Category Archives: History

Admiral Byrd’s Ancient Tweets From Antarctica

Posted on December 22, 2013 by | Comments Off on Admiral Byrd’s Ancient Tweets From Antarctica
Admiral Richard E. Byrd

Admiral Richard E. Byrd (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here’s an interesting notion; that shortwave was the first medium for “tweeting”.

This article from the Daily Caller throws a modern spin on shortwave, or is that a historic spin on tweeting?? Using the “ancient” reference is maybe a sad indication of how far removed Shortwave is from modern technology!

 

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Albert Stanton – Tribute

Posted on November 6, 2013 by | Comments Off on Albert Stanton – Tribute

albert_stanton

http://www.radiodx.com/articles/dxer-profiles-s-to-z/albert-stanton-tribute/

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How The Shortwave Bands Looked in 1929

Posted on October 29, 2013 by | Comments Off on How The Shortwave Bands Looked in 1929

sw_dial

Thanks to Bill Marsh for this article:

 

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Dudley Carter – Tribute

Posted on October 27, 2013 by | Comments Off on Dudley Carter – Tribute

dudley-carter

New article thanks to Bill Marsh Jnr:

http://www.radiodx.com/articles/dxer-profiles-a-to-e/dudley-carter-tribute/

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The Rise and Decline of AM Radio

Posted on October 25, 2013 by | Comments Off on The Rise and Decline of AM Radio
Westinghouse Electric Company logo

Westinghouse Electric Company logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This interesting article from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette chronicles AM radio… which seems to have started with a bet!

http://www.post-gazette.com/tv-radio/2013/10/13/The-rise-and-decline-of-AM-radio/stories/201310130063

Thanks to Bill Smith from Iowa for sending in this link.

 

 

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Video of WLW’s 500,000 Watt AM Transmitter

Posted on September 27, 2013 by | Comments Off on Video of WLW’s 500,000 Watt AM Transmitter
Cincinnati's 700 WLW

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Following on from an earlier post, Bill Smith in Iowa forwarded this link to a video of WLW’s very powerful transmitter.

WLW radio tower

WLW radio tower (Photo credit: Pez King)

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Posted in History, Medium Wave, Stations

History of VOA Delano

Posted on September 21, 2013 by | Comments Off on History of VOA Delano

kgei_9530_frontsm

Thanks to Mark Nicholls for posting this link to Radioworld’s 2008 article on the demise of the last of VOA’s wartime transmitting stations.

VOA Delano, California on the West Coast of the USA provided a formidable signal into the Pacific.

 

 

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Posted in History, Shortwave, Stations

Radio Hauraki Film On the Way

Posted on August 30, 2013 by | Comments Off on Radio Hauraki Film On the Way

hauraki_front

Via Bryan Clark reporting on the DX Dialog reflector: The following posted to the DXLD Yahoo Group yesterday by Mike Terry:

The film ‘3 Mile Limit’ about Radio Hauraki New Zealand is now in post production. There is no official Trailer yet but there is this clip on YouTube.

“Auckland Viaduct, October 1966: a group of determined young men defy the police and government and, to the cheering of their fans, launch a coastal ship that has been converted to a pirate radio station which they intend to use to broadcast from the Hauraki Gulf.

This is a preview of Radio Hauraki Film On the Way. Read the full post (183 words, 2 images, estimated 44 secs reading time)

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Posted in History, Medium Wave, Pirate

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Dasvidaniya Voice of Russia…

Posted on August 23, 2013 by | Comments Off on Dasvidaniya Voice of Russia…

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Russia’s international radio service, the Voice of Russia (Golos Rossii) will stop its shortwave broadcasts on January 1, 2014. According to digit.ru website, the decision to leave shortwave has been taken because of decreased funding. Digit.ru says that ending shortwave transmissions was revealed in a letter from Natalia Zhmay, Deputy Chairman of the Voice of Russia, to Andrew Romanchenko, head of the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network (RTRN), dated August 15. Neither Voice of Russia nor RTRN have officially commented on the matter.

