Radio Deal: Eton Mini at Radioworld Canada $19.99 CAD

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Golan Klinger, who writes:

Came across a deal I thought might be of interest to your readers. Radioworld (in Toronto, Canada) has the Eton Mini on sale for an incredible $19.99 CAD (the regular price is $49.99 CAD). I suspect many, perhaps even most, of your readers are in the U.S.A. which means the price works out to under $15 USD! Even with shipping, that’s a steal for what’s a pretty decent little radio.

Click here to view this deal at Radioworld.

Thanks for the tip! That’s a brilliant deal!

NHK World launches new Chinese language service January 5, 2019

Special VORW Radio International Holiday Broadcast

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, John, with TheReportOfTheWeek who writes:

Hello Shortwave Listeners! In addition to our regularly scheduled broadcasts of VORW Radio International every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday – I am pleased to announce that there will be a special holiday broadcast on Christmas Day!

This show will feature some mixed talk and music of all genres (including some holiday songs) and a newly designed E-QSL will be sent out to any and all reception reports received! Here is the schedule:

Tuesday 2100 UTC (3 PM Central / 4 PM Eastern) – ~~12160 kHz~~ – [UPDATE 12/22/18] 9,350 kHz WWCR 100 kW – North America

Reception reports and feedback are most appreciated at [email protected] and I hope you can tune in!

Washington State’s Long-lost ‘Magic Radio’ Santa Gets New Life

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This is what the announcer said at 4:30 p.m. one day about a week before Christmas 1950 over the airwaves of radio station KELA in Lewis County: “Yes, stand by for Santa Claus! The Beacon Store, Santa’s headquarters for southwest Washington, presents the most important radio program of the year, Santa’s very own. Santa’s Magic Radio! We’re going to take Santa’s Magic Radio and talk to Santa at his North Pole headquarters! So, stand by for Santa Claus!”

First of all, let me be very clear: I believe in Santa Claus. Second, I’m a sucker for grownups who do things to make the lives of kids more magical. When I was a little kid in the 1970s and was in my “doubting Santa” phase, I’d hear local and national media reports about NORAD tracking Santa’s sleigh, and my doubts were instantly – and permanently – erased.

Fast-forward about 40 years, and I learned this week that there were some grownups in Lewis County who did a pretty special thing every year to help Santa and local kids.

For about three weeks before Christmas, from sometime in the 1940s to sometime in the 1980s, radio station KELA in Centralia/Chehalis would use a “Magic Radio” to connect with Santa Claus at the North Pole for 15 minutes each day. With the swirling sounds of a blizzard in the background, and with help from a fast-talking elf named Tommy Tinker, Santa would read letters from local kids about what they wanted for Christmas.

Click here to read the full story at MyNorthwest.com, including a recording of the December 1950 broadcast

Guy Atkins is a Sr. Graphic Designer for T-Mobile and lives near Seattle, Washington. He’s a regular contributor to the SWLing Post.

FTIOM, UBMP and Uncle Bill’s X-Mess Special

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From the Isle of Music, December 23-29, 2018
This week, we feature music from albums by Cuban and Cuban-American artists that were nominated for a GRAMMY award this year.
The broadcasts take place:
1. For Eastern Europe but audible well beyond the target area in most of the Eastern Hemisphere (including parts of Africa, East Asia and Oceania) with 100Kw, Sunday 1500-1600 UTC on SpaceLine, 9400 KHz, from Kostinbrod, Bulgaria (1800-1900 MSK)
2. For the Americas and parts of Europe, Tuesday 0100-0200 UTC on WBCQ, 7490 KHz from Monticello, ME, USA (Monday 8-9PM EST in the US).
3 & 4. For Europe and sometimes beyond, Tuesday 1900-2000 UTC and Saturday 1200-1300 UTC on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany.

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, December 23 & 25, 2018
Episode 93, Music for Mujra, presents music for Mujra fron India and Pakistan.
1.Sunday 2300-2330 UTC (6:00PM -6:30PM Eastern US) on WBCQ The Planet 7490 KHz from the US to the Americas and parts of Europe
2. Tuesday 2000-2030 UTC (NEW CET) on Channel 292, 6070 KHz from Rohrbach, Germany for Europe. If current propagation conditions hold, the broadcast should reach Iceland AND Western Russia due to a long skip.
Also recommended:
Marion’s Attic, a unique program produced and hosted by Marion Webster featuring early 20th Century records, Edison cylinders etc played on the original equipment, comes on immediately before UBMP on Sundays from 2200-2300 UTC on WBCQ 7490 Khz.

December 25/26: Uncle Bill’s X-Mess Special Broadcast
In addition to the regular Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot on WBCQ 7490 kHz, a special broadcast on WBCQ 5130 kHz, Uncle Bill’s X-Mess Special, will feature Christmas music from around the planet, unusual holiday customs, a laugh or three and other stuff to help you escape the 86th version of that song you just heard 85 times…
Tuesday, Dec 25 8-9pm Eastern US time (meaning Wednesday, 0100-0200 UTC) on WBCQ 5130 kHz for the Americas and parts of Western Europe.

ARRL News: “Broadcasters Intruding on Exclusive Amateur Radio Frequencies”

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(Source: ARRL News via Ron)

The International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 (IARU-R1) Monitoring System (IARUMS) reports that Radio Hargeisa in Somaliland has returned to 7,120 kHz after a break of several weeks, while Radio Eritrea has been reported on 7,140 and 7,180 kHz. Radio Sudan has been transmitting on 7,205 kHz with excessive splatter, IARUMS said. German telecommunications authorities have filed official complaints.

IARUMS has also reported digital signals attributed to the Israeli Navy on 7,107 and 7,150 kHz. In addition, a Russian military F1B signal was observed in mid-November on 7,179 kHz. A Russian over-the-horizon radar has returned to 20 meters on 14,335 – 14,348 kHz. It was monitored on November 22. Earlier this fall, IARUMS reported digital signals from the Polish military daily on 7,001.8 kHz where Amateur Radio has a worldwide primary allocation. Telecommunications officials in Germany filed a complaint.

IARUMS has received reports of short “beeps” exactly 1 second apart, as well as frequency hopping between 10,108 and 10,115 kHz and 18,834 and 18,899 kHz. The signals are believed to emanate from a site near Chicago associated with an FCC-licensed Experimental operation involved with low-latency exchange trading on HF (see “Experiments Look to Leverage Low-Latency HF to Shave Microseconds off Trade Times”). Although Amateur Radio is secondary on 30 and 17 meters, Experimental licenses may not interfere with Amateur Radio operations.