Tag Archives: Richard Langley

BBC Midwinter Broadcast: Second set of test transmissions on Friday, June 17, 2022

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following message from Dave (M0MYA):

Hello All,
There is to be a second set of test transmissions for the BBC Antarctic
special.

The will take place tomorrow (Friday 17.06.2022) at 2130 – 2145 UTC.
The frequencies are the same as they were on Tuesday June 14:

ASC: 7305kHz
DHA: 6035 kHz
WOF: 9505kHz and 12065kHz
73,
Dave M0MYA

Many thanks for the tip, Richard!

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Today: Transmission tests for the 2022 BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast

Halley VI Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica (Source: British Antarctic Survey)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who writes:

Hi Thomas:

According to a posting on the WoR io group, the frequencies for the 21 June broadcast won’t be finalised until after the test transmissions, but the latter have now been scheduled.

They will be on air today Tuesday, 14.06.2022, at 2130-2145 UTC.

      • ASC: 7305 kHz
      • DHA: 6035 kHz
      • WOF: 9505 kHz and 12065 kHz

All the best
— Richard

Many thanks for sharing this Richard! As it has become a tradition, we will share recordings of the June 21 Midwinter Broadcast to Antarctica here on the SWLing Post once again. Always a highlight of my year!

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Discrepancies in REE published and announced 2022 summer schedules

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following in reply to our recent post about the REE 2020 summer broadcast schedule:

Thomas:
I heard this schedule announced on Wednesday evening myself and my iPhone translated it. But it is at odds with the schedule posted on Glenn Hauser’s WoR io group site a couple of days ago:

De lunes a viernes, para África Occidental y Atlántico sur, Oriente Medio e Índico, desde las 15 horas hasta las 23 horas UTC (Tiempo Universal Coordinado), 17 a 01 hora oficial española.

Las frecuencias de emisión:

– África Occidental y Atlántico sur, 11.670 Khz., banda de 25 metros.

– Oriente Medio e Índico, 15.520 Khz, banda de 19 metros.

Hacia América del norte y sur, Radio Exterior de España transmite en onda corta, de lunes a viernes, de 18 a 02 horas UTC, 20 a 04 hora oficial española.

Las frecuencias de emisión:

– América del sur, 11.940 Khz, banda de 25 metros.

– América del norte, 17.855 Khz, banda de 16 metros.

Los sábados y domingos, transmite su señal de 14 a 22 horas UTC, 16 a 24 hora oficial española. Frecuencias de emisión y las zonas de cobertura :

– África Occidental y Atlántico sur, 11.670 Khz, banda de 25 metros.

– América del sur, 11.940 Khz, banda de 25 metros.

– América del norte, 17.855 Khz, banda de 16 metros.

– Oriente Medio e Índico, 15.520 Khz, banda de 19 metros.

Los cambios de programación y frecuencias son efectivos desde el 27de marzo de 2022 hasta el 30 de octubre de 2022.

This is a more typical summer schedule for REE when they switch from 9690 kHz for NA, which gives excellent reception in NB, for a much higher frequency, which is not as good especially later in the evening.

As I mentioned in the group:

“I guess the REE announcers didn’t get the memo about this schedule.” 😉

All the best
— Richard

Thank you so much for sharing this, Richard! I bet you’re right: someone simply didn’t get the most updated memo! 🙂

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Tuning in Ukrainian Radio and State Of Emergency Includes Amateur Radio Ban

Kyiv, Ukraine (Photo by @lifeinkyiv)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who shares the following note he also posted to Glenn Hauser’s io group:

As we know, Radio Ukraine International, a.k.a. Ukrainian Radio, is no longer on SW except perhaps for a one-hour German-language relay from a low-power transmitter in Germany. It is also on satellite but that doesn’t help too many. But RUI can be easily accessed on the Web from a couple of URLs:
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/schedule/play-live.html?channelID=4
and
http://www.ukr.radio/uk/schedule/play-live.html?channelID=4

During the continuous 24-hour streaming, a one-hour English segment is broadcast four times per day (all times UTC ):
21:00 – 22:00
23:00 – 24:00
02:00 – 03:00
13:00 – 14:00

It appears that the first new broadcast of the day is at 21:00 – 22:00 and is then repeated in the following slots.

At other times, there are segments in Ukrainian, Russian, German, and Romanian.
Please let me know if I got anything wrong here.

UPDATE (24 Feb 2022): WRMI has resumed broadcasts of Radio Ukraine International. Click here for details.

Ban on amateur radio in Ukraine (The Kyiv Independent)

Ukraine has declared a state of emergency in all of Ukraine except for eastern Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts starting on Feb. 24.

The parliament approved the decree introduced by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 23, as the threat of Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine continues to grow.

Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts already have a special legal status because of Russia’s ongoing occupation since 2014.

Restrictions introduced by the state of emergency are due to last 30 days and will vary depending on the region.

The state of emergency allows the authorities to temporarily limit the public’s constitutional rights.

The decree green-lights the following measures:

    • increased public order protection and security;
    • checks of identification documents of civilians and frisking if necessary;
    • ban on protests;
    • temporary or permanent evacuation of people from dangerous areas and providing them with accomodation;
    • ban on relocation of conscripts and reservists without notice;
    • ban on producing and spreading information that may “destabilize the situation”;
    • ban on amateur radio transmitting devices.

