Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2022 i Radio User

Radio Caroline recently gave away some very special Ross Revenge turntables as prizes. The station teamed up with Rega Research, designers and manufacturers of hi-fi equipment, to produce limited edition Radio Caroline turntables for a listener competition this summer. The turntable features a Ross Revenge Red gloss plinth, a matt black Radio Caroline logo, and a slip mat with an image of Caroline’s radio ship Ross Revenge on its mooring on the River Blackwater, Essex. Rega Research marketing manager Simon Webster said, “We are delighted to partner with the iconic team at Radio Caroline. We have worked closely together over the past couple of months to create something very special, combining two of our best-selling turntable designs to create a unique and fully customised Radio Caroline Rega turntable. Like all…

The SWLing Post reports: “I’ve just received this Rotrics NexTube after a year of waiting. It was a KickStarter project and suffered numerous delays, and it is just now shipping. It’s beautiful — real walnut wood, glass tubes and brass fixtures. It appears at first glance to be yet another imitation Nixie tube clock but it’s much more than that. Each tube is a high-res IPS display that can display almost anything, including photos. It’s highly configurable, uses Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet, and has a (yet undocumented) open API. Being a ham and SWLer, I can envision someone much smarter than I programming this device to show real-time propagation data from beacons, propagation forecasts, or other information of interest to those of us in the hobby. Imagine each…

keith.g4miu@gmail.com Wellbrook Communications (‘Wellbrook’) are renowned for manufacturing high-performance active broadband receiving loop aerials. Over the years there have been several models in the range to choose from, for example, the ALA100N medium aperture loop. For this aerial, users supply their own wire loop (see below). It can be mounted either indoors or outdoors and can be suspended from any convenient point. Then there are three variants of the ALA1530 Loop. First, the ALA1530LN 50kHz to 30MHz loop and the ALA1530 20kHz to 30MHz low noise loop. Both of these use a 1m diameter aluminium loop element. Third, there is the brand-new FLX1530LN, the subject of this review. This aerial does not come with a loop element; instead, the user supplies a loop formed from a coaxial cable, with LMR400,…

RADIO VETERAN CHRIS STUART: Former BBC Radio Wales and Radio 2 presenter and producer Chris Stuart has died aged 73. Chris was one of the first hosts on Radio Wales in 1978 as a breakfast news reader, and also hosted shows on BBC Radio 4. He was born in Durham, brought up in the Midlands and moved to Wales for work. BBC Cymru Wales director Rhuanedd Richards has paid tribute, saying: “Chris used his intelligence, curiosity and engaging personality to brilliant effect. He was instrumental in ensuring the success of Radio Wales in its early days and became one of its defining and most recognised voices. He could engage with any topic and find the right words for the big occasions.” BBC Radio Wales broadcast a special 30-minute programme with Roy…

wiessala@hotmail.co.uk You know the adage about the London buses, of course, do you? First, no bus for hours, and then three come down the road at the same time. Well, radio-wise, I have experienced something like that this month. After years of searching, I recently bought a Philips D2999 receiver (Fig. 1). As I write this, there is at least one more of those available on eBay. At the time, the D2990 was also marketed as the Magnavox D2999. Both models have gone almost completely unnoticed in the Short Wave listening and DXing worlds, even now. It was, in fact, the Philips D2999 that had been my constant companion when I had just finished my degree and was living on my own, doing my first job near Darmstadt, Germany. The…

Have you got something new to tell our readers about? If so, then drop a line to wiessala@hotmail.com The RFinder P7 is a hardened tablet Android radio offering 136-174 and 400-490MHz, and DMR/FM. Its main features are currently specified as follows: PTT; POC - push to talk over cellular/Wi-Fi network; Programmable keys Navigation - GPS/BEIDOU/GLONASS Battery type: built-in; 5V3A (fast-charging) Mic Noise Reduction – dual-mic design, effectively suppress environmental noise IP rating: IP67; Sensors: Accelerometer, Geomagnetic, Distance, Light sensor, Gyro (optional) Sensor type: CMOS; Flashlight LED torch NFC; 2W Speaker. You can find out more on both the Moonraker and RFinder websites: https://tinyurl.com/59wz2uuy https://rfinder.shop…

