RSGB Archive: Silent Film of D/F Field Day in 1947

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Many thanks to the Southgate ARC who notes this recently published 1947 silent film from the Radio Society of Great Britain:

The RSGB has released a vintage silent black and white video of an Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) field day held in 1947 at Chipping Barnet which was then in Hertfordshire

The Incorporated Radio Society of Great Britain titled the video – D/F Field Day (North of the Thames) May 18th 1947. It has been added to the many amateur radio videos that can be viewed on the Society’s YouTube channel.

One thing that’s apparent from the video is the difference in the age range of those who participated in amateur radio in the late 1940’s compared to today.

Watch RSGB Archive film – D/F Field Day 1947

Click here to view on YouTube.

Pages 69-70 of the RSGB Bulletin (forerunner of RadCom) for October 1947 contained a fully illustrated report on the North of the Thames ARDF event as well as the South of the Thames event held on July 6, 1947.

The two leading affiliated societies on May 18 were from Essex:
1st Romford and District Radio Society
2nd Southend and District Radio Society
The two clubs swapped positions for the July 6 event.

Fascinating! I love how everyone wore proper attire and much of the equipment was home brew. I imagine operators were happy to go back to field and enjoy all sorts of radio activity so close on the heels of WWII.

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NOAA/NASA panel publishes Solar Cycle 25 Preliminary Forecast

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(Source: NOAA via Michael Bird)

The NOAA/NASA co-chaired international panel to forecast Solar Cycle 25 released a preliminary forecast for Solar Cycle 25 on April 5, 2019. The consensus: Cycle 25 will be similar in size to cycle 24. It is expected that sunspot maximum will occur no earlier than the year 2023 and no later than 2026 with a minimum peak sunspot number of 95 and a maximum of 130. In addition, the panel expects the end of Cycle 24 and start of Cycle 25 to occur no earlier than July, 2019, and no later than September, 2020. The panel hopes to release a final, detailed forecast for Cycle 25 by the end of 2019. Please read the official NOAA press release describing the international panel’s forecast at https://www.weather.gov/news/190504-sun-activity-in-solar-cycle

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Now available: The 2017-2018 Pirate Radio Annual

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Thomas Ally, who notes that Andrew Yoder has released the 2017-2018 Pirate Radio Annual.

Here’s the announcement from the Hobby Broadcasting Blog:

2017-2018 Pirate Radio Annual is done and I’ve received the copies back from the printer already! This edition is 308 pages and contains an audio CD-R (playable on standard CD players) with clips from 87 different pirate stations from around the world, nearly all from 2016 and 2017. This edition contains 181 illustrations and entries for approximately 307 stations reported in North America in 2016 and 2017 (280 North American shortwave stations and 27 from Europe and South America).

It also contains some “articles” on the Common and Precious Beacon, Radio Pirana International from South America, and upcoming Global HF Pirate Weekends/propagation for reaching different parts of the world.

This edition will cost $20 ($16.50 + $3.50 shipping) in the U.S. I took the packed book to the post office for the international shipping cost and was shocked to discover that it will cost $24 to ship it anywhere in Europe (so, $38.00 = $16.50 + $21.50 to Europe) I’ll eat a couple dollars of the cost because the shipping is so high. It’s so expensive that it will soon pay for airfare to Europe just to deliver copies!

This price is good for the next month (up through 5/1/2019). I’m not sure if I’ll keep the price the same or raise it at that time.

Please send check or money order to:

Hobby Broadcasting
PO Box 109
Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214

or send the money via PayPal to info [at symbol] hobbybroadcasting.com. If you trust that I won’t run off with the money to Sealand, please use the “Friends and Family” option so that PayPal won’t charge a fee.

4/2 update: One final note about ordering via PayPal: Could you please include your shipping address with the PayPal order? The PayPal messages haven’t included addresses and when I sign into PayPal and click on the “more information about this transaction,” the address still isn’t coming up. So, I’ve been e-mailing people for addresses, which could delay shipping.

Thanks for the tip, Tom! I just ordered my copy!

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April 9th – 23rd, 2019: Transmitting Reykjavik Museum of Photography glacier images via HF SSTV

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One of the images to be transmitted: Image 1 ~ 1955-1970, Þórsmörk. A lightly dressed elderly man looks at Eyjafjallajökull glacier

Many thanks to Lucy Helton (KD2MFV) who writes:

Dear Thomas,

Between April 9th – 23rd 2019, I’m artist-in-residence at SIM, in Reykjavik, Iceland, to partner with Jón Þ Jónsson, TF3JA, an Icelandic Radio Amateur and member of Icelandic Radio Amateurs ÍRA, to transmit images via SSTV . The images, appropriated from the Reykjavik Museum of Photography’s collection, are of Icelandic glaciers photographed in a time before we knew climate change existed. I’m asking HAM radio operators who receive my long-range image transmissions, to print out the images received and mail them back to me, using instructions on my website (www.lucyhelton.com). I will be updating the blog daily.

