Radio Waves: SIBC Receives New Generator, BBC Longwave Petition, HamClock Fun, and CBS Board Game Nostalgia

Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio

Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Dennis Dura, Rick Murray, Uli Zehndbauer, and David Iurescia for the following tips:

New Zealand government hands over new standby generator to SIBC (SIBC)

The New Zealand government today handed over a standby generator to the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC).

The generator will ensure SIBC’s transmission and services via its medium and short wave frequencies remain operational even when there is a power outage.

Speaking at a brief handing over ceremony, New Zealand High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, His Excellency Jonathan Schwass said the donation marks another milestone in the partnership between New Zealand and SIBC.

He said it is important for SIBC to have an uninterruptible power supply during broadcasting.

“Given the power outage we are having at the moment, it is really important to have an uninterruptible power supply for SIBC broadcast.”

“That’s not just the matter of ensuring the listening pleasure of Solomon Islanders.”

“It is also a matter of guaranteeing the flow of essentials to the scattered Islands and the communities of this country especially in times of natural disasters and during crises like COVID-19,’’ Commissioner Schwass said. [Continue reading…]

Keep BBC Radio 4 Longwave (Change.org)

BBC Radio has been broadcasting on longwave for 89 years, covering most of the UK and northern Europe from a single transmitter in Droitwich. This radio frequency uniquely travels practically unimpeded across the country and provides a vital radio link in areas where reception of other signals and internet coverage is poor. Because only one transmitter is needed, the cost of providing this service is tiny. Not everyone is able to access digital or internet radio and longwave remains the most reliable way of receiving the BBC in any place at any time. It is also much better for the environment, as longwave receivers require far less power than digital radios, computers and mobile phones.

Recently, the BBC announced plans to end all longwave transmissions by 31st March 2024, just six months before the 90th anniversary of these transmissions beginning. We call upon the BBC to cancel these plans to scrap Radio 4 longwave, and to continue to provide this essential and historic radio lifeline for as long as possible.

Click here to sign petition.

Fun with the Clear Sky Institute HamClock (Nashua Area Radio Society)

I haven’t had the occasion to use any programming languages since retirement. That’s why the addition of a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B to the shack was a welcome change. I like to think of the Raspberry Pi as just another computer – one that uses a different operating system. With the Raspberry Pi, I can browse the Internet, access email, and write and run programs.

When I began to assemble a shack, I reserved a space on the wall for a 32? TV, Figure 1, which was purchased during a temporary rental stay. That TV has been unused for 3 years, but it was earmarked for a HamClock.

I searched the N1FD site to see if anyone had written about HamClock, but no articles were found. The first article for HamClock, written by Elwood Downey, WB0OEW, appeared in October 2017 QST[1]. In his article, he calls for the use of an Adafruit HUZZAH ESP8266 Wi-Fi system-on-chip. That device was fastened to the back of a 7? TFT display.

The version of HamClock that I built for use with the 32? HDTV employs the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, Figure 2, with 2 GB memory[2]. The kit that I found on Amazon includes a 64 GB microSD card (with USB adapter) onto which the Raspberry Pi operating system had been preloaded. The kit also includes a plastic case with fan, little rubber feet, tiny screws to attach a camera, device heatsinks, a wall-wart power supply, a micro HDMI to HDMI cable, an instruction manual and various assembly instruction cards. The user has to provide their own USB mouse and keyboard. I already owned a wireless mouse and keyboard so I was able to use a single USB 2.0 port on the Pi for the wireless adapter.

If you already have a microSD memory card with USB adapter, power supply, mouse, keyboard and HDMI cable, you could get by with a Raspberry Pi Zero[3] at one-fourth the price. [Continue reading…]

CBS Board Game From the 1930s Highlights Golden Age of Radio (Radio World)

Hey radio history fans! Can any of you share a story behind this great find?

Steve Moravec, president of Phoenix Media Group in St. Paul, Minn., circulated this photo in his weekly “Monday Morning Memorabilia” email.

“This ’30s vintage board game promoted the radio stations of the Columbia Broadcasting System across the country,” he writes. “The goal seems to be to ‘touch ’em all’ with the game pieces, which appear uncut in the attachment.”

He found it on eBay; here’s the listing with more photos.