The Tecsun Q3 FM Pocket Radio/Recorder MP3 makes for a great shack accessory. It receives FM between 76-108MHz and works with the MP3 / WMA / WAV music formats. There are ATS and Memory functions, and the Micro-SD card slot supports MP3, WMA and WAV playing functions. A notable feature is direct radio recording, line-in recording and voice recording via a built-in microphone. Link it up to your receiver and catch that elusive RX. Other features of this small and colourful radio include: Max. 128 Kbps MP3 recording format, approx. 15 hours for 1GB memory Use the earphones to monitor the Mic recording, allowing to hear and record at the same time Direct keypad for FM frequency or song selection LED digital display A-B repeat | Line-in jack functions as…

Scottandrew.caldwell@yahoo.co.uk There are currently only 66 stations still broadcasting in what is known as the Tropical Band (2300 to 5060 kHz). The vast majority of those are located in Asia and South America (Fig. 1). It is estimated that around 80% of all active tropical band stations are still received in Europe under the right propagation conditions. However, the dependency on radio as the primary broadcast medium is still apparent in developing countries and those with issues such as unequal internet access and connectivity, and digital illiteracy. My colleague Martin Butera has written about this for the case of Brazil in this magazine. Another example is Nigeria: Here, the population is estimated at 130 million, who have access to 24 million radio sets but only 7 million television sets. Despite…

The Wellbrook FLX1530LN is a compact Active Magnetic loop antenna, primarily designed to provide improved performance over conventional passive and active antennas. It offers a higher gain, compared to the original ALA1530LN, plus additional 10dB sensitivity in the mid/upper HF region. Wellbrook is the only company to manufacture active loops that use an ultra-low JFET design. This new design has significantly improved the LW/MW and SW reception by increasing the Signal-to-Noise ratio by up to 16dB, compared to some other active loop antenna manufacturers. The LW and MW 3rd order IMD is now approx. 20dB lower compared to previous models. This is due to the lower IMD of the JFETs. To be in with a chance of winning this fabulous prize worth £216, all you need to do is visit…

kevin@radio-digital.co.uk Last month (RadioUser, August 2022: 38-40), I introduced the idea of tuning into digital radio services delivered by satellite to Europe. This is a part of our hobby that was quite popular a decade or so ago. Encouraged by my easy success with Hotbird 13E, I was now hopeful of picking up at least one satellite. Receiving Gear First of all, a quick summary of my satellite reception kit. I bought it about 10 years ago before Maplin closed down its shops. At that time, the more efficient DVB-S2 standard was in use on many transponders, which, I believe, the Comac SC-25S receiver ignores. I am not completely sure about this because of the strange signal strength readings from DVB-S2 transponders. Setting up the equipment (Fig.1), was relatively easy,…

Keith405625.kh1@gmail.com Garry405625.gs@gmail.com The new millennium started with a television extravaganza called 2000 Today. This was a marathon 28-hour-long ‘live’ programme to celebrate the new millennium. Seventy-one television services from around the world participated, with the BBC playing a major role in providing transmission distribution facilities. First ‘Live’ Broadcast From Buckingham Palace The BBC Television Centre was bombed by terrorists at 00.30 on Sunday, March 4th, 2001. There was extensive damage to the front of the BBC News Centre and many windows were shattered. The BBC Radio 4 Arts programme, Front Row, was the first programme to be broadcast ‘live’ from inside Buckingham Palace. This was on March 22nd to mark Royal Book Day. To begin the new decade, a new series of BBC-2 Identification Symbols were introduced on November 19th.…