Other measures that may be implemented “if necessary” include:

    • a curfew;
    • a special regime of entry and exit;
    • ban on mass events;
    • “special rules” for spreading information online.
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Four frequencies will be used for the 2021 BBC Midwinter Broadcast

Many thanks to Richard Hollingham with Boffin Media, who writes:

Hi – I’m (proudly) the Executive Producer of the Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast. It’s made by Boffin Media for the BBC….I’m about to deliver this year’s edition.

In terms of the broadcast itself, following the test on Monday, the BBC’s decided to transmit on all four of the frequencies [noted here] this year.

Because it’s a unique broadcast, the SW version is 30 minutes long whereas the global version is 26′ 29″ (to fit the standard World Service half hour, following the news bulletin). The SW version also has a different introduction as it’s aimed just at our audience of 35 in Antarctica.

Fascinating! Thank you for sharing this, Richard. We’ll be listening!

As a reminder, here are the frequencies courtesy of Richard Langley:

  • 6035 kHz from Dhabbaya
  • 6170 kHz from Ascension
  • 7305 kHz from Woofferton
  • 9505 kHz from Woofferton
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Possible frequencies for the 2021 BBC Midwinter Broadcast

Halley VI: The British Antarctic Survey’s new base (Source: British Antarctic Survey)

Click here to read an update to this post (17 June 2021).

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, who follows up with the following information about the 2021 Midwinter Broadcast to Antarctica:

As usual, there was a test of this year’s possible frequencies yesterday (14 June) from 21:30 to 21:45 UTC.

They were:

    • 6035 kHz from Dhabbaya
    • 6170 kHz from Ascension
    • 7305 kHz from Woofferton
    • 9505 kHz from Woofferton

As has been the case in past years, three of these frequencies will be chosen for the actual broadcast. Here in NB yesterday, good signals were received on 6170, 7305, and 9505 kHz. 6035 kHz was not heard.

Thank you for sharing this, Richard!

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Radio Waves: CC Solar Review, National Amateur Radio Operators Day Proposed, Converting Vintage into WiFi, Bletchley Park Remembers WWII Op, and Turkey Celebrates 94 Years of Radio

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!

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributors Paul, Richard Langley, Troy Riedel, and the Southgate ARC for the following tips:


New Solar Radio Is an Emergency Kit too (Radio World)

Solar-powered portable radios that put audio quality second are nothing new. But a solar-powered portable radio that sounds as good as a non-solar high-fidelity radio: This is worth talking about.

The new CCRadio Solar from C.Crane fits this double-barreled description. With its generous top-mounted solar panel (3.75 by 1.5 inches) plus back-mounted generator crank for recharging its Lithium-Ion battery pack, this is a radio for blackouts and other emergency situations.

After an initial conditioning charge-up of the Lithium-Ion battery from a 5V DC adaptor, just leave it in a sunny window, and the radio is always ready to go.

In non-emergency situations, the CCRadio Solar can be powered with three AA batteries or a 5V DC charger plugged into its micro-USB port.[]

(Also, click here to read our review of the pre-production CC Solar.)

Congress Seeks to Designate National Amateur Radio Operators Day (In Compliance)

The U.S. Congress is reportedly taking steps to officially recognize the important contributions made by amateur radio operators.

According to an article on the website of the ARRL, Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (AZ) has introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate April 18, 2022 as National Amateur Radio Operators Day. April 18th is the anniversary of the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) which was established in 1925.[]

An Inside Job (IEEE Spectrum)

YOUR GRANDPARENTS’ ancient transistor radio might still turn on and tune in to stations broadcasting conventional AM or FM signals. But in this Internet age, a blizzard of content is available from sources accessible only via the Web. What’s more, instead of speakers that flood a room with sound, we’ve grown accustomed to personal listening using earbuds and headphones. Now engineers like Guillaume Alday, founder of Les Doyens in Bordeaux, France, have come to the radio’s rescue. Alday keeps old-school radios from slipping into obsolescence by retrofitting their innards with components that transform them into Wi-Fi- and Bluetooth- enabled devices.[…]

Bletchley Park: WW2 secret agent’s messages remembered (Southgate ARC)

The BBC reports the first message sent back to Britain by a ‘trailblazing’ special agent in World War Two has been commemorated, 80 years on, by radio amateurs using GB1SOE

Georges Begue, of the Special Operations Executive, was parachuted into occupied France in 1941 to set up wireless communications with the UK.

Amateur radio enthusiasts have marked his achievement by sending and receiving messages at Bletchley Park.

On Thursday and Friday May 6-7, Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society is using replica equipment to transmit Morse code messages from the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley to fellow radio enthusiasts in central France, stationed less than a mile from where Begue landed.

Read the full BBC story at
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-57008943

Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society GB1SOE
https://www.mkars.org.uk/index.php/2021/05/06/mkars-members-run-gb1soe-6th-and-7th-may-on-7-035mhz/

The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park
https://www.tnmoc.org/events/https/wwweventbritecouk/e/152664127515

Turkey marks 94th anniversary of its first radio broadcasting (Hurriyet Daily News)

Turkey celebrated Radio Day on the 94th anniversary of the start of radio broadcasting in the country.

“Radio broadcasting in Turkey started 94 years ago today with the first announcement,” Turkey’s Presidential Communication Director Fahrettin Altun wrote on Twitter.

“Our radios, which have been working devotedly to bring our beloved nation together with the truth for years, have become one of the most important parts of our lives,” he added.

Altun also congratulated all radio workers on Radio Day too.

Türkiye Radyolar? (Radios of Turkey) has started first radio test broadcasts in 1926, with a studio built in Istanbul. The first radio broadcast in the country, however, began on May 6, 1927.[]


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