Radio Waves: State of VOA Broadcast Infrastructure, Amish Weather Radio, 96.7 FM, Australia Calling, and MAME Showcase Gerät 32620 Emulator

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!

Where VOA’s Broadcast Infrastructure Stands Today (Radio World)

Shortwave retains a role in serving particularly difficult-to-reach audiences

Russia’s horrific invasion of Ukraine and its simultaneous blocking of Western media outlets has renewed public interest in shortwave radio broadcasters like the federally funded Voice of America.

Now managed by the U.S. Agency for Global Media or USAGM, VOA’s roots go back to 1941, when the U.S. government leased a dozen commercial broadcaster owned/operated shortwave radio transmitters for the VOA’s predecessor, the U.S. Foreign Information Service. (These shortwave transmitters were previously used by U.S. broadcasters to share content between their AM radio stations.)

The VOA came into being in 1942. It played a major role in broadcasting U.S. news and views to the world during World War Two and the Cold War. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, shifting government priorities, the emergence of platforms competing with shortwave, and budget cuts led to VOA’s language services, broadcasts and programming being reduced.

Today, “USAGM operates transmitting stations around the world, including in the U.S., Africa, Europe and Asia,” Laurie Moy, USAGM’s director of public affairs said in an email earlier this year.

“All of these stations are equipped with multiple shortwave transmitters, and four of these stations have a medium-wave (AM) transmitter each. In total, USAGM’s network consists of about 75 shortwave (ranging from 100 to 250 kW) and medium-wave (ranging from 100 to 1000 kW) transmitters.”

The agency also has access to shortwave and medium-wave transmitters via leases and exchange agreements with other broadcasters.

At present, USAGM produces content in 63 languages, 35 of which are aired on shortwave and medium-wave. VOA itself produces content in 48 languages, 18 of which are aired on shortwave and medium-wave.

“In terms of the agency’s shortwave network, shortwave continues to reach particularly difficult-to-reach audiences, such as in North Korea, western China, Afghanistan and elsewhere,” Moy told Radio World. [Continue reading…]

How do you find out about tornadoes if your religion doesn’t allow TVs or smartphones? (Courier and Press)

If a tornado or flash flood is imminent, most Americans find out about it through a smartphone or a television.

But as the National Weather Service was reminded in the wake of the deadly Dec. 10, 2021 Kentucky tornado, one segment of the population uses neither of those things: the Amish, who shun technology.

As meteorologists studied damage in the days that followed that storm, which killed 80 people and damaged hundreds of homes, they encountered an Amish community in Ohio County, Kentucky, and asked: How do you get severe weather information?

“They basically said they listen for the weather sirens from town,” said Derrick Snyder, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. But as loud as storm sirens are, not everyone is close enough to hear.

A solution may be on the way, as the agency teams with a national radio maker as part of the Weather Awareness for a Rural Nation initiative. Snyder and other meteorologists are part of a project developing weather radios that will be both effective in relaying information immediately, but also acceptable for the Amish lifestyle.

It will be a stripped-down, hand-crank model with absolutely no modern amenities. Continue reading →

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Why scan?

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By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM

A while back, Thomas, SWLing’s Maximum Leader, told me the scope of the SWLing Post is “shortwave listening first, then all things radio.”

As a fan of “all things radio,” when conditions on the shortwave and HF ham bands are awful, frequently I will turn on a scanner (or two) to monitor local VHF and UHF communications.

So why scan? Here are a few of my reasons.

First, scanning increases my enjoyment of communications monitoring in general. Communications monitoring is about hearing stuff, and the more I hear, the better it is. Depending upon current events and/or changes in location, I alter the types of communications services that I scan. For example, when I visited Sodus, NY, I monitored maritime frequencies to hear the activity on Lake Ontario. At another location, I might monitor the local air traffic controllers. When an ice storm passed through the area, I monitored first responders.

Second, “content DXing.” The content that can be heard on scanners is, on occasion, astonishing. Without doubt, I hear things on a scanner that I can hear nowhere else. To name just a few:

planes (airport air traffic control and VHF inflight communications),
trains (yes, railroads use radios),
automobiles (where I live State Police communicate on unencrypted analog frequencies);
fire and emergency first responders;
police (if not encrypted);
VHF and UHF ham bands,
business communications.

When confronted with all the different kinds of difficulty in which people can find themselves (particularly on the first responder frequencies), I find myself giving thanks for how nicely undramatic my life usually is.

Third, monitoring public service communications – fire, police, and emergency first responders – increases my awareness of what’s going locally and that, in turn, can be useful in avoiding trouble spots or traffic problems.

Forth, scanner listening can be opportunity to pray for folks who are in trouble. About a month ago, I was monitoring fire and EMS frequencies when I heard a transmission from an ambulance to a local hospital: “We are inbound with a 14-month-old male found unresponsive in his bed, performing CPR, attempting to establish airway.” Heartbreaking.

If you think you might be interested in a scanner (and I have no commercial interest with any scanner company or retailer), the type of scanner that you will need depends on the sophistication of the communication systems in your area and the kinds of communications that you want to hear.