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The 6×3 in the 1960s

Posted on August 19, 2013 by | 2 comments

Thanks to Arthur de Maine for the following photos of Merv Branks’ famous “6×3” at Riverton:

6x3 the rocks 1960s

Boys brigade tents in use for the annual DXpedition

 

6x3 1966

Tony Magon and Noel Parry carrying out repairs

 

Inside the 6x3

Merv Branks, Trevor Service & Irene Simpson

Thanks to Paul Aronsen who took the photos.

Merv Branks & the 6×3

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Posted in DXers, History

Blast from the Past – KPOA Honolulu

Posted on August 14, 2013 by | Comments Off on Blast from the Past – KPOA Honolulu

Tony King has provided this audio clip of KPOA Honolulu… recorded in 1976. Enjoy…

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Blast from the Past – KMVI Wailuku

Posted on August 14, 2013 by | Comments Off on Blast from the Past – KMVI Wailuku

Tony King provided the following clip of KMVI, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii on 550kHz. Enjoy..

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The Halcyon Days of Offshore Pirate Radio

Posted on August 14, 2013 by | Comments Off on The Halcyon Days of Offshore Pirate Radio
In response to an e-mail from Paul Rawdon on the DX League reflector, Martin Hadlow recalls the days when he worked for Radio England…
england
Is it really 47 years from the ‘summer of 66’ when I worked for off-shore stations Radio England/Britain Radio? It was my first job in radio and my shortest! The job didn’t last long because the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act was introduced to the UK Parliament that year and took effect a year later. Radio England/Britain radio went to air in June, 1966 (after testing from around May), so was a late starter in the whole pirate radio scene. I had a job in the station’s London office (in Curzon Street) and often visited the ship (which was anchored in the English Channel) carrying a suitcase full of the latest top 40 records and taped commercials.  To get to the ship entailed a train ride from London to Harwich, thence to the small port of Felixstowe, where one boarded a Dutch registered fishing boat for the voyage to the ship.
ressex
What an era! Crazy days. Imagine being an 18 year old in London in the swinging 60’s working for a pirate station? It is still hard for me to believe I was part of the excitement of the time, albeit for only months, not years. By the way, one of my jobs was issuing some of the QSLs…so if you have a QSL card (which featured a photo of our ship, the MV Olga Patricia) have a look to see if it has my signature.
radio_270
                                                                     Radio 270
The Government legislation of August 1967 effectively brought the whole off-shore radio scene to a close, although several stations battled on. Thanks for the memory…
nordsee
Here is the article from Alan Jarvie via Facebook, on celebratiosn by Scotland 69am to commemorate the introduction of the Marine Offences Act in 1967 and the implications for the offshore pirate radio stations….
london2j
August 13, 2013Alan Jarvie writes on Facebook:Today and tomorrow, Scotland 69am (http://www.scotland69am.com/) will be
commemorating the introduction of the Marine Offences Act on August 15th 1967.
eve
There will be a two part AJ Pirate Radio Special, Part 1 tonight followed by Part 2 tomorrow night. Part 1 will feature recordings of the early days of the offshore stations whilst Part 2 will feature recordings nearer the end of the stations. Both progs will include interviews with former offshore presenters, including Dave Gillbee (ex-City and Britain Radio) and Tony Prince (ex-Caroline North). The programmes should start at 8pm UK (19:00 UTC) but this is to be confirmed… (internet only, more stations expected with special programmes tomorrow)
rveronica1
                                                                    Radio Veronica
Per Wiki:The Marine, &c., Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967 c.41, shortened to Marine Broadcasting Offences Act, became law in the United Kingdom at midnight on Monday 14 July 1967 and was repealed by the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006.  Its purpose was to extend the powers of the British Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1949 (which it incorporated by reference), beyond the territorial land mass and territorial waters of the UK to cover airspace and bodies of water.
caroline
At the time that the Bill was introduced in Parliament in 1966, there were radio stations and proposals for television stations outside British licensing jurisdiction with signals aimed at Britain. These stations were at sea but there were press reports of stations planned from aircraft.caroline3                                                       Radio Caroline South
The Act included the Channel Islands and extended to the Isle of Man. As a result, offshore stations called pirate radio became criminal if operated or assisted by persons subject to UK law. Station operators thought they could continue if they were staffed, supplied and funded by non-British citizens, but this proved impractical(More details here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine,_%26c.,_Broadcasting_(Offences)_Act_1967)
And here is a Youtube compilation of English off-shore pirate radio stations
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Vatican Radio Celebrates 75th Anniversary

