Carlos’ Shortwave Art and recording of Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriel, LRA 36 (February 18, 2023)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares his radio log art of a recent Radio Nacional Arcángel San Gabriell (LRA 36) test transmission.


Carlos notes:

Part of experimental shortwave transmission of Radio Nacional Arcangel San Gabriel, Base Esperanza, Antartica: Argentine rock and article on plastic/microplastic contamination in Antartica.

Click here to view on YouTube.

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Radio Waves: ?Radio Gibraltar marks 65 years, Radio Balloons, More Balloons, and “Messages” by Joerg Dankert

Europa Point, Gibraltar (Photo by Petr Slová?ek)

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 Tracy Wood, Eric McFadden, and Dennis Dura for the following tips:


?Radio Gibraltar marks 65 years on the air (GBC)

Radio Gibraltar is today celebrating 65 years. Hitting the airwaves for the first time on the 16th February 1958, the station continues to inform and entertain the community.

One of its stalwart presenters George Du Boulay is himself celebrating a milestone this year, 50 years on air.

Our reporter Michael Beltran looks back at Radio Gibraltar’s history and speaks to George about his memories.

Check out this article at GBC.

Tracy notes: GBC runs two radio services (and a breakaway third for local Parliament when in session) as well as one TV channel. www.gbc.gi Spanish can be heard 1400-1600 local Gibraltar time Mon-Fri on Radio Gibraltar Plus. Remaining hours are in English. GBC transmits on AM, FM, and DAB.

Did an F-22 shoot down an Illinois hobby group’s small radio balloon? (NPR)

Did a superpower showdown provoke the U.S. into using a fighter jet to shoot down a hobbyist group’s research balloon in Canada? That’s the question the public — and the FBI — wants to answer, after the U.S. military shot down several unidentified airborne objects last weekend.

A military spokesperson tells NPR it’s their understanding that the FBI has spoken to the hobbyist group in question — the Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade, based just north of Chicago — in an apparent attempt to determine whether their small balloon might have inadvertently caused a big ruckus.

But the hobbyist club’s members are warning that while their balloon, whose radio callsign is K9YO-15, is missing in action, it’s too soon to say whether it was shot down by a warplane. They also say their balloon launches follow all federal regulations. [Continue reading full article…]

The USAF (Almost) Declares War on Illinois Radio Amateurs (Hackaday)

Every week the Hackaday editors gather online to discuss the tech stories of the moment, and among the topics this week was the balloons shot down over North America that are thought to be Chinese spying devices. Among the banter came the amusing thought that enterprising trolls on the Pacific rim could launch balloons to keep the fearless defenders of American skies firing off missiles into the beyond.

But humor may have overshadowed by events, because it seems one of the craft they shot down was just that. It wasn’t a troll though, the evidence points to an amateur radio pico balloon — a helium-filled Mylar party balloon with a tiny solar-powered WSPR transmitter as its payload. [Continue reading at Hackaday…]

Messages by Joerg Dankert (BandCamp)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, who recently discovered the album “Messages” by Joerg Dankert. The album is heavily influenced by Dankert’s recent rediscovery of the shortwaves.

Click here to listen to and read about this album on BandCamp.


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Paolo’s review of the Eton Elite Satellit

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paolo Viappiani, who shares the following guest post:


ETON Elite Satellit: an expensive flop 

by Paolo Viappiani, Italy 

Introduction 

After various and sometimes conflicting announcements that have created strong expectations in radio listening enthusiasts, ETON has recently launched on the extra-European market (basically in the United States) what should have been its “top of the range” portable, the Elite Satellit model . Aesthetically (and also functionally) inspired by the previous E1 model, the new portable radio should have been free from the defects of its predecessor, in particular as regards the “sticky” coating of the plastic case but also with respect to other technical drawbacks repeatedly reported by users (display contrast and shading, etc.).

The new Elite Satellit was announced to look practically identical to the E1 model and to use the same cabinet, but with various additions and improvements: RDS, FM-HD reception, Air Band, etc. A frequency resolution of 10 Hz in the shortwave bands, a PBT (Pass-Band Tuning) facility, a large LCD display with the possibility of changing its background color were also provided.

It is therefore obvious that its release was highly anticipated, and the resulting expectation gave rise to numerous pre-orders of the radio in the United States, where the main distributor was (and still is) the well-known Universal Radio company owned by Fred Osterman [1].

Unfortunately, the initial boom in sales of the ETON Elite Satellit was followed by many return requests due to the poor performances of the radio and the numerous defects encountered by users, also reported in a lot of videos and negative reviews on the Internet [2].

