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The secretive UVB-76 station interrupted its trademark buzzing at least 25 times a day after John Ratcliffe’s visit, reviving speculation over its military role as Baltic states seek to calm fears of a possible Russian attack
In 2026, Slovak Radio is marking 100 years since broadcasting began in what was then Czechoslovakia. For most of that time—90 years, in fact—broadcasting to audiences abroad has been an essential part of its story. While Radio Prague International is celebrating its 90th anniversary, Radio Slovakia International is marking 33 years since launching its own international service. This program is dedicated to this shared 90th anniversary.
In 2019, I was about ready to give up the long-distance FM radio listening hobby.
All right, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. FM DXers in particular are known in our small circles to go through phases of frustration. The hobby is not for the faint of heart. There are only so many opportunities in a calendar year to catch unique propagation events such as E-Skip, even if your dial conditions are optimal!
And for FM DXers, the best analogy I’ve heard applies the concept of fishing lines to the conditions that make our hobby run.
A caver has been rescued after being trapped vertically underground at the Rat’s Nest Cave in Canmore, Alta., in an operation that deployed volunteer-built underground radio technology for the first time.
Search and Rescue Alberta says the man became pinned in a tight spot known as the “Psych Squeeze” around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Valdosta operator says “suspicious phenomenon” is preventing LPFM from reaching potential
[…]WFAG(LP) operates on 89.7 FM with 100 watts of ERP in Valdosta. “Supra 89.7” is licensed to the nonprofit Valdosta Alliance.
In a letter addressed to Chairman Brendan Carr, the alliance’s general manager, Paula Greer, said that the “serious, suspicious phenomenon of apparent ‘ducting’” or “illegal broadcasting” has been preventing the community project from maximizing its potential. [Continue reading…]
QSL Card No. 8: First Bulgarian radio manufacturing factory (Radio Bulgaria)
Throughout 2026, Radio Bulgaria is confirming listeners’ reception reports with a new series of 12 QSL cards. Each card highlights a significant moment from the history of the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) and Radio Bulgaria, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. At the beginning of each month, we present the story behind the image featured on the latest card.
The eighth QSL card for 2026 is dedicated to Svetozar Prenerov’s first Bulgarian radio manufacturing factory.
In 1925, Svetozar Prenerov, an engineer who had just completed his education in France, received an invitation to take part in the Philips project to manufacture radio sets in the Netherlands. However, the young engineer turned down this tempting offer, deciding instead to manufacture radio sets in his homeland. Thus, in 1925, the ‘Elektron’ craft workshop began operations under the leadership of Svetozar and his brother Veselin, producing ‘Universal’ linear radio sets. [Read more at Radio Bulgaria…]
Safeguarding memory before it disappears – Preserving the Radio Mogadishu archive (UNESCO)
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Michael (KM7FMJ), who notes that his ShortwaveHQ directory has recently received a number of updates. Most notably, the site’s search now draws from the full EIBI A-26 schedule, with more than 4,800 entries covering 309 stations. Check it out here!
If you aren’t already a member of the Canadian International DX Club (CIDX), one of the many excellent international shortwave radio clubs, here’s a good example of what you’re missing. The August 2026 issue of the CIDX Messenger runs an impressive 73 pages and includes a feature asking, “Do People Still Listen to the Radio?“, a look at why young Africans continue to listen to radio, Canadian Radio News, and much more. The CIDX also hosts monthly Zoom meetings, with the next scheduled for August 16. All of this is available to members for a very modest membership cost. If you’re not a member, consider joining and supporting one of the organizations that continues to keep the international DX community connected. Click here to check out the CIDX!
For three decades, The World, the public radio program from GBH and PRX, has crossed time zones to tell the stories that matter. For 30 years, it has delivered captivating global journalism — the first of its kind, and still the only program dedicated to bringing international news to U.S. public radio audiences every day.
Marco Wermen, host of the World, joined GBH’s All Things Considered’s Arun Rath to celebrate the milestone anniversary. This is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation. [Continue reading…]
From the rubble of a territory that has endured years of siege and devastation, a new independent radio station has begun broadcasting once again, offering a voice to residents after a prolonged blackout of local media. For the first time in over two years, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip can tune in to Hona Ghazza, meaning Here Gaza, on FM radio, a milestone in communication after all 23 local stations were destroyed during Israel’s genocidal war.
Broadcasting from makeshift studios and supported by collaborations between local media groups and university centres, the station is designed to serve as more than just a source of music or news. [Continue reading…]
Founded in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi at the request of Pope Pius XI and placed under the guidance of the Jesuits, Vatican Radio continues its global service. For its part, the English Africa Service has been broadcasting to the continent for 76 years
12 February 2026 marks the 95th anniversary of Vatican Radio, a pioneering voice in global broadcasting and one of the Church’s most historic media institutions.
Established on 12 February 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of wireless telegraphy, at the request of Pope Pius XI, Vatican Radio began its mission with the first papal radio message. This event began a new era in the Church’s use of modern communication to proclaim the Gospel. [Continue reading…]
January 24, 1990, the same day the Auckland Commonwealth Games opened, RNZ International (RNZI) began broadcasting to the Pacific region.
