SWLing Post reader, Eleanor White, writes:
[I] have a short article I put together for those interested in disaster preparedness, to give non-techies the basics of tuning an SSB signal.s
Here’s the link:
Many thanks for sharing your article, Eleanor!
Below you’ll find a short video of my 1945 Scott Marine Radio Model SLR-M playing Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra’s jazz-infused version of “March of the Toys” from Victor Herbert’s holiday classic “Babes in Toyland.”
It’s a little holiday time-travel I cooked up for you on this great vintage rig. I’m actually playing the song via an SStran Model AMT3000 AM transmitter I built from a kit (more on that in a future post). The transmitter has been set to 1410 kHz, to which the SLR-M is tuned.
Though the microphone on my Flip Video camera makes the sound in this little recording tinny (you’ll have to trust me that, live, it’s remarkably warm and rich), it does feel a bit like radio time-travel to hear a 1940s-era song played on a 1940s era-radio. This is just how WWII servicemen might have heard this music.
For your holiday enjoyment: “March of the Toys” by Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra:
Gerry Wells (1929-2014) Source: BBC World Service
Very sad to learn that Gerry Wells, Curator of the British Vintage Wireless & Television Museum passed away on December 22, 2014.
We featured Gerry Wells in this post from 2011; the included radio documentary is a must-listen.
Many thanks to the Southgate ARC for sharing the information below:
(Source: Southgate ARC)
The Curator of the British Vintage Wireless & Television Museum, Gerald Wells, passed away on December 22
At the end of the 1960’s Gerry gave up his job as an electrical contractor. He could see wireless sets being discarded and felt there was a need for a “Vintage Wireless Museum”.
The Museum for Vintage Wireless came into existence in 1974 and was later expanded to include Television.
1994 Channel 4 TV documentary about Gerry Wells
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2011/gerry_wells_video.htmBritish Vintage Wireless and Television Museum, West Dulwich, London
http://www.bvwtm.org.uk/
Many thanks to my dear friend, BJ Leiderman, for sharing this brilliant piece by Dana Jennings in the NY Times.
I’m only including a few quotes from this piece (below), so please visit this link to read the full article about the adventures, charm and nostalgia of analog TV and radio:
by Dana Jennings
I miss the television snows of yesteryear. And I don’t mean easy nostalgia for the inevitable reruns of “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
I’m talking real television snow, a longing for static, ghost images and the picture endlessly rolling and flip-flopping. While we’re at it, I ache for well-used vinyl crackling like bacon sizzling in a skillet … and the eerie whistles and wheezes from terrestrial radio.
This eccentric pining for the primitive electric hiss and sputter of my 1960s childhood is an honest reaction to our modern culture’s unhealthy addiction to (apparent) perfection. We want it all, we want it now, and we want it sublime.
We not only demand our television, radio and music in unblemished HD on whatever device we choose, but also our weddings, children, houses and bodies. And in our heedless embrace of digital cosmetic surgery, we’ve forgotten that it’s the flaw that makes a thing all the sweeter — like the bruise on a peach.[…]
[Like TV, my] radio needed the human touch, too. As I listened to Boston Red Sox night games, I’d grip the radio like a vise, its hot, orange guts stinging my hand; my skin would lobster up, but I didn’t care, because I could hear the game better. (That radio, a yellowing white Sylvania, also hummed constantly, kind of like the ringing in your ears hours after a Metallica concert.)
Then there was the utter delight of reeling in a far-away station late at night: from Montreal, from Wheeling, from Nashville. Even more bewitching were the otherworldly soundscapes to be found between station stops: eeps and boops, trills and squeals, shrill dronings from the ether that maybe signaled an alien invasion, or first contact with another galaxy.[…]
Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Mike, who notes that Amazon.com is now shipping the Eton Satellit with a potential arrival date of before Christmas (at least, as of today). Current price is $179.72.
(Image source: Nevada Radio)
Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Steve, who writes:
Anna from Anon-co (eBay seller) sent me this little tidbit of info on the PL-680 […] I thought I would pass it along given your interest. At least we know it is a real product and could be available as early as next month.
[From Anna:]
“The PL-680 I believe may be available mid-January, but this is still an estimation. As far as I can say at this moment, I believe it is a model very similar to the PL-660, but with a different outlook (similar to PL-600). Whether there are any other changes like the speaker or performance wise I don’t know at the moment. We’ll have to wait for a little while still. I also don’t have a price indication yet, so this too takes some time still.”
