{"id":41435,"date":"2020-01-05T08:16:54","date_gmt":"2020-01-05T12:16:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=41435"},"modified":"2020-01-05T08:16:54","modified_gmt":"2020-01-05T12:16:54","slug":"wrth-2020-a-look-inside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/01\/wrth-2020-a-look-inside\/","title":{"rendered":"WRTH 2020: A look inside"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I received my review copy of the 2020 World Radio and TV Handbook (WRTH)<\/em> shortly after returning from holiday travels last week. I always look forward to receiving this excellent staple radio reference guide\u2013and this is their 74th edition! <\/strong>The WRTH has never disappointed, so my expectations are always quite high.<\/p>\n

Once again, the WRTH lived up to my expectations.<\/p>\n

WRTH\u2019<\/em>s team of noted DXers from around the world curate frequencies and broadcaster information by region; while I\u2019m not sure how they orchestrate all of this, the end result is truly a symphony of radio information. In addition to broadcaster listings,\u00a0WRTH<\/em>\u2019s radio reviews, feature articles, and annual HF report make for excellent reading.<\/p>\n

But the\u00a0WRTH<\/em>\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0just<\/em>\u00a0a frequency guide: the publication always devotes the first sixty\u00a0or so pages to articles relating to various aspects of the radio hobby. Following, I offer a quick overview of these.<\/p>\n

The first article always features a\u00a0WRTH<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0contributor<\/strong>:\u00a0 this year, they feature\u00a0Luis Cavalho <\/strong>who is their contributor for Portugal, the Azores and Madeira. His path to becoming a WRTH contributor began in his childhood snagging mediumwave DX with an array of portable radios. His love of radio lead him to the world of shortwave radio, WRTH and eventually his own radio website to serve Portuguese listeners<\/a>.<\/p>\n

WRTH Reviews<\/h1>\n

The second set of articles is always my favorite:\u00a0WRTH<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0receiver reviews<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This year,\u00a0WRTH<\/em> begins with an in-depth review of the excellent ELAD FDM-DUOr<\/strong> tabletop SDR receiver.\u00a0 Next they build on their 2019 review of the SDRplay RSPduo <\/strong>by exploring its unique diversity reception<\/strong> capabilities. <\/strong>They also review the AirSpy HF+ Discovery<\/strong> and were so impressed they awarded it the 2020 Best Value SDR<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This year, WRTH also reviewed two portable radios by Pure: the Pure Elan E3<\/strong> DAB, DAB+, FM receiver and the Pure Elan IR5<\/strong> WifI radio.<\/p>\n

The final two reviews are of affordable products that offer incredible value for the radio listener: the venerable Tecsun PL-310ET<\/strong> ultralight radio and the Tecsun AN-200 <\/strong>MW Loop Antenna. I enjoyed reading a fresh review of each of these products as I’ve personally used both for nearly a decade.<\/p>\n

WRTH Features<\/h1>\n

The first feature article, written by none other than Dave Porter,<\/a> focuses on the development of HF broadcast antennas. His article serves as an excellent primer on the topic, covering Rhombic Antennas, Corner Quadrant Antennas, Log-Periodic Arrays and ALLISS \/Rigid Curtain Arrays. A must-read for those who want to know more about the “business side” of a broadcast signal!<\/p>\n

Hans Johnson\u2019s feature,\u00a0Sea Breeze and Wind from Japan<\/em>, explores the story behind the broadcasts to Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea. Truly, an inspiring story of a determined and mission-dedicated broadcasters.<\/p>\n

The following feature article was written by WRTH contributor and chief editor of the New Zealand DX Times, Stu Forsyth, who outlines the history of broadcasting from New Caledonia in the Pacific.<\/p>\n

The next feature article focuses on the “finer points” of mediumwave propagation. I thought this was an informative and and timely article as so many shortwave DXers (including yours truly) spend time on the mediumwave bands especially during winter and times of rough HF propagation. A must-read!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ashraf Chaaban, president of the Association des Radio Amateurs Tunisiens<\/em>, takes WRTH readers with him on a visit to the Sidi Manson Transmitter Site in Tunisia in the final feature article. Having an affinity for broadcast sites, I sincerely enjoyed the focus on Sidi Manson which fell silent on shortwave in 2014.<\/p>\n

Next, WRTH spotlight the annual\u00a0Digital Update\u00a0<\/strong>which summarizes the dynamic state of digital broadcasting. I\u2019ve found this feature to be incredibly informative as we see how digital broadcasting is penetrating both domestic and international services.<\/p>\n

