Tag Archives: Deutsche Welle

A Special QSL Card: Remembering the BBC and Deutsche Welle DRM Partnership

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Many thanks to SWling Post contributor, Paul Jamet, who hares the following article and notes:

I enjoyed this beautifully illustrated article: Snail Mail QSLs – A Few Stories from a Bygone Era

I’m also taking up the invitation to share a memorable QSL card of my own.

I’ve received hundreds of QSL cards by snail mail. After some hesitation, I’ve chosen a QSL card that I received quickly (in 6 days) but which reflects a time when two very important international radio stations were strong believers in Digital Radio Mondial (DRM):

Testimony of a Joint BBC / DW DRM Programme for Europe

by Paul Jamet

My most memorable QSL card bears witness to the collaboration between the BBC World Service (BBC-WS) and Deutsche Welle (DW). These two broadcasters launched a major radio project in the late 2000s: a joint shortwave transmission in DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale), aimed at providing a high-quality digital service for Europe.

The BBC and DW established a partnership to pool their transmission capabilities and deliver a single digital stream (in English) across Europe. Transmission sites located in Sines (Portugal), Woofferton (United Kingdom), and Moosbrunn (Austria) were used to ensure broadcasting from 06:00 local time until midnight.

This is why I invested around €300 in purchasing a DiWave 100 receiver to listen to this programme, broadcast using a technology that both broadcasters were intensively testing at the time. The AFS function—Alternative Frequency Switching or Signalling—allowed the receiver to automatically follow frequency changes throughout the day without any manual intervention. The programme originated alternately from Berlin or London, on one or more frequencies transmitted from the sites mentioned above.

This QSL card, along with the screenshot from the DiWave 100 that enabled me to obtain it, stands as evidence of a broken dream [mainly due to the rise of streaming, but also the lack of DRM receivers].

The BBC and DW eventually abandoned the project. In terms of digital broadcasting, DAB+—a technology stemming from the European Eureka project—has become dominant across Europe. Today, the BBC World Service, and especially Radio Romania International, continue to broadcast daily to Europe. TDF (Télédiffusion de France) is conducting trials on various frequencies from its Issoudun transmission centre.

Today, I still believe in DRM. This technology uses HF bands and makes it possible to cover vast areas with a single transmitter, while offering significantly improved listening conditions and additional services such as text transmission (Journaline), images, and emergency warning messages (EWF technology).

References :

RFA Temporarily Suspends Broadcasts During US Government Shutdown

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Deutsche Welle (DW) reports that Radio Free Asia (RFA) has temporarily halted its broadcasts due to the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, which has disrupted operations at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). The pause affects several RFA language services and follows similar impacts on other U.S. international broadcasters.

You can read the full story on DW’s website: Radio Free Asia halts broadcasts amid US government shutdown (DW)

Dan Shares Recordings of the Golden Days of European Shortwave Listening

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who shares the following guest post:

Europe on shortwave in the 1970’s

by Dan Greenall

During the golden years of shortwave listening, many European countries had an international shortwave service and broadcast programs to North America (where I live) in English. As a result, these stations were usually among the first that a newcomer to the hobby would find.  However, since there was no internet or e-mail, schedules often had to be found in the various club bulletins and hobby magazines.  QSLs arrived through the postal system and could often take months to arrive.

I soon developed the habit of making a brief recording of each station as additional “proof of reception,” and many of these have survived to this day.  These were typically made by placing the microphone directly in front of the speaker of my receiver.  In recent years, they have been uploaded to the Internet Archive, and links to some of them from the early 1970s can be found here.

[Note that each title links to the Archive.org page where you can find more information and QSLs.]

Radio Moscow

Deutsche Welle, Cologne 

Radio Berlin International 

Belgian Radio

Radio Belgrade

RAI, Rome

ORTF, Paris

IBRA Radio via Radio Trans Europe in Portugal

Radio Sofia Bulgaria

Austrian Radio

Radio Prague

Radio Denmark

Radio Luxembourg

Vatican Radio

Radio Sweden

Trans World Radio Monte Carlo

Radio Kiev

Radio Free Europe

Radio Nordsee International

Radio Waves: DW Launches “Sudan Now” on Shortwave, Mayor Saves AM Station, Tape Measure Turnstile Antenna, and Where Does AM Go From Here?

