Category Archives: Nostalgia

Dave’s late night listening session

My good buddy, Dave Richards (AA7EE), recently shared this message with his friends, many of whom do not know a lot about shortwave radio (yet):

“I’m waking up very slowly this morning – was up until 4:30am listening to the 49 meter shortwave band on a new receiver I’m building, dubbed “The Sproutie Regen” after my cat Sprout. “Regen” is short for regenerative, which refers to the type of circuit used in this receiver – it was developed by Howard Armstrong in 1915 and is 100 year-old old technology. Most of the parts are fairly new, with the exception of the tuning dial, which was made by a company from Massachusetts, called “National” – it’s probably around 50 – 70 years old, and the tuning capacitor, which is around 50 years old but had never been used. It was “new” in it’s box.

It’s not finished yet – will look a bit more spiffy when it’s done, but these are what its bones look like. 49M was fascinating last night. I heard an American propaganda station broadcasting to North Korea (The Voice Of Hope), and being jammed by the DPRK, an American propaganda station broadcasting to Cuba (Radio Marti), a very low power broadcaster from Canada, as well as Radio Habana Cuba, Radio Australia broadcast in Pidgin, Radio China International, as well as the Chinese domestic radio service (which Mao Tse Tung wanted all citizens to listen to), and a host of other broadcasters from all over. It was a fascinating cornucopia of signals from our very diverse world – and all on a receiver I built myself using 100 year-old technology.

I had trouble sitting in front of the desk because Jingles the blind kitty had curled up on the circular cushion on the chair and was happily sleeping. I somehow managed to squeeze myself in next to her and she is still napping here on the cushion next to me.

Dave’s cat, Jingles, in his shack.

I love these late night sessions. It’s just me, a cup of coffee, a shortwave receiver to listen to far-off lands, and a lovely little furry creature slumbering next to me. Perfect. As some people in this part of the San Francisco Bay Area might say, ‘my natural vibrations are perfectly aligned with the planets and receiving much abundance.’

As for me, I’m just having a good time, thank you.”

Like it, too? Follow Dave, Jingles, Sprout, and all of his homebrew adventures via his excellent radio blog.

Ken’s favorite QSL card

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Regarding memorable QSL cards, SWLing Post reader, Ken Carr comments:

“I received my favorite QSL card many years ago as a result of a random contact. I was just starting out in ham radio when I logged a QSO [contact] with a ham from Montana. I was thrilled because I knew how sparsely populated the state was. I once lived there for 8 weeks while studying at the biological station on Flathead Lake.

The very friendly and helpful ham from Montana was Bob Leo, W7LR. I promptly sent him a card and soon thereafter received one from Bob. Years later I was reading an article in QST. It was about a massive Dxpedition of 1947 sponsored in part by Hallicrafters. Hams from all over the country competed for the two coveted positions on what was called the Gatti Expedition. One of the hams chosen was Bob Leo!”

A photo of the card superimposed on the QST article along with more details are found on my Flickr site: http://bit.ly/1sxnL06“

Thanks so much for sharing this memory, Ken!

Readers: you can follow Ken on his blog, KE1RI – A New England Ham.

Victor Goonetilleke: The joy of DXing

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Victor Goonetilleke has kindly shared a passage he recently posted to Facebook. Victor pretty much sums up why I still listen to the shortwaves:

“For almost four score and 5 I enjoyed shortwave radio. Yes I was a DXer, and a dedicated listener. The thousands of hours of broadcasts I listened from the BBC, VOA, RNW, DW, RFI, Swiss Radio, NHK and many more of the international broadcasters influenced me over the years. The knowledge I gathered was transferred to hundreds of homes as I taught my students in class rooms and as a lecturer too in higher Colleges, in many social gatherings, day to day conversations with important people and everyday folks, what I gathered from my radio made them realize that there was a story out there.

And as the years went by one by one those stations started to go away and I became more and more a DXer and finally I have only those signals to bring me joy.

