The ISS will be sending SSTV in April

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(Source: ARRL via Eric McFadden, WD8RIF)

Space Station’s Slow-Scan Television System to be Active in April

The Amateur Radio Slow-Scan Television (SSTV) system on the International Space Station (ISS) is expected to be active in April on 145.800 MHz (FM). The Russian segment’s MAI 75 SSTV has announced transmissions on Monday, April 2, 1505 – 1830 UTC, and on Tuesday, April 3, 1415 – 1840 UTC.

“Reviewing the crew schedule, the SSTV activity, which uses Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) radios, was coordinated around ARISS school contacts and is listed for April 2 and April 3,” said NASA ISS Ham Project Coordinator Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO.

The SSTV system, which uses the call sign RS0ISS, is also expected to be active from April 11 – 14 worldwide to mark Cosmonautics Day in Russia on April 12. Specific transmission times are not yet available. Images on all dates will be related to the Soviet Union’s Interkosmos cooperative space ventures project.

SSTV images will be transmitted in PD-120 format on 145.800 MHz (FM) using the Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver in the ISS Russian Service Module. ISS transmissions use the 5-kHz deviation FM standard. It’s possible to receive SSTV transmissions with only a handheld transceiver and appropriate SSTV software[…]

Click here to read the full article on the ARRL website.

A Yaesu WIRES-X SWL Net?

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The WIRES-X Network (Source: Yaesu)

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

How many of you Amateur Radio folks reading this web page have WIRES-X capability (either with a local node on your own or have access to it via a repeater) ?? I ask this as a possibility of a casual net of some kind ? We have WIRES-X (local node) here and would be willing to at least try a test run of a weekly or semi weekly “SWL – Receiver Net” IF we receive enough feedback (even if only a few readers). So I would appreciate an email back with a thumbs up or down to this idea and that you would be at least a check in ? Also please give me ideas when you would think a good day of the week and time would be (USA) ? If I receive zero feed back, of course I will not waste my time (but I think it would be fun to at least give it a try).

I only recently acquires a WIRES-X capable handheld: the Yaesu FT2DR. Now I need to find out if there is a WIRES-X capable repeater I can hit from my home. Of course, for me it’s always finding a reliable time to meet–that’s the real challenge! Great idea, Dave!

Post Readers: Contact Dave if you’re interested–his email can be found at the top of his homepage.

Are you sharing personal data online? Yes. Most likely reams of it.

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Image source: The Guardian

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard B, who shares a link to this article from The Guardian highlighting the amount and type of personal data Google and Facebook collect on their users. While some readers may not be surprised, this could still be eye-opening to some.

The article includes sections highlighting the type of data collected, how you can view this data, and (when possible) how to halt collection and delete it. Here are some of the section headings:

  • Google knows where you’ve been
  • Google knows everything you’ve ever searched – and deleted
  • Google has an advertisement profile of you
  • Google knows all the apps you use
  • Google has all of your YouTube history
  • The data Google has on you can fill millions of Word documents
  • Facebook has reams and reams of data on you, too
  • Facebook stores everything from your stickers to your login location
  • They can access your webcam and microphone
  • Here are some of the different ways Google gets your data
  • Google knows which events you attended, and when
  • And Google has information you deleted
  • Google can know your workout routine
  • And they have years’ worth of photos
  • Google has every email you ever sent
  • And there is more

Very interesting article and well worth the read. Click here to view.

This is also a nice reminder of why over-the-air radio is so appealing in terms of privacy. It offers the best in anonymity–certainly a bonus for those living under repressive regimes.

XHDATA D-328: Want a free or half-price review unit?

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The folks at XHDATA have reached out to me with a deal for SWLing Post readers who live in the US and have an account with Amazon.com.

They have just introduced an inexpensive portable radio, the XHDATA D-328, and are looking for new reviews on Amazon.com.

The first ten SWLing Post readers to contact them will get a free D-328. The next ten readers will get a 50% off coupon code.

Simply email XHDATA at [email protected], mention that you’re an SWLing Post reader in the US and that you would like a XHDATA D-328 review unit. Note that this is the weekend, so you might not receive a reply from XHDATA for a couple of days.

