Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Iurescia (LW4DAF) who writes:
[Here’s a] picture of the new QSL Card from KBS World Radio dedicated to the Inter-Korean Summit that took place last April 27th.
Whoever sends a reception report to KBS will be answered with this QSL Card.
Thank you, David! You’d better believe I’ll snag one of these QSL cards. Certainly a keeper!
(Source: KBS World Radio via Trevor R)
Hello listeners,
KBS World Radio English Service is carrying out a major frequency and time adjustment on shortwave as we expand our programming as of September 4.
First of all, we will start a new two-and-a-half hour broadcast on 9.770Mhz at 0800h UTC toward Southeast Asia. The one-hour broadcast on 9.515Mhz toward Europe will expand to two hours, and will start at 1500h UTC. Our broadcast toward India will be on 9.785Mhz instead of the current 9.880Mhz and expand to three hours, starting at 1400h UTC.
Unfortunately, as we add more hours and programs to several frequencies, we will no longer be broadcasting on 9.690Mhz, 6.095Mhz and 7.275Mhz.For more information on the frequency adjustment and program schedule, please visit our website at world.kbs.co.kr.
Thank you!
(Source: Paul Walker)
KBS World Radio’s English Department Is Carrying Out Test Transmissions Next WeekKBS World Radio’s English Department Is Carrying Out Test Transmissions Next Week
Europe: August 21 – 23, 1500 – 1600 UTC, 9515 kHz
Southeast Asia: August 21 – 23, 0800 – 1030 UTC, 9770 kHz
India: August 21 – 22, 1400 – 1700 UTC, 9835 kHz
India: August 23 – 24, 1400-1700 UTC, 9785 kHz
If you live in target areas, please tune in and send us reception reports. Your reports are crucial in helping them find better frequency options.
Reception reports can be sent to [email protected] or on the web at https://world.kbs.co.kr/english/about/about_report.htm
If conditions are good next week, the transmission meant for Europe could be audible in the US
Hi there, a good friend of mine Mr Thomas Brogan mentioned to me recently that his little Tecsun PL-310ET was proving to be an excellent receiver and that it would suit my DXpedition activities. Now, as someone who likes to push the envelope of performance with sophisticated portables, usually coupled to very large antennas, a cheap little Tecsun might not have been an abvious choice for my next purchase. However, Mr Brogan (who has an excellent Youtube channel by the same name – check out his wonderful collection of vintage and modern receivers) previously suggested I buy, for similar reasons, the Sony ICF-SW100. That little masterpiece of electronics turned out to be one of the best receivers I’ve ever owned. I felt compelled to take notice because Tom never gets this stuff wrong! A few days later I found myself in Maplins – again – and there it was on the shelf at just under £40, so I bought one.
I got back into shortwave listening about 18 months ago, after many years of inactivity whilst my poor Sangean ATS-803A rotted away in the garden shed and Sony ICF-7600G long-gone via eBay. To start all over again, I bought a Tecsun PL-360. What a great little portable that turned out to be – there are over 100 reception videos on my YouTube channel demonstrating how it continually performed above and beyond the very modest price tag. I even managed to hear ABC Northern Territories 4835 kHz on it once – simply amazing for a receiver under £30. Given my extensive experience with the PL-360 and having learned the PL-310ET shared the same DSP chip, I was expecting the same, or at least very similar performance and the only real benefit to upgrading to the PL-310ET was the direct frequency access. However, I was wrong about that!
The brilliant Tecsun PL-360 got me back into shortwave radio for less than £30
About a week after buying the PL-310ET, I managed to get out on a DXpedition and with 30 metres of wire attached to it via the external antenna socket, I started tuning around the SW bands. Quite simply, I was amazed at the sensitivity and selectivity of this diminutive little portable. With the proven DSP receiver chip and a number of audio bandwidth filter options from 1 to 6 kHz, coupled with direct frequency access via the keypad, it was a joy to use and listen to. In just over an hour I had copied signals from North Korea, including their internal service KCBS Pyongyang, Zanzibar BC, ABC Northern Territories (at the first attempt!), Zambia NBC Radio 1, Radio Oromiya and Radio Amhara from Ethiopia, amongst others. Brilliant stuff and clearly demonstrating that the overall hardware/software package with the PL-310ET is a step up in performance over the PL-360 and capable of proper DX for a very modest outlay. Interestingly, in a conversation with Thomas Witherspoon regarding the PL-310ET, he reminded me that it was one of his go-to radios for travelling and confirmed it’s excellent performance. I would definitely recommend this radio to novices and experts alike.
Reception videos follow below, with more to come in part 2; I hope you enjoy them. Thanks for watching/listening and I wish you all excellent DX!
Clint Gouveia is the author of this post and a regular contributor to the SWLing Post. Clint actively publishes videos of his shortwave radio excursions on his YouTube channel: Oxford Shortwave Log. Clint is based in Oxfordshire, England.
Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, @andy_fab, who shared the following press release from KBS via Twitter:
Test Transmission Notice
KBS World Radio English Service will carry out test transmission from October 3 to 8 ahead of the B16 shortwave frequency adjustment. Please tune into the following frequencies and send us your reception reports. Your feedback will help us greatly in choosing the best frequency option for the new season. Thank you!
(Source: KBS World Radio via Andrea Borgnino)
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) will launch a shortwave radio service to North Korea this fall.
A BBC insider said the British government has given final approval to the public broadcaster’s plan to broadcast news to North Korea and has even earmarked a budget.
The 30-minute daily broadcast in the Korean language will include news from the two Koreas, China and Japan. BBC will also run a website with a listen again section.
[…]The news program will be produced at the BBC headquarters in London and transmitted via shortwave from locations including Singapore. Many North Korean residents are known to own a shortwave receiver.
BBC has been discussing the launch of a North Korea service since last year, which has faced strong opposition from North Korea. A high-level North Korean diplomat visited the U.K. parliamentary in protest of the plan two months ago.
BBC is also considering broadcasting its Korean news service in South Korea as well.