RadioUser Index for 2017 UK Radio Museums and SI Units NOW IN

Find any item published this year Radio Locations and Unit Measurements OUR13TH
YEAR!

50 YEARS OF BBC COLOUR TELEVISION

Technologies, Test Cards and Trials

REVIEW
SPECIAL
Scanning Scene
Remote Scanning and ‘Ghost-Radios’

Digital Radio
Outages, Band Use & Resources
IN-DEPTH REVIEW of the ICOM
IC-R8600 Wideband Receiver
USER REPORT on the ELAD FDM
DUOr Dual-Mode SDR Receiver

SOFTWARE SPOT
Guide to the Amateur
Radio Data Modes January 2018 £3.99 Display until 25th January 2018
ISSN 1748-8117

● news ● reviews ● scanning ● dab ● fm and tv dx ● cb ● short wave

● internet ● amateur ● decode ● marine ● satellites and much more!
001 front.indd 1 04/12/2017 16:41
Radio User DPS Jan 2018_9x _Layout 1 29/11/2017 12:58 Page 1

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P002 Nevada.indd 1 01/12/2017 11:04

Radio User DPS Jan 2018_9x _Layout 1 29/11/2017 12:59 Page 2

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PRICE PLEDGE WE ALWAYS AIM TO BE COMPETITIVE - SEEN IT CHEAPER? LET US KNOW!

P003 Nevada.indd 1 01/12/2017 11:04


FROM JUST £11
sky high
Godrey Manning
63 The Drive
Edgware
Middlesex HA8 8PS
E-mail: cgmm2@btinternet.com
Callsigns and Good Practice
T
he Helitech International
Exhibition took place in
October once again at the
Excel Centre near Green-
wich, London. As in the
past, the temporary helipad was served
by Helitech Radio on 121.175MHz.
http://www.helitechinternational.com
Personal Locator Beacons
I compared old and new examples of
search and rescue beacons in RadioUser,
September 2017: 28. This brought back
memories for Paul (West Middlesex)
who once worked for a manufacturer of
the old-style devices, based in Sutton,
Surrey. One transmitter operated on
the 121.500MHz and 243MHz distress
frequencies and was, naturally, designed
to float, when falling into the water. To
activate the transmission, the inbuilt aerial
was deployed by rotating it into the verti-
cal position. This was prior to the forma-
tion of the CAA and the specification was
determined by the Board of Trade Civil
Aviation Department.
The Airbands
Aeronautical radio has the dual purpose
of communication and navigation. Across
land and coastal areas, communica-
tions coverage is usually on VHF (118 to
137MHz with 8.33kHz channel spacing)
for civil aircraft and UHF (230 to 399MHz,
12.5kHz spacing) for military purposes.
Over remote areas such as oceans,
various allocations in the short wave
spectrum (below 30MHz) are in wide-
spread use, despite and in addition to, the
increasing importance of communications
satellites.
Navigation beacons are of various
types and en route aids include NDBs
Also
transmitting close to the medium wave
band, VOR in the 108 to 118MHz alloca-
tion and DME on the border between UHF
and microwaves.
For final approach, the instrument
available
26
digitally
Exclusive features from leading experts on all forms of radio listening every
month. Plus, receive up-to-date news and information from around the world.
by quarterly direct debit
Subscribe www.webscribe.co.uk/magazine/pw
or call us today 01442 820580. Subscribe to digital www.pocketmags.com
Terms and conditions £11 payable by quarterly direct debit (UK only). Subscription hotline open 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday.
RadioUser January 2018
04 subscriptions.indd 4 70
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SUBSCRIBE TO
Godfrey Manning assesses radio communications in
aviation, looks at callsigns and good practice and offers his
latest frequency and operational updates.
landing system has components sharing
the VOR band (localisers), UHF glide path
transmitters and 75MHz marker beacons.
DME is also often paired with ILS.
Radio: Help not Hindrance
Pilots want to get on with flying and, to
this end, radio is a helpful tool in mak-
ing flights safer and easier. Pilots are not
necessarily radio enthusiasts; the radio is
only a means to an end.
Regardless of why someone is using
radio, there are certain constraints that, if
ignored, create difficulties that can affect
others on the same frequency.
Transmitting at the same time as
someone else on the same frequency
is sometimes called stepping on a
transmission,, in the same sense that
you avoid stepping on your dance
partner’s toes. Although unlikely,
sometimes two pilots really do press
their push-to-talk buttons simultaneously,
causing the controller to miss one or
both transmissions. An awareness
of the jumble and calling for a further
transmission should resolve things but
the controller might hear one signal and
be unaware of the other. This can be even
worse if the obscured caller believes the
controller’s reply is for them, not the other,
stronger, station.
There are automated circuits in some
airborne radios, which prevent transmis-
sion if a signal is already received on any
given frequency. This safeguard operates
faster than human response time, even if
the received carrier has only been there
for a fraction of a second. Some radios
fitted to older Boeing 757s had a ‘Roger’
bleep to emphasise that a transmission
was beginning.
It is correct practice on any radio
system to listen before transmitting (Fig.
1). If a controller has just issued a clear-
ance to another flight, it is essential not to
transmit until the other pilot has transmit-
ted their readback.
£11
THE GODFREY MANNING AIRCRAFT MUSEUM
Fig. 3: G-ALZO Airspeed AS57 Ambassador 2.
C. Equipment can go wrong and an
inaccurate altitude readout can cause
confusion on the radar screen. When this
happens, the controller will tell the pilot
to stop squawk altitude but old habits
persist and stop Mode C is still heard.
Knowing how to operate your
transponder and responding to the
request, in whatever way it is phrased, will
prevent confusion.
Callsigns
Every flight must have a callsign, so there
Fig. 1: Listen before pressing the transmit button. can be no doubt as to the recipient of any
radio message.
A TIT EW
REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION OF THE CAA AND FROM
Typically, commercial flights adopt
D L
ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPS WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE
CONTROLLER OF HMSO, (C) CROWN COPYRIGHT NC/06/53602.
NOT FOR OPERATIONAL USE. their airline name and flight number (or
some variation on this scheme) as their
callsign. The airline name in the callsign
New Runway can be different to the trading name
painted on the side of the aircraft. For
instance, BA retains the insignia of the
former BOAC and this gives rise to the
callsign Speedbird.
The name could instead pertain to the
function of the flight, such as Pipeline or
Medevac helicopter callsigns. A suffix of
heavy indicates the need for increased
Fig. 2: Northampton/Sywell has a new runway. separation from the persistent wake
vortex.
Another kind of confusion can arise Display items often adopt a name
from secondary radar. Derived from
earlier wartime friend-or-foe identifica-
tion technology, the next generation of
transponders introduced two modes. Of
these, Mode A is the basic response to
the ground radar’s interrogation pulse and
includes a four-digit squawk code.
Mode C adds flight level reporting
to the downlink signal. These days,
the modes have been lost in history
and transponders often have controls
labelled as altitude rather than Mode
January 2018 RadioUser RadioUser January 2018
CHRISTINE MLYNEK
indicative of the aircraft itself, such as https://www.icao.int/Pages/default.aspx
Vulcan or Red Arrows. Military flights http://www.itu.int/en/Pages/default.aspx
can take unusual names. The Military
Matters column in RadioUser has a wide Frequency & Operational News
range of examples. My Airband Factsheet lists suppliers that
General aviation, mainly private light sell authoritative aeronautical information
aircraft, usually give their registrations as to the public by mail order. To get one,
callsigns. G-ABCD would make the first send me a self-addressed reply-paid en-
contact with a controller by stating the velope and an additional 2nd Class stamp
full registration phonetically. If there is no (or IRC) to cover production costs.
other flight on the frequency where the Abbreviations for all articles are found
callsigns could become confused, the in the Glossary towards the back of this
controller will reply with the abbreviated magazine.
Golf Charlie Delta and this implies The following summary of aeronautical
permission for the pilot to follow suit. information (such as AIP amendments) is
D E
The initial characters in a registration selected for its interest to readers in gen-
!
ED
N
indicate the state (country) that eral. Pilots, in particular, should consult
administers the aircraft in question, so G- the original documents.
is Great Britain (with new exceptions of M Many larger airports have had minor
for the Isle of Man, ZJ for Jersey and 2 for amendments to certain standard terminal
Guernsey). arrival routes.
Amateur radio callsigns are allocated Some airways in the Prestwick area
according to similar country codes with have had minor amendments.
G, M and 2 again applying to Great Remember that some upper airways
Britain. cease to carry the U designation. They
This is not surprising, since still exist but are combined with their
the allocations are internationally lower counterparts to form a single entity.
coordinated at United Nations level Northampton/Sywell now has a new
such as through the International Civil grass runway 14/32 (Fig. 2). As it is
Aviation Organisation or the International unlicensed, there are restrictions, such as
Telecommunications Union. for training.
NOW IN STOCK!
JU
£3
ST
IN
C
LU
D
IN
G
5
SAVE
P&
P
World Radio TV Handbook 2018
This is the 72nd edition of World Radio TV Handbook and this great directory continues to offer the most comprehensive
guide to broadcasting on the planet. With the help of an international network of contributors they again provide the most
UP TO
up-to-date information on mediumwave, shortwave and FM broadcasts and broadcasters available in any publication.
For more details visit our Radio Book Store on page 69
10%
27
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by annual Credit/Cheque
70
01/12/2017 16:33
16:10
 contents
January 2018
On Sale 21st December 2017
Vol. 13 No. 1
Next issue on sale:
Thursday 25th January 2018
48
8 Review I: The ICOM IC-R8600
Wideband Receiver
In his review, Keith Rawlings
G4MIU offers an in-depth
assessment of the technical
specifications, key features and
advanced capabilities of the new
flagship receiver from ICOM.
14 Scanning Scene
Scanmeister Bill Robertson
provides hints and tips for wireless
remote scanning in and around your
home and looks at a type of radio
that could be said to be out of this
world.
17 Decode
Mike Richards covers more of
the aspects and workings of the
Weak Signals Propagation Reporter
system, including its WSJT-X
component.
20 Review II: The ELAD FDM DUOr
Multi-Use Receiver
Former RU editor Andy Thomsett
re-examines the ELAD FDM DUOr
multi-use receiver from the point of
view of its software capabilities, its
versatility and its practicability for
the hobby monitor.
26 Sky High
Godfrey Manning evaluates
the use of selected radio
communications as aids to
aviation, surveys good practice,
covers callsigns and offers some
operational and frequency updates.
28 Airband News
David Smith reviews potential
cyber-threats to aircraft and reports
on ground-breaking remote-control
tower technology in the UK, before
updating readers on routes and
arrival procedures.
30 Maritime Matters
Robert Connolly weighs up
minimum specifications for non-
GMDSS maritime VHF equipment,
relives the recent hurricane Ophelia
and undertakes some equipment
comparisons.
RadioUser January 2018
005 Contents.indd 5
Incorporating the very best of Short Wave Magazine & Radio Active
33
33 Book Review
Avid radio book reader David
Harris reviews a fascinating,
updated, biographical account
of the life of Michael Faraday by
Professor Iwan Rhys Morus.
34 Digital Radio
New regular columnist Kevin
Ryan looks at weather and DAB
reception, assesses smaller DAB
trials and reports on issues of
coverage, audiences and services in
this sector of digital radio.
36 Radio Museums 1 (UK)
Without any claim to
comprehensiveness, David Harris
and Georg Wiessala offer a
short table of historical sites and
museums in the UK dedicated
to radio history, technology and
design.
37 Corrections and Feedback
What I got wrong and what you
think of us.
40 DXTV, FM & Satellite News
Keith Hamer and Garry Smith
demonstrate the truly global nature
of their hobby, delineating TV
and FM DXing successes during
October and using contributions
from readers around the world.
42 LM&S Broadcast Matters
Chrissy Brand checks back in
from a visit to the Woofferton SW
transmitter site, looks at global radio
stations’ QSL policies and reacts to
readers’ reception reports on short
and medium wave.
48 Fifty Years of BBC Colour TV
Keith Hamer and Garry Smith
return with a mini-series in which
they remind us of one of the more
significant media anniversaries of
2017.
Cover image credits:
The original BBC Colour Test Card ‘F’
The new ICOM IC-R8600 Wideband Receiver
Trunk Sniffer
RadioUser Index for 2017 UK Radio Museums and SI Units NOW IN
Find any item published this year Radio Locations and Unit Measurements OUR13TH
YEAR!
50 YEARS OF BBC COLOUR TELEVISION
Technologies, Test Cards and Trials
REVIEW
SPECIAL
Scanning Scene
Remote Scanning and ‘Ghost-Radios’
Digital Radio
Outages, Band Use & Resources IN-DEPTH REVIEW of the ICOM
IC-R8600 Wideband Receiver
USER REPORT on the ELAD FDM
DUOr Dual-Mode SDR Receiver
SOFTWARE SPOT
Guide to the Amateur
Radio Data Modes January 2018 £3.99 Display until 25th January 2018
ISSN 1748-8117
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P006 Waters & Stanton.indd 1 01/12/2017 11:05

 editorial
Georg Wiessala
E-mail: wiessala@hotmail.com

W
elcome to the New Year
and to the January 2018
issue of RadioUser. I
would like to start off our
New Year in the best possi-
ble way, which is why you will find two signifi-
cant radio reviews in the pages that follow.
In a ‘UK-first’ for this magazine, Keith
Rawlings has been putting the new Icom
IC-R8600 wideband communications SDR
receiver through its paces, looking at the
specifications and the performance of this new
radio, which he calls a “signal-gathering ma-
chine”. Second, former editor Andy Thomsett
makes a welcome return to re-visit the ELAD
FM DUOr multi-use SDR receiver. Since this
radio was previously reviewed in some depth
in RadioUser (June 2016: 8-12), Andy’s con-
tribution is less of a formal examination and
more of a practical user-report. I hope that you
will find both these reviews interesting and I
am awaiting your reactions and feedback, with
my warm thanks to all those who have been in
touch in 2017.
http://www.icomuk.co.uk/IC-R8600/Receiver-
Scanner_Base_Station
http://ecom.eladit.com/ELAD-FDM-DUOR/en
This issue contains the Index for 2017 and
the Corrections & Feedback page I promised
you last month.
Furthermore, our regular contributions
this month cover remotely-controlled airport
towers, the most famous scientist of the 19th
century, hurricane Ophelia, a collection of CB
resources, a guide to data modes, tips for
wireless remote scanning and radio proce-
dures in aviation. And much more, of course.
There is also the first regular column on
Digital Radio, with my thanks to all who have
welcomed it already.
Our historical feature this month introduces
you to Carole and Bubbles, two of the most
famous characters on UK television. Regulars
Keith Hamer and Garry Smith commemorate
one of the more special anniversaries of this,
anniversary-laden, year – the inauguration of
British Colour Television 50 years ago.
Last but certainly not least, we are saying
good-bye and thank you to Pat Carty, who
has contributed to this magazine for many
years, most recently though Military Matters. In
his stead, we welcome another prolific author,
Nils Schiffauer, who will introduce a new
column on Utility Dxing, to RadioUser this year,
beginning with an introductory ‘pilot-episode’
next month.
The new section will address many signals
of military origin but will go beyond that, to
look at contemporary digital data transmis-
sions, meteorological, aeronautical and marine
signals and many other utility services.
Enjoy the first issue of RadioUser for this
year and don’t forget to get in touch with sug-
gestions, through your hobby networks/ ARCs
and regarding potential future contributions
you could make. Georg Wiessala

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RadioUser January 2018 7

007 eds comments.indd 7 05/12/2017 09:00

 technical review In a UK First, Keith Rawlings G4MIU reviews the new ICOM
Keith Rawlings G4MIU IC-R8600 Wideband Receiver for RadioUser.
Email: keith@recelectronics.co.uk

A Signal-Gathering Machine
A
s the happy owner of

ICOM
an ICOM IC-R8500 for
a good many years, I
naturally followed with
interest the news on its
successor, the IC-R8600. This new gen-
eration of receiver from ICOM promises
to be a step up from previous models.
It looks to be an SDR receiver ‘hybrid’.
This means that, on the inside, it incor-
porates SDR receiver technology and,
on the outside, it is presented as a con-
ventional receiver, including controls and Fig. 1: The receiver system of the ICOM IC-R8600.
menus and not requiring a computer for

KEITH RAWLINGS
operation. Needless to say, that – when
our editor gave me the opportunity to
have a look at an IC-R8600 for a review –
I jumped at the chance.

Brief Overview.
The IC-R8600 is a wideband receiver
with a frequency range from 10kHz to
3GHz. It offers a complex set of fea-
tures. It receives conventional, analogue,
modes such as AM (including synchro-
nous AM), FM, WFM, USB, LSB, FSK
and CW as well as digital modes like
P25, NXDN, dPMR, D-STAR and DCR
(Japanese Digital Convenience Radio).
However, readers might notice the
absence of DMR in this list of digital
modes.
A total of 2,000 memory channels are
provided in 100 groups and these can
be scanned at a rate of 100 channels
per second. There are several memory
scan modes and programmed scanning
(‘searching’) is included. The speed (or
rate) of scanning, scan-resume time and
priority interval can all be adjusted.
What makes this radio stand out is
its 4.3in colour touchscreen display. Not
only does this look incredibly stylish, it
displays a whole wealth of information
and it provides a real-time spectrum
scope, spanning up to 5MHz in band-
width (-2.5 to +2.5 MHz).
This visualisation allows the operator
to see signals within the selected range.
Later, with the touch of a finger, any
Fig. 2: ‘Zooming-in’ for closer signals analysis.
desired signal can be tuned to by simply
tapping on the screen.
There are three antenna inputs on the
rear panel. ‘Ant1’ is an N-Type connec-
tor, which provides signals over the full
operating range of the receiver. ‘Ant 2’
(an SO239 connection) covers frequen-
cies below 30MHz. Both two inputs have
impedances of 50Ω. The third connector
(‘Ant 3’) is of the RCA (Phono) type. It
also covers the range below 30MHz, with
an impedance of 500Ω.
All inputs are selected by way of an
icon on the main screen or via the Func-
tion menu.
On the rear panel, there are con-
nectors for 10.7MHz IF out, 10MHz
reference signal IN/OUT, Meter Out,
Ext Speaker, PC/CI-V, USB/B, Remote
Control, AF/IF OUT, LAN, DC Input and
I/Q OUT. The latter had yet to be imple-
mented on the review model.
The IC-R8600 is built around a direct
sampling 10kHz to 30MHz SDR receiver.
From 30MHz to 3GHz, the range is
covered by two heterodyne down-con-
verters, covering 30MHz to 1.1GHz and
1.1GHz to 3GHz.
From 10kHz to 30MHz, signals go via
eleven bandpass filters directly to the
analogue-to-digital converter.
Those from 30MHz to 1,100MHz go
through more filtering and through two
local oscillator/ mixer stages, before they
are fed to the ADC.
Finally, between 1,100MHz and 3GHz,

8 January 2018 RadioUser

08 ICOM technical review.indd 8 01/12/2017 10:50


signals pass through more filters, via
three local oscillator/ mixer stages and
to the ADC. In all, there are thirteen band
pass filters in the VHF/UHF range.
The signals are fed into a 14-bit ADC,
sampling at 122.88MHz.
The output of the ADC feeds into to
a field-programmable gate array, which
sends data to the digital signal process-
ing unit. This carries out all signal pro-
cessing and passes data to the spectrum
scope (Fig. 1).
The radio is surprisingly heavy (just
over 9lb) but smaller than expected at
8.7 x 3.5 x 9.1in.
The review model was supplied with a
matching SP39-AD speaker power sup-
ply unit sitting alongside the receiver to
make for a good-looking setup. Without
this PSU, a separate 12V supply will be
required.
Description and Display
At first sight, the front panel looks busy,
with various buttons, dials and that eye-
catching display. However, I soon found
that I felt at home. The ICOM website
describes the IC-R8600 as offering
“quick, smooth and intuitive operation”
and I strongly agree with that. I also
found I got a long way before needing to
refer to the comprehensive manual.
The screen can be configured to
display various operating conditions.
The spectrum scope and waterfall can
display up to 5MHz of instantaneous
bandwidth. This can be narrowed down
to 5kHz, meaning that you can ‘zoom in’
to examine the detail of any signal you
encounter (Fig. 2).
The spectrum can be displayed in two
modes: CENTER mode displays the se-
lected spectrum bandwidth. Here, when
tuning, the operating frequency always
remains in the centre, with the spectrum
moving as the set is tuned. FIXED mode
is a bit like an old-fashioned tuning dial.
The selected spectrum range stays fixed
and the cursor moves as the set is tuned.
In either mode, received traces can
be seen on the screen and tuned to as
required. It is also possible to select the
strongest signals and step to them using
the peak signal marker. A signal can
also be tuned to by touching a trace on
the screen. The display zooms in and a
second touch on the trace tunes to that
signal.
Although the display seems small,
especially if the operator is used to a
conventional SDR receiver and a com-
puter screen, it is perfectly useable.
RadioUser January 2018  9
08 ICOM technical review.indd 9
Fig. 3: Decoding Deutscher Wetterdienst DDH47 from Pinneberg (Germany).
I found that, for general operation
on the HF bands, a span of +/- 500kHz
worked well. At VHF and above, the full
span was useful to observe signals over
a wider range. In both cases, I zoomed
in to the span, to investigate signals of
interest, as and when they were found.
There are three multi-mode push/
turn knobs (‘multi-dials’). First, Dial A for
setting scanning parameters. Second,
Dial B for audio gain, squelch, RF gain,
treble/bass control. Third, Dial C, cover-
ing memory channel selection and other
functions such as setting passband tun-
ing, voice scanning and backlight.
The main tuning dial has a good feel
with three tension settings: low, medium
and click detent. I found it quite difficult
to access the tension adjuster, located
directly below the main dial.
There are a number of switches on
the front panel and these have a good,
positive, feel to them.
Modulation and Filtering
Selecting modulation mode is accom-
plished by touching the mode icon on
the screen. The user is presented with a
touch menu to select AM, FM, SSB and
so on. A second touch on some of these
modes brings up alternatives such as
synchronous AM, USB, LSB and CW/R.
There are three preset IF filter band-
widths for most modes, again selected
by touch screen, this time through the
FIL icon. A prolonged press brings up
the filter bandwidth setting option. Here,
the IF passband can be varied. The
available bandwidth varies with mode.
For example, SSB filter bandwidth can
be adjusted from 6.3kHz to 50Hz. Also,
the shape factor of the filters can be
KEITH RAWLINGS
alternated between sharp or soft.
Filters for FM/WFM are fixed and can-
not be varied.
ICOM has incorporated their digital
twin bandpass filter, an excellent tool for
combating interference. This function is
accessed by pressing Dial C. A menu
allows PBT1 and PBT2 to be individually
tuned.
The notch filter has two modes, AUTO
and MANUAL. It works very effectively.
In AUTO, the filter automatically notches
out interfering beats and tones. This can
be used with AM, FM and SSB modes.
In addition, the MANUAL setting can
be deployed with the aforementioned
modes and with CW and FSK. However,
in this case, the operator manually ad-
justs the notch width and frequency for
best results.
The benefit of this is that the notch
will not automatically try and kill each
tone it encounters. For instance, when
monitoring RTTY, operators can notch
out an interfering tone and leave the
wanted ones intact. The same applies
to CW.
The noise blanker is very effective. I
have a form of pulse QRM here, which
is bad between 6 to 18MHz. It sounds
like ignition interference so might be a
HPA-PLA (home plug alliance-power
line adaptor). The noise blanker kills
it dead. There are three settings for it,
level, depth and width. All three can be
adjusted for best results. Care is needed
though, as incorrect settings can cause
distortion. This is nothing new and is the
case with many other receivers out there,
SDR receivers included.
Another function I found I used a lot
was noise reduction. I found this to be
01/12/2017 10:50

KEITH RAWLINGS
Fig. 4: Working the P25 Mode.
effective. However, if set too high, it gave
the audio a ‘watery’ effect. Therefore, it
should be used with care.
There are three AGC settings, slow,
medium and fast. They are selected via
the Function menu. Again, a prolonged
press of the AGC icon allows the user to
adjust the AGC time constant from 0.1
to 6.0s as well as to OFF. Be careful with
switching it to OFF if you are receiving a
strong signal with the RF gain turned up
and with the volume at anything other
than a very low setting!
On FM/WFM, the AGC is fixed at
0.1s.
The signal strength meter has been
designed with versatility in mind. By a
touch of the screen, it can be cycled
through one of four different scales, that
is S-meter, dBµ, dBµ (EMF) and dBm.
To improve the third-order intercept
point, ICOM have implemented the IP+
function. This improves the linearity and
dynamic range of the ADC. To get maxi-
mum dynamic range for the receiver, IP+
has to be selected. On occasion, I had
the overload icon illuminate and select-
ing IP+ cured this.
However, there is a ‘penalty’ to be
paid, in that there is a slight degradation
in receive sensitivity when selected. On
HF, I found this barely noticeable.
Audio and Recording
Audio quality is excellent, using either
the external SP39AD or the internal
speaker. I did notice that the onset of
distortion at high output levels came on
slightly sooner with the external speaker.
Audio can be tailored within the set-
tings for each mode (bass/treble) and
there is ample headroom on the volume
control. In all, the audio output is more
than anyone could ever need.
The IC-R8600 incorporates an SD
card slot on the front panel. Pressing the
Quick button and Rec Start, immediately
starts recording audio to the SD card.
Confirmation of this comes in the shape
10  January 2018 RadioUser
08 ICOM technical review.indd 10
of the LED next to the card slot flashing
and the red recording dot appearing on
the display. The recording can be set to
start when the squelch opens or to ‘free
run’, in which case it is recording until
disabled.
Going to Menu, Record and Play
Files, enabled me to select and playback
my recordings. The screen displayed the
date, start time, frequency and mode
selected at the beginning of the record-
ing. To further analyse recordings, the
SD card can be removed and the files
transferred to a PC.
It is of note that – unlike PC-based
SDR receivers (which can record a chunk
of I/Q spectrum for later playback and
analysis using the features of the SDR
receiver software) – the R8600 only
stores files as audio (.wav) on the SD
card – recordings cannot be ‘processed’
on the radio. This might change with the
future implementation of the rear panel
I/Q output and when suitable software is
available for PC processing.
Screen Shots and Memories
A really nice feature is that, with a quick
press of the power button, I was able
to save an image of the current screen
display as a .png (or .bmp) picture file,
for future reference. The saved images
were clear on my monitor, even when
zoomed into at 500%. Most were under
50KB in size when in .png format and
under 400KB in .bmp format. Screen
shots will enable you to impress your
friends and, if you are GCHQ, they will
allow you to impress the person who
approved the IC-R6800 budget. As far
as I am concerned, it took out the worry
of taking decent photos of the display
for this review! On a more serious note,
these images will be of use for the later
analysing of such things as receiver set-
tings and signal types.
On the SD card, you can also save
your decoded RTTY log files, memory
channels, received history log and the
receiver’s data settings. The latter I did
frequently, as my experience with the
radio evolved.
Space will allow a quick overview only
of the many memory and scan func-
tions. Memory channels store frequency,
mode, antenna settings, IF filter and
other information associated with the
setup at the time. A total of 100 memory
groups is available and each can store
up to 100 channels up to the maximum
of 2,000 channels.
Channels can be scanned in much
the same way as in a number of other
scanners. Predefined search ranges
can be set up to search for signals
between set frequency limits and any
active frequencies found can be stored
into memory channels. Scanning speed
is a little slow by modern standards.
However, from a personal point of view I
would not see that as a problem.
The IC-R8600 has so many fea-
tures, there is not enough room to fully
describe them all here. Some of those I
have not covered are: Centre Zero Meter
for FM, Duplex/Split operation, S-meter
squelch, CTCSS/T-SQL (plus search),
Voice Scan, 12kHz IF output port for
DRM broadcasts, on/off timer, internal
clock set over IP/NTP server, voice an-
nouncement and much more.
The firmware can be updated and
there will probably be more features,
such as I/Q output, available in the
future.
A download of the manual will fill
readers in with anything I might have
missed.
http://www.icomuk.co.uk/IC-R8600/
Receiver-Scanner_Base_Station
A Test Drive
I completed a check of the sensitivity of
the IC-R8600 using my good-quality (but
not-in-calibration) test gear. In the range
of up to 1GHz (the equipment’s limit) the
figures were always very close to those
quoted, sometimes exceeding them.
Tests were made at VHF/UHF, with the
RF amplifier both in and out of circuit.
To meet the published figures, the
RF amplifier has to be selected. As an
example, at 450.0MHz FM, the IC-R8600
returned .380 µv for 12dB SINAD. With-
out the amplifier in circuit, I found the
figure was .880 µv.
A side-by-side comparison with my
IC-R8500 confirmed that the IC-R8600
needed the amplifier to compete in terms
of sensitivity.
While performing my tests, I noted
that on FM the squelch opened at
around 0.3 µv.
The calibration of the received signal
strength indicator was also checked
when set to read dBm and it was found
that indicated levels very closely fol-
lowed those that were injected into the
IC-R8600 at selected spot frequencies
up to 1GHz. I found that only in S-meter
mode did the meter show the increase
in signal strength due to the preamplifier
switched in circuit, I also noted that, for a
given input, the S-Meter readings varied
01/12/2017 10:50

