Achtung! Its the one and only Shortwave Radio Uberthread!

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Paperweight: Jan 17, 2007; Am I doing this right?

I'm also of the old school vacuum tube AM broadcast and shortwave radio fandom. I just haven't got around to fixing all of them up yet.

1941 Sears Silvertone battery tabletop, AM broadcast
1939 RCA battery portable, AM broadcast
1953 military ANGR-5 (1.5 - 18MHz)
50s or 60s military R-392 (500 KHz - 30 MHz)
WW2 era U-100R military portable (500KHz - 18MHz)
1936 RCA K-10 console with the wonderful cat's eye tuning indicator (500KHz - 60MHz)
50s Transoceanic portables X 2
1958 Bogen mono AM/FM receiver

The audio output tube on the battery radios only produces about a 1/4 watt or less but they get surprisingly loud through their 60+ year old speakers. Most of the common radio tubes are inexpensive and come in their original boxes from the 30s through the 60s. It's neat to fix up and restore a classic radio just for a hobby.

# ? Oct 12, 2008 06:15

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# ? May 13, 2024 06:09

nmfree: Aug 15, 2001; The Greater Goon: Breaking Hearts and Chains since 2006

Some tips from Monitoring Times's SWL Blog:

quote:

Staying Current on QSLing Trends

One factor in successful QSLing is staying current on verification trends. By knowing who or what is current in station news and QSLing trends, you can successfully achieve your station or country goals. Keep a sharp eye on this column, as well as hobby publications, club bulletins, email newsgroups, and on-line newsletters or blogs. Reading news and columns regularly-and the more the better, will provide information that could result in a verification.

Pay attention to details such as enclosures, and the use of currency, mint postage stamps or IRC's. Beware of upcoming holidays or special events and DX Test. A list of active verification signers is a good idea, as long as they remain active as station personnel can change. Current affairs and the world political scene, can effect changes or new stations including clandestines, may abruptly sign-on.

Be alert to special transmissions that occur only once, or for a brief duration. Any of these can produce a once in a lifetime opportunity. A new transmitter, or testing a new frequency is an added opportunity for verifications. Sometimes a QSL will be specially designed for the transmitter site. When reporting a new site, request that the site be specifically noted on the verification.

Some broadcasters carry special programming that is targeted to particular areas. Last Day Transmissions can produce special QSLs. Watch too for DX programs that offer their own cards. Finally, consider sending a reception report to a recently reactivated station. This presents an excellent opportunity for the station to reestablish contact with its listening audience.

The key to successful QSLing is staying current and sharing your results with the global radio hobbyists.

# ? Oct 13, 2008 23:04

Trixton: Mar 7, 2007; What are these goddamn animals?

I ordered a Grundig G5 on Amazon.com and it went through the retailer J&R: Music and Computer World. They are an authorized dealer of Grundig radios. When I received my first radio, there were scratches on the display screen, and I had to double check my order to make sure I did not purchase a refurbished product (I hadn't). I called in and requested that they send me an exchange and that they pay the shipping cost. They agreed as long as they could validate that the screen was indeed damaged. I just received my second radio today, and to my utter dismay, this one was scratched as well, although not quite as badly as the first. Both products look and work fine, except for the scratches on the display screen, which makes them look like they have been refurbished. I am not going to send this radio in because, quite simply, I want a radio. I would advise you to use caution or simply steer clear of this dealer if you want to avoid this problem.

Edit:
http://www.jr.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Grundig-G5-Shortwave-Portable-Single/dp/B000UELQPY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1224003711&sr=8-1

Trixton fucked around with this message at 18:02 on Oct 14, 2008

# ? Oct 14, 2008 17:58

Accursed: Oct 10, 2002

Got my 2009 copy of Passport to World Band Radio today! It's going to be a good winter!

# ? Oct 23, 2008 09:23

sub supau: Aug 28, 2007

Accursed posted:

Got my 2009 copy of Passport to World Band Radio today! It's going to be a good winter!

