Tag Archives: Shortwave Radio Travel

The Joys of Traveling Light

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM

I had intended to travel light; I really did . . . but I betrayed my best intentions.

Instead of a “minimal” radio go-bag, I had stuffed a small cross-body bag with: a ham radio handi-talkie (a Yaesu VX-6R) with high-performance antenna, extra batteries for the handi-talkie, a car plug-in adaptor for the handi-talkie, a scanner (Uniden 436) with high-performance antenna, extra batteries for the scanner, a CCrane Skywave SSB, and a CCrane CC Buds Solo In-Ear Single Earbud.

But when I got near the shore of Lake Ontario, what did I actually use . . . what gear brought me the most radio joy? The CCrane Skywave SSB and the Solo Earbud. In particular, during the early morning hours with sweltering heat, epic humidity, and threatening severe thunderstorms, I found myself happily listening to a trio of NOAA weather radio stations, one of which included a marine forecast for Lake Ontario, and all of which helped us to plan our activities.

Then, at 2130Z, on June 21, I took a crack at hearing the 2024 BBC Midwinter Broadcast to Antarctica. Here’s my report:

Listening from Sodus, NY, near the shores of Lake Ontario, on a barefoot CCrane Skywave SSB, AM mode (tried SSB, it didn’t help). No recording.

9585, 9870 — heard nothing.

11,685 — very difficult copy, surging static. Could hear male and female voices but couldn’t discern what they were saying, occasional music (?)
Around 2140 — child’s voice saying “we miss you.”
Music at end.

So would it have been easier to copy the Midwinter Broadcast with my Big Gun SW receiver and the 50-foot horizontal room loop? Of course.

Was it fun to try anyway with a shirt-pocket-sized radio and a dinky whip antenna? Absolutely.

Sometimes traveling light delivers fun despite its limitations.

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Dean seeks input for his holiday radio adventure

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dean Denton–our intrepid 13 year old DXer–who seeks a little input from the community. Dean writes:

I am going on holiday in July this year, to Fuerteventura in Islas Canarias, near west Africa.

This will be the first time I will be going on holiday, you will probably know the feeling. Because I am a hardcore radio-fan, I will of course bring my Tecsun PL-660, and I will be posting clips on my YouTube Channel, EuropeDX.

Please could you give me, some vital tips when going on holiday when DXing?

The Canary Islands are in close proximity to North West Africa, so I will be DXing: Morocco, Mauritius, Algeria, Western Sahara, Senegal and others.

To those who are reading this post, I am compiling a list of tech that I am bringing with me. Please help add to this list, off of your experience of being abroad.

Here is the list:

Shortwave Radio, Tecsun PL-660, for the immersion.

Tecsun AN-200 Loop antenna, for pulling AM stations.

Travel adapter, we all need one.

Portable MP3 player, to listen to music

A Portable Digital TV, for watching movies on USB.

An action camera w/lapel microphone, for capturing videos.

FM Transmitter, to show the locals what music is!

4G Mobile Data Router, internet is a basic human requirement.

Please suggest more!

I think that the AM and FM DXing will be breathtaking. The Canary Islands are located where I will be able to pick up African radio stations, but also Transatlantic Brazilian and American stations. Due to the high pressure and high temperature, FM Tropo is not rare in the Canary Island’s climate. Enabling this, it will spark my YouTube channel.

Thank you for reading this, and I hope the SWLing community help me. If you would like to contact me, email me at europedx(at)gmail(dot)com.

Yours,

Dean.

Thanks, Dean! You’re talking my favorite topics: radio and travel!

I know we have a number of readers who live in the Canary Islands. No doubt, you’ll get to experience some serious radio fun across the bands.

In terms of tips, I would suggest you assume your accommodation could be plagued with radio noise and you may be forced to find an outdoor spot to do all but your FM DXing. If you know where you’re going to stay, check it out on Google Maps and see if there’s an obvious safe spot to play radio outdoors. Of course, it helps if your accommodation has an outdoor space like a balcony, patio or garden.

