RFI, FM Habits, and Jeff’s Tabletop Radio Temptation

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Jeff McMahon for sharing a recent Herculodge post, where he battles radio frequency interference (RFI) while trying to enjoy his Tecsun PL-990—only to find his PL-880 unaffected. This led to a deeper reflection on FM listening habits and the temptation of tabletop radios like the Sangean HDR-18 and HDR-19. But with RFI always a threat, is a new radio the solution or just another problem in disguise?

Read Jeff’s full post here.

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“Might it be time to bring shortwave out of retirement?”

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

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor David Iurescia for sharing this fascinating piece from The Spectator. In a world increasingly reliant on fragile digital communication networks, what happens when cyber warfare, physical attacks, or global conflict disrupt the systems we depend on? Clifford Beal explores how shortwave radio—once the backbone of wartime communications—could again play a vital role in ensuring information access when all else fails. “True, it’s retro-analogue, but shortwave gets through to people where more sophisticated digital communications fail,” Beal writes, making the case for renewed investment in resilient radio infrastructure.

Read the full article here: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/bring-back-shortwave/

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“DOGE Targeting VOA And Radio Free Europe”

DOGE Targeting VOA And Radio Free Europe. (Inside Radio)

Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) are in the sights of Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur appointed by President Donald Trump to oversee the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Musk commented on a social media post by Richard Grenell, the U.S. Special Envoy for Special Missions, who said the radio networks are “state-owned media” and “are a relic of the past.”

“Yes, shut them down,” Musk wrote in his reply to the post. “Europe is free now (not counting stifling bureaucracy). Nobody listens to them anymore. It’s just radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money.” [Continue reading…]

Update: SWLing Post contributor, Jock Elliott notes that he wrote the following message and sent it via the Whitehouse contact page:

Mr. President;

First, I am not, and never have been, employed by Voice of America or Radio Free Europe.

But you might want to think twice before you shut them down.

If the electronic networks such as internet and mobile phones are ever shut down, you might want a means of communicating with the populations overseas; you might want to factor that into your decision-making process.

Radio can be an essential resource when the crunch comes, as was demonstrated recently in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee: https://swling.com/blog/2024/11/a-shining-moment-for-ham-radio/

You might want to keep international broadcasting — with appropriate messaging — as “another club in your bag.”

Sincerely, Jock Elliott

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World Radio Day 2025: Celebrating Nuxalk Radio’s Mission to Revive Language and Culture

This World Radio Day, we celebrate the power of community radio with World Wide Waves ’25: Whispers in the Air, a moving documentary presented by Maria Margaronis and produced by our friend David Goren.

 

This BBC World Service feature highlights Nuxalk Radio, a small yet powerful station broadcasting from a trailer in Bella Coola, British Columbia. For the past decade, this station has been a beacon of cultural revival, helping the Nuxalk people reclaim their language and identity after decades of suppression. Through bilingual weather forecasts, recordings of elders, and new music blending ancient and modern sounds, Nuxalk Radio is not just preserving the past—it’s building a bridge to the future. Don’t miss this inspiring story of resilience and the enduring power of radio.

Listen now: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct7mch

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Carlos’ Illustrated Radio Listening Reports and Recordings of Radio 2 & Radio Nikkei 1 (February 12, 2025)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares illustrated radio listening report of recent Radio Nikkei 1 and Radio 2 broadcasts.


Carlos notes:

Radio 2 from Rosario, Argentina (1230 kHz MW)

Click here to view on YouTube.

Radio Nikkei 1, Japan (6055 kHz SW)

Click here to view on YouTube.

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Bigfoot seen in the local supermarket twice

Good day all SWLing Post community! FastRadioBurst 23 here with this week’s Imaginary Stations transmissions.

On Saturday 15th February 2025 at 1200 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and also on Sunday 16th February 2025 at 1000/1400 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and at 2100 UTC on 3975 kHz via Shortwave Gold we’ll be bringing you another Beatles to Bigfoot. It’s a mixture of Lennon & McCartney, songs about Sasquatch and aliens if you remember the show from last week. We bring you more of the same!

Then on Wednesday 19th February 2025 at 0300 UTC via WRMI we bring you KMRT, your official shortwave supermarket station. Expect short-term discounts that are indicated by a flashing blue light, a book at bedtime (if it is bedtime when you’re tuning in) from the thriller called “A chance meeting in the Middle Aisle”, tips from an ex-shelf stacker and much much more. Tune in and bag yourself a bargain!

Also we need your help again to cover our production and transmission costs. Even if you can only spare a couple of dollars it still helps to bring our shows to the shortwaves. So please donate to paypal.me/DJFrederick. A heartfelt thanks from all at Imaginary Stations goes out to all the folks who have sent us generous donations in the past!

For more information on all our shows, please write to [email protected] and check out our old shows at our Mixcloud page here.

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Alex is back with updated “made simple” shortwave frequency charts

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Alex, who has just informed me that he has updated his printer-friendly shortwave frequency charts once again.

Note that Alex creates his charts based on listening to broadcasters rather than importing schedules from other sources.

You can download his chart in PDF format by clicking here.

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