Goddammit, I'm still waiting for it to be available through the only local book store that even sells it. How's it compare to last year's?

# ? Oct 23, 2008 09:54

Accursed: Oct 10, 2002

TetsuoTW posted:

Goddammit, I'm still waiting for it to be available through the only local book store that even sells it. How's it compare to last year's?

No idea, I don't have last year's. I only got a radio back in uh...March?

I had ordered mine directly from them, so it shipped as soon as they were available.

# ? Oct 23, 2008 17:32

JacquelineDempsey: Aug 6, 2008; Women's Circuit Bender Union Local 34

Accursed posted:

I had ordered mine directly from them, so it shipped as soon as they were available.

Thanks for the tip, because both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have it listed as available 12/25/08 (as of when I last checked, earlier this week).

# ? Oct 23, 2008 17:39

nmfree: Aug 15, 2001; The Greater Goon: Breaking Hearts and Chains since 2006

JacquelineDempsey posted:

Thanks for the tip, because both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have it listed as available 12/25/08 (as of when I last checked, earlier this week).

Hm, that's weird, when you look at the Passport page on Amazon, they say it's in stock right now, but my order is scheduled to ship on December 29, 2008. I might have to cancel that order and reorder if it doesn't get fixed in the next couple of days.

# ? Oct 23, 2008 23:58

nmfree: Aug 15, 2001; The Greater Goon: Breaking Hearts and Chains since 2006

From http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/2008/10/final-word-on-radio-netherlands-closing.html:

quote:

The final word on Radio Netherlands closing North American service
The following reply via a posting on ODXA, is in response to the on going opinions and disdane from shortwave radio listeners on Radio Netherlands' decision to end their North American service. Shortwave Central hopes this finally puts an end to this dispute and DXers will move on. Radio Netherlands has not closed their entire shortwave service - only those targeted towards North America. Try tuning in other target areas.
Gayle Van Horn

A lot of people seem to have the idea that we have a level of "top management" that decides these things. In fact, that's not the way it works here. Jan Hoek is 'captain of the ship', but delegates all decisions about technical matters to those who understand them. The decision we eventually arrived at was reached through a meeting of minds in the Strategy department (which I work for), the Programme Distribution separtment, and the English department. It was discussed and evaluated extensively since summer 2007. No money-saving considerations were involved. We are not saving a cent on transmitter time, merely redirecting the transmissions to an area that will give us more listeners per dollar. The Bonaire transmitters will be used to boost our Spanish service, which gets feedback from South America many times larger than English to North America.

Shortwave to North America has been on the agenda for several years. Following the BBC's withdrawal seven years ago, all international broadcasters felt the effect. It was especially tough on RNW, since a lot of people used to discover us on 6165 when tuning across the 49 mb looking for the BBC, one of whose frequencies was 6175.

We battled on, but bigger broadcasters than us, notably Deutsche Welle, pulled out. The response to our North American shortwave broadcasts was reduced to a trickle. Even then, we decided to give it one last push, and asked regular listeners to let us know they were out there. By regular, I mean at least once a week, since our feature programmes are weekly. The response continued to be poor.

The problem with the responses we did get was that I recognised a lot of the names as SWL's and DXers who respond in a similar way to other international broadcasters when they announce cuts. Now, I'm not saying they never listen to us, but when it gets to the point that you know many of your listeners by name, you have to question just how many there are out there.

The business has changed dramatically in the last five years. Interactivity is the buzzword now - forums, online feedback etc. We still get a lot of feedback for our English programmes from Africa and Asia, but relatively little from North America. Most of the feedback we do get from North America comes via our website - in fact, over 50% of the page views are from North America.

We are not surprised by this trend - other international broadcasters have noticed the same thing. Perhaps you are not aware that the EBU has an international broadcasting group that meets twice a year, and the broadcasters share ideas and experiences with each other. So the idea that RNW should in some way be an exception doesn't hold water. The market has changed, and all the broadcasters - big and small - are affected. The only reason some stations haven't yet cut their North American shortwave services is that not all of them constantly evaluate what they do. We have to, as the Dutch government is demanding ever more information about how we spend the budget it gives us.

