Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bruce Fisher, who writes:
Here’s a radio from the 1953 French film (whose English title is) “The Wages of Fear“. Can anyone identify it?
Radio spotted in “Le Salaire de la Peur/The Wages of Fear”
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Tag Archives: Bruce Fisher
Antenna array on NBC television show “Debris”
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bruce Fisher, who writes:
Hi Thomas,
I recently watched an episode of a science-fiction tv series on NBC called “Debris”. There was a brief scene of an antenna array and the following dialogue:
“What is this place?”
“It was used to transmit news reports to the Allied Nations during World War Two.”
“Voice of America?“
“Yes, yes. And also shortwave radio communication with spies…”
Can anyone identify this location and the veracity of the information?
Thanks for sharing this, Bruce! I’m certain some of our savvy readers can positively ID this transmitting site. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a military site rather than the VOA.
Self-powered shortwave radio spotted in Battlestar Galactica
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bruce F, who writes:
Here is a photo of a radio from the 2004 – 2009 TV series “Battlestar Galactica“. This radio is perhaps unique and worthy of careful study! Why? Because not only was it NOT MADE on Earth, but there is no connection in its design with any other known radio ever.
The reason for this is quite simple. This sci-fi TV series takes place in a distant future when all humans had left the Earth generations ago and migrated throughout the galaxy. The humans in this series have lost all touch with humanity’s origin planet. They do not know where Earth is, or even if it still exists, or if it ever actually existed.
“Earth” is an important part of their religion and mythology. So here is a totally un-Earthly radio. Odd though. it does closely resemble a Grundig wind-up radio I owned sometime in the 2000’s…
Ha ha! Yes indeed, Bruce. And I can confidently say that I’ve personally distributed hundreds upon hundreds of this particular radio model for Ears To Our World. Grundig used to market it as the Grundig FR-200, and Tecsun still offers it as the Tecsun Green-88 (or GR-88). It’s a brilliant receiver, although I’m not sure how effectively one can monitor shortwave while in a spacecraft! 🙂
I also grabbed some screenshots from BSG with a number of radios some time ago. I’m not sure I ever posted it, though. I’ll have to look through my (rather deep) drafts folder.
Thanks for sharing, Bruce. I’ll add this post to our growing archive of radios in film!
Bruce discovers a bit of Morse Code in “Picnic At Hanging Rock”
(Image source: IMDB)
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bruce Fisher, who writes:
I recorded this short piece of the soundtrack from the 3rd episode of the Picnic at Hanging Rock mini series– it’s being used as a part of the music to an eerie scene, and there is no telegraph or radio related visual corresponding to it. It certainly sounds like Morse Code to me, but I haven’t decoded it. Anyone?
(If you can’t see the embedded player above, click here to listen.)
Many thanks, Bruce! You certainly have sharp ears and are correct in assuming this is Morse Code. The spacing and cadence are a little awkward and jittery, however. I did a decode myself, but I’m curious what others might have heard.
Post readers: Please comment with what you heard in this code!
More radios in the movies: James Bond “Dr. No” (1962)
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bruce Fisher, who adds the following to our growing archive of radios in film. Bruce writes:
Here are three shots from the first few minutes of the 1962 James Bond
film “Dr. No”:
The second shot is a close up of the radio in the first shot. (These appear at about 4:30)
I suppose the last shot is from the BBC Monitoring Station? (about 5:30).
Thanks for sharing these screen shots, Bruce!
That looks like a K.W. Vanguard amateur transmitter in the first two photos, of course, but I can’t determine what the receiver is on the right. Can someone identify?