If you are in the United States, I recommend consulting the Radio Reference database click on the NEAR ME button and follow the prompts. The database will show you what communications are available in your area and what communications systems are involved. If, for example, the database indicates the local Sheriff frequencies are “Project 25 Phase 1,” you will need a scanner capable of receiving P25 Phase 1 communications. If, however, the local Fire and EMS frequencies are labeled FM or FMN, the most basic level of scanner will be capable of hearing those communications. If the Radio Reference database indicates that some of your local communications services are encrypted, you won’t be able to hear encrypted communications with any scanner.

If you find this all a bit confusing, there are retailers who specialize in scanners, and they can help you figure out what you need, and, if necessary, pre-program a scanner for you. (Again, I have no commercial affiliation.)

Finally, there is a fifth reason why I scan: public service. I use four scanners routinely as part of the Commuter Assistance Network. One scanner monitors the local VHF NY State Police frequencies; another is locked onto the UHF frequencies used by the NY State Police on the New York State Thruway; a third scanner sweeps through three national emergency frequencies and a couple of regional interoperability frequencies, and the fourth scanner monitors first responder frequencies for Rensselaer County here in New York State.

In the end, perhaps scanning can open the door to increased enjoyment of your communications monitoring and “all things radio.”

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KSKO’s Paul Walker to relay a two hour Christmas program on shortwave on December 23, 2022

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and KSKO Program Director, Paul Walker, who shares the following announcement:

Tune in for two hours of nothing but Christmas tunes December 23rd and it’s extra special because it’ll be a live worldwide broadcast of KSKO on Shortwave!!

From ~~2200-2400UTC~~ 2300-0100UTC (2pm Alaska, 3pm Pacific, 6pm Eastern) we’ll be live across Europe on the 250,000 watts of Spaceline Bulgaria’s 5900 kHz transmitter along with the 100KW WRMI 7570 kHz covering North America and the 100KW WRMI ~~9955~~ [Updated to 5085] kHz covering Latin America.

I’m footing the costs out of this out of my own pocket just for the heck of it!

I’m so glad you’re doing this again, Paul! We look forward to tuning in!

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DIY on Shortwave

Online-Only: BBC prepares to shut down radio and TV broadcast over next decade

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(Source: The Guardian via Mark Fahey)

BBC preparing to go online-only over next decade, says director general

Tim Davie outlines vision for a world of ‘infinite choice’ where broadcast TV and radio are being switched off

The BBC is preparing to shut down its traditional television and radio broadcasts as it becomes an online-only service over the next decade, according to the director general, Tim Davie.

“Imagine a world that is internet-only, where broadcast TV and radio are being switched off and choice is infinite,” he said. “A switch-off of broadcast will and should happen over time, and we should be active in planning for it.”

Davie said the BBC was committed to live broadcasting but Britons should prepare for the closure of many standalone channels and radio stations by the 2030s: “Over time this will mean fewer linear broadcast services and a more tailored joined-up online offer.”

The future will involve “bringing the BBC together in a single offer”, possibly in the form of one app combining everything from television programmes to local news coverage and educational material. This could ultimately see the end of distinct brands such as BBC One or BBC Radio 4, although the programmes they currently air could continue online. [Continue reading at The Guardian…]

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19th Edition of the Global Radio Guide (Winter 2022-23) Now Available

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gayle Van Horn (W4GVH), who shares the following announcement:

19th Edition of the Global Radio Guide (Winter 2022-23) Now Available

Small moves and gradual escalation.

Positioning resources so that at the perfect moment, a move can be made to ensure a swift victory.

This is no game of chess, this is the real-world and real-time tensions playing out in the Taiwan Straits every day.

With tensions between Taiwan and China on the rise, and with the Russian-Ukrainian war raging on, radio hobbyists are following the latest news from the front lines using shortwave broadcasts and various other radio services. You can hear these international events like the pros do, but you will need an accurate and comprehensive global radio guide to know where and when to tune in to the action.

That is where you can count on Gayle Van Horn’s (W4GVH) Amazon bestselling Global Radio Guide (now in its 19th edition for the Winter of 2022-23) as it has all of the details you need to catch up with the latest from these and other hotspots around the world.

As one of the only remaining publications available with international broadcast frequencies and schedules, the Global Radio Guide (GRG) puts everything a radio enthusiast needs to navigate the action right in their hands.

In this completely updated edition, regular GRG contributor Fred Waterer (also of The Spectrum Monitor) post features on monitoring the international broadcasters at the very forefront of the events. Larry Van Horn, N5FPW, adds his detailed information on monitoring of utilities on the shortwave bands, including military communications.

With the help of the GRG, you can tune in shortwave broadcast stations from additional hotspots such as Cuba, India, Iran, North/South Korea, and many other counties. If you have a shortwave radio receiver, SDR or Internet connection, pair it with this unique radio resource to know when and where to listen to the world.

