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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:
Not a false alarm this time — one of the most striking appearances of a classic shortwave receiver was in Battle of the Bulge, the 1960’s movie about the great battle between German and U.S. forces during World War II, lasting five weeks between the end of 1944 and beginning of 1945. This movie had some of the biggest stars of the time, including Henry Fonda, Robert Ryan, Telly Savalas, and Charles Bronson. Robert Shaw played the German commander of the offensive in the Ardennes and scenes in his command trailer showed a beautiful Hallicrafters SX-28/A which audiences are led to believe was both a transmitter and a receiver.
In this scene, the radio is shown as Shaw is chewed out by his superior in the trailer for not making more progress on the battlefield.
The SX-28 is one of the most amazing radios Hallicrafters made. Thanks for sharing this, Dan!
BBC Radio 4 begins information campaign to transition listeners from Long Wave
The BBC has begun an information campaign to help transition listeners of Radio 4 Long Wave (LW) to alternative BBC platforms.
This follows the announcement in May 2022 that the BBC is to stop scheduling separate content for Radio 4 LW in anticipation of the closure of the LW platform, owned and operated by a third party, which is coming to the end of its life as a technology.
Radio 4 LW is starting to run targeted on air trails from today, giving listeners plenty of advance notice of the coming changes.
All programmes on Radio 4 LW – Shipping Forecast, Daily Service, Yesterday in Parliament and Test Match Special – will continue to be available on other BBC platforms.
Digital listening has grown significantly over the past decade as the range of alternatives has become easier to switch to, and listeners are increasingly accessing content elsewhere on the BBC. The audiences for Radio 4 LW are small, but we know there are some who still tune in on LW for their favourite programmes.
The BBC is working with key organisations so that specific audiences will be notified how they can switch to other BBC platforms to hear programmes between now and the end of Radio 4 LW separate scheduling in March 2024.
The Shipping Forecast will cease to be broadcast four times a day, and will instead be available via the Radio 4 FM simulcast twice a day (weekdays) and three times a day (weekends) as well as on DAB and BBC Sounds.
It will also continue to be broadcast via HM Coastguard’s channels. Whilst modern technology and new methods means the Shipping Forecast is no longer integral to mariners, the BBC has been working closely with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Met Office to ensure seafarers have adequate advance notice of the changes taking place next year and can prepare accordingly.
The Daily Service and the longer version of Yesterday in Parliament will also continue on LW until March 2024 and will then be available on BBC Radio 4 Extra and BBC Sounds.
Yesterday in Parliament will still be broadcast on the Today programme on Radio 4 FM/DAB.
Test Match Special is already available uninterrupted on Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds where listeners will continue to be able to access it digitally. All scheduled cricket matches on Radio 4 LW will still be broadcast this summer, for the final time. Radio 4 LW listeners will be reminded where they can hear the cricket across the BBC going forward.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and KHKA, CBS 1500,
unveiled Hawaii’s first Primary Entry Point (PEP) emergency broadcast
facility today. The KHKA facility, located at Kahauiki Village, joins
FEMA’s National Public Warning System (NPWS), which provides critical
information to the public before, during, and after emergency incidents
and disasters.
The NPWS emergency broadcast facility, part of the Integrated Public
Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), includes improved operational
capabilities for up to two months, expanded broadcast capacity,
emergency power generation, and other resilient protective measures for
all types of hazardous events, increasing KHKA’s ability to continue
broadcasting during emergencies.
In the event of a disaster, trained staff can operate the emergency
facilities for several weeks to keep KHKA on air to broadcast messages
from the local, state, and federal governments, as well as community
organizations.
– – –
FEMA Unveils Disaster-Resistant Broadcast Studio in Hawaii KHNL-TV Honolulu, HI
As the official start of hurricane season approaches on June 1, federal
and local emergency officials introduced a critical tool Wednesday to
keep the public informed in the event of a disaster.
FEMA unveiled a brand new emergency broadcast radio studio that sits on
the grounds of Kahauiki village near Keehi Lagoon.
The facility features a full media setup designed to keep transmitting
communications through any type of threat.
“Everything from tsunamis to earthquakes to tornadoes to hurricanes,”
said FEMA national public warning system manager Manny Centeno.
– – –
Prepared for Anything: Hawaii’s Emergency Broadcast Studio KHON-TV Honolulu, HI
A new facility on Oahu is already relaying information to help recovery
efforts in Guam, even though Hawaii is almost 4,000 miles away.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency gave a tour of their new
emergency broadcast studio on Wednesday, May 24; but the hope is that
locals never need to use it.
The footprint of the studio itself is small, but it is quite a tank. It
is engineered to keep broadcasting before, during and after natural
emergencies like hurricanes and tsunamis. The station is even made to
withstand man-made catastrophes.
“This thing is designed to protect against high-altitude electromagnetic
pulse, EMP. So, this is EMP protected. it is also chemical, biological,
radiological and nuclear protected,” said FEMA National Public Warning
System project manager Manny Centeno.
Good Friday SWLing Post shopping community! Fastradioburst23 here letting you know about the return of KMRT. It will be moving out of the department store and onto the airwaves for your holiday weekend listening pleasure this Sunday 28th May 2023 at 2200 UTC on 9395 kHz via WRMI.
Expect some “When it’s gone, IT’S GONE!” tunes and a plethora of blue light and centre aisle 45 specials. We will also have a special appearance of someone you don’t know off the television from the 1980’s cutting the ribbon to open the doors of the broadcast. So tune in and grab yourself a great “once in a lifetime bargain” thanks to the fruits of the ionosphere! All radios are on sale at 25% off while supplies last! (Subject to availability of course).
First-time listeners are more than welcome to send reception reports to [email protected] and to check out our old shows here.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Frans Goddijn, who writes:
I bought the Hurricane AM Modulator.
Here in my living room the hum was considerable even though I had an EARTH connection. So what I did was use a coax cable made of two different ends of coax cable, just the isolated kernel of both taped close together so the signal is transmitted on one, received on the other without the wires touching. One end in the antenna OUT of the transmitter, the other end in antenna IN of the receiver.
Now I can wirelessly send music from my laptop or telephone to the Hurricane and ‘receive’ it on the radio of my preference.
The HUM obviously does not originate from the Hurricane.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark (AE2EA), who writes:
Good Morning Thomas,
The Antique Wireless Museum has just released a video of a presentation
by AWA member Rich Place about his time working at HCJB, The Voice of
the Andes. I thought your SWLing members might be interested.
AWA member and RF engineer Rich Place, WB2JLR, made multiple trips to
Ecuador to work at the HCJB transmitter and he relates his experiences
with some of the unique challenges associated with operating a high
power shortwave transmitter at a high, dry elevation, in a remote
location near Quito Ecuador.
73, Mark ~ AE2EA
Thank you for the tip, Mark!
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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who writes:
