Hello Andrea. Thanks to your review presentation of the XHData Emergency radio, i had one in my possession which came in handy this past Sun and Monday. We had two derecho storms, Mon being the worse. It imparted three day power outages and a storm total of 24 tornadoes and 100mph winds. One tornado came only a block away from my home. Wonderful radio for listening and for light. SW is wonderful. Randy-Illinois
Hi Randy, thank you so much for your comment. I'm really glad the XHDATA emergency radio came in handy during the storms you had! It just shows the value of radios and shortwave. Thank you for letting me know. I must say, the storms sound really severe, it must have been scary for you. Do these types of storms happen often in your area?
Good report Andre 👍🏼 It’s crazy when you realise just how fragile modern comms can be and we are reaching a point that some countries will have no back up in the event of a disaster. We saw recently that when the Ukraine digital comms suffered at the beginning of the conflict Radio Polskie on LW stepped in and were broadcasting in Ukrainian to update the populace that could not access news. I believe the BBC World Service and a few other AM broadcasters helped as well. Yes, it could be jammed but it’s still a valuable way of broadcasting as you say. Also, it’s interesting that ATC still use AM comms besides other modes, so it must be reliable. 73 Franco
Thank you Franco! This is so true, digital technology is fragile. Just like you, I find it scary that some countries who plan to rely on digital only will have no backup when something happens. Your example of Ukraine just shows how analogue technology still has its uses. I wish more countries would recognise the value of SW and MW broadcasting, and, indeed, LW.
Hi Andre, just a suggestion to encourage awareness in the youth of the present generation - who are not familiar with Shortwave. You may include topics on Shortwave and how one can access these services in such situations. Back in my younger days SW was the only mode of being in touch with the outside world. Also, the joy of building antennas and receiving QSLs.
These are some very good suggestions, thank you! I think some tips on how to request QSL's, how to listen to SW, how to find a nice radio at a reasonable price, all these will certainly help.
Thanks for the news. I have noticed that radio Al-Azm from Saudi Arabia 11745khz is off air and I think radio Saudi international no longer broadcast on shortwave.
Hi Ali, thanks for your comment! Interesting about Al-Azm Radio, it is a signal I hear often and very clearly here in South Africa, but you are right, they are off air at the moment, I just checked. I haven't noticed this before, I am sure I still heard them last week. Saudi International has been gone for some time, yes.
Thanks Andre I agree with you about reliability of the internet for your information. I experimented with DRM on my TenTec 321D and was using a on AMD K7 OEM and used either the official software which I purchased for $50 or Dream software which was no-cost. I received RNZI regularly and the CBC transmissions from their old Sackville site.(Gone now and torn down) that included Radio Sweden plus others. Now the decoder software it very hard to find or like the Dream software now unavailable due to copyright allegations. I wish they would redesign the DRM system to open source software redesigned for today’s digital knowledge especially designed for fading which makes digital decoders struggle to decode. Well that’s my two cents..😂! 73! Have a great weekend!
DRM remains somewhat of a mystery to me. There are so few receivers, or, as you say, the software is hard to find. I really don't quite understand how people are supposed to listen if listening is so hard. I requested an interview with the DRM South Africa Group, let's hope they respond and that I can get some answers to these questions. I agree with you, open source DRM software would go some way to making DRM more accessible.
@@swlistening just my 2 cents here 😅: I'd say more - open-source software is the ONLY way to go with DRM, or its alternative if needed. You can't expect support for any official software if those who would benefit from the system are more interested in eliminating analogue broadcasts further & further, without providing an (offline!) alternative.
Hi Andre, thanks for an excellent podcast. Fortunately, here in Australia, FM is still going strong and many AM stations that have converted to FM have been replaced by other groups using the former frequencies, especially in the major cities. DAB is restricted to major cities and DRM has only been in test mode. Of course, this could change in years to come. In New Zealand, from what I understand, tested both DAB and DRM, but closed it down, due to lack of interest. Some AM and FM continue there as well. Anyway, wishing you the very best. Rob in Melbourne Australia.
Hi Rob, thanks for your comment! Good to hear that FM is still strong in Australia. Here in South Africa FM is also still strong, FM radio is actually very popular here. DAB+ is still in a testing phase, so not widely used at all. But MW, sadly, is less popular and there are very few MW stations left. I think these days there are five or six in the entire country.
On MW here in Australia in major cities, abandoned frequencies due to FM conversions have been reused by other broadcasters. However, in rural areas, when MW stations have moved to FM, the MW frequencies have become vacant in many locations. Of course, there have been some exceptions, like in Warrnambool Vic, where a MW and FM station actually swapped frequencies.
