Category Archives: Shortwave Radio

Radio Waves: Gen Tojo’s Teeth, City Radio Review, Wearable CW Trainer, Sister Boniface, and “We Are Broadcasters” Oppose Tax

Radio Waves:  Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio

Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Dennis Dura and Harry Dence for the following tips:


Gen Tojo’s Teeth: Morse Code Shows Up In The Strangest Places (Hackaday)

The Baader-Meinhof effect is the common name for what scientists call frequency illusion. Suppose you are watching Star Trek’s Christopher Pike explain how he makes pasta mama, and you’ve never heard of it before. Immediately after that, you’ll hear about pasta mama repeatedly. You’ll see it on menus. Someone at work will talk about having it at Hugo’s. Here’s the thing. Pasta mama was there all along (and, by the way, delicious). You just started noticing it. We sometimes wonder if that’s the deal with Morse code. Once you know it, it seems to show up everywhere.

One of the strangest places we’ve ever heard of Morse code appearing is the infamous case of Tojo’s teeth. If you don’t remember, General Hideki Tojo was one of the main “bad guys” in the Pacific part of World War II. In particular, he is thought to have approved the attack on Pearl Harbor, which started the American involvement in the war globally. Turns out, Tojo would be inextricably tied to Morse code, but he probably didn’t realize it. [Continue reading at Hackaday…]

the CityRadio – Hear the world (TechMoan on YouTube)

A ‘radio’ that lets you listen in to broadcasts from cities around the world…but there’s a catch.

M5STICKC Turned Wearable Morse Code Trainer (Hackaday)

Have you ever felt the options for Morse code communication were too limited? Well, look no further than [marsPRE]’s open source WristMorse communicator that can connect over WiFi, can act as a Bluetooth keyboard or just be used as a Morse Code trainer.

[marsPRE] uses the M5StickC Plus as the base device and attaches a custom “hat” consisting of a 2.5 mm plug for a radio connection and two capacitive touch paddles that act as the Morse Code keyer. The add-on is housed in what looks like a custom 3D print and hangs off of the end of the M5StickC Plus, connecting the hat through an eight 0.1 inch pin header. [Continue reading at Hackaday…]

Sister Boniface episode “Dead Air” is a pirate radio-themed

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Harry Dence, who writes:

Do you watch BritBox? Hope so!

Today they released Season 2, Episode 8 of the Sister Boniface mysteries, called “Dead Air.”

Set in England of the Radio Caroline era, the episode concerns a pirate radio station called Radio Catherine, a bit of humor along with the mystery, and an homage to Radio Caroline in its ending. Also a sight gag that will please Spinal Tap fans and reference to the GPO controlling the airwaves.

Thank you for the tip, Harry! 

WeAreBroadcasters: “Encourage Congress to support local radio!”

Note: this is a petition managed by WeAreBroadcasters in opposition to a proposed tax:

Encourage Congress to support local radio!

Legislation that would force local radio stations to pay new fees simply for playing music has been introduced in Congress. The American Music Fairness Act (AMFA) would put stations out of business and impact their ability to provide the news, traffic, weather, emergency information and entertainment you rely on every day. The Local Radio Freedom Act opposes new performance fees on local radio stations and recognizes radio’s vital role in every community. Please take action today and encourage your members of Congress to oppose the AMFA and cosponsor the Local Radio Freedom Act. Your voice matters!

Click here to sign.


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Six hour LRA 36 transmission this weekend, April 22, 2023 starting at 22:00 UTC

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Adrian Korol, of RAE who shares the following announcement: 

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE NEW LRA 36 DREAM TEAM?

The winter 2023 staff arrived to Base Antartica Conjunta Esperanza .

They are all Antarctic women:

    • LORENA DEL CARMEN ALVARADO
    • MARÍA VICTORIA MENENDEZ
    • NOEMÍ DEL VALLE CISNEROS
    • ARIADNA VERÓNICA BERRARDO
    • ADRIANA NOVAKOSKI

OP: Nicole Valdebenito

LISTEN ON SHORTWAVE

Saturday April 22
from 20:00 UTC to
Sunday April 23
02:00 UTC

15476 khz (USB)

Coordination: Juan Carlos Benavente

TC Gustavo Cordero is our LRA 36 Season 2023 Director

Overall Supervision : Adrian Korol (RAE Director)

LRA 36 URL AUDIO STREAM: https://vmf.edge-apps.net/embed/live.php?streamname=sc_rad32-100131&autoplay=true

LRA 36 Radio Nacional Arcangel San Gabriel

ask for your eQSL
reception reports: [email protected]

www.radionacional.com.ar

Live from the Skybird Supper Club

Hi SWLing Post community Fastradioburst23 here letting you know of an event to be aired live by the Imaginary Stations crew this Sunday 23rd April 2023 at 2200 UTC on 9395 kHz via WRMI.

The  transmission will be coming live from the Skybird Supper Club Imaginary Lounge and they’ll be a free complimentary cocktail for every participant (subject to availability of course). Expect the finest lounge and exotica classics for your listening pleasure. Grab that silk dressing gown and cigarette holder (with no cigarette on the end) and enjoy.

PSA: Your (new) radio’s filters may be wider than you think

AM bandwidth confusion: IF Filters today vs. yesterday

by 13dka

Whether or not a radio is a joy to listen to, or apt for difficult DX is decided to a large part by the last IF filter stage. Most radios of the past didn’t come with many IF filters to begin with, their quality varied a lot and harsh compromises had to be made in multi-purpose radios. With the advent of digital filtering and inexpensive DSP portables, we got spoiled by a rich choice of selectivity settings that came with an idiosyncrasy I had to wrap my head around first, namely a shift in how some (digital) filters are labeled now.

Continue reading

Can you hear more sound coming in from the West?

Hi SWLing Post community Fastradioburst23 here letting you know of another journey in a westerly direction being made by the Imaginary Stations crew this Sunday 16th April 2023 at 2200 UTC on 9395 kHz via WRMI. Get your compass and shortwave radio out again and go WEST for a second time this Sunday.