Many thanks to my buddy Ulis (K3LU) for sharing this brilliant commercial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxU1ZhINaHk&t=13
This African ISP commercial may be the best amateur radio promotion ever
1 Reply
Category Archives: News
Shortwave Radio Recordings: Australia Bureau Of Meteorology
This morning, I re-discovered a recording I made in the early morning hours of January 25, 2015 on 6,230 kHz SSB: the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s marine weather radio service.
This was actually a new station for me and, no doubt, decent DX (though I’m sure the broadcast is quite audible when conditions are favorable). While I prefer old-school recorded voice for shipping forecasts, this nonetheless has a catchy cadence.
Click here to download the audio as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:
Audio PlayerYet another incoming CME
Screen capture via Spaceweather.com
Many thanks to my good friend Mike Hansgen (K8RAT) who notes that another CME may affect the HF bands tomorrow. Spaceweather.com has posted an update:
“GREEN SKIES FOR ST. PATRICK’S DAY? Yesterday, a CME billowed away from the sun’s western limb: SOHO movie. The massive cloud could deliver a glancing blow to our planet’s magnetic field on March 17th, filling Arctic skies with green auroras just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of geomagnetic storms on March 17th, increasing to 60% on March 18th as Earth passes through the CME’s turbulent wake.
The incoming CME was propelled into space by sunspot AR2297. During the early hours of March 15th, the sunspot’s magnetic canopy erupted in tandem with a nearby magnetic filament.[…]
NOAA notes that there is a 50% chance this CME will cause geomagnetic storms, thus potential for unsettled HF band conditions.
HFCC posts A15 updated schedule
Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Mike, who notes that the HFCC has just posted the A15 Updated Operational Transmission Schedule. Click here to open the HFCC portal, then click each broadcaster “TX” link to see full schedules.
Shortwave Radio Recordings: Radio Bahrain
Yesterday, my buddy Dan Robinson posted a tip on the Extreme Shortwave Listening Facebook page that Radio Bahrain was audible in the Eastern USA (note his video below). I quickly tuned to 9745 kHz and, sure enough–though weak–the Radio Bahrain signal could be heard over the noise floor. Radio Bahrain is not the easiest catch in my part of the world–especially with propagation conditions being less than favorable as of late–so I made a recording.
This recording was made on 9745 kHz starting at 23:15 UTC on March 15, 2015. I used my WinRadio Excalibur which was already on and connected to my horizontal delta loop antenna. Click here to download as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:
Audio PlayerMany thanks to Dan Robinson who shares this video of Radio Bahrain reception via his JRC NRD 301A and Watkins Johnson 8718A/MFP with Wellbrook 1530 Imperium:
Do late model PL-880s lack some hidden features?
SWLing Post reader, Del Fields, writes:
“I’ve bought a new PL-880 this year (2015) and apparently some of the “hidden features” are not hidden anymore. They don’t even exist. HaHa.
For example, I tried the DNR hidden function by pressing and holding 6. Nothing.
Also I tried the hidden date of manufacture trick…..nothing. I tried the pressing holding while turned off, the AM BW button and did that twice and got “8820”. Pressing and holding a third time just returned it to normal off screen. Just fyi. But I do wish there was a DNR function or a squelch feature.”
This is interesting, Del–I have no late model PL-880s to try out these hidden features. My PL-880 dates from November 2013 (see the manufacturing date displayed on screen above).
Have any others who have recently purchased the PL-880 noticed this? Click here for a complete list of PL-880 hidden features.
Ray compares his JRC NRD-515 and CommRadio CR-1a
SWLing Post reader, Ray (WB8VDS) recently commented:
“I have continued to run A/B comparisons between my CR-1a and an NRD-515. Digital to Analog competition.
My NRD-515 has been a station favorite for many years. I find the two radios are pretty much equal in terms of performance. Sensitivity between the two are even. The wide range of BW filter options on the CR-1a are a real plus. My 515 has the stock 2.4 mechanical and the 500 hz cw filter.
The CR-1a with the portability, long battery life and internal speaker makes this one awesome receiver. I plan to use this radio when camping and recharging via a small solar panel should be a snap. A small QRP transmitter with T/R switching is the works.
I was really blown away by receiving an email from the president of Comm Radio concerning feedback I left on their website.
Big performance in a small package. 5/5+”
Thanks for your comment, Ray! Wow–The JRC NRD-515 is a classic. It’s great to hear that the CommRadio CR-1a stacks up so well against this benchmark.
Like you, I love the portability of the CR-1/CR-1a line. The internal battery powers it for hours at a time. I’ve hinted to CommRadio that they should design a small companion transmitter for portable QRP–link the two together and that would be one cool piece of kit!