Category Archives: Shortwave Radio

Taiwan: Breaking through censorship via shortwave

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia, who shares the following story:

How Taiwan breaches censors’ barriers (VOA News)

Breaking the barriers of censorship in China, Myanmar and North Korea is a daunting task, as these countries have built almost impenetrable firewalls against outside news and information. But Radio Taiwan International is successfully using shortwave radio to break through.

“We potentially have 70 million to 1.2 billion listeners who rely on shortwave to get information [from] outside of their country,” said Isis Lee, RTI’s vice president.

On the air since 1928, RTI say their mission is to bring listeners stories they won’t or can’t hear or see on television, radio, online or in newspapers.

“One of our most important audiences to reach is the Mandarin-speaking society in China, which has very limited internet access,” Lee told VOA. “We have a very big audience in China, and they rely on RTI shortwave service to get perspective outside of China in their mother language,” she added. [Continue reading…]

Radio spotted in “Le Salaire de la Peur/The Wages of Fear”

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bruce Fisher, who writes:

Here’s a radio from the 1953 French film (whose English title is) “The Wages of Fear“. Can anyone identify it?

London Calling: Joe Strummer’s Shortwave Influence

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bob Butterfield, who writes:

London Calling by The Clash

Readers may be interested in the shortwave influence and story behind the creation of the song “London Calling” written by Joe Strummer of the band The Clash from the 1979 double album of the same name. It is produced and narrated by the excellent YouTube creator The Professor of Rock..

Here’s the video on YouTube:

Hausa missing in the Summer 2024 DW broadcast schedule

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who notes, “Hausa appears to be missing in the Summer 2024 DW broadcast schedule.”

Click here to download the PDF.

Thanks for the tip, Paul. It does appear they’re no longer offering this language service. Perhaps someone can confirm?

International sounds for the umbraphiles

DICA 2: “The Revenge” – Giuseppe tests his updated homebrew antenna!

1 Reply

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Giuseppe Morlè, who shares the following antenna project:

Dear Thomas and Friends of the SWLing Post,

I’m Giuseppe Morlè from Formia, central Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea.

After the DICA prototype I created another one called DICA 2 The Revenge!

This other minimal antenna works differently from the prototype. It is shorter, has 3, 12 cm ferrites inside and has the sensors soldered inside in reverse on the telephone cable strap. It works coupled to a metal surface because it uses magnetic induction unlike the prototype.

In the videos you can see the differences between the prototype and the DICA 2…
and the yield on the highest ranges.

This small minimal antenna can tune listening from 3.5 to 30 MHz.

Thanks to you and greetings to all the Friends of SWLing Post.

73.