The total price of the radio is only $13.80 at present.

If XHDATA offer a similar deal for readers in other countries, I will certainly post it here!

Perhaps this goes without saying, but If you get a free or discounted radio I would suggest that you mention this fact in the Amazon.com review and don’t hesitate to offer your frank thoughts and opinions.

Good luck! If you snag a D-328, please also consider commenting with your review here as well. I have one on order as well, but might not get to a review very quickly due to my schedule.

The Muzen OTR: initial look and impressions

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A lot of SWLing Post readers have been contacting me lately noting that they’ve received their Muzen OTR/Radio Caroline FM radio and Bluetooth speaker.

Muzen started shipping the new OTR to their backers this week.

I received my OTR yesterday and am completely in love with this little gem. Without a doubt, it’s one of the highest quality pieces of consumer technology I’ve purchased in years.

Yesterday, by request, I made an unboxing video–I plan to post it later today when I have a good broadband connection.

I’ll also follow up with a proper product review, but I can say now that the Muzen OTR has amazing audio fidelity for such a tiny little unit–it’s room-filling. The FM tuner works well (although the dial is tiny). The solid wood chassis is beautiful, refined and sturdy.

The OTR shipped with the highest quality leather carrying case I’ve ever received with a product. It smacks of 1960s quality (or even better!).

The OTR is a salute to the famous Radio Caroline–as a nice added touch, they even include a tribute in the form of a QSL card.

The Muzen OTR package also includes an audio cable, USB cable, and FM antenna.

What a pleasure to receive such a quality piece of kit! Look for my review soon.

Post readers: Did you back the Muzen OTR as well? Received your unit yet? Please comment!

FCC enforcement update: Boston, Brooklyn, Miami, Newark and Fayetteville

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Many thanks to an SWLing Post contributor who shares the following FCC enforcement items:

RADIO EQUIPMENT SEIZED FROM TWO ILLEGAL RADIO STATIONS IN BOSTON

https://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2018/db0328/DOC-349973A1.pdf

STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER MICHAEL O’RIELLY ON ACTION AGAINST TWO BOSTON PIRATE RADIO “STATIONS”

https://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2018/db0328/DOC-349972A1.pdf

Notes:

These news releases do not indicate whether the U.S. Marshals Service and FCC agents personally interacted with the alleged operators of these stations.

The FCC stated that the items were seized from the stations’ “antenna location,” which suggests that transmission equipment, but not studio equipment or persons, were taken into custody. For those details we will have to await official legal texts and not news pieces from the FCC media office.

Only a small minority of unlicensed stations ever have their equipment seized. Increasingly the FCC sends enforcement notices to the landlords of these stations, in the expectation that they will act against broadcasting tenants.

Additional enforcement actions against unlicensed stations were released today:

JEROME MOULTRIE; MIAMI, FLORIDA. Notice of Unlicensed Operation issued for radio signals on frequency 90.1 MHz in Miami, Florida. Action by: Regional Director, Region Two, Enforcement Bureau. Adopted: 03/28/2018 by Notice. EB DOC-349981A1.docx  DOC-349981A1.pdf

JEAN CLAUDE MICHEL; BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. Notice of Unlicensed Operation issued for radio signals on frequency 90.9 MHz in Brooklyn, New York. Action by: Regional Director, Region One, Enforcement Bureau. Adopted: 03/28/2018 by Notice. EB DOC-349979A1.docx  DOC-349979A1.pdf

ANGEL RIGOBERTO PINZON; OSSINING, NEW YORK. Notice of Unlicensed Operation issued for radio signals on frequency 90.5 MHz in Newark, New Jersey. Action by: Regional Director, Region One, Enforcement Bureau. Adopted: 03/28/2018 by Notice. EB DOC-349978A1.docx  DOC-349978A1.pdf

FREDDIE RODRIGUEZ; FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. Notice of Unlicensed Operation issued for radio signals on frequency 87.9 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Action by: Regional Director, Region Two, Enforcement Bureau. Adopted: 03/28/2018 by Notice. EB DOC-349980A1.docx  DOC-349980A1.pdf