The Italian Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) halts shortwave broadcasting

Dave spots a Sony ICF-2001 in sitcom “Family Ties”

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave Zantow (N9EWO), who writes:

You like to point out SW radios on TV shows. I caught a part of a episode of “Family Ties” (Season 2 Episode 11, “Birthday Boy”) where Alex was given a Sony ICF-2001 (it was the original 2001 version of course). Time : 3:24 into the program. NOTE : It’s actually a 1984 episode not 1982 as given in the video link ! About that time the ICF-2001 was discontinued (or was on the way out). Enjoy:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4p2an6

Click here to watch at DailyMotion.

Wow! Somehow I missed this episode in the 1980s–I know I would have remembered the ICF-2001! I’ll add this find to our ever growing archive of radios in film. Thanks, Dave!

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Randy Bachman features Radio Caroline music on the CBC

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bruce Atchison, who writes:

Randy Bachman featured the music played on Radio Caroline in two shows
broadcast on CBC during the spring of this year. Check out both on
www.randybachman.com and scroll down until you find the pirate radio
shows.

Both programs of Randy’s Vinyl Tap brought back so many good
memories.

Thanks for the tip, Bruce!

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20 Years Ago: The 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race disaster – recording of the race controller frequency

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In response to our recent items about monitoring the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, SWLing Post contributor, Neil Howard, shares the following:

In 1998 this race was decimated by massive seas and storms, which sunk 5 boats and tragically lives were lost.

I happened to be recording frequency of the Race controller.

After almost losing the recording , I posted it to YouTube back in 2011:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Description of recording:

HOW this was obtained

This recording of the HF transmissions from 1998 was recorded by me from Queensland, using a newfangled unattended recoding program on the PC and a very ordinary Sangean ATS-803a receiver using a random long wire Antenna – from memory this was on the 8 Mhz Marine band, and is the co-ordination of the search and rescue from the 28th Dec 1998 and covers from around 8:30PM till 10PM – The automated recorded stopped recording when the signal noise dropped below a certain level and thus some was lost.

The recording goes for 30 mins, as that was the limit that was set to save disk space, but there is a lot of empty noise.

I have had this on a disk for 13 years now ( WOW!) and I had a serious disk crash, recently and almost lost everything….. I place this here on youtube so it is not lost to prosperity – The race is on again right now, so This was good timing! I present this recording as it was recorded, warts and all for your education *** I dedicate this to those lost at sea

Highlights — (Times are approximate)

4:11 “Rescue 253” 9A helicopter) locates a life-raft

6:00 “Air force Sydney” is looking for a position of a yacht ” Solo Global Challenge”

6:50 “RTC Canberra” (Who is co-ordinating) has a “hot mic” and is explaining the situation to someone locally

8:35 “Rescue 253” has sighted 2 POB on the life-raft – RTC wants to know if they are from “Winston Churchill”

9:39 Another “hot mic” in Canberra

11:56 “Tiger75” (A Navy Helicopter, I think) has the survivors on board, but still awaiting info on who they are

13:04 13:44 confirmation that there are 2 survivors of the “Winston Churchill” from the life raft, but the tragic news that 3 others had “rolled out” of the raft and are lost (Historical note- these three were listed as drowned)

14:46 Discussion about where the survivors are to be taken by Tiger 75

15:20 Info of the survivors is passed though, along with the news that the life raft they were “in” had no bottom.

16:33 Rescue 253 Says it has heard a beacon & is proceeding to the location

20:00 Another aircraft has gone to the search site from Merimbula (A town in New South Wales)

25:38 Rescue 253 updates beacon location

26:30 Rescue 253 Locates a boat at the beacon site that has been dis-masted & is in serious trouble.

It is interesting (and harrowing) listening.

They still use HF , but after the 1998 debacle, when they found they had little idea of actual positions for S&R, they introduced regular scheds.

Wow–what an amazing and sobering recording, Neil. Thank you for sharing and giving us an opportunity to remember those who lost their lives.

Note that there’s a documentary about the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race on YouTube. Click here to watch Part 1 and here to watch Part 2.

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Terry remembers monitoring an eventful Sydney to Hobart yacht race

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Terry Cominos, who shred the following story following our recent post about the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Terry writes:

Here is my story…

It must have been 20 plus years ago whilst monitoring the Sydney to Hobart yacht race on my AOR AR3000.

Around midnight the yacht “Mem” announced a man was lost overboard. They were turning back to find him. The Captain of the oil tanker “Ampol Serel” on his way to Sydney declared he was turning back to assist in the search.

It was a long night with several yachts searching and the “Young Endeavour” providing radio relay support.

More than an hour passed before the “Ampol Serel” arrived on the scene with its powerful search light.

The search was hampered by a swell yet before first light “Ampol Serel” picked up a reflected flash off a life vest.

The sailor was eventually found by a competing yacht and taken on board where he was examined and treated for hypothermia by a doctor onboard.

Several years later I visited the Australian Maritime Museum where the life vest is on display.

That morning I learned a lot about the sea, radio and human nature…

Thank you for sharing this, Terry, and reminding us that those of us who monitor radio sometimes have a front row seat to events as they unfold.

Source: OneTubeRadio.com

I recall this 1957 Hallicrafter ad from Boy’s Life magazine which of course implies that we may even be in a position to help.

The thought of hearing or assisting–remote as it may have been–certainly had an influence on me when I first started exploring the shortwave bands from my bedroom with a Zenith Transoceanic some forty years ago.

Thanks again for sharing, Terry.

Post readers: Have you ever been witness to events as they unfolded on the air? Please share your story!

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New release of Win4K3Suite includes broadcast EIBI schedules

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,Randy (KS4L), who shares the following update via Tom Blahovici of Win4K3Suite:

There is a new release of Win4K3Suite.

This release adds a number of new features. One of these is bound to bring you back in time…Win4K3Suite now includes the ability to search and display Shortwave radio stations if you have the general coverage option in your radio. This is made possible by supporting the EiBi database (eibispace.de) which is published 4 times a year. Here is an example of this in use with the built in Panadapter of Win4K3:

In addition, there are a number of additional new features and improvements such as a 1kHz snap in the spectrum and quicker resets of the ClubLog window.

You can find out more about Win4K3SUite here: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=win4k3suite and at the website va2fsq.com.

There is a free 30 day fully functional trial.
73 Tom

Thanks for sharing this, Randy! Since the KX3 and KX2 are some of my favorite portable broadcast receivers, this is a most welcome development. I may have to give Win4K3Suite a try!

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