Tonight would you blame me for being a DXer, abandoned by the international broadcasters, if I sit back and enjoy this music through the crackle of shortwave and happy that I have a radio which few seems to understand these days.”

You can listen to the recording Victor made by clicking here: https://app.box.com/s/tcryw2ymt38gz8y6zaw4

I would also encourage you to read Victor’s guest commentary on BBG Watch which was prompted by the BBG pulling the (shortwave) plug on much of Asia.

Finally, in 2003, Jonathan Marks interviewed Victor Goonetilleke; you can watch the full interview below:

Visit with Victor Goonetilleke 2003 from Jonathan Marks on Vimeo.

A chat with Peter Homfray

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On the topic of Radio Australia, Jonathan Marks writes:

“It doesn’t seem like 10 years ago that I sat down with Peter Homfray to discuss the early days of Radio Australia. What a truly fascinating person.”

A Chat with Peter Homfray from Jonathan Marks on Vimeo.

BBC World Service Documentary: “Hang On, I’ll Just Speak to the World”

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Many thanks to Mike Barraclough who shares this documentary about the BBC World Service from 1982: “Hang On, I’ll Just Speak to the World.”

I’ve embedded video players and linked to each of the four parts on YouTube:

Listener Post: Tim Rahto

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Tim Rahto’s radio story is the latest in our series called Listener Posts, where I place all of your personal radio histories. If you would like to add your story to the mix, simply send your story by email!

In the meantime, many thanks to Tim for sharing his personal radio history:

Tim Rahto

The Sony Earth Orbiter CRF-5100 (Source: Universal Radio)

One night, when I was about six or seven, my brother put me in front of his Sony Earth Orbiter and changed my life forever. He handed me the earplug and told me that, if I was really quiet and didn’t bother him, I could hear stations from all over the world. His ploy to keep me occupied and out of his hair worked like a charm, as I was completely fascinated by what I heard.

Fast forward about ten years later to 1987, when I received the best Christmas present ever: a Realistic DX-360. I remember staying up until the wee hours of the morning listening to the BBC, Radio Havana, and many other stations. Imagine my surprise when I found Radio Australia the next morning. Radio from Australia? How was that even possible!? For the next few years, that radio went with me just about everywhere, and serenaded me to sleep just about every night for years. Back then, my favorite stations included not only the BBC and Radio Australia, but also Monitor Radio and Super Power KUSW, the station that sent my my first ever QSL card. I still have it too.

One afternoon while I was in college, my roommate and I decided to stop into a local liquor store and do some comparative shopping. We were just about to leave when I turned around and found myself eye to eye with this beautiful old European style shortwave radio. It turned out that one of the proprietors, a guy by the name of Howard, was a ham, and sold old used radios out of the back of the store. I got to know Howard a little, and bought several radios from him. One day while visiting his store, he shows me the most beautiful thing made of metal I’d ever seen: a Hallicrafters SX-73. Believe it or not, he sold it to me for $75! I think Howard new it was worth ten times that, but he also knew I was a young radio nerd that would give it a good home. That radio was my main receiver for many years after that, and I still have it today. My estate executors can sell it when I’m gone. Until then, it’s a keeper.

Hallicrafters SX-73 (Source: radioreprints.com)

These days, my shack is an odd mix of both the old and new. I have an old r390a that was recently overhauled by Rick Mish, and a Watkins Johnson WJ-8718a that was brought back up to spec by PCS associates. If I do my part, both of these cold war relics should give me decades of service. My latest addition to the shack is an Elad FDM-S2, which is an amazing receiver! I’ve never been much of an SDR guy, but this radio might change all of that. Stay tuned!

Anyways, thanks for letting me go down memory lane.

Many thanks, Tim, for sharing your memories with us! Snagging a Hallicrafters SX-73 for $75 was, indeed, an excellent deal. Sounds to me like Howard enjoyed feeding your interest in radio. Keep that old girl in good nick and you’ll have a radio that will outlast us all. Tell your executors to put it in the casket!

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