Fig. 5: Using HOLD to freeze an ‘off-the-air’ transmission on 120.62089MHz.
over the range of the receiver.
I searched for internal birdies (carriers
generated by the circuits of the receiver)
up to 1GHz. Apart from one (at 10.7MHz)
there were few and far between. Those I
did find were of a low level.
I did notice that some ‘ghost’ signals
appeared on the waterfall while tuning,
only for them to disappear when I at-
tempted to home in on them.
Performance and Use
The IC-R8600 enabled me to easily
search and find signals of interest and
either monitor them, record them for
later analysis or send them to outboard
utilities for real-time analysis or decoding
by way of the AF/IF outputs. I liked the
tuning action of the main dial and found
the auto speed-up facility of great help.
I was more than happy with AM
reception on both the medium and short
wave bands. Audio quality was good
and the synchronous detector seemed
to lock quite quickly and stay in lock. By
using passband tuning and narrowing
selectivity, it was possible to perfectly re-
ceive weaker stations otherwise blanked
by splatter from a strong, adjacent
signal.
On CW, I found there to be next to no
‘ringing’ when narrowing the IF filters.
Even when set to the narrowest of pass
bands, it was still easy to tune to another
signal located on the scope, by zooming
in and using the FIXED mode setting to
place the cursor over the trace.
During SSB operation, the IC-R8600
demonstrated its ability to present good,
clear, audio. With noise reduction and
the ability to tailor the AGC settings, long
periods of reception on noisy HF bands
were all the more pleasant.
The set worked well on FM, with a
good audio quality. Filters 2 and 3 pro-
vided adequate selectivity.
I tried weather satellite reception on
VHF, with the audio fed from the front
RadioUser January 2018  11
08 ICOM technical review.indd 11
KEITH RAWLINGS
Fig. 6: Using HOLD to freeze an ‘off air’ transmission on 120.62822MHz.
panel USB port to a PC and with Filter 1
selected, resulting in 50kHz of band-
width. Results were very good, without
problems from pagers.
Broadcast FM reception was clear,
made easier on the ear by adjustment of
the bass and treble controls.
I had a good play with the inbuilt FSK
decoder and quite enjoyed decoding
RTTY signals on the amateur bands and
elsewhere.
The performance of the decoder
was good; anything that my PC-based
decoder could read was also read by the
IC-R8600. The presets for FSK are 45.5
and 50Bd, with shifts of 170, 200, 425,
800 and 850Hz.
Feeding audio to various computer-
based decoding programs such as
FLDIGI, MultiPSK and others likewise
provided very good results (Fig. 3).
Digital Modes
Of the digital modes incorporated in the
set, I successfully decoded D-STAR,
NXDN and P25.
D-STAR reception was particularly
impressive because two repeaters near
me are not that strong. One is just one S-
point above the noise. However, the IC-
R8600 decoded them almost perfectly.
Likewise, NXDN reception was very
good. I can receive a few VHF NXDN
transmissions here but only one was
busy enough for me to catch traffic on. It
was strength S-3 and I found reception
consistently good.
In both cases the R8600 synchro-
nised itself very quickly.
For P25, I had to venture out because
there are no known transmissions of
this type in my area. I took the IC-
R8600 to a favourite haunt of mine
where the airwaves are full of P25
transmissions and initiated reception.
P25 transmissions were quickly identified
and the set displayed the received
group details and the network access
KEITH RAWLINGS
code. However, the audio was garbled.
I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that all
of the transmissions were encrypted.
Considering where I was, this should not
have been surprising. (Fig. 4).
I did not manage to find any dPMR
transmissions during the review period.
Unfortunately, the IC-R8600 does
not support the decoding of DMR and
there is no discriminator output for those
that would like to try using third-party
software.
I did attempt to use DSD+ with the
USB AF output and no filtering but I had
no success.
However, if the decoding of DMR
(or other modes) with an IC-R8600 is
really important to you, there might
be a work-around: By connecting the
10.7MHz IF out with my SDRplay RSP2,
I was able to successfully decode DMR
using DSD+ on a PC. Thus, it might be
possible to buy a cheap RTL dongle that
covers 10.7MHz and use it as a form
of hardware converter, controlled by
something like HDSDR. You could feed
the output of HDSDR into DSD+.
The ability to tailor the selectivity
of the IF filter bandwidths and the use
of pass band tuning greatly assisted
in rejecting interference, as did the
operation of the noise blanker, notch
filters and noise reduction features.
RF performance across the range
appears to be very good and I had few
real issues with overload of the receiver.
When I did, it was at HF and selecting
IP+ always cured this.
I should point out that I have no
strong local transmitters near me.
HF and VHF/ UHF
On HF, the IC-R8600 handled itself well
without overload problems and offering
good audio quality and a capability to
resolve signals that were difficult to make
out.
VHF and UHF reception were equally
01/12/2017 10:50
 as good. The squelch is sensitive enough
to not miss anything but the weakest
signals.
Sensitivity is more than adequate. I
liked the detent position on the tuning
knob. When the correct tuning step was
selected, this made the IC-R8600 more
akin to a channelised radio, as befits
VHF/ UHF reception.
Above 1GHz, I tried out a small
discone antenna knocked up for the
review. I was surprised at what I heard
and saw. Along with the expected
mobile phone transmissions from nearby
masts, I noticed a number of signals
that I could not identify. They may have
been data/telemetry signals and some
demonstrated considerable fading on the
transmission.
The IC-R8600 and a Conventional
Receiver
Although the R8600 is classed as an
SDR receiver, there are differences be-
tween this radio and PC-based systems.
One such difference is that you can only
listen to one frequency at a time. By
comparison, many SDR receivers have
the option for multiple ‘virtual’ receivers
within the selected bandwidth.
Another one is that there is no display
on the screen of the IF filter selectivity.
Again, most SDR receiver software will
display this as a shaded area on the
spectrum scope. These are not criticisms
just observations.
One thing that caught me out was
that the IC-R8600 seems to be set up in
bands. For instance, I tuned from 5.999
to 6.0MHz and all my settings changed.
The ‘overflow’ caption lit up and the
waterfall contrast seemed to go off scale.
The reason was that I had tuned across
the boundary to the next band, where
the preamplifier was selected on and IP+
was off. Since I was using an active loop
with a high output, this caused overload.
Reversing the preamplifier and IP+ set-
tings brought things under control.
The next-higher boundary seemed
to be at 8 and 11MHz (I did not check
further). It appears that the settings for
antenna, preamplifier and IP+ are held
for each band.
More than a Receiver
The IC-R8600 is more than a receiver.
With its wideband spectrum scope
and accurate received signal strength
indicator, the set can also function as a
spectrum analyser.
In Figs. 5 and 6, I have used the
12  January 2018 RadioUser
08 ICOM technical review.indd 12
HOLD function to freeze an ‘off air’
transmission (to Essex Radar). I have
placed the cursor on the edge of both
sidebands and noted the frequen-
cies, 120.62089 and 120.62822MHz.
Subtracting one from the other, gives
the bandwidth of this transmission as
7.33kHz. It can also be seen on the trace
that the transmission is off the nominal
frequency of 120.625MHz by 400Hz.
Moreover, the amplitude of the re-
ceived signal can be read. Unfortunately,
in the example, it was not until later that
I realised the meter was set to dBµ and
not dBm, as I would have preferred.
The IC-R8600 can also be used
to check for spurious emissions and
sources of interference, which can be re-
corded and logged, along with a screen
shot, on the SD card.
The operation of the radio can be
enhanced by the use of remote con-
trol. At the time of writing, ICOM have
announced their RS-R8600 package,
which will allow users to control their
radio either directly from a PC (via a USB
port) or over an IP Network. Low latency
times and high-quality audio are both
claimed. The audio will be stored directly
onto a PC storage device. Most receiver
functions can be controlled through the
software and the optional RC-28 can be
used to add a ‘hardware-dial’ for realistic
operation while under PC control.
Furthermore, users can benefit from a
larger waterfall displayed on the com-
puter monitor.
Remote operation over a network
will appeal to professional and amateur
operators alike. Especially to the former,
perhaps, for the purpose of spectrum
monitoring from remote sites.
I hope that the programmers’ refer-
ence will be made available so that
owners and third-party software vendors
will be able to offer alternative options in
the future.
Summary and Outlook
The IC-R8600 is mightily impressive. It
gives access to a huge range of fre-
quency spectrum and I found it a dream
to use. ICOM has built into one tidy box
a fully-featured communications receiver,
surveillance receiver, scanner and spec-
trum analyser – in fact, this is a bit of a
‘signal-gathering machine’.
I found that operation was set out in
a logical manner and experienced users
will be at home using this set in no time.
Less experienced users will find the go-
ing somewhat harder but with the default
factory settings everything is already
perfectly set up. With reference to the
manual and a bit of time, they will eas-
ily get to grips with the features of this
outstanding receiver.
Performance appears to be excel-
lent, with good sensitivity, along with
good strong signal handling capabilities.
Filtering options are first-rate and – when
used with the twin passband tuning,
notch, noise blanker and noise reduc-
tion facilities – more often than not it
was possible to pull a signal out of the
local QRM. With things as they are today,
especially around here, that is saying
something.
In this respect, it left my R8500 well
behind. In fact, it leaves it behind in most
areas.
I liked the ability to interface the au-
dio/IF output to a PC via the USB ports,
so there are no more wires to sound-
cards.
While it is still early days, the addi-
tion of the I/Q output and computer and
remote-control facilities will make this set
even more desirable.
The IC-R8600 certainly is the step up
that I anticipated and has changed my
opinion of going back to buying a radio
that has knobs and switches. It will be, I
am sure, popular with professional and
amateur users alike.
The only things I would like to see
added (this is a personal view) is a
screen output for an external monitor
and an antenna switch option to enable
the use of multiple antennas (as in the
AR5000+).
I would also like to see the RSSI data
held too, when HOLD is used. This would
assist users when looking at a signal. At
present, when held, the set continues to
update the RSSI with currently received
signals.
Some might wish for other digital
modes (such as DMR) to be included.
The truth is though, I could not really
find anything in this receiver that I did
not like, except for one thing, which was
having to, very reluctantly, give it back.
As for all the settings and memories
saved on my SD card, they have been
kept with an eye on the future.
At the time of writing the RRP for the
IC-R8600 was £2,499.95 including VAT.
The RRP for the SP39 AD was £198,00
including VAT.
My warm thanks to Ian Lockyer and
ICOM UK for the kind loan of the equip-
ment.
http://www.icomuk.co.uk
01/12/2017 10:50
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RadioUser January 2018  13

P013 Moonraker FP.indd 13 04/12/2017 12:34

 scanning scene
Bill Robertson
bill@scanman.org.uk
Wireless Remote Scanning
Fig. 1: The Scanner Recorder Program.
A
s the nights draw in,
many of us increasingly
use our scanners at
home, rather than
out and about during
outdoor events. However, if we venture
out from the listening post, where the
receiving equipment is installed (whether
this be a spare bedroom, garden shed
or whatever) we might, of course, like to
take our listening with us, as it were.
Regular readers will, hopefully, have
followed my advice over the summer and
will have made improvements to their
home-based scanner antennas. At the
very least, you ought to have checked
existing antenna systems, including the
coaxial feeder cable, for any damage or
deterioration.
Even if you have performed these
routine tasks, using a handheld without
14
14 Scanning Scene.indd 14
Bill Robertson offers some innovative ideas on listing
to your scanner around the house and away from your
scanning post and offers information on a rather unusual
scanning radio.
I am away for the day or the weekend or
SUPPLIED BY BILL ROBERTSON
even if I am just downstairs in the lounge
watching a film on TV for the evening.
In-Home Listening Extension
For in-home use, I have found in the past
that a small plug-in Bluetooth transmitter
is ideal for this kind of very ‘local’ listen-
ing. provided I am not too far away from
the scanner receiver (Fig. 2).
An in-ear or over-the-ear Bluetooth
receiver is an ideal complement to this.
Such a setup allows me to listen to live
scanner action from my indoor receiver
connected to the outdoor antenna when
I am elsewhere in the house. During the
summer months, I also use this for when
I am on the decking in my garden enjoy-
ing a nice cold drink in the sunshine.
Action Further Afield
For remote listening further afield (say
up to a mile or so away from my house)
a pair of low cost, license-free, PMR446
radios can be ideal, although carrying a
radio handheld clipped onto your belt is
a little bulkier, of course.
the main home-based scanner antenna At the location of my home scanner
system will usually mean that many receiver, the PMR446 walkie talkie is
signals will be lost that would otherwise simply positioned in front of the speaker
be received. of my scanner receiver.
For post-scanning listening, I often Rather than use the permanent
use the Scanner Recorder PC program transmitting function, which would drain
(Fig. 1). Here, my scanner’s audio is fed internal batteries rather quickly (as well
into my PC’s audio input socket. The as tying up a channel other PMR446 us-
software has a voice-operated control ers might want to use) I place the home-
(VOX) function, which will only record based PMR446 radio into VOX mode
when audio is present. This can con- for transmitting. With this method, as
dense many hours of listening into a soon as the scanner springs to life, the
much shorter period, especially when PMR446 radio starts to transmit. After
there are periods of very little activity. the scanner audio has finished, it waits
However, this usually means I could (‘holds’) for a few seconds and resumes
potentially miss out on some ‘live action’, receiving mode, waiting for the next bout
maybe a MAYDAY call on VHF Marine to audio.
Channel 16 or any related, subsequent, If this idea appeals to you, then you
activity. I have kicked myself in the past, must ensure you purchase a pair of
figuratively-speaking, due to this ‘listen PMR446 radios with a VOX facility. This
on return’ system. It is certainly useful if functionality is often mentioned in the
January 2018 RadioUser
04/12/2017 13:53

specifications. Otherwise, do look at the
manual before you buy a pair.
If the shop owner won’t let you view
this (possibly because the box is sealed)
then ensure you can get a refund and
open the box to view the manual before
you leave the store.
If you are buying online and a VOX
facility does not appear in the features
list, you can perform a search for a user
manual for that model of radio. I did this
for my Binatone Terrain 750 PMR Twin
Pack. In this case, the specification failed
to mention a VOX facility. However, the
online user manual did detail this func-
tion.
Scan 125 Scanner Control
Nick Bailey has recently launched
an update to his very comprehensive
Scan125 freeware scanner control pro-
gram suite for the Uniden UBC125XLT,
Uniden BC125AT, Uniden UBC126AT
and Albrecht AE125H models of scanner
(Fig. 3). Although this is freeware and
is readily downloadable, Nick (on his
download pages) suggests a voluntary
charity donation.
After downloading the software,
you will find that it has time-restricted
features and that a (free) registration of
the program removes these completely.
The current release, as I write this, is
V2.3.0.0.
If you examine the accompanying
screenshot, you will get an idea of the
vast number of features. Nick also offers
a useful (freeware) Scan125 convert
utility for reading .csv (comma-separated
values) data files and for converting them
to Scan125 control program format data
files.
These programs run on Windows
up to and including version 10. You can
download them from
http://nick-bailey.co.uk/scan125
VHF Airband Scanning
Several readers have contacted me to
say they are thinking of upgrading their
scanner to one, which can handle the
new 8.33kHz channels used by VHF
airband. This is absolutely fine and you
will find that most, if not all, current
scanners intended for the UK and
European markets have this facility.
However, some aircraft control tower
transmitters offset the transmit fre-
quencies they are using very slightly to
prevent heterodynes. Therefore, a 25kHz
channel spacing bandwidth is used in
scanners to handle this, rather than a
12.5kHz channel spacing bandwidth.
RadioUser January 2018  15
14 Scanning Scene.indd 15
Fig. 3: The Scan125 Control Program.
Unless your existing scanner can only
scan across the VHF airband in 25kHz
steps (many early ones intended for the
US market did) you will find that tuning
to the 5- or 10kHz- spaced frequency
closest to the 8.33kHz channel you want
to listen to will yield acceptable results.
UK Scanner Frequencies
I am also often asked to recommend a
frequency guidebook for UK scanner
frequencies. The problem with printed
books is that they usually go out of date
quickly and are even out of date (in
some areas) by the time they are printed.
One publication I have used myself is
a CD-based directory, the KimmyJS19
UK Scanning Directory, priced at £7.99
including postage (Fig. 4).
The publishers claim they maintain a
complete and up-to-date scanning direc-
tory for the UK. The list is provided on
a CD ROM containing over 80,000 fre-
quencies. It is updated daily, by a long-
standing, dedicated, team of friends,
family and radio amateurs. Compilers are
using many inside and outside, official
and unofficial, sources for their work.
You can test this resource and find
details at;
http://ukscanningdirectory.co.uk
Spirit Scanning
What follows has nothing to do with
Ebenezer Scrooge and the Ghost of
Christmas Past. However, Mike (Hemel
Hempstead) asked me for some more
information on ‘spirit scanners’ or ‘ghost
scanners’. He stated that he read about
those recently and wanted to know how
they work. In the UK, companies such as
Amazon sell them and even have ‘apps’
available to unlock so-called ‘electronic
voice phenomena’ (EVP).
I must say that I was rather at a loss
SUPPLIED BY BILL ROBERTSON
Fig. 2: A TaoTronics Bluetooth Transmitter.
to what these were. Hence, I did a little
research.
Apparently, EVP radios are used
by researchers into the ‘paranormal’.
Reportedly, they allow listeners to hear,
often through a lot of crackle and static,
weak voices that you normally would not
hear unless you were a ‘psychic’.
I certainly do not want to get into
a debate on this, although I am aware
that there are still a lot of things that
we do not know about. For example, a
legion of Roman soldiers has repeat-
edly been reported by many people as
having marched through a cellar in the
Treasurer’s House in York, with their legs
halfway through the floor, which coin-
cides with the level that the old Roman
pathway would have been at….
Moreover, if (say 200 or 300 years
ago) someone would have said that
they could speak with others around
the world, they would either have been
placed into a pond or river on a witch’s
ducking stool or simply burned at the
stake as a shortcut. Therefore, I will just
stick to the technical parameters of such
radios.
The system typically makes use of
‘white noise’. This is amplified, filtered
and rectified, to produce a random
voltage. Such voltage-tuneable receivers
‘scan’ randomly across the AM or FM
04/12/2017 13:53
 SUPPLIED BY BILL ROBERTSON
SUPPLIED BY BILL ROBERTSON
Fig. 3: The KimmyJS19 UK Scanning Directory. Fig. 5: A Popular ‘Ghost Radio’.

broadcast bands. Most of the ‘ghost
radio’ models currently available are
altered to sweep either the FM or AM
radio band. Many offer the option to use
one or the other band.
As the channels are ‘swept-through’,
either upward or downward, a mix
of white noise and audio fragments
becomes audible and can, reportedly,
be heard. These audio fragments could
best be described as bits and pieces of
disc jockey voices, music, or whatever is
broadcast across the band, at the time
the radio-sweep is made. here would, perhaps, be: Speaking to
The sound a ‘ghost radio’ produces the Dead with Radios: Radio Sweep
is like rapidly turning the tuner knob on Electronic Voice Phenomena, by M.H.
a vintage car radio, to quickly pass over Edwards, 2012 – Ed.]
the stations by hand.
A commonly used model is, so it Out for Now
seems, the Memorex 2xtreme Digital This it for this month, I am now looking
AM/FM receiver, which can be ‘hacked’ forward to the break, and can I take this
to convert into a ‘ghost radio’ (Fig. 5). opportunity to wish all readers a Merry
There are quite a few ‘ghost-radios’ out and Peaceful Christmas and a Happy
there and a matching number of YouTube New Year.
videos showing you how to use them. Happy listening, and I will see you in
[an appropriate reading suggestion this column next month.

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14 Scanning Scene.indd 16 04/12/2017 13:53

 decode Mike Richards delves into the Weak Signals Propagation
Mike Richards Reporter system and the Weak Signals Joe Taylor data
49 Cloughs Road
Ringwood mode, advising on the installation and running of its WSJT-X
Hants BH24 1UU
E-mail: mike@g4wnc.net component.

Weak Signals Reporting DAVID SMITH

DAVID SMITH
Power
2.5kHz filter

Signal

Noise
Frequency
0Hz 2.5kHz

Fig. 1: Single carrier in a 2.5kHz bandwidth.

DAVID SMITH

Power
1.25kHz filter

Signal Rejected
noise

Noise
Frequency
0Hz 2.5kHz

Fig. 2: Single carrier in a 1.25kHz bandwidth. Fig. 3: WSPRnet map plot.

R DAVID SMITH
eader Mike German
recently reminded me
that I had not followed-
up from my September
column on the issue of
Weak Signal Propagation Reporter
(WSPR). I ended the column by
promising to show you how to check
antenna and receiver performance with
WSPR and I promptly forgot to do this!
Therefore, this month, I’m going to
put that right. Fig. 4: WSPRnet tabular results.
Let us begin with a brief review of
the mode. Developed in 2008 by Joe the bandwidth of the signal. Inevitably, power by the noise power to get a
Taylor K1JT, the Weak Signals Joe this means reducing the transmission ratio. This is usually converted to dB for
Taylor (WSJT) suite of data modes was speed. However, the benefit is a much- convenience. If you were to use half the
specifically designed to operate over the improved signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR). bandwidth but leave the carrier at the
most difficult radio paths such as meteor Let us see how narrowing the same power (Fig. 2) you would double
scatter, Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) and bandwidth works. Fig. 1 illustrates the the signal to noise ratio. This is because
long HF paths. speech-band spectrum of a typical the signal power is unchanged, whereas
WSPR is part of the WSJT-X data SSB receiver with a single carrier being half the noise has been eliminated.
modes suite and it was designed to transmitted. This has a bandwidth of In the WSPR mode, the modulation
provide a detailed propagation tool. around 2.5kHz and you can see that employed is very low-speed (1.4648Bd)
When transmitting data over a very the random noise is spread evenly and uses a bandwidth of just 6Hz. By
poor RF path, operators can increase throughout this 2.5kHz bandwidth. To reducing the bandwidth from 2.5kHz to
their chances of success if they reduce measure SNR, you divide the signal just 6Hz, you reduce the noise power

RadioUser January 2018 17

17 Decode.indd 17 04/12/2017 14:06

 DAVID SMITH
Fig. 5: WSJT-X – entering your details.
by 2500/6 = 416.6 times or 26dB. That
is why we can still decode signals
that would be 26dB below the noise if
received in a 2.5kHz bandwidth.
The truth is, you cannot really decode
signals that are below the noise, you are
merely using sophisticated filtering and
decoding techniques enabling the signal
to just appear above the noise.
The WSPR mode is much more than
just another data mode. It has been
specifically designed for propagation
reporting. Each WSPR message carries
the vital elements required to measure
propagation. These are the originating
callsign, 4-digit locator and the transmit
power in dBm (ref 1 mW).
The other element needed to make
the most of this reporting system is
somewhere to consolidate and view the
results. That service is provided by the
WSPRnet website:
wsprnet.org/drupal
The standard WSJT-X suite of
programs includes the WSPR mode,
along with the option to automatically
upload your WSPR spots. As this
software is used all over the world,
the coverage, both geographically and
across the bands, is excellent. As you
can see in Figs. 3 and 4, the WSPRnet
site processes the results so that they
can be viewed in tabular form or plotted
on a map.
The robust nature of the WSPR proto-
col enables weak signals to be detected/
measured; results are shown as an SNR
ratio (in dB). The -ve (negative) figures
indicate signal level below the noise (as
measured in a 2.5kHz bandwidth).
WSPR for Receive-only Stations
The WSPR reporting system has been
established to accept reports from
listeners as well as licenced amateurs.
You will need to provide a callsign for
18
17 Decode.indd 18
Fig. 6: WSJT-X band hopping schedule.
your station, so that your reports can
be identified. You are free to invent your
own callsign, if this does not exceed
eight characters. One simple technique
is to start with your country and add the
first four characters of your postcode.
For me, that would be UKBH24.
It is a good idea to restrict your
callsign to 6 characters. This way, you
can use the two remaining characters
to add a suffix to separate results from
different antenna systems or receivers. I
will explain this in more detail later.
To make use of the WSPRnet search
engine and extract the WSPR results for
your station, you first need to register
on their site. This is a simple process of
entering your SWL callsign, along with
a few other station details, as in Fig. 5.
During the registration, it is common
practice to also use your SWL callsign as
your username.
Installing and Configuring WSJT-X
WSJT-X is a free download. It is available
at this website:
https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/
k1jt/wsjtx.html
When you get to the page, navigate
to the bottom for the latest release. At
the time of writing, this was v.1.8.0. You
will find versions available for Windows,
Mac and most flavours of Linux including
the Raspberry Pi.
On this latter point, my DataModes
micro SD card includes the latest
WSJT-X and works very well on the Pi-3.
You can get it here:
g4wnc.com/shop
Once you have downloaded
and installed the program, you will
be prompted to enter your station
information when you start the software.
For this, you will need your callsign and
your Maidenhead locator. If you do not
know the latter, you can work it out from
this website:
http://www.whatsmylocator.co.uk
The next step is to make sure the
audio is getting from your receiver to
WSJT-X. If you have a conventional
analogue receiver, you can use a
DAVID SMITH
screened lead to take the line-out output
from your receiver and connect it to
the line-in socket of your computer’s
soundcard.
Those with computer-operated SDR
receivers will need to use a virtual audio
cable to make the connection. A VAC is
a software utility that creates a dummy
cable, allowing you to route digital audio
from your receiver to the audio in facility
of your decoder.
With everything connected, make
sure you set the WSJT-X mode to WSPR
and your receiver to USB. In the lower
left-hand corner of WSJT-X, you will see
a level meter and a frequency selection
box. Use the frequency selection box
to choose one of the amateur bands.
A good place to start is the 30m band
on 10.1387MHz. This frequency always
seems to have some WSPR activity.
Next, you need to adjust the
receiver’s audio level, so that the level
meter in WSJT-X remains in the green
section (between 20dB and 80dB). To
monitor the receiver audio while using
a VAC, you need an additional software
utility called an audio repeater. This
provides a bridge between the VAC and
your computer’s audio output device.
Some VAC’s include a repeater. If you do
not have one, Sound Tap by SM5VXC is
free, easy to use and works very well:
http://www.k3pgp.org/software.htm
At this point, you should have your
station operating successfully, so you
can start uploading your spots to the
WSPRnet site. To start the upload
process, go to the central section at
the bottom of the WSJT-X main screen
and tick the box marked Upload spots.
While you are receiving, you can keep
track of the WSPR 2-minute cycle via
the green progress bar at the bottom of
the WSJT-X window. At the end of each
cycle, all the successful decodes will be
listed on the main screen and sent to the
WSPRnet server.
Following a couple of receive cycles,
you can navigate to the WSPRnet site
and look for your reports. The easiest
way to check on this is to choose the
January 2018 RadioUser
04/12/2017 14:06
 the lower section of the main window

DAVID SMITH
and click the Schedule... button to
choose the bands you want to use, as
shown in Fig. 6.

