Shortwave Listening (SWL)

Welcome to the Precious Metals Bug Forums

Welcome to the PMBug forums - a watering hole for folks interested in gold, silver, precious metals, sound money, investing, market and economic news, central bank monetary policies, politics and more. You can visit the forum page to see the list of forum nodes (categories/rooms) for topics.

Why not register an account and join the discussions? When you register an account and log in, you may enjoy additional benefits including no Google ads, market data/charts, access to trade/barter with the community and much more. Registering an account is free - you have nothing to lose!

Why put up a pirate radio station when you can run a live station on YouTube for free?
 

International Radio Report July 9th 2023​

Jul 9, 2023

29:56

The latest news in what is happening in the world of radio, local and international
 

LRA 36 Antarctica relaying Radio Nacional Argentina received via Brasilia Brazil kiwi SDR​

Jul 9, 2023

2:43

Special broadcast almost no signal in Montreal but this Brasilia , Brazil kiwi SDR is having a great signal
 

Op Ed: “OK, but why shortwave?”​

A question I’m regularly asked when talking about our radio show, and radio in general, is why choose independent radio rather than publishing a podcast or streaming playlist?
The answer is not a simple one, but I feel that it’s a powerful one.

Streaming services have made it far easier for new and independent artists to publish music, but publishing is only the first step in exposing new music to a potential audience. The age old problem faced by artists and publishers since the commercialization of music, remains – how does an artist or label get their new music heard?

More:

Op Ed: “OK, but why shortwave?”

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and host of Underground Sounds, Kelsie, who writes: Why Shortwave? by Kelsie A question I’m regularly asked when talking about our radio show, and radio…
swling.com
 
Last edited:

SANGEAN MMR-99 Emergency Weather Radio -- REVIEW​

Apr 8, 2023

10:14

It's impossible to know when an emergency situation will arise, so the smart move is always to have an emergency radio in your kit. RV, camping, or just in case, the SANGEAN MMR-99 Emergency Weather Radio is just jammed with great features and capabilities, notably including a solar charging panel, a hand crank, and a full 7-band NOAA weather radio tuner, along with AM/FM (with RDS)/Bluetooth/AUX. What most surprised tech expert Dave Taylor when reviewing the SANGEAN MMR-99 was that it actually sounds really good too, making it a pleasure to use for music too.

*Note - does not have shortwave bands. IMO - in a major emergency these would be good bands to have along with LSB & USB capabilities.
 

The Shortwave Stations Of The North Korean Defectors​

Jul 13, 2023

9:30
 

Radio Pacman / Mike Radio on 6290 kHz Shortwave, 28 July 2023, 1858 UTC​

4:53

Received with Airspy HF+ Discovery and a MegActiv MA305FT antenna: European Shortwave Pirate: Radio Pacman / Mike Radio on 6290 kHz Shortwave, 28 July 2023, 1858 UTC, Loc: JO40BT. Thanks for watching!
 

Marion's Attic on WBCQ 7490 kHz, 21:49 UTC. Hammarlund HQ-180A​

Oct 16, 2016

3:04

Marion's Attic on WBCQ 7490 kHz, 21:49 UTC.
Hammarlund HQ-180A and G5RV dipole antenna. QTH = Montreal , Canada

WBCQ The Planet​

 
foolsgold said:
It's all about the antenna.
Click to expand...

Speaking about antennas...................

VK7s chat about antennas on 80m​

Premiered 4 hours ago

22:50

Listening to some VK7s (in Tasmania) talk about antennas on 80m. Using a simple regenerative receiver.
 
Last edited:
Here's a few articles on shortwave radio antennas.


The Shortwave Antenna - How It Works - Which Ones Work Best

The shortwave antenna explained, from how it works to how to choose the type that will best fit your needs and SWL listening environment.
www.hamradiosecrets.com

Off-the-shelf affordable SWL antennas

One of our SWLing Post contributors recently sent the following message with a request: I have a suggestion/challenge for a post: what’s out there for low cost, off-the-shelf HF antennas? I s…
swling.com

The Long-Wire Shortwave Listening Antenna

A radio is only as good as the antenna it uses so do what you can for the best reception
www.listenersguide.org.uk
 

Medium and shortwave reception on a Rohde Schwarz EK 070 radio receiver​

Aug 4, 2023

4:42

Reception was very good today on all frequencies. I like very much the performance of this radio on CW (telegraphy) mode. The filters are excellent, and reception is generally very comfortable choosing the right filter and using the BFO control once the receiver is set on the frequency where the CW signal is strongest. The narrowest filter this receiver has is 150 Hz, and the widest is 12 kHz.

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jonglei/videos
 

Tuning the shortwaves with an 80 year old radio receiver​

Aug 5, 2023

5:14

This BC-348 radio was manufactured some 80 years ago, as the main receiver on board heavy American WWII bombers such as the Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress” and B-29 “Superfortress”.
It has an interesting ID tag, which indicates that the specific type is “BC-348 L”, and that this particular unit was stationed for some time in Algeria at the SFRA, which I believe was the French colonial airport authority during the 1950s.
It still works very well after all these years. It operates on 28VDC (the standard voltage in any aircraft) by means of an internal dynamotor that makes a very characteristic whirring noise.
Today I was surfing a bit the shortwave bands with it. Sounds very good on telegraphy, AM and even on single side band if you tune it with a bit of patience.

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@jonglei/videos
 

MW AM Broadcast from new QTH​

Aug 6, 2023
5:08

MW conditions at my new house on the West Coast of South Africa about 175 Km from Cape Town.
A view of my new listening post / radio room and equipment in use.
Reception of Super Radio Brazil a Transatlantic signal on 940 Khz in Portuguese.
Antenna my JHG amplified magnetic loop used indoors
 
Great example of what you can hear with a small portable shortwave and a reel-in wire antenna.