Looks like you’ve got a pretty good checklist there. Here are a few additional items I typically take on a holiday DXpedition:

Earphones/Headphones (never leave home without them!)
A small back-up radio (if you have one–something like a Tecsun PL-310ET)
A copy of the World Radio TV Handbook (though I don’t take the WRTH if space/weight are too tight–I rely on apps with offline schedules like Skywave Radio Schedules [Android] or Shortwave Broadcast Schedules [iOS])
Extra set of AA batteries for the PL-660
Small headlamp or flashlight for night time outdoor listening
Notepad and pencil for logs

SWLing Post readers: How do you plan and what do you take on radio holidays? Please feel free to comment and share your advice!

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Guest Post: Shortwave Recordings from Mount Kilimanjaro

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Mount Kilimanjaro (Photo: Chris Johnson)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Chris Johnson, for sharing the following guest post:

Shortwave Recordings from Kilimanjaro

by Chris Johnson

Last month, I took a trip of a lifetime to Tanzania Africa to Climb Mount Kilimanjaro: Africa’s highest point and the world’s highest free standing mountain. It is also known as the “Rooftop of Africa” its summit stands at 19,341 feet or 5895 meters.

With this high elevation I figured that I could pick up a multitude of shortwave signals that I would normally not receive at lower altitudes. So I packed my Sony ICF- SW7600G to capture recordings of various signals, some common, others not so common.

Each night I unpacked my radio and extended the reel-wire antenna and scanned the bands. I came across an assortment of stations that I normally do not hear back home in the USA, but some were quite familiar such as the BBC, Radio Romania, and DW which had Africa as their target. In some cases their broadcast was targeted for Asia.

Below is a map of our trek along the Lemosho route and the camps where we stayed are listed with the recordings and the elevation (in meters) of each camp. The higher we climbed, the signals received were sometimes stronger but the surrounding mountains also limited the reception of others. I did find that the bands were congested with signals from stations that spoke Arabic, Swahili and Chinese, not surprising considering my location. For the purpose of this blog I only included the English speaking stations except for a few.

Unfortunately, the critical weight in our day packs was closely monitored and we could carry only the essentials on our climb from Barafu to the summit so I could not record at the summit of Uhuru Peak. Additionally, our time up there was limited to 15 minutes due to the lack of oxygen at that altitude. Below are selected recordings at each of the camps on the Lemosho route. Enjoy.

Click to enlarge

Chris: thank you so much for taking the time to write up this guest post and share your excellent recordings and photos. Amazing!

Post readers: I don’t know about you, but I’m inspired and ready to pack my bags and do some shortwave travel!

Click here to check out other posts by Chris.

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Winner of the Virtual Radio Challenge III

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Dennis Blanchard (K1YPP), author of Three Hundred Zeroes: Lessons of the Heart on the Appalachian Trail, recently contacted me from the road, en route to another lengthy trail in Vermont.

Before this latest hiking expedition, Dennis spent many hours pouring over the Virtual Radio Challenge III entries, looking up weights and specifications of radio gear and accessories…And the upshot? He’s chosen a winner of our Reader Challenge.

Again, in summary, a participant’s goal was to find the best and most portable radio gear to receive shortwave, AM (medium wave), FM, and NOAA weather to support a long through-hike on the Appalachian Trail, to plan each day’s hike, and to make accommodations for frequent spring and summer thunderstorms (as well as occasional spring snow or sleet)…all for a budget of $300 US. [Read full details of the Challenge by clicking here.]

This year, Universal Radio rewarded–and has already dispatched!–a brand new CountyComm GP5/SSB portable receiver to the winning entrant.

Below are Dennis’ comments, along with those of the Challenge winner.

Dennis Blanchard (K1YPP) writes:

“This photo was taken in NJ. Shortly after I took these photos, and walked down the trail about a 100 feet, a bear came over to check the table to see if I had left anything.” (Photo: K1YPP)

Dennis Blanchard operating a portable radio on the Appalachian Trail. (Photo: K1YPP)

I’ve just spent about five hours going over the entries. There are several that are very good…indeed, Challenge participants obviously put lots of thought into their entries.

It was really tough to decide, but I had to go with most practical.

Weight is a big consideration for me, and that leaves out solar panels, hand crank generators, and the like.

What most don’t realize is that the AT has a nickname: “The Long Green Tunnel.” This eliminates solar panels because there is little sun to be had, as you’re in the shade most of the time. By the time you get to camp it is usually too late in the day for any charging, and wearing a panel just doesn’t do any good because of the shade (and weight).