This newest edition of the GRG carries on the tradition of those before it with an in-depth, 24-hour station/frequency guide with schedules for selected AM band, longwave, and shortwave radio stations. This unique resource is the only radio publication that lists by-hour schedules that include all language services, frequencies, and world target areas for over 500 stations worldwide.

The GRG includes listings of DX radio programs and Internet website addresses for many of the stations in the book. There are also entries for time and frequency stations as well as some of the more “intriguing” transmissions one can find on the shortwave radio bands.

In addition to the global hotspots, the GRG brings the world to you from other places on the radio dial.

It’s not just the shortwave bands heating up, mediumwave DXing has seen a surge in popularity in recent years as well. For those DXing the lower bands, DX Central’s Loyd Van Horn, W4LVH, breaks down the basics of getting started with mediumwave DX and even gives us a fun summer project does a deep dive into everything you need to know when purchasing a portable radio for AM DX. While SDRs are taking over, portable radios remain popular and highly successful options for the mediumwave DXer and Loyd can help you sort through the specs and stats to find your next radio!

Whether you monitor shortwave radio broadcasts, mediumwave, amateur radio operators, or aeronautical, maritime, government, or military communications in the HF radio spectrum, this book has the information you need to help you to hear it all. Teak Publishing’s Global Radio Guide “brings the world to you.”

You can find this edition of the Global Radio Guide, along with all of our titles currently available for purchase, on the Teak Publishing Web site at www.teakpublishing.com. Details will be available at www.teakpublishing.com.

The 19th edition of the Global Radio Guide e-Book (electronic book only, no print edition available) is available worldwide from Amazon and their various international websites at
https://amzn.to/3UIcJqz

The price for this latest edition is US$8.99. Since this book is being released internationally, Amazon customers in the United Kingdom, Germany, France Spain, Italy, Japan, India, Canada, Brazil, Mexico and Australia can order this e-Book from Amazon websites directly servicing these countries. Customers in all other countries can use the regular Amazon.com website to purchase this e-Book.

You can read any Kindle e-Book with Amazon’s ‘free’ reading apps on literally any electronic media platform. You do not have to own a Kindle reader from Amazon to read this e-book. There are Kindle apps available for iOS, Android, Mac and PC platforms. You can find additional details on these apps by checking out this link to the Amazon website at www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771.

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Radio Waves: Bell Labs Horn Antenna At Risk, Tuckerton Tower, The Warsaw Radio Mast, and End of AM Car Radio?

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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.

A special thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, for these news tips! Enjoy:

Historic Bell Labs Horn Antenna At Risk, Holmdel Citizens Group Says (Patch.com)

Citizens for Informed Land Use is against a proposal before the Planning Board to reclassify the former Nokia site for redevelopment.

HOLMDEL, NJ — Citizens for Informed Land Use, Preserve Holmdel and others are rallying to preserve the Bell Labs Horn Antenna, which they say is threatened if the 43-acre site it stands on is reclassified for residential development.

The property at 791 Holmdel Road is home to the Bell Labs Horn Antenna, once used by Bell Labs scientists Dr. Robert Wilson, who still lives in the township, and Dr. Arno Penzias, to study microwave radiation from beyond the Milky Way, the organization says.

The site is also described by the group “as the highest point in Monmouth County, providing remarkable views of Raritan Bay and Manhattan.”

The scientists’ “research confirmed evidence of the Big Bang Theory as the origin of the universe and earned both men a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978,” the land use group said in a news release.

But on Nov. 22, the Township Committee approved a resolution directing the Planning Board to study whether the former Nokia site in the Crawford Hill section of Holmdel – the site of the Horn Antenna – should be reclassified as an “area in need of redevelopment.” [Continue reading…]

New Jersey’s Disturbing Monolith Secrete: The Rise and Fall of Tuckerton Tower (YouTube)

In Tuckerton, NJ, a massive cement monolith sits out of place, and upon closer inspection, out of time. You see, this gigantic block was once the base of the tallest structure in North America and the second tallest in the world after the Eiffel Tower. Built in 1912, the Tuckerton tower stood at 825 feet and was the first and most potent transatlantic broadcasting tower ever, but here’s the twist, although it was on US soil, it was entirely built by and belonged to Germany.

Why the tallest tower on earth collapsed | The Warsaw Radio Mast (YouTube)

The Warsaw Radio Mast (Polish: Maszt radiowy w Konstantynowie) was a radio mast located near G?bin, Poland, and the world’s tallest structure at 646.38 metres (2,120.7 ft) from 1974 until its collapse on 8 August 1991.

Designed by Jan Polak, and one of the last radio masts built under Communist rule, the mast was conceived for height and ability to broadcast the “propaganda of the successes” to remote areas such as Antarctica. It was the third tallest structure ever built, being surpassed as the tallest by the Burj Khalifa tower in the United Arab Emirates in 2009 and Merdeka 118 tower in Malaysia in 2022. Designed by Jan Polak, its construction started in July 1970, was completed on 18 May 1974, and its transmitter entered regular service on 22 July of that year. The opening of the mast was met with extensive celebration and news coverage by the Polish Film Chronicle.

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