Recommended Stations: Looking for a new streaming station each month?

Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Peter Skiera, who reaches out to introduce us to his service, Recommended Stations.

Peter explores the realm of online streaming radio stations to curate a monthly internet radio station known for its reliability and superior audio fidelity. Each selection reflects Peter’s discerning taste, highlighting stations that are both special and unique. He provides insights on the station’s music format, history, and other intriguing aspects.

To receive Peter’s monthly station recommendation, patrons can sign up for just $1 US per month. For those seeking deeper insights and additional details about the curated stations, there’s a $3 US per month tier available.

If you’re interested in learning more and signing up for Peter’s services, you can visit his website at RecommendedStations.com.

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Frans Receives Amsat QO-100 Es’hail2 stationary satellite

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Frans Goddijn, who shares the following guest post:


Es’hail-2 Geostationary Satellite – credit Es’hailSat (via Amsat-UK.org)

Receiving sounds from the Amsat QO-100 Es’hail2 stationary satellite

by Frans Goddijin

Over the last 1-2 years several radio enthusiasts have mentioned the Amsat QO-100 Es’hail2 stationary satellite but so far I had no clue where to begin receiving signals from it. There seems to be no shop selling a complete kit so one has to source and assemble the parts.

Here’s a video (below) about how I did it.

Tije de Jong helped by building me a custom stand for the satellite dish, Hans Holsink (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDBIMjCUKtY and www.hybridpretender.nl) gave me some tips over the mail as did William Lagerberg, a fellow radio enthusiast who has built a small forest of antennas around his home.

In preparation, I looked for pages and videos of other setups but often what I found was way too technical for me, or focused on one or two aspects while skipping over everything else.

So I gathered material from different sources, gleaned information from several websites and videos.

But above all I had the help of Tije, Hans and William who enabled me to get there.

One shortcut that I thought I was taking in the beginning was using an app to get the dish lined up but as it turned out the app seemed to think the satellite was playing hide and seek, sometimes in plain sight across the street and then slowly disappearing around the corner. 😉

Also, I used LiDAR measurement in the app to establish what size and type dish I had bought (a cheap no-brand thing in a store where immigrants buy satellite dishes to watch homeland TV) but later on Tije pointed out to me that the dish on the app screen looked nothing like mine which explained why the orientation tool of the app had me pointing the dish ever higher.

Once I used the information on https://eshail.batc.org.uk/point/ I got going and lining up the dish was easy.

Video:

[I also] made a second video this time highlighting the simple details of the setup so others can easily copy the approach:

Best regards,

Frans

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“Vatican Radio celebrates 93rd anniversary”

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia, who shares the following announcement from Vatican News:


Vatican Radio celebrates 93rd anniversary

The birth of Vatican Radio, the ‘Pope’s radio,’ on February 12, 1931, and World Radio Day, celebrated on February 13, are an opportunity to revisit two significant chapters in the life of a medium marked by tremendous technological evolution, and which, from its origins, has always retained the same mission, that of reaching the corners and peoples of the earth.

By Amedeo Lomonaco

Two days in the 20th century, both in the month of February but in different years, intertwine with the history of the most widespread means of communication in the world: on February 12, 1931, Pope Pius XI inaugurated Vatican Radio. “Hear, O islands, and listen, O distant peoples,” declared the Pope in the radio message “Qui arcano Dei.”

Vatican Radio, the Pope’s Radio

It was Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the radio, who announced the historic event: “For about twenty centuries, the Roman Pontiff has made the word of his divine teaching heard in the world, but this is the first time that his living voice can be perceived simultaneously over the entire surface of the Earth.”

The establishment of Vatican Radio has undoubtedly represented a significant moment in the history of media, having been founded in 1931. Its impact has been reflected not only in the dissemination of the Pope’s voice and the Catholic Church but also in the broader context of global communication.

The establishment of World Radio Day by UNESCO, with its date coinciding with the anniversary of Vatican Radio, underscores the importance and impact of this medium of communication globally.

From waves to the web

Radio has gone through various evolutionary stages, transitioning from traditional radio waves to the digital era and the internet, where it has transformed into web radios and podcasts.

In particular, the democratic aspect of radio has been emphasized as one of its fundamental values. It provides a space for all voices in society, including those often overlooked or ignored by mainstream media.

Furthermore, radio continues to play a crucial role as a public safety net during emergency situations, providing vital information and support to the community.

In summary, the history of Vatican Radio and the celebration of World Radio Day serve as a testament to the power and relevance of this medium in shaping society and facilitating global communication.

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The new SDRplay RSP1B Wideband SDR Receiver

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike (KW1ND), who writes:

Good afternoon, Thomas.

I see that SDRplay has released their successor to the RSP1A, the 1B model. https://www.sdrplay.com/rsp1b/

Also, Tech Minds has done a quick review of it, along with the lastest SDRConnect software, Preview 2:

73,

Mike KW1ND

I love SDRplay products and I’m sure the RSP1B is a winner! Thank you, Mike!

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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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