Category Archives: Vintage Radio

Cancelled: SAQ transmission scheduled for Christmas Eve morning, Dec. 24th

SAQ antenna tower #1 with its tuning coil. (Photo source: The Alexander association)

Update: This broadcast has been cancelled due to several of the SAQ staff contracting Covid-19. Click here for more information. Many thanks to Grant for the tip.

SAQ transmission scheduled for Christmas Eve morning, Dec. 24th

On Christmas Eve morning, Saturday December 24th 2022, SAQ Grimeton is scheduled* to be on the air, to send out the traditional Christmas message to the whole world, using the 200kW Alexanderson alternator from 1924, on 17.2 kHz CW.

Program and transmission schedule:
08:00 CET (07:00 UTC: The transmitter hall at World Heritage Grimeton is opened for visitors.

Transmission & YouTube Live stream:
08:25 CET (07:25 UTC): Live stream on YouTube begins.
08:30 CET (07:30 UTC): Startup and tuning of the Alexanderson Alternator SAQ.
09:00 CET (08:00 UTC): Transmission of a message from SAQ.

Test transmissions
We are planning to carry our some test transmissions on December 23rd, approximately between 13:00 CET (12:00 UTC) and 16:00 CET (15:00 UTC). SAQ will be on the air shorter periods of time during this interval, when we will be carrying out some tests and measurements. Your comments are welcome to [email protected].

Live Video from World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station
The event can be seen live on our YouTube Channel or by following the link below.

QSL Reports to SAQ
QSL reports to SAQ are most welcome and appreciated!

For guaranteed E-QSL from us, please report using our ONLINE QSL FORM.

We can not guarantee that reports by Email / mail / bureau will be confirmed.
The online form will be open from December 24th, 2022 until January 13th, 2023.

Amateur Radio Station SK6SAQ
The Amateur Radio Station with the call “SK6SAQ” will be QRV on the following frequencies:
– 3.535 kHz CW
– 7.035 kHz CW
– 14.035 KHz CW
– 3.755 kHz SSB
– 7.140 kHz SSB

QSL-reports to SK6SAQ (NOT SAQ) are kindly received via:
– Email to [email protected]
– or via: SM bureau
– or direct by postal mail (link to address here)Two stations will be on the air most of the time.

Visiting World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station
Visitors are most welcome to World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station on Christmas morning, Dec 24th. The doors to the transmitter hall will open at 08:00 CET. The entrance is free of charge and we will offer free coffee with Christmas buns and ginger snaps.

Support us to keep SAQ in running condition!
We welcome you as a member of the Alexander Grimeton Friendship Association, to support our non-profit activities in preserving, documenting and bringing to life the unique Alexanderson alternator from 1924.

As a member You get a 10% discount on World Heritage Grimeton’s entry, shop and activities, and free admission to Alexander’s evening displays and to the Alexanderson Day, upon presentation of your membership card. Four times per year, you will receive our online magazine “Alternatorn”, exclusively available only to our members.
NEW!: As member you will gain access to our online library with many unique, historical documents, related to the Alexanderson alternator.

Alexander members also have free admission to the Radio Museum in Gothenburg.
Membership costs SEK 125 / year (approx. EUR 12.-).

Radio Waves: Honking SOS, Vatican Hosts Shortwave G9, AM Vital in Wyoming, and the Mainstream Transistor

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Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio

Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!

Supermarket delivery driver saves 90-year-old after ‘SOS’ Morse code signal on car horn (ITV)

A 90-year-old widower was saved by an supermarket delivery driver when he broke his hip – and used his car horn as Morse code.

Retired panel beater Keith Turner was left injured when he slipped on his driveway before he dragged himself to his car.

The quick-thinking pensioner then used the horn to sound out the SOS message in Morse code in a cry for help.

And it was heard by delivery driver Sam Speechley, 45, as she pulled up in her van in the Garden City village in Flintshire, North Wales.

Keith was taken to hospital where he spent three weeks with a broken hip before he was finally allowed home. [Click here to read at ITV…]

Vatican Radio hosts ‘G9’ of short wave media as ‘missionaries of peace’ (Vatican Radio)

Gathered at the historic headquarters of Vatican Radio in the Vatican Gardens, representatives of the nine primary western radio broadcasters meet with Monsignor Lucio Ruiz opening the meeting by recalling the importance of short wave in sending messages of hope and mercy all over the world.