Analysing the Results

The map view is very useful and can
give you a simple visual indication of
the directional properties and of your
receiver/antenna combination. For
the best results, you should leave this
running for 24 hours. However, for a
more in-depth analysis, you will need to
use the WSPRnet Database option.
In this section, results are listed
in tabular form and contain valuable
information such as the frequency,
time, signal-to-noise ratio, distance and
bearing. To use the database table, you
first need to adjust the filters to display
your results. To do that, go to the top
of the Database page and click Specify
Query Parameters. This takes you to
a new screen (Fig. 7) where you enter
the filter information. Table 1 shows the
Fig. 7: WSPRnet search filter. fields provided for the query parameters.
Once you have set your choices, click
the Update button and you will see your
Band: Set this to the band your receiver is tuned to or All. if you’ve set WSJT-X to customised list of results.
band-hop. If you are familiar with using
Count: Set this to limit the number of rows returned, 200 is the maximum. spreadsheets you will find the tabular
Call: Leave this blank as this is only relevant for transmitting stations. results particularly helpful. It is very
Reporter: This is the call of the receiving station, so you enter your call here. easy to copy/paste the table into a
In last: This is the measurement timescale so choose the time you want to report on. spreadsheet and you can further filter
Sort by: This gives you an option to have the list sorted and the default is the and plot the results.
Timestamp. Let us look at a simple example of
how to compare the performance of
The following tick-boxes can also be used as follows: two antennas. First, you need to choose
Reverse: Tick this to reverse the sort order. your monitoring time. I suggest you
Unique: This stops the same station being reported multiple times. This is helpful for avoid the time of dawn or dusk because
short monitoring periods but should be left unchecked for longer ones because you propagation conditions change too
need to know how the station’s strength varies over time. quickly for a useful comparison. Once
Exclude Special Callsigns: This provides the option to exclude transmissions from you have decided the time of day, try
telemetry balloons, which might be misleading. running the first antenna for an hour
using your callsign with the suffix /1. At
Table 1: Query Parameters in WSJT-X. the end of the first hour, change your call
suffix to /2, swap antennas and wait for
Map display (remember to log in first) need to arrange for computer-aided an hour. At the end of that hour, you can
and scroll down to the section with the transceiver (CAT) control. This is a go to the WSPRnet site and produce a
Update button. simple serial command system where map for the /1 call, as described earlier
In this section, choose the band that a software application can send and hit the Print Screen button on your
you are tuned to, enter your call in the commands to the receiver to change PC to capture a screenshot.
call box and adjust the time to match the frequency, mode and so on. This works If you want a hard copy, just open
time you have been monitoring. with many analogue receivers and some MS Paint or a similar program, paste
When you have set the options, click SDR receivers. If your receiver has CAT in the screenshot and print it. Now you
the Update button and a new map will facilities, use the File menu in WSJT-X can produce a map for the /2 suffix
be drawn to show all the stations you and choose Settings – Radio. Here you and repeat the screenshot process.
have heard. To see how your system can select your receiver and the details Subsequently, you compare the results
is performing over a wide range of of the serial interface. from the printouts to see how the
frequencies you can set WSJT-X to When you have entered the settings, antennas are performing. You can also
control your receiver and automatically press the Test CAT button to confirm the perform more sophisticated spreadsheet
tune around the bands. link is working. To use band-hopping in comparisons (parallel monitoring) and I
Before you can do this, you will WSJT-X, tick the Band Hopping box in will help you with that next time.

RadioUser January 2018 19

17 Decode.indd 19 04/12/2017 14:06

 user review
Andy Thomsett
Email: rued@btinternet.com
The ELAD FDM-DUOr Revisited
Fig. 1: The front panel of the ELAD FDM-DUOr in standalone mode.
I
n June 2017, Georg Wiessala
very kindly offered to lend
me his ELAD FDM-DUOr dual
mode software defined radio
receiver. Georg’s FDM-DUOr had
a backstory because he had recently
purchased it second-hand from ML&S
Martin Lynch & Sons. However, at the
time, he felt he was too busy to make
use of it. Therefore, to say I jumped at his
offer is somewhat of an understatement!
The explanation for my enthusiasm was
that I too had been keeping an eye out
for a pre-owned FDM-DUOr. Thinking
back, my interest in the receiver initially
stemmed from the Mike Richards review
of the FDM-DUOr, which I published in
the June 2016 issue of RadioUser.
In the light of Mike’s comprehensive
review of the FDM-DUOr (RadioUser,
June 2016: 8-12), I am here merely
looking at the radio from a user’s
perspective. I offer a few thoughts,
hints and tips based on my experience
of using the receiver for the past four
months, in particular in relation to my
interest in NDB DXing.
20
20 ELAD User Report.indd 20
Former RadioUser Editor Andy Thomsett offers his thoughts
on a pre-owned ELAD FDM-DUOr SDR receiver.
ANDY THOMSETT
Hardware, Buttons and Knobs
The FDM-DUOr (Fig. 1) is physically small
with a good size liquid crystal display and
nine front panel buttons and knobs, the
majority of which are multi-function, with
functionality dependent upon the time a
button or knob is depressed – short or
long. The default time for the long press
being 1000ms. However, this can be
varied between 200 and 2500ms using
MENU option 71, HOLD TIME. The front
panel also offers two audio outputs –
one for headphones (with the volume
controlled by the E1 knob) and AUX OUT
(which is a fixed level audio output set
using MENU option 6).
Fig. 2 shows the range of connections
offered via the rear panel, the majority
of which are self-explanatory or were
described in Mike’s review in the June
2016 issue.
On Delivery
When the FDM-DUOr arrived, it was
good to see it had been dispatched in its
original box (an important consideration
for many buyers of pre-owned
equipment). What’s more, Georg had
very carefully protected it using bubble
wrap. Once unpacked, other than a small
scratch on the top cover (which he’d
told me about) and a few very minor
abrasions, the FDM-DUOr appeared to
be in pristine condition.
Because the FDM-DUOr was pre-
owned, one of the first things I did
was to reset the receiver to its default
configuration using MENU option 81, to
bring it back to the factory settings.
Setting the Scene
The front panel decal describes the FDM-
DUOr as a Multi use SDR RECEIVER,
which the ELAD specification says covers
from 9kHz to 54.000MHz. However,
because I have no dedicated 6m
capability, my use of the FDM-DUOr to
date has been limited to the LF, MF and
HF bands.
As is often said, the performance
of a receiver is dependent upon the
antenna to which it is connected. In my
case, I either used a PA0RDT Mini-Whip
at about 6m (20ft) AGL or my modified
Cross Country Wireless HF Active
Loop Antenna (with the supplied 2.75m
triangular loop replaced by a 30m loop in
the form of a spider’s web).
These days, sadly, hobby radio
enthusiasts also need to consider
minimising the effect of locally
generated QRM radiated by the plethora
of consumer electronic products,
which many of us now own. By way
of illustration, Figs. 3 and 4 show
screenshots of a 384kHz chunk of the
RF spectrum centred on 380kHz and
the dramatic difference in the noise
floor before (Fig. 3) and after (Fig. 4)
disconnecting my laptop PC, YouView
box and TV from the mains supply and
turning off the low energy light bulb in
my shack. In my case, by far the worst
‘offender’ is the OEM PSU for my laptop
PC. As can be seen in Fig. 3, there’s
not much hope of NDB DXing when my
local QRM sources are connected to the
mains!
January 2018 RadioUser
04/12/2017 11:19

Fig. 2: Rear panel connections.
Fig. 3: The FDM-SW2 spectrum and waterfall displays showing the NDB band almost completely
obliterated by local QRM.
Fig. 4: What a difference it makes when you can switch off your sources of local QRM.
Versatile
The FDM-DUOr is a versatile receiver
because it can be used in two modes –
standalone (as a conventional tabletop
communications receiver, without the
need for a computer) or remote (in
conjunction with a computer and the
excellent ELAD FDM-SW2 SDR software
RadioUser January 2018  21
20 ELAD User Report.indd 21
ANDY THOMSETT
ANDY THOMSETT
ANDY THOMSETT
– more on this later).
Figs. 3 and 4 were screen-grabbed
while using the FDM-DUOr in remote
mode and connected to my PA0RDT
Mini-Whip antenna.
Table 2 shows the default filter
bandwidths available when the FDM-
DUOr is used in standalone mode.
ANDY THOMSETT
Fig. 5: Note the change in colour and information
displayed when the FDM-DUOr is used in remote
mode.
ANDY THOMSETT
Fig. 6: The ELAD FLP05M-1 500kHz low-pass
filter preselector board.
Power Requirement
As can be seen from the rear panel (Fig.
2), the suggested supply voltage is 13.8V
DC. However, due to mains-borne QRM
feeding through both of my 13.8V base
station PSUs, I now run the FDM-DUOr
and the indoor units for my two active
antennas using a 12V 7.5aH recharge-
able battery.
It is worth noting that, on one occa-
sion, I inadvertently allowed the battery
voltage to drop too low, which caused
the receiver’s liquid crystal display to
dim. On turning the FDM-DUOr off
and then on again, it rather worryingly
displayed WRONG FPGA. However,
thankfully, all was well once I recharged
the battery.
FDM-DUOr User Manual
If like me, your inclination is to hook up a
new toy and worry about the paperwork
later, then I’m sure it wouldn’t take you
long to get to grips with the FDM-DUOr
in standalone mode. However, on reflec-
tion, I now wish I’d spent a bit of time
reading the user manual sooner rather
than later. Had I done this, I would not
have been fazed by the change in the
colour and information (Fig. 5) shown
on the multi-function display when I first
changed from standalone to remote
mode.
At the time of writing, the latest
version of the manual was Rev. 1.3 –
1/2017, which can be downloaded from
the ELAD website using the TinyURL
shown below. If you use the FDM-DUOr
without a computer, then you probably
04/12/2017 11:19
 Front Panel Switch and Knob Functions
VFO and MEM
A/B (M) Short press – swaps VFOs A and B
Long press – swaps VFO and MEMORY modes
V – M (F1) Store VFO to Memory
M – V (F2) Memory to VFO

MODE
Mode (F3) LSB, USB, CW+, CW-, FM, AM

S (F4) QuickStep Enable/disable step preset in QuickStep menu

E1 knob VOLUME (OFF or 1 to 100) Main volume control

SQL (OFF or 1 to 10) Squelch (for FM mode)
AGC (OFF or ON) Automatic gain control
AGC (SLOW, MEDIUM or FAST) AGC rate
AGC TH (0 to 10) AGC threshold
NR (OFF or 1 to 10) Noise reduction
NB (OFF or 1 to 10) Noise blanker
AN (OFF or 1 to 2) Automatic notch filter(s)

E2 knob PITCH (0 to 1000Hz) CW pitch

RIT (OFF or ON) Receive incremental tuning
FIL (mode dependent – see Table 2) Filter bandwidth

MENU (F5) + E2 knob – Option selected by rotating and then pressing the E2 knob

Reception Menu
1 RX ATT (0, 10, 20, 30dB) Receiver input attenuation
3 SNAP (OFF or ON) Round to step
4 AGC TH (0 to 10) AGC threshold
6 AUX VOL (VOL OFF or 1 to 100) Auxiliary volume
7 QUICKSTEP (STEP + Frequency) Set QuickStep frequency
12 CW REV (Y or N) Enable/disable CW reverse mode

General Settings Menu

60 FR OFF SET (OFS OFF or ON) Enable/disable frequency offset for visualisation
61 OFS VALUE (Hz) Offset value in Hz
70 CAT BAUD (BR) CAT baud rate in Hz
71 HOLD TIME (TIME 200 to 2500ms) Hold time to detect a long press
72 REPT TIME (TIME 100 to 1500ms) Repetition time when a key is pressed
73 BACKLIGHT (BKCL CH Y or N) LCD colour change in Standalone/Remote

Service Menu
80 SERVICE (OFF or ON) Enable service mode
81 DEFAULT (Y or N) Restore factory settings
82 UI UPDATE Enable firmware update if service mode is ON
83 VIEW SN View unit serial number
84 VIEW FW View installed firmware release number
85 CLK ADJ (ADJ) Set the internal clock correction value

Main knob Main tuning

Short press STEP (1, 5 10, 25, 50 100, 250 and 500Hz, 1, 2, 3, 4.5, 5, 7.5, 9, 10, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 125, 250, 500 and 1000kHz)

Long press Frequency unit increment – unit to be changed is selected using the E1 and/or E2 knobs

Table 1 – Front Panel Switch and Knob Functions.

Standalone Filter Bandwidths

(When used as a conventional receiver – without a computer and associated FDM-SW2 software).

LSB/USB 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300, 2400, 2500, 2600, 2700, 2800, 2900, 3000, 3100, 4000, 5000 and 6000Hz
LSB/USB DATA 300, 600 and 1000Hz
CW (+/-) 100, 300, 500, 1000, 1500 and 2600Hz
FM NARROW, WIDE or DATA
AM 2500, 3000, 3500, 4000, 4500, 5000, 5500 and 6000Hz

Table 2 – Standalone Filter Bandwidths.

22  January 2018 RadioUser

20 ELAD User Report.indd 22 04/12/2017 11:19

 FDM-SW2 Modes
CW CW SH- USB AM DRM SYNC AM RTTY
CW SH+ CW NW LSB FM WB FM DSB ECSS

Table 3 – FDM-SW2 Modes.

ANDY THOMSETT
only need to worry about the first 30
pages. Switchable Preselectors
attenuator 1 to 10
tinyurl.com/yb7skdam+ Switchable Analogue
20dB
attenuator Preamplifer to digital
If the thought of reading the manual ANT 2 Slot No 1
10dB converter
is too daunting, then it might be worth Slot No 2
downloading a copy of the ELAD Slot No 3 LTC2165
FDM-DUOr Quick Start Guide, which
Switchable Slot No 4
comprises just two pages – one each
54MHz attenuator Slot No 5
for standalone and remote modes of low-pass 20dB
operation respectively. ANT 1 Slot No 6

sdr.eladit.com/FDM-DUOr/FdmDu- Slot No 7
oReceiverQuick_V007_EN.pdf Slot No 8

FDM-SW2 Software
In addition to RF, IF and AF spectrum
and waterfall displays, use of the FDM-
SW2 SDR software affords access to
greater functionality, including additional
modes (for example, DRM, DSB, ECSS,
synchronous AM and wideband FM) and
the setting of user-defined filter band-
widths, which is great for tailoring the
bandwidth to the signal or station you
are monitoring.
For example, you can improve audio
fidelity while monitoring a high amplitude
AM broadcast station by increasing the
filter bandwidth to, say, 9 or 10kHz, as
opposed to the FDM-DUOr’s 6kHz when
used in standalone mode. I also really
like the very effective notch filters.
The SET button launches a window
with tabs for Tuning Step, Tuning, Audio,
Graphics, Demod Settings, Remote
Ctrl, Advanced, TMate/TMate2, Station
Memory, Recording, Server and About.
Advanced allows you to change the De-
vice Configuration – with IQ bandwidths
ranging from 192 to 6144kHz and a cou-
ple of options for dual-channel operation.
Station Memory allows you to set the
Station Memory Source, which could be
you own bespoke .xml file created using
the GUI or data from DX Cluster, the EiBi
Kurzwellen-Hörfahrplan or SWSkeds.
Furthermore, Station Memory also allows
you to decide when and how you want
the data to be displayed.
These days, having spent a good por-
tion of my working life as a shift worker,
I am less inclined to stay up late chasing
DX. Therefore, for NDB DXing, I make ex-
tensive use of the FDM-SW2 record and
offline replay facilities. In general, I make
short recordings of between 10 and 15
Slot No 9
Slot No 10
Fig. 7: The map of preselector slot numbers to ANT 1 and ANT 2.
minutes duration and then transfer the
wave file(s) to my desktop computer
(with two 23in monitors) and analyse
them at my leisure.
When I’m in broadcast band mode,
I tend to make recordings that straddle
the hour or half-hour, so that I can catch
station interval signals and idents.
The functionality afforded by the
FDM-SW2 software is far too great to
detail here. However, if you wish to find
out more, then follow the TinyURL below
and download the 62-page ELAD FDM-
SW2 user manual.
tinyurl.com/y74bp2tp
Furthermore, in addition to videos
on YouTube, I also found a very use-
ful, concise, user guide titled SW2 Main
Functions for Receiving Mode on the
ELAD USA Inc. website.
www.elad-usa.com/home/software/
main-sw2-functions
CAT
Until I started playing with the
FDM-DUOr, I had never used a comput-
er-aided transceiver link. Before I could
get it to work, I needed to download the
appropriate FTDI virtual COM port driver
from the Future Technology Devices
International website. Once installed, on
launching it came up as COM7 with a
baud rate of 38400.
www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
Although this might seem like an
additional hassle, it is worth the effort
because the CAT link affords access to
the FDM-DUO MANAGER that, in turn,
enables access to tabs for Memories,
Backlight and Preselectors.
I still run Windows 7 on my laptop.
On a couple of occasions, with the CAT
link connected, I ended up with the
dreaded ‘Blue Screen of Death’, which I
associated with powering on the FDM-
DUOr. However, I had no problem when
plugging the CAT link USB cable into
my laptop PC, once the FDM-DUOr was
powered on.
Tuning
The FDM-DUOr offers a range of tuning
options dependent upon whether it is
being used in standalone or remote
mode. In standalone mode, you can tune
the FDM-DUOr conventionally (using the
Main knob), employ unit tuning (using the
Main and E1/E2 knobs to select the digit
to be modified) or make use pre-loaded
or user-defined frequencies stored in the
200 memories.
In remote mode, via the FDM-SW2
software, you can also use your mouse
scroll wheel, the Tuning bars or launch
the Advanced Tuning panel, which allows
you to vary the tuned or local oscilla-
tor frequency (using unit, digit by digit
tuning) or to input a frequency manually.
Another option is to click on an entry in
the current Station Memory Source (for
example, a bespoke File, DX Cluster, EiBi
Kurzwellen-Hörfahrplan or SWSkeds).
Rather annoyingly, I found that the
Main knob fouled the front panel when

RadioUser January 2018 23

20 ELAD User Report.indd 23 04/12/2017 11:19

 ANDY THOMSETT
Fig. 8: Initially, I plugged the FLP05M-1 into slot
1, which is associated with ANT 2.
rotated using the finger dimple. However,
it was fine while tuning using the knurled
outer edge.
Despite this minor niggle, a major
advantage is that the Main knob also
tunes the FDM-DUOr in remote mode. At
last, I have my first SDR receiver with a
tuning knob!
Audio Fidelity
The audio fidelity of the FDM-DUOr is
excellent when using an external speak-
er, headphones or via my PC soundcard.
However, unsurprisingly, it’s a bit thin via
the receiver’s internal speaker, which is
physically small and side-facing.
It is also worth noting that, when lis-
tening via a speaker (internal or external),
I found I needed to increase the volume
setting to somewhere between 10 and
40. However, when using headphones,
I only needed to set it in the range 1 to
10. Therefore, if you’ve been listening via
speaker and then plug in your head-
phones, beware!
Optional Extra
If you are interested in frequencies
below about 520kHz, you might well
have considered using a low-pass filter
to overcome potential problems due
to high-power broadcast stations on
medium wave and above. A quick look at
the ELAD e-Shop Preselector webpage
showed that among the range of prese-
lector boards there was one that fitted
the bill – the FLP05M-1 500kHz low-pass
filter (Fig. 6).
Although I have a couple of home-
brew in-line low-pass filters that cut-off
around the lower end of the medium
wave band, I thought it would be good to
try a plug-in one from ELAD. At the time
of writing, the FLP05M-1 cost €22.00
24  January 2018 RadioUser
20 ELAD User Report.indd 24
Fig. 9: The hardware required to update the RX Demodulator firmware.
(excluding shipping) and my online order
was fulfilled in less than three working
days. Installation was very easy. You
merely unscrew and remove the top
cover and plug the preselector board
into a free slot. Then, use the FDM-
DUO MANAGER – Preselectors tab to
modify the preselector configuration – to
indicate the slot into which the filter had
been inserted, to set the high- and low-
pass frequencies and to enable to filter.
Initially, I inserted the FLP05M-1 into
slot 1 (see Figs. 7 and 8), linked to ANT
2, thereby bypassing the FDM-DUOr’s
54MHz low-pass filter. This meant that
ANT 2 was used exclusively for reception
on frequencies between 0 to 520kHz,
with ANT 1 being used for frequen-
cies from 520.001kHz to 54.000MHz.
However, I later moved it into slot 8, so
I could get continuous coverage using a
single antenna input via ANT 1.
Firmware Updates
Buying pre-owned SDR equipment
means that the firmware might not be
up to date. A quick check on the ELAD
website confirmed that the installed RX
Demodulator and User Interface firmware
had been superseded by newer versions
released on September 8th, 2017.
sdr.eladit.com/FDM-DUO/Firmware
Releases
When bought new, the FDM-DUOr
comes supplied with a USB flash drive
and USB to micro USB adapter to
facilitate firmware updates. However,
being pre-owned, one would be very
ANDY THOMSETT
lucky if all the original accessories were
included as part of the deal.
To cut a long story short, I e-mailed
ELAD to check if their supplied USB
flash drive and associated adapter were
essential for implementing firmware
upgrades. In his response, Franco Milan
– the CEO of ELAD – directed me to the
Company’s website (so I could download
the updated firmware to my own USB
flash drive) and very kindly included one
of his USB to micro USB adapters with
my order for the FLP05M-1 500kHz low-
pass filter – many thanks, Franco.
Fig. 9 shows my USB flash drive
and adapter lead plugged into the
appropriate socket for updating the
RX Demodulator firmware. For a
comprehensive description of the
firmware update process, please see
Section 9 in the ELAD FDM-DUOr user
manual.
Final Thoughts
With regard to the desired performance
characteristics for a communications re-
ceiver – sensitivity, selectivity and stabil-
ity – the ELAD FDM-DUOr well and truly
hits the mark! All in all, despite a couple
of minor niggles, I think the FDM-DUOr
is a fantastic receiver. What’s more, I
was delighted to strike a deal with Georg
to swap my somewhat underused AOR
AR7030 for this little gem, which now
gets used on an almost daily basis. Now
it is fingers crossed for plenty of transat-
lantic medium wave and NDB DXing this
winter.
04/12/2017 11:19
P025 Radixon.indd 1 01/12/2017 11:05
 sky high
Godrey Manning
63 The Drive
Edgware
Middlesex HA8 8PS
E-mail: cgmm2@btinternet.com
Callsigns and Good Practice
T
he Helitech International
Exhibition took place in
October once again at the
Excel Centre near Green-
wich, London. As in the
past, the temporary helipad was served
by Helitech Radio on 121.175MHz.
http://www.helitechinternational.com
Personal Locator Beacons
I compared old and new examples of
search and rescue beacons in RadioUser,
September 2017: 28. This brought back
memories for Paul (West Middlesex)
who once worked for a manufacturer of
the old-style devices, based in Sutton,
Surrey. One transmitter operated on
the 121.500MHz and 243MHz distress
frequencies and was, naturally, designed
to float, when falling into the water. To
activate the transmission, the inbuilt aerial
was deployed by rotating it into the verti-
cal position. This was prior to the forma-
tion of the CAA and the specification was
determined by the Board of Trade Civil
Aviation Department.
The Airbands
Aeronautical radio has the dual purpose
of communication and navigation. Across
land and coastal areas, communica-
tions coverage is usually on VHF (118 to
137MHz with 8.33kHz channel spacing)
for civil aircraft and UHF (230 to 399MHz,
12.5kHz spacing) for military purposes.
Over remote areas such as oceans,
various allocations in the short wave
spectrum (below 30MHz) are in wide-
spread use, despite and in addition to, the
increasing importance of communications
satellites.
Navigation beacons are of various
types and en route aids include NDBs
transmitting close to the medium wave
band, VOR in the 108 to 118MHz alloca-
tion and DME on the border between UHF
and microwaves.
For final approach, the instrument
26
26 Sky high 2 pages.indd 26
Godfrey Manning assesses radio communications in
aviation, looks at callsigns and good practice and offers his
latest frequency and operational updates.
landing system has components sharing
THE GODFREY MANNING AIRCRAFT MUSEUM
the VOR band (localisers), UHF glide path
transmitters and 75MHz marker beacons.
DME is also often paired with ILS.
Radio: Help not Hindrance
Pilots want to get on with flying and, to
this end, radio is a helpful tool in mak-
ing flights safer and easier. Pilots are not
necessarily radio enthusiasts; the radio is
only a means to an end.
Regardless of why someone is using
radio, there are certain constraints that, if
ignored, create difficulties that can affect
others on the same frequency.
Transmitting at the same time as
someone else on the same frequency
is sometimes called stepping on a
transmission, in the same sense that Fig. 1: Listen before pressing the transmit button.
you avoid stepping on your dance
REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION OF THE CAA AND FROM
partner’s toes. Although unlikely, ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPS WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE
CONTROLLER OF HMSO, (C) CROWN COPYRIGHT NC/06/53602.
sometimes two pilots really do press NOT FOR OPERATIONAL USE.
their push-to-talk buttons simultaneously,
causing the controller to miss one or
both transmissions. An awareness New Runway
of the jumble and calling for a further
transmission should resolve things but
the controller might hear one signal and
be unaware of the other. This can be even
worse if the obscured caller believes the
controller’s reply is for them, not the other,
stronger, station.
There are automated circuits in some
airborne radios, which prevent transmis- Fig. 2: Northampton/Sywell has a new runway.
sion if a signal is already received on any
given frequency. This safeguard operates Another kind of confusion can arise
faster than human response time, even if from secondary radar. Derived from
the received carrier has only been there earlier wartime friend-or-foe identifica-
for a fraction of a second. Some radios tion technology, the next generation of
fitted to older Boeing 757s had a ‘Roger’ transponders introduced two modes. Of
bleep to emphasise that a transmission these, Mode A is the basic response to
was beginning. the ground radar’s interrogation pulse and
It is correct practice on any radio includes a four-digit squawk code.
system to listen before transmitting (Fig. Mode C adds flight level reporting
1). If a controller has just issued a clear- to the downlink signal. These days,
ance to another flight, it is essential not to the modes have been lost in history
transmit until the other pilot has transmit- and transponders often have controls
ted their readback. labelled as altitude rather than Mode
January 2018 RadioUser
01/12/2017 10:53
 CHRISTINE MLYNEK
Fig. 3: G-ALZO Airspeed AS57 Ambassador 2.

C. Equipment can go wrong and an
inaccurate altitude readout can cause
confusion on the radar screen. When this
happens, the controller will tell the pilot
to stop squawk altitude but old habits
persist and stop Mode C is still heard.
Knowing how to operate your
transponder and responding to the
request, in whatever way it is phrased, will
prevent confusion.
Callsigns
Every flight must have a callsign, so there
can be no doubt as to the recipient of any
radio message.
A TIT EW
D E
indicative of the aircraft itself, such as
Vulcan or Red Arrows. Military flights
can take unusual names. The Military
Matters column in RadioUser has a wide
range of examples.
General aviation, mainly private light
aircraft, usually give their registrations as
callsigns. G-ABCD would make the first
contact with a controller by stating the
full registration phonetically. If there is no
other flight on the frequency where the
callsigns could become confused, the
controller will reply with the abbreviated
Golf Charlie Delta and this implies
permission for the pilot to follow suit.
https://www.icao.int/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.itu.int/en/Pages/default.aspx
Frequency & Operational News
My Airband Factsheet lists suppliers that
sell authoritative aeronautical information
to the public by mail order. To get one,
send me a self-addressed reply-paid en-
velope and an additional 2nd Class stamp
(or IRC) to cover production costs.
Abbreviations for all articles are found
in the Glossary towards the back of this
magazine.
The following summary of aeronautical
information (such as AIP amendments) is

Typically, commercial flights adopt The initial characters in a registration selected for its interest to readers in gen-
!
ED
D L
N

their airline name and flight number (or
some variation on this scheme) as their
callsign. The airline name in the callsign
can be different to the trading name
painted on the side of the aircraft. For
instance, BA retains the insignia of the
former BOAC and this gives rise to the
callsign Speedbird.
The name could instead pertain to the
function of the flight, such as Pipeline or
Medevac helicopter callsigns. A suffix of
heavy indicates the need for increased
separation from the persistent wake
vortex.
Display items often adopt a name
indicate the state (country) that
administers the aircraft in question, so G-
is Great Britain (with new exceptions of M
for the Isle of Man, ZJ for Jersey and 2 for
Guernsey).
Amateur radio callsigns are allocated
according to similar country codes with
G, M and 2 again applying to Great
Britain.
This is not surprising, since
the allocations are internationally
coordinated at United Nations level
such as through the International Civil
Aviation Organisation or the International
Telecommunications Union.
eral. Pilots, in particular, should consult
the original documents.
Many larger airports have had minor
amendments to certain standard terminal
arrival routes.
Some airways in the Prestwick area
have had minor amendments.
Remember that some upper airways
cease to carry the U designation. They
still exist but are combined with their
lower counterparts to form a single entity.
Northampton/Sywell now has a new
grass runway 14/32 (Fig. 2). As it is
unlicensed, there are restrictions, such as
for training.

