{"id":62740,"date":"2025-04-29T06:12:40","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T10:12:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=62740"},"modified":"2025-04-29T06:12:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T10:12:40","slug":"pedros-report-from-madrid-during-the-blackout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/04\/pedros-report-from-madrid-during-the-blackout\/","title":{"rendered":"Pedro’s Report from Madrid During the Blackout"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>In the comments section of this recent post about the massive blackout in Europe<\/a>, SWLing Post<\/em> contributor Pedro Moreno shared an insightful firsthand account from Madrid. He captured the value of radio during a communications outage so effectively that I wanted to give it more visibility by highlighting it in its own post:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Listener Report from Madrid During the Blackout<\/h2>\n

By Pedro Moreno<\/strong><\/p>\n

I live in Madrid, and yesterday, after the blackout started, I began to wonder if this was due to a problem with my home electrical installation. Then I expanded my research outside my home to the community premises and discovered that there was a mains shortage as well. So I went further afar and came out to the street to note that there were no noises of electrical tools, and most of the people walking in the street were absorbed looking at their phone screens\u2014only to see there was no data connection.<\/p>\n

So I came back home and took my Tecsun H501x radio to scan, first on the FM band, just to find out there were some missing stations\u2014for instance, RNE1, RN2, RN3, and Radio Cl\u00e1sica, also a Spanish government broadcaster. Then I knew there was something really bad going on.<\/p>\n

Next, I switched to the 7100 kHz band in LSB\/USB, where some Spanish radio enthusiasts were commenting on the blackout. There, I found out the blackout was going on in Portugal, Spain, and France. Also, a German radio amateur was commenting on his station about a \u201cblackout in Spain, Portugal, and France as well.\u201d So then, I knew what was going on.<\/p>\n

Then I began to search for more information, scanning up and down all the shortwave spectrum looking for more information regarding what was causing the blackout\u2014alas, without finding any specific information about the causes or the expected time for the restoration of the power supply. But I noticed something really new and surprising: the shortwave noise across all the bands was gone, and I could tune into a large number of commercial and amateur stations without noise and quite clearly. That was amazing.<\/em><\/p>\n