By Michele Raviart

The “G9” group of the primary western radio broadcasters met at the Vatican on Tuesday focusing on a number of issues.

These included the use of short-wave radio in order to render the jamming of international broadcasters less effective through common efforts to coordinate how broadcast frequencies are used and technical cooperation between members.

This marked a key item on the agenda of the meeting which brought together the representatives, including Vatican Radio, in the historic building of the Pope’s radio, located in the Vatican Gardens, a place that housed the first radio station built by Guglielmo Marconi.

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Georges repairs and enjoys this vintage Hallicrafters SX-130

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Georges Ringotte (F6DFZ), who writes:

Recently my “radio brother” Bruno F6CRN gave me a vintage Hallicrafters SX-130 from the mid seventies. The receiver was extremely nice for a 55 years old rig, had never seen a soldering iron for repair and had original Hallicrafters tubes but was not performing very well.

After some research , I found a solder joint between 2 pins of a tube support, and this solder joint was done during manufacture!

After alignment, the receiver performed relatively well for that kind of somewhat low cost receiver.

These low to mid cost receivers, made by Hallicrafters, Hammarlund and National are single conversion design, with a low frequency IF near 455 kHz or 1.6 MHz. Their frequency calibration is rather poor, they drift, and have poor image rejection, but can perform reasonably well on AM, and also on SSB and CW on the lower bands. Generally, these American receivers are powered on 117 VAC, have no built in speaker, and the crystal calibrator was optional or an outboard accessory.

To use it, I decided to built a small console with an isolation transformer to reduce the European mains from 230 to 117 VAC, a good quality 4 ohms speaker, and a 1 MHz calibrator Manhattan style.

With this console, the receiver looks great, give a taste of the few remaining broadcast stations and warm the shack.

Oh wow! What a beautiful SX-130, Georges! What a great friend you have in Bruno.

Thank you for sharing!

Rob spots a rare Hy-Gain Galaxy R-1530 shortwave receiver on eBay

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Rob, who shares a link to this Hy-Gain Galaxy R-1530 listed on eBay and notes: “A radio that might be of interest to your readers.”

Click here to view this listing on eBay.

It is a beauty for sure. The seller also has a stellar reputation on eBay which is always good.

I’d be very curious what some of the collectors in our radio community might think of the R-1530. Is it as rare as the seller implies? Perhaps Dan Robinson can shed some light on this model?

Please comment!

Dan spots an ultra-rare National HRO-600 on Buyee

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:

Wow. Appearing on the Japan Buyer site is one of the top rarities, the National HRO-600
https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/m1066450646

As veteran SWLs may recall, the HRO-600 was pictured in the old Communications Handbook receiver sections.

The radio sold for the then astronomical price of $5600 US. Produced just as National was declaring bankruptcy, the 600 was the final radio from the company.

The last time one of these appeared on the used market was in 2015 and the best writeup on the receiver can be found here.

The condition if this HRO-600 is poor so it may not be salvageable, but it’s nice to see another one show up on the used market since supposedly only 200 or so were made.

Thank you for the tip, Dan! I hope someone grabs this HRO-600 and does a proper restoration job!

Photos from the 2022 Hamilton Ontario Hamfest

1 Reply

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike (VE3MKX), who shares photos taken during the Hamilton, Ontario hamfest which took place on October 1, 2022.

Readers: This is a large gallery of 40 photos courtesy of Mike (VE3MKX). If you would like to view the entire image gallery click on the link to see more.

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Classic GE shortwave portable featured in this 1986 battery commercial

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Robert Yowell, who writes:

Tom – someone posted this week a rarely seen 1986 commercial for Eveready Batteries featuring the GE World Monitor radio (and Gold medal Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton!)

Enjoy!

Click here to view on YouTube.

Thank you so much for sharing this, Robert. I have a special affinity for my GE 7-2990A as it used to belong to my dear friend, Michael Pool (The Professor). It’s quite a workhorse of a radio with excellent mediumwave chops and it packs some amazing audio fidelity. Of course, with the right batteries, it’ll keep you on the air for weeks or months at a time! 🙂

Any other GE 7-2990A owners out there?