Category Archives: Nostalgia

DX-Philately: Stamps of Radio Stations by Continents and Countries

Sony ICF-2001D/2010 vs ICF-SW77: The final result & next contender ~ The Eton E1

Hi there, after conducting a total of 14 reception tests comparing these two vintage – but excellent portable shortwave radios, there was a clear winner – the ICF-2001D. Interestingly, the second half of the testing identified yet another example of synchronous detection lock dropping out on the ICF-SW77 (during reception of Radio CANDIP, Democratic Republic of the Congo on 5066.4 kHz). Generally, however, and despite a fairly narrow performance margin, the ICF-2001D managed to deliver clearer audio across 5 of the remaining 6 reception tests, giving a final score of 9 to 3 in it’s favour. However, despite the clear win, there is no doubt in my mind at all that the ICF-SW77 is still a great portable receiver and in my humble opinion, remains one of the best ever made.

I believe this comparison test reveals the only likely remaining contender to the top-spot in portable shortwave receivers to be the Eton E1/E1XM. Originally to be marketed as the ‘Satellit 900’ (that never happened) and following a decade of development, involving RL Drake, it was finally introduced in 1995 – and then out of production within a few years. Fortunately, a couple of months ago, I managed to snag one in excellent condition on eBay, for a reasonable price. Now, these radios are not without issues, including, but not limited to; sticky rubber exterior casing, malfunctioning display, failing function keys and general all-round fragility. Not exactly what I would be looking for in a rugged, well-performing portable for my DXpeditions. However, as someone who is always exploring ways to ‘push the performance envelope’ and the obvious potential benefits of passband tuning, an allegedly superior synchronous detection circuit, 4 audio bandwidth filters and tuning resolution down to 10 Hz, the E1 was impossible for me to ignore. Thus, at some point in the near future, I will perform a similar comparison test with the Sony ICF-2001D and the Eton E1. Whichever camp you might be in, I hope you’ll enjoy the reception videos and find the results/conclusions informative.

For now, wishing you all excellent DX.

The Eton E1; possibly the best portable shortwave receiver of all time?

Clint Gouveia is the author of this post and a regular contributor to the SWLing Post. Clint actively publishes videos of his shortwave radio excursions on his YouTube channel: Oxford Shortwave Log. Clint is based in Oxfordshire, England.

Anniversaries of BBC and CBC broadcasting

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Kris Partridge, who writes:

A day or two late, but I don’t know if you have this about CBC:

(Source: Southgate ARC)

Canada’s public broadcaster, the CBC, is 80 years old

Modelled somewhat on the BBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation came into being on November 2, 1936.

Surprisingly many of the issues that led to the creation of the CBC, are still around today.

In 1936, there were 74 radio stations across the country; three were CBC stations and four more were leased. All however were dwarfed by signals sweeping across the border into Canada from more powerful US stations. Concerns of US domination of Canadian airspace, is still a concern 80 years later.

Full article here:
History: Nov 2, 1936 -Canada’s Public Broadcaster birthday: 80 today

Also yesterday was the 80th anniversary of the start of Television broadcasting in the UK

(Source: BBC Blogs)

The BBC’s first British television service launched 80 years ago today, on 2 November 1936. To mark the occasion our colleages at BBC History have launched a new website celebrating the landmark anniversary combining archive material from the early days of television.

The site is packed full of video and audio footage telling the story of television including its invention, the opening night at Alexandra Palace in 1936, TV closure during the war and its resurrection in 1946, as well as TV’s milestone moments such the Olympics and the Coronations of 1937 and 1953. We’ve selected some choice clips below to whet your appetite[…]

Read the full article and watch the archived video by clicking here & more here.

Additional links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15551270 & http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15554897

Unfortunately due to various geo restrictions the one hour long programme from BBC4 last night is not viewable on iPlayer (catch up TV) outside the UK, sorry about that.

Fantastic! Thank you Kris. I’ve really enjoyed viewing the archived footage on the BBC Blog.

Future of Radio Netherlands Archive Material

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(Source: PCJ Media Press Release)

Over the past few months PCJ Radio International has been contacted by a number of individuals concerning what is PCJ’s plans with the Radio Netherlands archive material that is now in our possession.

Hopefully this will answer some of the questions.

First question: Will PCJ create a website where the programs will be available for download?