Not only is weight an issue, so is space in the pack…hikers need all the room they can get for food, and in the cooler weather, heavy clothes.

Anyway, out of five finalists, I would have to go with Eric McFadden (WD8RIF).

Eric’s winning entry

So, what did Eric choose? The following is Eric’s winning entry, beginning with his radio choice and following with a clear, practical explanation for it:

C.Crane CC Skywave, AM/FM/SW/Air/WX, $89.95 at Universal Radio

Sangean ANT-60 Roll-Up 23′ Antenna, $12.95 at Universal Radio

Energizer L91 Ultimate Lithium Cells, AA, 12-pack, $17.45 at Amazon

“The C.Crane Skywave is small (4.75″ x 3″ x 1.1″); light (5.5oz); power-stingy (30mA with headphones); and receives AM, FM, SW, NOAA Weather, and VHF Aviation.The Skywave runs on two AA cells, and comes with a case and CC Earbuds.

The Energizer L91 Ultimate Lithium AA cells provide 1.5v at approximately 3000m Ah, weigh 1/3 that of an alkaline AA cell, and last several times longer than an alkaline cell.

The Sangean ANT-60 would be tossed over a handy tree-limb and clipped to the Skywave’s whip antenna when the Skywave’s built-in 16″ whip isn’t quite adequate for listening to a shortwave broadcast station.

The purchase price of the Skywave, six pairs of Ultimate Lithium AA cells, and ANT-60 would be about $121 plus shipping, well under the $300 limit. The entire station should be small enough and light enough for easy carry in a backpack. If the twelve Ultimate Lithium AA cells don’t last the entire hike, enough of the budgeted $300 remains to purchase more cells (either Ultimate Lithium or alkaline, as available) along the route.”

To this sensible explanation, Eric adds:

“Being a ham radio operator, I’d want to have a ham rig along, too. While I’d love to be able to operate HF CW along the AT, my Elecraft KX3 is too large and heavy to carry that far. However, my current Yaesu FT-60R 2m/70cm HT and Diamond SRH77CA whip should travel nicely clipped to a backpack strap and would serve as a back-up receiver for NOAA Weather and be available for pedestrian-mobile QSOs (chats) and calls for help, if needed.

In order to save weight and not have to hassle with charging batteries, I’d leave the NiMH pack at home and carry the FBA-25 six-cell AA holder and stuff it with additional Energizer Ultimate Lithium cells in order to save weight.

Since the C.Crane Skywave already meets all the requirements of the Virtual Challenge, and since I already own the HT, battery holder, and antenna, I won’t consider the cost of the HT, antenna, and batteries as part of the challenge.”

About Eric’s entry, Dennis notes:

Eric’s solution is small, lightweight, and does everything needed. He speculates that he would also bring along his Yaesu FT-60R, but didn’t feel he could include it because of cost. Curious, I looked it up on Amazon; should he take it along, this addition would still keep his total well under the $300.00 limit.

This would provide Eric with two receivers, [the ability to enjoy] ham radio communications, and not much weight to haul. He includes the AA Lithiums, and I have to say that, without a doubt, these are the finest hiking batteries out there: they’re light, last forever, and are readily obtainable. I only had to change mine out once on the entire, six-month AT hike, and I was on the air a lot.

Several of the other entries were winners also great; I basically had to use a dartboard to pick a winner. Good thinkers out there, especially considering none of them have actually ever done a hike of this magnitude.

Congrats, Eric! Thanks, Dennis! And more to come…

Congratulations to Eric McFadden for such a well thought-through entry!

I must say, I don’t envy Dennis in making this selection: it was obviously a challenging process on his end, too, and I’m glad I didn’t have to make it!

Dennis informed me that he plans to post and comment on some of his favorite entries in a few weeks, once he completes this latest multi-week hike. We will, of course, post his comments along with the finalist entries.

Note that when I originally received the reader inquiry which prompted the idea behind this Reader Challenge, the CC Skywave had not yet entered the market. Yet several of you chose it as your sidekick for the Appalachian Trail; clearly, clever minds think alike. Obviously, a radio that would function well on the Appalachian Trail would also be a great radio for your BOB (“bug out bag”), go kit or emergency supplies.