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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 Dennis Dura and David Iurescia for the following tips:

“Sudan Now” – DW Arabic launches new radio program for Sudan (DW)

DW is now broadcasting a 30-minute daily Arabic-language radio program entitled “Sudan Now” on shortwave, Hotbird and SES-5 satellites and via the DW Arabic website.

As an unbiased radio program, “Sudan Now” will provide listeners in the target region with unbiased coverage of current issues in the region and will promote political, social and cultural dialogue through interviews, talk shows and reports.

Given the lack of independent information sources in Sudan and the limited ability of established media to broadcast due to internet outages and ongoing fighting, “Sudan Now” was specifically designed to be broadcast on shortwave and via the Hotbird- and SES-5 satellites. The satellite broadcast enables listeners in the target region to receive the program via their TV sets.

DW Managing Director Programming Dr. Nadja Scholz: “The conflict in Sudan is ongoing and has far-reaching effects on the entire region. It is absolutely necessary to provide the people there with a dedicated program that enables them to access independent, current and in-depth information. With shortwave radio, we further increase our ability to reach as many people as possible.”

Manuela Kasper-Claridge, DW editor-in-chief, said: “The humanitarian situation in Sudan remains catastrophic. There is a lack of everything – including free, independent information. This Arabic-language radio program is therefore urgently needed.”

The program broadcast will begin on Monday, June 26, 2023. It will air daily from Monday to Friday at 2:30 pm (local time, GMT+2) for a duration of thirty minutes. A repeat of the radio program will air daily at 8:30 pm.

“Sudan Now” can be heard in the afternoon on shortwave 15275 kHz/17800 kHz and in the evening on shortwave 15275 kHz/17840 kHz.

In addition, all broadcasts will be available on the DW Arabic website.

AM Matters: This CO Mayor Saved His Town’s Station (Radio Ink)

[…]Radio Ink: When Justin Sasso briefly mentioned KLMR’s story at Hispanic Radio Conference, it piqued the room’s interest. That’s a powerful AM story. How did this come to pass with you both?

Dan: So about a year ago in late July, KLMR was blown off the air from a micro-downburst. The previous owners couldn’t fix it and they were in danger of losing the license. When I saw the building, half the roof was gone and the antenna was dangling in the wind.

I’ve been in the radio business in Colorado for 40 years, with the last 20 in Colorado Springs, but I’ve never owned a radio station. And so when this opportunity came about, I reached out to Kirk. We had talked about possibly buying a company in Lamar previously. He’s not just the mayor, he’s my brother-in-law, but it was great that the mayor wanted to get involved in it too. So we’re off and running.

Radio Ink: For a mayor to step up and say, “This AM station is so important to my community that if nobody else will save it, I will,” is a huge testament to AM radio’s power and value.

Kirk: It’s vital. That’s what I had mentioned to Justin in that meeting about AM. When we look at rural Colorado and the ag market there, there’s a necessity for that. [Continue reading…]

A Quick And Easy Tape Measure Turnstile Antenna For Milsat Snooping (Hackaday)

The number of satellites whizzing by over our heads at any moment is staggering, and growing at a rapid rate as new constellations are launched. But sometimes it’s the old birds that are the most interesting, as is the case with some obsolete but still functional military communications satellites, which thanks to a lack of forethought are largely unsecured and easily exploitable. And all that’s needed to snoop in on them is a cheap ham radio and something like this simple and portable satcom antenna.

As proof of the global nature of the radio hobby, the design in the video below by Brit [Tech Minds] borrows heavily from previous work by Italian ham [Ivo Brugnera (I6IBE)], which itself was adapted to use 3D-printed parts in a German blog post a few years ago. [Continue reading…]

Not just cars: Where does AM radio go from here? (YouTube)

Joe and Jeff Geerling discuss AM radio station ownership, emergency use, rural listeners, and more.

