Solar Radiation Storms and Cannibal CMEs

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Troy Riede, who shares the following news from Spaceweather.com:


Spaceweather.com

SOLAR RADIATION STORM–NOW: For the second time in less than a week, energetic solar protons are raining down on Earth’s upper atmosphere. Forecasters call this a “solar radiation storm.” Today’s storm (near category S2) is rich in “hard protons” wiith energies greater than 50 MeV. It is causing a shortwave radio blackout inside the Arctic Circle and speckling the cameras of some Earth-orbiting satellites.

The plot above shows storm data recorded by NOAA’s GOES-18 satellite in Earth orbit. Sensors on the satellite are counting energetic protons as they pass by en route to Earth. Triggered by an explosion near the sun’s southwestern limb (inset), this storm could last for another 24 hours.

IS A ‘CANNIBAL CME’ COMING? Since Feb. 7th, the sun has hurled multiple CMEs into space. A handful of them might hit Earth this week. A new NOAA forecast model shows at least three solar storm clouds approaching for strikes on Feb. 13th:

Click to play the animated forecast model

The closely-spaced arrival of these three CMEs could spark G1 (Minor) to G2-class (Moderate) geomagnetic storms with high-latitude auroras in northern Europe, Canada, and northern-tier US states from Maine to Washington.

There’s a chance the CMEs will pile up to form a Cannibal CME. This happens when one fast-moving CME sweeps up slower-moving CMEs in front of it. Cannibal CMEs typically contain strong shocks and enhanced magnetic fields that do a good job sparking geomagnetic storms. If such a pile-up occurs, the combined strike could cause a G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storm with auroras at mid-latitudes.

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UNESCO World Radio Day 2024: Club du Perche contribution

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Jamet, who shares the following contribution to World Radio Day 2024 on behalf of the Club du Perche:


Word Radio Day 2024

Paul JAMET

Member of the Radio Club du Perche

Among the framing elements of the 2024 edition, UNESCO states on its website that the celebration highlights three important values:

UNESCO – The indelible history of Radio and its powerful impact upon news, drama, music, sports …

P.J. – Radio is a grand lady, a hundred years old, still young at heart and full of projects! Its birth and history have given rise to numerous publications and captivating accounts, because for over a century, radio has been the world’s sound memory. Radio stations regularly draw on their rich archives to help us relive key events, because history informs the future. Since the 1920s, radio has demonstrated its usefulness in explaining how the world works, educating listeners and providing entertainment (music, theater, sports, etc.).

UNESCO – The ongoing utilitarian value of Radio as a relatively free and portable public safety net during emergencies and power outages brought on by natural and human-made disasters such as storms, earthquakes, floods, heat, wildfires, accidents and warfare.

P.J. – In recent years, with the increasing number of conflicts and natural disasters resulting from climate change, radio has taken on a new and extremely important role, that of providing a public safety network for both emergency resources and victims. Dozens of models of portable emergency receivers are already available, while others are arriving on the market all the time, using new technologies such as the digitization of radio signals, the use of emergency frequencies for broadcasting warning messages: NOAA frequencies in North America, EWF (Emergency Warning Functionality) technology with DRM broadcasting, and expected also with DAB+ broadcasting.

UNESCOThe continuing democratic value of Radio to serve as a grassroots catalyst for connectedness within underserved groups including immigrant, religious, minority and poverty-stricken populations; and as an instantaneous bellwether of public opinion expressed through the auspices of free speech in the public space.

 P.J. – I was born after the Second World War. My mother often told me about the importance of [clandestine] listening to Radio Londres broadcast by the BBC to occupied France. At the time, the BBC was broadcasting messages to the Resistance operating in France and other European countries. Since then, radio has played a decisive role in many similar situations. Such was the case with Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty until the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. More recently, a few days after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, some stations reactivated their Shortwave transmitters to broadcast special programs to the conflict zone – Zone CIRAF 29. 

Since the start of the third millennium, or even before, several countries have abandoned international broadcasting for a variety of reasons: financial, but also linked to the declining audience, preferring to use the Internet, at least in the best-equipped countries. Many stations have disappeared, and not the least, stations that made a major contribution to the plurality of information and points of view, such as RCI – Canada and RSI – Switzerland, not forgetting DW – Germany and ABC – Australia. Some countries have even demolished their installations and taken down their antennas! 

Yet there are still vast areas of the globe without Internet access or a reliable Internet network. There are still countries where freedom of information is severely controlled. 

In a recent article published on the Radioworld website, Kim Andrew Elliott, who produced “VoA Radiogram”, argues for a revival of Shortwave by proposing Shortwave 2.0, essentially using the following argument: « radio is the ultimate internet circumvention tool ». The author criticizes DRM for dropping out when transmission conditions are poor. He prefers text transmission via the system he has experimented with, which he believes to be more robust. Finally, he adds that « international broadcasters should not close any more shortwave transmitting sites. They are essential facilities to relay information when the internet is blocked, which will happen in more places, more frequently and more thoroughly ».

