The BBC Antarctica winter solstice broadcast will take place on June 21, 2020 at 2130-2200 UTC.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who confirms the three frequencies the BBC plan to use this year:
Recording the Midwinter Broadcast has become an SWLing Post community tradition! Read our previous post for more details. We will also publish a reminder on June 21, prior to the broadcast.
Halley VI Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica (Source: British Antarctic Survey)
Many thanks to the British DX Club who shares the following information about a BBC Midwinter Broadcast test being held later today:
The annual 30-minute Midwinter broadcast to British Antarctic Survey staff in Antarctica is scheduled by BBC WS for Sunday 21st June.
Ahead of this, two frequencies will be tested Sunday 14th June 2130-2145 UTC from Woofferton (UK): 5790 and 7360 kHz.
Other frequencies to be confirmed.
I will certainly attempt to catch the test broadcast as I plan to record the 2020 Midwinter Broadcast on June 21 as I do each year.
Of course, I’ll also collect, curate and share SWLing Post community recordings of the midwinter service as well. Always a highlight of my listening year!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan Roe, who shares his latest update to his A20 season guide to music on shortwave and notes:
I attach an updated copy of my “Music Programmes on Shortwave” PDF file (version 4) for the current A-20 broadcast season which I hope you will find of interest.
This will probably be the last update for this broadcast season. Look for the new edition for the B-20 season in early December (or earlier if I’m able!).
In the meantime however, as always, I appreciate any updates or corrections.
Click here to download a PDF copy of Alan Roe’s Music on Shortwave A20.
Alan, thanks so much for keeping this brilliant guide updated each broadcast season and for sharing it here with the community!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Van Hoy (VR2HF), who writes:
Like many, I enjoy listening to HF ATC traffic, all on USB, of course. I’ve been doing it since my teen years. Recently, I discovered ARINC posts live frequencies on their Webpage for both the Atlantic and Pacific. The pages will need to be refreshed to get the latest changes:
- Atlantic: https://radio.arinc.net/atlantic/
- Pacific, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and Polar Routes: https://radio.arinc.net/pacific/
No more guessing or searching around. Enjoy!
Wow! Thanks so much for the tip, Dan! I, too, love listening to HF ATC traffic and will bookmark both of these pages. If you’re new to HF ATC monitoring, note that all of these frequencies are in SSB (Single Side-Band).
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Harald Kuhl, who writes:
The A20 WRTH Bargraph Frequency Guide is available now.
http://www.wrth.com/_shop/?product=wrth-a20-bargraph-download
I think it’s very helpful for the shortwave listener.
Kind regards, stay safe and have a nice weekend.
Many thanks, Harald, I agree: the WRTH Bargraph is an excellent, intuitive reference for checking broadcast schedules.
Click here to purchase (£9.99) and download the WRTH A20 Bargraph PDFs.
(Source: Jim Salmon)
Ways to listen… Radio Emma Toc World Service – programme no. 2 – June 2020
You can listen online – www.emmatoc.com – visit the ‘World Service’ page.
You can listen to our shortwave or FM broadcasts via our relay partners as follows:
Happy listening! If you are outside the transmitter coverage areas, why not listen via the broadcasters’ online services. Website details for the above stations are listed on our own website here – www.emmatoc.org/worldserviceschedule
If you don’t have access to receivers & aerials you can try using an online SDR receiver – ve3sun.com/KiwiSDR – experience the enjoyment of tuning around shortwave from worldwide locations online.
We are happy to issue eQSLs for reception reports sent to – [email protected] – & will gladly include for online reports. If using an online SDR, please give us the SDR location.
Finally if any stations wish to relay our programme a download link is available on our website. Please advise us of times & dates so we can publicise in our schedule.
Thank you!
Jim Salmon – Radio Emma Toc
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Troy Riedel, who shares the following announcement:
New Program: ALT UNIVERSE TOP 40
Written and produced by Indie Rock veteran John McMullan of The Trend, Alt Universe Top 40 is a genre-hopping weekly radio countdown that combines real-life chart achievements with “good-hearted adjustments that time and taste demand.”
With each hour-long show, the listener learns a few tidbits about familiar songs, and is gently introduced to music that SHOULD be familiar. In John’s world, The Beatles are still the “toppermost of the poppermost,” but, not far behind the Fab Four are deserving underground rock acts such as Good Question, Fools Face, and a number of other bands that turned in amazing records that were not exactly commercially successful.
Each show begins with a song that, at some point, was perched at number forty on one of the three major American charts, or in England or Australia. As the countdown continues, the musical selections include a song that should have made the Top 20, but did not; a single that charted at #11 in real life; a “should have been” Top 10; a Number 9, number 9, number 9…; something that is “modern and great” and should have reached number 8; a Little Slice of Heaven at Number 7; and the rest of the countdown filled out with bonus hits, a 3 from “Way Downtown,” and a Hall of Perfection Track.
Having designed the program specifically for Shortwave, McMullan draws inspiration from a variety of sources. He composed the opening fanfare and vocal jingles throughout the show by changing the lyrics to the chorus of the Trend classic he wrote in 1982, “Mama Thought You Were a Nice Girl.” The stories are usually trivia for chart nerds, but, with his music days never too far from his mind, McMullan throws in personal memories from time to time. There are AM hits, FM album hits, and jazz & blues selections that are only heard these days on public radio. Give Alt Universe Top 40 a listen, and you will certainly, as he says each week, “Keep on smiling through the static!”
You can hear Alt Universe Top 40 Saturdays at 10 pm Eastern Time (currently 0200 UTC Sunday) on 9455 kHz, and Sundays at 9 pm Eastern Time (currently 0100 UTC Monday) on 9395 kHz.