Category Archives: Shortwave Radio

Ed Royce to champion “new approach” to US international broadcasting

US Representative, Ed Royce

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Michael, for sharing a link to this opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal by Ed Royce (R), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Here is a short clip from the piece:

“Vladimir Putin has a secret army. It’s an army of thousands of “trolls,” TV anchors and others who work day and night spreading anti-American propaganda on the Internet, airwaves and newspapers throughout Russia and the world. Mr. Putin uses these misinformation warriors to destabilize his neighbors and control parts of Ukraine. This force may be more dangerous than any military, because no artillery can stop their lies from spreading and undermining U.S. security interests in Europe.

Neither can the U.S. international broadcasting services that performed such a valuable service during the Cold War. They have withered until they are no longer capable of meeting today’s challenges. Until this changes, Russia’s president and his propaganda will flourish.

[…]From its inception, the BBG has drawn criticism from right, left and center. A part-time board that is supposed to oversee and spend $740 million a year, it has a fundamentally flawed structure. A 2013 Inspector General report for the State Department found the BBG to be dysfunctional. The same year, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the BBG as “practically defunct.” No wonder the agency isn’t coming close to competing with Mr. Putin.

Righting this ship must be an urgent foreign-policy priority. I will soon introduce bipartisan legislation to do just that. The bill would charge one U.S. broadcasting organization (VOA) with reporting U.S. policy and other global news, and another, including RFE/RL and similar services, to act as the free press in repressive societies like Russia. Each organization will have its own CEO and its own board, with accountability that is clear to all[…]”

Read Ed Royce’s full Op Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal online.

Update: Dan Robinson also points out this piece, by Ron Nixon, published in the NY Times.

Dave Zantow’s Grundig G2 Notes

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(Photo source: Eton Corporation)

After posting the recent mini review of the Grundig G2 Reporter, Dave Zontow (N9EWO) notes:

I just completed updates on my reviews page regarding these models.

http://webpages.charter.net/n9ewo2/g2reporter.html

Owners should take note for the cure with excessive battery consumption when OFF . It’s not covered well in the owners manuals (if at all depending on the variant). One toggled in the menu’s, it pretty much squashes the issue.

Many thanks, Dave for your very detailed review of the Grundig G2!

A source of Sangean shortwave radios in New Zealand

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In response to a post last year where we asked about sources of shortwave radios in New Zealand, SWLing Post reader, James Patterson, writes:

I have now found a very good importer of very good quality shortwave portable radios here in New Zealand.

[T]here is an importer of the Sangean ATS 909X portable radios. He has a shop and warehouse. He imports all Sangean radio products, is excellent to deal with and will ship them anywhere in New Zealand.

I have just recently bought the ATS 909X. I must say that I did buy one off him and found the frequency band coverage on that one [unit] was very limited. [This unit] got mixed in with a batch sent to him, but was meant for a different country with government restrictions on band coverage. The one I have now is “full band” and an excellent portable receiver in every way. I’m very pleased to be able to share this with anyone either living here in New Zealand or wanting to come here for a holiday and in need of good quality shortwave radio with very good SSB.

The importer’s internet site is : www.mayogroup.co.nz

The website will give the full details and contacts of the importer, who is a well-known and trusted person to deal with. He does not advertise on sites like TradeMe. However, he does deal through electronics stores such as 100% Appliances here in NZ.

Many thanks, James, for the report on the Mayo Group as an importer of the Sangean ATS-909X. Very encouraging to hear as there are so few local sources of shortwave radio products in New Zealand.

Of course, those living in New Zealand can always purchase shortwave radios through sellers on eBay, but delivery time may be as long as two weeks or more, depending on the parcel service chosen.

