AWA Presentation: A History of British Broadcasting

BBC World Service – Bush House

The Antique Wireless Association/Museum recently posted another excellent presentation on YouTube; this time taking a look at the history of British Broadcasting. Here’s the description followed by the video:

Radio broadcasting in the UK followed a much different path than it did in the US, and there’s more to the story than the BBC. Tim Barrett tells the whole story in this history of British Broadcasting.

Click here to watch on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this presentation, consider becoming a member of the Antique Wireless Association at: https://www.antiquewireless.org/homepage/membership/

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Carlos’ Shortwave Art and recording of NHK World (November 22, 2022)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares his radio log art of a recent NHK World broadcast.


Carols notes:

News about the strong earthquake that hit Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia, more than 200 people dead.

Broadcasted by NHK World Japan radio in Indonesian via shortwave frequency of 13705 kHz, and listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Click here to view on YouTube.

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Video: Giuseppe tests four classic receivers on three different antennas

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Giuseppe Morlè (IZ0GZW), who shares the following:

Dear Thomas and Friends of SWLing Post,

This is Giuseppe Morlè from Formia, central Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea.

I want to share with you this test with 4 old receivers with 3 different antennas:

    • Yaesu FRG-7
    • AOR 3030 – MINI WHIP antenna on the roof
    • Kenwood R-1000INTERNAL CROSSED LOOP antenna
    • Yaesu FRG-8800 – VERTICAL NAVAL

I tuned the 7,390 kHz frequency of Radio New Zealand at 14:10 UTC on November 16 on the 4 receivers. I used the narrow and wide filter on each receiver.

I state that a storm was in progress in the area, the afternoon signal was very discontinuous with a difference on the 3 different antennas.

Surprising the result of the internal cross loops which I use a lot when there are thunderstorms in the area to listen to anyway; their behavior is definitely very good despite being inside my shack.

The Mini Whip is excellent on long and medium waves but gets worse above 7 MHz. In fact I only use this antenna for medium and long waves.

A good signal also from the external naval vertical of 8 meters with a “soft” listening on the Yaesu FRG-8800.

Judge dear friends your comments are welcome!

I wanted to compare these 4 “glories” that have accompanied most of my life and that I still consider excellent.

Attached the link tot he video on my Youtube channel:

Click here to view on YouTube.

I wish everyone a good listening …
73. Giuseppe Morlè iz0gzw.

Thank you so much for sharing this, Giuseppe! We love your videos and demonstrations especially since they so often involve antennas that you have home brewed. Your cross loop antenna is truly amazing!

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Plug in the Lavalamp

Radio Lavalamp “Your ethereal shortwave music station” returns to your radio receivers via the transmitters of Channel 292 this Saturday 26th November 2022 at 2300 UTC on 3955 kHz. The show will feature a mix of chilled out tunes and an eclectic selection for a Saturday night on shortwave. Tune in and enjoy! Fastradioburst23

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Radio Waves: AU2JCB Special Event, 1 Million Watt FM Tower, 3ZZZ Breaches Rules, Australia Calling, WWII KGEI, and EV Charger QRM

Icom IC-756 Pro Transceiver Dial

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!


AU2JCB Special Event Station (Nov 25 – Dec 13, 2022)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Datta, who shares the following announcement:

AU2JCB is a special event call-sign to commemorate the birth date (30 NOV) & to pay homage & to tell about the great INDIAN scientist Acharya JAGADISH CHANDRA BOSE who is recognized as the “Father of Wireless Communication” by the scientific community of our world &IEEE.

I, VU2DSI, have been operating with this call sign for the last 17 years since 2005 & operate AU2JCB from 25 NOV 2022 to 13 DEC 2022.

The Details of operation —-

Period: 25 NOV 2022 to 13 DEC 2022

Frequencies:

  • 10 M: 28545, 28510,28490
  • 21 M: 21235, 21310, 21350
  • 20M: 4210, 14250, 14310
  • 40 M: 7040, 7150
  • 80 M: 3710
  • 6M in FM mode 50800, 51500
  • 10 M: 29700

Preferably the operation will be on higher bands according to propagation conditions.

QSL— Direct to VU2DSI, “SURABHI” MEHERABAD. AHMEDNAGAR.414006. INDIA.

FOR DX STATIONS PLEASE SEND 2IRC’s—–IF POSSIBLE— as many many DX stations are requesting QSL’s.