The early days of wireless, ship-to-shore and modern broadcast radio produced a number of radio board games. For example, online auction and history sites turn up “Listen In: The Great Wireless Game”; also “Radio Game,” published in 1920 by Milton Bradley (more pix here); and a “Radio Game for Little Folks,” from the mid-1920s. You can find photos of more on sites like Play Things of Past.[Continue reading…]

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Cuban Numbers Station HM01 Goes Cuckoo! And Other Cuban Broadcast “Shenanigans”…

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Madtone, who shares the following recording of Cuban Numbers Station HM01 and notes:

Hi Thomas,

I was reading HF Underground earlier and a post on it mentioned that HM01 had gone a bit mad “10345 kHz is HM01 Cuban Lady with what sounds like a cuckoo clock“. Well I got up straight away and tuned in on VE7AV KiwiSDR and here it is in all it’s glory:

It almost sounds a bit reggaeish and even has what sounds like a little drum roll in parts.

If you’re feeling a bit down or tired today please have a listen as this’ll cheer you up!

All the best

Pete

Wow–thanks for sharing this recording with us, Pete! What a mystery behind this numbers station! Was the cuckoo intentionally or unintentionally added to the audio at the studio or transmitter level? What could that signify? Since the audio is tracking with the HM01 broadcast, it seems to be originating from the same transmitter.

Perhaps this adds more context or confusion: SWLing Post contributor Paul Walker has noted a number of audio “shenanigans” from Cuban broadcasts. Here are a few notes from his listening post in Alaska:

0320UTC Mon Aug 28 and Cuba is missing from 9700 for the 2nd time in a week, but instead of regular programming they’re broadcasting a horror movie of some kind. I can detect some kind of noise under the movie but it’s like a screech/hum, which is all I heard from 9700 last time it was on.
I should also add, after the first time i heard 9700 down on 9600, I subsequently heard it back on 9700 again…..so something’s up!
And now HM01 aka Suzie Cubana on 10345 is broadcasting……. along with Suzie counting down the numbers and the digital data bursts, theres a cuckoo bird cuckooing over the top of that audio.
In the 0500 UTC, Rebelde on 5025 kHz noted running TV audio too….some English language movie.
The domestic Radio Rebelde AM and FM web feeds appear to be running normal programming

What do you think is going on?

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Guest Post: Switching a Remote Antenna, Low Noise Amplifier, and an Antenna and Audio Between Two Radios

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Hemphill, who shares the following guest post:

Remote Antenna Switching Remote Low Noise Amplifier Switching and Switching an Antenna and Audio Between Two Radios

by Bill Hemphill, WD9EQD

Remote Antenna Switching

I have two YouLoop Antennas. I had been placing them at right angles to each other. I would then put one of them on the AirSpy software defined radio. But manually switching from one antenna to the other was a real pain. If only there were a way to electrically switch between the two antennas.

It would be nice to place the antennas remotely from the radio (and computers) and then have some sort of remote switch that would select an antenna and then a single feed line to the radio. It was research time.

The YouLoop and the Airspy both use SMA connectors. An SMA switch would be required. A little research and I came across the following small board that can switch between two SMA antennas:

From Amazon Description: 50 Ohms RF Switch Module, 3-5V Remote Wireless RF Switch Single Pole Double Throw Board Input Output Impedance for DIY Electric Doors (HMC349)

This board is perfect for RECEIVE only projects. Apply 5V to the board and then 5V to the VCC (control pin) to switch from RF1 to RF2.

Now that I had the SMA switch module, a way to actually do the switch remotely was required. Maybe WI-Fi or Bluetooth module would do the trick. I found a nice Wi-Fi module on Amazon that looked like it would do the trick:

Amazon Description: DIYmalls SV Safe Low Voltage WiFi Wireless Switch Module DC 5V-24V Phone APP Remote Control Smart Home for Amazon Alexa Google Assistant

But do I really want to use a phone app to switch antennas. Further investigation discovered a really neat module that uses a Car Fob type control:

Amazon Description: RODOT Mini Relay Wireless Switch, 433Mhz Remote Control Relay Switch, DC 6V 12V 24V 1CH Channel Relay Wireless Secure RF Transmitter and Receiver kit, Momentary Toggle Latched Mode

BIngo!! I could just press a button and switch antennas. But a problem quickly arose. I hadn’t fully read the description of the RODOT switch:

The blue output wire is ALWAYS Vcc (input voltage)! The device only switches the ground.

