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
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!
Image source: Rob Wagner (Mount Evelyn DX Report)
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dean Bianco, who shares a link to Rob Wagner’s overview of the new 2023 edition of WRTH (which is now under new ownership).
Click here to read on the excellent Mount Evelyn DX Report.
Thank you for the tip, Dean!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, NT, who writes:
Hi Thomas,
I know you’ve shared info about the great World Radio History site before. Have you ever linked to the webpage for their entire Short Wave and DXing Collection?
https://worldradiohistory.com/Short_Wave_Miscellaneous.htm
Best,
NT
Thank you, NT. We may have linked to this before on the SWLing Post, but I’m always happy to link to it again. It’s a true treasure trove!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Gary (G0CUQ), who writes:
Hi Thomas,
I remember a while ago some posts relating to music with short wave/radio leanings (Wilco & Quindar come to mind).
I found a fairly new English group, The Random Earth Project, who have subtly slipped a numbers station in at the beginning of their track called ‘Airwaves’. It pops up later in the track too (a seven minute progressive rock epic!). I’ll leave a YouTube link here:
Quite a surprise to hear that, although I don’t know the origin of the station.
Thanks for bringing us the SWLing Post – it’s one of the first things I check online. It’s a go-to for me as a ham who hasn’t lost the SWL bug!
Cheers,
Gary G0CUQ
Thank you so much, Gary, for the tip about The Random Earth Project! I love how they’ve implemented numbers station audio.
Thank you for the kind comments about the SWLing Post, too. I truly appreciate that!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tracy Wood, who notes:
RTVA celebrated World Radio Day with this news story. The first person interviewed in the clip is Josep Maria Samper who happened to be the great RTVA engineer/ tourguide for antendees of EDXC 2019. (He has since retired.)
https://www.andorradifusio.ad/noticies/radio-mes-30-anys-historia-andorra
(The language is Catalan.)
Not shown in this clip, a live theatre/review was also performed in a previous evening at the former Radio Andorra transmitter plant; RTVA newscast viewers could clearly see the old HF transmitters in the background…
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tim Brockett, who writes:
Hello Thomas,
Radio Romania recently requested that listeners submit comments on the topic “Radio and Peace”. Radio Romania selected several submissions and read them on their North American broadcast on February 12, 2023 UTC at 04:50. I was honored to hear that they enjoyed my short essay and read it over the air:
Shortwave radio presents a unique opportunity to engage listeners and build pathways for understanding other cultures. Like reading a book, listening to the radio involves just one sense. Thus it is possible for the undistracted listener to be completely immersed in the broadcast. If the broadcast is educational, cultural, and fact-based the listener may devote 100% of their attention to that show. If encouraged, the listener may also request a QSL which is a valuable opportunity for the broadcaster to communicate with them again. The listener’s curiosity may be piqued about a particular subject they can later research. Or they may store away their colorful QSLs and/or pleasant memories of tuning into a faraway station until they have a chance to visit the country they spent so many hours listening to.
Just as the author of a good book can form a lifelong bond with the reader, so can shortwave radio. I am amazed at the number of listeners who started with shortwave half a century ago and are often featured on DX program segments. DXers frequently mourn long-gone radio stations as they do close friends who have passed on. Shortwave radio is a powerful medium that can emotionally connect with listeners for many decades.
Shortwave radio can vastly broaden the horizons of individuals around the world. Radios are inexpensive and broadcasts reach every point on the globe. Powerful broadcasts cross international borders with ease. Radio frequently offers a voice different from what the listener hears in their local community. That can lead to a deeper understanding of distant countries and cultures. Better understanding and the freedom to hear new ideas is a building block for the antonym of war; peace.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Jamet, who writes:
Hi Thomas,
Following World Radio Day on the theme “Radio & Peace”, I draw your attention to this article online on the Radioworld website: http://www.radioworld.com
Portable radios take overseas trip to Ukraine, local fundraising continues
https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/portable-radios-successfully-delivered-to-ukraine-local-fundraising-continues
I am aware that this is a politically very sensitive subject… But I wonder why the receiver that is distributed does not allow listening to short waves? Nowadays, there are affordable receivers that allow shortwave listening
This example is a good illustration of the indispensable role that radio still plays in today’s world.
Kind regards.
Paul JAMET
Many thanks to Tracy, Tim, and Paul for sharing these World Radio Day items!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jack Dully, who shares a link to this Eavesdropper antenna on eBay and writes:
When I had my roof top antennas, with the original building owner, I put up the Eavesdropper. There were 2 versions: this one with the twin lead-in and the second with a coax lead-in connection. I had both. One strung E&W and the 2nd N&S with a MFJ ant. switch. Both were up for about 7 years with a Zap Trapper surge protector and good cold water ground. They were pretty rugged withstanding blizzards, hurricanes and summer thunderstorms.
Back then, a company called Antenna Supermarket sold them for about 45 bucks a piece. Both worked great for me and they were only about 45′ long center fed From Yonkers, N.Y. I could pull in Madrid and Australia and New Zealand very clearly on my Eton E-1 XM. So I thought some readers might be interested in buying an eavesdropper on eBay, it works well. Take care and enjoy !
Thank you for sharing that, Jack!
I remember seeing the Eavesdropper advertised back in the day. I still believe it must have one of the best antenna names ever! The product image brings back memories of browsing radio catalogs!