NOW IN STOCK!
JU
£3
ST
IN
C
LU
D
IN

5
G
P&
P

World Radio TV Handbook 2018

This is the 72nd edition of World Radio TV Handbook and this great directory continues to offer the most comprehensive
guide to broadcasting on the planet. With the help of an international network of contributors they again provide the most
up-to-date information on mediumwave, shortwave and FM broadcasts and broadcasters available in any publication.

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RadioUser January 2018 27

26 Sky high 2 pages.indd 27 01/12/2017 10:53

 airband news David Smith reports on a new air traffic safety aid, pioneering
remote tower technology in Jersey and fighting cyber-threats
David Smith
E-mail: dj.daviator@btinternet.com to aircraft. He also looks at changes to routes and arrival
procedures over the Channel.

Next-Generation Traffic
Conflict Detection Tools
I
t was reported on November
6th, 2017, that NATS awarded
Altran the contract for the
development of FourSight,
a next-generation air traffic
conflict detection tool. FourSight will
be the successor to NATS’ successful
interim future area control tools support
(iFACTS) system. Introduced in 2011,
iFACTS predicts an aircraft’s location up
to 18 minutes into the future. In this way,
potential conflicts can be easily identified
and necessary actions can be taken
early to avoid incidents.
As well as the obvious safety
benefits, the system has also helped cut
CO2 emissions and resulted in a 40%
capacity increase for some airspace
sectors.
https://tinyurl.com/y7tmflnz
https://tinyurl.com/y7fllnc4
However, the iFACTS tool is only used
in NATS’ London Area Control operation
and the ambition with FourSight is to see
the benefits of such a system applied
across the NATS en route operation at
Swanwick and Prestwick centres. Tim
Bullock, NATS Director (Supply Chain)
said: “NATS is investing heavily in the
replacement of our current operational
systems with modern Single European
Sky Air Traffic Management Research
(SESAR) compliant technology that can
offer airspace users increased safety,
more network capacity and maximum
opportunities for fuel-efficient routes.”
The work on FourSight will
complement what Altran has been doing
with NATS to develop a state-of-the-
art human-machine technology for its
controllers, with the aim of having a
common interface across all positions at
both Swanwick and Prestwick.
Changes in the English Channel Area
Early in November, as part of the
Swanwick airspace improvement
programme, changes were made in and
around the London Control Worthing
Sectors. These changes, known as
airspace deployment, introduced a
series of area navigation (RNAV) routes
extending from the Irish and French
flight information region boundaries

28 January 2018 RadioUser

28 Airband News 2 PAGES.indd 28 01/12/2017 12:52

 into and across the London area. These
routes will offer a shortened track
distance, compared to the previous
ones. The airspace changes have also
introduced new parallel RNAV routes
(and associated link routes) for Gatwick
and Heathrow arrivals, Stansted/Luton
and Midlands arrivals from the Brest area
control centre.
Remote Tower at Jersey Airport
Jersey Airport is likely to become the
first provider of remote tower service
technology in the UK, following a major
development programme involving
leading aviation specialists Systems
Interface Ltd. and Searidge Technologies
(Canada).
Remote tower service technology is
the ability to perform air traffic services
from an alternative location, away from
the usual airport control tower. Jersey
is expected to be the first operationally-
certified remote tower in the British Isles.
The decision by Ports of Jersey to
implement this technology was driven
by its wish to increase its capability of
continuing to provide ATC in the event
of a catastrophic technical failure of
equipment or the need to evacuate the
control tower at Jersey Airport. This
List of SI prefixes
Many newcomers to our hobby are confused by the large number
of measurement prefixes, in use by amateurs and professionals
alike. SI prefixes are those agreed by the Système International
d’Unités (SI) – the International System of Units. Many standard
K
A s
mol
cd kg
Credit for the schematic: User: DePiep - Based on File:SI base unit.svg, CC BY-SA 3.0
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40298951 (left)
https://www.enggwave.com/si-prefixes (right)
RadioUser January 2018  29
28 Airband News 2 PAGES.indd 29
means that the visual control room and internet-connected systems on board
approach facility can be worked from a aircraft, the potential for unauthorised
remote location, while aircraft continue to access remains real.
operate in and out of Jersey Airport and In the words of a company
the Channel Islands airspace. spokesman. “We’ve built a capability
The Searidge system consists of a that is helping the pilot understand when
display feature presenting a 220-degree they have a cyber-attack, by issuing a
view of the airfield. The system emulates warning, similar to a low-fuel warning
the view that controllers see from their or an engine-out warning. And we’re
tower. The infrastructure also boasts two also looking at ways we can remedy that
zoom cameras. This allows for detailed problem while in flight.”
close-up views of aircraft, both on the A key preoccupation during the
ground and in the surrounding airspace. ongoing development is how such a
The arrangement is completed with a system will interpret each incident.
touchscreen human-machine interface An intrusion may not have any effect
(HMI). The latter enables intuitive whatsoever on the functionality of the
operation of the remote tower system aircraft, so an incorrect diagnosis –
functionality and has the capability to either by the pilot or by the system
quickly observe potential ‘hot spot’ itself – could result in the needless
areas of interest on the airfield. This will cancellation of a flight.
enhance both safety and situational Similarly, what may appear, at first, to
awareness. be an inconsequential cyber event may
turn out to be a very damaging attack.
Combating Cyber-Threats A failure to get back on the ground may
Raytheon, a US company with a UK result in the loss of the aircraft.
subsidiary, has revealed that it is This month, the picture is of a
developing an intrusion-detection Pegasus Quik flex wing microlight at
system for cyber-threats to avionics. One Halfpenny Green, Staffordshire. Looks
obviously critical area is the flight deck. a bit exposed to me but the crew seem
Even though flight controls are routinely to be enjoying it! Until next time, David
kept entirely separate from the other Smith
units (left), for example, for Frequency (Hertz, Hz), Capacitance
(Farad, F), Current (Ampère, A), Resistance (Ohm, Ω) and others
are used with prefixes. The table (right) shows a list of a range of
commonly-used prefix-symbols and their meanings in radio [-Ed].
m
History of Measurement:
Hand, D.J (2016) Measurement – A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, OUP)
01/12/2017 12:52
 maritime matters Robert Connolly assesses the impact of ex-hurricane Ophelia,
Robert Connolly compares equipment and considers official minimum
E-mail: gi7ivx@btinternet.com
specifications for non-GMDSS maritime VHF equipment.

COURTESY ROBERT CONNOLLY

The car ferry Aisling Gabrielle.

Hurricane Fallout, Receivers

and Minimum Specifications
T
his October, the British Isles
and Ireland faced up to the
threat of property damage
– even loss of life – from ex-
hurricane Ophelia, as it was
due to make landfall on the southern
coast of Ireland. It was expected that the
Republic of Ireland would face the worst
of the storm-force winds and plans were
put into place to shut down transport
networks, schools and businesses. In
addition, authorities also deployed their
defence forces to assist with a clean-up
operation after the storm had passed.
The evening before the arrival of the
storm, Northern Ireland followed suit by
closing schools and recommending that
businesses close before the storm’s arrival.
All cross-channel ferries in Ireland were
cancelled for the duration of the storm.
What is more, eight naval vessels, docked
in Belfast for a weekend break after having
taken part in the Joint Warrior exercise,
remained in port.
[see also Pat Carty’s reports on Joint
Warrior in previous issues of RadioUser –
Ed.]
RadioUser reader Denny, from
Limerick, advised me that he could not
believe how quiet the radio was in his area
during the storm. The Irish Amateur Radio
Emergency Network (AREN) all went to
ground during the tail end of the hurricane

30 January 2018 RadioUser

30 Maritime 2-half pages.indd 30 05/12/2017 09:03

 because operators had taken down their
antennas for fear of damage.
http://www.aren.ie/home.html
I shared those concerns regarding
potential damage to my antennas. In
anticipation of the storm’s arrival, I decided
I would drop my antenna array first thing
the following morning. The storm came
and went and, thankfully, I suffered no
damage or loss of power, although many
areas of Ireland were not so lucky.
I spent much of the afternoon watching
local wind speeds that got up to 73 knots
here and monitoring shipping (or rather the
lack of shipping) in the western Irish Sea
using Vesselfinder.com. The Irish Sea area
west of the Isle of Man and between the
North Channel and well south of Dublin
was totally devoid of shipping, which is
something of a rare occurrence.
www.vesselfinder.com
Denny went on to tell me that he enjoys
this column because his main interests
revolve around matters of search and
rescue and associated communications.
He uses two pieces of SAR-related
software. The first one is SARTrack, which
is available from this website:
www.sartrack.co.nz
He also uses PSK64, in the context
of the local Co. Limerick-based voluntary
Hill Walking Community Radio Group.
Information on this group may be found by
visiting this URL:
http://hillwalkingradiogroup.blogspot.
co.uk.
Receiver Performance
Some years ago, when I oversaw our local
ten-day summer festival, I tried to include
an event to promote radio as a hobby, be
it from a listening aspect or in terms of
becoming an active amateur.
One year I was approached by a local
trawler owner who had a keen interest in
amateur radio. He kindly offered his vessel
for use as a maritime mobile amateur
station and mentioned that he was keen to
compare the performance of an amateur
HF transceiver against one of the MF/
HF marine transceivers he had onboard.
At the same time, we would also run
an amateur VHF demonstration station
onshore in the harbour area.
It was hoped that the maritime
mobile station would operate a mile
or so offshore. However, when the
day of the event arrived, the typical
‘summer-weather’ refused to play ball.
Consequently, the maritime station was
to be re-located just outside the harbour
in the bay where there was some shelter
from the winds.
RadioUser January 2018  31
30 Maritime 2-half pages.indd 31
Overlapping Interests
The vessel’s MF/HF set was able to
operate at any frequency, not just within
the marine bands. This was a common
practice among many UK fishing vessels,
which would often use frequencies outside
the marine band to chat to partner vessels
about catches.
Communications on these frequencies
were, of course, practised for reasons of
confidential information. The point was
that other trawlers would not hear the
conversations and then move into areas in
which good catches were being made.
However, the trawler skippers seemed
unaware that the frequencies they were
operating on were also used by other
services. One such user, who was often af-
fected, was Shannon Aeradio or Shanwick
Radio (ICAO Code: EIAA) The station han-
dled the aviation voice communications for
Shanwick Oceanic Control.
https://tinyurl.com/y8gcka32
The former Kinloss aeronautical rescue
coordination centre was another frequent
victim.
https://www.raf.mod.uk/rafsearchan-
drescue
Fortunately, in recent years the practice
of conflicting transmissions seems to have
gradually died out, due to an education
process involving fishermen. In addition
to this, mobile and satellite phones are, of
course, now more readily available.
HF Communications
My cunning plan for my maritime mobile
operation experiment was to, initially, use
an amateur transceiver. The amateur radio
club running the station would hook it up
to the vessel’s antenna and automatic
tuning unit.
Afterwards, once an HF contact had
been established and an initial signal
report received, the vessel’s transmitter
would then be used on the same frequen-
cy and with the same antenna system, to
obtain reports for comparisons.
Although contacts were few and far
between that day, the results showed that
the maritime transceiver was quite ‘deaf’,
compared with the amateur equipment.
This ‘deafness’ would also go part way
towards explaining why trawlers using out-
of-band frequencies believed they were
not in use by anybody else.
Interesting Frequencies
While on the subject of HF maritime
communications, I recently looked through
my little ‘black’ book (well, mine is actually
red in colour) that I had used to record
interesting frequencies in. These were
often spot frequencies I had received over
the years.
One entry I found was for 4711kHz,
used by the US Navy. Received during
darkness, at around 2300 UTC, the signal
carried the radar vectoring of an aircraft
(most likely a helicopter) onto a vessel
and was obviously military in nature. This
conclusion is based on my observation of
speed reports that were being exchanged.
Both directional and height information
was being communicated and, at my
location, the signal was strong and clear
for both the vessel and aircraft, right down
to touchdown on the vessel’s deck. To my
mind, this indicated that it was likely to be
located in the western Irish Sea or North
Channel area. However, propagation can
produce unexpected results.
However, what really interested me
regarding this series of transmissions, was
the fact that communications for approach
vectoring of the aircraft onto the ship were
being carried out using an HF frequency,
rather than a VHF or UHF one. The latter
would normally have been used for
operations this close to a ship.
The procedure I used for monitoring
maritime HF frequencies was to listen to
2182kHz, the international distress and
calling frequency. When a coast station
came on (to announce its impending
maritime safety information broadcast) this
message would also include the working
frequency to be used. It was then simply a
case of re-tuning the set to that frequency.
Bear in mind that this was in the days
before DSC. You can now, of course,
monitor the DSC frequency 2187.5kHz.
When you hear a coast-based station
coming up with its pre-broadcast
announcement indicating the working
frequency, you can now just re-tune
straight away.
Looking further through my little red
book, I could see that, not only did I
receive Coastguard stations from the
British Isles and Continental Europe but
also US and Canadian Coast Guard
stations. These came from as far away as
the St Lawrence Seaway and even from
the Canadian (Vancouver) Coast Guard on
the Pacific (West) coast of North America.
Minimum Specifications
In my October and November columns
(RadioUser, October 2017: 32; November
2017: 32), I detailed some experimentation
I carried out on a Baofeng UV-6R hand-
held transceiver, to see whether it could,
indeed, be programmed for marine VHF
frequencies. Just after the November is-
sue, I had a notion to check how its speci-
05/12/2017 09:03
 fications would measure up to the official
minimum specifications for non-GMDSS
maritime VHF equipment.
As I was about to check this, I received
an email from reader John who was
asking himself the same question. The
minimum specifications state that the fre-
quency band should be between 156 and
163 MHz and that the maximum transmit
power should not exceed 6W. Moreover,
the channel plan and associated param-
eters should be in accordance with the
relevant sections of the ITU Radio Regula-
tions (Articles 5, 19, 30-33, 50-54, 57-58,
Appendices 13-16, and Appendix 18).
http://www.itu.int/pub/R-REG-RR/en
Furthermore, national channels must
be in accordance with the relevant section
of the tables in Appendix 18. Authorisation
regarding national channels is dependent
on a related coastal station radio licence.
Channels that are not licensed should be
disabled. Moreover, it must be impossible
for an operator to unblock any disabled
channels.
The channelling modulation should
be G3E 25kHz (phase modulation using
telephony). In G3E modulation, the phase
of a carrier signal is modulated to follow
the changing voltage level (amplitude) of
a modulation signal. The peak amplitude
and frequency of the carrier signal remain
constant. However, as the amplitude of the
information signal changes, the phase of
the carrier also changes correspondingly.
The final results (modulated signal) are
similar to those of frequency modulation.
Unfortunately, this is where the Baofeng
falls down from a technical point of view
because it has F3E modulation rather than
the G3E type.
Another condition I came across states
that equipment for marine VHF must be
type-certified and apparently there have
been no new type certifications for several
years and none are currently planned for
the foreseeable future.
As regular readers will know, I always
recommend that vessels should have at
least two marine VHF transceivers, be it
two fixed, two handhelds or one of each.
That way, if one fails, you still have another
as a backup, should things start to go
wrong.
I commonly use two fixed non-DSC
transceivers (Icom and Seavoice) each
with its own antenna and a Cobra hand-
held that not only has its own rechargeable
batteries but can also use four standard
AAA batteries.
This can be useful if the Ni-MH bat-
teries become discharged; something
that can happen relatively quickly, if it is
frequently used for transmissions.
Finally, this month’s photo (Fig. 1) is
of the car ferry Aisling Gabrielle, which
eventually began operations across the
scenic Carlingford Lough, between Green-
castle and Greenore, in late July this year.
The €10M project took almost ten years
to become operational, due to planning
difficulties at the outset and subsequent,
operational, difficulties, which delayed the
planned launch of the service in early June
this year.

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 book review
David Harris is a freelance writer and
broadcaster
E-mail: mydogisfinn@gmail.com
M
ichael Faraday (1791
to 1867) was the most
famous scientist of the
19th century and the
founding father of elec-
trical engineering.
Iwan Rhys Morus (b. 1964), the author
of this biography, is Professor of History at
the University of Aberystwyth and a special-
ist in the history of science. This is not a
comprehensive biography of Faraday but
rather a discussion of the ‘natural philoso-
phers’, inventors, scientists and craftsmen
of the period who all contributed to the de-
velopment of electrical engineering. Morus
makes an important distinction between
Faraday and other pioneers of the period,
by interpreting Faraday as a discoverer of
science, rather than an inventor seeking
commercial gains from his discoveries.
The first half of the 19th century was the
era of the ‘gentleman scientist’. This was a
role, which Faraday played perfectly, despite
his humble origins. He was born in London,
the son of a blacksmith. He appears to
have had little formal education and was
apprenticed to a bookbinder. This is where
he found his love of learning and he eagerly
devoured scientific books. He also began to
make scientific instruments to carry out his
experiments.
Faraday’s big break came after attend-
ing lectures given by chemistry pioneer Sir
Humphry Davy (1778 to 1829). Faraday
bound notes of Davy’s lectures and pre-
sented them to the great man, eventually
RadioUser Janury 2018
33 Book Review 1 page.indd 33
David Harris evaluates a concise biography of Michael Faraday,
an icon of science history. A revised edition, this title is
grounded in its author’s work on electricity’s cultural history.
Natural Philosophy
and Electricity
Rhys Morus, Iwan (2017): Michael Faraday and the Electrical Century (London: Icon
Books, first published in 2004); 229 pp; pbk. £8.99 (ISBN 9781785782671).
www.iconbooks.com
becoming Davy’s assistant at the Royal
Institution. He received extensive training
from Davy who was one of the country’s
leading scientists.
I have reviewed the Faraday Museum in
a previous issue (RadioUser, March 2017:
54/5). It is in the basement of the Royal
Institution, in Albemarle Street, London. The
RI was founded in 1799 and was one of a
number of venues in London where people
could attend lectures, view demonstrations
of experiments and look at new inventions.
Faraday eventually became the Director
of the Royal Institution’s laboratory and he
remained there for the rest of his life. He
was also appointed to its Chair in Chemistry.
Faraday suffered what Morus suggests
was a nervous breakdown in the 1840s, due
to overwork and a possible conflict between
his scientific discoveries and his religious
faith. Faraday was a member of the Sande-
manian church. This rather austere form of
Christianity was never widely supported but
did linger on until the 1980’s when the last
remaining Sandemanian meeting house in
London closed. Faraday kept his Christian
faith and became an Elder of his church.
One of the reasons why Faraday became
so successful was his methodical and
systematic approach to his discoveries.
He kept meticulous notebooks of all his
experiments and carefully rehearsed his
lectures. He even paid for elocution lessons
to improve his presentational skills. He
was supported by various assistants and
instrument makers who were well-resourced
to provide the equipment he needed in his
laboratory.
Faraday was an example of the contem-
porary tendency to make discoveries by an
inductive method of observation, rather than
a deductive model based on theory. While
he was not a mathematician, he was still
able to discover electrical motors, induction
and the measurement of electricity. He was
much admired by former PM and science
graduate, Margaret Thatcher.
Electricity became one of the dominant
technical and cultural forces of the 20th
century. As far back as the 1830s, it was
predicted to replace the steam engine but
this took over 100 years to come about. The
subject of electricity is once again topical
om our time, with many governments seek-
ing to replace petrol and diesel cars with
electric vehicles.
Overall, this is a very well written book,
which is easy to understand and encour-
ages the reader to learn more about the life
of Faraday.
My only criticisms relate to the quality
of some of the illustrations. Moreover, there
is, curiously, no mention of the Faraday
Museum in London [The URL is at the end
of this review - Ed].
The book is part of a new series of
books published by Icon about the history
of science. Other titles which might appeal
to RadioUser readers include Turing and
the Universal Machine, by Jon Agar and An
Entertainment for Angels by Patricia Fara,
which looks at electricity in the Enlighten-
ment. David Harris
Further Information:
BBC Radio Four: In Our Time - Michael Faraday
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06s9rz9
Museums:
www.rigb.org/our-history/michael-faraday
https://tinyurl.com/ycy8c3bw
33
01/12/2017 10:57
 digital radio Kevin Ryan explains weather-related outages and DAB
Kevin Ryan radio band usage, before reporting on small-scale DAB trials.
kpryan@tiscali.co.uk
DAB Decoding, Weather,
Technology and Coverage
A
t the end of October
2017, there were reports
that DAB listeners were
having reception prob-
lems in my home region
of Berkshire & South Oxfordshire. The
outages affected mobile listeners more
than those at home and I did not notice
them. I think that other areas were af-
fected too, along with some Freeview TV
viewers. The BBC put the problem down
to a two-centred, high pressure, weather
system, extending from Ireland across
the UK to Bulgaria. Its website stated
that, “This is being caused by a zone of
high pressure, which causes problems
to the links between transmitters and
increases interfering signals in the area,
which results in poor reception.”
I experienced a similar effect several
years ago, when the BBC added a local
fill-in transmitter to their network. The
transmitter is low-power and located in a
dip that could not really be called a val-
ley. This site (Hemdean Relay in Reading)
also transmits BBC FM and Freeview
PSB services.
DAB transmits information using a
large number of carriers in a frequency
multiplex. The national DAB networks
each use a single frequency and the
signals from the nearby transmitters are
set up with precise time delays so that
they cause a minimum of interference at
the receiver. The outages in October/No-
vember last year were caused because
signals from transmitters more distant
than usual got into receivers, decreas-
ing the carrier-to-noise ratio. Thus, not
enough of the data could be decoded
to produce any audio. I realize this is a
condensed explanation and I will explain
the DAB carrier system in a future edition
of this column.
DAB Technology
Ofcom’s radio strategy seems to be
34
34 digital radio.indd 34
KEVIN RYAN
entirely based on DAB and I hope they
include the more efficient DAB+ in their
vision. DAB is specified for use on Band
III (174 to 240MHz) and L-Band (1.452
to 1.492GHz).
Within these two bands, there are a
number of frequency blocks designated
5A – 13F and LA – LW respectively.
The L-band channels are split between
Terrestrial DAB (T-DAB) from LA to LP
and Satellite DAB (S-DAB) from LQ to
LW.
Only recently have there been
channels below 10A in use in the UK.
Moreover, before the year is out, Ofcom
might be using DAB frequencies to
license community stations.
The use of DAB at L-Band has
fallen out of favour across the world
and nearly every experimental station
has closed. A notable exception is the
Czech Republic, where both RTI and
Fig. 1: UK areas of poor DAB coverage. Teleko broadcast services on L-band.
Many DAB radios will receive both
KEVIN RYAN
bands, as I found out when I went
through the settings on my Mazda car
radio.
DAB channels are 1.536MHz wide
and there is a ‘guard band’ between
each channel of 176kHz.
The data capacity is a theoretical
2.3Mb/s. Some sources cite a higher
figure but – because broadcasters use
a significant amount of this capacity
to include error protection – actual
data throughput varies between 0.6
and 1.8 Mb/s. Most broadcasters use
around 1.5 Mb/s but this varies because
services can have their own error
protection levels.
When the data stream is modulated
and radiated, it has a wider bandwidth
than its channel bandwidth. Therefore,
it has to be filtered. The radiated signal
in mode I consists of 1536 carriers,
spaced 1kHz apart in a ‘comb-shape’.
Fig. 2: Other regional problem areas. Filtering of the output is necessary, in
January 2018 RadioUser
01/12/2017 12:05
 KEVIN RYAN
Digital Listening BBC Coverage in Home BBC Major Roads D1 Coverage in Home D1 Major Roads

All Media BBC BBC Digital 1 Digital 1

48.8 97 87.3 91.5 80.1

Fig. 3: DAB coverage mini-dashboard.

order to contain it within its channel
bandwidth. This leads to degradation of
the carriers at the edges of the channel.
However, the DAB system can cope
with the resultant data loss.
DAB has two filtering standards
called ‘spectrum masks’. The less
stringent version allows for radiation
for 200kHz on either side of the DAB
frequency block straying beyond the
guard band. The problem of adjacent
channel interference becomes apparent
where much lower-powered, small-
scale, DAB multiplexes were placed
next to existing multiplexes.
Small-Scale DAB
You might have heard of the small-
scale DAB trials in ten locations.
They were established to test the
feasibility of moving small commercial
and community stations (currently
transmitting in analogue mode only)
to DAB. The trials of several single
transmitters, two using single frequency
networks (Glasgow and London) and
a single company using an on-channel
repeater (Cambridge) are successful.
Therefore, Ofcom has extended all ten
licences beyond their initial nine-month
period. Ofcom will locate new small-
scale DAB stations on DAB channels
7D, 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B and 9C.
However, the full spectrum will not
be available until 2020, when business
users move to other frequencies. Even
then, these frequencies are bounded
by programme-making and special
events (PMSE) users in the UK. Other
European countries use this spectrum
for secondary services such as assisted
listening devices.
Some UK regions might not be able
to use some of the above channels
because of other countries’ allocations
established by the Ge06 conference in
2006. In addition to the problem areas
shown in Fig. 1, Ofcom anticipates
difficulties in other regions such as the
Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
Ofcom will need to do a lot of work
around frequency planning, in order
to be able to accommodate both
existing analogue and new digital
stations. Its recent report on community
radio licensing indicated that the
October 2017 round was the last
‘analogue’ one and that a new (DAB-
based) system would be introduced
later this year.
Coverage and Listening Figures
The thing to remember about coverage
is that is measured in terms of the
population reached, rather than the
geographical area covered. Fig 2 shows
regions in which I believe there is poor
coverage. Many areas are obviously
mountains and moorland. Nevertheless,
this is not much consolation if you have
to invest in satellite equipment to get
good radio reception.
Ofcom’s report on transmitter
coverage comes out in late November
but RAJAR figures have already been
issued for the third quarter of 2017.
In Fig. 3, I have collated the data in a
mini dashboard. The WorldDAB Group
has found that worldwide sales of DAB
receivers reached nearly 60 million. The
leading markets here are the UK (34m),
Germany (10m) and Norway (4m).
www.ofcom.org.uk
www.rajar.co.uk

BBC MULTIPLEX CONFIGURATIONS

CONFIGURATION ONE CONFIGURATION TWO CONFIGURATION THREE
Service Bits Mode CU Bits Mode CU Bits Mode CU
Radio 1 128k JS 96 128k JS 96 128k JS 96
Radio 1X 128k JS 96 128k JS 96 128k JS 96
Radio 2 128k JS 96 128k JS 96 128k JS 96
Radio 3 192k S 140 160k JS 116 160k JS 116
Radio 4 128k JS 96 128k JS 96 80k M 58
Daily Service 64k M 48
Radio 4X 80k M 58 80k M 58 80k M 58
Radio 5L 80k M 58 64k M 48 64k M 48
Radio 5LX 64k M 48 64k M 48
Radio 6M 128k JS 96 128k JS 96 128k JS 96
Asian 64k M 48 64k M 48 64k M 48
WS 64k M 48 64k M 48 64k M 48
Guide 32k D 24 16k D 12 8k D 6
Total Usage 856 858 862

Fig. 4: The BBC’s positioning of its services.