Short answer is yes. Clips of various Radio Netherlands programs from 1947 to 1997 will be available.

Second question: Why will only clips be made available for download?

The answer to this is simple. Over the last year PCJ Radio International has been very active to remove youtube videos of Radio Netherlands material that is now our property. By having this material uploaded onto youtube the value of the archive diminishes.

The other reason is 8 months ago we had to bring action against an ebay seller who was selling a CD of Radio Netherlands material that is now the property of PCJ Radio International. We are well aware that if the archives are made available online there is a risk this will happen.

Third question: Will anyone be able to access the full archive of material?

Yes. The Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid (Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision) in Hilversum, Netherlands will be able to request material for their own research. Those who are doing research will also be able to access the material.

Fourth question: Will concerts, radio shows, and printed material be available for license by second parties?

If audio, visual or printed items will be used for commercial purposes, there will be a licensing fee. The fee will depend on the item.

Fifth question: What will happen if anyone publishes material from the archives without written consent or licensing from PCJ Radio International?

A cease and desist letter will be sent, and the individual or organization will have 14 days after a written warning to remove the copyrighted material. If after 14 days the material has still not been removed, PCJ Radio International will have no recourse but to take legal action.

Sixth question: Why is PCJ Radio International being so controlling of the material?

It has to do with cost. There is the cost of the shipping container, climate control room for the tapes, discs and films, and a full time staffer whose job it is to catalogue the tapes, discs and films. The most expensive cost is the digitizing of the films. Some of these films are 40 years old and need to be sent to a special lab for colour correction and to make any repairs necessary before they can be copied. Just to give you an example, the cost for one 25 minute film can be between 300 to 500 Euros, depending on the condition.

PCJ Radio International’s series From The Radio Netherlands Archives over the next few months will present some of the best programs from the collection.

For more information please contact PCJ Radio International at anytime: [email protected].

From The Radio Netherlands Archives Program 4

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(Source: PCJ Media)

October 30th & 31st PCJ Radio International presents program four in the continuing series From The Radio Netherlands Archives.

This month we put the spotlight on Eduard Franz Conradin (aka Eddy Startz). Startz was hired as a program maker for Philips Omroep Holland-Indie in 1927. In 1928 he started presenting programs in English, French, and Spanish. The name Happy Station came from the first words he spoke in English when he said “This is Philips Radio PCJJ your happy station) on November 19th, 1928. Hence The Happy Station Show was created.

The program will include some rare clips from his early days with PCJJ, PCJ and Radio Netherlands. Also part of the program will be a full 80 minute edition of Happy Station by Startz.

Times and frequencies:
Europe – 0600 to 0800 UTC – October 30, 2016
Frequency: 7780khz
North America – 0100 to 0300 UTC – October 31, 2016
Frequency: 7570khz
Email: [email protected]

Ends Today: “Dream Radio” Contest

Think back to your first days in radio…What was your “dream” receiver? And why?

Or–if you’re new to shortwave radio–what is your “dream” receiver currently, and why?

Many of us had a radio they dreamed of in their youth, or when they first began to hanker after the radio experience. What was yours? For newer hobbyists, what is yours? And just what made–or makes–this radio so special? Did you ever obtain one? And if so, did it live up to your expectations?

Share your experiences with the Post for a chance to win a prize from Universal Radio!

The winners of this contest will be chosen at random, using a randomizer application; an independent non-entrant will make these selections.

Thanks to Universal Radio and Fred Osterman’s generosity, there will be two winners of this simple contest–a US winner and an international winner.

The US prize will be a copy of Shortwave Receivers Past and Present by none other than Fred Osterman. I reviewed this book a couple years ago: it is an invaluable reference tool and also a fun “dream” book. With sincere apologies to my international friends, this prize must be limited to the US simply because shipping this weighty volume internationally would cost more than the book itself.

The international winner may select between the following (less weighty!) books, also very good references: Joe Carr’s Loop Antenna Book or Buying A Used Shortwave Receiver: A Market Guide To Modern Shortwave Radios.

Entering the contest is easy. Simply go to our entry form (below or click here) and fill in the required fields. Be descriptive! This will make the contest fun. Let us know in detail why that radio was (or is) so significant to you.

Your entry will be recorded, and the winners chosen at random. We will close the contest entry form by the end of the day today (October 16, 2016). We’ll publish the responses once the contest concludes, sharing only the name you provide.

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