In exchange, when I have assembled the printed pieces to reconstruct the whole image transmitted, I will make QSL postcards of the completed images and mail them back to the participating HAMs. The resulting artwork will be a collaborative fine art example of long-range communications between humans, concerning accelerated environmental change.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could please notify HAM’s of the existence of this project by announcing it on the blog?

Transmissions

Each single transmission consists of 12 x SSTV images. I will be transmitting 5 different glacier images over 15 days.

SSTV calling frequency and daily transmission times are (the frequency will be + / – 5kHz):

20 meters: (USB) 14.230 MHz @ 1pm / 6pm / 11pm GMT

For more project information on please go to: www.lucyhelton.com

Many thanks,

Lucy Helton KD2MFV

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FCC’s Michael O’Reilly: Don’t tune in to “harmful broadcasts”

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Many thanks to an SWLing Post reader who shares the following letter by FCC Commissioner Michael O’RieIly to NYC representatives regarding pirate radio operators.

This passage is of particular interest–I put one statement in bold:

“Since your Congressional district is located within or near the most prolific market for pirate radio, I wanted to seek your direct assistance on the issue. Specifically, I respectfully request that you discourage any of your constituents in the greater New York City radio market from facilitating pirate radio activities in any way, including participating in pirate operations, advertising with such “stations,” housing or leasing space to pirate operators, or tuning in to these harmful broadcasts. finally, I would appreciate any information that you or your staff would be willing to share regarding the location of known pirate operations, which will be swiftly directed to the Commission’s Enforcement Bureau for action.”

The full letter:

Click here to download the full letter as a PDF.

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Burundi Bans VOA, BBC and other news sources

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(Source: VOA News)

WASHINGTON —Burundi will continue to block broadcasts from two international media organizations and expand restrictions on their operations, the government announced Friday.

At a meeting in Bujumbura, the president of the National Council of Communication, Nestor Bankumukunzi, said the British Broadcasting Corp. and the Voice of America are no longer allowed to broadcast, effective immediately. The ban is indefinite and extends to journalists, both foreign and domestic, who provide information to either broadcaster.

“We are alarmed that reporters in Burundi are now forbidden to communicate with VOA and believe these continuing threats to our journalists undermine press freedom in the country,” VOA Director Amanda Bennett said. “We stand with the people of Burundi against those who are restricting their access to accurate and reliable news and information.”

The BBC condemned the decision, calling it “a serious blow against media freedom.”

Last May, the Burundi government suspended both news organizations for six months, a week before holding a referendum on a new constitution. The outlets have been off the air since.[…]

Click here to read the full story at VOA News.

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VOA Museum presentation April 9, 2019: “Theatre of the Mind: Sound Effects During Radio’s Golden Age”

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(Source: Southgate ARC)

A National VOA Museum of Broadcasting Media Heritage presentation

A horse clip-clops down a cobblestoned street. Muffled shouts of street vendors calling out their wares rise up, then fade out.

A long time ago, before the age of the internet—and even before the age of television– radio comedies and dramas entertained the masses by creating stories and situations that relied on the listener’s imagination.

The tools used to help paint those audio landscapes were called sound effects.

The public is invited to join Cincinnati radio historian, WMKV producer and sound effects artist Mike Martini, president of the National Voice of America’s Museum of Broadcasting’s Media Heritage Collection, at “Theater of the Mind: Sound Effects During Radio’s Golden Age” on Tuesday, April 9 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the VOA museum in West Chester.

Martini will talk about the history of radio sound effects and demonstrate how some of the more popular effects were made.

Audience members will have a chance to try their hands at creating the effects, too. The event is free, but seating is limited. Donations are requested.

The VOA museum is open Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. at 8070 Tylersville Road in West Chester. General admission is $5 for adults and $1 for children. Museum docents are needed. They are trained on the history of the Voice of America, its technology at the VOA Bethany station, and the history of wireless radio and Cincinnati’s radio and TV broadcast history.

The VOA museum will host its fourth annual fundraiser, “75 Years of Rockin’ the Radio,” on Saturday, Sept. 21. Sponsorships are now available.

For more information on becoming a docent, a fundraiser sponsor or to reserve event seats, email [email protected] or call (513) 777-0027.

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