The final article\u2013a tradition\u2013is the WRTH \u00a0HF propagation report\/forecast\u00a0<\/strong>by Ulf-Peter Hoppe. Always an informative read especially as we work our way out of a log-term solar slump.<\/p>\n

The 74th is another fantastic edition of the World Radio TV Handbook.\u00a0<\/em>As I say every year,\u00a0<\/em>I\u2019ve never<\/em> been disappointed with WRTH. Their publishing standards are such that the quality of their reviews, their writing, and (most importantly) their broadcast listings are simply unparalleled.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

At the heart of any WRTH is an uncompromising and unparalleled amount of information regarding regional and international broadcasting.<\/p><\/div>\n

For DXers who collect QSL cards, you\u2019ll find that broadcaster contact information in\u00a0WRTH<\/em>\u00a0is often more up-to-date than a broadcaster\u2019s own website.<\/strong> When readers contact me asking for QSL information from an obscure broadcaster, the first place I search is the current WRTH. Remember: their information is based on volunteer contributors who specialize in specific regions of the world\u2013the most knowledgeable regional DXers keep this publication accurate.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Purchase your copy of\u00a0WRTH 2020<\/em>\u00a0directly from\u00a0<\/a>WRTH<\/a><\/em>\u2019s publishers<\/a>, or from a distributor like Universal Radio (US)<\/a>\u00a0,\u00a0Amazon.com (US)<\/a>,\u00a0 or\u00a0the Book Depository (international).<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I received my review copy of the 2020 World Radio and TV Handbook (WRTH) shortly after returning from holiday travels last week. I always look forward to receiving this excellent staple radio reference guide\u2013and this is their 74th edition! The WRTH has never disappointed, so my expectations are always quite high. Once again, the WRTH […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[56,3781,960,2436,433,836,3,651,43],"tags":[1934,8183,193,8182],"class_list":["post-41435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-broadcasters","category-fm","category-international-broadcasting","category-longwave","category-mediumwave","category-new-products","category-news","category-schedules-and-frequencies","category-shortwave-radio","tag-world-radio-tv-handbook","tag-world-radio-tv-handbook-2020","tag-wrth","tag-wrth-2020"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-aMj","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":47628,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/wrth-2021-a-look-inside-the-75th-anniversary-edition\/","url_meta":{"origin":41435,"position":0},"title":"WRTH 2021: A look inside the 75th Anniversary Edition!","author":"Thomas","date":"February 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week, I received a long-awaited Christmas gift: the 2021 World Radio TV Handbook. Normally, I'd receive this annual guide in the December time frame, but because of delays in international postal services due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I took delivery a few weeks late. \u00a0 I always look forward\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/2021-WRTH-1-e1612533158258.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/2021-WRTH-1-e1612533158258.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/2021-WRTH-1-e1612533158258.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/2021-WRTH-1-e1612533158258.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4939,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/11\/2013-wrth-now-available\/","url_meta":{"origin":41435,"position":1},"title":"2013 WRTH now available","author":"Thomas","date":"November 30, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"WRTH has announced that their 2013 edition is now available online. 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As I mention every year, I look forward to receiving this excellent staple radio reference guide--and this\u00a0is their\u00a071st edition! WRTH\u2019s team of noted DXers from around the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Accessories"","block_context":{"text":"Accessories","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/accessories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/WRTH-Cover.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8604,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/01\/2014-wrth-a-look-inside\/","url_meta":{"origin":41435,"position":3},"title":"2014 WRTH: A look inside","author":"Thomas","date":"January 19, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I received my copy of the 2014 World Radio and TV Handbook (WRTH) directly from the publisher a few days ago, just prior to a 24 hour power outage. As many SWLing Post readers know, I always look forward to receiving this staple radio reference guide each year. While other\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"wrth-2014","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/wrth-2014.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":35218,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/12\/wrth-2019-a-look-inside\/","url_meta":{"origin":41435,"position":4},"title":"WRTH 2019: A look inside","author":"Thomas","date":"December 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I received my copy of the 2019\u00a0World Radio and TV Handbook (WRTH) directly from the publisher earlier this week. It arrives annually--without fail--just prior to my Christmas holiday travels. I look forward to receiving this excellent staple radio reference guide--and this\u00a0is their\u00a073rd edition! The WRTH has never disappointed, so my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/WRTH.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/WRTH.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/WRTH.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":29794,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/wrth-2018-a-look-inside\/","url_meta":{"origin":41435,"position":5},"title":"WRTH 2018: A look inside","author":"Thomas","date":"December 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I received my copy of the 2018\u00a0World Radio and TV Handbook (WRTH) directly from the publisher yesterday, just prior to my Christmas holiday travels. 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