I will appreciate the GOOD number of used postal stamps instead of IRC as I love collecting stamps.

About

Aacharya J.C.Bose is well known as the “Father of Wireless Communication”.

Acharya Bose’s demonstration in 1895 & 1897 predates all.

Bose transmitted wireless signals to a distance of a mile. Popova in Russia was still trying remote signaling at this time & the first wireless experiment by Marconi was not successful until May 1897.

Bose is a pioneer in microwave optics technology.

Bose’s invention of 1-centimeter to 5 millimeters radio waves is being used in radars, satellite communication& remote sensing.

Bose’s concepts from his original 1897 papers are now incorporated into a new 1.3 mm multi-beam receiver on the NRAO (National Radio Observatory) 12 Meter Telescope.

Bose anticipated the use of P-type& N-type semiconductors & hence 60 years ahead of his time. Bose developed the use of GALENA crystals for making receivers.

In Bose’s presentation to the Royal Institution in London in January 1897, he speculated on the existence of electromagnetic radiation from the sun. This radiation from the sun was not detected until 1942.

Video: Exploring a 1 MILLION Watt FM Tower (YouTube)

My Dad and I took a road trip to tour the 1 MW FM community tower in Crestwood, MO, serving the entire St. Louis metro area combining 10 FM radio signals into two antenna systems.

Special thanks to the Audacy engineers who allowed us to take a peek at their (very clean!) transmitter rooms and equipment!

Click here to view on YouTube.

3ZZZ breaches community radio broadcast rules in its coverage on Ukraine (ACMA)

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found Melbourne-based community broadcaster 3ZZZ in breach of community broadcasting rules in its coverage of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Continue reading

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From SolderSmoke: Watching Shortwave Broadcast Stations on the TinySA Spectrum Analyser

Curtain Antennas at VOA Site B: Greenville, North Carolina.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and friend, Bill Meara, from the amazing SolderSmoke podcast who shares the following post that originally appeared on the SolderSmoke Daily News:


Watching Shortwave Broadcast Stations on the TinySA Spectrum Analyser

by Bill Meara

November 18, 2022 1244 UTC. I was using a TinySA spectrum analyzer to look at noise levels on the 40 meter ham radio band. I also wanted to take a look slightly above the band (in frequency) to see Radio Marti at 7355 kHz. As I was doing this I remembered that Vatican Radio was on the air at 7305 kHz from 1230 UTC to 1245 UTC. So was just going to catch the last moments of that day’s transmissions. Sure enough, I caught it, and watched it disappear from the TinySA screen. See the video below:

Click her to view on YouTube.

Radio Marti continued on. In the morning we can hear the rooster recordings from that station. We are using it to test how well our homebrew Direct Conversion receivers avoid AM detection. In the video I mistakenly said these two transmitters were on the air with 250 megawatts. The correct power is 250 kilowatts. Both transmit from Greenville NC. I think the signal from Vatican Radio is stronger here because they are using a different antenna pattern — Radio Marti is aimed at Cuba.

This reminds me of a cool project I have not yet done: modifying the TinySA to allow the user to listen to the station: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2021/10/how-to-listen-with-your-tinysa.html I notice that Dean KK4DAS (my colleague in DC receiver design) was the only commenter on the blog post describing the TinySA mod. TRGHS. We need to to do this.

Here are the reports showing when Vatican Radio and Radio Marti were on the air on November 18, 2022:


Thank you for sharing this, Bill. I love it! The TinySA is such an affordable and useful workbench tool.

Post readers: If you love building things and exploring a wide range of radio projects, I highly recommend bookmarking the SolderSmoke Podcast and website

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Carlos’ Shortwave Art and recording of KCBS Pyongyang and the Voice of Korea (November 20, 2022)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares his radio log art of a recent Voice of Korea broadcast.


Carlos notes:

Announcement of the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the DPRK, via KCBS Pyongyang, domestic radio service from DPRK, broadcasting in Korean, listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, shortwave frequency of 11680 kHz.

Click here to view on YouTube.

Announcement of the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the DPRK, via Voice of Korea, broadcasting in English from Kujang, North Korea, listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, shortwave frequency of 12015 kHz.

Click here to view on YouTube.

Announcement of the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the DPRK, via Voice of Korea, broadcasting in Spanish from Kujang, North Korea, listened in Porto Alegre, Brazil, shortwave frequency of 12015 kHz.

Click here to view on YouTube.

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