Tag Archives: David Iurescia (LW4DAF)

RNZ changes its pips!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia, who shares the following news from Radio New Zealand:

RNZ’s pips are changing – Can you hear the difference? (RNZ)

RNZ National is changing the pips – the beeps that mark the start of each hour which play immediately before the news bulletin broadcast.

The pips were last changed in 2013 when a lightning strike damaged the clock which sent signals from the Measurement Standards Laboratory’s atomic clock.

The replacement sound was a little higher. (Continue reading…)

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KBS A24 SW Frequency Change

ARRL: Bob Heil, K9EID, Silent Key

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Bob Heil (left) and me, Thomas (right): Photo from 2015 when I was fortunate enough to spend a couple days with Bob Heil at a radio conference.

Bob Heil, K9EID, Silent Key (ARRL News)

03/01/2024

The man who defined the sound of live rock ‘n’ roll music and brought audio engineering principals into mainstream amateur radio use, Dr. Bob Heil, K9EID, has passed away at the age of 83. He was an ARRL Life Member and in the ARRL Maxim Society. A Facebook post from Heil Ham Radio paid tribute to their founder: “Bob fought a valiant, yearlong battle with cancer, and passed peacefully surrounded by his family.”

Heil founded Heil Sound in 1966, through which he created the template for modern concert sound systems for musicians like the Grateful Dead, The Who, Joe Walsh, and Peter Frampton. The talk box used on iconic live record Frampton Comes Alive! was of Heil’s design. His audio engineering products have been featured in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and he was honored in 2007 with the Parnelli Audio Innovator Award for his impact on the live sound industry. “My life has been about achieving great sound, whether on the concert stage or in the amateur radio world,” Bob Heil recounted in 2022. “I’ve watched Heil Sound go from a regional sound company to a world-class microphone manufacturer. This company has been my passion,” he said.

Parallel to his commercial and artistic success in live music, was his passion for amateur radio. He was active in ham radio from a young age and merged his expertise in audio engineering with his love for radio. Heil Ham Radio was founded to produce microphones, headsets, and other gear for radio amateurs with an emphasis on high-quality audio.

Heil was known as a mentor who enjoyed helping others find success in ham radio. Recently, his grandson Charlie Hartley, KF0OOP, became a licensed ham to surprise Heil for his birthday. The pair attended the ARRL Midwest Convention/Winterfest in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 27, 2024.

Heil was a generous donor to amateur radio organizations, including ARRL. Recently, he donated a host of new audio gear to the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, W1AW.

His generosity and kind nature will be missed by many, including ARRL Director of Development Kevin Beal, K8EAL. “Bob was a titan in many areas. He was generous with his time, offered keen insights, and had the heart of a philanthropist in the ARRL Maxim Society,” Beal said. “He was a gentleman to his core, making friends easily and everywhere he went, from rock stars to captains of industry. I consider it a real privilege to have become a friend to him, too, all because of amateur radio.”

Heil was known for his passion for AM operations. He served for many years as an on-camera host of the Ham Nation podcast. Tributes to Heil have been flooding social media, including from his co-hosts.

ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, said Heil’s passing is a significant loss. “Bob Heil’s technical achievements that brought high-quality audio to amateur radio pale in comparison to his generosity and willingness to help his fellow ham. He’s long been known as someone eager to help mentor and teach. His legacy on our hobby will be long-lasting. Our thoughts are with his loved ones.”

Click here to read this article on the ARRL website.

Bob, you were a true radio ambassador, and we all benefitted from your enthusiasm and passion for decades to come. Thank you.

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“Vatican Radio celebrates 93rd anniversary”

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia, who shares the following announcement from Vatican News:

Vatican Radio celebrates 93rd anniversary

The birth of Vatican Radio, the ‘Pope’s radio,’ on February 12, 1931, and World Radio Day, celebrated on February 13, are an opportunity to revisit two significant chapters in the life of a medium marked by tremendous technological evolution, and which, from its origins, has always retained the same mission, that of reaching the corners and peoples of the earth.