Thank you, Pedro, for sharing this firsthand account. Yes, the only positive in a blackout situation like this is the complete lack of radio interference on portions of the radio spectrum.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’ll add that in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene, my experience<\/a> was very similar: the only widely available forms of communication in our region were AM\/FM radio and amateur radio.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As SWLing Post<\/em> contributor qwertymax so perfectly put it:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIn such situations, there are two crucial things needed to get the info delivered, namely: a capability to cover vast distances and the possibility of receiving the signal with a device that uses as low energy as possible \u2013 and these are the main traits of analogue radio.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the comments section of this recent post about the massive blackout in Europe, SWLing Post contributor Pedro Moreno shared an insightful firsthand account from Madrid. He captured the value of radio during a communications outage so effectively that I wanted to give it more visibility by highlighting it in its own post: Listener Report […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[373,3781,433,3,43],"tags":[10791,10792,102,84],"class_list":["post-62740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-am","category-fm","category-mediumwave","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","tag-europe-blackout","tag-pedro-moreno","tag-why-radio","tag-why-shortwave-radio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-gjW","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":62732,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/04\/blackout-in-europe-portable-radios-deliver-news-ree-falls-silent-during-outage\/","url_meta":{"origin":62740,"position":0},"title":"Blackout in Europe: Portable Radios Deliver News \u2014 REE Falls Silent During Outage","author":"Thomas","date":"April 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Today, parts of Spain, Portugal, and France experienced widespread power outages, knocking out electricity, internet, and mobile networks for hours. One BBC article captured a personal account of how radio became a vital lifeline. SWLing Post contributor Bal\u00e1zs Kov\u00e1cs shared this note from the BBC Live Update: Meanwhile, a friend\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "FM"","block_context":{"text":"FM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/fm\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Sony-SW100-Barcelona-Black-Out.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Sony-SW100-Barcelona-Black-Out.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Sony-SW100-Barcelona-Black-Out.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Sony-SW100-Barcelona-Black-Out.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Sony-SW100-Barcelona-Black-Out.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Sony-SW100-Barcelona-Black-Out.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62736,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/04\/europe-blackout-carlos-illustrated-radio-listening-report-and-numerous-posts-praising-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":62740,"position":1},"title":"Europe Blackout: Carlos\u2019 Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Numerous Posts Praising Radio","author":"Thomas","date":"April 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor and noted political cartoonist,\u00a0Carlos Latuff, who shares\u00a0illustrated radio listening report of a recent Radio La Red broadcast. Carlos notes: Massive blackout in Spain, Radio La Red, Argentina, 910 kHz AM: Part of Radio La Red news bulletin (In Spanish) about the massive blackout in Spain. Listened\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\/2025\/04\/Latuff-Radio-Lared-Europe-Blackout-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Latuff-Radio-Lared-Europe-Blackout-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Latuff-Radio-Lared-Europe-Blackout-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Latuff-Radio-Lared-Europe-Blackout-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Latuff-Radio-Lared-Europe-Blackout-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":65178,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/01\/radio-farda-returns-to-shortwave-to-bypass-irans-digital-blackout\/","url_meta":{"origin":62740,"position":2},"title":"Radio Farda Returns to Shortwave to Bypass Iran\u2019s Digital Blackout","author":"Thomas","date":"January 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor David Iurescia for the tip: Working with commercial broadcasters, Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty\u2019s Persian service Radio Farda has resumed shortwave broadcasts aimed at Iran, providing an alternative to state-controlled media amid an ongoing internet blackout imposed by the Iranian government. The return to shortwave\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "International Broadcasting"","block_context":{"text":"International Broadcasting","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/international-broadcasting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/RadioFarda.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/RadioFarda.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/RadioFarda.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/RadioFarda.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11151,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/10\/radio-blackout-x-ray-event-exceeds-x1\/","url_meta":{"origin":62740,"position":3},"title":"Radio blackout: X-Ray Event exceeds X1","author":"Thomas","date":"October 22, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"I've heard from several of you this morning that the shortwave bands are dead. It's not your radio...it's our sun. We're currently\u00a0experiencing an X-ray event exceeding X1 on the NOAA Space Weather Scale. This equates to wide area blackout of HF radio communication and loss of radio contact for about\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"latest_sxi","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/latest_sxi.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/latest_sxi.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/latest_sxi.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12637,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/03\/x-class-solar-flare-causes-radio-blackout\/","url_meta":{"origin":62740,"position":4},"title":"X-class solar flare causes radio blackout","author":"Thomas","date":"March 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Discovery News) The sun has erupted with its first X-class solar flare of 2015, a not-so-subtle reminder that it can still muster the energy required to generate the most powerful class of solar explosion. The magnetic eruption occurred yesterday (Wednesday) at 12:22 p.m. ET (16:22 UT), lighting up a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"X-class-Flare","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/X-class-Flare.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/X-class-Flare.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/X-class-Flare.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/X-class-Flare.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":62742,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/04\/carlos-illustrated-radio-listening-report-and-recording-of-radio-nacional-de-espana-april-29-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":62740,"position":5},"title":"Carlos\u2019 Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of Radio Nacional de Espa\u00f1a (April 29, 2025)","author":"Thomas","date":"April 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor and noted political cartoonist,\u00a0Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report of a special Radio Nacional de Espa\u00f1a broadcast. Note that the Spanish version of this post follows the English version: This illustrated radio listening report was particularly special to me. It's a radio\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art"","block_context":{"text":"Art","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/art-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Latuff-Radio-Nacional-de-Espana-Blackout-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Latuff-Radio-Nacional-de-Espana-Blackout-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Latuff-Radio-Nacional-de-Espana-Blackout-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Latuff-Radio-Nacional-de-Espana-Blackout-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Latuff-Radio-Nacional-de-Espana-Blackout-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62740"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62741,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62740\/revisions\/62741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}