Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report of a recent KBS World broadcast.
Carlos notes:
South Korean government takes action against high suicide rates in the country, KBS, 11810 kHz.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and buddy, One Deck Pete, who writes with a question.
I am not sure if I have sent you this before but this alternative version of a Joe Meek produced single has what I think are shortwave samples bookending it and also a couple of times during the tune.
[Note that Pete originally posted this video on his own blog.]
Have you any guesses what they could be? It was produced in 1966, Joe Meek was a bit of an electronics wizard and I was told subscribed to Practical Wireless and loved a sound effect. It sounds like some fast Morse, telemetry or RTTY but I could be wrong.
Perhaps it isn’t shortwave-based but it sounds like it to me!
How about it SWLing Post readers? What are those digital sounds at the beginning and end of this recording? (Bonus points if you can decode!)
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Terry (N5RTC), who shares the following schedules for Texas Radio Shortwave (click image to enlarge):
Greetings all SWLing Post community, Imaginary Stations have a couple of great programmes this week over those short waves. The first is on Saturday 13th September 2025 at 1100 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and then again on Sunday 14th September 2025 at 0900/1300 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and at 2000 UTC on 3975 kHz and 6160 kHz (via the services of Shortwave Gold) we bring you the first in the programmes called Skybird School of the Air.
The programme is aptly educational themed especially as the schools are back so do have that notepad at the ready as you don’t want to miss anything as there will be a multiple-choice quiz at the end of transmission*.
It’s all good natured though and there won’t be any weekend detentions if you get the odd answer wrong. The only qualification you need to listen to the transmission is to own a shortwave radio or access to an online SDR. If all goes well we will have a local school brass band in the studio for a rollicking version of “Schools Out” and a first year college student choir entertaining us with a song about the importance of algebra and how fun it can be*. Tune in and be prepared to learn something.
* All subject to availability of course.
On Wednesday 17th September 2025 via WRMI we have another Radio Ace episode. Thanks to all the listeners who emailed us wanting to hear the show return to the airwaves and keep them ears open to catch if the great DJ Flash Frisbone will appear or not.
For more information on all our shows, please write to us at [email protected] and check out our old shows at our Mixcloud page here.
FastRadioBurst23
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dennis Dura for sharing this excellent Hackaday feature: Quieting That Radio. If you’ve ever struggled to hear weak signals through modern RFI, this piece, featuring content from Electronics Unmessed, is well worth checking out. It explores the hidden interference SDR setups often face and offers simple, practical/inexpensive fixes—like adding a counterpoise or ferrite choke—that can make all the difference in pulling in those hard-to-hear stations. This is advice we’ve recommended in past articles, but it’s brilliant to see demonstrated improvement.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who writes:
Back in the 1980’s, KBS World Radio was known as Radio Korea, and they could be heard quite well at times here in eastern North America. Even with modest receiving equipment, their familiar interval signal, that included regular ID’s in English and Korean, made it fairly easy to spot.
The recording here (circa 1983) was made in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, using a Panasonic RF-3100 portable receiver and a long wire antenna. As a bonus, this station offered a variety of colorful QSL cards to its listeners.
Today, KBS World Radio from Seoul in the Republic of Korea continues to offer programs via shortwave in several languages including English. Transmitter power up to 250 kw is used so they should be audible in most parts of the world. “Sign on” is strikingly similar using the same interval signal with bi-lingual ID’s and opening music.
They also use some of the same frequencies, including 9570 and 15575 kHz, that they have broadcast on for decades. This recording was made using a remote SDR in Hong Kong on August 14, 2025 on 15575 kHz around 1300 hours UTC.
Many thanks to David (F1JXQ) who notes that his radio retailer, Passion Radio in France, has temporarily suspended shipments to the United States.
This decision follows:
The company hopes to resume shipments once a fair and reliable shipping solution is found.
More details and updates are also available at: https://www.passion-radio.com/store/hamradio-us-tariff-43