Category Archives: Shortwave Radio

KNL Networks is developing shortwave-powered global Internet access

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Steve T, for sharing the following news from Business Insider:

KNL Networks, based in Oulu, Finland, has been in stealth mode during the past four years while developing a revolutionizing system that enables internet connection anywhere in the world – even in the middle of the Pacific Ocean – without using expensive satellite systems.
Today, KNL announced the completion of its series A funding round. The funding amounted to more than $10 million making it one of the biggest Nordic series A rounds. Creandum is the biggest investor.

[…]Facebook and Google have been exploring the possibility of bringing internet to remote locations by relaying data through a network of balloons. KNL’s technology, on the other hand, proposes the opposite: incredibly long range signals, by sending internet protocol over the radio.

KNL’s technology is already being used to provide robust internet connections to ships on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but can be used anywhere on the globe for many different applications.

[…]KNL’s technology relies on shortwave radio transmissions, which can transmit data for thousands of kilometers, for a fraction of the cost of a satellite system. Accomplishing this has required the innovation of long-distance high frequency radio systems. In comparison with satellite internet, the radio technology offers the additional advantages of being easier to use, always on.

Read the full article at Business Insider.

This is very exciting news, Steve!

I’ve always had confidence that inherent HF bandwidth and data integrity issues could be addressed with time as our receivers, codecs and digital signal processing improve with each iteration.

As I wrote in, Does Shortwave Radio Have a Future?, I’ve always believed that the shortwave medium could be leveraged for international digital/data communications, and should be. In my article, I focused on Radio Canada International (RCI), which was then dismantling their shortwave transmitter site:

[B]roadcasters should not dismantle their transmission sites as Canada is currently doing. Not only is the current service originating from these sites a more reliable form of emergency communications than the Internet, should a national disaster befall us; not only do they continue to provide a broad-spectrum mode of diplomacy; but should future digital communication modes find a way to take advantage of the HF spectrum as is now under discussion, this would be most unfortunate.

Imagine a wi-fi signal with a footprint as large as several countries, digital devices with tiny fractal antennas that receive this signal containing rich media (e.g., audio and video)––these are not science fiction, but highly plausible uses of these transmission sites, even within the next decade…

We’ll be watching developments at KNL Networks and reporting updates here on the Post. Follow the tag: Shortwave Internet

FlexRadio PowerSDR now incorporates SWLing features!

Hobart Radio International B16 schedule

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(Source: Hobart Radio International on Facebook)

We’re getting ready for the B16. Here is our new schedule. Changes include WRMI reductions and Ch292 commencement. We air for the first time on Channel 292 6070 Nov 5th.

DRMNA: Interview with Mike of PantronX, maker of the Titus II

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Those of you following the upcoming Titus II receiver will enjoy reading this interview with Mike of Pantronix. Here’s a short excerpt taken from DRMNA.info:

[DRMNA] Can you tell us a little about the process taken to develop the new receiver?

[Mike] We became aware of the need for a digital capable receiver by a visit from TWR representatives about three years ago. Having designed RF products and receivers in the past, it intrigued me that there were no low cost method to receive DRM. This began research into the problem. Initially we envisioned and designed what we call an ATU (Antenna Tuner Unit) that plugged into a ‘standard’ Android tablet. Unfortunately as time and testing proved, ready made tablets had varying problems from vendor to vendor, model to model. The decision was made about a year ago that we had to do our own Android ‘tablet’ and integrate the ATU into it. Hence the Titus II was developed.[…]

Click here to read the full interview on DRMNA.info.

Radio Eritrea and Radio Ethiopia jamming intrudes on amateur frequencies

Dave’s review of the MFJ-1026/1025 and regulated AC adapter recommendations

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Zantow (N9EWO), who shares the following reply to TomL’s post More Anti-Noise Ideas:

My VERY NOISY Sony CRT TV has gone to the great electronics recycling bin in the sky thank goodness. But I still have a MFJ-1026 here and need to use it when the neighborhood gets noisy. Intermittent power line noise is the main issue these days for me.

[Note that] my Monitoring Times review from April 2007 on the MFJ-1026 (and 1025 model without the preamp, but is best to have it) is still available here :

http://www.monitoringtimes.com/mtrevu0407.pdf

(is also linked on my web page, with many other of our other favorite ones : http://webpages.charter.net/n9ewo2/links.html )

I still power it with a analog REGULATED Jameco 170245 12 volt (1 amp) ac adapter.

Last batch I purchased a few years ago were still 100% clean and analog regulation. As I have covered in the past, SOME of Jameco excellent REGULATED AC adapters have gone to using switching regulator devices inside (and these no longer clean for any radio use).

Click here to view the170245 12 volt AC adapter on Jameco.

DX Engineering is about to come out with a improved version of the premium priced NCC-1, called the NCC-2. Mid late November Delivery ?? Never had our hands on one the pricey NCC-1 critters as the MFJ gets the job done for us (let alone affording it).

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-ncc-1

https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-ncc-2