I’ll buy the PL-680 as soon as it’s available and review it. It’ll be interesting to see how it compares–performance-wise–with its older siblings: the PL-660 and PL-880. My hunch is that it’s simply a cosmetic re-design of the PL-660, with a few tweaks perhaps. I find it so interesting that Tecsun borrowed from the design of the PL-600–a radio that’s been on the market for several years. In truth, I’ve always preferred the body design of the PL-600 over the PL-660.
We’ll post all updates with the tag: PL-680
Last month, I received an unexpected–and most welcome–package: a copy of Fred Osterman’s Shortwave Receivers Past & Present, now in its fourth edition. My copy was a signed version, sent to those who contributed to the volume. Although my contributions to this impressive and highly comprehensive work are quite modest, I was grateful nonetheless; author Fred Osterman is not only a good friend, but a radio mentor. He’s also a supporter of my non-profit, Ears To Our World (ETOW); indeed, without his warm encouragement, I doubt I would have launched that enterprise so successfully. Fred continues to support ETOW in innumerable ways. And more than anyone else I know, Fred is a guru of all that is shortwave radio. As the president of Universal Radio, he has the good fortune of seeing a number of new/used radios appear on his doorstep every day, many of which are quite rare. In short, Fred Osterman knows his stuff.
But what a pleasure, to be able to recommend whole-heartedly this book, not because my long-time mentor penned it, but because it is…well, good. Really good. The first time I opened Shortwave Receivers Past & Present, I couldn’t put it down for nearly an hour.
Why? First of all, to say that this reference is chock-full of information about shortwave receivers is an understatement. It catalogs virtually every model of any significant receiver about which I’ve ever heard; that alone is fascinating. But there’s more. This volume lists receivers–and even manufacturers–that are entirely new to me. Clearly, if you’re intrigued by all things shortwave, this book has much to teach…
Each section of Shortwave Receivers Past & Present lists the most relevant information about each receiver model–features, specifications, internal components, accessories, readout type, physical dimensions, review notes, current pricing. (Click to enlarge)
The book is logically laid out by manufacturer and model; each section devoted to a particular model and all of its iterations are noted. As you can see in the example above, in-depth information including the author’s comments are provided, as well as the vitals on each rig–features, specifications, internal components, accessories, readout type, physical dimensions, review notes, current pricing–all beautifully and clearly presented. Clear black-and-white pictures of the radios as well as manufacturer logos are also shown.
While one can, of course, research radios online, rarely can you find all the information you seek so complete; this book has done all the painstaking work for you, and made it infinitely more convenient.
Secondly, Shortwave Receivers is a quality publication. Back in the 1990s, I had the good fortune to work in university archives for a period of time; since then, I notice things others might overlook–binding, paper, quality of print. This book feels like the archival volume it is, with heavy, glossy pages, a robust binding and sturdy spine. It feels like one of those heavy encyclopedias you might have found in libraries in the past, created to endure many page turns and, indeed, stand the test of time.
As heavy as this book is–and it is very heavy, I admit–I think I might start carrying it to hamfests, especially to those with antique radios (i.e. “boat anchors”) on offer. With this work in tow, not only could I determine, on the spot, if a particular model of radio is a bargain, but also tell at a glance if it’s rare, if the components can be sourced readily, and anything else noteworthy I really ought to know about it. This would give me a leg up when bargaining, not to mention, make the whole radio experience more fun.
Indeed, if you collect or restore vintage shortwave receivers, or dream of doing so, this book is an absolute must. That’s the power of a proper reference book with an author who is as passionate about these receivers as the readers.
In short: I highly recommend Shortwave Receivers Past and Present. At $49.95 US, it’s pricier than most individual books; however, considering its role as an all-in-one encyclopedic reference, it’s a value that will serve you for decades.
But if you do obtain a copy of Shortwave Receivers, I leave you with a warning: if you’re like me, you may find it just about impossible to put this book down.
Purchase Shortwave Receivers Past and Present, Fourth Edition at Universal Radio.
[Note to international readers: international shipping costs are substantial on this book, no doubt due to its significant weight and dimensional size. Just make sure you note shipping costs prior to purchasing.]