Category Archives: Shortwave Radio

ITU Monitoring Programme: 2.85 to 28 MHz

I’m having difficulty remembering who sent me a link to the ITU Monitoring Programme, but I am most grateful.

What is the monitoring programme? Here’s the description from the ITU website:

“The objective of this monitoring programme is to identify stations whose emissions in bands between 2 850 kHz and 28 000 kHz are not in conformity with the RR and to provide administrations that do not have monitoring facilities with information for frequency management purposes.

?The Bureau prepares a publication containing spectrum monitoring information in the frequency bands between 2 850 kHz and 28 000 kHz submitted by administrations in accordance with BR Circular-letter CR/159 of 9 May 2001.”

The data can be downloaded in spreadsheet format, organized by monitoring date. It’s an amazing amount of information–a decent survey of what can be found on the bands.

Click here to view the list of spreadsheets.

Tom’s 1981 off-air recording of RCI’s Shortwave Listener’s Digest hosted by Ian McFarland

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I snapped a photo of this propagation poster in RCI's Sackville, NB transmitter site only months befor ethe site was closed.

A propagation poster in the foyer of RCI’s Sackville, NB, transmitter site only months before the site was closed. (Photo: Thomas Witherspoon)

Tom Laskowski, has been generously contributing a number of off-air shortwave radio recordings to the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive (SRAA).

Recently, he shared a series I’m sure many of you remember. Tom writes:

“My first contribution of many recordings I have of Radio Canada International’s Shortwave Listener’s Digest hosted by Ian McFarland.”

“The first 12 1/2 minutes is Bonsoir Africa. The recording was made using a cheap GE portable. The audio quality isn’t great but it’s still very nostalgic listening to a program I recorded 34 years ago.”

This brings back many memories of one of my favorite shortwave programs–thank you, Tom!

The audio quality actually reminds me of one of my first analog portables, Tom! Nostalgia at its best.

Check out all Tom’s SRAA contributions by clicking here. While you’re at it, bookmark the SRAA!

C.Crane fixes CC Skywave overloading

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Many thanks to SWLing Post readers, Mark and Alan, who were both recently notified by C.Crane that the CC Skywave has been updated.

Mike purchased the CC Skywave early this year after reading our review. He was disappointed to find out, though, that a local radio station (in his urban location) overloaded the Skywave’s front end, causing imaging and other problems.

Mike, along with other Skywave owners, notified C.Crane about the issue and returned their units.

C.Crane passed along this feedback to their engineers, who have updated the CC Skywave accordingly. C.Crane believes the latest production run will be immune to this sort of overloading. [Kudos to C.Crane for listening to customer feedback.]

I contacted C.Crane yesterday–they recommend ordering directly from their website to insure your unit is coming from the latest production run. It’s possible that some of their distributors could still have some of the older units in inventory for the next few weeks. At least, to be certain, you should check with the distributor directly.

To be clear, I’ve never noted the overloading issue on my Skywave, but I live in a rural area with no blowtorch stations nearby. If you live near an AM broadcaster, and are considering the CC Skywave, you should certainly purchase the updated unit.

Click here to view/purchase the CC Skywave on C.Crane’s website.

Again, many thanks to Mike and Alan for the tip!

The AOR AR-Mini B is back (and on sale at Universal Radio)

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While browsing the front page of Universal Radio recently, I noted that the AOR AR-Mini B handheld communications receiver is currently on sale.

This surprised for two reasons:

I thought the AR-Mini B was discontinued.
This receiver used to sell for about $259 US.

I contacted Fred Osterman (President of Universal) for more details.

Fred informed me that, a couple of weeks ago, AOR USA announced the availability of the model once again. He noted that the units arrived from AOR JAPAN to AOR USA last week and they are now in stock. Fred seemed as surprised as I was that the Mini B resurfaced.

He confirmed that AOR have these in quantity–they’re not simply units discovered in a warehouse corner somewhere. They could be surplus from a large special order.

