Tag Archives: Steve Yothment

Steve spots a Capehart International Radio and mag loop antenna in “Young Sheldon”

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Steve Yothment, who writes:

Check out the attached picture. It is from a preview of tonight’s episode of “Young Sheldon.” In it, Sheldon and Dr. Stergis are listening to an antique shortwave radio. I think it is a Capehart International Radio Model 88P66NL.

Also in the preview is an active loop receiving antenna. The show is supposed to be about Sheldon when he was young, back in about 1985. I don’t think active loop antennas were very popular at that time! Maybe they got the timeframe wrong on the use of the antenna. What do you think?

What a catch! I love the flip-up cover on the Capehart although I’m sure in daily use it might have been a bit unhandy. 🙂

Regarding active magnetic loop antennas, like you, I don’t remember them being around much in the mid 80s, although I know the technology was available. I imagine they were used in speciality commercial and military applications. Like you, I’m guessing we didn’t have as many noisy switching power supplies which make them such a necessity these days. I remember happily DXing with my Zenith Transoceanic in the middle of my house in the mid 80s. Those were certainly the days!

Post Readers: Do you know of any active magnetic loop antennas that were used in homes in the mid 1980s and before? If so, please comment!

I’ll add this post to our ever growing archive of radios in film!

Spread the radio love

A Panasonic RF-2200 in “The Walking Dead”

2 Replies

Panasonic RF-2200

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Balázs, who adds the following note to his recent radio sighting (of a Hallicrafters HT-32 Transmitter) in the series “The Walking Dead.”

Balázs notes that in the season nine finale, he spotted the previously mentioned HT-32 (see image below), in addition to the iconic Panasonic RF-2200 (see image above).

Hallicrafters HT-32 Transmitter

Honestly, I think both of these radios would serve you well in a post-apocalyptic world!

Turns out, The Walking Dead is filmed in Senoia, and Fayetteville, Georgia, USA and SWLing Post contributor, Steve Yothment, lives nearby. As the then president of his radio club, he was consulted last year about radio gear to use on The Walking Dead set. He tells us to look out for an HF amplifier and field strength meter in future episodes! How cool is that?!

I’ll add this post to our ever growing archive of radios in film!

Spread the radio love

Steve notes the end of The Mighty KBC on 6,095 kHz

9 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Steve Yothment, who writes:

[Below, you’ll find] my reception report for the digital decode of the Fldigi message by Dr. Kim Elliott on The Mighty KBC (6040 kHz) Saturday night:

I took Kim Elliott’s suggestion and listened to The Mighty KBC on 6095 kHz on Sunday morning using the Utwente WebSDR which receives signals in Enschede, in the Netherlands.

The Mighty KBC finished their last broadcast on 6095 kHz at 11:00AM our time. I recorded their program, but the file is big. So, attached is the last 4 minutes of their program (click here to download), as received by the WebSDR:

It’s too bad that The Mighty KBC is shutting down!

Many thanks for both your decoded message and your recorded audio, Steve! I agree: it is too bad the KBC had to shut down their 6095 kHz broadcast.

Note that The Mighty KBC will continue on their AM frequency, DAB and streaming. Check out the KBC website for details.

Spread the radio love

DSP noise may come from clock and data line harmonics

3 Replies

In response to our review of the Sangean ATS-405–which noted DSP noises on 800 and 1600 kHz–SWLing Post reader, Steve Yothment, comments:

“Yes, modern radios usually have a micro communicating with the DSP IC through I2C communications.

The inter-IC communications includes a clock and data line. The clock for I2C is typically 400 kHz nowadays. Harmonics from this clock line are probably the source of the interference.

The manufacturer should have designed the product to ensure that this interference does not occur. It may be that they resolved it at one time but with limited manufacturing quality and component substitutions that often occur in mass production, the problem is occurring now even though it may have looked OK earlier in development. At least, that is my experience with such things. (I used to design car radios for the Panasonic Company.)

You can learn more about the I2C bus at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%C2%B2C.

Many thanks for your comments, Steve! I recall a similar metronomic sound on another DSP-based radio, but can’t remember which model. I need to dig through my reviews as I’m sure I noted this. I believe checking 400, 800 and 1600 kHz will become a standard checklist item when I review DSP-based radios.

Spread the radio love

QSL cards: STF Radio International sets a benchmark

8 Replies

[STF Radio QSL card front (above) back (below). Original scans by Steve Yothment]

SWLing Post reader, Steve Yothment (WD0HGB), writes:

“I received an “audio QSL” card from STF Radio International a few days ago. Have you heard about it? [The QSL] actually has grooves on the card that you can play on a phonograph. I had a friend play the audio on his phonograph and he converted the audio to MP3 format. Then, I decoded the digital info in the file.”

Click here to download or listen below:

Steve decoded the digital data from the audio QSL card and documented the contents on a PDF document. Click here to download.

Steve: this is brilliant! Thank you not only for sharing the QSL card images, but for the audio and your excellent documentation of the digital decode!

Readers: What’s the most interesting QSL card you’ve ever received?

Spread the radio love