Category Archives: Nostalgia

Guest Post: Pre-Internet Sources of Shortwave Information

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following guest post:

Sources of SWL Information “Pre-Internet”

by Dan Greenall

When I first discovered the world of shortwave listening, many years before the internet, access to hobby related information was mostly available through over-the-air DX programs, monthly DX club bulletins, as well as a number of books and electronics magazines.  I joined a few clubs including the Midwest DX Club, SPEEDX, and the Ontario DX Association, and eagerly awaited each issue of Electronics Illustrated and Popular Electronics (early 1970’s) on the news stand.  Later, in the 1980’s,  Popular Communications and Monitoring Times came along, though these were not always easy to find here in Canada.

 

Ironically, nearly all issues of these magazines can be read today, over 30, 40 and even 50 years later, thanks to David Gleason’s not-for-profit, free online library

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/index.htm

You can also find the semi-annual (and eventually annual) Communications World (1971-81) which contained the popular White’s Radio Log.

As well, five issues of the Communications Handbook can be found;  1963, 1966, 1967, 1974 and 1977.  It only came out once a year but was still a favourite of mine, so much so, that I still have my copies from 1971 and 1972.

I have scanned parts of these and put them on the Internet Archive.  You can find them here:

Communications Handbook 1971: https://archive.org/details/page-09

Communications Handbook 1972: https://archive.org/details/page-20

Here are links that will lead to some of the other magazines:

As a bonus, all of the issues of the monthly SPEEDX bulletin (1971-95) have been made available here

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Speedx.htm

And finally, a good read is Shortwave Voices of the World by the late Dr. Richard E. Wood written in 1969.  I still have my copy of it, but you can find it online here

https://archive.org/details/shortwave-voices-of-the-world-richard-wood-ed-1-pr-1-1969

WDX SWL registration program

My link to the 1971 Communications Handbook contains pages regarding the old WDX SWL registration program. I have found my old certificate from December 1971:

Wonder how many others still have theirs, or even the WPE ones from the 1960’s?

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Radio Moscow Ephemera Circa 1972

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Many thanks to SWLing Post and SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following Radio Moscow ephemera from 1972. This media is also posted on Archive.org:

I first began listening to shortwave radio in December 1969 at the age of 15. My parents were very supportive of this newfound hobby and allowed some space in the basement for a listening post, in addition to permitting external antenna wires to be run across their property. Various pieces of radio equipment, audio cassettes, shelves of reference books and printed matter including albums filled with QSL’s were accumulated over the next several years, and it all followed me when I moved out. Or so I thought! While clearing out my parents estate in 2016, I came across some ephemera received from Radio Moscow in 1972, that was mixed in with a pile of old papers.

These included a leaflet announcing a Quiz to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the USSR, a frequency guide for their North American service from May to October 1972, and a small 12 page program guide for their North American and Pacific Coast Services.

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Radio Sighting in “Let’s Get Harry”

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Perry Lusk, who writes:

Guess what kids? Another radio sighting from the 1986 film Let’s Get
Harry! Lots of big names in this one including Mark Harmon, Robert
Duvall, Gary Busey, and former founding member of the Eagles Glenn Frey.

While on a covert rescue mission in Columbia, they found the bad guy’s
hideout with some old Yaesu equipment among other radios.

Hmmm… I wonder how far they could get out with that mag-mount
antenna? And what band is it tuned for?

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Paul spots an AOR AR-3000A in “20 Days in Mariupol”

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

Hi Thomas,

“20 Days in Mariupol” won this year’s Oscar for Best Documentary.
The movie is about the Russian siege to that city in the opening days
of the Ukraine invasion, as recounted by a filmmaker located there.

There is a segment of the movie about Russia’s use of propaganda to
demoralize the local population. The still photo shows an AOR AR-3000a
communications receiver playing a Russian broadcast, trying to
convince the city’s inhabitants that they cannot stop the invasion.

That radio was reviewed on The SWLing Post a few years ago:

A review of the AOR AR-3000A Wideband Receiver

The sad and grim movie is available for free viewing at PBS:

20 Days in Mariupol

The part showing the radio starts around the 35:16 mark.

Thank you for sharing this, Paul. 

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Bob Heil: 50 Years of Maximum Rock n’ Roll

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, William (W8LV), who writes:

Bob Heil’s story, as told BY Bob Heil, is available as a podcast. Here, find real music and amateur radio history as told firsthand!

Available here:

Check out: 50 Years of Maximum Rock n’ Roll:

Thank you, William! As a sample, here’s one of the episodes:

S1:E03: Joe Walsh and the History of Heil Sound:

For the full episode archive, check out this link.

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Why Schenectady?

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Meara who writes:

Thomas:

SWLing Post readers might like this one.

Ramakrishnan sent me the Smithsonian article. It is very nice, and helps answer — I think — the question about why so many old SW radio dials have “Schenectady” on them. Steinmetz seems like a great guy.

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-wizard-of-schenectady-charles.html

73 Bill

I love these bits of radio history, Bill! Thank you for sharing.

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