Tag Archives: Shortwave Radio

Radio Australia’s Jazz Notes

Jazz Notes presenter, Ivan Lloyd (Photo: Radio Australia)

One Radio Australia music program I make a point of listening to each week– besides Saturday Night Country–is a wonderful show called Jazz Notes.

Jazz Notes showcases the best in Australian jazz, often featuring new and original recordings made in ABC’s studios. The show is hosted by Ivan Lloyd and has been offered on Radio Australia for several years. I listen to the show every Wednesday morning at 8:30 am EST. If you’ve never heard of Jazz Notes, I can understand why, since it’s only a 30 minute show and begins at the half hour–but it’s certainly worth hearing.

Next week, make a point to tune your shortwave radio to 5940, 9580 or 11945 kHz on Wednesday at 13:30 UTC. As you will hear in the following recording, listeners in North America will be most impressed by the strong signal out of Shepparton, Australia, on 9,580 kHz. Even an inexpensive portable receiver can pick up this robust broadcast.

Click here to download the full recording of Jazz Notes as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Steven Roberts cycled the US with a Sony ICF-2010

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N4RVE working the world from BEHEMOTH, somewhere in Wisconsin. (Photo: Steven Roberts)

Steven (N4RVE) working the world from his bike BEHEMOTH, somewhere in Wisconsin. (Photo: S. Roberts)

One of the most fascinating responses I received after posting the story of my buddy Vlado’s incredible thrift store find (a Sony ICF-2010 for just $5) came from Steven Roberts, who told me that, in the 1980s, he cycled across the United States with the Sony ICF-2010 in tow.

Indeed, Steven carried much more than just the Sony on his memorable trip: he had a custom designed computer (circa late 80s), a fully-functioning ham radio station, as well as all of his camping and living supplies, mounted on his custom-designed recumbent bike…Wow.

Talk about someone with vision! I asked Steven if I could post this for SWLing Post readers, to which he replied:

Thanks! I have a pretty good summary of the whole crazy adventure at this link, and the bike is now in the Computer History Museum. Fast-Forward two decades, and I’m geeking-out a 44-foot steel sailboat (including a wrap-around rack console for audio, comms, and electronics lab). Here’s the bike: http://microship.com/resources/technomadic-tools.html

You’re most welcome, Steven–and many thanks, for the inspiring story! We look forward to hearing about your adventures on the water…

If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact me.

CommRadio is introducing the CR-1, a new tabletop shortwave receiver

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The CommRadio CR-1

US-based CommRadio is introducing a new tabletop, SDR-based, shortwave receiver this year: the CR-1. Their website has a few specifications and the video I’ve embedded below.

The CR-1 receives the full medium wave and shortwave spectrum (.5-30 MHz), plus some portions of VHF and UHF (FM broadcast band, Aircraft, Marine, NOAA weather radio, GMRS and FRS services).

The receiver architecture is a dual conversion super-heterodyne design with low-IF , I-Q digital sampling, 16 bit DSP with digital audio CODEC. Their website also mentions DSP algorithms for all demodulation: DSB-AM, SSB, CW, WBFM, NBFM and channel filtering.

Other impressive features:

Can be powered from USB or a 6-18 VDC power source (from a separate 2.1mm jack). The CR-1 possibly has the most flexible power source I’ve ever seen in a shortwave receiver!
The knobs are black anodized machined aluminium and front panel is powder coated machined aluminium; case is 20 gauge powder coated steel
Three antenna inputs
- BNC for HF/MW
- 3.5 mm audio jack (rated at 1000 Ohm, for roll-up antennas or telescoping whip),
- BNC for VHF and UHF
Very portable size!

Full specs are available on their website: commradio.com

We will also keep you posted with any future updates.

WRTH : B12 updates are now available for download

Alex updates his handy shortwave frequency charts

Radio Exterior de Espana (REE) has returned to shortwave

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As a follow-up to my previous post on Radio Exterior de Espana, I can confirm that I’m hearing REE on all of their scheduled frequencies today.

We’re not totally sure why their analog shortwave broadcasts were cut last week, but it could certainly have been a knee-jerk reaction to the financial woes in Spain and at RTVE.

Again, if you’re an REE fan, I suggest you contact them ASAP ([email protected]) and show your support. Tell them what you listen to and why. Though services have been re-established, I suspect REE shortwave broadcasts may be on the chopping block again in the near future.

Radio Exterior de España leaving shortwave? Not yet.

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This week, Radio Exterior de España (REE) suddenly dropped many of their analog shortwave broadcasts. I waited to mention this on the SWLing Post because, even though they were no longer on the air, I had heard no rumors beforehand and I had recently been in contact with them.

SWLer, Mark Coady, made a post on Facebook today with a message from REE stating that there was a lot of internal confusion and frustration regarding REE suddenly dropping shortwave services. They also mentioned that REE is planning to restore shortwave services again, possibly as soon as this weekend. I just received a short message from an REE contact to the same effect.

So, we will see if they restore services this weekend or early next week. I personally enjoy listening to REE’s services in English and French. I especially love their music, when they play it.

If you’re an REE fan, I suggest you contact them ASAP ([email protected]) and show your support. Though services are being re-established, shortwave broadcasts may be on the chopping block again in the near future.