Through regular listening and exchanges, I fully support international radio stations for the indispensable role they play in providing a plurality of information, but also in providing entertainment (there are many cultural programs) and education, enabling the discovery of other countries and, above all, a better understanding of other cultures.

 As for the Clubs d’écouteurs, they have had to adapt to changes in the radio landscape and advances in information technology.  On the strength of its 40 years of existence and experience, the Radio Club du Perche wishes to take up these challenges and continue its role of promoting international broadcasting – particularly French-speaking – by adapting as best we can to the technological evolutions that are taking place. 

In conclusion, international shortwave broadcasting not only makes sense, but is still very useful for a large number of listeners or in certain situations. Nevertheless, it must adapt to the new realities of modern communication if it is to remain relevant and viable. 

Paul JAMET  –  [email protected] 

Radio Club du Perche


Paul adds that his club members are writing stations to not only submit listener reports but to thank them for their service on the air. We encourage readers to do the same: reach out to any/all radio stations you listen to regularly and let them know you’re listening! 

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Kyodo News Radio Fax on the passing of Seiji Ozawa

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Carlos Latuff, who shares the Radiofax news report (above) from Kyodo News Agency and his amazing artwork (below) detailing the news and his Radiofax reception. Carlos writes:

This time, the main headline of Kyodo News Morning Edition it’s about the passing of the world-renowned conductor Seiji Ozawa.

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SDXF on air for World Radio Day

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia, who shares the following announcement from the SDXF website (translated via Google Translate):

Tuesday, February 13, 2024, it is time again for World Radio Day. Sweden’s DX Association participates in the celebration with a newly produced special program. As in previous broadcasts, there will be a mix of interviews and other features. This time some of the program items are in English. Those listeners who got in touch after our last broadcast, on December 26, 2023, will be notified in a shorter mailbox.

The world’s shortest music program this time presents music from Peru. As usual, the broadcast has been put together by Göran Lindemark.

This time too, the program will be broadcast on shortwave on Channel 292 in Germany. The frequency is 9670 kHz. The program is broadcast at 11.00 with a repeat at 15.00 Swedish winter time.

Reports and comments can be emailed to us . It is then our QSL manager Gert Nilsson who answers the listener post. Feel free to comment on the program content!

We hope for a good reception and that the program content will be of interest. Unfortunately, it is now very unusual to have Swedish-language programs on shortwave.

Click here to read the original announcement in Swedish.

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Alan Roe’s B23 season guide to music on shortwave (version 4.0)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Alan Roe, who shares his B-23 (version 4.0) season guide to music on shortwave. Alan provides this amazing resource as a free PDF download:

Click here to download Music on Shortwave B-23 v4.0 (PDF)

As always, thank you for sharing your excellent guide, Alan!

This dedicated page will always have the latest version of Alan’s guide available for download.

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ARS Technica: “200-foot AM radio tower disappears, halting Alabama station broadcast”

Many thanks to a number of SWLing Post contributors who’ve shared this story from a variety of sources. The following article comes from ARS Technica and was shared by Mark Hist:

200-foot AM radio tower disappears, halting Alabama station broadcast

A 200-foot AM radio tower has been missing for at least a week, leaving an Alabama radio station in a financial crisis and on a desperate hunt.

As first reported by Memphis’ Action News 5, Jasper, Alabama, radio station WJLX 101.5 FM/1240 AM, sent a bush hog crew to maintain the area around the tower on February 2. The tower is behind a poultry plant in a forested area, per The Guardian. Once there, a crew member called station manager Brett Elmore, informing him that the 200-foot structure that CNN says has been there since the ’50s had disappeared.

“He said, ‘The tower is gone. There’s wires [sic] everywhere, and it’s gone,’” Elmore told Action News 5.

The total value of all the equipment reported stolen is nearly $200,000, Alabama’s ABC 33/40 News said.

Now the radio station says it has to get a new tower, as well as a new transmitter and additional equipment for tasks like processing and engineering. Replacement costs are an estimated $60,000 or more, per WJLX.

Even if the tower were somehow recovered, the station would still be “in a jam,” Elmore told CNN, saying that the equipment would probably “be in pieces.”

“This has affected the operation of our AM, which needs a complete rebuild, and our FM, which is currently off the air,” the radio station said Thursday via its Facebook page.

The radio station manager has told outlets that he’s hopeful that community tips and surveillance footage from the poultry plant near the tower’s former location may eventually help police find the tower-taker(s).

“It is a federal crime, and it absolutely will not be worth it to them,” Elmore told Action 5 News. [Continue reading at ARS Technica…]

Readers have shared a lot of speculation about this particular theft. Perhaps more links and facts can be shared in the comments section.

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