So in that sense, there's financial pressure to justify each activity, and if we can't justify it we have to stop it. But nobody put pressure on us to decide one thing or another. It was purely the result of a methodical analysis of the situation. I personally regret it, but from a professional level it was, in the end, inevitable. What I find pathetic is the attempts of some people (not anyone on this list) to claim, without any supporting evidence, that we are stupid, we don't know what we are doing, etc. On the contrary, we spent a lot of time making sure that we were not mistaken about the size of our North American shortwave audience. But at the end of the day, the facts are indisputable.
Andy. (Sennitt)

Andy,
I did not mean for that term to be applied to you. I assumed that the final decision was made at a level far higher than you. I work in an industry that is constantly under financial pressure and the employees are constantly describing all financial decisions as coming from bean counters. That is no excuse for what I did but it does explain where my mind happened to be.

I have always appreciated your honesty, integrity, and service to the hobby, and will continue to do so. I apologize for making you feel slighted or made to seem insignificant in any way.
Mark Coady
Editor, Your Reports/Listening In Magazine
Co-Moderator, ODXA Yahoogroup
Ontario DX Association

earlier post:
Media Network says that The State We're in is carried on local FM and sattelite, so I took a look. It's too bad we won't have the other good programs we're used to, but half a loaf, eh? They listed public radio station WGBH as carrying The State We're in for the Boston
Either their schedule is old, or Media Network was optimistic about who would carry the program. I'm not about to listen 24/7 for a week to see if I can find it, and no one else in New England is listed. If you live here, you're out of luck (Dan Malloy, KA1RDZ/Oct 20/ODXA)

The shortsightedness of this decision reveals the bean counters at Radio Netherlands to be totally lacking in their understanding of the small North American market for international radio. The idea of shortwave radio is that it serves a widely dispersed market cheaply.

Those who are most prone to listen international radio are either doing it via the internet or shortwave - satellite radio's market penetration is not there yet. And forget CBC's overnight service who have them on for 55 minutes starting at 1:05 AM. Aside from shift workers and insomniacs, who else is up at that hour who is sober
enough to listen and comprehend the program?

It really is unfortunate as Radio Netherlands used to be a dominant player in international broadcasting. When the BBC abandoned North America, Radio Netherlands stepped right up to the plate and took over the BBC's former times and frequencies from Sackville for a while.

And about their listener survey they so proudly cite --- who on this list ever got contacted about their listening habits? It's fine to put a poll on the website but not everyone goes there but radio listeners do go to their radio dials. I just finished one of those week long radio surveys put on by BBM. Of course I only entered local AM and FM stations while I was in my car or at work. But I dutifully noted in the survey that when I am at home I listen to shortwave (Mark Coady,
Editor, Your Reports/Listening In/ODXA)

It was mentioned for several weeks (months) on their nightly broadcasts that they were interested in hearing about listener habits in North America. I did reply, but it was, like my replies to BBC and DW surveys, not the winner (Mick Delmage, Canada/ODXA)

Mark, I heard RNW appeal on a nightly basis for months and months for comments by listeners on their listening habits and use of shortwave. Can't understand how anyone who was a regular listener would miss that (John Figliozzi, NY/ODXA)

# ? Oct 25, 2008 22:29

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

nmfree posted:

Radio netherlands being a bunch of whiny bitches.

What a bunch of whiny bitches. My favorite news source is GONE because of these assholes. Now what do I do?

Goodbye cruel airwaves.

# ? Oct 26, 2008 03:56

Fredrick: Jan 20, 2008; BRU HU HA HA HA

Crapnoodles. This seems like a bad omen for me. I started looking for a radio today, influenced by this thread, and then THIS happens? It's like someone's trying to tell me something.

Nevertheless, I will continue looking.

# ? Oct 26, 2008 09:49

nmfree: Aug 15, 2001; The Greater Goon: Breaking Hearts and Chains since 2006

As bleak as it sounds from Europe, China, Taiwan, and other Asian nations are stepping up their broadcasts to North America, so it's not all bleak news.