RadioUser January 2018  35

34 digital radio.indd 35 01/12/2017 12:05


Resources and Reports
The European Telecommunications Stand-
ards Institute published a revised minimum
specification for DAB/DAB+ receivers in
2017 (ETSI TS 103 461 V1.1.1 (2017-08)).
http://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_ts/1
03400_103499/103461/01.01.01_60/
ts_103461v010101p.pdf
Commenting on this, the WorldDAB
forum reckoned the ETSI document would
increase sales of receivers. There were sev-
eral similar documents from the European
Broadcasting Union and the WorldDMB
group.
www.worlddab.org
https://www.ebu.ch/home
In the UK, the group created by the
Digital Radio Action Plan also published, in
February 2013, a minimum receiver speci-
fication.
http://old.culture.gov.uk/images/publica-
tions/In_Vehicle_Min_Spec.pdf
Terminology and Applications
Some readers might have come across the
concept of a DAB capacity unit (CU). Each
DAB multiplex has 864 such units. The
number represents the data capacity of the
main service channel (MSC), broken down
into frames, each with a capacity of 55,296
bits. In addition to this, the common inter-
leaved frame (CIF) is a data field transmitted
every 24ms.
The smallest-addressable part of the
CIF is the CU, containing 64 bits. Integral
numbers of CUs are grouped together into
sub-channels.
Some time ago I purchased an
RTL2832-based dongle from NooElec, with
32
28
24
20
16
ARA 15110 kHZ Europe
12
ENG 11970 kHZ India
8
4
00
4 8
MUF
LUF
Fig. 5: Radio Kuwait on DRM.
its own mini antenna and remote control.
http://www.nooelec.com/store
However, the RF input was of the
micro-coaxial type and I was restricted to
using the supplied antenna for the moment.
Maplin stocks an adapter to convert it to a
more useful TV connector.
I installed the dongle on my Windows
10 laptop and started using the SDR-J
software to find out how much information
it displayed on the DAB data stream. It did
provide details of where the various services
were located in the main service channel.
Fig. 4 shows how the BBC positions its
services.
Quite by chance, I have discovered a
new application for DAB decoding called
welle.io, which I have now installed. I will
let you know what I have discovered next
month.
https://www.welle.io
KEVIN RYAN
ENG 155400 kHZ Europe
ARA 13650 kHZ USA
12 16 20
TIME (UTC)
DRM News
I think I was one of the first listeners to pick
up the reactivated Radio Kuwait using the
DRM mode, instead of AM, for its English
service on 15540kHz last July. It looked
like a transmitter test, but the station has
registered four DRM frequencies for the
B17 period, until the end of March. Fig. 5
shows the Radio Kuwait DRM transmission
overlaid on a propagation forecast chart. I
picked up Arabic on 15110kHz with good
results but 15540kHz was down in the
noise.
Next month, I will tell you how I have
found the welle.io application as well as
bringing you up to date on the other news
from the world of digital radio.
Reading suggestion: A Song for Europe’
(50 Years of EBU); in: BBC Music Magazine,
December 2017: 54 - Ed.]

Radio Museums
David Harris and Georg Wiessala offer an A to Z of some of the country’s best-known sites and museums with
historical radio collections. Links to international and internet-only museum sites will follow in a future issue.

Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre, West Sussex James Clerk Maxwell Foundation, Edinburgh
(RadioUser, December 2015) www.clerkmaxwellfoundation.org
www.amberleymuseum.co.uk Marconi Centre, Cornwall
Bognor Regis Museum, West Sussex marconi-centre-poldhu.org.uk
(The Ron Simpson Wireless Collection) Marconi on the Lizard, Cornwall (National Trust)
www.bognormuseum.org www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/marconi-on-the-lizard
British Vintage Wireless and Television Museum of Brands, London
Museum, London (Temporarily closed) www.museumofbrands.com
bvwm.org.uk Museum of Communication, Burntisland, Fife, Scotland
Cavendish Museum, University of Cambridge http://mocft.co.uk
www.phy.cam.ac.uk/outreach/museum Museum of the History of Science, Oxford
Design Museum, London www.mhs.ox.ac.uk
designmuseum.org Museum of Radar and Communications, Fareham
Faraday Museum, London (Royal Institution) www.rnmuseumradarandcommunications2006.org.uk
(RadioUser, March 2017) National Radio Centre, Bletchley Park (RSGB)
www.rigb.org/visit-us/faraday-museum www.nationalradiocentre.com

36  January 2018 RadioUser

34 digital radio.indd 36 01/12/2017 12:05

 feedback
Have you got something new to
tell our readers about?
If so, then drop me a line at:
E-mail: wiessala@hotmail.com
Time Signal Stations
Regular correspondent Bob Houlston
G4PVB MA3053SWL wrote in with the
following comments: “Standard Time
& Frequency Monitor: This is a project
that applies to licensed and SWL alike.
Operating & receiving Data modes such as
JT65 and PSK31 requires a most accurate
(to the second) PC clock to regulate the
appropriate software. It simply won’t work
without that level of accuracy. There are
many time signal broadcasts throughout
the world. I will focus on those from United
Kingdom 60kHz & Germany 77·5kHz. I use
a 20m end fed long wire 5m high or even
an insulated wire in the loft. To make use
of the signals you receive, I recommend
RadioClock.
www.coaa.co.uk/radioclock.htm
“You will need a receiver or receiver &
converter that will allow you to hear at
VLF and then a means to connect the
audio to your PC (I use a 600 Ohm audio
isolating transformer as kindly advised by
Norman G8ATO of Verulam ARC) via line
out, headphones out or maybe acoustic
coupling via the laptop microphone. If
you do have Internet access but just want
to listen to what a time signal broadcast
sounds like, you can go to the University of
Twente SDR.”
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901
Thanks, Bob, Time Signal Stations and
VLF reception are both interests of mine,
see: RadioUser (September 2015: 50;
January 2016: 52 and November 2016: 33
[‘VLF’] and October 2012: 8 [Time Signal
Stations] – GW].
Dig ital Radio
Mick Auvache wrote on Kevin Ryan’s
new column on Digital Radio, “Hi Kevin, I
am thoroughly enjoying your pilot column
on Digital Radio. One item comes to mind,
which is DAB radio. I live in the Highlands
of Scotland in a place called Lairg. We
have very poor VHF reception from the
Black Isle transmitter, due to hills. However,
the TV coverage is good with a transmitter
in the village. Unfortunately, the selection
of channels is rubbish with hardly any radio
coverage. Sky is fine, but you need a dish
and not helpful if you only want to listen
RadioUser January 2018
37 Feedback.indd 37
Get it off your chest - write to the Editor with your opinions
to the radio. For several years now, certain
sites on the internet have shown a DAB
transmitter in the village and other areas with
a ‘coming soon’ label. When you try to find
out when it is coming you hit a brick wall.
Look forward to your column in the future
& if you get time, any information on DAB
in my area would be appreciated.” – On the
same subject, Anthony Watkiss (Cardiff)
wrote: “Hello Kevin, very many thanks for
your newly-featured column of digital radio. I
believe it nicely fills a gap that until now has
been missing. Perhaps, for the future, you
will be able to include other digital formats
and frequencies i.e. DSTAR, DMR, dPMR
etc. In the meantime, I look forward to a
whole new, somewhat neglected subject in
RadioUser.
Thank you both, Mick and Anthony, Kevin
Ryan and I will keep you updated with DAB
coverage information and formats in your
area and elsewhere [ – GW].
Steepletone MBR 7
Regular readers might remember Michael
Blagg 2E0BSN’s request for help to obtain
a copy of the Operating Instructions for his
Steepletone MBR 7 receiver, which Andy
Thomsett included in his Ed’s Comments in
the May 2017 issue. Well, four months later,
it was Andy who (thanks to his brother-in-
law, John) sourced a copy.
Andy said, “In September, I visited my
brother-in-law who just happens to own a
Steepletone MBR 7 receiver. While I was
there, I mentioned Michael Blagg’s quest for
a copy of the MBR 7 manual. As a result,
John undertook a search and found his copy
of the Operating Instructions and popped it
in the post to me.”
Michael was delighted to receive a
letter from Andy enclosing a photocopy of
the information he wanted! My thanks to
both John (who is a RadioUser reader) and
Andy. When Michael Blagg 2E0BSN wrote
to thank John and Andy, he mentioned that
the antenna on his Steepletone MBR 7
was broken and wondered if readers might
know where he could source a replacement.
Although he did not specifically mention it, I
presume Michael is referring to the rotatable
ferrite rod antenna on top of the MBR 7. If
you have any suggestions that might assist
Michael, let me know and I will forward them
to him [ – GW].
ICOM IC-R8600 First Impressions
Simon Roberts wrote: “Hi Georg, I finally
took delivery of the Icom IC-R8600 from
ML&S yesterday, at the advertised price of
£2500. So far it looks pretty good. For a
wideband receiver working on a 70-foot-
long wire via an RF Systems MLB long
wire balun, the HF seems every bit as good
as the FRG 100 it will replace. I’ll let you
know how I get on with the Icom and I look
forward to seeing a review from one of your
professionals”.
Thanks, Simon: the new Icom IC-R8600
is reviewed in this issue of RadioUser (pp.
8-12) [ – GW].
Andrew Svonja wrote, “Hello. In the
November issue of Radio user in your
editorial, you have asked if any readers
are interested in Utility Dxing. Just to let
you know that I am, indeed, interested in
this aspect and it would be great to see it
featured in your magazine. I like the new
feature on DAB radio”.
[Thanks, Andrew: a new column on
Utility Dxing will begin in RadioUser from
February 2018 [ – GW].
Clarifications and Corrections
• In the last Military Matters column
(RadioUser, December 2017: 20) I added
the phrase ‘torture-flights’, in addition to
the author’s original, bracketed, wording
(“rendition flights”). Pat Carty asked me to
advise readers that the description ‘torture
flights’ should not be attributed to himself,
as he believes that the flights referred to
were “of no such nature”. I respectfully
disagree, and I am happy to state the phrase
‘torture-flights’ should be solely attributed to
me [- GW].
• The images in Ian Doyle’s article Radio
RIAT 2017 (RadioUser, October 2017:
46-47) were accidentally misattributed to
Keith Rawlings. The correct attribution is
Ian Doyle. In the same article (p. 47), the
caption for Fig. 4 should read A Lockheed
Martin USAF U-2 Strategic Reconnaissance
Aircraft. Apologies to Keith Rawlings and
Ian Doyle and thanks to Ian for spotting the
mistake [- GW].
• In RadioUser, November 2017: 18, the
initial paragraph, the software suite referred
to should read: Weak Signals Joe Taylor
Software Suite (WSJT). Apologies and
thanks to Mike Richards for alerting me to
this error [- GW].
• In RadioUser, November 2017: 66, the
correct contact/ ordering address under
Software Spot is:
QSP73 Services
58 Kingfisher Drive
Whitby, YO22 4DY
E-mail: software@qsp73.co.uk [- GW].
37
04/12/2017 13:48
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Moonraker 3 pages-green.indd 38 04/12/2017 12:34

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ONLY
● NN103-1 1m low loss N-type
it or it can connect to a designated server over the local network
or indeed the internet, for true stand-alone use. The SBS-3 to N-type Westflex-103 patch
lead to connect from pre-amp

£549 .95
is powered via the USB connector, by a PC, a standard USB
Hub or an in-car charger outlet. The SBS-3 is a flexible design to antenna
● RADAR-AMP1090 high gain
with a phenomenally large FPGA, allowing for future additional
on-board decoders for formats such as ACARS, POCSAG and 12dB mast pre-amplifier
● NN103-10 10m low loss
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skies and seas in an unprecedented fashion. The SBS-3 is also pre-amp down to Bias-T
● Bias-T for DC-Feed to antenna
compatible with PlanePlotter and ShipPlotter, including their latest
● SB58M-1 1m low loss
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a PC or MAC screen, showing Mode-S/ADS-B equipped aircraft RG58M SMA to BNC patch
and AIS equipped vessels immediately around them. It also lead from Bias-T to receiver
● RADAR-PSU 3 pin power
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a wide range of frequencies. These include the VHF and UHF Air supply for Bias-T
bands, the VHF Marine band and the broadcast FM band.

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over a 16kHz signal width, ● 2 x 16 bit ADC, for RX and DX channel
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extended spectrum at 24kHz ● Modern flexible user interface
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suited for operation near strong FM ● Online manual (on the program CD)
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overloaded near strong FM stations. The popular IF receiver RadioJet has been significantly
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● Modern flexible user interface
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The MegaLoop ML200 is an active loop special control electronics we call hybrid receivers.
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amplifier for the range from 9kHz - 200MHz. It is now possible to simultaneously use several
Active loop antennas make use predominantly demodulation methods, to select different frequency analyser and
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they are very useful when reception is difficult because of electric monitoring is significantly simplified. Optionally,
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In contrast to rigid pipe constructions, the antenna can easily be receiver. In addition, an external SDR can be added
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RadioUser January 2018 39

Moonraker 3 pages-green.indd 39 04/12/2017 12:34

 dxtv Keith Hamer and Garry Smith inspect some jewels of TV and
Keith Hamer FM DXing during October, demonstrating the global nature
E-mail: keith.testcards@gmail.com
Garry Smith of this hobby, by drawing on reports from the UK, Europe,
E-mail: garry405625.gs@gmail.com
Australia, Canada and the USA.

African Stations, Portuguese

Anniversaries, Fading Sporadic-E
D
espite the Sporadic-E
season now well and
truly behind us, October
has not been a bad
month after all for long-
distance TV and FM reception. Reader
Stephen Michie (Bristol) frequently
checked for tropospheric reception on
UHF. Conditions were ideal on October
2nd, 3rd, 6th, 28th, 29th, 30th and
31st, when Sandy Heath A multiplexes
were evident on channels D27 and D24
respectively.
Sudbury BBC ‘A’ (D44) and D3&4/ITV
(D41) multiplexes were also present on Fig. 1: Luxembourg news programme, received on October 16th.
the 31st.
On October 16th from 0335 UTC,
Niels van der Linden (Mol, Belgium)
successfully logged a multiplex from
Luxembourg (Télé Lëtzebuerg) on channel
D27 (Dudelange) (Fig. 1) with an effective
radiated power of 145kW, at a distance of
200km. It was airing ‘De Journal’ (news)
in the local Lëtzebuergesch language.
Dudelange was received again on Fig. 3: ‘SIC’ graphics used in Portugal until 1997.
October 24th, via channels D21 (200
kW), D24 (40 kW) and D27 (145 kW). 107.9MHz, at a distance of 1,255km.
Two German DVB-T2 multiplexes Simon Hockenhull (Bristol) had an
were also identified from Rhineland- interesting meteor-shower encounter
Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz), namely HR on October 7th at 2359 UTC. Using two
HD on D34 and ARD HD on D39, both portable radios, a Grundig Satellite 700
vertically-polarised from the Großer tuned to 87.60MHz and a Grundig YB400
Feldberg transmitter with 50kW ERP. tuned to 87.80MHz, they both burst into
The ARD-BR DVB-T multiplex from life for around ten to fifteen seconds with
Kreuzberg-Rhön (100 kW) was also several unidentified stations per channel
decoded. During the opening, DAB yielding a mix of foreign speech and
transmitters from the same regions were music. They all continued up to the time
present. ‘pips’ at 2400 UTC before disappearing
Tropospheric enhancement on simultaneously.
October 14th and 15th enticed in a host On the 31st, in Derby, some meteor-
of UK FM stations for George Garden Fig. 2: An impressive photograph of the Tokyo Tower. shower reception was noted throughout
(Inverbervie, Scotland). The most the morning on 87.6MHz. Incidentally,
distant successes were Classic FM on Meanwhile, late on the 17th, Nick look out for the Quadrantids event in
101.1MHz from Holme Moss and BBC Gilly (Whitchurch, Hampshire) identified early January.
Radio 4 on 93.3MHz from Llangollen. PR 1 from Koszalin (Poland) on https://tinyurl.com/juzlwvg

40 January 2018 RadioUser

40 DXTV.indd 40 04/12/2017 11:14

 Fig. 4: A Moroccan newsfeed test card.
Fig. 5: An APTN feed from ABC (New York).
New African Station
A new African transmitter appears to be
operating on Channel E3 (55.25MHz). It
was received by Hugh Cocks (Algarve,
Portugal) on October 6th at 1650 UTC
radiating colour bars, incorporating
small black text across the centre and
switching to programmes at 1700 UTC.
The station went off the air abruptly
at 1710 UTC, returning at 1715 UTC.
However, by then, the signal was rapidly
fading.
At the same time, a carrier was
present at 49.751MHz, which is channel
R1. There was no video modulation.
The carrier was ‘noisy and wobbly,’ in
the same way that some of the old R1
transmitters tended to be.
This begs the question as to whether
some of the old European analogue
transmitters are undergoing a new ‘lease
of life’ in Africa. It all looks very exciting
and maybe we shall be turning our
attention towards the African Continent
next year! Both signals peaked to the
south-east.
A Look Back
More details of exotic reception from the
USA and Canada have come our way.
Rich McVicar (Syracuse, USA) e-mailed
to say that in July, ‘Storm TV’ from
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was received on
Channel A2 (55.25MHz). This was a ‘first’
for Rich. Another highlight was positively
identifying ‘TVES’ (Televisora Venezolana
Social) on Channel A2 (55.25MHz) from
Caracas, Venezuela. A video recording
was made at the time.  in some details regarding two
http://www.tves.gob.ve
This set a new personal record for
Rich, at 3,771km. Just a few hundred
kilometres further west, both Venezuela
RadioUser January 2018  41
40 DXTV.indd 41
Fig. 6: The BBC2 Christmas ident symbol was a repeat from 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2015.
and Colombia were identified in early
August.
On the morning of June 27th, Wesley
Colaers (Vancouver, Canada) received
weak Russian signals on R1 (1TV) and
R2 (59.25MHz). There were no OIRT
FM signals heard during the opening.
However, on 76.50MHz, a station airing
pop music emerged. Intermodulation
caused by local FM transmitters was
ruled out.
Robert Copeman (Australia) is
almost certain that the signal originated
in Japan. The domestic FM band
there spans from 76 to 90MHz with
‘JODW-FM’ from Yokohama (branding
as ‘InterFM897’) as the likely source.
Yokohama is a low-power relay (300W) of
the main FM 89.7MHz Tokyo transmitter
(Fig. 2). The reception distance was
7,240 km.
More Russian TV on channels R1, R2
and R3 (77.25MHz) and two OIRT FM
stations on 66.30 and 71.85MHz were
received at the end of July 2017. As of
January 2018, their sources were yet to
be determined.
Weak signals on A2 and A3 (61.25
MHz) have also been received, tentatively
logged as originating from Alaska or the
east coast of Canada. A possible source
of one of the weak A2 signals is the low-
power outlet of CBC HTV-1 (Houston,
Canada) with a power of 256W ERP – at
an impressive distance of 410 km.
http://www.cbc.ca
Portuguese Anniversaries
Lionel Michelland (France) sent
significant anniversaries this year. RTP
(Rádiotelevisão Portuguesa) began
regular broadcasts on March 7th,
1957. Moreover, the SIC (Sociedade
Independente de Comunicação) is
celebrating its 25th anniversary (Fig. 3).
The station commenced on October 6th,
1992. It was the first private television
channel to operate in Portugal.
http://www.rtp.pt
http://sic.sapo.pt
Satellite News
A Moroccan test pattern (Fig. 4) with
a distinctive appearance was seen by
Kevin Hewitt (Chatham) while he was
searching for newsfeeds on Eutelsat
10A at 10°E. By means of the same
craft, a more traditional test signal
was photographed by Roger Bunney
(Romsey) (Fig. 5).
In the SNRT Morocco digital packet
via Eutelsat’s Hotbird craft at 13°E
on 10.873GHz (vertical polarisation,
SR 27.500 and FEC 3/4 in MPEG-4/
HD / MPEG-2 DVB S-2 8PSK), there
are currently ten TV and thirteen radio
channels – all of them are unscrambled.
Last but not least, Seasonal Wishes
from both of us, let us hope by the
time you are reading this the BBC has
come up with some more original, new,
graphics (Fig. 6).
Further Information:
Some of the items, which initially
appeared on both our original DXTV
and test cards websites, can now be
accessed in portable document format
on the PDF Archive website.
https://document.li/m5FV
Keep in Touch!
Please send your TV and FM reception
reports, news, comments and
photographs by the end of the month to
Garry Smith, 17 Collingham Gardens,
Derby DE22 4FS.
04/12/2017 11:14
 lm&s broadcast matters Chrissy Brand shares her impressions of a recent visit to the
Chrissy Brand Woofferton short wave transmitter site. She also examines a
4 Cavendish House
Warrior Square strict QSL policy and evaluates readers’ reports.
St. Leonards-on-Sea TN37 6BJ
E-mail: chrissyLB@hotmail.co.uk

DXing - Alive and Kicking!

I
n October, I was privileged to

CHRISSY BRAND
get a look inside what is the
last operational short wave
transmitter site in the UK, at
Woofferton on the Shropshire-
Hertfordshire border. This rare
opportunity was afforded to members
of the BDXC-UK and was organised
by former Woofferton employee, Dave
Porter. Dave and fellow former senior
transmitter engineer, Glyn Jones,
were on hand to guide us around the
complex.
The BBC set up the transmitter
site during World War II, in 1943. The
BBC was joined there by the Voice
of America in 1948. The VOA used
Woofferton as a relay station to transmit
some of its programmes, mostly to
Eastern Europe, until 1999.
A company called Arqiva now
coordinates which UK broadcasters
lease transmitter time at Woofferton
and Babcock control that function Fig.1: Two Marconi BD272 shortwave transmitters (German: ‘Sender’) from 1963, still operate at Woofferton.
for the international stations. Today,
broadcasters at Woofferton include most recent short wave transmitters to I was moved by my visit to such
two local stations: BBC Hereford and be located there came from Croatia: an illustrious and famous site of the
Worcester on 1584kHz medium wave four RIZ DRM-capable transmitters, international broadcasting world. I was
and former pirate station Sunshine which have been in place since 2008. also fascinated to hear humorous tales
Radio on 105.9MHz FM. We explored the transmitter hall from the past such as games of table
On the international front, many before heading outside to inspect the tennis in the staff room. There was
broadcasters make use of the short mast arrays (Fig. 2). They are quite a also a model railway and a Scalextric
wave facilities on offer. Along with long- sight, nestled on a plain, with rolling hills set up there, at some distant point
time users BBC World Service and the in the distance. We heard some horrific back in time. A vision of Christmases
VOA, other well-known broadcasters stories of birds whose feet fried on the past danced in my head! The volume
transmitting from Woofferton are HCJB wires and the hazards of ice on the of heat produced at the site led to
Reach Beyond, KBS World Radio (South masts. practical domestic solutions for families
Korea), NHK Radio Japan and Radio Heading back inside, we inspected of a bygone age, with a cooler room
Taiwan International. the impressive control room. As you doubling up as a place to dry nappies!
Surprisingly, there are some very would expect, this was a slick and
old transmitters in operation that are professional modern space, with about QSL Policy
still performing well. In particular, two a dozen computer screens carrying a I have been surprised (and rather
Marconi BD272 250kW shortwave wide array of ever-changing technical pleased) to hear some of Radio Slovakia
transmitters which were installed in information. We later decamped to the International’s presenters get tough with
1963 (Fig. 1). Nineteen years later, these staff canteen to continue our interesting contributors to the Sunday Listeners’
were joined by four Marconi BD6124 (or ‘geeky’, depending on your point of Tribune programme. The friendly but
300kW shortwave transmitters. The view) conversations. firm tone has been taken with regard to

42 January 2018 RadioUser

42 lms broadcast matters.indd 42 01/12/2017 10:58


reception reports and the station’s QSL
policy.
The station received plenty of reports
and QSL requests during 2017 but will
only issue a QSL card to those listeners
who comment on the programme
content as well as the technical side of
things. DXers are encouraged to explain
what they like and dislike, along with
ideas on the types of programmes they
would like to hear.
In Slovakia, 2017 has been the
year of Jozef Miloslav Hurban and he
featured on a QSL card. Jozef was the
first chairman of the Slovak National
Council and a leader of the Slovak
Uprising of 1848/9. (Fig. 3).
Personally, I would like to hear the
station produce a weekly feature called
My Slovakia, where ordinary people or
immigrants talk about their daily lives
and routines, places they like to visit,
eat and drink and areas of the city
where they enjoy walking or shopping.
Radio Prague has My Prague,
which is one of the most enjoyable
programmes I have ever heard, be it on
short wave or online. A couple of years
ago, I asked Radio Prague if they would
expand this to cover other cities and
regions. I am sure I was not alone in
suggesting this and am delighted that
it may have come to pass. In October,
a programme called My Brno featured
Canadian-born Don Sparling. I hope it
is not a one-off. Either way, My Prague
is aired on Saturdays but, as it can be
difficult hard to find on the station’s
website, I usually Google it and find
individual shows.
www.radio.cz/en/section/special/my-
brno-don-sparling
Back to Radio Slovakia, where
presenters Anca Dargu and Gavin
Shoebridge stated that it is no longer
enough for listeners to merely send
a reception report with SINPO code
and the method of listening. Even
giving information on the news items,
features aired and songs heard will not
suffice. Presenters state that, in this
day and age of digesting programmes
in so many ways (short wave, FM,
online streaming, satellite, podcasts or
download) the question of what should
comprise programme content is key to
the state broadcaster.
The result, of course, should make
for even better, listener-led outputs. I
have been an advocate of this approach
by stations for many years. For too
long, certain English services, from
Vietnam to Germany, have churned out
RadioUser January 2018
42 lms broadcast matters.indd 43
CHRISSY BRAND
Fig. 2: The transmitter masts at Woofferton.
CHRISSY BRAND
dull content. In my view, the overload
of ‘dry’ business and economic reports,
favoured by stations such as the BBC
and Radio Tirana, is unlikely to capture
the attention of the bulk of listeners.
Admittedly, even the culprits do, at
times, offer some more entertaining and
enlightened features in their schedules.
The age-old staples of local culture,
music, travel and history programmes
and interviews with local people, in my
mind, make for a far more entertaining
and engrossing daily radio broadcast.
Radio Slovakia International is skilled
at this, whether this is a feature on the
world music festival in Bratislava last
September or the country’s Tree of the
Year winner in October. Incidentally,
the lucky tree was a 120-year old, 30m
high apple tree that will be nominated Fig. 3: Radio Slovakia’s 2017 QSL card featured
for the European Tree of the Year title in Jozef Miloslav Hurban.
February 2018.
As well as listening to Radio Slovakia RRI will add Snapchat and WhatsApp to
International online, you can hear the its communications arsenal in 2018.
Bratislava station on short wave via On November 5th, the station held its
WRMI, usually on 9955kHz. As the B17 annual listeners’ day. The topic that was
schedule was not available at the time chosen, perhaps somewhat bravely,
of writing, check the WRMI website for was “How much confidence do you
details. Their many transmissions from have in the media?”
all kinds of quality broadcasters include In early January, it will announce its
RAE Argentina and Radio Prague. listeners’ choice for the Personality of
Radio Romania International is the Year for 2017. In order to keep up
another station that issues monthly QSL with news and views from Bucharest
cards and engages with listeners in and a wide portfolio of entertaining
plenty of innovative ways. I don’t know programmes, here is the current English
of any other short wave broadcaster schedule for Western Europe (the
who tries so hard. You can follow RRI station also states that it broadcasts in
on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, English to Australia, India, Japan, North
Dailymotion, Google+, Flickr, Pinterest, America and South-East Africa): On
LinkedIn, Tumblr, SoundCloud and 9770 (in DRM) and 7345kHz from 0630
Instagram. The only one of those I do to 0700 UTC; on 15450 and 17650kHz
not use myself is Dailymotion. Perhaps, from 1200 to 1300 UTC; on 7350 (DRM)
43
01/12/2017 10:58
 GODFREY MANNING
and 5935kHz from 1800 to 1900 UTC;
on 6030 (DRM) and 7375kHz from
2130 to 2200 UTC; and on 5980 and
7220kHz from 2300 to 0000 UTC.