Posted on August 14, 2013 by | Comments Off on Vatican Radio Celebrates 75th Anniversary

vatican_11735_front

Thanks to Paul Rawdon for posting the following on the DX League reflector:

Video produced by Vatican TV to commemorate Vatican Radio’s 75th Anniversary. Complete programme has been split into five parts. Would have been made in 2006 as they celebrated their 80th anniversary in 2011.
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Blast from the Past – Radio Cayman

Posted on August 12, 2013 by | Comments Off on Blast from the Past – Radio Cayman

caymans_ltr

Radio Cayman was one of the most regular of Caribbean stations heard in New Zealand. The split frequency of 1555kHz gave it solus position and the bird song interval signal prior to the 1100z sign-on was magical to hear. They were also heard signing off around 0500z some days.

Thanks to Tony King, here is their sign-off  announcement:

 

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Posted in History, Medium Wave

The Jamming of 1ZB

Posted on August 10, 2013 by | Comments Off on The Jamming of 1ZB

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Following on from the post about the curious case of the jamming of Uncle Scrim, here is a story that appeared in the October 1990 DX Times penned by Barry Williams.

THE JAMMING OF 1ZB

When we talk of jamming we tend to think of the Cold war during the 50s and 6os on shortwave when there was a real battle of the airwaves between the East and the West. However New Zealand had a case of jamming much earlier than than that.

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Aloha Honolulu 1976

Posted on August 5, 2013 by | Comments Off on Aloha Honolulu 1976

kpoa

Martin Hadlow has forwarded an interesting article describing the Honolulu radio dial in 1976. DXers will fondly remember Alan Roycroft and recall the comments he used to write on the back of the “Broadcasting Services” QSL cards.

Entitled “Honolulu Radio: A Wasteland”

“The Honolulu Star-Bulletin on February 12th issued it’s second annual survey of radio stations on Oahu. There are 21 stations. The news-paper noted a number of changes which have taken place over the past year. These include: 12 instead of 9 stations broadcasting 24 hours; a reduction in the number of employees the replacement of eight general managers and four major ownership changes. There is apparently a greater number of stations broadcasting the sane format — “Beautiful music, that is. ‘the same pop music, ranging (if that phrase can be used meaningfully) from Golden Oldies to popified mellow rock.‘ Janos Gereben. the reviewer, noted that ‘an astonishing tom of 12 stations‘ are involved in broadcasting a “musical vast wasteland”

This is a preview of Aloha Honolulu 1976. Read the full post (190 words, 2 images, estimated 46 secs reading time)

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China Radio’s Tamil Service Marks Golden Anniversary

Posted on August 4, 2013 by | Comments Off on China Radio’s Tamil Service Marks Golden Anniversary

peking_15880_frontsm

In these days when we’re faced with shortwave stations closing down, it is refreshing to know that some international broadcasters continue to defy the pundits. And so it is that the Chinese international broadcaster (Radio Peking, Radio Beijing, China Radio International) is now celebrating its 50th year of broadcasting in Tamil.

Here is the whole story from the IBN Live website.

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A Great Mob

Posted on August 3, 2013 by | Comments Off on A Great Mob

68_chch_conv

On the occasion of the League’s 60th Anniversary in 2008, the League patron Frank Glen contributed an article “A Great Mob” to the DX Times 60th Anniversary Supplement . The article is now reprinted here on radiodx.com

Frank is a very accomplished author and DXer and it was very fitting that he take over the role of League patron after the passing of previous Patron Jack Fox.

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Origins of DXing in New Zealand

Posted on August 3, 2013 by | Comments Off on Origins of DXing in New Zealand

Barry Williams wrote “The Origins of DXing in New Zealand” for the DX Times supplement in 2008, marking the DX League’s 60th anniversary.

This well-written and researched article is now posted here.

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