{"id":15717,"date":"2015-11-21T11:26:21","date_gmt":"2015-11-21T15:26:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=15717"},"modified":"2015-11-21T11:27:33","modified_gmt":"2015-11-21T15:27:33","slug":"video-shortwave-listening-and-radio-astronomy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/11\/video-shortwave-listening-and-radio-astronomy\/","title":{"rendered":"Video: Shortwave listening and radio astronomy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Sony-ICF-SW100\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On Thursday I attended an event at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI)<\/a>–location of the 2015 SWLing Post DXPedition<\/a>.<\/p>\n

During a break, I had a couple of free hours, so I reached in my messenger bag and pulled out the Sony ICF-SW100<\/a>: a radio that has quickly surpassed all others as my favorite EDC (everyday carry) radio. It has so many useful features in such a small package!<\/p>\n

Radio astronomy observatories are ideal<\/em> locations for impromptu shortwave radio listening as there is little to no radio interference\/noise\u00a0present.<\/p>\n

\"PARI-26E-and-26W\"<\/a>

PARI’s “Building 1” and the 26 West (left) and 26 East (right) radio telescopes.<\/p><\/div>\n

While the weather on Thursday was gorgeous, HF band conditions were…well…miserable<\/em>. There was very little to hear other than China Radio International, Radio Havana Cuba and a few other blow torch broadcasters.<\/p>\n

Still, time signal station WWV was on my mind since I had just purchased Myke’s new edition of At The Tone<\/em><\/a> and have been reading your excellent comments with early memories of listening to WWV and WWVH<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I tuned to 15 MHz and, of course, there was reliable WWV in Fort Collins, Colorado on frequency. Though WWV’s signal was relatively strong (despite the conditions) I turned on the SW100’s sync detector because fading (QSB) was pronounced at times.<\/p>\n

Here’s a short video of the ICF-SW100 on a picnic table in the middle of the PARI campus. That’s PARI’s 26 (meter) West telescope<\/a> in the background:<\/p>\n