So the RODOT switches the ground but the HMC349 uses positive voltage to switch. OOPS. Next step was to place a latching relay to take the on/off ground and convert it to on/off positive. Again, another nice board was found:

Amazon Description: HiLetgo 2pcs 5V One Channel Relay Module Relay Switch with OPTO Isolation High Low Level Trigger

The nice thing about the Relay Module is that it can be latched either High or Low, so the RODOT switching ground can be used to latch the relay and then provide a positive voltage to the HMC349 antenna switch.

All modules are powered by 5V. There are other modules available that use higher voltages. But I wanted to be able to use a 5V power source for everything.

I learned a quick lesson on the first layout I did. I had directly connected the antenna cables to the HMC349 module. A quick accidental side yank on one of the antenna cables and the SMA connector tore off the board. A replacement board and some quick wiring and I had a workable antenna switch that with the press of the car fob button, either antenna could be selected.

I found a nice small plastic box that allowed for the HMC349 module to be suspended between SMA bulkhead connectors. By using bulkhead connectors, there is no strain placed on the HMC349 connectors. The relay module was attached to the box lid. The modules are mounted using brass standoffs. The finished box is about 3”x4”x 2” high. Either battery or a 5V wall module can be used to power it.

Overall, I’m quite pleased with the results. I find that sometimes switching antennas (and their orientation) can make a big improvement in the signals. Other times, there’s very little difference.

Remote Low Noise Amplifier along with Antenna Switching

Now that the antennas can be switched, it would be nice if a Low Noise Amplifier could be switched in and out of the circuit. Something like the Lana HF Barebones LNA made by NooElec:

For testing purposes, I first did a quick layout of just using one antenna with the ability to switch the LNA in and out. Note: I took a gamble on hooking the antenna cables directly to the HMC349 modules. Luckily, the SMA connects didn’t tear off the boards.

Two HMC349 modules are used. The first module selects the bypass or the LNA. Likewise, the second module also selects either the bypass or LNA. Note that the second module is turned upside down so that the switches match up when activated. Two modules were used so that the LNA is totally switched out of the circuit. Continue reading →

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Radio Waves: Old Time Radio Book, AM to Digital, and Radio in Maui, and Nationwide Emergency Alert Test in October

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Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio

Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Mike, David Iurescia, Rich Dalton, and Dennis Dura for the following tips:

Former Downriver music educator pens book on history of old-time radio (News-Herald)

Brian Rogers is an adventurer of sorts. He’s what you might call a renaissance man. Born in Buffalo, New York, Rogers has been a part of the fabric of the Detroit area since his family moved here in 1943.

Since then he’s been a music educator, choir and band director, speech therapist, paralegal and a freelance writer.

You could say that everything Rogers has pursued, both vocational and otherwise, has centered on the art of communication. And the affable educator and author certainly honed his literary skills through the revised edition of his new book “Adventures in Old Time Radio.”

It is 146 pages and 50 chapters of brief excerpts and articles on the evolution of radio from its inception in the 1920s through 1960.

Rogers, a longtime Allen Park resident who now lives in Dearborn with his wife, Clara, was inspired to compile the book out of his love for, and activity in, the shortwave radio community and as a columnist for the Great Lakes Monitor. [Continue reading…]

Click here to purchase this book from Amazon via our affiliate link and support the SWLing Post at no extra cost to you!

Crawford Will Flip an Alabama AM to All-Digital (Radio World)

Crawford Broadcasting is going to give all-digital HD Radio a try on an AM station in Alabama.

On Sept. 1 the Christian broadcaster will flip WYDE in Birmingham to the MA3 mode; only listeners with HD Radio receivers will be able to hear the AM signal after that, though the same content will be available on two local FMs. Two other AMs in the country currently operate in all-digital.

“We’d like to give all-digital AM a try and see how it performs,” said Director of Engineering Cris Alexander. “The timing is right for us.”

The FCC approved the use of all-digital AM in 2020. WYDE airs at 1260 kHz with a 5 kW signal by day and 41 Watts at night.

“That particular station is ideally situated for an all-digital move,” said Alexander, who also is technical editor of Radio World Engineering Extra. [Continue reading…]

Radio and Maui: A Failure To Communicate? (Jacobs Media Strategies)

The morbidly funny video from the 1960’s classic “Cool Hand Luke” became a popular meme well before there was an Internet. You see it pop up when organizations or people on the same team (or in a relationship) suffer a serious breakdown in communication. Suffice it to say, this is a common condition.