@@RGC198 I would very much like to try to catch some Australian MW stations. I think there might be a small chance if I can DX near our east coast. I know people in Cape Town, along our west coast, often pick up US MW stations. So my hope is that Australia might be possible along the east coast. I will try it one day when I travel that way, KwaZulu-Natal province. On SW I pick up Reach Beyond from Australia very often, and also the maritime weather stations from Charleville and Wiluna. So MW might be possible 🙂
Australia MW stations have been heard in Botswana. These were mainly from West Australia. One Australian MW station, that seems to be heard via DX quite well is 558kHz 6WA Wagin WA AUS. Also, from the east, 1233kHz 2NZ Newcastle NSW AUS and 1548 4QD Emerald Qld AUS have both been heard from as far away as Alaska and the USA west coast.
@@RGC198 Thanks for sharing these frequencies! I will try to catch some of them. I have heard MW from Europe, North Africa, the Maldives and the Middle East, but not Australia. Not yet 😀
Thank you for your new programme. Love your show, listen to you all the time, along with a lot of others. Is there an actual DRM radio being built. Who manufactures this set and is it available worldwide? VOA is much like NPR here, and has a definite bias. There are many other sources of news. VOA is now somewhat outdated and outmoded as well. I live in the USA and when I tune into the VOA, there is a definite bias, even compared to other local broadcast stations. There was a time when the VOA was a totally different broadcaster. The BBC is actually much better in that regard. I would like to see an actual DRM receiver, even if it’s made by a RSA company like Barlow.
Thank you so much for your comment and I am very glad that you like my podcast. The DRM radio is still in prototype phase. I saw some pictures, but they are copyrighted pictures. So I can't show those in my video. It looks like a very simple radio. Really basic, so clearly aimed at the mass radio market in Africa. I intend to get in touch with the DRM South Africa group, I would also like to know about availability and price. I hope to have more information soon!
Thank you Antonio! UA-cam creates automatic subtitles in English, but sometimes these take a few days to show, I don't quite know why. I see they are not showing on this video yet. Once they are available, you should be able to translate them.
DRM application now is doomed, it's too late, the receivers are expensive and hard to get, and change will take time, what we need NOW is analogue stations who are ON AIR transmitting REAL information to the world.
That's the thing with DRM, the receivers are hard to find and expensive. I find it strange that so many broadcasters seem to be focusing on DRM now. New Zealand, France, China, even North Korea... Maybe things are happening behind the scenes and cheaper radios are coming, who knows. But I fully agree with you about analogue stations, that's my definite preference also, I wish there were more SW and MW stations.
While there a still many DX worthy stations to find on shortwave, the news worthy stations are decreasing. What will be left? Radio China and religious stations? I hope not. So what will be the alternative if the Internet is down?
True, but I think there are still some newsworthy stations, and I think they will remain for some time to come. I suppose it depends on what you can hear at your own location. Here I can still hear the news in English on the BBC, VOA, Radio Taiwan International, Radio Romania International and, interestingly, Voice of Hope Africa, they have some daily news programmes inbetween the religious programming. In Spanish there is still REE, in French RFI. If nothing else, CRI, yes. Not like it used to be, but still better than absolutely nothing.
Hi Karl, thank you so much for your comment! I always rotate between real images and AI art, some people seem to like the AI art. But, as this is a podcast, you can just listen also, the pictures are merely there to fill the screen while you are listening :-)
No, please... don't go with a 3D-printed case 😒 I know it reduces cost a lot, but I think if the radio has to be portable then it is assumed it would be used mainly with a telescopic antenna (and possibly a ferrite rod antenna for MW). The telescoping whip, being a monopole as opposed to dipole, needs counterpoise to work well. The counterpoise is usually the radio's chassis itself, sometimes helped by your own body as you hold the radio in your hand. Even your Quansheng has a little metal part on its side so that it can take advantage of your body making up as its little antenna's counterpoise 😉 And my TEF6686 radio has an all-plastic chassis and its performance on telescoping whip is poor, not to mention unbearable display noise 😖 Although I can be wrong XD
Good point you make here Arnie. I sent these guys an email, I want to ask them more questions about the radio. Then I will mention this. Let's hope they respond to my email.
Hello Andrea. Thanks to your review presentation of the XHData Emergency radio, i had one in my possession which came in handy this past Sun and Monday. We had two derecho storms, Mon being the worse. It imparted three day power outages and a storm total of 24 tornadoes and 100mph winds. One tornado came only a block away from my home. Wonderful radio for listening and for light. SW is wonderful.
Randy-Illinois
Hi Randy, thank you so much for your comment. I'm really glad the XHDATA emergency radio came in handy during the storms you had! It just shows the value of radios and shortwave. Thank you for letting me know. I must say, the storms sound really severe, it must have been scary for you. Do these types of storms happen often in your area?