The Stampfl ‘Wave Star’ preselector, for frequencies up to 30MHz, comes as a kit for an 8-speed device. It can be used universally for self-construction projects, inexpensive SDRs or receivers. Development team: Hardware Heinz Stampfl, HB9KOC; Software: Ernst Kirschbaum, DL2EBV, and Rolf Hasler, HB9QN. On the board, there is a low-pass filter for the frequency range up to 41 MHz as well as a switchable LC band and 3rd order low-pass filters for different sub-bands. The filter is selected electronically using buttons on the front panel. The preselector has a bypass function but is only suitable for reception purposes. (SOURCE: Industry Press | Heinz Stampfl). https://www.heinzstampfl.ch/en https://tinyurl.com/5ehxk8wf…

We have covered some products from our friends at Reuter Elektronik here before, both aerials and SDRs. Now a new portable receiver from the Reuter stable is here. The sPocket is a freely configurable SW receiver/transceiver with optional VHF / 2 m reception and transceiver operation. A removable tablet serving as a bright and large display with touch screen operation allows for battery operation and a variety of combinations. The device consists of a highly stable aluminium milled housing and a ‘dynamically-dockable’ tablet as a display/touch screen. The sPocket is fully operable via the tablet, including audio output. A connection via Wi-Fi allows the wireless separation of the control panel and sPocket. The docking of both parts is purely magnetic and adjustable in different positions. This results in a highly…

dj.daviator@btinternet.com On occasion, the UK scrambles Typhoons to intercept aircraft not responding to ATC in Irish-controlled airspace. However, this is not formally protecting Irish skies, as many still believe. In addition to the RAF intercepting aircraft off the coast of Ireland, there exists an ‘agreement‘ that allows British aircraft to transit sovereign Irish airspace for specific reasons. These are for air counter-terrorism duties, which include checking on unresponsive airliners and responding to hijackings and unidentified aircraft. Typhoons can be launched to intercept such aircraft in Irish Flight Information Regions for air policing duties because Ireland is not capable of doing so itself. This is mutually beneficial to both Ireland and the UK: Owing to the speed of modern aircraft, the UK needs to be able to intercept aircraft even as…

chrissyLB@hotmail.co.uk When in Rome recently – doing as the Romans do – I was struck by the high quality of information available on the morning and evening commute. Many of the metro trains and the larger metro stations have screens relaying a range of news and information in a format one might call ‘tabloid television’. The information was streamed in manageable soundbites and short video clips; enough for a commuter to digest whilst waiting for a train or travelling between stations on the public transport network. The content was easy to understand, even for a non-Italian speaker like myself, with fast-changing video and images aiding comprehension. Telesia TV is the provider of this exciting and addictive (for me) service. The programme content was aimed at headlines and soundbites of news,…

PARKINSON’S CLINICAL TRIAL : David Jensen has been talking about the hallucinations he sometimes has that are caused by Parkinson’s and has urged people to join a trial into a drug for the disease. The Radio and TV presenter was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2011 and has revealed that hallucinations are a part of his life, including seeing a dog that doesn’t exist or bumping into someone on the stairs. Now, David is taking part in a world-first clinical trial with Parkinson’s UK. This association has joined up with University College London (UCL). The Phase-2 clinical trial (‘TOP HAT’) is investigating if the drug Ondansetron is beneficial, safe and effective at alleviating hallucinations in people with Parkinson’s. David, who is a Parkinson’s UK celebrity ambassador, is calling on those who…

tim@livingland.wales The roots of the project started in December 1954, when the chief Soviet rocket scientist, Sergei Korolev (1907-1966) proposed a development plan for an ‘artificial satellite’. Perhaps just as importantly, along with his development plan, he included a list of similar projects that were being planned overseas, particularly, in the USA. In addition, Mikhail Tikhonravov (1900-1974), who had been responsible for this blueprint, made it clear that, in his view, the launch of a man-made orbital satellite would be an inevitable stage in the development of rocket technology. Some months later, US President Dwight D Eisenhower (1890-1969) announced that the USA would be launching a satellite during the International Geophysical Year (IGY). The IGY was, oddly, 18 months long; it lasted from July 1957 to December 1958. https://tinyurl.com/2p8fj22v Just…