Category Archives: Shortwave Radio

DXpedition at a radio astronomy observatory: Want to join me?

Yesterday evening, prior to my presentation at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI), I took the opportunity to do a little portable shortwave listening on the PARI campus.

Shortwave-Radio-Astronomy-PARI

One of the great things about listening to shortwave, mediumwave or longwave at a radio astronomy site is the blissful absence of any radio noise. Radio astronomy requires seriously RF-quiet conditions, and all the better for SWLing, too. My little Tecsun PL-380 receiver easily detected most everything on the 31 meter band; All India Radio (and the Voice of Korea on the same frequency), for example, was as strong as a local station.

DX among the radio telescopes: Sound fun–?

Next year, in October 2015, I might just organize a radio listening DXpedition at PARI. It would be a wonderful opportunity to DX in an RFI-free environment in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina, on the 200+ acre campus of an active radio astronomy observatory and former NASA tracking station. (Really, how cool is that?!?)

PARI has agreed to handle all of the arrangements, and even provide some dorm rooms and camping space to the first registrants. There will be a fee for the event (to pay for the facilities and PARI staff time) but any profit would benefit PARI’s science education mission. The fee would be based on the number of attendees and how many nights we operate–I’d aim for two nights, on a Friday and Saturday (October 9 & 10, 2015).

If you would be interested in a shortwave listening DXpedition at PARI in Rosman, North Carolina, USA, please contact me or comment below. Click here to track the distance to PARI.

Note: the autumn foliage, for which the NC mountain region is famed, will be at or near its peak during the time of the DXpedition.

PS–Bonus: A dish in motion

As I departed the PARI site late Friday, an astronomer programmed the rotation of the East radio telescope, an awe-inspiring 26-meter parabolic antenna. I snapped a couple of shots with my iPhone. It was truly impressive, this massive radio telescope slowly turning to some distant star or galaxy to acquire new data. See for yourself (for a sense of scale, see the fence at the base):

beHAVior Night celebrates 8 years on WBCQ

The Japan Radio Company NRD-383 SDR carries a hefty price tag

1 Reply

Many thanks to Dave Zantow (N9EWO) who relays this info regarding the new NRD-383 via Takahito Akabayashi:

[The JRC] NRD-383 is sold by “Defense Systems Sale Division” of JRC, so this SDR receiver is especially for military use.

The price is more than $50,000 [each].

Recent JRC products [have] nothing to do with amateurs.

Takahito Akabayashi
Tokyo, Japan

OK, I think I can safely remove the NRD-383 from my wish list. At $50,000 each, this is indeed a receiver intended for government and commercial use.

Building the Ozark Patrol regenerative receiver kit

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Last week, I received the Ozark Patrol regenerative receiver kit that I had only ordered a few days prior. I was so eager to get started on the build, that I read the instructions, lined a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and began placing the parts on the board within an hour of bringing the package home from the post office!

This was my first time building a “Pittsburg” type kit, where through hole components are surface-mounted on soldering pads. It’s a brilliant technique which is very forgiving if the kit builder accidentally mounts the wrong part or mounts a component with the incorrect orientation.

I had hoped to have the kit finished the following day, but other priorities took precedence: I’ve been preparing for my presentation tomorrow at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, preparing a shortwave radio buyer’s guide for the November issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine, and putting together the results of the Virtual Radio Challenge II (which will be published early next week). Fortunately, I love doing this stuff in my spare time!

I’m eager to pick the Ozark back up early next week and finish the build. It’s become somewhat of a dangling carrot–a reward for finishing other projects in advance. I can’t wait to hear this simple regen receiver come to life!

Radio Exterior de España to end shortwave broadcasts on October 15, 2014

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SWLing Post reader, David, writes:

“I just wanted to let you know that REE has published a communication in its webpage, regarding the end of their SW broadcasts. The definitive cutoff will happen on October 15, 2014 at 0000 LT here in Spain, which is 2200 UTC.
REE will continue, though, and will be accessible through the Internet and also via satellite. Here in Spain they will also be available locally via the TDT/DVB-T system for regular TV broadcast (multiplexes, into which digital TV signals are combined, are also used to carry digital audio data for “radio” stations that therefore can broadcast using this system as well).

Here’s the link to the original REE article (in Spanish): http://www.rtve.es/radio/20141003/radio-exterior-espana-suprime-emision-onda-corta/1021661.shtml

And the [machine] English translation by Google: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=es&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=ca&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rtve.es%2Fradio%2F20141003%2Fradio-exterior-espana-suprime-emision-onda-corta%2F1021661.shtml&edit-text=&act=url

Many thanks, David, for the update!

David reports that he will attempt to record the last days of REE broadcasts. I will also make recordings and we will post all of them on the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive. Indeed, I would ask anyone who can capture the last broadcast to please do so and share your recordings with us.

UPDATE: Note that REE announced a return of their shortwave service in December 2014. Click here to read the update. Shortly thereafter, REE posted their new broadcast schedule–click here to view.

Final Day! Virtual Radio Challenge II

Chrome Remote Desktop: another application choice

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In response to my post about SWLing in a hospital waiting room via TeamViewer, Stephen Cooper comments:

“Google Chrome Remote Desktop also works well for this.

[Click here to download]

Allows me to listen to my Elad when I am in work. Although it doesn’t transfer sound on Android (not sure about iPad) which isnt that good if you haven’t got a PC/Mac to use to login to home.”

Thanks for the suggestion, Stephen!