# ? Oct 26, 2008 21:01

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Just FYI, playing "The Conet Project" out of cunningly concealed speakers is a great way to torture trick-or-treaters. AND their parents....

# ? Nov 1, 2008 01:29

sub supau: Aug 28, 2007

nmfree posted:

As bleak as it sounds from Europe, China, Taiwan, and other Asian nations are stepping up their broadcasts to North America, so it's not all bleak news.

And as a resident of Taiwan I'd like to apologize in advance for that.

# ? Nov 2, 2008 15:44

biglads: Feb 21, 2007; I could've gone to Blatherwycke

AstroZamboni posted:

Just FYI, playing "The Conet Project" out of cunningly concealed speakers is a great way to torture trick-or-treaters. AND their parents....

Hahaha

"lets go trick or treat that house there"

SIEBEN FUENNEF EINS ZWO NEUEN

:cry:

# ? Nov 2, 2008 15:50

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

biglads posted:

Hahaha

"lets go trick or treat that house there"

SIEBEN FUENNEF EINS ZWO NEUEN

There are also a lot of hams in the neighborhood with kids. The hams told me I was sick and deranged.

I was also dressed as a mad scientist and had my telescope set up, so I was handing out candy AND showing off the planet Jupiter while "SIEBEN FUENNEF EINS ZWO NEUEN" blared in the background. Everyone loved it, even the hams who told me I was sick and deranged.

# ? Nov 2, 2008 16:43

nmfree: Aug 15, 2001; The Greater Goon: Breaking Hearts and Chains since 2006

AstroZamboni posted:

There are also a lot of hams in the neighborhood with kids. The hams told me I was sick and deranged.

I was also dressed as a mad scientist and had my telescope set up, so I was handing out candy AND showing off the planet Jupiter while "SIEBEN FUENNEF EINS ZWO NEUEN" blared in the background. Everyone loved it, even the hams who told me I was sick and deranged.

...and if any of them had pressed the issue, I would have asked, "I have to wonder which is more sick: what I'm doing here or announcing my prostate problems to the general public?"

Anyway, good work. :lol:

# ? Nov 2, 2008 21:28

McRib Sandwich: Aug 4, 2006; I am a McRib Sandwich

Hey, glad to see this thread is still tooling along. So I noticed that Passport 2009 is available from Amazon, and the WRTH book for 2009 is also available. For those of you who SWL more than I, do you find one to be more useful / informative than the other? What's the difference between them?

# ? Nov 10, 2008 20:58

Exi7wound: Aug 22, 2004; LOGANO
Remember my name... you'll be screaming it later.

AstroZamboni posted:

There are also a lot of hams in the neighborhood with kids. The hams told me I was sick and deranged.

I was also dressed as a mad scientist and had my telescope set up, so I was handing out candy AND showing off the planet Jupiter while "SIEBEN FUENNEF EINS ZWO NEUEN" blared in the background. Everyone loved it, even the hams who told me I was sick and deranged.

Excellent! I'm fully stealing this idea next year.

# ? Nov 10, 2008 21:26

Foggy: May 17, 2004

McRib Sandwich posted:

Hey, glad to see this thread is still tooling along. So I noticed that Passport 2009 is available from Amazon, and the WRTH book for 2009 is also available. For those of you who SWL more than I, do you find one to be more useful / informative than the other? What's the difference between them?

I think about half of Passport is dedicated to stuff like "how to pick out a radio" and radio reviews and other incidental SWL stuff while WRTH is just pages and pages of listings with not much else. WRTH has more actual data and Passport has more reading material.

# ? Nov 10, 2008 22:34

shoplifter: May 23, 2001; bored before I even began

Exi7wound posted:

Excellent! I'm fully stealing this idea next year.

Heh - I do this every year too. It drives my wife nuts.

# ? Nov 10, 2008 23:11

kicking rad: Oct 11, 2008

Wow, still going? this thread persuaded me to buy a grundig g4000a, and i've heard all sorts of weird stuff.