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Radio Waves: RTUK Demands License, Finding MH370 via Signal Disturbances, Massive Collection of Antique Radios, and Free Tech License Class

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Radio Waves:  Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio

Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest SWLing Post readers.  To that end: Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!

Turkey demands Deutsche Welle, VOA and Euronews apply for a licence (Broadband TV News)

Turkish media regulator RTÜK has given three international broadcasters 72 hours to apply for a licence or have their online content blocked.

Voice of America (VOA), Deutsche Welle (DW) and Euronews are including video on their websites and are seen as among the few independent news sources still available in Turkey.

RTÜK published a statement on its website Monday, signalling the start of the 72 hour period.

If the procedure for applying for a licence is underway, a broadcaster can continue on-air for another three months, providing the anticipated licence fee is paid to the regulator in advance. [Continue reading…]

Finding MH370: New breakthrough could finally solve missing flight mystery (60 Minutes Australia via YouTube)

Is the biggest aviation mystery of all time, the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, about to be solved? Yes, if you believe the man you’re about to meet. Richard Godfrey is no crackpot; he’s a respected British aerospace engineer and physicist who says he’s found the doomed airliner. If he’s right, he’ll provide desperately needed answers for the families of the 239 passengers and crew who were aboard the Boeing triple-seven when it vanished eight years ago. But knowing where it is isn’t the end of the story – Richard also has to convince authorities to resume the search that’s already cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Click here to view on YouTube.

Retired electrical engineer, 85, has £15,000 collection of 200 antique radios that he has been building up for 50 years – including one of the oldest sets in the UK (The Daily Mail)

A grandfather-of-five has revealed his impressive antique radio and test instrument collection worth up to £15,000.

Richard Allan, a retired electrical engineer, has spent the last fifty years collecting antique transistor, valve and crystal sets and has now shown off his impressive collection of more than 200 pieces.

The 85-year-old from Norfolk, first fell in love with radios because of his father, Alexander William, who built his own transmitter and spoke to people all over the world through the airwaves.

In fact, Richard’s first – and favourite radio within his collection – is the one his father, a HAM, or amateur radio lover, played non-stop during World War II after purchasing in 1938.

Another notable piece within his collection is an E52b German military radio, captured in a vehicle at Foxhill, Bath, which was where his father worked in the Admiralty. [Continue reading…]

Free online amateur radio Technician license class (Southgate ARC)

The Montgomery Amateur Radio Club in Maryland is offering a free online Zoom amateur radio Technician license class on seven Saturdays from March 19, 2022 through April 30, 2022 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM with an outdoor free test session on Sunday, May 1, 2022 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM.

More information about this Zoom class is at
https://www.marcclub.org/mweb/education/classes/technician.html

This is a great opportunity for you to get your amateur radio license. To learn more about amateur radio, also known as ham radio, go to http://www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio

To register for this free class, send an email to [email protected] .

Also, please distribute this announcement to anyone who expresses an interest in getting their ham license and to any newly licensed hams.

Thank you,

David Bern, W2LNX
MARC education committee

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Radio Waves: Listening to Jupiter, Radio Emma Toc, Turkish Bans, and RT DE to Sue German Regulator

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Radio Waves:  Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio

Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest SWLing Post readers.  To that end: Welcome to the SWLing Post’s Radio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!

Under a darkening sky, earthlings tune in to ‘Jupiter Radio’ (KLCC)

Ever eavesdrop on the planet, Jupiter? This past weekend, some radio enthusiasts gathered at Eugene’s Riverfront Field to do just that.

Roughly a dozen members of the Ducks on the Air Amateur Radio Club gathered on the grassy space (making sure to sidestep goose poops) to set up an array of cables and rods called a differential dipole antenna. They managed to assemble it and realign it just before Jupiter appeared on the dusky horizon. [Continue reading and listen to the audio at KLCC…]

Radio Emma Toc – celebrating wireless station 2MT – at 100! (Southgate ARC)

Dear Listener / Viewer

I’m pleased to let you know that I will be broadcasting another video stream this coming Monday, 14th February, with the theme of celebrating wireless station 2MT.