Thanks again to Dennis Blanchard, our intrepid judge, thanks to Universal Radio for the great prize, and many, many thanks to all our Reader Challenge participants, who made this process even more exciting and challenging! Meanwhile, don’t worry if you didn’t win the CountyComm GP5/SSB this time; we’ll soon have another opportunity to win one of these handy rigs in a completely different–and fun!–way.

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Saturday: Your chance to win a CountyComm GP5/SSB in our Virtual Radio Challenge III

Deadline approaching: Your chance to win a shortwave radio in our Virtual Radio Challenge III

Virtual Radio Challenge III: Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail

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The Franconia Ridge, a section of the Appalachian Trail. (Photo source: Paulbalegend at en.wikipedia)

On this blog, I often write about selecting the “right” radio for home, boating, preparedness, off-grid living, or, of course, travel. As a result, sometimes I like to go through the mental exercise of imagining a scenario that might be, well, a touch extreme.

After all, as I’ve often said, SWLers come from such interesting walks–even hikes–of life, and often pose the most intriguing questions.

Indeed, I occasionally receive rather “extreme” questions from our readers, questions that push the limits of the hobby in the most exhilarating way, demanding highly specific needs in a radio. And (I readily admit) I thoroughly enjoy these questions. Such queries give me a chance–and good excuse, really–to be imaginative and innovative, to push beyond mere practical or monetary constraints to consider unique environments, weather conditions, durability needs, power requirements, and/or resource availability…all great fun.

If you enjoy this kind of brain game, too, check out our virtual challenge that follows–and, oh, and did I mention…

This time, there’s a prize

The CountyComm GP5/SSB

Dennis Blanchard (K1YPP), Appalachian Trail thru-hiker and author of Three Hundred Zeroes, which chronicles his adventures on the trail, will select his favorite entry in this reader challenge, and Universal Radio will reward the entrant with a new CountyComm GP5/SSB portable receiver! Woot!

So, should you agree to take it on, you’ll need to complete and submit your entry by August 8, 2015 at 06:00 UTC.

Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail

[This scenario is based on an actual reader question.]

Virtual Location: The Appalachian Trail

Accommodation? Tents, hammocks, and lean-tos on the trail; occasional hotel or hiker guest houses

Electricity? Other than rest days, you’ll be completely off-the-grid

Internet? You can choose to carry a smart phone with you on this hike. Since most of the trail is in rural, remote areas, Internet access will be sporadic on your journey.

Your budget? $300 US must cover all of your radio requirements (radio, antenna, batteries, battery chargers, and all accessories)

Your radio(s)–??? You’re searching for portable radio gear that can receive shortwave, AM (medium wave), and FM. You’ll also need NOAA weather radio functionality to help you plan each day on the trail and make accommodations for frequent spring and summer thunderstorms (and occasional spring snow or sleet).

Virtual scenario: Imagine you’re a recently-retired stockbroker fulfilling a lifelong dream of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. You have cleared out most of the year for uninterrupted hiking, starting in Georgia and ending in Maine. You’re covering all of your logistics, travel, and living expenses while on the trail.

Being an avid shortwave radio listener, you see this hike as an opportunity to spend quality time listening to radio–while hiking and camping–in remote areas that are completely removed from urban radio interference you experience at home.

Although you’re looking forward to “unplugging” from the world of stock trading, you’re still keen on listening to international and local news so you’ll know what’s happening in the world of finance and business.

It goes without saying that you’ll carry all of your supplies–your food, camping supplies, clothing, etc.–and all on your back. Minimizing your backpack weight is clearly of utmost importance.

Limitations

Rather than making this virtual challenge more restrictive, these limitations are designed to make the challenge more fun and set a level playing field for all respondents.

Again, you’re limited to a (virtual) budget of $300 US to procure your supplies; ideally, this includes shipping costs of the purchase
You can select new, used or homebrew/kit gear, but must base your choices on reality (i.e., actually find item(s) online and document the price and time of availability). If you “shop” eBay, make sure you’re using the final purchase price, not the current or opening bid. If you do locate something used on eBay, QTH.com, QRZ.com or at Universal Radio, for example, include the link! (Just to add to the fun.) If you enter a homebrew radio, it should be based on something you’ve either built or used and must include a photo. Of course, you can use multiple radios, but keep in mind the amount of space and weight these will take up in your backpack.
Your main objective is to listen to international and local broadcasters and NOAA weather radio. If you’re a ham radio operator, by all means, you’re invited to include a transceiver in your trail kit (indeed, many do have AM/FM/SW reception), but keep in mind that our accomplished A.T. thru-hiker judge will base his decision on the best set up for listening to NOAA weather radio and international, local and broadcasters.
Remember, you’ll be stuck with this radio once you hit the trail! So choose something you’ll love to operate, and don’t forget your vital accessories. Note that there are many points of the Appalachian Trail that are in proximity to towns and cities; you can get additional supplies there as needed.