The AOR AR-Mini B is not a perfect receiver, but at $159.95 it’s a pretty good value for a very rugged, water-resistant receiver that puts much of the radio spectrum in your pocket (100 kHz to 1299.995 MHz).

If you’re tempted to purchase the AOR AR-Mini B, check out this review by Larry Van Horne (PDF) and this review by Dave Zantow first.

Radio Taiwan International seeks your memorabilia

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF), for sharing information about this initiative by Radio Taiwan International:

Radio Taiwan International began broadcasting in 1928. In an era when information did not travel as quickly as today, RTI programs could be heard thousands of miles away by people like you.

If RTI has touched you in any way over the years, let us travel back in time together to look back at the voices, letters, and memorabilia of RTI’s history.

RTI invites you to take part in piecing together the history of RTI with any sounds and memorabilia you may have collected throughout the years. Your participation will help us commemorate RTI’s precious history.

[…]RTI is inviting listeners to lend/donate RTI memorabilia from 1928-1998, including QSL cards, sounds, and other items from the Central Broadcasting System, Voice of Free China, Voice of Asia, and the Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC).

Items to be collected?

Sounds: Tapes of programs, news broadcasts, and records from the above stations can be sent or e-mailed to RTI.

Items: Station gifts to listeners, letters, QSL cards, pennants, and other souvenirs. Mailing the items is preferred. You can also send pictures of the items.

Historical pictures or videos related to RTI.

If material is received from the 1928-1982 period, and is perceived to have historical significance to the station, there will be the following feedback:

The official station site will list those who donated and the items donated.

RTI will send a thank you letter and souvenir.

If the item is from 1983 or later, RTI will send a nice souvenir to thank for the item.

If the donated item cannot be put in our archive, the station will send a thank you letter. (RTI reserves the right to make final decisions on the collection)

Full details about the archive initiative are available at Radio Taiwan International.

Special Grimeton broadcast on United Nations Day

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(Source: Southgate ARC)

Extra Grimeton Radio/SAQ transmission

There will be a transmission with the Alexanderson VLF alternator on 17.2 kHz on ‘United Nations Day’ October 24th, 2015 at 10:00 UTC (12:00 local time).

Start up and tuning from about 09:30 UTC.

This time we do not require any QSL-reports and will not verify.

There will be activity on amateur radio frequencies with the call SK6SAQ.

Any of following frequencies:
– 14.035 CW
– 7.035 CW
– 7.080 SSB
– 7.050 PSK31

QSL for SK6SAQ via SK6DK or SM-bureau.

The radio station is open to vistors 10:00-15:00 local time. No entrance fee.

Welcome!

Also read our web site: www.alexander.n.se

A PARI DXpedition update

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Mark Fahey, scanning the bands with his WinRadio Excalibur/Surface Pro 2 combo

The SWLing Post DXpedition at PARI is going very well. We started yesterday around noon with beautiful fall weather; late last night, it started raining but that hasn’t dampened our spirits today.

Despite the wet, chilly weather, Gary Donnelly (above) has been logging numerous shortwave stations during the day and mediumwave stations at night via his assortment of ultralight radios. Bill Boyd, another DXpeditioner, has been travelling the 200 acre PARI campus and listening via his Tecsun PL-880.

DXpeditioner, Mark Fahey, has traveled here from his home in Australia, thus he’s particularly enjoyed hearing South American stations which are somewhat rare in his corner of the world. Today alone, Mark snagged two other firsts: the time station CHU Canada, and a perfect two hour recording of the Voice of Nigeria in DRM. Mark says that his listening expectations are turned upside down, because day/night band openings are nearly opposite of what he’s used to. This is the great thing about SWLing during travels: exotic stations become much lower hanging fruit.

Screenshot of the Elad FDM-S2 on part of the 19 meter band

Mark and I have set up a table full of SDRs and have been actively recording spectrum while listening. We have a WinRadio Excalibur, Elad FDM-S2 and the SDRplay RSP.

We also have the CommRadio CR-1 hooked up: it has been a fantastic receiver for visitors to use and a brilliant auxiliary receiver while both SDRs have been recording spectrum simultaneously.