Fred Osterman himself, disappointed by the performance of a radio that he should have sold as an excellent portable, began to test the individual devices in his own laboratory and to return to ETON all the units that did not meet the declared specs (basically the vast majority of those received for sale) [3]. All this caused great confusion at ETON, which was forced to somehow remedy its errors (mainly due both to a very approximate alignment of the circuits and to an almost non-existent final quality control).

Unfortunately, despite the precautions adopted “hastily” by ETON, most of the “overhauled” devices that were returned to Universal Radio continued not to comply with the specifications, so that Fred Osterman, who is a good technician and a very honest dealer, decided to cancel most of the orders received and to sell the very few radios found to be in good working order within the United States only, (see again note [3]). I myself placed an order from Universal Radio for an ETON Elite Satellit on August 8, 2022 (Order ID: #8992932, retail price $599.99 plus shipping and import customs duties), but Fred was forced to “drastically cut” the orders received and to cancel mine too, due to the impossibility of satisfying the many customers on this side of the pond. However, my desire to have an example of the ETON Elite Satellit in my hands, in order to be able to see, test and judge the new radio it was really great, and great was also the wish to realize if the many negative impressions circulating on the web were or were not justified and true.

So I decided to look for other ways to buy the “latest cry” of ETON. The opportunity presented itself to me, almost unexpectedly, by visiting the American site of Amazon [4].

The purchase and the arrival of the radio; my first impressions 

I therefore ordered an ETON Elite Satellit portable radio on the Amazon.com website on January 17, 2023 at the price of $698.16 (including shipping and customs duties). I report in Figure 1 the screenshot concerning my order #113-3575479-2262609 which, as it appears, was delivered to me on January 23, 2023, after only five days; this demonstrates the truthfulness of my statements.

Figure 1: A Screenshot of my Amazon.com order dated January 17, 2023.

The shipment was delivered to me by UPS courier in the usual Amazon packaging in a plastic bag (Figure 2).

Figure 2: The UPS label and the Amazon plastic bag.

Inside the envelope was a cardboard box containing the radio, in understandably less than perfect conditions (Figure 3).

Figure 3: The cardboard box of the ETON Elite Satellit.

Figure 4: The contents of the radio box.

Once the package was opened, the contents of the box looked like in Figure 4: two shock-absorbing spacers held the device in position (inserted in a plastic bag) and its AC power supply (into a white box, and obviously with a 117V input voltage). There was also the “User Guide” in a paper version and a “mini-guide” to listening to short waves; completely absent was the CD that used to be enclosed in the box of the previous E1 version of the radio.

Continuing with the operations, I came across a sort of brown plastic cover intended for the protection of three sides of the radio (front, top and back) which can be held in position by some magnets and is provided with two circular holes in correspondence with the tuning knobs and volume of the radio (Figure 5).

Figure 5: The ETON Elite Satellit radio and its “case” (?)

I omit to make comments on this “protection”; I only say that in my opinion it is useless (and ugly too) and I believe that the gentlemen of ETON could have wasted their energies otherwise; but maybe someone likes it too…

Figures 6 and 7 show the front and back of the portable radio as soon as it has been removed from the protective plastic bag. Note the almost identical appearance of the cases of the Elite Satellit and of the previous E1 model.

Continue reading

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Loop-On-Ground Antenna Part 3: Tom’s low-noise, low-profile, portable antenna evolves

Loop on Ground Antenna Part 3

(using multiconductor wire)

by TomL

It dawned on me recently, perhaps due to sloppy thinking or unintended distractions, that I never wrote about my modified Loop on Ground (LoG) receive antenna that I use at parks and such.  For over a year now, I have been using 3-conductor rotor wire bought cheap at the local hardware store and have wired the conductors in series.  Grayhat (Andrew) was the inspiration when he decided to create a folded dipole along the side of his house.

The usual construction of a LoG antenna for shortwave is a single wire of about 60 feet in circumference in order to not go above one wavelength for 20 meter band usage.  If you recall, going above one wavelength will start creating weird lobes in the reception pattern.  See – Loop-On-Ground Antenna Part 2.

However, I did not like this 19 foot diameter wire on the ground in public parks just waiting to be tripped over.  Like, the time when a horse got loose from its owners and almost tripped over my 60 foot wire.  I don’t think I would have liked the resulting lawsuit!

So out of fearful necessity I took some leftover RCA 3-conductor rotor wire, about 29 feet of it, and wired a loop with the conductors in series.  This gives about 81 feet of total conductive length.  But since it is folded onto itself, there is an undetermined loss of resonant length.  Callum (M0MCX) of DXCommander fame has experimented and found folded dipoles need three times more length in the folded section to reach resonance, so my loop is probably around 69 feet (electrically).  See – Fold the end of a Dipole Back – What’s Happening?.