Urban DXPEDITION Parc Bellerive band scan 2000 UTC Shortwave Tecsun PL-990X​

Aug 2, 2023

11:21

another band scan of international broadcast bands

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialSWLchannel/videos
 
The next few vids are about coms with merchant ships. Something I've never done before but do plan on doing in the near future.

Marine DSC Digital selective calling decodes with Cargo Ship ID 12577 kHz Shortwave​

Aug 7, 2023
2:43
My first decodes on 12576 kHz USB for 1000 Hz tone, New Venture Cargo ship DSC decode

Marine Traffic website how to search ships received via DSC on Shortwave​

3:30
You can check out the information via this website
https://www.marinetraffic.com
 

Tuning to short and medium waves on a WR1/1 Wehrmacht radio made in 1943​

Aug 11, 2023

4:57

Quick surfing of the short and medium wave ranges on this 1943 German troops entertainment radio, which still plays very well after over 80 years.
Among other stations, I can hear NHK on 13860 kHz from Ibaragi (Japan), Radio New Zealand International on 11725 from its Rangitaiki transmitter, Radio France International and a few others, as well as some big medium wave transmitters nearby.
 
For anyone interested in listening to shortwave radio here's a quick and cheap way to get started. Anon is a reliable company and I've brought several things from them. But that's me. You may be able to find the same things cheaper elsewhere. DYODD.

Radio

Tecsun PL-330 radio

Tecsun PL-330 is a portable PLL DSP multiband receiver with SSB and Synchronous Detection. The DSP microchip digitizes the analog radio signal which, in combination with the PLL (Phase-Locked Loop) circuitry, greatly improves the radio's sensitivity, selectivity, S/N ratio and anti-interference...
www.anon-co.com

Antennas

Tecsun AN-48x antenna

TECSUN AN-48x is an active loop antenna for enhancing shortwave (SW), medium wave (MW/AM) and longwave (LW) reception. Unlike previous models (DE31MS, A38-LMS) available on anon-co.com, the AN-48x is supplied with adapters to connect the antenna to BNC and RCA sockets. This greatly simplifies...
www.anon-co.com

Tecsun AN-03l antenna

Tecsun AN-03L is an easy to use portable FM and shortwave wire antenna. Connect the AN-03L to the external FM and shortwave antenna socket of the radio receiver, and then place (clip) the antenna reel at a high location near to or outside of a window. The reel convenient stores the antenna wire...
www.anon-co.com

_________________________________________________

C Crane also has some good radios.

Portable Radios for Sale | AM/FM Radios & Antennas | C. Crane

C. Crane is a US-based radio store offering the most powerful long-range AM/FM radios, emergency radios, Wi-Fi antennas, and Internet repeater systems. Shop now.
ccrane.com
 
^^^^^
Here's a short but good review of the PL330. Best to watch on youtube so you can read the comments.

Do I still enjoy the Tecsun PL-330 and is it worth buying after testing it for a few weeks​

Jan 26, 2021

5:44

With the bugs fixed, this is definitely a winner , great radio, very sensitive and tons of features we don't have on any other portables of same price and size
 
Ham traffic

YB0AR Ferry & V85A Aman :ON 20M CQ : RX Lionel SWLF-80737Antenne Magnétique Boucle​

Aug 15, 2023

10:15

Links:
YBOAR Ferry

YB0AR Callsign Page

YB0AR personal biography
www.qrz.com

V85A Aman

V85A - Brunei Darussalam

Aman, Ab. Rahaman, V85A is active from Brunei Darussalam, Brunei. He is working on HF Bands. QSL via LOTW only. V85A Ab. Rahaman, Brunei Darussala
dxnews.com

Antenna is a bit wild (for me)
 

What is the AM Expanded Band?​

Aug 20, 2023
2:15

Discovering the AM expanded band from 1602 kHz upwards. everything you need to know. Some countries license stations in this part of the spectrum but in Europe it's where lots of pirates are found. Here is a wiki page where you can click on the various expanded band frequencies and see what's on there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AM_expa...
 
Images of the French resistance broadcasting in code from Rene's basement.
 

A review with commentary on the best shortwave portable receivers I've ever owned​

Aug 25, 2023

37:17

Hi there, here is a commentary on the best shortwave portables I've ever used. I hope you enjoy it - and perhaps find it useful if you're in the market for buying another radio.
Thanks for watching and 73.

Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@OxfordShortwaveLog/videos
 
Not youtube, but real Antennas, by real people.

The 30 foot pipe that will hold my Hexbeam HF antenna and the Hexbeam antenna.

The foldover ground mount that will be anchored into a 12 inch sono-tube. The short pipe section inserts into the 30 foot pipe.

When stood up the 30 foot pipe is secured with U bolts into the Standoff mounted to the porch.



And more real antennas by real people.
 
My most productive antenna is the hardest to see. An off center fed dipole. A wire suspended from trees with supporting antenna ropes pulling it higher.
A 4 to 1 balun is where the coax is connected. I have talked and listened to every continent (conditions permitting) around the world with this antenna.

 
Hurricane Watch Net is now active to monitor: 14325 USB 7268 LSB shortwave.

The Hurricane Watch Net

The Hurricane Watch Net, Amateur Radio Serving the National Hurricane Center and Mankind Since 1965. The HWN provides up to date tropical weather information for the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. Subscribe for tropical weather email.
hwn.org
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…