This shortwave listener gives the Grundig G2 a positive review

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Regarding the Grundig G2, SWLing Post reader “Shortwave Listener 22007” recently commented:

I have owned this radio for about 2 months, here are the things I have noticed…

The good:

The G2 has shortwave reception almost matching that of my Tecsun PL880

The e-reader function works great for programming shortwave schedules, contains bookmarks for easy access

Audio is decent through earpieces

Recorder events can be labeled using a computer

The receiver is small enough to fit into a small coat pocket

The radio is available new for only +- $50

The Bad:

No glue of any sort is used to keep the plastic knob from falling off

Receiver controls are somewhat complicated e.g, it requires that push in the knob 3 times and then turn the knob just to begin a recording session

A glitch causes the G2 to freeze up after a recording event is deleted, because there is no reset button the only way of solving this problem is to take out battery and then put it back in again, in which case the time and date settings have to be reset again.

Summary: The Grundig G2 Reporter is excellent receiver for its price class and probably receives more criticism should, however, those interested in the G2 should still look at the upgraded 1128H version which has many of the operational peculiarities and glitches fixed.

Many thanks for your review! I have a Grundig G2 I purchased several months ago; I’m not sure if it’s an upgraded version. I may have to give it more time on the air and, especially, evaluate its recording capabilities.

Click here to search Amazon for a Grundig G2.

Also, note that Universal Radio has a current promotion that includes a free G2 with the purchase of an Eton Grundig Edition Field or an Eton Grundig Edition Satellit.

New Franzis shortwave radio kit

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Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Franz Miller, who writes:

“I’ve pasted a link below to the webpage at Conrad in Germany for yet another Franzis radio kit; no idea how good it is, but it looks neato-retro to me. Covers longwave, medium, shortwave VHF, & UHF, allegedly. Price on Conrad’s website is around 69 Euros.”

Click here to view the new Franzis Radio Kit on Conrad’s website.

I truly appreciate the reminder, too, that I have a previous model Franzis kit somewhere in storage that I need to unearth and build! I assume this new Franzis model also has a cardboard chassis.

Update–Tomas adds the following comment:

Here is a link to the Franzis site where there are several pictures and also a two minute video demonstrating the kit.

http://www.franzis.de/elektronik/lernpakete-elektronik/der-grosse-franzis-radiobaukasten#

Of course, for SW it only supports the 41-meter band.

Want to chat? Check out the new SWLing Post Chat Room!

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SWLing Post reader, CJ, recently offered to host a chat room here on our site––quite a generous offering. I’d thought about implementing a radio-themed chat room in the past, but had to be realistic about it, as my schedule simply doesn’t allow for much chat room time. Still, I like the idea of real-time conversations.

With well over 2,000 daily unique visitors to the SWLing Post alone, there is certainly a strong community that may also appreciate the chance to chat with each other in real time. To that end, I have just published a new chat room page with CJ’s code. You’ll find the page in the tabs on the SWLing Post banner above, or by clicking here:

https://swling.com/blog/chat-room/

Let me know what you think, and if you enjoy having a chat room. In the beginning there may be very little activity, but if the chat room is truly engaging for our readers, we’ll continue to offer it!

Click here to visit our chat room

Can the VOA justify its funding?

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Jonathan Marks followed up his last post with two more pieces from the Media Network Vintage Vault, again, on the topic of US international broadcasting.

Jonathan writes:

Interesting to see there was opposition to RFE/RL expansion in 1992. http://jonathanmarks.libsyn.com/mn06081992radio-free-asia

And Bill Whitacre is good in this edition: http://jonathanmarks.libsyn.com/mn07051992voakorea

My question remains: can VOA still justify the funding it has? It has spent billions over the last few decades, but has little to show for it.

No doubt, with the recent loss of CEO Andy Lack and the announcement that VOA Director, David Ensor, is stepping down, the VOA is struggling to remain viable. I don’t believe this is due to a lack of good reporters or internal innovators, rather, a lack of proper management.

Jonathan also found this recently published report titled, “Reassessing US International Broadcasting” by S. Enders Wimbush and Elizabeth M. Portale. Click here to download the full report as a PDF.