Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Rich Cuff for this tip: EBC has released Parque do Rodeador: Half a Century of Transmissions, a five-part radio documentary (in English) exploring the history of Brazil’s Rodeador Transmission Park—one of Latin America’s most powerful broadcast centers. Launched in 1974 during the Cold War, it enabled Rádio Nacional’s shortwave and medium wave signals to reach across continents. The series covers its political and technical legacy, including Brazil’s international broadcasting efforts, the challenges of aging infrastructure, and the future of digital shortwave. Listen here.
Tag Archives: Brazil
New SDR Recordings from Peru and Brazil Now Available via Don Moore
Our good friend and longtime contributor Don Moore has just updated his extensive SDR recordings archive with new files from his recent travels in South America. These latest recordings—captured in Peru (February) and southern Brazil (May)—are now available to explore and download.
Don writes:
I have a webpage where most of the SDR recordings from my travels are available for download. I just added files made in Peru in February and in the far south of Brazil in May. This archive is mostly medium wave. I hope they give other DXers a chance to hear what the dial sounds like in other parts of the world. They could also be useful as a way to compare possible IDs, ads, and other programming with what you hear in your own DXing.
You can browse and download the recordings directly via Don’s archive here:
https://www.donmooredxer.com/logs/loglinks.html
Many thanks, Don, for sharing these with the SWLing Post community!
Another One Bites The Dust In Brazil?!?!
Written/Published/Edited by SWLing.com Contributor Paul Walker, avid SW DXer and manager of KSKO 89.5 McGrath, Alaska
Surprisingly, RBC’s 7.5KW signal on 11815khz was quite regular here and heard very well at times. A few weeks ago, I realized I hadn’t heard it in several months, which has never happened really. I’m a member of the North American Shortwave Association so I posted a question there, because no matte how niche a station may be, someone can usually find or knows the answer.
I was greeted with this answer from Rich D’Angelo:
Rádio Brasil Central AM – which currently operates at 1270 – will migrate to FM, according to the process approved by the Ministry of Communications at the end of last February. According to the president of Agência Brasil Central, Reginaldo Junior, the migration will guarantee the survival and legacy of 75 years of the station. The AM operation will be terminated at Fazenda Bananal, where the transmitters of these operations in medium, short and tropical waves are installed. Two other FM radio stations may be created with the migration of shortwave and tropical frequencies as well, still unpredicted. (Juliana Carnevalli via Agência Brasil Central (ABC) – Government of Goiás/Pedro de Castro-Brazil)
Sad to hear, but we must face the reality and progression of time and technology. SW equipment is tough, expensive and time to repair, maintain or purchase new. With a few well placed FM signals, they can cover the areas that really matter in much better, much more consistent quality. We have to remember we as DX’ers aren’t the target and the fact we can hear a sub 10,000 Watt signal outside of its target area wasn’t intended and just a bonus. The electricity costs for a few FM signals are likely less than a 50KW full time AM and 2 full time shortwave signals.
Rádio Nacional da Amazônia Launches English & Spanish Programming
With thanks to Atsuhiko Takezawa in the World Radio & Television Handbook Facebook group for the tip-off
Starting March 31st, Radio Nacional will broadcast a 10 minute program in english and spanish at 01:50UTC!
EBC’s Executive Radio Manager Thiago Regotto says this new programming is in response to listener requests when they send in reception reports from other countries. The network will use this programming to highlight some content that has aired on international or cultural topics that have a relevance beyond Brazil, highlighting Radio Nacional as a broadcaster without borders.
The programming will air on the entire Radio Nacional Network, which includes the shortwave outlets at 6180khz (100kw, 239 deg az. beam) and 11780khz (100kw, 312 deg az. beam)
Full original announcement in Portuguese at this link
Full original announcement translated to English at this link
Sunday March 30th Edit: Paul Walker here, I originally posted this article. I realize I may have made a mistake when posting this. The original announcement specified 1050pm local time March 31st, which would be 01050UTC April 1st. I jumbled up some dates/numbers on this, so it may not start till UTC time April 1st. My apologies for the mistake, if in fact I made one.
Carlos’ Shortwave Art and recording of Radio Zorrilla de San Martin (May 8, 2024)
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares his radio log art of a recent broadcast of Radio Zorrilla de San Martin, covering the extensive flooding in Brazil and Uruguay.
Carlos notes:
Extract from the news bulletin of Radio Zorrilla de San Martin, AM 1400 kHz, about the floods in Brazil and Uruguay.
A Transmitter Park In Brazil Is Celebrating its 50th Birthday!
The facility 40km northwest of Brasilia originally cost $15 Million USD to build and will turn 50 years old on March 11, 2024. It’s home to several SW, AM and FM transmitters , including Radio Nacional de Amazonias on 6180 and 11780khz. The stations owner, Empresa Brasil de Comunicação , a government owned agency plans to recognize the facility’s Gold anniversary.
University of Brasilia and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to experiment with 2.5 kW DRM transmitter
(Source: DRM Consortium)
A new era begins for Brazilian radio broadcasting with the arrival and installation of a first shortwave digital radio DRM transmitter developed and manufactured in the city of Porto Alegre by BT Transmitters. The transmitter will be sited at the public broadcaster (EBC) Rodeador Park, near the capital Brasilia, to be connected to one of the huge HF antennas of EBC (National Amazon Radio is transmitted from there).
The equipment (a transmitter of 2.5 kW) will be tested on an experimental and scientific basis with the help of the University of Brasilia (UnB) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
The National Radio of the Amazon broadcasts from Brasilia especially to the Northern, Amazonian region of Brazil. The signal will be also available in the neighbouring countries to the north of Brazil. This is primarily a domestic shortwave digital project aimed at the Amazon where about 7 million riverside and indigenous people live. They are far from any other means of communication as there is no mobile phone or internet coverage.
Rafael Diniz, the Chair of the DRM Brazilian Platform, thinks that: “Shortwave digital radio (DRM) for the Amazon region will ensure a new level of communication and information as Nacional’s programming is both popular and educational. It brings audio and much more at low energy cost to whole communities there. With the adoption of digital radio, one of the major problems, that of poor sound quality affecting at times shortwave, will end. Listeners will be able to enjoy DRM broadcasts in short wave with a quality similar to that of a local FM station together with textual and visual multimedia content.”
“This is a huge step forward, says Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Consortium Chair, “not just for Brazil but for the whole of Latin America. When everything else fails or does not exist, DRM will provide information, education, emergency warning and entertainment at reduced energy costs.”
Click here to read this article at the DRM Consortium website.
As a side note, I do hope the DRM Consortium or the University of Brasilia and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation somehow make DRM receivers available to the “7 million riverside and indigenous people” they hope will eventually benefit from their broadcasts. At this point, however, this sounds more like a university experiment similar to those conducted at the Budapest University of Technology in Hungary.