# ? Nov 10, 2008 23:18

meltie: Nov 9, 2003; Not a sodding fridge.

thehustler posted:

meltie do you have a rig in your landrover yet?

Also when are you coming to see me and take me for a ride?

I'd love to, but right now i'm just trying to stop it killing me (brakes have gone, or, more precisely, went - at 50mph)

# ? Nov 10, 2008 23:56

sub supau: Aug 28, 2007

Foggy posted:

I think about half of Passport is dedicated to stuff like "how to pick out a radio" and radio reviews and other incidental SWL stuff while WRTH is just pages and pages of listings with not much else. WRTH has more actual data and Passport has more reading material.

True, but it also depends how you listen. I've found Passport much better for "It's 1900z, what's on?" sort of listening, and WRTH much better for looking for specific stations or countries, or for looking up stations by frequency.

# ? Nov 11, 2008 06:29

nmfree: Aug 15, 2001; The Greater Goon: Breaking Hearts and Chains since 2006

I know I keep harping on this kind of stuff, but these events don't come around that much and I don't want people to miss them because they forgot or something:

quote:

Radio St. Helena broadcast set for Nov. 15
Radio St. Helena Day 2008 will be broadcast on 11092.5 KHz in USB on Saturday, 15. November 2008 as follows:

All times UTC Target areas

20:00 - 21:00 Japan
21:00 - 22:30 Europe
22:30 - 23:30 North America

Because of the very long "Revival" and "Double-Anniversary" transmissions in 2006 and 2007 and the especially heavy workload at Radio St. Helena during the entire second half of 2008, it was decided that RSD 2008 would be reduced to the above schedule. It is hoped that the times have been chosen so that reception in all areas will be acceptable.

The QSL procedure is the same as in 2006 and 2007, and the QSL address is:
Radio St. Helena
P.O. Box 93
Jamestown
St. Helena

https://www.sthelena.se/radioproject/Broadcast_Times_2008.htm
https://www.sthelena.se/

MARCELO VILELA BEDENE
DX CLUBE DO PARAN�
http://www.dxclube.com.br/

-----
Radio St. Helena: new alternate postal route for all letters to RSH

Dear Friends of Radio St. Helena,
In an attempt to avoid the well-known and unfortunate problems with the reception reports sent to Radio St. Helena for the Radio St. Helena Day shortwave broadcasts in the past years since 1998, an alternate postal route has been sought. With the considerable help of and excellent suggestions by the Postmistress, Mrs. Henry, and her assistant, Mrs. Benjamin, of the Ascension Island Post Office, an alternate postal address and path has been found .

Therefore, ALL LETTERS to Radio St. Helena may be sent to the following
address.

Radio St. Helena
P.O.Box 93
Jamestown
St. Helena Island
STHL 1ZZ

--- Via AIRMAIL ----
Via United Kingdom and Ascension

VERY IMPORTANT:
The "new" part of this address is the last few lines, and it is "essential" that this address be written exactly this way.

IMPORTANT:
Be certain to use enough postage on the letter, as if you were sending the letter to the remotest part of the world. This is even true for listeners in the UK.

With best greetings,
Robert Kipp 11. November 2008
(Rich D'Angelo/NASWA Flash Sheet)

Now I missed the ARRL FMT today because of dart league, but you can be sure that I'll be tuned in (or at least trying) for this on Saturday. I may even figure out my magnetic loop antenna before then! (Propagation has actually been OK the last week or so, what a difference a few visible sunspots can make!)

Note: I bolded what looks like the most useful way to send for a QSL; if you're mailing via airmail (and most people will) adding the part under "Via AIRMAIL" seems like it may speed up your reply.

# ? Nov 13, 2008 11:53

McRib Sandwich: Aug 4, 2006; I am a McRib Sandwich

Perhaps this is a dumb question, but given that I've never sent for a QSL card before, how do you know how much postage to use for something like that?

