The Tecsun PL-680 is now available on eBay via my favorite Hong Kong-based seller, Anon-Co. Pricing is currently $105.99 + $18.00 shipping to UK/US, $29.00 shipping to everyone else.
Tecsun PL-680 now available on eBay
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Category Archives: Shortwave Radio
Radio Casablanca QSL card
I’m very pleased to have just received a QSL card for the Radio Casablanca broadcast I heard last week.
If you missed the show, click here to listen to my off air recording. This recording was also uploaded to the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive; if you subscribe to the archive as a podcast, you can automatically download all of the archive recordings as they are published. The archive is also available via TuneIn radio.
Many thanks, Rick Blaine, for the excellent QSL card!
Shortwave Radio Recordings: Radio Romania International
Screen capture of the Elad FDM-S2 recording RRI’s interval signal
For your listening pleasure: one full hour of Radio Romania International‘s English language service.
This recording was made on April 23 at 00:00 UTC on 9730 kHz. I used my Elad FDM-S2 software defined receiver to make this recording.
As you can see from the screenshot of the Elad spectrum display above, Radio Romania International’s signal was quite strong. Earlier in the day, the FDM-S2 could also easily hear the RRI English service on 11,700 kHz, which was much weaker at my location here in the eastern US.
Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:
Urban go-kit
My good pal David Korchin (K2WNW) posted the above photo in his Facebook feed yesterday, simply titled, “Today’s carry.”
David is very much a kindred spirit; like me, he is constantly tweaking his go-gear. He works in New York City and likes to have his essentials with him there––radio included, of course. Since he’s a professional photographer, he never leaves home without the Lumix GF1 + Leica 20MM, very nice gear. Since he’s a ham and an avid ARES guy, he carries a Motorola XPR7550 UHF transceiver. And since he’s a radio listener, he carries the CC Pocket AM/FM radio.
True, he doesn’t have a shortwave radio in this kit, but he certainly takes his shortwave with him when traveling any further afield. Indeed, we once did some field work in Belize for ETOW and enjoyed a great SWLing session with the our Grundig G series receivers. Made for great comparison.
What’s in your kit?
Someday soon, I’ll take some photos of the kit that accompanies me most everywhere I go. In the meantime, we’d love to know what’s in your go-kit! If you have one, take a photo and add a few brief notes describing everything in it. I’ll post it here on the SWLing Post!
PS: For those who want to know, here’s David’s description of the above, in his own words:
“CLOCKWISE: Motorola XPR7550 UHF transceiver; Lumix GF1 + Leica 20MM; Moleskin folio notebook; Lamy Safari fountain pen; vintage Zippo lighter; Mercator lock blade penknife; CCrane Pocket radio; Sony El Cheapo™ earbuds; Luminox ANU Watch; iPhone; CENTER handmade leather card case from YXE, because Canada.”
Brilliant…! Thanks, DK!
LeBlanc to crack down on pirates
Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Bill Patalon, who writes:
FCC’s LeBlanc wants to really crack down on Pirates …. And the “C” goes after the SW buccaneers as well as those on the commercial BCBs …
http://www.radioworld.com/article/leblanc%E2%80%99s-goal-is-no-pirates/275622%20
While the FCC is busy sabre-rattling, they should also think about ways to diversify the broadcast airwaves legally. There is a significant entry barrier for any would-be broadcaster on the FM and AM bands.
In fact, a quick glance at the procedures to apply for a new AM or FM station licence on the FCC website is discouraging: as of today, they are not accepting applications for new stations. And the FCC wonders why there are so many pirates?
Thanks again for the link, Bill.
Radio Six International broadcasts this week
(Source: Mike Terry via the WRTH Facebook page)
Radio Six International
Shortwave transmissions will return for an experiment next weekend. From transmitters in Sweden, and on a couple of frequencies in different bands, we offer an afternoon of programming from 14:00 to 16:00 GMT on Saturday, 25th April, aimed at listeners in Europe. (3 – 5pm UK time, 4 – 6pm Europe).
Programme details on the April issue of Radio News. Hear us in the UK, Ireland and most of Western Europe on 9,405kHz (31.87m); and Scandinavia and Northern Europe on 3,975kHz (75.47m).
Pirate Radio Recordings: Radio Casablanca
Thursday night at 00:00 UTC, I was pleased to hear the interval signal of one of my favorite pirate radio stations: Radio Casablanca.
“Rick Blaine” fired up his AM transmitter and pumped out some amazing WWII era music on 6,940 kHz for well over one hour and a half. This is the first time I’ve been able to catch Radio Casablanca in well over a year (click here to listen to previous recordings).
Close your eyes and imagine what it must have been like to hear the great bands of the era over the shortwaves…
Click here to download an MP3 of the full recording, or simply listen via the embedded player below: