Frank finds a Sony ICF-SW7600G/GR replacement antenna

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Frank, who writes:

Thomas,

I have asked for and received help from your members a couple of times during the last year. I am sending this to you in an effort to “give something back” to your members.

I managed to stupidly break the built-in whip antenna on my Sony 7600GR and looked for a replacement. Several are on eBay for 5- 60 dollars which is a bit steep.

I eventually tried one (for $20) in the link below from eBay:

https://ebay.us/OpHEeP

It arrived very quickly (under 2 weeks from China) and it simply went into the radio with no problems and it works very well.

I am not a radio HAM or electronics expert so it may not be perfect but to me the reception is at least as good as the original.

If anyone needs one, it would be well worth trying.

Regards,

Frank from England

Thanks so much for sharing this useful tip, Frank!

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Termination Event May Indicate Solar Cycle Strength

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Predictions for Solar Cycle 25. Blue is the “official” prediction of a weak cycle. Red is a new prediction based on the Termination Event.

Feb. 26, 2022: Something big just happened on the sun. Solar physicists Scott McIntosh (NCAR) and Bob Leamon (U. Maryland-Baltimore County) call it “The Termination Event.”

“Old Solar Cycle 24 has finally died–it was terminated!” says McIntosh. “Now the new solar cycle, Solar Cycle 25, can really take off.”

The “Termination Event” is a new idea in solar physics, outlined by McIntosh and Leamon in a December 2020 paper in the journal Solar Physics. Not everyone accepts it–yet. If Solar Cycle 25 unfolds as McIntosh and Leamon predict, the Termination Event will have to be taken seriously.

(Read the full story here at Spaceweather.com)

Robert Gulley, K4PKM (formerly AK3Q), is the author of this post and a regular contributor to the SWLing Post.

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The Scented Garden: March 9th & 16th, 2022 via Channel 292

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Fastradioburst23, who shares the Scented Garden flyer above announcing broadcasts on Sunday, March 9th and 16th, 2022 at 1700 UTC on 3955 kHz (Channel 292). I’m under the impression this station may be a tribute to John Peel’s Perfumed Garden show on the pirate Radio London. Brilliant!

Thanks for the tip!

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Video Presentation: WLW Radio -100 Years – Behind The Scenes by Dave Snyder

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A view of the iconic WLW tower taken from the neighboring VOA Bethany site and museum.

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Snyder, who shares this presentation outlining the history of WLW for the National VOA Museum of Broadcasting YouTube channel.

Video description:

Behind the scenes pictures from the efforts of Powel Crosley, Jr. creating the famous WLW Radio Station, including the largest USA AM broadcast transmitter at 500,000 watts.

Click here to view on YouTube.

Most excellent! Thank you for sharing this, David.

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NY Times: “BBC revives shortwave radio dispatches in Ukraine, and draws ire of Russia.”

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Woofferton Transmitting Station (Photo by Shirokazan via Wikimedia Commons.)

Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post contributors who share the following news item from the New York Times. I’ve included an excerpt below, but the full article article can be found on the NY Times website. You may need a NY Times account to read this article if you’re not a paid subscriber; the account is free and allows you a limited number of free articles each month:

BBC revives shortwave radio dispatches in Ukraine, and draws ire of Russia.

As Russia is trying to cut off the flow of information in Ukraine by attacking its communications infrastructure, the British news outlet BBC is revisiting a broadcasting tactic popularized during World War II: shortwave radio.

The BBC said this week that it would use radio frequencies that can travel for long distances and be accessible on portable radios to broadcast its World Service news in English for four hours a day in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, and in parts of Russia.

“It’s often said truth is the first casualty of war,” Tim Davie, director-general of the BBC, said in a statement. “In a conflict where disinformation and propaganda is rife, there is a clear need for factual and independent news people can trust.”

On Tuesday, Russian projectiles struck the main radio and television tower in Kyiv. Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s defense minister, wrote on Twitter that Russia’s goal was “to break the resistance of the Ukrainian people and army,” starting with “a breakdown of connection” and “the spread of massive FAKE messages that the Ukrainian country leadership has agreed to give up.”

Shortwave radio has been a go-to vehicle to reach listeners in conflict zones for decades, used to deliver crackling dispatches to soldiers in the Persian Gulf war, send codes to spies in North Korea and pontificate through the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. But more modern forms of radio along with the internet eventually pushed shortwave out of favor; the BBC retired its shortwave transmissions in Europe 14 years ago. [Continue reading the full article…]

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The Guardian: “BBC website ‘blocked’ in Russia as shortwave radio brought back to cover Ukraine war”

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Chris, who shares the following report from The Guardian:

BBC website ‘blocked’ in Russia as shortwave radio brought back to cover Ukraine war (The Guardian)

Website reportedly available at only 17% of normal levels in Russia, hours after broadcaster revives radio technology to reach Ukraine and parts of Russia

Access to BBC websites has been restricted in Russia, hours after the corporation brought back its shortwave radio service in Ukraine and Russia to ensure civilians in both countries can access news during the invasion.

State communications watchdog Roskomnadzor restricted access to BBC Russia’s online presence, as well as Radio Liberty and the Meduza media outlet, the state-owned Russian RIA news agency reported on Friday.

According to Globalcheck, a service that tracks internet censorship in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the availability of the entire BBC website was at 17% of normal levels in Russia, which suggests some services have been blocked.

BBC Russia also reported that Meta, formerly known as Facebook, also appeared to be blocked, as was Google Play.

The signs the BBC was being blocked emerged hours after the BBC’s decision to revert to a mostly obsolete form of broadcasting, broadcasting four hours of its world service, read in English, to Ukraine and parts of Russia each day.

“It’s often said truth is the first casualty of war,” BBC director general Tim Davie said in announcing the move on Thursday. “In a conflict where disinformation and propaganda is rife, there is a clear need for factual and independent news people can trust … millions more Russians are turning to the BBC.” [Continue reading at The Guardian…]

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