# ? Nov 14, 2008 09:45

Foggy: May 17, 2004

Tonight was a good night for reception (picked up Radio Australia loud and clear from my room in Chicago) and one of the weird things I found was an extremely strong CW signal that was audible from about 9060 to 9068 and seemed centered on 9064 or 9065. That doesn't seem to be in any broadcast or amateur band, and I was wondering what it might be. Wish I knew Morse code a little better than I do (I was able to get a few character groups, but it seemed to be nonsense). This was around 0800Z.

Foggy fucked around with this message at 10:18 on Nov 14, 2008

# ? Nov 14, 2008 09:57

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Foggy posted:

Tonight was a good night for reception (picked up Radio Australia loud and clear from my room in Chicago) and one of the weird things I found was an extremely strong CW signal that was audible from about 9060 to 9068 and seemed centered on 9064 or 9065. That doesn't seem to be in any broadcast or amateur band, and I was wondering what it might be. Wish I knew Morse code a little better than I do (I was able to get a few character groups, but it seemed to be nonsense). This was around 0800Z.

It could conceivably not have been morse at all but rather some sort of teletype signal. Another possibility was that it was a CW number station. There are lots of them out there.

# ? Nov 14, 2008 16:43

bladernr: Oct 3, 2006; I'm not wearing any pants. Film at 11!

McRib Sandwich posted:

Perhaps this is a dumb question, but given that I've never sent for a QSL card before, how do you know how much postage to use for something like that?

First of all, do a google search for QSL etiquette. Learn all about sending, receiving, and bureaus...

More specifically, it's usually pretty polite to include a SASE with your QSL when you send it. I never assume a contact will send me one, so I send mine out first. In fact, while I've only collected about 40 or 50 cards, I have only gotten ONE without sending mine and SASE out first.

Also, if you look the HAM up on something like QSL.net, they will often have their QSL info/requirements listed in the profile (buro only, SASE, etc...)

I've not send any international ones first, but most of those that I've looked up so far require either a self addressed envelope and a post coupon or require you to use the bureau to send/receive.

So that's the quick and dirty of QSL, and that doesn't even get into things like special event stations, certificates, and so forth...

Ugh... forgot to add... for SWL stations, if they have a website, you can at least get a contact e-mail to send queries to. Some, if not most of those, I think still send QSL out on their own dime, but they may be starting to request SASE or SAE and post coupon as well. Most of what I said is Ham specific, but it can/does somewhat apply to SWL listening as well...

Also, SASE or SAE may not work if you send to someone like Radio Vietnam, who, IIRC likes to send small gifts back to you in addition to a card.

bladernr fucked around with this message at 17:35 on Nov 14, 2008

# ? Nov 14, 2008 17:32

nmfree: Aug 15, 2001; The Greater Goon: Breaking Hearts and Chains since 2006

McRib Sandwich posted:

Perhaps this is a dumb question, but given that I've never sent for a QSL card before, how do you know how much postage to use for something like that?

Sending? You'll have to take it in to the counter anyway, because it will go out via airmail.

Getting back? I'm glad you asked, because out of curiosity I looked in the 2009 Passport:

quote:

Verifies reception reports if 3 IRCs included. Does not verify email reports.

So, for the low low cost of $6.30 American, you too can get a QSL in return!

# ? Nov 15, 2008 01:30

I heart bacon: Nov 18, 2007; It's burgin' time!

AstroZamboni posted:

Just FYI, playing "The Conet Project" out of cunningly concealed speakers is a great way to torture trick-or-treaters. AND their parents....

I was wondering if you'd be doing that this year. I thought about trying it out, but nobody was out trick or treating here, except maybe a half a dozen kids.

Congrats on the bitchin thread! There's some seriously excellent info in here. I've been playing around with my mini 300 and daydreaming about a future setup that will pick up more.

# ? Nov 15, 2008 17:09

JacquelineDempsey: Aug 6, 2008; Women's Circuit Bender Union Local 34

nmfree posted:

I know I keep harping on this kind of stuff, but these events don't come around that much and I don't want people to miss them because they forgot or something

I appreciate your harping, because I'm one of those folks who would've forgotten. My G-6 is set and ready to go.