Its news bulletins and programmes were carried by a brand new 100kW transmitter. The service was rebranded as RNZ Pacific in 2017. However its mission remains unchanged, to provide news of the highest quality and be a trusted service to local broadcasters in the Pacific region.
Although RNZ had been broadcasting to the Pacific since 1948, in the late 1980s the New Zealand Government saw the benefit of upgrading the service. Thus RNZI was born, with a small dedicated team.
The first RNZI manager was Ian Johnstone. He believed that the service should have a strong cultural connection to the people of the Pacific. To that end, it was important that some of the staff reflected parts of the region where RNZ Pacific broadcasted. He hired the first Pacific woman sports reporter at RNZ, the late Elma Ma’ua. [Continue reading…]
Dear friends, we are happy to announce that the Bulgarian National Radio’s QSL cards for 2025 are now available. The two series – one with 6 postcards and the other with 12 postcards – are entitled “The Beauty of Bulgaria.”
The series of 6 cards confirms that you have listened to Radio Bulgaria’s programming in any of its languages.
To receive this series, you need to send reports, indicating the date and the language of the programme you have listened to, as well as content details. QSL cards are sent upon receipt of the necessary number of reports, irrespective of the language in which the programmes were heard on our website. [Continue reading…]
Radio Taiwan International (Rti) has been recognized in the 2024 JARL Ham Fair by securing first place in both the popularity ranking for shortwave stations and the best regular Japanese language broadcasting service.
The JARL Ham Fair is an annual event held during the summer, celebrating radio and broadcasting activities. Rti’s top rankings in both categories mark a major shift from its pre-pandemic standing, where Rti consistently ranked third.
Rti’s President Chang Jui-chang , who led a delegation to Japan last month to foster bilateral exchanges, expressed that this victory not only reflects Rti’s continuous efforts to improve its Japanese-language programming but also underscores the long-standing support and affection from its Japanese listeners.
One of the key developments this year was the resumption of the Double Ten National Day shortwave broadcast in Japanese, which further enhanced Rti’s service to its Japanese audience. Chang stressed that listeners are the lifeblood of any radio station, and Rti will continue its commitment to excellence in its Japanese programming to strengthen Taiwan-Japan ties and deepen mutual friendship.
Designed personally by Marconi, Radio Vaticana has been a key player in international broadcasting since the early 20th century, particularly in terms of technology. FM-world discussed this with Costantino Pacifici, who was Technical Director of the station for many years.
As the centennial of the radio approaches, the director of this publication asked us to do a quick overview of amplitude modulation stations. We had the opportunity to interview Centrale Milano, AM Italia, and OMItaliane.
But we immediately had the idea to talk about the most prestigious of all European radio stations: the station of Radio Vaticana.
With the help of RAI, we managed to secure a direct contact that led to this exclusive interview, focusing on the peak “broadcast” years of Vatican Radio: when broadcasts from the Holy See were joined by those from Santa Maria di Galeria, and when stereo transmissions began on 96.3 MHz. Here’s the report of the interview with Dr. Costantino Pacifici, which took place in mid-October 2024. [Continue reading…]
NASA can’t catch a break when it comes to Voyager 1, apparently. That’s because the US space agency has now revealed that the only thing keeping Voyager 1 communications running at the moment is a radio that hasn’t been used since 1981.
If that sounds like a bit of a nightmare, well, you aren’t wrong. But, it also isn’t the first stop that NASA has had to make on the nightmare train that has been its attempts to keep Voyager 1 working as optimally as possible over the past year.
In fact, this is just the latest in several Voyager 1 communications hiccups. The last hiccup began to show its ugly head in December 2023, when NASA revealed that Voyager 1 was sending back garbled data in its daily communications. That issue persisted for months, with some even believing that Voyager 1 was lost to us as far back as February. [Continue reading…]
Radio Waves: Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio
Welcome to the SWLing Post’sRadio Waves, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio. Enjoy!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Dennis Dura, Kostas, Pete Eaton, Rich Cuff, and Balázs Kovács for the following tips:
SV3ORA’s new YouTube Channel
Many thanks to Kostas (SV3ORA) who shares a link to his new YouTube channel which features some of his radio projects including information about the NR-1 Noise Blanker.
[Abstract] The evolution from traditional tube-based shortwave transmitters to modern systems with Carrier Controlled Modulation represents a significant leap in broadcasting technology. While the old tube transmitters laid the groundwork for global communication, modern advancements have greatly enhanced the efficiency, clarity, and reach of broadcasts. Technologies like CCM modulation, directional curtain array antennnas and modern digitally controlled transmitters are pivotal in today’s communication landscape, ensuring that broadcasters can deliver high-quality audio content across the digital divide and to interested targets more reliably and efficiently, especially across vast distances. This slow shift in technology not only preserves the integrity of the transmitted message but also optimizes the use of energy and bandwidth, setting the stage for further innovations in global broadcasting, energy conservation and sustainability.
Please note: this article is behind a paywall and you will need a subscription to read. We include a link to this article in Radio Waves because of its relevance in radio history.