Hello, Andre as I enjoyed your episode 3 of your DXing news report!
Thanks John!
Excellent new format….many thanks!
My pleasure Norm, thank you for listening!
Good report Andre 👍🏼
It’s crazy when you realise just how fragile modern comms can be and we are reaching a point that some countries will have no back up in the event of a disaster. We saw recently that when the Ukraine digital comms suffered at the beginning of the conflict Radio Polskie on LW stepped in and were broadcasting in Ukrainian to update the populace that could not access news. I believe the BBC World Service and a few other AM broadcasters helped as well.
Yes, it could be jammed but it’s still a valuable way of broadcasting as you say.
Also, it’s interesting that ATC still use AM comms besides other modes, so it must be reliable.
73 Franco
Thank you Franco! This is so true, digital technology is fragile. Just like you, I find it scary that some countries who plan to rely on digital only will have no backup when something happens. Your example of Ukraine just shows how analogue technology still has its uses. I wish more countries would recognise the value of SW and MW broadcasting, and, indeed, LW.
Thanks for the report. Shortwave radio is still very reliable. 73
It sure is!
Hi Andre, just a suggestion to encourage awareness in the youth of the present generation - who are not familiar with Shortwave. You may include topics on Shortwave and how one can access these services in such situations. Back in my younger days SW was the only mode of being in touch with the outside world. Also, the joy of building antennas and receiving QSLs.
These are some very good suggestions, thank you! I think some tips on how to request QSL's, how to listen to SW, how to find a nice radio at a reasonable price, all these will certainly help.
Well, I'm glad I got Tinian and São Tomé in my log earlier this year! Thanks for all the updates!
My pleasure William!
Thanks for the news. I have noticed that radio Al-Azm from Saudi Arabia 11745khz is off air and I think radio Saudi international no longer broadcast on shortwave.
Hi Ali, thanks for your comment! Interesting about Al-Azm Radio, it is a signal I hear often and very clearly here in South Africa, but you are right, they are off air at the moment, I just checked. I haven't noticed this before, I am sure I still heard them last week. Saudi International has been gone for some time, yes.
Thanks Andre I agree with you about reliability of the internet for your information.
I experimented with DRM on my TenTec 321D and was using a on AMD K7 OEM and used either the official software which I purchased for $50 or Dream software which was no-cost. I received RNZI regularly and the CBC transmissions from their old Sackville site.(Gone now and torn down) that included Radio Sweden plus others. Now the decoder software it very hard to find or like the Dream software now unavailable due to copyright allegations. I wish they would redesign the DRM system to open source software redesigned for today’s digital knowledge especially designed for fading which makes digital decoders struggle to decode.
Well that’s my two cents..😂!
73! Have a great weekend!
DRM remains somewhat of a mystery to me. There are so few receivers, or, as you say, the software is hard to find. I really don't quite understand how people are supposed to listen if listening is so hard. I requested an interview with the DRM South Africa Group, let's hope they respond and that I can get some answers to these questions. I agree with you, open source DRM software would go some way to making DRM more accessible.
@@swlistening just my 2 cents here 😅: I'd say more - open-source software is the ONLY way to go with DRM, or its alternative if needed. You can't expect support for any official software if those who would benefit from the system are more interested in eliminating analogue broadcasts further & further, without providing an (offline!) alternative.
@@ArnieDXer Very true.
Hi Andre, thanks for an excellent podcast. Fortunately, here in Australia, FM is still going strong and many AM stations that have converted to FM have been replaced by other groups using the former frequencies, especially in the major cities. DAB is restricted to major cities and DRM has only been in test mode. Of course, this could change in years to come. In New Zealand, from what I understand, tested both DAB and DRM, but closed it down, due to lack of interest. Some AM and FM continue there as well. Anyway, wishing you the very best. Rob in Melbourne Australia.
Hi Rob, thanks for your comment! Good to hear that FM is still strong in Australia. Here in South Africa FM is also still strong, FM radio is actually very popular here. DAB+ is still in a testing phase, so not widely used at all. But MW, sadly, is less popular and there are very few MW stations left. I think these days there are five or six in the entire country.
On MW here in Australia in major cities, abandoned frequencies due to FM conversions have been reused by other broadcasters. However, in rural areas, when MW stations have moved to FM, the MW frequencies have become vacant in many locations. Of course, there have been some exceptions, like in Warrnambool Vic, where a MW and FM station actually swapped frequencies.