Has anyone here heard a Radio St. Helena Day broadcast before? What should I be listening for? Spoken English? Another language? Music? An endless loop of "HELLO FROM ST. HELENA"?

# ? Nov 15, 2008 23:00

Foggy: May 17, 2004

I can't hear a thing, but I can't expect too much out of the built-in whip antenna.

# ? Nov 15, 2008 23:57

nmfree: Aug 15, 2001; The Greater Goon: Breaking Hearts and Chains since 2006

welp

I did hear them, for a little while... at least, their broadcast to Japan. :v:

I had never heard them before, and... let's just say I was... surprised... to all of a sudden hear Willie Nelson coming in sort of loud and clear.

At least my loop antenna sort of works. Kind of.

# ? Nov 16, 2008 00:40

JacquelineDempsey: Aug 6, 2008; Women's Circuit Bender Union Local 34

nmfree, where are you at, if you don't mind my asking?

I tuned in just before 2230z, and thought I heard voices. Then the skies opened up with a massive thunderstorm, and I lost reception --- couldn't even pull in trusty ol' Havana at that point (though Canada was coming in loud and clear), so I gave up.

# ? Nov 16, 2008 14:22

nmfree: Aug 15, 2001; The Greater Goon: Breaking Hearts and Chains since 2006

JacquelineDempsey posted:

nmfree, where are you at, if you don't mind my asking?

I tuned in just before 2230z, and thought I heard voices. Then the skies opened up with a massive thunderstorm, and I lost reception --- couldn't even pull in trusty ol' Havana at that point (though Canada was coming in loud and clear), so I gave up.

NE Wisconsin USA

...and you wouldn't be the only person who had trouble, just about everyone with an RSH log on the Hard Core DX mailing list had problems picking them up, with some good equpment/antennas, to boot. Seems like most of them in the US were like me and the best luck picking up the broadcast targeted toward Japan and Europe, and "not so much" toward the US. (That's how it was for me, too.) One person on HCDX speculated that, as has happened in the past, there was a problem rotating the antenna toward the US and that some sort of metallic structure was affecting the signal pattern/strength.

# ? Nov 16, 2008 22:50

sub supau: Aug 28, 2007

nmfree posted:

...and you wouldn't be the only person who had trouble, just about everyone with an RSH log on the Hard Core DX mailing list had problems picking them up, with some good equpment/antennas, to boot. Seems like most of them in the US were like me and the best luck picking up the broadcast targeted toward Japan and Europe, and "not so much" toward the US.

I don't know how it panned out for Japan proper, but right next door here I couldn't hear a drat thing. Actually no, I could hear some vaguely voice-like sounds under the noise, but nothing readable and certainly nothing I could actually listen to. Kind of a shame, I was actually really looking forward to that.

# ? Nov 17, 2008 06:15

stinky ox: Mar 29, 2007; I am a stinky ox.

Good propagation here tonight, I'm listening to Voice of Korea (on 7570 kHz) clearer than I've heard it for a while here in Wales. I think I love Kim Jong-Il almost as much as I love L. Ron Hubbard

# ? Nov 25, 2008 22:29

nmfree: Aug 15, 2001; The Greater Goon: Breaking Hearts and Chains since 2006

I'm listening to Brother Stair (or some poo poo like that) take calls about the Bible, and someone just called up asking about Ezekiel 25:17. :v:

# ? Nov 26, 2008 01:40

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# ? May 13, 2024 06:09

blugu64: Jul 17, 2006; Do you realize that fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face?

nmfree posted:

I'm listening to Brother Stair (or some poo poo like that) take calls about the Bible, and someone just called up asking about Ezekiel 25:17.

One night I was listening to him preach about 'Devil Music', and play some; for 'educational purposes' or something. He doesn't realize it but he's a great disc jockey.

# ? Nov 26, 2008 01:51

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Achtung! Its the one and only Shortwave Radio Uberthread!

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