Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark (AE2EA), who shares the following AWA video about crystal production during WWII:
Click here to view on YouTube.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Mark. I posted the original film of this a few years ago, but it appears that the YouTube account has been deleted. I’m grateful the Antique Wireless Association has published this. Thank you for the tip!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and friend, Wlodek (US7IGN), who writes from Kiev:
Hello!
Because of another air raid alert, I can’t sleep and I decided to make a small comparison of the receivers of the 60s and the modern one.
Of course, you can not compare their size and weight, as well as some features.
This Chinese XHDATA D-808 was given to me by a friend for comparison. When he was just choosing a good receiver, I advised him to buy an old Sony 7600 series or Panasonic B65, for example. But he decided that modern technology is better at handling the task of receiving. But it turned out to be not so clear:
Click here to view on YouTube.
Radios:
73 de US7IGN!
Thank you for sharing this, Wlod. I wish the circumstances for the radio comparison were better–even though I know air raids have sadly become a fact of life for many in Ukraine, I can’t imagine sleeping through them.
Your short comparison is interesting too. I consider the D-808 to be an excellent little DSP portable, but the audio simply can’t compare with your vintage radios. Indeed, the vintage receivers seem to handle the QRM a bit better than the D-808 as well.
Thank you for sharing this and wishing you the very best, OM.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark Hirst, who writes:
Thomas,
I spotted this radio from an episode of the Rockford Files in a story about Russian spies.
According to IMDB, the episode, “A Material Difference” aired in February 1979.
https://www.rigpix.com/atlas/210x.htm
Mark
Thanks so much for sharing this, Mark. You’ve got sharp eyes!
I remember watching The Rockford Files as a kid. I think it’s time to re-watch some of those episodes. Thanks again, Mark!
Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!
The clear and periodic pattern of fast radio bursts may originate from a distant neutron star.
Astronomers at MIT and universities across Canada and the United States have detected a strange and persistent radio signal from a far-off galaxy that appears to be flashing with surprising regularity.
The signal is classified as a fast radio burst, or FRB — an intensely strong burst of radio waves of unknown astrophysical origin, that typically lasts for a few milliseconds at most. However, this new signal persists for up to three seconds, about 1,000 times longer than the average FRB. Within this window, the team detected bursts of radio waves that repeat every 0.2 seconds in a clear periodic pattern, similar to a beating heart.
The researchers have labeled the signal FRB 20191221A, and it is currently the longest-lasting FRB, with the clearest periodic pattern, detected to date.
The source of the signal lies in a distant galaxy, several billion light-years from Earth. Exactly what that source might be remains a mystery, though astronomers suspect the signal could emanate from either a radio pulsar or a magnetar, both of which are types of neutron stars — extremely dense, rapidly spinning collapsed cores of giant stars.
“There are not many things in the universe that emit strictly periodic signals,” says Daniele Michilli, a postdoc in MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. “Examples that we know of in our own galaxy are radio pulsars and magnetars, which rotate and produce a beamed emission similar to a lighthouse. And we think this new signal could be a magnetar or pulsar on steroids.”
The team hopes to detect more periodic signals from this source, which could then be used as an astrophysical clock. For instance, the frequency of the bursts, and how they change as the source moves away from Earth, could be used to measure the rate at which the universe is expanding. [Continue reading…]
Transmission company CRA looks at possibility for reusing analog transmission facilities
Czech transmission services company ?eské Radiokomunikace (CRA) is testing the DRM medium-wave digital radio system on 954 kHz.
According to a tweet from Marcel Prochazka, director of legal and regulatory affairs for CRA, the transmissions are originating from ?eské Bud?jovice in South Bohemia and operating at a power of 3.16 kW from a 107-meter HAAT antenna. Continue reading
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom Gavaras, who writes:
Hi Thomas,
I hope you are having a great summer.
In the event you are not aware, there is a large collection of NASWA magazines available online from 1971-2008 including an issue from 1962.: https://worldradiohistory.com/NASWA_Frendx.htm
I see that there are also many issues from SPEEDX from 1971-1995: https://worldradiohistory.com/Speedx.htm
Best regards,
Tom
Many thanks for the tip, Tom! The World Radio History website is such a treasure trove of radio history and nostalgia!
I opened and read a few 1970s era NASWA journals this morning and am so happy to see quite a few names of SWLs/DXers who are still active radio enthusiasts!
The Maritime Radio Historical Society is hosting a brilliant on-the-air event via KPH. I’ve pasted full details below, copies directly from the Maritime Radio Historical Society announcement:
The MHRS in cooperation with our good friends at the Cipher History Museum
will send a coded message in 5-letter groups via the facilities of coast stations KPH on Saturday July 23, 2022. The message will be encrypted using the famous Enigma code machine.
All KPH listeners are invited to try their hand at receiving and decrypting the message. Certificates will be awarded for proof of successful decode, first to decode and use of original hardware.
