areaware, a New York City based eco-retailer, showed off their Magno radio product line by designer Singgih Kartono at the Consumer Electronics Show this year.

An eco radio?  Yes, these radios are made of new growth, sustainably harvested wood from Java. Areaware claims that for every tree that is used in production, a new one is planted. Of course, the inside of the radio is electronic–you can only take sustainable wood so far.

I’m not sure what the AM/FM nor 2.3-22 MHz SW reception would be like on the beautifully designed Magno Medium Radio. I do know that Areaware products tend to perform well–perhaps striking that eloquent balance between form and function.

Areaware sells two other radios: the Magno Small Radio (AM/FM), and the three vacuum tube 2B Radio.

I don’t know about you, but I’d like all three.

Do you have a Magno?  Leave a comment!

The Grundig G3 Voyager–a new portable with synchronous detection

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Grundig G3 Voyager

Grundig G3 Voyager

Universal Radio has just posted a product page for a new Grundig portable–the Grundig G3 Voyager. Feature wise, it looks like a marriage of the G6 and G5 in that it has full LW/MW/AM/FM coverage, plus the G6’s aircraft band. Physically, the G3 resembles the G5.

What could make the G3 Voyager a highly competitive portable, though, is the fact that it will offer Synchronous Detection. This feature reduces fading and adjacent station interference on shortwave frequencies. The other notable portable with this feature is the trusty Sony ICF-7600GR.

Note that the G3 has not not hit retailer shelves yet, nor does it have FCC approval. Subscribe to our RSS feed, or check back here often as we will announce when the G3 becomes available.

UPDATE 01/10/09 – Etón has now released a product spec sheet (below) and has the G3 listed on their website (link below).

UPDATE: The Grundig G5 no longer appears on the etón website. Perhaps the G3 is replacing it?

Links:

Please comment on this post or contact me if you have more information about the G3. I will add info as it becomes available.

Canada’s shortwave time station, CHU, is moving

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Press release from the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada:

CHU's QSL card used in the 1980s depicting Sir Sanford Fleming, father of uniform times zones.

1980s QSL card from radio station CHU depicting Sir Sanford Fleming, father of uniform time zones.

Time to change your shortwave radio dial

After seventy years of broadcasting Canada’s official time, NRC’s shortwave station CHU will move the transmission frequency for the 7335 KHz transmitter to 7850 KHz. The change goes into effect on 01 January 2009 at 00:00 UTC.

CHU is a part of NRC’s system for disseminating official time throughout Canada, broadcasting 24 hours a day from a location approximately 15 km south-west of downtown Ottawa. Listeners hear tones to mark the seconds, voice to announce the time in French and English, and digital data to set computers.

The atomic clocks at CHU are part of the ensemble of clocks in the time and frequency research laboratories in Ottawa, at the National Research Council Canada. The NRC clocks are used in conjunction with clocks in the time laboratories of other countries to construct the internationally accepted scale of time, UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), which is now the reference for official time used by all countries. UTC is the modern implementation of Greenwich Mean Time.

“Coincidentally, this frequency change comes at a time when NRC is investing resources to refurbish the aging transmitters at CHU in order to provide clear, dependable shortwave services as part of NRC’s mandate to disseminate time to all Canadians.” said Raymond Pelletier, Technical Officer at the NRC-Institute for National Measurement Standards, who oversees the CHU facility. “The shortwave time service is especially beneficial for those in remote locations where there is limited access to internet and telephone communication. CHU also provides a back up against failure of other services.”

In April 2007, the International Telecommunications Union re-allocated the 7300-7350 KHz band from a fixed service to a broadcasting service. Since then, interference on the 7335 KHz frequency has come from many information broadcasters around the world.

CHU listeners in Canada and around the world who have for so long considered the 7335 KHz frequency exclusively for time signals, are very vocal about this interference. We have heard from amateur radio operators, watchmakers, astronomers, and navigators who use the tones and voice signals. As well, comments were received from those who use the carrier as a calibration source at a distance for their equipment.

To give notice to users, CHU will broadcast an announcement in both English and French. More information
about CHU can be found at:
http://inms-ienm.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/time_services/shortwave_broadcasts_e.html
Comments about the CHU change can be sent by e-mail to [email protected].