In the picture below, the black wire with Ring Terminal at the bottom goes all the way around to the other side, soldered to the green wire, which goes around and is soldered to the red wire, which goes around to the Ring Terminal at the top, plus tie-wraps to hold the wires together.

The next picture is how the Wellbrook Medium Aperture preamplifier is connected to the loop with BNC cable that goes to the 12V power injector.  I have had this Wellbrook unit for maybe 6+years with no signs of problems.  WARNING – do NOT use the Wellbrook preamplifier in the presence of high powered RF energy like your Amateur Radio antenna pumped with 1000 watts from a  linear amplifier; the Wellbrook premap might just overload and get damaged!  I did use this loop and preamplifier at last year’s 2022 ARRL Field Day and was able to get away with it because we were only using 100 watts per station.  Listening to the 9pm 3916-net trivia group was fun but I still needed to keep it away from the transmitting antennas. Continue reading

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LRA 36 (Arcangel San Gabriel, Antarctica) Test Broadcast on February 18, 2023

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Adrian Korol, who shares the following announcement:


LRA 36 NEW TEST BROADCAST ON SATURDAY 18th

In full progress of the adjustment and improvement works in the audio chain of LRA36 Radio Nacional Arcangel San Gabriel, test broadcasts are being carried out (even on USB) with excellent signal reports which helps us to continue working together with the valuable testimony of DXers, SWLs and radio amateurs. Special recognition to the technical team : Alejandro Petrecca, Alejnandro Alvarez and Juan Benavente.

We want invite you to tune us on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2023 between 20:00 and 23:00 UTC on 15476 khZ (USB). Reception reports: [email protected] WhatsApp messages +549 297 624 0137.

In the next week we will receive a transmitter of 1 kW modulated amplitude that has been calibrated for our new frequency at 15.475 KHZ. We will be announcing the test broadcasts of the new equipment in due course.

Likewise, once the improvements and survey of the complete audio and transmission system have been completed, a technical report will be carried out that will be taken into account for the acquisition during this year of a 10 KW transmitter equipment that will be destined for LRA36 to be put into service.

Likewise, the CCA 10 kw transmitter that was out of service has been completely disassembled, which will be transferred to the Radio Nacional transmission site in General Pacheco so that, once repaired, it will remain at the service of RAE Argentina al Mundo , thus recovering RAE’s shortwave output from our own transmission site, a possibility that will be realized thanks to RAE’s technical and human team and especially Jeff White, who, by strongly supporting RAE’s continuity in SW all these years via WRMI relay, it was really great argument for the authorities to understand that despite all the technological advances, shortwave is still necessary, and that a true public meda today must be able to be heard both on a Zenith Transoceanic, on a Sony ICF5900W , in a TECSUN, as in Radiogarden or in the latest radio app for iOS.

We´ll wait for all of you on Saturday 18 test broadcast from Antarctica from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Argentine time (8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. UTC) frequency 15476 khz USB

We await your reception reports and if you get good listening, register and upload those videos on YOUTUBE, IG or FB.

We appreciate sharing this information among radio listeners, DXers and radio amateurs around the world.

73 & DX

Adrian Korol, RAE Director

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This is the 45th Parallel calling again

Apologies for last week’s non-appearance on 9395 Khz, looks like WRMI was down all evening on that frequency. Fingers crossed the Imaginary Stations 45th Parallel Midwinter Broadcast will now be on this Sunday 19th February 2023 on 9395 kHz at 2300 hrs UTC. We promise there will be a good bit of circular latitude fun and some fine forty fives played throughout the show. We’d love you to join us this time. Fastradioburst23

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Ken spots a number of radios in “The Day of the Triffids”

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ken Hunt, who writes:

Thomas,

I don’t know whether you’ve featured “The Day of the Triffids” before on your RITM series (I searched for “triffids” on your site and came up empty).

If not, there are three scenes in the 1962 movie where shortwave radios are used to listen for information during the post-Triffid apocalypse. First, in a navy ship’s radio room, second in a lighthouse, and finally, inside an estate near Cadiz, Spain.

The radios are all boat anchors.

Best wishes and 73s,

Ken Hunt

Thank you for the tip, Ken! Somehow I’ve made it through life without knowing about The Day of the Triffids. I’ll try to find an online source of the film and perhaps even read the book!  Thank you!

Can anyone ID the radios in these screen shots? Please comment!

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