@@RGC198 I would very much like to try to catch some Australian MW stations. I think there might be a small chance if I can DX near our east coast. I know people in Cape Town, along our west coast, often pick up US MW stations. So my hope is that Australia might be possible along the east coast. I will try it one day when I travel that way, KwaZulu-Natal province. On SW I pick up Reach Beyond from Australia very often, and also the maritime weather stations from Charleville and Wiluna. So MW might be possible 🙂
Australia MW stations have been heard in Botswana. These were mainly from West Australia. One Australian MW station, that seems to be heard via DX quite well is 558kHz 6WA Wagin WA AUS. Also, from the east, 1233kHz 2NZ Newcastle NSW AUS and 1548 4QD Emerald Qld AUS have both been heard from as far away as Alaska and the USA west coast.
@@RGC198 Thanks for sharing these frequencies! I will try to catch some of them. I have heard MW from Europe, North Africa, the Maldives and the Middle East, but not Australia. Not yet 😀
Thank you for your new programme. Love your show, listen to you all the time, along with a lot of others.
Is there an actual DRM radio being built. Who manufactures this set and is it available worldwide?
VOA is much like NPR here, and has a definite bias. There are many other sources of news. VOA is now somewhat outdated and outmoded as well. I live in the USA and when I tune into the VOA, there is a definite bias, even compared to other local broadcast stations. There was a time when the VOA was a totally different broadcaster. The BBC is actually much better in that regard.
I would like to see an actual DRM receiver, even if it’s made by a RSA company like Barlow.
Thank you so much for your comment and I am very glad that you like my podcast.
The DRM radio is still in prototype phase. I saw some pictures, but they are copyrighted pictures. So I can't show those in my video. It looks like a very simple radio. Really basic, so clearly aimed at the mass radio market in Africa. I intend to get in touch with the DRM South Africa group, I would also like to know about availability and price. I hope to have more information soon!
BBC World Service has the best news network.
@@DrKunwar They do. Pity that they are not as active on SW as they used to be.
Really enjoy your podcasts. Please keep them coming. I am in ZA.
@@howellkilian5602 Thanks for your comment Howell, nice to hear that you are in South Africa! I will continue for sure.
congratulations for this podcast, would it be possible to activate the subtitles to have a simultaneous translation? Thank you very much.
Thank you Antonio! UA-cam creates automatic subtitles in English, but sometimes these take a few days to show, I don't quite know why. I see they are not showing on this video yet. Once they are available, you should be able to translate them.
DRM application now is doomed, it's too late, the receivers are expensive and hard to get, and change will take time, what we need NOW is analogue stations who are ON AIR transmitting REAL information to the world.
That's the thing with DRM, the receivers are hard to find and expensive. I find it strange that so many broadcasters seem to be focusing on DRM now. New Zealand, France, China, even North Korea... Maybe things are happening behind the scenes and cheaper radios are coming, who knows. But I fully agree with you about analogue stations, that's my definite preference also, I wish there were more SW and MW stations.
While there a still many DX worthy stations to find on shortwave, the news worthy stations are decreasing. What will be left? Radio China and religious stations? I hope not.
So what will be the alternative if the Internet is down?
True, but I think there are still some newsworthy stations, and I think they will remain for some time to come. I suppose it depends on what you can hear at your own location. Here I can still hear the news in English on the BBC, VOA, Radio Taiwan International, Radio Romania International and, interestingly, Voice of Hope Africa, they have some daily news programmes inbetween the religious programming. In Spanish there is still REE, in French RFI. If nothing else, CRI, yes. Not like it used to be, but still better than absolutely nothing.
@@swlistening Correct, and I can still listen to the BBC world service using my DAB+ radio.
please test in time the new south african made radio.
I certainly will, when it is released.
I like your reports and the real photos of different countries. I don't care for the A.I. art, though. Sorry.
LOve the show.. Find some photos of old radios, please.
Hi Karl, thank you so much for your comment! I always rotate between real images and AI art, some people seem to like the AI art. But, as this is a podcast, you can just listen also, the pictures are merely there to fill the screen while you are listening :-)
I will do that!
No, please... don't go with a 3D-printed case 😒
I know it reduces cost a lot, but I think if the radio has to be portable then it is assumed it would be used mainly with a telescopic antenna (and possibly a ferrite rod antenna for MW). The telescoping whip, being a monopole as opposed to dipole, needs counterpoise to work well. The counterpoise is usually the radio's chassis itself, sometimes helped by your own body as you hold the radio in your hand. Even your Quansheng has a little metal part on its side so that it can take advantage of your body making up as its little antenna's counterpoise 😉 And my TEF6686 radio has an all-plastic chassis and its performance on telescoping whip is poor, not to mention unbearable display noise 😖
Although I can be wrong XD
Good point you make here Arnie. I sent these guys an email, I want to ask them more questions about the radio. Then I will mention this. Let's hope they respond to my email.
again disgusting and disturbing news from switzerland.
It's unfortunate indeed.