In 1922, after requests & petitions from radio hams in the United Kingdom, a licence was issued for station 2MT to transmit a programme of CW (morse), Telephony (voice) and music, on a weekly basis. Transmissions came from a small wooden hut in Writtle, Essex, where engineers working for the Marconi Company were given the task of putting on air a wireless station for ‘calibration purposes’ aimed at the growing number of radio hams and enthusiasts.

Over a short period, and with the good fortune of this Marconi team having a selection of gifted radio engineers & maverick individuals, 2MT became incredibly popular & – probably without realising it at the time – went on to lay the foundations of entertainment broadcasting that was to follow.

Monday the 14th February will be the centenary of the first transmission from 2MT. From 11am in the morning – 11:00UTC – we will be playing audio documentaries & videos looking at the start of broadcasting here in the UK, & then at around 6.45pm – 18:45UTC – I will present a live programme where hopefully we can all join in to drink a toast to ‘2MT’.

Our broadcast will not be a full history of the station, more a celebration of the people involved & everything that we enjoy about radio today. I hope to link with others celebrating 2MT & also radio hams on the air on this anniversary day.

I invite you to join me for this amateur enthusiast video broadcast!

Further details are available here:
 
Links & information relating to our broadcast stream:

Website – https://www.emmatoc.org/
Website page for this celebration – https://www.emmatoc.org/2mtcelebration
Link for viewing (only linking to us on the day of the broadcast) – https://www.mixcloud.com/live/RadioEmmaToc/
Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/emmatoc
Twitter page – https://twitter.com/radioemmatoc

You can take part in the programme by emailing me with any comments & radio memories – I’d love to say hello to you – our email address is – [email protected]

Check our Facebook & Twitter pages for updates in case of any problems with transmissions (things can always go wrong!)

Our friends at Essex Ham have produced a short interview video with more detail – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk_XnGvsJ0M

Links & information for other items of interest:

For radio hams, there will be two special event amateur radio stations in operation.
Local Radio Club CARS – Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society – will be operating GB100 2MT from Writtle Village Hall – http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/events/gb1002mt-writtle/index.htm
Radio Club Essex Ham will be operating GB2MTC from the East Essex Hackspace Hut in Hockley – http://sxham.uk/2mt

It is also hoped that items about 2MT will feature in programmes on the 14th on BBC Essex, Chelmsford Community Radio, & Phoenix FM. I will have more detail on this during my live stream, & if possible will link up with our friend Tim Wander at some time during the evening!

I look forward to being with you on the 14th!

Best wishes

Jim

DW, VoA and Euronews facing Turkish ban (Broadband TV News)

Turkey has given three international broadcasters a deadline of 72 hours to apply for local licences or be taken off the air.

“Deutsche Welle, Voice of America and Euronews have been given a deadline of 72 hours by the RTÜK. They must apply for a broadcast licence within that period or face a broadcast ban,” said Okan Konuralp, a member of the Turkish opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on Twitter.

At issue are the broadcasters’ websites that have drawn the attention of the authorities because they also feature video news. Such websites have become increasingly popular in Turkey as the government places restrictions on local news outlets.

If the broadcasters don’t apply for a licence the regulator has the right to go to court and get the website closed down. [Continue reading…]

RT DE to sue German regulator after broadcast ban (Broadband TV News)

RT DE says it plans to take legal action against Berlin’s media regulator after the German-language channel was ordered to shut down its streaming service.

The simmering row between Berlin and Russia has resulted in the imposition of restrictions on the German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle’s Russian operations.

“We believe that the regulatory authority acted unlawfully with its decision against RT DE Productions GmbH on February 2. The MABB claims that RT DE Productions GmbH is responsible for broadcasting the RT DE channel, blatantly ignoring the fact that the RT DE programme is managed and distributed by Moscow-based TV Novost,” said RT DE in a statement. [Continue reading…]

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