By Amedeo Lomonaco

Two days in the 20th century, both in the month of February but in different years, intertwine with the history of the most widespread means of communication in the world: on February 12, 1931, Pope Pius XI inaugurated Vatican Radio. “Hear, O islands, and listen, O distant peoples,” declared the Pope in the radio message “Qui arcano Dei.”

Vatican Radio, the Pope’s Radio

It was Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the radio, who announced the historic event: “For about twenty centuries, the Roman Pontiff has made the word of his divine teaching heard in the world, but this is the first time that his living voice can be perceived simultaneously over the entire surface of the Earth.”

The establishment of Vatican Radio has undoubtedly represented a significant moment in the history of media, having been founded in 1931. Its impact has been reflected not only in the dissemination of the Pope’s voice and the Catholic Church but also in the broader context of global communication.

The establishment of World Radio Day by UNESCO, with its date coinciding with the anniversary of Vatican Radio, underscores the importance and impact of this medium of communication globally.

From waves to the web

Radio has gone through various evolutionary stages, transitioning from traditional radio waves to the digital era and the internet, where it has transformed into web radios and podcasts.

In particular, the democratic aspect of radio has been emphasized as one of its fundamental values. It provides a space for all voices in society, including those often overlooked or ignored by mainstream media.

Furthermore, radio continues to play a crucial role as a public safety net during emergency situations, providing vital information and support to the community.

In summary, the history of Vatican Radio and the celebration of World Radio Day serve as a testament to the power and relevance of this medium in shaping society and facilitating global communication.

Click here to read this article at the Vatican News website, and click here to subscribe to their updates.

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SDXF on air for World Radio Day

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia, who shares the following announcement from the SDXF website (translated via Google Translate):

Tuesday, February 13, 2024, it is time again for World Radio Day. Sweden’s DX Association participates in the celebration with a newly produced special program. As in previous broadcasts, there will be a mix of interviews and other features. This time some of the program items are in English. Those listeners who got in touch after our last broadcast, on December 26, 2023, will be notified in a shorter mailbox.

The world’s shortest music program this time presents music from Peru. As usual, the broadcast has been put together by Göran Lindemark.

This time too, the program will be broadcast on shortwave on Channel 292 in Germany. The frequency is 9670 kHz. The program is broadcast at 11.00 with a repeat at 15.00 Swedish winter time.

Reports and comments can be emailed to us . It is then our QSL manager Gert Nilsson who answers the listener post. Feel free to comment on the program content!

We hope for a good reception and that the program content will be of interest. Unfortunately, it is now very unusual to have Swedish-language programs on shortwave.

Click here to read the original announcement in Swedish.

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Radio Prague’s 2024 QSL Card Series

Radio Prague’s 2024 QSL card series will be musical – and digital

To this day, Radio Prague International has kept up the decades-long tradition of QSL cards – postcards confirming receipt of reception reports to listeners. Every year, we have created a new series of postcards to send to listeners. In 2024, there will be something else new – in addition to the traditional printed versions, we will also start producing and sending digital QSL cards.

2024 is the year of Czech music – and so is the theme for next year’s QSL card series.

With a different QSL card for every quarter, Kristýna Marková’s graphic designs will bring you images inspired by the most famous Czech classical music names – Antonín Dvo?ák, Bed?ich Smetana, Leoš Janá?ek and Ema Destinnová.

The Times They Are A-Changin’

Many international radio stations, as they muted their shortwave broadcasts, also stopped issuing QSL cards. However, Radio Prague International continues to preserve this tradition.

Unfortunately, significant price hikes by the Czech postal service have forced us to make a few changes. From 2024, we will only send printed postcards to listeners who send us a printed postcard or letter themselves. Otherwise, we will send digital QSL cards to those who send us a message by email or via our web form.

We hope that our digital QSL cards will delight you as much as our printed ones have and that you will continue to be among our loyal listeners for years to come.

Click here to read the original article and to view more images at Radio Prague online.

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