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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Jamet, who shares the following news:
Grimeton SAQ turns 100!
On July 2, 2025, the SAQ Grimeton Radio Station in Sweden celebrates its centennial — a hundred years of quiet transmissions that have bridged continents and eras.
Built in 1925, this UNESCO-listed radio station still transmits Morse code using a pre-electronic VLF generator.
SAQ transmits telegrams worldwide on 17,2 kHz at 11.00 CEST (09.00 UTC) and 15.00 CEST (13.00 UTC). The startups begin at 10.30 CEST (08.30 UTC) and 14.30 CEST (12.30 UTC).
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jacob Brodsky, who shares a link to this excellent, short documentary about the Grimeton Radio Station on YouTube:
SAQ antenna tower #1 with its tuning coil. (Photo source: The Alexander association)
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Jamet, who writes:
Hi Thomas,
The purpose of this message is to inform you that the Grimeton station (Sweden) will be on air on December 1st to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its commercial commissioning:
Time to upgrade that receiver if you’re one of the few Swiss that still don’t have one able to receive DAB+ signals
Swiss radio listeners will soon have to toss out their old sets, as the country plans to end analog FM broadcasting on December 31, 2024, in favor of a total conversion to digital.
The move has been a long time coming in Switzerland, which has largely already transitioned to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB+, an evolution of standard DAB that was designed to address early issues). More than 99 percent of the country have access to a DAB+-compatible receiver and fewer than 10 percent of radio signals in the country still being broadcasted in analog FM, according to the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. [Continue reading…]
There will be no substantive changes to the legislation
A bill in the House of Representatives that would mandate AM capability in new vehicles is about to be revised, according to a person familiar with the developments.
New information indicates that one of the original co-sponsors of the bill, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), plans to introduce an amendment to the bill (H.R. 8449). Changes would only include minor technical updates.
The planned amendment to the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act comes on the heels of last week’s last-minute cancellation of a planned vote by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which could have advanced the legislation to the full House for a vote. [Continue reading…]
Opponents play up the possibility that carmakers would have to choose
If Congress requires AM radio in new cars, vehicle manufacturers might have to drop safety features instead.
That’s the message from opponents of the proposed law in Congress. A guest commentary published by Automotive News restates the key points that opponents have been making since the legislation was introduced; but their blunt emphasis on a possible tradeoff with important safety features seems notable.
“To accommodate analog AM radio as a primary design requirement, certain carmakers may need to scrap advanced safety features, with engineers having to prioritize outdated technology over current or future safety innovations,” they wrote. [Continue reading…]
Did you know that 100 years ago there were electromechanical radio transmitters?
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’sRadio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!
The biggest change for CB radios in the U.S. since the late 1970s is coming and it looks to be a good thing for improved voice quality and cutting through frustrating background noise common at the peak of day.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently approved FM to join alongside AM and single-sideband (SSB) modes on CBs. It’s a big change to old technology that offers some clear advantages.
On the plus side, FM will provide users with improved audio quality and greater ability to circumvent background signal noise typical on CB’s long-standing AM side. The Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at U.C. Berkeley reports that FM will provide an “improved signal to noise ratio (about 25dB) with regards to man-made interference” over AM. That kind of reduction in background noise could prove popular with truckers who remain among the top users of CBs in the U.S.
Today is Sunday July 4, 2021. Besides being Independence Day here in the States, it’s also Alexanderson Day in Sweden!
This morning, I discovered a video on the Grimeton Station YouTube channel: a recording of their live stream live stream starting around 08:30 UTC today.
In the video, you can watch the crew of the Grimeton station startup, tune, and transmit on their 1924 Alexanderson Alternator with the callsign SAQ. Their message is sent in CW on 17.2 kHz. The video is absolutely fascinating and I highly recommend watching it. The startup and tuning procedure are simply amazing. I can only imagine the dedication and resources it takes to keep this marvel of 1920s engineering fully functional today:
