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!
Many thanks to @realmarkfahey who shares this tribute to the Shipping Forecast via Twitter:
For anyone who's ever fallen under the hypnotic spell of The Shipping Forecast, a short tribute to its charm: http://t.co/BtGzby8fRE #R4in4
— BBC Radio 4 (@BBCRadio4) April 24, 2015
If the embedded tweet above does not appear, click this link to listen via the web.
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:
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.
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!
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.
SWLing Post reader, George (NJ3H), writes:
First off, this short message is not about listening to anything over the radio, but over the internet. So I am sure that may be a disappointment for some. However, it does give folks a chance to listen to and decode RTTY and exercise their copy of FLDigi or MMTTY.
At rtty.com, there is an application called “Teletype over the Internet (ITTY)”. Instructions are posted that allow the user to connect to the ITTY server (with WinAmp, Media Player, etc), hear teletype, and decode with you choice of decoding software.
I use Windows Media Player and FLDigi to copy the ITTY channel. As I recall, one must set “Reverse” to the on (green light) position in FLDigi.
There are folks who are continually uploading news articles (some serious – some offbeat). Instructions are included so you can upload your own news articles also.
So for times when nothing is happening on the radio or for something a little different to do, users may find this an enjoyable diversion.
Have fun and enjoy.
Many thanks, George. Indeed, this is a great way to hone your RTTY decoding skills and build confidence in those who are new to this classic digital mode!
Click here to go to RTTY.com; the link to ITTY is found in the body of their home page.
I’ve pasted an instructional video below which gives a great overview if ITTY:
(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).