Readers’ Reports
Denis Ironman heard an address being
given during an Arabic broadcast of
Radio Tamazuj. Tamazuj is Arabic for
‘intermingling’ or ‘mixing’. The term
applies, in particular, to the borderland
region between Sudan and South
Sudan. The station is, “editorially
independent and not affiliated to any
government, political party or armed
group in either Sudan or South Sudan.
We do not maintain any institutional
affiliations that would jeopardise our
editorial independence…
“Radio Tamazuj is a daily news
service and current affairs broadcaster
covering South Sudan, the southern
states of Sudan, and the borderlands
between the two countries. Our typical
programming includes reporting and Fig. 4: Godfrey Manning’s Bush DAC 90A radio, highlighting the name of Lahti, a transmitter site in Finland.
discussion of politics, governance,
DENIS IRONMAN

CHRISSY BRAND
peace-building, law, justice, culture,
economy, education, gender, and
human rights.”
The postal address given was
Radio Tamazuj, c/o Free Press
Unlimited, Weesperstraat 3, 1018 AN
Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
https://radiotamazuj.org/en/contact-
tamazuj
Tony Stickells was in Fuerteventura
for part of September and October. He
built another antenna from telephone
wire, this time with excellent results. His
location was 30m from the sea with an
elevation of 50ft and a balcony facing
the coast. This is a great location for
DXing on medium and long wave. Fig. 5: A cheap and cheerful 1981 Sanyo RP 1390 Fig. 6: The Carnival FM studio party in the Jenny
In the medium wave band, Tony radio. Lind pub in Hastings Old Town.
managed a total of 273 stations. He
logged and identified dozens of South and changed all the television sets from so clear at times that it was quite
and North American stations – a superb plasma screens to LED, which gave unbelievable. All logs were made on the
result. He visits the island regularly much better results for me. Changing Tecsun PL-880, which completely out-
and his location this time was west- all the light bulbs from gas to LED also performed my AOR AR7030, possibly
southwest directly facing North and helped.” down to the enhanced sensitivity of the
South America, with only the sea in The best logs for Tony were All India radio with the sorter wire.”
between. Radio South from India on 738kHz An impressive haul of logs to round
Tony wrote, “I also found that in (200kW), located some 5,800 miles off a fine year of DXing included several
Fuerteventura the European stations from the receiver; AIR North on 873kHz stations from Venezuela and Brazil.
fade off very quickly before sunrise. (100kW) was 5,215 miles away; AIR’s Following my most recent mention
The sun was rising in Fuerteventura at General Overseas Service on 1071kHz of numbers stations (Radio Websites,
about 0800, where in Europe it was (3500kW ERP) was 5,170 miles from RadioUser, October 2017: 55 and
already daylight. On some mornings, the receiver. China National Radio 1 on November 2017: 64), Bob Houlston
I heard Stateside stations on almost 1377kHz (100kW) was 6,076 miles from G4PVB wrote, “You might like to
every 10kHz spacing but identification the receiver. investigate UVB-76 on 4625kHz USB,
was quite difficult. The RFI from the Tony concluded, “Many of the South which I can receive late evenings in
hotel wi-fi and televisions was nowhere American stations I received were in the UK: ‘Among the hundreds of radio
as severe. They have renewed the wi-fi excess of 3,000 miles away and were stations in Russia, there is one that is

44 January 2018 RadioUser

42 lms broadcast matters.indd 44 01/12/2017 10:58

 UTC kHz Station Language SINPO Initials found a pocket transistor radio, in good
0000 7250 China National Radio 1 Chinese 35545 GS working order and still in its original
0130 9770 TRT Voice of Turkey Spanish 45555 GS packaging. This was a Sanyo RP1390,
0733 6070 CFRB, Ontario English 24123 TS
manufactured in 1981, which Denis
now uses to listen to Czech Radio on
0733 7730 RAE Argentina (via WRMI) English 35433 TS
639kHz medium wave. He exclaimed,
1344 9526 Voice of Indonesia English 35423 TS “The price was £6, what a find!” (Fig. 5).
1400 6070 Radio DARC, Germany German, English 33333 DI This is all part of the rich and
1403 9390 Radio Thailand English 35332 TS wonderful heritage that a century of
1410 11705 NHK Radio Japan // 11935 English 45334 OR, TS radio and DXing has brought us. I
certainly like tuning around on some of
1415 13720 All India Radio English 44344 TS
my vintage radios, especially on these
1416 15140 Radio Sultanate Oman English 55545 TS
dark winter nights. While I’m cooking,
1500 11790 China Radio International // 11610 Russian 55555 DI I listen to my grandparents’ old Bush
1500 15550 Radio Dabanga Arabic 55555 DI VHF71 radio and, from an armchair, use
1500 15620 Radio Veritas Asia Tagalog, English 55555 DI my Tesla 308u Talisman.
1500 15550 Radio Tamazuj Arabic 44444 DI It’s exciting to be able to indulge
in a little nostalgia. However, it seems
1500 11560 All India Radio English 55555 DI
equally, if not more, important to use
1543 12015 Voice of Mongolia English 15222 TS
current-day technologies as well. From
1546 9435 Voice of Korea English 33223 TS the comfort of my sofa or bed, I do
1600 15490 BBC World Service English 55555 DI like to listen to short wave broadcasts
1616 9515 KBS World Radio, South Korea English 15222 TS online, through the Twente University
1622 15290 Deutsche Welle // 15315 English 25333 OR, TS SDR receiver via my smartphone.
1623 15540 Radio Kuwait English 35434 TS
Finally
1625 17730 Eye Radio, France English 15512 TS It has been another exciting year on
1626 21780 Deutsche Welle, Ascension // 9670 English 45444 OR, TS the airwaves and, for me personally, a
1629 6025 PBS Xinjiang English 35333 TS memorable one for radio-related travel.
1630 6030 CFVP, Alberta English 23333 TS I was certainly spoilt in 2017, with radio
1633 5985 Myanmar Radio English 35122 TS trips to the Netherlands, Finland and
Canada. I also cherish memories of the
1633 7280 Voice of Vietnam //9730 English 43343 OR, TS
week-long Carnival FM RSL in Hastings.
1634 9405 Radio Taiwan International English 45233 TS I particularly enjoyed the end-of-
1638 15520 TRT Voice of Turkey English 55455 TS transmission party, which took place in
1652 6165 ZBC, Zambia English 45333 TS the studio on the final evening. We had
1705 11810 Radio Romania International // 13660 English 55444 OR, TS to stop talking every few minutes due to
1732 6065 Voice of America // 6080 English 45434 OR, TS
the station still being live on air! (Fig. 6).
Throughout 2018, I hope to visit
1742 15190 Radio Pilipinas English 55545 TS
several radio conferences and stations
1744 15570 Vatican Radio English 55555 TS and to be reporting my findings in
1910 7280 Voice of Vietnam English 33333 LC RadioUser, I wish you all the best during
2335 5040 Radio Havana Cuba English 45333 TS this festive season.
2336 5850 Radio Prague English 35222 TS
2344 11580 Radio Ukraine International English 55334 TS

Short Wave Logs

seemingly out-of-this-world. Instead of
music or news, these broadcasts are
of mysterious voices and noises which
have radio enthusiasts baffled. It leaves
some wondering what’s the message
behind these noises.”
The Beowulf Radio YouTube channel
is one place where you can hear this
channel (better known as ‘The Buzzer’):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_
lHkONy37nA
[look out for new content on
Numbers Stations and Utility-Dxing to
come to RadioUser in 2018 - Ed.]
A Certain Vintage
Godfrey Manning e-mailed me after my
visit to the Finnish transmitting site at
Lahti. I had recalled seeing the name of
Lahti on a vintage Bush DAC 90A radio
dial (RadioUser, October 2017: 44-46).
Godfrey wrote, “A good memory from
childhood! It’s also on my own DAC
90A. Mine’s in the less common ivory
cabinet and has a black dial face, some
dials were brown.” (Fig. 4).
Information on another vintage radio
was sent to me by Denis Ironman. On
his travels to Market Harborough, he
Log Contributors
DI = Denis Ironman, Wigston,
Leicestershire. JRC NRD-545 with
30m long wire.
GS = Graham Smith, Bury St
Edmunds, Suffolk. Sony ICF-SW600
and a telescopic antenna.
LC = Lionel Clyne, Faversham,
Kent. Lowe HF-150, random wire or
homemade loop.
OR - Owen Rutherford, London.
Lowe HF-150 and a Wellbrook loop.
TS = Tony Stickells, Fuerteventura.
Tecsun PL-880 and a long wire.

RadioUser January 2018  45

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 kHz UTC Station Transmitter site Country SINPO
531 2129 Jil FM Fkirina Algeria 53323
540 1130 SNRT Al Idaâ Al-Watania Sidi Bennour Morocco 35555
540 2021 MR1 Kossuth Rádió Solt Hungary 42344
560 0702 Rádio Educadora do Maranhão Rural São Luís Brazil 35333
560 0625 WGAN Portland, ME USA 33554
567 2336 SRR Radio România Actualităţi Brasov Romania 42232
567 2135 FRCN Radio Nigeria Alaho Nigeria 42232
570 2354 Radio Villa Villa de Cura Venezuela 43344
600 2344 Radio Gaucha Porto Alegre Brazil 32242
603 2145 BRTV Borno Radio Maiduguri Nigeria 53223
657 2144 RAI Radio1 Pisa Italy 43223
660 0706 WFAN New York, NY USA 35434
666 2145 Antena 1 Castanheira Portugal 43333
670 2348 Radio Rumbos Caracas Venezuela 43143
680 0657 WRKO Boston, MA USA 33333
693 2359 Radio Adrar Reggane Algeria 53223
702 2151 Radio Culture Laghouat Algeria 44223
740 2352 Rádio Sociedade da Bahia Salvador Brazil 43233
740 0659 CHCM Marystown, NL Canada 44223
747 1137 RNE 5 Mesas de Galez Gran Canaria 55555
747 2358 GRTS Radio Basse Santa Su Gambia 42332
760 0012 Rádio Uirapurú Fortaleza Brazil 32343
780 0023 ZBVI Tortola Virgin Islands 33333
783 2158 Radio Mauritanie Nouakchott Mauritania 54554
790 0719 Radio Minuto 709AM Barquisimeto Barquisimeto Venezuela 45444
800 0023 Radio MEC Brasilia Brazil 33234
800 0659 CKLW Windsor, ON Canada 23343
801 2158 Yobe BC Damaturu Nigeria 53443
810 2330 Makedonsko Radio 1 Ovče Pole Macedonia 42332
820 2355 Radio Guayana Upata Venezuela 42433
850 2357 WEEI (Red Eye Radio) Boston, MA USA 43223
870 2359 YVKU Caracas Venezuela 33343
910 0711 Radio Q Maiquetía Venezuela 24233
920 2335 Radio Nueva Esparta Porlamar Venezuela 43133
940 0714 Super Rede Boa Vontade Rio de Janeiro Brazil 22242
940 0725 CFNV Montreal Canada 23353
945 2212 Rádio Nacional de São Tomé e Principe Pinheira Sao Tome 42123
945 0002 Smooth Radio Bexhill England 43123
950 0014 WKDN Philadelphia, PA USA 33132
954 2212 Onda Cero Madrid Spain 45354
963 2213 Radio Sim Seixal Portugal 44324
980 0714 Radio Nacional Brasilia Brazil 33223
981 2215 Chaîne 2 Ouled Fayet Algeria 44223
981 2216 Radio Sim Coimbra Portugal 42222
990 2216 Radio Sawa Cape Greco Cyprus 42413
999 2216 SBC Al-Quran al-Karim Duba Saudi Arabia 51552
1008 2217 Groot Nieuws Radio Zeewolde The Netherlands 42323
1008 2217 SER (Radio Extremadura) Badajoz Spain 43324
1010 0715 WINS New York, NY USA 33233
1017 2217 RNE 5 Granada Spain 44343
1026 2218 SER (Radio Jerez) Jerez Spain 43434
1030 0713 WBZ Boston, MA USA 23333
1035 0022 JRTV Radio Jordan Amman Jordan 43333
1040 0006 Radio Capital Sao Paulo Brazil 44233
1044 2220 SER (Radio San Sabastian) San Sabastian Spain 44524

46  January 2018 RadioUser

42 lms broadcast matters.indd 46 01/12/2017 10:58

 kHz UTC Station Transmitter site Country SINPO
1050 2311 WEPN New York, NY USA 44123
1053 0023 Radio Libya Tripoli Libya 43334
1060 0727 WQOM Natick, MA USA 25253
1062 0714 RAI Radio1 Cagliari Italy 23322
1070 0715 Contacto 1070 Ospino Venezuela 35333
1089 2358 Radio Algérie Internationale Adrar Algeria 43333
1098 2224 Bayrak Radyosu Yeni Cyprus 42443
1100 2224 Radio Globo Sao Paulo Brazil 44123
1107 2225 RNE 5 Cáceres Spain 43233
1110 2225 WBT Charlotte, NC USA 44233
1130 2314 WBBR New York, NY USA 44222
1134 2228 COPE Jerez Spain 44544
1134 0706 CRBC Cross River Radio Ugaga Nigeria 33413
1140 0019 CBC Radio 1 Sydney, NS Canada 33333
1143 2229 COPE Jaén Spain 43222
1152 2230 LBC London England 42422
1152 1442 RNE 5 Málaga Spain 35545
1160 0722 Caribbean Radio Lighthouse Jolly Harbour Antigua 33323
1161 2337 Radio Algérie Internationale (A)in Salah Algeria 43333
1170 0027 Swansea Sound Swansea Wales 32332
1170 2232 Abu Dhabi FM Al-Dhabbaya UAE 44223
1179 2233 SRR Radio România Actualităţi Galbeni Romania 52412
1188 2234 IRIB Radio Payam Tehran Iran 45344
1190 0009 WCRW Leesburg, VA USA 34433
1190 0730 WLIB New York, NY USA 35454
1200 2235 Ceará Rádio Clube Fotaleza Brazil 43333
1210 0718 VOAR St. John’s, NL Canada 25433
1215 2235 Absolute Radio Washford England 43424
1215 2235 COPE Córdoba Spain 42422
1220 0708 Radio Globo Rio de Janeiro Brazil 24233
1233 2337 Radio Dechovka Boran Czech Republic 45444
1251 2238 Rádio Sim Castelo Branco Portugal 45424
1260 2239 SER (Radio Mercia) Murcia Spain 44544
1269 2240 COPE Badajoz Spain 44323
1270 0735 CJCB Sydney, NS Canada 44243
1278 0017 Radio Sultanate Oman Bahla Oman 43333
1280 2241 Super Rádio Tupi Rio de Janeiro Brazil 45444
1287 2241 Antena 1 Portalegre Portugal 43333
1290 0012 WRNI Providence, RI USA 44333
1296 2242 COPE Valencia Spain 43434
1296 2241 Radio XL Birmingham England 43423
1320 0030 Radio Colonial El Tocuyo Venezuela 43143
1380 0017 WQLL Pikesville, MD USA 43343
1386 0020 Radio Liberty Kaunas Lithuania 45444
1395 2323 IRIB Khaliji-e Fars Hajiabad Iran 44333
1400 0019 Harbour Light of the Winds Carriacou Grenada 34323
1404 0020 ERA Komotinis Komotini Greece 44332
1500 0026 WFED Washington DC USA 44223
1550 2247 Saharawi ADR* National Radio Rabouni Algeria 55555
1560 0732 WFME New York, NY USA 25344
1593 0021 Voice of America Kuwait City Kuwait 43323
* Arab Democratic Republic.

Medium Logs
All medium wave logs are from Tony Stickells and were made while on holiday in Fuerteventura.

RadioUser January 2018  47

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 feature In the first of a three-part article, our regular DXTV
columnists, Keith Hamer & Garry Smith, examine one of the
more significant media anniversaries of 2017, celebrating
colour television in the UK and Europe.

Fifty Years of BBC Colour

Television (Part One)
T
he full-colour service on

KEITH HAMER AND GARRY SMITH BBC ARCHIVE COLLECTION.

the BBC-21 network was
launched on Saturday,
December 2nd, 1967, just
in time for Christmas,
although there had been a five-month
‘running-in’ period before its official
start. On Saturday, July 1st, 1967, the
very first regular colour television service
in Europe began when BBC-2 beat
the German ARD/ZDF networks to the
honour. The BBC had pulled out all the
stops to introduce a somewhat limited
colour service in time for the start of
Wimbledon. BBC-2 transmissions in
monochrome commenced in 1964, using
System I (6.0MHz sound-vision spacing).
The colour system adopted three years
later for the United Kingdom was PAL
(Phase Alternate Line or Phase Alternating
Line, as it is sometimes known) with its
ability to remove hue errors automatically, Fig. 1: The original BBC Colour Test Card ‘F’ with frequency grating designations (in MHz).
unlike the American NTSC (National KEITH HAMER AND GARRY SMITH BBC ARCHIVE COLLECTION.
Television System Committee) standard,
which has been used since 1954. The
PAL system was developed in the
German laboratories of Telefunken by the
electrical engineer Dr. Walter Bruch.

The Run-Up
On April 20th, 1967, David Attenborough
appeared in a news item. He explained
that a gradual introduction of colour on
the BBC-2 network was necessary to
enable engineers and production staff
time to familiarise themselves with the
new and daunting challenge. The first
colour transmission viewers saw on July
1st, 1967, was the BBC-21 Colour Test

1. In deviation from the RadioUser

stylesheet and for historical reasons,
‘BBC-2’ is used throughout this article,
instead of ‘BBC TWO’ [- Ed.] Fig. 2: The rotating ‘2’ Symbol (Each colour [blue, red and green] rotated in sequence.

48 January 2018 RadioUser

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 KEITH HAMER AND GARRY SMITH BBC ARCHIVE COLLECTION.
Fig. 3: An early Philips colour camera.
11.00 to 11.25 am
7.30pm
8.00pm
8.50pm
8.35pm
9.50pm
9.55pm
11.50pm
11.25pm
* Also in colour.
Table 1: BBC-2 Schedule for Thursday, August 31st, 1967.
Card ‘F’ featuring Carole Hersee and her
home-made toy called ‘Bubbles’ (Fig. 1).
The first programme to be shown in
colour came from Wimbledon with almost
five hours of ‘live’ tennis.
Colour programmes aired during
the first week included The Virginian (a
US Western series), One Pair of Eyes (a
documentary series) and Late-Night Line-
Up (a ‘live’ arts series). The latter was an
obvious choice for one of the first colour
programmes to be broadcast because it
featured many interviews. This enabled
engineers to experiment with various
types of colour cameras.
Colour was progressively introduced
between July and December 1967.
However, even by August 31st, the
schedules for that day showed only two
programmes in colour.
The combined television and radio
licence fee was increased to £5 on
August 1st, 1965; this included a radio-
only licence fee of £1 5s. Od in ‘old’
money (today’s equivalent of £1.25). The
arguments between the BBC and the
government resulted in the combined
television (monochrome) and radio fee
being increased to £6. On January 1st,
1968, a supplementary licence fee of £5
was introduced bringing the total cost to
£11 for a colour receiver.
RadioUser January 2018  49
48 50 years of colour tv.indd 49
KEITH HAMER AND GARRY SMITH BBC ARCHIVE COLLECTION.
Fig. 4: BBC engineers gave Carole a five-minute
Christmas Day break from her duties.
Play School
Living in Towns
News
The Glory That Remains
(Of Persia In India; Part 6: The Great Mogul)*
Face the Music: Music Quiz
The Andy Williams Show
(Guests: Trini Lopez, Buddy Greco, Jackie and Roy
World Cinema: Pickpocket.
(French Film, starring Martin Lassalle)
Newsroom; Weather
Late Night Line-Up*
Table 1 shows a typical BBC-
2 weekday programme line-up for
Thursday, August 31st, 1967, with only
two programmes being broadcast in
colour. The timings are as shown in the
Radio Times for that day.
Full Colour Service Launch
On December 2nd, 1967 the BBC began
a full-colour service on BBC-2. All the
programmes screened on the first day of
the full service were in glorious vibrant
colour, except for news bulletins.
The first programme to appear in
colour was Billy Smart’s Circus at 6.30pm.
Viewers of BBC-2 could swoon at Stan
Lindbergh (billed in Radio Times as
‘the human torch’) as he performed a
daring free-fall act from a great height
into a blazing tank. Viewers were also
enthralled with ‘monkey magic’, courtesy
of Silvano’s Chimps and ‘some amazing
musical muscles’ from Terry Elflett.
The first costume drama to be
shown in colour was an adaptation
of Vanity Fair, a novel by William
Makepeace Thackeray. This was
scheduled for 7.55pm.
The Radio Times from early December
1967 stated that the aim was to air at
least 27 hours of colour material on
the channel. This increased to almost
KEITH HAMER AND GARRY SMITH BBC ARCHIVE COLLECTION.
Fig. 5: Test Card ‘F’ used by NZBC in New Zealand.
40 hours as a ‘special treat’ over the
Christmas week. Among established
BBC programmes shown in colour
during its first official week were Play
School (advertised in Radio Times
as being intended for ‘children at
home’ and shown during the morning
between test transmissions), Horizon
(on scientific issues), Man Alive
(a documentary and current affairs series)
and The Black And White Minstrel Show
(a popular song-and-dance show).
The first news programme to be
broadcast in colour was Newsroom.
However, this was not until March 7th,
1968. By this time, 29 hours of colour
programmes were broadcast on a regular
basis.
Colour Symbols and Staff Training
BBC-2 introduced a new Identification
Symbol in 1967 to signify the start of
colour on BBC Television. The mechanical
cubed ‘2’ symbol rotated continuously to
reveal the network designation in blue,
red and green. The cube finally came
to rest in white, signifying the result of
combining the three colours (Fig. 2).
More than two hundred engineers and
operators had been through intensive
training to acquaint themselves with
colour television and another two hundred
producers, directors, designers, make-
up and wardrobe staff also received
specialised training. An experimental
studio was set up solely for training staff
and to familiarise them with the new
techniques involved.
For its colour cameras, the BBC chose
a relatively new pick-up tube called the
‘Plumbicon’. This was originally invented
and developed by Philips. The tube
measured about 230mm in length by
25mm in diameter. It was considered to
be a sensitive and stable tube, capable of
producing high-quality pictures (Fig. 3).
The BBC Research Department had
tested two prototype Plumbicon cameras
for months prior to the start of the service.
01/12/2017 12:00
 KEITH HAMER AND GARRY SMITH BBC ARCHIVE COLLECTION.
Belmont, Channel 28 500kW
Black Hill, Channel 46 500kW
Bromsgrove, Channel 27 4kW
Crystal Palace, Channel 33 with
500kW Effective Radiated Power (ERP)
Divis, Channel 27 500kW
Dover, Channel 56 100kW
Durris, Channel 28 500kW
Emley Moor, Channel 51 1,000kW
Guildford, Channel 46 2.5kW
Hertford, Channel 64 with 500W.
Kidderminster, Ch. 64 500W
Lark Stoke, Channel 26 2.5kW
Llanddona, Channel 63 100kW
Pontop Pike, Channel 64 500kW
Pontypridd, Channel 28 500W
Reigate, Channel 63 2.5kW
Rowridge, Channel 24 500kW
Sutton Coldfield, Channel 40 1,000kW
Tacolneston, Channel 55 250kW Fig. 6: BBC-2 Colour Test Card ‘F’.
Tunbridge, Wells Channel 44 4kW
Wenvoe, Channel 51 500kW • Select Channel 250. Wait until the screen fully loads.
Winter Hill, Channel 62 500kW • Press the YELLOW button on the remote, change channel, then return to
Channel 250 and wait until the screen fully loads again.
Table 2: UK A-Z of Colour Transmitters in March • Press GREEN and then wait until the screen loads with technical details.
1968 (Source: EBU). • Press GREEN for TEST CARD and the BBC Test Card ‘W’ should appear.

One of the cameras employed three
Plumbicon tubes; the other camera had
four. The three-tube version produced
the red, green and blue colour signals
with the luminance (or brightness) signal
being obtained via additive mixing. In the
other camera, the fourth tube produced
a separate luminance signal. Both types
of camera produced good-quality colour
pictures. Only four cameras were in
operation at the start of the service.
On November 23rd, 1967, the Radio
Times published an article about how the
introduction of colour meant a re-think
in make-up techniques. For example, if
camera shots included an actor’s hands,
arms, neck or face, make-up artists
had to ensure that all their skin tones
matched. Another problem affected those
actors with a tendency to blush easily as
they would often require heavier make-up.
On black-and-white television, nicotine
stains did not normally show. However,
they were clearly visible with colour
television and make-up had to cover them
up.
In 1972, David Attenborough was
interviewed again by Radio Times and he
gave a retrospective look at the first eight
years of BBC-2 which officially began
(in monochrome) on April 20th, 1964.
However, celebrations were postponed
This is the widescreen version of Test Card “F”.
Table 3: How to find Carole and Bubbles on Freeview.
until the following day due to a total
power failure at Battersea Power Station,
which blanked out BBC-2 screens. He
spoke about the early days of colour
broadcasting and how the engineers
feared flesh tones would be difficult to
faithfully reproduce.
Many technical innovations were
developed to cope with colour TV. For
example, the newly-developed BBC
Advanced Standards Converter was first
used on October 12th, 1968 to relay the
Olympic Games from Mexico to Europe
in colour.
Colour Transmitters
On July 1st, 1967, the colour service
was only available via six transmitters
serving southern England, the Midlands
and the North. By March 1968, the
transmitters shown in Table 2 were airing
in colour, according to official European
Broadcasting Union (EBU) listings.
In addition to these, in 1968/1969
(BBC-1 and ITV introduced a colour
service at UHF on November 15th, 1969),
transmitters which came into service
airing BBC-2 colour included Waltham
(August 31st, 1968), Sudbury (February
10th, 1968), Oxford (February 17th, 1968),
Moel-y-Parc (July 5th, 1969), Caradon Hill
(July 5th, 1969), Angus (July 28th, 1969),
Sandy Heath (September 15th, 1969) and
Craigkelly (October 27th, 1969).
That Famous Test Card ‘F’
Although once a daily ritual, a test card
is virtually impossible to find on TV these
days, not only in the UK but also across
Europe. This is thanks to the intrusion
of round-the-clock programming. Few
veteran TV technicians could ever forget
the delights of the catchy BBC test card
music as they tapped and probed the
receiver’s innards to locate that elusive
dry joint! The little girl in the red dress,
sitting in front of a blackboard with a toy
clown, used to be the ‘star’ of television
whom hardly anyone knew. She used
to appear for hours every day (except
Sundays) on the BBC (Fig. 1). In March
1969, it was announced that she was
due to be shown on ITV every day too.
The ‘little girl’ was Carole Hersee and she
appeared without fail on the BBC Colour
Test Card ‘F’, except one Christmas Day,

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 KEITH HAMER AND GARRY SMITH BBC ARCHIVE COLLECTION.
the engineers saw the possibility of
introducing even more tests for technical
parameters, Bubbles was given a green
outfit with yellow buttons. Some fifty
years later, Carole is still keeping Bubbles
safe and sound at home!