About the Appalachian Trail…

If you’re not familiar with the Appalachian Trail, you’ll find a wealth of information about it at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s (ATC) website. The following is an ATC description of the trail:

The Appalachian Trail is one of the longest continuously marked footpaths in the world, measuring roughly 2,180 miles in length. The Trail goes through fourteen states along the crests and valleys of the Appalachian mountain range from the southern terminus at Springer Mountain, Georgia, to the Trail’s northern terminus at Katahdin, Maine.

Known as the “A.T.,” it has been estimated that 2-3 million people visit the Trail every year and about 1,800–2,000 people attempt to “thru-hike” the Trail. People from across the globe are drawn to the A.T. for a variety of reasons: to reconnect with nature, to escape the stress of city life, to meet new people or deepen old friendships, or to experience a simpler life.[…]

FUN FACTS

The Trail is roughly 2,180 miles long, passing through 14 states.

Thousands of volunteers contribute roughly 220,000 hours to the A.T. every year.

More than 250 three-sided shelters exist along the Trail.

Virginia is home to the most miles of the Trail (about 550), while West Virginia is home to the least (about 4).

Maryland and West Virginia are the easiest states to hike; New Hampshire and Maine are the hardest.

The total elevation gain of hiking the entire A.T. is equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest 16 times.

The A.T. is home to an impressive diversity of plants and animals. Some animals you may see include black bears, moose, porcupines, snakes, woodpeckers, and salamanders.

Some plants you may encounter include jack-in-the-pulpit, skunk cabbage, and flame azalea.

HIKERS

About 2 to 3 million visitors walk a portion of the A.T. each year.

The A.T. has hundreds of access points and is within a few hours drive of millions of Americans, making it a popular destination for day-hikers.

“Thru-hikers” walk the entire Trail in a continuous journey. “Section-hikers” piece the entire Trail together over years.

“Flip-floppers” thru-hike the entire Trail in discontinuous sections to avoid crowds, extremes in weather, or start on easier terrain.

1 in 4 who attempt a thru-hike successfully completes the journey

Most thru-hikers walk north, starting in Georgia in spring and finishing in Maine in fall, taking an average of 6 months.

Foods high in calories and low in water weight, such as Snickers bars and Ramen Noodles, are popular with backpackers, who can burn up to 6,000 calories a day.

You’ll want to do your research before choosing gear for the Appalachian Trail Virtual Challenge! The more thought you’ve put behind your choices, the more likely your entry will be selected by our judge. Speaking of which…

Our judge

Dennis operating his trail-friendly QRP transceiver on the Appalachian Trail. (Photo: K1YPP)

Dennis Blanchard (K1YPP) is uniquely qualified for this challenge since he thru-hiked (which is to say, hiked in entirety) the Appalachian Trail in 2007, and carried at least one radio with him on much of the trip. He understands the advantages and limitations of operating from the trail. If you have no concept what it would be like to plan for and hike the trail, you might consider checking out his interesting and informative book, Three Hundred Zeroes, which chronicles his adventures on the trail. Dennis has kindly agreed to pick his favorite entry from reader responses. Click here to read an interview I posted with Dennis on my ham radio blog, QRPer.com.

The selection process

Once our A. T. reader challenge closes on August 8, 2015, I’ll share all the entries with our kind judge. Depending upon the number of responses, of course, Dennis should have a favorite picked within one to two weeks of the challenge’s close. We’ll announce the winner here on the SWLing Post, and shortly after, Universal Radio will reward the selected entrant with the new CountyComm GP5/SSB!

And note…we’ll also share a number of stand-out entries here with our readers!

If you wish to enter this reader challenge, please use the form below to submit your entry (or click here for the form). Entries must be received by August 8, 2015.

Good luck and have fun!

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Feel free to comment on this post if you have any questions.

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