In 1924, a radio receiver built for the battlefields of World War I tested the idea that humans were not alone in the solar system, heralding a century of searches for extraterrestrial life.
At sunset on a late summer weekend in 1924, crowds flocked to curbside telescopes to behold the advanced alien civilization they believed to be present on the surface of Mars.
“See the wonders of Mars!” an uptown sidewalk astronomer shouted in New York City on Saturday, Aug. 23. “Now is your chance to view the snowcaps and the great canals that are causing so much talk among the scientists. You’ll never have such a chance again in your lifetime.”
During that weekend, Earth and Mars were separated by just 34 million miles, closer than at any other point in a century. Although this orbital alignment, called an opposition, occurs every 26 months, this one was particularly captivating to audiences across continents and inspired some of the first large-scale efforts to detect alien life. [Read this article at the NY Times…]
Pi-Pico Software Defined Radio
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Eaton, who writes:
“A Homebrew Shortwave Receiver can not get much simpler than this:”
A couple of years ago, I built a basic yet capable radio receiver using a Pi Pico, and while I originally designed a custom PCB for it, this time I’m building an even simpler and cheaper version that can be built on a breadboard using (mostly) through-hole components.
I wanted to build a very minimal (but useful) design that I could use as a platform for experiments, tweaks and upgrades.
If you are interested in the original design or want to find out more about the technical details you can find all the info here. Most of the technical details are the same, so I will focus on the new features and improvements here. [Click here to continue reading…]
Move is in line with letting its Marianas shortwave transmitters go dark
The U.S. Agency for Global Media has informed the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ Department of Public Lands that it will terminate its long-term lease on Aguiguan Point.
Aguiguan Point is home to the Saipan portion of the Robert E. Kamosa Transmitting Station, which the agency confirmed last week was being shuttered. The shortwave site has been used since the mid-1990s to beam Voice of America and Radio Free Asia broadcasts across the Pacific.
According to a report in the Saipan Tribune, Department of Public Lands Secretary Teresita Santos confirmed that USAGM had informed the department it would not seek renewal of the lease, but no timeline for terminating the lease was provided. Santos was quoted as saying that once the lease is terminated, the department would issue a request for proposals for the site. [Continue reading…]
The Justice Department unsealed a criminal complaint charging Hungarian national Bence Horvath with violations of U.S. export controls targeting Russia, including by conspiring with others to illegally export U.S.-origin radio communications technology to Russian government end users without a license. Horvath is charged by complaint with one count of conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA). He was arrested on arrival at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California, on Aug. 23.
“As alleged, the defendant attempted to purchase military-grade radios for Russian entities using a multinational procurement chain to evade law enforcement,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department remains committed to disrupting and holding accountable criminal networks that continue to fuel Russian aggression abroad and threaten our collective security.”
“Targeting illicit global procurement networks that operate in the shadows to equip the Russian government is of the highest priority to BIS,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “As Horvath’s arrest demonstrates, it doesn’t matter where in the world you operate – when the United States believes your conduct violates our export laws, we take action.” [Continue reading…]
To the extent that you have an opinion on something like high-frequency (HF) radio, you probably associate it with amateur radio operators, hunched over their gear late at night as they try to make contact with a random stranger across the globe to talk about the fact that they’re both doing the same thing at the same time. In a world where you can reach out to almost anyone else in an instant using flashy apps on the Internet, HF radio’s reputation as somewhat old and fuddy is well-earned.
Like the general population, modern militaries have largely switched to digital networks and satellite links, using them to coordinate and command their strategic forces on a global level. But while military nets are designed to be resilient to attack, there’s only so much damage they can absorb before becoming degraded to the point of uselessness. A backup plan makes good military sense, and the properties of radio waves between 3 MHz and 30 MHz, especially the ability to bounce off the ionosphere, make HF radio a perfect fit. [Continue reading…]
There is a new breed of RF receivers known as software-defined radios, and they are revolutionizing the way in which people listen to shortwave (SW) radio, or indeed any form of radio broadcast.
SDRs combine plug-in radio receiver dongles/boxes with personal computers, with the computer serving as the user interface. What makes this interface so useful is that the listener’s screen displays a wide swath of the bandwidth being tuned to, with each station’s signal shown as a visual vertical line that moves and grows/shrinks with its signal strength.
In other words, the listener can literally see what is happening across the band in real time, rather than having to turn the dial or push the Up/Down scanning buttons on a conventional shortwave radio, checking one station at a time. [Continue reading…]
Long Awaited and Finally Released – RTL-SDR V4 Support!
Today the new Release 1.5.1 of STARWAVES DRM SoftRadio App has been released. The following improvements can be expected:
– Added audio output device selector in settings (cog wheel icon) / audio tab,
starting with Android 12:
default, Earpiece, Speaker, Headphones, Bluetooth, HDMI, USB
– Added support for “RTL-SDR Blog V4” Receiver Dongle (all bands)
– Added support for “HackRF” Receiver Dongle (all bands)
– Improved robustness after signal loss or reconfiguration
– Improved sync status display in tuning dialog
– Unknown image formats no longer opened in external web browser window
– Updated decoder modules