Used by The Opposition

Since July 1967, Carole’s picture and
the highly technical area around it were
a daily feature of the BBC-2 trade test
transmissions.
In March 1969, Thames TV decided
to use the same girl in their own attempt
to design a test card. Carole was
photographed at the company’s London
studios on March 18th, 1969. Their
new test card was to be used when ITV
introduced colour in November of that
year. Nothing much seems to have come
of that photo session and the BBC Test
Card ‘F’ was used. It seems that Thames
Fig. 7: The modified BBC-2 Test Card ‘C’. TV didn’t realise the amount of precision
work and attention to detail required to
Title Production Company Time (Mins) produce a test card, both from a technical
Royal River 20 and a photographic point of view.
Omnibus for All 25 There was just one glaring difference,
however: the ITV version tended to
Overhaul 15
display an annoying overall bluish cast,
North West 200 10
even outside the centre circle, as the
Colour Television Mullard 15 receiver’s colour control was advanced.
Diavolezza BP 13 The BBC Test Card ‘F’ display was far
How A Motor Car (Engine) Works Shell 16 superior and was totally free from this
Land Reclamation Shell Mex/BP 22 defect.
Carole has clocked-up more air-time
A Journey into The Weald of Kent National Benzole 22
on television than anyone else and not
Beauty in Trust National Benzole 22
only in the UK. Test Card ‘F’ has been
Skyhook BP 17 used around the World, including Norway,
Oil Underground Shell 17 Sweden, New Zealand (Fig. 5), Australia
Network ABI 28 and Bahrain.
Hook, Line and Sinker Esso 19 In 1971, she was given an award for
services to the television industry at the
Story in The Rocks Shell 17
Royal Television Society’s Ball.
The Small Propeller BP 22 Although, as a child, she dreamed of
Canadians Can Dance! NFBC 21 becoming a model, Carole abandoned the
The Captive River Shell 28 idea when she left school, going instead
Pembrokeshire – My County! Shell 26 to work as a costumier for Shepperton
Peaceful Revolution ABI 26 Studios. Her work included making
clothes for Alfred Hitchcock’s version of
Prospect for Plastics Shell 28
the thriller, The Lady Vanishes. Carole has
Table 4: Trade Test Colour Films Shown In 1967. worked as a costume-maker ever since,
making many of the clothes used for The
when those mischievous engineers at specially designed for overseas services Phantom of The Opera, when the musical
BBC Television Centre let Carole escape including ‘NIRT’ in Iran. toured the World. She also worked on
for about five minutes (Fig. 4)! A child was chosen, instead of a period outfits for the film Dangerous
The story of her break into television professional adult model, for several Liaisons.
began in 1966 when the BBC was reasons: A child’s clothes wouldn’t
designing a new test card. They decided become dated after a year or so and a Test Card ‘F’ In Later Years
to include a child and chose Carole, child was far cheaper to employ. Carole The BBC Colour Test Card ‘F’ has been
daughter of BBC engineer, George was paid the princely sum of just £10 radiated for 50 years without any major
Hersee, who led the team responsible for the photo session with her home- modifications, although a digitally-
for all BBC test cards and even some made toy, ‘Bubbles’. However, because generated version was introduced in

RadioUser January 2018  51

48 50 years of colour tv.indd 51 01/12/2017 12:00


1984. Recent versions include digital,
widescreen and high-definition variants
in the 16:9 format and with different
designation letters other than ‘F’.
Carole and Bubbles still adorn the
centre of the test card, which is still
available round-the-clock via Channel
250 on Freeview. However, you do
need to juggle around with the coloured
buttons on the handset in a certain order
to access it. Table 3 shows how you can
access the test card in four easy steps (as
of November 2017).
BBC-2 Test Transmissions
The BBC-2 Test Card ‘F’ switched
to colour bars, without identification
(Fig. 6) at ten minutes past the hour,
for approximately five minutes and
with music. However, the colour bars
were discontinued from trade test
transmissions in December 1975.
This original UHF 625-line version
of Test Card ‘F’, featuring frequency-
grating designations in MHz, was
transmitted until the autumn of 1969.
The designations were discontinued
when BBC-1 and ITV began colour
transmissions on UHF from a limited
number of sites. As the test card was
adopted by the latter two networks,
the designations would have been
incorrect for the transposed VHF 405-line
transmissions in those particular areas.
The version with frequency
designations might have been shown
later than autumn 1969, for extremely rare
special engineering tests via the BBC-2
network for which the values would be
correct.
When the designations were
discontinued, the electronic colour bars at
the very top of the display were extended
from 8 to 24 lines which virtually replaced
the whole of the top castellations.
A modified version of the monochrome
BBC Test Card ‘C’ was sometimes shown
for short periods. Any grey-scale tracking
problems would be evident at a glance
with this black-and-white transmission,
without the need for turning the colour
control to zero (Fig. 7).
In 1972, an electronically-generated
colour test card was occasionally radiated
on a trial-basis by the BBC. Based on the
ubiquitous Philips PM5544 design, it was
also broadcast by ITV as part of the trial.
The test card was aired by each of the
three services, namely BBC-1, BBC-2 and
ITV, for a period of two weeks via each
network in turn. Unusually for any test
card, there were no frequency gratings.
52  January 2018 RadioUser
48 50 years of colour tv.indd 52
Fig. 8: Transmitter Information caption.
The lower set of graduations were for
contrast and brightness settings.
Transmitter Information
There was a five-minute technical spot
called Service Information, which was
aired on BBC-2 three times a day, usually
at 10.30am (10.00am from December
2nd, 1967), 11.30am and 2.30pm. This
covered general technical topics and
incorporated Transmitter Information
(Fig. 8). It was eagerly awaited by TV
service engineers, as it gave up-to-the-
minute technical advice. One of the
broadcasts was shown immediately after
Play School. Would Mrs. Smith’s lack of
a BBC-2 picture be caused by a fault in
the receiver or the TV transmitter being
switched off for maintenance? After the
two-minute clock sequence, Test Card
‘F’ would return, followed by a trade test
colour film.
Trade Test Colour Films
These intriguing, short, films were
carefully selected from various
productions made especially for large
companies such as Shell and BP and
stored in their in-house film and video
libraries. An impressive range of films
was broadcast, in colour, over a period of
approximately six years and in addition to
the BBC Colour Test Card ‘F’.
The point of this was that it enabled
High Street television retail shops to
demonstrate the virtues of colour to
prospective customers.
KEITH HAMER AND GARRY SMITH BBC ARCHIVE COLLECTION.
In the course of 1967, no fewer
than 21 trade test colour films were
introduced, with topics ranging from
A Journey into The Weald of Kent to
Prospect for Plastics. Some of these
films were also shown during the earlier
monochrome years of BBC-2. Table 4 is
a list of films shown in colour during the
year 1967 alone.
Films transmitted in later years
included favourites such as Giuseppina,
Coupes Des Alpes, Bulong & Bola, Villa
Mon Rêve , It’s the Tube That Makes the
Colour, Birth of a Rainbow, Run Away to
Sea, Atlantic Parks and The Home-Made
Car. The latter film was shown in its own
right as a normal programme on BBC-1
at 6.35pm on Thursday, April 23rd, 1964.
The award-winning film about a car being
rescued from a junk-yard featured no dia-
logue, but some memorable music. The
main character was played by Ronald
Chudley and the director-producer was
James Hill. The car was an ancient Mor-
ris, the same type as Dr. Cameron drove
in Dr. Finlay’s Casebook, which readers of
a certain age might remember. It’s amaz-
ing what you learn in RadioUser!
We would be pleased to hear from
anyone who might have some of these
films as well as recollections from those
early days of colour TV.
In Part Two, we will look at the intrica-
cies associated with early colour televi-
sion receivers and some of the hazards
and difficulties encountered during instal-
lation and servicing.
01/12/2017 12:00
 news & products What’s new in the world of radio communications

Have you got something new to tell our

BDXC
readers about?

MOONRAKER
If so, then drop me a line at:
E-mail: wiessala@hotmail.com

Radio Photos

R adiocentre has created a suite of images to

authentically reflect modern radio listening.
The photos set out to show that radio is an
The AirSpy HF+

immersive experience, usually listened to while AIRSPY HF+

doing something else. This gives it a unique
emotional resonance and presents a great
opportunity for advertisers (Source: RadioToday).
www.radiocentre.org
Market Trends
Cover of the BDXC B-17 Publication Broadcasts
Moonraker has announced the
AIRSPY HF+. It is a result of a
joint effort between AIRSPY, Itead
Studio and a top-tier semiconductor
company to build a state of the art
SDR for the HF and VHF bands.

F or all the latest market trends, and listening
figures for all forms of radio, you cannot do
better than the radio joint audience research
(RAJAR) website.
www.rajar.co.uk/content.
php?page=listen_market_trends
https://tinyurl.com/yac59zn2
Terms & Conditions Debate
in English. Tel: 01908 281705
Email: sales@moonraker.eu
BDXC Broadcasts in English www.moonraker.eu
The Broadcasts in English compilation
of the BDXC for the B-17 season is
out, covering November 2017 to March I Come from The Future
2018. By contrast, the German Sender Neil Cowling’s article about DAB Radio
& Frequenzen 2017 will be the last in the is now on LinkedIn:
long series. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-
come-from-future-neil-cowling

T he debate about the case for reducing

T&Cs in an audio environment has entered
Parliament. The debate coincides with progress
at EU level: the REFIT Stakeholder Group and
the REFIT Government Group recommended
that the European Commission reassess Article
4 of the Consumer Credit Directive, which leads
to some of the worst examples of Terms and
Conditions. (Source: RadioToday)
https://tinyurl.com/y7go3e3c
NOAA-20 Launched
C. Crane Catalogue
The C. Crane Catalogue for 2018 is
out. You can download/ request a
copy via the company’s website.
enews@ccrane.com
www.ccrane.com
DRM Schedule
The Digital Radio Mondiale global
transmission schedule notes around
50 broadcasts between 3955 and
17800kHz.
World DAB
You can find a wealth of information
relating to the technology, listenership
and development of digital radio at
the website of the World DAB body.
https://www.worlddab.org
SDR Radio Resources
A good collection of software-defined
radio resources can be found on this
(US) website:

O n 18th November 2017, NASA launched www.hfcc.org/drm http://www.hamradioscience.com/

NOAA-20 from Vandenberg Air Force Base resources
in California, USA. The weather satellite is part of Well, I Never...
SDRPLAY

JPSS – the Joint Polar Satellite System and has
an atmospheric science focus.
SDRPlay RSP1A
The Daily Telegraph had a piece
by radio critic Gillian Reynolds
entitled: Is BBC radio Celebrating an
Anniversary? Well, I Never…
(Source: James Cridland)

C heck out the SDRPlay RSP1A ‘radio spectrum

processor’ on the SDRPlay website:
https://tinyurl.com/yddsdp9a

https://www.sdrplay.com RadioDoc Review

ARIA Winners
T he list of winners of the 2017 Audio Radio
Industry Awards (ARIA) can be found here.
(Source: RadioToday)
https://tinyurl.com/yax75d2a
RadioDoc Review (RDR) is a digital
The SDRPlay RSP1A.
journal where selected audio/radio
SDRPlay RSP1A
documentaries, podcasts and features
from around the world are critiqued by Check out the new SDRPlay RSP1A
eminent scholars and/or practitioners of ‘radio spectrum processor’ on the
the form. SDRPlay website:
https://tinyurl.com/y9gzfmq5 https://www.sdrplay.com

RadioUser January 2018 53

53 News & Products.indd 53 05/12/2017 08:49

 Radio User Index 2017
(Vol. 12 No.1 to Vol. 12 No.12)
An index of articles appearing in RadioUser in 2017 showing the month of publication and page numbers.
FEATURES
A Mallorca Radio Trip
by Alex Whittaker.........................................February
A Visit to the Faraday Museum London
by David Harris ................................................ March 54
A Wet Sunday Afternoon
by Roger Bunney ............................................. March 22
Bob’s Hints and Tips
by Bob Houlston .............................................. March 46
Bristow Helicopters SAR Provision at Lydd
by John Periam & Geoffrey Lee .........................June 44
Decoding UK DAB […]
by Phil Davidson G0DOR ................................ March
Erecting a Wall-Mounted Antenna Mast
by Roger Bunney ............................................ August 34
Introduction to Digital Radio
by Kevin Ryan ............................................November
Irresistible Transistor Radios, East
and West by Robert Davidson ............... September
NCI Calshot by Phil Bridges G6DLJ........... January 32
Pocket-Money Radios by Alex Whittaker ........May
Protecting Our Fisheries by John Periam ... March 16
QRM Warrior – Building a Field
Strength Meter by Keith Rawlings ............. October
Radio – A Sound Future
by Chrissy Brand ................................................June
Radio Communication and the
Kennedy Assassination
by Scott Caldwell.......................................November 48
Radio RIAT by Ian Doyle ............................. October 46
Receiver Protection Unit (Part 2)
by Keith Rawlings ......................................... January 52
Repairing a Wellbrook
ALA1530 Loop Antenna
by Roger Bunney ................................................. July 54
RF Development Board (Part 5)
by Roger Thomas ......................................... January 48
RF Development Board (Part 6)
by Roger Thomas ........................................February 50
RF Development Board (Part 7)
by Roger Thomas ............................................ March 48
54
54 2017 Index 2 pages.indd 54
RF Development Board (Part 8)
by Roger Thomas ............................................... April 50
RF Development Board (Part 9)
8
by Roger Thomas ................................................May 52
Saw Tooth Antenna (Part 1)
by Kevin Ryan ......................................................May 34
Saw Tooth Antenna (Part 2)
by Kevin Ryan .....................................................June 33
Saw Tooth Antenna (Part 3)
by Kevin Ryan ...................................................... July 35
Simple Radio Test Equipment
by Alex Whittaker..................................... September 46
SOS Titanic by Scott Caldwell.......................... April 22
8 Space Weather, the Sun-Earth Connection
and Radio Propagation
by Tomas Hood NW7US .......................... December 8
The Big Digital Challenge (Part 1)
8 by Keith Hamer and Garry Smith ........................ July 8
The Big Digital Challenge (Part 2)
by Keith Hamer and Garry Smith ................... August 8
8
The Big Digital Challenge (Part 3)
by Keith Hamer and Garry Smith ............ September 50
8
The European DX Council Conference 2017
by Ydun Ritz ...............................................November 52
The National Maritime Operations
8 Centre (NMOC) ....................................... December 48
The Sinking of the RMS Republic […]
8 by Scott Caldwell............................................ August 52
Two Antennas, One Socket
by Andy Howlett .................................................. July 52
VLF in Australia by Peter Newton GM0EZR . March 28
COLUMNS
AIRBAND NEWS (David Smith): February 34, March
34, April 36, May 40, June 36, July 40, August 40,
September 40, October 40, November 40, December
28.
COMMS FROM EUROPE (Simon Parker): January 62,
February 62, March 62, April 60, May 62, June 62, July
62, August 62, September 60, October 60, November
58, December 57.
DECODE (Mike Richards): January 16, February 16,
March 19, April 18, May 16, June 16, July 16, August 18,
September 18, October 18, November 18, December 17.
January 2018 RadioUser
01/12/2017 11:00
 Radio User Index 2017
(Vol. 12 No.1 to Vol. 12 No.12)

DXTV & SATELLITE NEWS (Keith Hamer & Garry Feedback: February 66, May 48, June 37, August 41,
Smith): January 28, February 28, March 26, April 32, September 16, October 16.
May 28, June 28, July 28, August 28, September 30,
Glossary: January 68, February 68, March 65, April
October 30, November 30, December 40.
68, May 47, June 65, July 68, August 65, September 68,
LM&S BROADCAST MATTERS (Chrissy Brand): October 68, November 75, December 54.
January 40, February 40, March 40, April 40, May 42,
News and New Products: January 54, February
June 40, July 42, August 42, September 42, October
56, March 36, April 62, May 49, June 24, July 32,
42, November 42, December 42.
August 15, September 34, October 50, November 56,
MARITIME MATTERS (Robert Connolly): January 30, December 56.
February 30, March 31, April 34, May 30, June 30, July
Radio Rallies and Events: January 67, February 32,
30, August 30, September 32, October 32, November
March 59, April 67, May 36, June 55, July 67, August 58,
32, December 30.
September 62, October 62, November 61.
MILITARY MATTERS (Pat Carty): January 20, February
Online Radio Resources: November 12.
20, May 20, June 20, July 20, August 21, September 22,
October 22, November 22, December 20.
MODE-S VIRTUAL RADAR (Pat Carty): January 46, BOOK REVIEWS
NDB DXING (Robert Connolly): February 44, April 46, (By David Harris)
June 50, August 48, October 35, December 34.
Laser Radio Programming..............................June 54
OFF THE RECORD (Oscar the Engineer): January 60,
Music and the Broadcast Experience............May 25
February 60, March 60, April 58, May 60, June 58, July
60, August 60, September 58, October 58, November Pinkoes & Traitors:
36, December 60. The BBC and the Nation, 1974 to 1987 ........... July 25
RADIO-RELATED WEBSITES (Chrissy Brand): Pop Pickers and Music Vendors .............February 36
January 57, February 58, March 56, April 54, May 57, Radio Adventures of the
June 56, July 57, August 56, September 54, October MV Communicator ..................................... January 36
54, November 62, December 62.
The BBC – Myth of a Public Service ............. April 29
SCANNING SCENE (Bill Robertson): January 13,
February 12, March 12, April 14, May 12, June 12, July The Golden Days of Radio One […] ......... October 27
12, August 12, September 14, October 14, November The Last Days of Night ...........................November 17
14, December 14.
The Royal Ruler and the Railway DJ .. September 27
SKY HIGH (Godfrey Manning): January 26, February
TX Pirate Radio – Dispatches
26, March 24, April 30, May 26, June 26, July 26,
from Eighties London .................................. August 14
August 26, September 28, October 28, November 28,
December 26. WRTH 2017 and Radio Listeners
SOFTWARE SPOT (with QSP73 Services): January Guide 2017 ...................................................... March 44
64, February 64, March 66, April 64, May 65, June
66, July 64, August 66, September 64, October 64,
November 66, December 65.
EQUIPMENT REVIEWS
(by Mike Richards, unless indicated otherwise)

Cross Country Wireless Mains Filter ...................

OTHER CONTENT ................................................................... December 52
Airshow Guide: June 19, July 37, August 54,
Moonraker Australia
September 57.
BRX500MP (by Keith Rawlings) ......................... July 46
Competitions: February 49, March 11, April 57, June
The bhi ParaPro EQ20B-DSP ................... October 48
60.
Whistler TRX-1 Digital Scanner................ January 8
Corrections: July 59, August 12, October 16,
November 47. SDR Play RSP2 Wideband SDR Receiver ..... April 8

RadioUser January 2018 55

54 2017 Index 2 pages.indd 55 01/12/2017 11:00

 glossary A handy reference guide of radio-related abbreviations,
Georg Wiessala
E-mail: wiessalahotmail.com
acronyms and symbols used in this issue.
-ve negative FLIDIGI/ Flidigi fast, light digital modem application PAL phase alternate (or: alternating) line
AA a battery type/ Automobile Association FM frequency modulation PBT pass band tuning
ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation (see: APTN) FPGA field-programmable gate array PDF portable document format (.pdf)
ACARS aircraft communications addressing and reporting FSK frequency shift keying (e.g. FSK315, FSK441, PL-259 UHF plug (coaxial) for SO-239 socket
system see below) PLT power-line transmitter/ transmission
A/D analogue-to-digital FSK441 a high-speed meteor scatter communications PMR446 private mobile radio (on 446MHz)
ADC analogue-to-digital converter mode PMSE programme-making and special events (license
AF audio frequency ft foot/feet category)
Ah ampères per hour (battery life) FT-8 a (new) digital mode PSB public service broadcasting
AIP Aeronautical Information Publication G3E a type of channeling modulation (see also: F3E) PSK phase shift keying (e.g.: PSK31, PSK63)
AIR All India Radio g force of gravity/ gram (1000g = 1 kg) PSU power supply unit
AM amplitude modulation GB gigabyte PW Practical Wireless (sister magazine to RadioUser)
APRS automatic packet reporting system GCHQ Government Communications Headquarters QAM quadrature amplitude modulation
APTN Asia-Pacific Technology Network (TV) GHz gigahertz QRM Q code for interference (man-made)
ARD Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Rundfunkanstalten GMDSS global maritime distress and safety system QSB Q code for fading
Deutschlands (First German TV Chain) GUI graphical user interface QSL Q code for acknowledgement of receipt (QSL
AREN amateur radio emergency network (Republic of HCJB The Voice of the Andes (Ecuadorian Religious card)
Ireland) Radio Station) QSO Q code for radio contact
ATC air traffic control HD high-definition RAE Radiodifusión Argentina al Exterior
ATM air traffic management HDSDR high-definition software defined radio (software) RAIN Radio and Internet News (summit)
AWGN a channel model Hellschreiber an amateur radio mode displayed in ‘ticker-tape’ RAJAR Radio Joint Audience Research
BA British Airways style (‘HELL’) RCA Radio Corporation of America
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation HF high frequency (3 to 30MHz) RF radio frequency
BDXC-UK British DX Club HMI human-machine interface RNAV area navigation (means of lateral navigation
BOAC British Overseas Airways Corporation HPA-PLA home plug alliance-power line adaptor independent of ground aids)
BPF band pass filter Hz hertz RRI Radio Romania International
BR Bayerischer Rundfunk (Bavarian Broadcasting ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization RRP recommended retail price
Corporation) Germany IF intermediate frequency RSL Restricted Service Licence
CAA Civil Aviation Authority iFACTS interim future area control tools support system RSSI received signal strength indication/ indicator
CAT computer aided transceiver (control/ interface) (NATS) RTP Rádiotelevisão Portuguesa
CB Citizens’ Band ILS instrument landing system RTTY radioteletype
CBC Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in inch/ inches RU RadioUser
CEO chief executive officer IP internet protocol (e.g. IP-NTP Server) SAR search and rescue
CIF common interleaved frame (DAB radio) IP-3 third-order intercept point SD Card secure digital card
COFDM modulation scheme dividing a single digital signal I/Q (IQ) in-phase and quadrature SDR software defined radio/ receiver
across 1,000 or more signal carriers IRC international reply coupon/ Internet Relay Chat SESAR Single European Sky ATM Research
CTCSS continuous tone-coded squelch system ITU International Telecommunication Union SFN single-frequency network(s) (DAB)
CU capacity unit (DAB radio) ITV Independent Television (UK TV network) SI Système International (International System)
CW continuous wave (Morse code) KBS Korean Broadcasting System Measurement System
D/A digital-to-analogue kHz kilohertz SIC Sociedade Independente de Comunicação
DAB digital audio broadcasting LAN local area network SINAD signal-to-noise and distortion ratio
DAB+ digital audio broadcasting plus (upgrade to the LED light emitting diode SNR signal-to-noise ratio
existing DAB system) LF low frequency (30 to 300kHz) SNRT Société Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de
dB decibel LM&S Long, medium and short wave (RU column) Télévision (Morocco)
dBm decibel referenced to one milliwatt LO local oscillator SO-239 A UHF socket (coaxial) for a PL-259 plug
dBμV decibel referenced to one microvolt LSB lower sideband SR symbol rate
DC direct current m metre SSB single sideband (USB and LSB)
DCR digital convenience radio (Japan) M million SSTV slow scan television
DCS digital coded squelch Mb/ Mb/s megabits, megabits per second SWL short wave listener (SWLing: shortwave listening)
DME distance measuring equipment MB megabyte TCCO time-compensated crystal oscillator (e.g. CB
DMR digital mobile radio MCX micro coaxial transceivers)
dPMR digital private mobile radio MF medium frequency (300kHz to 3MHz) T-SQL Tone-squelch (e.g. on a scanner)
DRM Digital Radio Mondiale MFSK multiple frequency shift keying (e.g.: MFSK144, TV television
DSC digital selective calling a data mode) TVES Televisora Venezolana Social
DSD/ DSD+ Digital Speech Decoder MHz megahertz UK United Kingdom
DSP digital signal processor (e.g.: DSP unit) MPEG Moving Picture Experts Group (e.g.: MPEG-4) URL uniform resource locator (website address)
D-STAR digital smart technologies for amateur radio MPT1327 A trunked radio system (scanning) US United States
DVB-S2 second generation satellite digital video ms millisecond USA United States of America
broadcasting MS Microsoft USB universal serial bus (e.g. USB adapter, USB port)
DVB-T first generation terrestrial digital video MSC main service channel (DAB radio) USB upper sideband
broadcasting MT63 an amateur radio digital mode UTC Universal Time Coordinated
DVD digital versatile disc MultiPSK A type of decoder software V Volt (SI derived unit of electrical potential)
DWD Deutscher Wetterdienst (German Weather mW milliwatt VAC virtual audio cable
Service) NAC network access code (e.g. P25 mode) VAT value added tax
DX long distance NATS NATS Holdings (formerly National Air Traffic VFO variable frequency oscillator
DXCC DX Century Club Services) VOA Voice of America
Dxing Receiving stations over a long distance (also: NDB non-directional beacon (e.g.: aeronautical, VOR VHF omnidirectional radio range (navigational
DXer) maritime; NDB DXing) system, beacon)
DXpedition a journey undertaken for Dxing purposes NHK Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai VOX voice-activated transmit/ voice-operated control
DXTV long-distance television reception NiCad nickel-cadmium (battery type) VSC voice-scanning (a scanner function)
E East NiMH nickel hydride (battery type) W watt (SI derived unit for power)
EBU European Broadcasting Union NIRT National Iranian Radio and Television WFM wide FM
ECSS exalted carrier selectable sideband NTP network time protocol WRMI Radio Miami International
EME Earth-moon-earth (moon bounce) NTSC National Television Standards Committee WRN World Radio Network
EMF electromotive force NXDN narrowband digital protocol developed by Icom WSJT Weak Signals Joe Taylor
ERP effective radiated power and the JVCKENWOOD WSJT-X A component of WSJT
ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Ofcom Office of Communications WSPR Another component of WSJT (e.g.: WSPRnet)
Institute OIRT Organisation Internationale de Radiodiffusion et WSPRnet Weak Signal Propagation Reporter Network
EVP electronic voice phenomena de Télévision ZDF Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (Second German
F3E a type of channeling modulation (see also: G3E) P25/ P25 Phase 2 (standards) suite for digital radio used by TV Chain Network)
FEC forward error correction US public safety and government organisations Ω ohm

56 January 2018 RadioUser

56 Glossary.indd 56 05/12/2017 15:19

 comms from europe Simon Parker provides an overview of the state of the
Simon Parker CB hobby at the beginning of 2018, offering detail on
Post Box 446
H-1242 Budapest technology, dealers, clubs and networks in this community.
Hungary
E-mail: 13at777@gmail.com He also surveys new antennas and transceivers.