When we look at what happened in Maui, we have a human tragedy that is off the charts. By the time this is all set and done, we will likely be looking at hundreds of people dead, upwards of $6 billion in funds to restore the damage, and incalculable pain and suffering. When weather disasters happen, widescale damage is often unavoidable. And the wildfires that swept through Lahaina fit that definition. But could the damage in human, financial, and property costs have been mitigated or decreased?

Maui is a place where many of us have been on vacation. Looking at the photos, it is unimaginable just how extensive the damage is. And in the aftermath, there are questions – lots of them – about what went wrong. [Continue reading…]

Hawaii Puts AM Radio to Work on Maui

The state has acquired four portable emergency advisory radio systems

Emergency officials in Hawaii will use AM broadcast equipment to help communicate with the public during the ongoing wildfire recovery efforts on Maui.

The State of Hawaii Emergency Management Agency has purchased four RadioSTAT portable emergency advisory stations from Information Station Specialists in Michigan, which also makes specialized systems for applications such as Traveler’s Information Stations and Highway Advisory Radio.

The Wireline Competition Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission last week granted the state an emergency authorization to use the stations immediately at four locations including a checkpoint and police and fire stations. They can be used on 1620, 1650, 1670 or 1700 kHz. [Continue reading…]

FEMA and FCC Plan Nationwide Emergency Alert Test for Oct. 4, 2023 (FEMA)

Test Messages Will be Sent to All TVs, Radios and Cell Phones

WASHINGTON — FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) this fall.

The national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. This will be the third nationwide test, but the second test to all cellular devices. The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.

The EAS portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test.

FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency managers and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test to minimize confusion and to maximize the public safety value of the test.

The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is Oct. 11.

The WEA portion of the test will be initiated using FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), a centralized internet-based system administered by FEMA that enables authorities to send authenticated emergency messages to the public through multiple communications networks. The WEA test will be administered via a code sent to cell phones.

This year the EAS message will be disseminated as a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) message via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System-Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN).

All wireless phones should receive the message only once. The following can be expected from the nationwide WEA test:

Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET, cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message.
For consumers, the message that appears on their phones will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
Phones with the main menu set to Spanish will display: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”

WEA alerts are created and sent by authorized federal, state, local, tribal and territorial government agencies through IPAWS to participating wireless providers, which deliver the alerts to compatible handsets in geo-targeted areas. To help ensure that these alerts are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, the alerts are accompanied by a unique tone and vibration.

Important information about the EAS test:

The EAS portion of the test is scheduled to last approximately one minute and will be conducted with the participation of radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers and wireline video providers.
The test message will be similar to the regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar. It will state: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.

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Japan’s Longest Day: August 15, 1945

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Fred Waterer, who writes:

At Noon on August 15, 1945, Emporer Hirohito spoke to his nation by radio for the first time, ever. The intrigue surrounding the recording of his speech and the effort to get it on the air would be worthy of a Hollywood film. When word started getting out that the broadcast would be made, fanatics who wanted to keep fighting staged an attempted coup. An NHK (Japan Radio Corporation) engineer had a gun to his head as an officer attempted to hijack the station at 5am. His coolness under pressure saved his life. He also temporarily severed the line to the transmitter, just in case the officer changed his mind about killing him.

Meanwhile at the palace, the NHK recording engineers had recorded two versions of the speech. The recordings (and the engineers) were hidden overnight, as was the Emporer, in the labyrinth of the palace. Coup leaders searching for the disks to destroy them failed. Eventually troops loyal to the Emporer took control of the situation, with many of the coup plotters killing themselves. At noon, the recordings were in the NHK studios and were broadcast as scheduled.

The actual broadcast:

In 1967 a film about these events was made in Japan, called Japan’s Longest Day and starring the great Toshiro Mifune.

The recording scene:

Looks like quite a film!

Thank you for sharing this, Fred.

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Can you help Bob identify this mystery signal?

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bob (K7ZB), who shares the following note and recording:

Hi Thomas,

I recently started using an SDRplay RSP1A with their new software release SDRconnect.

Quite a nice piece of work and my first foray into SDR after 60 years of analog radio (K7ZB).

Today I was listening to WWV on 10MHz and it was being interfered with a strange type of digital signal that pretty much covered the band.

I finally tracked it down to 9.979MHz, recorded it and sent it to a friend who did a bit of audio analysis on it by expanding out the signal to look at individual bursts.