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SW Still Has The Magic

Posted on January 7, 2015 | Leave a comment

The tuning dial on a 1940s radio, showing long...

The tuning dial on a 1940s radio, showing longwave frequencies from 150 to 375 kHz (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This interesting story from the Palm Beach Post may remind you of a similar occasion in your radio life, an occasion that made you think “it isn’t all about hearing distant radio stations”. The thrill from making your own aerials, upgrading your receiver, improving your language skills, integrating a computer into your listening etc etc all all enjoyable elements of the radio hobby. All help to make you the compleat listener and to truly have the world at your fingertips!

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Latest International SW Broadcast Guide Available

Posted on January 7, 2015 | Leave a comment

Gayle Van Horn’s winter 2014-15 edition of the guide is now available as an e-book on Amazon.

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Posted in Publications, Shortwave

Shortwave Rekindled

Posted on December 23, 2014 | Leave a comment

Whilst the stations may be going, the magic of bringing distant radio stations into your home still remains. This article by Anthony M Castelletti in The Buffalo News shows that our hobby simply needs resuscitated to once again inspire, amaze and thrill.

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Posted in History

Voice Of Hope Africa To Air

Posted on December 18, 2014 | Leave a comment

California religious broadcaster the Voice of Hope has acquired transmitter facilities in Lusaka, Zambia, purchasing the “Christian Voice” facilities from Christian Vision. More on this from the Sys-Con website.

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Posted in Broadcasters, Shortwave

Chelmsford Calling Via Finland On SW

Posted on November 22, 2014 | Leave a comment

The CCWS (Chelmsford Calling World Service), a programme produced by Jim Salmon (amateur radio call-sign 2E0RMI), has added a relay via Scandanavian Weekend Radio (SWR) to it’s existing sked via WRMI .

The programme can now be heard on the 2nd Friday of each month via WRMI at 2300z (midday NZDST) on 9955kHz and on the first Saturday of the month via SWR on one or more of the following: 1602, 5980, 6170, 11690, 11720 and 94.9 FM. Jim also broadcasts via NZRDXL member Chris Mackerell’s “World FM” in Tawa, New Zealand.

More info on the links below.

This is a preview of Chelmsford Calling Via Finland On SW. Read the full post (108 words, 1 image, estimated 26 secs reading time)

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Posted in Broadcasters, Shortwave

Radio Free Sarawak Signs Off

Posted on November 21, 2014 | 2 comments

Just like the Democratic Voice of Burma, another clandestine broadcaster has chosen to promote its ideals via methods other than SW. More on this from the Asia RadioToday website.

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Posted in Broadcasters, Clandestine, Shortwave

A Vital SW Metric

Posted on November 21, 2014 | Leave a comment

In these days of shrinking SW audiences, the actual rate of shrinkage and geographic dispersal of the audience are important factors when governments and organizations consider funding allocations. This interesting story from the Radio World website.

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Posted in Broadcasters, Shortwave

BBC Seychelles Signs Off

Posted on November 21, 2014 | Leave a comment

The BBC relay station located at Grand Anse on the Seychelle Islands was handed back to the Seychelles government on Tuesday 18th of November. Transmissions commenced in 1988 and in November 2013, they were slated to end, with the last Watt squeezed out on March the 29th. More on this from the Seychelles News Agency web site.

Related articles

The end of an era – BBC Relay Station site handed back to Seychelles

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Posted in Broadcasters, Shortwave

Spy Station Broadcasting Continues

Posted on November 1, 2014 | 1 comment

Even though the Cold War is long over, remnants remain, amongst them those intriguing coded broadcasts. Here is an article from Gizmodo that assesses current broadcasts and how you can listen to them right now on the Lifehacker website.

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Posted in Clandestine, Shortwave

New SW Broadcaster Global 24 Radio On Air

Posted on October 31, 2014 | Leave a comment

New, all-news broadcaster is due to ht the air today, Friday 31st October, broadcasting via RMI on 9395kHz. More on this story from their website.

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Posted in Broadcasters, Shortwave

Democratic Voice of Burma Leaving SW

Posted on October 25, 2014 | Leave a comment

The DVB announced on 23rd October that they would be moving their broadcasts to the internet. The anti-Burma/Myanmar regime station has been on air since 1992. More details on their website.