Mislaid your Enigma code machine? In the military you’d have some explaining to do, soldier. But for the KPH Crypto Event, no problem. See the ‘Enigma Simulator’ section below for a link to an easy-to-use Enigma simulator.
The Enigma was the Germans’ most sophisticated coding machine for securely transmitting command and control messages via radio communications in WWII. It was considered so secure that it was used to encipher the most top-secret of messages.
The arrangement of Enigma’s rotors and plugboard connections provided a unique series of letter substitutions which changed with each keystroke. The daily rotor order and the ring and plugboard settings to be used were specified in a codebook distributed monthly to all users of a network.
For additional information on the Enigma please see Ralph Simpsons’ Cipher Museum History site
The crypto broadcast will commence at 2000Z (1300 Pacific) on 23 July on all KPH CW frequencies. The broadcast will consist of a ‘callup’ (in plain text) announcing the broadcast, followed by the cipher message. The callup and cipher messages will be sent at 15 WPM. The cipher message will be sent in 5 letter groups and the message will be sent twice to ensure proper reception.
The usual KPH channel marker or ‘wheel’ running at 20 WPM will precede the announcement for the crypto broadcast to give listeners a chance to tune to the strongest signal in their area.
The KPH CW frequencies are (in kc):
Upon completion of the CW transmissions, the broadcast will be repeated on all KPH RTTY frequencies. The RTTY transmission will be 170cps shift Baudot, 45 baud.
The KPH RTTY frequencies are (in kc):
Decoding an Enigma message requires the use of two keys: a Daily Key (valid for particular day), and a Message Key (unique to each individual message sent that day).
Prior to decoding a message, the daily key must be set into your Enigma code machine. The daily key settings were specified in codebooks and distributed monthly. Please consult the following codebook to obtain the daily key setting for the GMT date of the broadcast.
Click HERE for the Enigma codebook. Use the “Armee-Stabs-Maschinenschlussel No 28” (Army Staff Machine Key Number 28). Notice each daily setting is across one line, starting with the first day of the month on the bottom of the sheet.
Starting in 1940, for additional security, the machine operator would randomly choose two groups of three letters to encode each message (in addition to the daily key settings above). These were known as the ‘message key’. The first group of three letters is used to encode the second group of three. Then the first group (in plaintext) and the second group (now encoded) are sent in the message header, along with the date and letter count, as explained in the above link. The recipient then uses the message key to decode the message. For more information see the following video on Enigma decoding procedures.
Click HERE to watch a video on Enigma coding procedures.
So you had to toss your Enigma machine overboard when your U-boat was captured? Again, no worries. MHRS has you covered! Software simulations exist for the Enigma code machine.
Click HERE for an Enigma simulator. It is web-based, no download necessary.
Upon proof of successful decode, the following certificates will be awarded:
– First to decode the Enigma message
– Successful decode using *original* hardware (i.e., an actual Enigma machine)
– All successful decodes of the message
To apply for a certificate, send the decoded message to [email protected] with the subject line ‘decoded Enigma message’. The First to Decode award will be based on the timestamp of the first email demonstrating a successful decode. For the Enigma Original Hardware certificate, send the decoded message *plus* a photo of your Enigma machine showing the daily key setting. Printed certificates will be mailed for ‘First-to-Decode and ‘Original Hardware’ awards. Certificates for ‘Successful Decode’ will be emailed in digital form suitable for printing at home.
For more information or questions about the KPH cipher broadcast send email to [email protected] with the subject line:
Crypto Broadcast
By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM
Back in April of this year (2022), I accidentally discovered The Radio Boys series of books, many of which are available for free if you have an Amazon Kindle.
These books, I believe, are intended for young adults, and, in my mind, they very much resemble The Hardy Boys series of books: a group of high school friends have adventures and discover the wonders of radio together. Think “The Hardy Boys go all-in for radio,” and you have the right idea.
If you are looking for sophisticated plots, deep character development, and a lyrical turn of phrase, you will be disappointed. But if you a looking for a light-hearted adventure with deep enthusiasm for radio, I think you will be pleased.
But what makes these books really cool is that they were written and copyrighted 100 years ago, in the early 1920s. Yes, some of the language and attitudes are somewhat antiquated, but what is fascinating is the window they offer on radio a century ago.
My knowledge of radio history is very limited, but it is my understanding that radio was just beginning to be popular in American culture in the early 1920s, The Radio Boys books reflect this. The first book, The Radio Boys’ First Wireless Or Winning the Ferberton Prize, gives fairly detailed instructions for making your own radio receiver with materials you could get (in the early 1920s) from the local hardware store.
At various points in the books, The Radio Boys extol the virtues of radio: people could hear concerts in the comfort of their own homes or listen to baseball games; if there were radios in cars, travelers could keep track of weather reports; it was a novelty when a minister broadcast the church service; college professors could broadcast their lectures, and so forth. I find the books offer a charming perspective on what we take for granted today.
And, if you have an Amazon Kindle, many of The Radio Boys books are available at no cost.
Click here to check out some of The Radio Boys titles on Amazon.com.