Tag Archives: Vlad (US7IGN)

War Diaries: Stalemate by Volodymyr Gurtovy (US7IGN)

Wlodek repairs a near mint Sony ICF-SW7600

Sony ICF-SW7600 (Source: Universal Radio)

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Wlodek, who has been quite busy repairing vintage receivers and ham radio gear during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Wlod’s neighborhood in Kiev experiences frequent blackouts, thus much of his soldering work must be done while mains power is available.

Wlod just shared the following video documenting a recent repair he did on a new-old-stock Sony ICF-SW7600.

Wlod notes:

One of [my last repairs] was new old stock Sony ICF-SW7600 restoration. One guy watched my past videos and wanted one for himself. I don’t know where he found it in such excellent external condition, but age and typical problems require it to be prophylaxis.

The first turn on and it does not receive the station at all. These receivers have a known problem of leaking electrolytic capacitors. They also need to be alignment.

I demonstrate how to safely remove old capacitors.

Click here to view on YouTube.

Thank you so much for sharing this with us, Wlod! What a beautiful portable in near mint condition!

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Wlodek repairs a Grundig G3

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Our friend, Wlodek (US7IGN), who was recently featured in a BBC Radio 4 documentary, has been repairing radios throughout the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A few weeks ago, he received a Grundig G3 from Charles (KC8VWM)–it was in need of repair. Wlod immediately cracked the case open and started diagnosing the problem!

Click here to read his blog post detailing the review.

Grundig G3 Globe Traveller

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BBC Radio 4 – Lights Out: Call Signs

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My dear friend and SWLing Post community member, Volodymyr Gurtovy (US7IGN), has been featured in another brilliant documentary on BBC Radio 4 called Call Signs.

This documentary was produced by the talented Cicely Fell with Falling Tree productions for BBC Radio 4. Note that Cicely also produced a BBC Radio 4 Short Cuts earlier this year featuring Vlad as well. Enjoy:

BBC Radio 4 Lights Out: Call Signs

A man, a Mouse and a morse key: the story of a radio amateur in Kyiv as the Russian invasion unfolds.

When his wife and two children flee Kyiv to escape the war, Volodymyr Gurtovy (call sign US7IGN) stays behind in their apartment with only his radios and the family hamster, Mouse, for company.

Before the war, he used to go deep into the pine forests, spinning intricate webs of treetop antennas using a fishing rod, catching signals from radio amateurs in distant countries.

Prohibited by martial law from sending messages, he becomes a listener, intercepting conversations of Russian pilots and warning his neighbours to hide in shelters well before the sirens sound. After three months of silence, he begins transmitting again. Switching his lawyer’s suit for a soldering iron, he runs a radio surgery for his friends and neighbours, dusting off old shortwave receivers and bringing them back to life.

During air raids, he hides behind the thickest wall in his apartment, close to his radios, their flickering amber lights opening a window to another world. A story of sending and receiving signals from within the darkness of the Kyiv blackout.

Music: Ollie Chubb (8ctavius)
Producer: Cicely Fell
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

Listen to Call Signs on BBC Sounds by clicking here, or via the embedded player below:

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Wlodek Shares an Air Raid-Prompted Radio Comparison

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and friend, Wlodek (US7IGN), who writes from Kiev:

Hello!

Because of another air raid alert, I can’t sleep and I decided to make a small comparison of the receivers of the 60s and the modern one.

Of course, you can not compare their size and weight, as well as some features.

This Chinese XHDATA D-808 was given to me by a friend for comparison. When he was just choosing a good receiver, I advised him to buy an old Sony 7600 series or Panasonic B65, for example. But he decided that modern technology is better at handling the task of receiving. But it turned out to be not so clear:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Radios:

- - Philips All Transistor L4X39T
  - Hitachi WH-859D
  - Toshiba IC-70
  - XHDATA D-808

73 de US7IGN!

Thank you for sharing this, Wlod. I wish the circumstances for the radio comparison were better–even though I know air raids have sadly become a fact of life for many in Ukraine, I can’t imagine sleeping through them.

Your short comparison is interesting too. I consider the D-808 to be an excellent little DSP portable, but the audio simply can’t compare with your vintage radios. Indeed, the vintage receivers seem to handle the QRM a bit better than the D-808 as well.

Thank you for sharing this and wishing you the very best, OM.

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SWLing in Kiev: Vlad’s recording of VORW Radio International

National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine resumes mediumwave broadcasting

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Vlad (US7IGN), who writes:

Hello!

I hasten to inform you the good news that Ukrainian radio resumes broadcasting on medium waves.

At a time when the whole world is curtailing broadcasting, a new station has appeared on the air!

From February 1, the National Public Television and Radio Company of Ukraine will resume broadcasting UA: Ukrainian radio in the medium-wave band on the frequency 549 KHz.

The medium-wave transmitter of UA: Ukrainian radio in the village of Luch, Mykolaiv region, with a capacity of 500 kW, covers most of the territory of Ukraine (during the day – 60% of the territory including the occupied territories, from evening to morning – the whole territory of Ukraine).

http://uarl.info/news/ukrainskoe_radio_vosstanavlivaet_veschanie_na_srednih_volnah

Brilliant news–many thanks for the tip, Vlad!

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