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Posted in Broadcasters, Clandestine, Shortwave

The BBG Must Be Where the Audience Is Listening

Posted on September 12, 2014 | Leave a comment

The Radio World is carrying this interesting comment piece from the chair of the Broadcasting Bureau of Governors, Matthew Armstrong. He explains how they have surmised the needs of shortwave in target markets and hints at further reductions or transitions to other media.

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Posted in Broadcasters, Shortwave

Radio In Russia – Historical Article

Posted on September 12, 2014 | Leave a comment

Many thanks to Russian DXer Dmitry Mezin for this article. It was originally compiled for Italian magazine Radiorama and appeared in Italian translation for the January, 2001 edition.

This is a preview of Radio In Russia – Historical Article. Read the full post (2184 words, 9 images, estimated 8:44 mins reading time)

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Posted in Broadcasters, History

Shortwave Scene’s 30th Anniversary

Posted on September 3, 2014 | Leave a comment

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

“The Shortwave Scene” was a monthly column in the Electronics Australia magazine. Here, Arthur Cushen takes a look back at the first 30 years.

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Posted in Broadcasters, History

WARC 1984 Article

Posted on September 3, 2014 | Leave a comment

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

Here is an article written by Arthur Cushen in the “Shortwave Scene” column of Electronics Australia, October 1983, previewing the 1984 World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC).

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Posted in Broadcasters, History

Mark Nicholls – A Tribute

Posted on August 28, 2014 | 3 comments

The following tributes appear in the September 2014 edition of the DX Times, which is dedicated to the life of Mark Nicholls.

From fellow Life Member, Paul Ormandy, comes this: I first met Mark at the 1976 Tatum Park convention, we hit it off straight away and with Paul Edwards, spent every night at the dials getting very little sleep. We had joined the NZRDXL within months of each other, we were the same age and more importantly, we both preferred MW to SW! Mark was a regular attendee of League events in both islands and in 1983, spent the first or his many annual weekly DX pilgrimages with me at Waianakarua. It became the DX-highlight of the year for each of us and we both got on very well together.Mark’s first serious DX-receiver was a Sony ICF-6800W and later a Drake R8B.

This is a preview of Mark Nicholls – A Tribute. Read the full post (1977 words, 7 images, estimated 7:54 mins reading time)

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The World’s First Pirate Radio

Posted on August 22, 2014 | Leave a comment

Thanks to Paul Rawdon for the following item on DX Dialog: Les Woodland tells the story of Captain Plugge, founder of Radio Normandie, the first station to take on the BBC and probably the World’s first pirate radio. From January 2000.

And these is more detail and photos on the Off Shore Echoes website.

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Posted in History, Pirate

Greenland Returns to MW

Posted on August 22, 2014 | Leave a comment

Paul Rawdon reporting in DX Dialog provided this item (a very tough catch from New Zealand!):

Good news from Greenland. It has been revealed a few hours ago, that KNR is to return to three Medium Wave frequencies following a lot of criticism about the lack of reception of KNR on the sea and outside towns and villages in Greenland.

Three MW frequencies are expected to return:

Qeqertarsuaq – anytime between October 1st and December 1st 2014
Nuuk – anytime between January and March 2015
Simiutaq, Qaqortoq – approx. June 1st 2015

This is a preview of Greenland Returns to MW. Read the full post (139 words, 1 image, estimated 33 secs reading time)

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Posted in Broadcasters, Medium Wave

Mark Nicholls – R.I.P.

Posted on August 21, 2014 | 1 comment

The New Zealand DX fraternity was stunned to learn of the passing of long-time NZRDXL member and DX Times editor, Mark Nicholls. Mark had long-term health issues, even so his passing on the morning of the 20th of August was a shock to us all.

Read tributes to Mark here.

The following from NZRDXL President, Bryan Clark:

Dear colleagues,

As you will know by now, our long time Chief Editor and League Life Member Mark passed away yesterday.

This is a preview of Mark Nicholls – R.I.P.. Read the full post (231 words, 1 image, estimated 55 secs reading time)

Posted in DXers

A Breath Of Life For Shortwave?

Posted on August 16, 2014 | 1 comment

Radio mast array, Rampisham These mas...

BBC Rampisham (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The ease with which regimes can block websites and streaming audio services may be reason to reconsider the advantages of shortwave. Well, according to this article from the Radio World website, that is.

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Posted in Broadcasters, Shortwave