Category Archives: News

Doug recommends the RegeMoudal Emergency Solar Hand Crank AM/FM/WX Radio

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Doug Nickle, who writes:

“You once recommended some alternatives to the CCrane Solar Observer. In looking at the RunningSnail you initially recommended, I came across this other upgraded version (with a slightly larger battery bank, 2000 mAh, vs. 1000 mAh).

[…]I did pick up the RegeMoudal Emergency Solar Hand Crank Radio. It looks like it’s made for a couple different companies/brands.

So far I like it a lot, for an emergency radio. Audio is pretty good for a radio in this price range.

[…]I’ve been generally happy with the WX reception. AM and FM are generally clear, if not a bit tinny, but that is dependent on the clarity of the station to begin with as the stronger stations come in smooth and balanced.

The flashlight and reading light are bright and functional LED; the flip up reading light is a really nice addition and would work well in a tent or simply in a power outage.

I haven’t tested it yet, but I bought this unit because of the 2000 mAH battery bank. I’ve got multiple dedicated, higher capacity battery banks, but I figured having one more can’t hurt.

My only wish would be a slightly longer antenna (this one is only nine inches).

I’m currently using rechargable AAA batteries but it comes with a micro USB and has both micro and regular USB inputs for charging, as well as a plug for a headset.

Neat little rig and worth having in the bag for emergencies or power outages. All in all, this is a great emergency radio for under $30 bucks.”

Click here to view on Amazon (note: this affiliate link supports the SWLing Post)

Thank you, Doug. I agree with you: the increased capacity of the internal battery is actually a major plus. I’m also happy to hear that the LED lighting is functional. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a model with a pop-up light on top. Thanks for sharing your review.

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The Spirit of Radio

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Neil Peart (Source: Rush.com)

i just learned about the passing of Rush drummer and lyricist, Neil Peart.

Rush is one of my all-time favorite rock bands and their music has been an ever-present part of my life. Although all three of Rush’s members are incredibly talented musicians, Peart truly defined Rush, in my opinion. Rush is one of the few rock bands that prominently feature the drummer front-and-center in every piece.

Peart was a legend and surely a benchmark for any percussionist.

As the Rolling Stone put it:

“Peart was one of rock’s greatest drummers, with a flamboyant yet utterly precise style that paid homage to his hero, the Who’s Keith Moon, while going well beyond that example. He joined singer-bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson in Rush in 1974, and his virtuosic playing and literate, wildly imaginative lyrics – which drew on Ayn Rand and science fiction, among other influences – helped make the trio one of the essential bands of the classic-rock era.”

Peart passed away at the age of 67 after more than a three year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer

One of my favorite pieces by Rush is “The Spirit of Radio” which was released in 1980 and appeared on their iconic album Permanent Waves. The following live performance features an phenomenal intro into the song. If you like Rush, you’ll love this concert clip:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Rest in peace, Neil…

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VOA Museum featured in Atlas Obscura

Encore – Classical Music – New transmission time Europe.

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This weekend Encore – Classical Music on Radio Tumbril will start broadcasting at a NEW TIME in Europe. We have moved the 15:00 UTC Sunday transmission on 6070 kHz to 11:00 UTC on SATURDAY on 6070 kHz with Channel 292.

There should be much less interference from adjacent channels at this time. For now – the repeat will continue to be on Friday evenings at 19:00 UTC as usual.

WWCR will broadcast the Encore on Saturday at 21:00 UTC as usual on 9350 kHz. The propagation is very good over the US and much of Canada and the signal carries to parts of western Europe too.

(We had a reception report from West Bengal in India last week too.)

WBCQ send out the show on 7490 kHz at 01:00 UTC Monday to the US.

Do let us know how well you can pick up Encore at your location by emailing to [email protected]. We try to reply to all emails and will send eQSL cards for full reports – though a brief report is fine.

This week’s programme Starts with some solo cello by Bach and part of the Beethoven violin concerto. After that we will have come contemporary pieces by Thomas Adés and Jennifer Higdon followed by some Smetena and a romance by Haydn.

The programme finishes with First Snow by Mansell and some Mozart. I hope you enjoy it.

The playlist is on the website – along with an email link and comments page.

Both Channel 292 and WBCQ as well as WWCR can be pulled live off the internet if the reception is poor in your location. Easy to find their sites with a google search.

In the meantime – thank you for spreading the word about Encore – Classical Music on Shortwave. And thank you to everyone for letting us know how well the signal is received where you live.

Brice Avery – Encore – Radio Tumbril.

Regular Broadcast times are:

11:00 – 12:00 UTC Saturday on 6070 kHz on Channel 292 and repeated 19:00 – 20:00 UTC Friday on 6070 kHz Channel 292 (Germany).

21:00 – 22:00 UTC Saturday on 9350 kHz WWCR (Nashville).

01:00 – 02:00 UTC Monday on 7490 kHz WBCQ – (Maine).

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The WWII “Mosquito Network”

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Marty, who shares this article by Mark Durenberger in Radio World:

Inside the U.S. effort in a battle of the airwaves during the Pacific campaign of World War II

We can’t fully appreciate the importance of news from home to those who served in World War II. In the Pacific campaigns, G.I.s, sailors and Marines fought bloody island-hopping battles; as each island was cleared, garrison troops and hospitals moved in and carried on their own war against mosquitoes, isolation and boredom. The island fighters were fortunate if dated mail caught up with them before they moved on to the next target. Timely personal-level communications were pretty much absent.

Radio programming from America was available but only on shortwave. And shortwave radios were not generally available. The fortunate few had been issued “Buddy Kits” that included a radio, a small PA system and a record player for discs sent by mail. But for most there was no way to receive short-lived information such as news and sports. They were left with enemy radio propaganda such as Japan’s “Orphan Ann/Annie” (aka one of several Tokyo Roses) and the “Zero Hour” program.

No wonder that the idea of having a local island radio station doing “live from home” was so fiercely supported. Enlightened commanders saw the idea as a terrific morale-builder. The only problem was how to pull it off.

A solution, not uniquely, came from within the ranks. It started with the work of some bored but talented soldiers in the Panama Canal Zone who in 1940 built a couple of 50 W transmitters and put them on the air without authorization, labeling them “PCAN” and “PCAC.”[…]

Click here to continue reading the full article at Radio World.

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John works with FCC to track down WX radar interference

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Photo source: John (AE5X)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John Harper (AE5X), who notes that he recently worked with an FCC crew to find the source of noise that was affecting a weather radar site. In the process, John got to check out, first hand, RF Hawk and some of the equipment the FCC uses to locate interference (including pirate radio stations).

Click here to read John’s full post.

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Commercial circuit simulator, Micro-Cap 12, now a free download

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Grayhat, who writes:

Maybe it’s old news for you, I just discovered it and thought you may
be interested, the commercial circuit simulator “Micro-Cap 12” which
was sold at around $4,500 for each license is now *free*, I found the
information here along with some further details:

https://hackaday.com/2020/01/08/commercial-circuit-simulator-goes-free/

The decision of releasing it as freeware seems to be related to the
fact that the company selling it (Spectrum Software) closed (not sure
for the reasons); anyhow, since the site or the download link may
disappear in some time, I think it would be a good idea to pick a copy
of the software, the full CD image including the program, libraries and
everything else can be downloaded from this page

http://www.spectrum-soft.com/download/download.shtm

Thank you for the tip! I agree with you about grabbing a full install of the application while you can!

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