{"id":42297,"date":"2020-03-14T06:34:36","date_gmt":"2020-03-14T10:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=42297"},"modified":"2020-03-29T07:41:34","modified_gmt":"2020-03-29T11:41:34","slug":"radio-waves-first-microprocessors-ocean-fm-swl-interviews-and-nprs-take-on-all-digital-am","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/radio-waves-first-microprocessors-ocean-fm-swl-interviews-and-nprs-take-on-all-digital-am\/","title":{"rendered":"Radio Waves: First Microprocessors, Ocean FM, SWL Interviews, and NPR’s take on All-Digital AM"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Radio Waves:\u00a0 Stories Making Waves in the World of Radio<\/h2>\n

Because I keep my ear to the waves, as well as receive many tips from others who do the same, I find myself privy to radio-related stories that might interest\u00a0SWLing Post<\/em>\u00a0readers.\u00a0 To that end:\u00a0Welcome to the\u00a0SWLing Post\u2019s<\/em>Radio Waves<\/em>, a collection of links to interesting stories making waves in the world of radio.\u00a0<\/strong>Enjoy!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post<\/em> contributors Marty, Martin Butera, and the Radio Survivor for the following tips:<\/p>\n

The Surprising Story of the First Microprocessors (IEEE Spectrum)<\/a><\/h3>\n

Transistors, the electronic amplifiers and switches found at the heart of everything from pocket radios to warehouse-size supercomputers, were invented in 1947. Early devices were of a type called bipolar transistors, which are still in use. By the 1960s, engineers had figured out how to combine multiple bipolar transistors into single integrated circuits. But because of the complex structure of these transistors, an integrated circuit could contain only a small number of them. So although a minicomputer built from bipolar integrated circuits was much smaller than earlier computers, it still required multiple boards with hundreds of chips.[…<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ocean FM Was Fire: How Local Radio Done Right Can Heat A Cabin | Radio Schmaltz (Part-Time Audiofile)<\/a><\/h3>\n

[…]The cabin on a rocky peninsula in Northwest Ireland might not have had all the letters for its Scrabble set or a microwave, but it did have another marvel of 20th century technology. It was a little CB\/AM\/FM radio crouching behind a box of matches on top of a kitchen cabinet.<\/p>\n

I decided to put the switch on FM and started swirling the dial. As soon as I heard a lilting woman\u2019s voice underneath a sheet of static, I began carrying it around the tiny room while adjusting the rabbit ears.<\/p>\n

Now the signal was as clear as the peat-rich water was brown, a farmer was being interviewed about the economic downturn. It was a quick piece \u2014 just some brogue-ish assurances that one doesn\u2019t choose agriculture for an easy life. Then came a trio playing an Irish ballad, and then came North West Hospice Bingo: a bingo game that allows listeners from across the broadcast range of Ocean FM\u2019s two regional frequencies to play bingo, including the residents of the hospice.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d bundle up for walks outside where the wind was loud, blustery, and sacred. The ocean crashed against the rocks in a way I never conceived as being real outside of movies. But when I was inside, the radio might as well have been a Soviet relic with only a volume control and no tuner because I simply couldn\u2019t touch that dial. I learned the schedule quickly, timing walks and firewood runs so that I\u2019d be back in time for Country Jamboree, a boy-girl-boy-girl style line-up of Irish and American country tunes.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019d stand by the wood-stove, taking off my cold wet socks to put on the toasted, at time singed socks that I\u2019d been roasting, I felt the fulfillment of the promise of radio. I could hear Fessenden making history with the first radio broadcast of music, Oh Holy Night transmitted on a rocky coast on Christmas Eve of 1906 and heard by ships at sea.[…<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Coffee and Radio Listen<\/a><\/h3>\n

Coffee and Radio Listen is an investigation of Brazilian radio listener, by Martin Butera.<\/p>\n

How they began listening to radio, the local or international stations that influenced them, the interests they have when tuning to a station, the languages they like to listen to, if they send listeners reports and collect QSLs, their antennas and receivers, and all aspects related to the radio listen both in shortwave and in other bands and modes.<\/p>\n

Each month they will have in this blog, an exclusive interview with a Brazilian radio listen. At the end of this project, a free downloadable e-book will be available, which contains all the interviews and statistical references.<\/p>\n

Every month there will be a new interview, this month of March launch month we start with 2 interviews<\/p>\n

Martin is Argentinian, born in the city of Buenos Aires capital. He currently lives in Bras\u00edlia DF, capital of Brazil. He is also a journalist, documentary maker and founding member of Radio Atomika 106.1 MHz (Buenos Aires, Argentina).<\/p>\n

To know more about CREW 15.61 Radio Listeners’, please visit the following link.<\/p>\n

Guest Post: Brazil’s newly-formed “15.61 Crew”<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n