CB Radio in 2018
C

IMAGE SUPPLIED BY SIMON PARKER

hristmas is very near
now and in Budapest the
seasonal lights have long
since appeared (Fig. 1).
The year 2017 has been
dynamic, it seems, as far as CB antennas
are concerned. Above all, we witnessed
the demise of Sirtel. Once a powerhouse
for antennas, the firm exited the stage and
a series of their antennas are now made by
a company in Taiwan, arguably without all
the flair and style of the Italian original.
Tagra Antennas of Spain, which was
also a key player and then fell silent, is
again back with a series of antennas.
Those who have been testing them are
saying that they are the best yet. On this,
I cannot fully pass comment yet because I
have only seen them in photos.
http://www.tagra.net/en
Sirio-antenne, a constant source over
many years, did not fail the hobby com-
munity in 2017 with the new series of LED Fig. 1: The Christmas Season in Budapest.
antennas called ‘Bull Trucker’ recently
released to the market. As the owner of a response from the UK, so I am basing Uneven Transceiver Quality
one of these, I must conclude that it is my opinion on information received from What a year it has been for CB transceiv-
working just as excellently as other, similar, Germany, Poland, Holland and Spain. ers – not! Overall, next to nothing special
antennas in the series and the light sure il- This antenna was somewhat of a or even interesting, has come on to the
luminates a dark sky when the microphone revelation, with its coverage from 24.9 to scene and a lot more was promised than
is pressed. 29.0MHz, without the need of any antenna could, in the end, be delivered in 2017.
www.sirioantenne.it/en/products/hf/ tuning. A further surprise was its size of a I would say that, for Midland (Fig. 2),
bull-trucker little over 16ft. After some 16 months, mine the release of the M Mini was nothing
It seems that President Iberica has is still going strong. A recently contact short of a disaster. Personally, I bought
not been all that busy since the release of to Indonesia with strength S5/7 was the three of these from Italy, complete with
the UP (ultra-power) series of magnetic furthest one I have achieved so far. Bluetooth microphone and dongle adapter.
bases for mobile antennas. The multi- ‘Clone-antennas’, under such names All of them sounded quite ‘robotic’. The
magnetic bases do, indeed, attach the as Team, Delta, PNI, Sigma (Poland) and RF gain feature only worked in AM mode,
antennas firmly onto cars. The company many more – at considerably lower cost to not in FM. Midland informed me this was a
has now nearly changed all the old series the originals – have also appeared. I feel “planned feature.“
of antennas to the UP series. However, certain that this particular market segment These radios suffered from different
there appears to be nothing new and just will continue to grow in the future, as will problems. However, when I tried to return
life-cycle product development. the emails with lines such as “I bought them, all the manufacturers would accept
https://president-electronics.com this, it’s the same as the original just a bit were the Bluetooth microphones and the
The Himalaya WB (wideband) antenna cheaper”. Sadly, originals are originals dongle adapters.
is a little over one year old now. Accord- and copies are, indeed, just that: copies, CRT released the Millennium model
ing to many dealers, it continues to sell frequently produced much more cheaply (Fig. 3). In its first version, this transceiver
well in the EU. It was not possible to get than originals. was of about the same quality level as the

RadioUser January 2018 57

57 Comms from Europe.indd 57 04/12/2017 14:06

 IMAGE SUPPLIED BY SIMON PARKER
Midland. Again, the RF Gain functionality
applied only to AM, the signal meter was
quite ‘robotic’ in quality and it took a lot to
move it. However, CRT was more receptive
to feedback and quickly brought out a
re-designed firmware version. This offered
RF gain in AM and FM mode. This was
much better but the signal meter still had
issues and the inside of the transceiver
appeared untidy. That notwithstanding, a
positive result was having high power (in
a legal format) which was something new
and different.
In 2017, K-PO brought in their version
of the transceiver and were also the first
to add the RJ-45 microphone connector.
Transceivers by this manufacturer had the
fewest errors of the lot. The audio quality
was good, the signal meter was much
improved and RF gain worked for both AM
and FM. Fig. 2: The Midland M Mini Transceiver.
It seems to me that Nanfone has been

IMAGE SUPPLIED BY SIMON PARKER

of poor quality from the start and has very
little interest in quality control. Add to this
that most people want ‘the most bang for
the least money’.
Praise must go to K-PO because they
were smart enough to wait, while, argu-
ably, other companies rushed orders at the
expense of quality.
President usually brings out something
interesting but, at the moment, very little
of note is happening. The President Andy
AM/FM model has been replaced by the
Barry AM/FM, which was initially only
available in the former Russian Republic
and CIS states. The new President Ronald
12/10m was promised for September and
is still missing in action.

SSB-CW-CTSS Fig. 3: The CRT Millennium Transceiver.

Many readers continue to ask why there is IMAGE SUPPLIED BY SIMON PARKER
no CTCSS and why there is 12m in AM/FM
when it is actually SSB and CW that are
the correct modes of operation.
Well, I have asked around, as prom-
ised. What responses I received claimed
that “CTCSS isn’t needed”. In terms of the
frequency coverage, it seems nobody can
answer me – can any of you comment on
this?
As far as I am concerned, I prefer
25.165MHz and upwards in export mode
and not a lower frequency. In some coun-
tries, people use 25MHz and I have heard
people talking on as low as 25.555 and
25.005MHz (FM). Therefore, I am not sure Fig. 4: A future Midland transceiver with USB port.
whether the idea behind adding something
even lower is at all sensible. In terms of the SSB market, as far as 2m/70cm and two new car radios. One
However, this follows on from the Lin- I know, nothing new has appeared from of those is the amateur radio version of
coln II +, which leads me to assume that, either Uniden or President. the Apollo II, called the Micron UV (UHF/
perhaps, a similar type of firmware is used CRT has been quite busy in the ama- VHF). The other one is the 279 UV (UHF/
with the transceiver. teur radio arena, with a new handheld for VHF) model, which looks like the recently-

58 RadioUser January 2018

57 Comms from Europe.indd 58 04/12/2017 14:06

 released QYT radio.
Thus, it appears that CRT has, more
or less, been the busiest manufacturer
throughout 2017.
However, none of this means that the
CB hobby is dead or in decline – on the
contrary. In Table 1, I have attempted to
offer a mirror of the hobby in early 2018,
listing the main dealers, clubs, networks
and much more. Have a look and par-
ticipate and you will soon discover how
dynamic this aspect of radio really is.
Into the Future
It seems that, in terms of your CB equip-
ment, size matters after all. The year 2018
will bring some new mini or micro radios
to market and these will be very different
to radios of today. As I already hinted in
my last column, these will be transceivers
with little or no possibility for adjustment.
The idea is that nothing can be internally
adjusted so what you get is what you use.
For example, the days when users could
modify modulation, squelch, RF gain or
power are gone. The sole way to adjust
these will be at the dealers.
The key explanation for this lies in
manufacturers’ profit margins. The initial
investment to set in motion a new produc-
tion line is, of course, high. However, the
fact that fewer components are used,
inevitably results in cheaper factory prices
for transceivers and, accordingly, in bigger
Clubs and Resources
www.alfatango.org
www.cbdx.cz
www.cb-lounge.de
www.cbpmr.cz
www.cb-radio.pl
www.cbradiomagazine.com
www.charlietango.co.uk
www.ebcf.eu
www.funkbasis.de
www.scbo.net
www.scbr.sk
www.sugardelta.org
www.transmission1.net
Dealers and Resellers
Qixiang
www.qxdn.cz
Knights in the UK
www.kcb.co.uk
Sales
www.radiozing.co.uk
Nevada
www.nevadaradio.co.uk
Konektor
www.konektor5000.pl
Truckerswereld
www.truckerswereld.nl
Table 1: A Collection of CB Resources in 2018
RadioUser January 2018  59
57 Comms from Europe.indd 59
profit margins for resellers. The overall
disadvantage of this new system is that
nobody can adjust the kit, except at dedi-
cated points.
Consequentially, repairs are trickier,
and each radio will be more ‘universal’
in build. This means the quality remains,
more or less, on the same level. Already it
appears (Thank you, Rob) that Uniden has
initiated this trend with the 2017 release
of the Bearcat 980 SSB. This model offers
around 75% fewer adjustment poten-
tial than the previous one. There might
also soon be USB ports on the front of
transceivers to charge iPads and Android
devices, like the small, new, ones from
Midland (Fig. 4). Midland is planning this in
the case of the M-5. However, at present it
has not appeared yet.
Right now, there is a lot of talk sur-
rounding the appearance of time-compen-
sated crystal oscillators. These TCCOs will
feature in plenty more SSB radios in the
future making their stability better. At the
moment, the Maxlog-produced Magnum1
is the sole transmitter with this feature
inside. Details are on my website.
https://simonthewizard.
com/2015/11/23/maxlogs-magnum-
1-more-news
I was told that it could arrive in the
second part of 2018 and that it is currently
undergoing testing and costing proce-
dures.
Avera
www.avera.eu
CB and Amateur Sales
www.pjbox.co.uk
Uniden
www.uniden.com
President
www.president-electronics.com
Maxlog
www.maxlog.net
Maas Elektronik
www.maas-elektronik.com
Yeti Comms (NZ and Indonesia)
www.yeticomnz.com
Talk Networks
Gloucester Net: Saturdays 7.30-9.00pm;
Channel 38 UK FM 27.97125MHz.
Midweek Southern DX Net: Wednesdays
7pm, Channel 28 UK FM 27.87125MHz.
(Chaired from either Mendips/Quantock/
British Mt.)
South East of England Network:
Sundays 8.00pm 27.355MHz USB
Thursdays 8.00pm Channel 39 UK FM
27.98125MHz.
Darren: Mondays from 08.00pm on PMR446
Channel 8 446.09375MHz.
Cordless and Bluetooth microphones
and dongles will become even more
common – and will be more competitively-
priced – throughout 2018. The technology
is here and the actual Bluetooth part of this
has dropped in price significantly over the
last 18 months. However, this might be a
bad thing for consumers because many re-
sellers might still sell them at higher prices,
in order to achieve their profit margins.
Summary
Thus, in the end, 2017 has phased out
pretty quietly, in terms of CB communica-
tions. The solar cycle continues to unfold.
As a result of this, reception conditions will
get poorer until they improve again.
Radios have come and gone. Some
have gone, only not to be replaced, as
in the President series, which suffered a
number of discontinued lines.
Nanfone proved that they can supply
radios cheaply but at a cost in terms of
quality.
In closing, I wish you all a great festive
season. Whatever you are doing, may it be
special and wonderful. Here, it will be quiet
as usual, with the odd glass of mulled
wine.
Check out the list at the end of this arti-
cle and get in touch with me or the people
on the list.
Until the next time, make some good
memories. See you soon, Simon 007
South Wales & West Midland Network:
Saturdays 09.00-11.00pm, Channel 30 UK
FM 27.89125MHz.
Munich Germany Bavaria Net: Sundays
09:00pm 27.365MHz USB (Chairman -
13LR021).
The Glasgow Net: Most Days from 06.00pm,
27.255MHz USB/FM and PMR446 Channel
8.
Sid’s Sunday Net: Sundays 02.00-04.00pm,
Channel 34 UK FM 27.93125MHz.
(PMR446 Channel 8 in the summer).
Lincolnshire Net: Daily from 08.00pm,
Channel 38 UK FM 27.97125MHz.
26CT30 Andy Net: Fridays 07.00 to
10.00pm, Channel 32 UK FM 27.91125MHz.
Knight Patrol DX Group “check in” 27.580
USB
Very Low Frequency DX Group (VLF)
Newfoundland Canada: When conditions
allow 26.030MHz USB
Eastern Counties Mid-Week Net:
Wednesdays 06.30-09.00pm, 27.365MHz
USB
(Controllers: Richard 26FI420 and Justin
26FI-242)
North West Network: First & last
Wednesday each month, 27.125MHz USB
(Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
groups/Northwestnet)
04/12/2017 14:06
 off the record Oscar the Engineer previews some changes to his column
Oscar the Engineer for 2018 and reports on short-lived Radio Caroline
E-mail: oscartheengineer@yahoo.com
transmissions on 648kHz.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THIRD EAR

The Free Radio Column

MV Ross Revenge, home of Radio Caroline from 1983.

L
et me begin by wishing
you all happiness and
prosperity for 2018 and
beyond. The fact that you
choose to join me here in
these pages each month means more to
me than words can say.
Pausing to ponder for a moment
on the free-radio context of those two
wishes, I suggest that the pathway
towards achieving happiness can involve
striving for the elimination of unneces-
sary restrictions others might seek to
impose upon us.
We are, in other words, more likely to
feel happy in our lives, if we can access
the things we desire and enjoy. As free
radio fans, this means that we need, as
far as is morally and legally possible, to
be able to do, say, play and hear what
we would like to.
Regarding prosperity, the route
towards achieving it could, conceivably,
involve striving to ensure that over-zeal-
ous bureaucrats do not restrict our ability
to generate wealth. On the one hand, we
must acknowledge that some level of of-
ficial procedures, rules and regulations is
necessary for an ordered, structured and
civil society. However, on the other hand,
it is also important to recognise that, in
the end, organs of the state, radio licens-
ing bodies and quangos depend on us.
In other words, our personal pros-
perity hinges on our determination to
ensure that institutions are not allowed
to become too bloated, hands-on and
authoritarian.
What does all this mean for (free)
radio? In my view, many regulators and
powers-that-be demonstrate a compara-
tively poor understanding of the tasks
they are supposed to be performing.
When I wrote on Wonderful Radio Lon-
don a couple of months ago, you may

60 January 2018 RadioUser

60 Off the Record.indd 60 04/12/2017 14:08

 have noticed that I was not just reminisc-
ing about a great sound. I was also com-
menting on how the station ‘outshone’
the competition and achieved financial
success by an excellent understanding
of its mission and the environment in
which it was operating.
The ‘graveyard of failed radio
projects’ is extensive, with the dead
outnumbering the living many times.
There is never any automatic entitlement
to success and a happy and prosperous
future will require us to not only stand up
to pressure but also to accept we need
to get our strategies right, if we are a free
radio station.
Free Discussions on Radio
That leads me to the issue of my ideas
for the future of this column and I wish
to make a little bit of a position state-
ment. As we wave goodbye to 2017 and
welcome in 2018, I can see lots of major
changes going on around me here at the
magazine, in addition to developments
continuing at a considerable pace within
the world of radio and media generally.
I have been here for a long time and I
am confident that I have a good grasp of
how things work. With this in mind, I be-
lieve it would be beneficial to the appeal
of this column if I were to broaden the
scope of the subject matter somewhat
throughout the new year.
This will be in keeping with the
comments from our new editor, Georg
Wiessala and the feedback he has been
getting from readers. I am using some of
the space this month to hold this ‘pro-
duction meeting’ in public to remind you
that your thoughts and reactions are of
paramount importance in this process.
The Future of this Column
I will always consider myself to be a
free radio enthusiast. Therefore, top-
ics related to that field will continue to
form a mainstay. At times though, there
are some very interesting radio-related
subjects that crop up which I would
like to discuss but I have tended to feel
reluctant for fear of drifting too off-topic.
It seems to me that all radio has a
connection to free radio because free
radio played a fundamental part in what
radio is today and it continues to do so.
Moreover, my comments here are meant
to be a unique perspective of a free radio
enthusiast.
Therefore, the (permanent) heading
of the column which we adopted a few
years ago can stay.
I would also like to retain the origi-
RadioUser January 2018  61
60 Off the Record.indd 61
nal column title because, in addition to
implying that I talk about pirate radio as
such, it conveys the fact that conversa-
tions held off the record are often those
that are less formal (and sometimes
more honest and revealing) than official
communications.
I am not proposing fundamental
transformation, just a bit of applied
thinking and planning. Since free radio
is about eliminating unnecessary rules
and restrictions, it makes sense for me
to write about the topics I feel will be
the most interesting ones, here in these
pages.
I will expand a little more about my
thought processes and plans in forth-
coming months.
I would like to ensure I am talking
about the topics the largest numbers of
radio fans care about the most.
Radio Caroline 648 kHz
The Lady is one of the biggest names the
world of free radio has ever known and
– after a fairly lengthy period of silence –
there were some dramatic developments
with regard to her AM community radio
licence outlet.
Quite out of the blue, reports started
coming in on Saturday, November
11th, 2017, regarding transmissions on
648kHz. These were being heard over
quite a wide area of the UK as well as
across continental Europe.
The audio initially consisted of a loop
of Ray Charles songs. After a while,
this was replaced by other music and
announcements confirming that this was,
indeed, a test transmission by Radio
Caroline, in preparation for the launch of
their new medium wave service.
Signal strength reports were impres-
sive, including in London, where it was
fairly reasonable.
For a time, there was much specula-
tion about where the specific transmit-
ter site was located. It was common
knowledge that the licence application
and the information gleaned from those
connected to station insiders indicated
that broadcasts would emanate from an
antenna, supported by wooden telegraph
poles, at the location known as ‘Pig Poo
Pond’ in Stonham Aspal.
However, there had been some
rumours doing the rounds, claiming that
attempts were made to alter these plans
and to broadcast from the rather mag-
nificent transmission site at Orfordness.
Eventually, it became evident that this is
indeed what happened.
In addition to the 5-element beam
for 648kHz and the 6-element beam
for 1296kHz. There is also an omnidi-
rectional monopole at this site and this
one was used to radiate the Caroline
transmissions.
I couldn’t swear to this, but I have
heard rumours that all previous transmit-
ters have been removed from that site.
Therefore, it is likely that Radio Caroline
was using their own.
It may well be that feed-lines, tuning
and matching were already in place for
operation on that frequency. The site sits
on a long and narrow spit of land, which
is almost surrounded by the salt water
of the North Sea. Therefore, it is almost
like being offshore, certainly in terms of
optimum earth conductivity.
An Anti-Climax
Thus, it very much seemed like the mo-
ment had arrived. Many had been calling
for it and waiting for it for half a century
or more and now it was actually happen-
ing. All across the country, people were
raising their glasses and shouting their
congratulations to Peter Moore and his
team.
Then, at midday on Monday, No-
vember 13th, 2017, the transmitter was
switched off again after only two days
of broadcasting and the nation was
stunned into a silence that was even
quieter than the 648kHz frequency which
was now empty once again.
In the stillness, a few voices began to
murmur. Comments revolved around the
point that test transmissions at the start
of a new service do not normally happen
like that; maybe those who have always
said that Peter Moore’s stewardship of
Caroline was open to criticism were, in
fact, right all along? It certainly seemed
like something of a roller-coaster ride.
Some announcements said that the
tests had concluded and that more tests
– and a full service – might commence –
at some unspecified time in the future.
Consequently, doubt and specula-
tion continue. Nevertheless, things may
have become clearer even by the time
you read this. A close monitoring of the
frequency, along with the Caroline web
outlets, seems like a good idea at this
moment in time.
With that, I am closing things for this
issue. I will endeavour to return next
month with some definitive news about if
and when the magic will truly begin and
with some of the other items I did not get
the chance to touch on this time, such as
a surprise boost for BBC local radio or
Julia Hartley-Brewer’s knees.
04/12/2017 14:08
 radio websites Chrissy Brand reports from the Radio and Internet News
Chrissy Brand summit in London, which looked at developments in radio
4 Cavendish House
Warrior Square and podcasting. She also chooses some radio stations and
St. Leonards-on-Sea TN37 6BJ
E-mail: chrissyLB@hotmail.co.uk radio-themed novels for the festive period.

RAIN, Radio Futures

and Detective Novels
T

SUPPLIED BY CHRISSY BRAND

he Sixth Annual RAIN
(Radio and Internet News)
Summit Europe took place
in London in November.
For the past 15 years, the
RAIN Summits in the USA have provided
networking events, showing the increas-
ing convergence of radio, digital audio
and online listening. While aimed at audio
publishing, broadcasting, advertising and
technology companies, there is enough
of interest to those working in the wider
radio and internet radio professions.
http://rainnews.com/summits

RAIN Sessions RAIN conference slide showing radio listenership and reach among young people.
A session on today’s music listening

SUPPLIED BY CHRISSY BRAND

landscape explored how the new ways
in which people listen to music impact
on radio industries. Jonathan Arendt
(AudienceNet and Jazz FM) and Robert
Delmonte (AudienceNet) stressed how
today’s listeners to radio and internet
audio are living in an attention-based
economy. There are so many ways
that we consume our radio these days,
through apps like MixCloud as well as
internet-only stations, streaming of regu-
lar stations and by means of analogue
and DAB broadcasts.
Gone are the days when a commer-
cial radio station could command huge
listening figures at all times and advertis-
ers knew that they were reaching a large
target audience. Robert Delmonte of AudienceNet crunches some numbers at the RAIN conference.
AudienceNet is a social and con-
sumer research agency that works in 44 In a series of slides examining listen- getting a 27% share. A further 7% en-
countries. I can understand how advertis- ing share versus media reach, it was gage via online streaming and DAB radio
ers need regular access to data about shown how, although radio is still reach- receiving reception accounts for 16%.
potential audiences and market share. ing younger age groups, it isn’t fully en- In a session titled Fireside Chat, Ben-
AudienceNet certainly produced some gaging with them. Radio is still dominant jamin Masse (Triton Digital) interviewed
fascinating charts and graphics during its in how the sample size of 3,000 adults Christo Grozev of Talpa Radio in The
presentation. consume music, with AM and FM radio Netherlands. The challenges for a radio

62 January 2018 RadioUser

62 radio websites 3 pages.indd 62 01/12/2017 12:06


Above: A Fireside Chat with Benjamin Masse and Christo Grozev during the RAIN conference. Above Right: The RAIN conference panel for the Radio Ubiquity session.
broadcaster to break into podcasting was
one of the topics discussed. Christo stat-
ed that a third of radio listening is now
done online and three different trends
were highlighted: Listeners have less time
for radio than they used to, there is wider
competition from other media competi-
tors and, when people do tune into radio,
they listen for shorter periods, due to the
many other distractions close to hand
such as smartphones and tablets.
Christo claimed that the solution for
broadcasters was to implement a three-
pillar solution in one brand, compris-
ing linear radio, non-linear radio and
interactive radio. Linear radio is where
the broadcaster chooses and plays the
content in a traditional radio programme
format. By contrast, non-linear radio
happens where the listener chooses or
creates their own content through social
media or playlists on Deezer, Spotify and
other virtual platforms.
One of my favourite sessions on the
day was named Radio Ubiquity: Delivery,
Distribution, Devices. This looked at how
radio was meeting listeners’ expectations
of radio being available in new ways, new
places and through new devices. The
CEO of the Radio Academy, Roger Cuts-
forth, facilitated a panel discussion.
Head of Digital Audio at Bauer Media
Group, Nadia Holmes, stated that 60%
of the Bauer Media Group’s listenership
currently access programmes via a digital
device, compared to the UK national av-
erage of 50%. She also used the phrase
‘platform agnostic’, meaning that the
company will deliver programme content
in whichever way the listeners will require
it, through visualisation (webcams in
RadioUser January 2018  63
62 radio websites 3 pages.indd 63
SUPPLIED BY CHRISSY BRAND
studios) social media and different ways
of sharing. She cited Kiss Universe and
Absolute Radio as two leaders in this
field.
The emergence of podcasting was
also discussed. This format has been
around since almost the start of the cen-
tury. However, it is still catching up with
‘mainstream’ radio. Nadia commented
that, “Podcasting was a huge area in
2017 from a creative base, although it is
still behind from a commercial side.”
Simon Cole, CEO of 7digital and
once of Piccadilly Radio in Manchester,
stated that, “The streaming industry is
becoming more like the radio industry
and the radio industry is watching with
interest.” He went on to note that the
radio industry is not doing enough and is
too conservative. He also said that, “the
radio industry in all countries never thinks
outside its box.”
Neelay Patel (Director of TV and
Radio, Digital Products and Broadcast
systems, BBC) confirmed that the BBC
was very much ‘on the ball’. Inter-
nally, the Corporation uses the phrase
‘reinventing radio’ when it refers to
radio programmes, which are moved
to all available platforms. Interestingly
– perhaps unsurprisingly – that phrase
is not only used by the BBC, it is also a
Mixcloud mantra.
One very interesting question from
a woman in the audience concerned
audio quality. This issue has long been a
‘bugbear’ regarding DAB radio, where the
high bit-rates originally promised were
lowered by many networks. The audience
member mentioned how classical music
listeners demand high-quality audio in
SUPPLIED BY CHRISSY BRAND
both radio and streaming, ideally as good
as quality hi-fi. Simon Cole was pleased
to state that higher-quality audio is, in-
deed, coming early in 2018 and will have
an important role to play in the home and
in high-end cars.
There was a lot of information to
take in and the statistics given by one
company sometimes seemed to contra-
dict another one’s research. However,
I was encouraged that the businesses
represented were determined to embrace
all technologies to ensure that desirable
radio/ audio content and technical quality
were all delivered to as wide an audience
as possible.
Several people spoke at the RAIN
Summit on how smart speakers are
bound to have a big impact on radio
throughout 2018. I look forward to cover-
ing the rise of these throughout the new
year.
Festive Offerings
Like many of us, I enjoy the festive
season and see it as a time to spend with
family and friends. I also enjoy having
some time to myself, to curl up with a
good book or relax with some podcasts
or radio listening that soothes rather than
taxes me.
Christmas came early for me, with the
news that the World Radio Network now
streams live on the Babcock website.
WRN Broadcast Limited was acquired by
Babcock International Group plc in 2015.
It was around then that the WRN website
stopped streaming or listing updated
information. The good news is that you
can currently tune in live to three feeds
in English, aimed at Africa, America or
01/12/2017 12:06

Above: Nadia Holmes of Bauer Media Group addresses the RAIN conference audience. Above Right: Two fast-paced, radio-themed, novels set in North America.
Europe. Other languages are also aired,
including Arabic, Persian (Farsi) and
Russian.
WRN has, effectively, always been
a method to listen to some of the best
short wave broadcasters online. You can
hear stations that still use short wave
such as Deutsche Welle, Radio France
International, NHK World (Japan) and
KBS World (South Korea). Other stations
worth listening to, for entertaining and in-
formative programmes in English, include
Banns Radio International (Denmark),
Polish Radio and two programmes from
the US, Glenn Hauser’s World of Radio
and This Way Out.
http://babcock.media/world-radio-
network
In the deep midwinter, I like to find
time to make inroads into my ever-
increasing pile of books. I’m currently
working my way through seven radio
detective novellas written by M.H. Ves-
seur. The author is Dutch, although this
series of books is set at fictional US radio
station WCBN. The detective in ques-
tion is Carl Pappas, host of a weeknight
business show. He is known as the ‘bizz-
jockey’, due to his high-held status in the
world of finance.
Aided by a production team of Hitomi
Sakamoto and Don Wozniak, Pappas
gets embroiled in solving more than his
fair share of mysteries. The first book in
the series is called CEO Groupie. It is a
fast-paced, 100-page, read and involves
corrupt businessmen and high-class call
girls. While Vesseur’s work is unlikely to
win any literary prizes, it fits nicely with
64
62 radio websites 3 pages.indd 64
my requirements for an escapist evening
into the world of American metropolitan
talk radio.
I’m unsure which city the imaginary
station is located in. US stations that
start with a W are located east of the
Mississippi River (those to the west com-
mence with a K). A safe guess would be
New York City, but maybe more will be
revealed as I work my way through the
remaining six books.
There has been a student radio station
in Ann Arbor (Michigan) for over 40 years
with the same WCBN callsign. “Free-
form radio station on the campus of the
University of Michigan. Free your mind,
expand your universe. Broadcasting on
88.3 FM and online.”
Perhaps the novels’ author has
some link with that? In any case, the
programmes are varied and enjoyable
and the website is packed full of music
interviews and other news. You can
follow M.H. Vesseur at his website, on
Facebook and on Twitter.
www.mhvesseur.com
www.facebook.com/MHVesseur
@MHVeseur
www.wcbn.org
I am also part-way through a novel
set at a Canadian radio station. Late
Nights on Air, by Elizabeth Hay, is set in
1975 (but was published in 2007) around
a station in the town of Yellowknife.
Fictional announcer Dido Paris grew
up in the Netherlands, near the German
border, listening to the BBC and learn-
ing English through programmes that her
father taped off the radio on a reel-to-reel
SUPPLIED BY CHRISSY BRAND
recorder. Elizabeth Hay used to work for
CBC Radio in Yellowknife, Winnipeg and
Toronto. Therefore, she is well-placed to
write this engaging novel with radio as a
lynchpin. Her website also includes a link
to a list of books from CBC, designed to
banish the winter blues.
http://elizabethhay.com
http://elizabethhay.com/readers-
guide-for-late-nights-on-air-2
www.cbc.ca/books
One of the radio contacts I made in
2017 was Sarah Harvey. Although living
in East Sussex, she presents a weekly
programme on the US website, Slammin
Tunes. Sarah’s Progressive Rock Tuesday
is aired live at 1800 UTC and consists
of several hours of new, mostly melodic,
progressive and space rock. Plenty of
less-frequently heard vintage music is
also thrown into the mix.
Sarah is also one half of a radio
double-act that hosts programmes on the
two Hastings restricted service licence
stations, Carnival FM and Hastings Rock.
The other half is Tony Davies. He and
Sarah both upload some of their pro-
grammes to Mixcloud. I recently enjoyed
a vintage 1982 Tony Davies show from
the Golden Hind pub.
http://slammintunes.com
www.mixcloud.com/tony-davis19
www.mixcloud.com/sarahhar-
vey7737769
Thanks to all contributors throughout
2017, we’ll hear from them again next
month. Season’s Greetings.
[See also the book review by David
Harris in this issue of RadioUser - Ed.].
January 2018 RadioUser
01/12/2017 12:06
 software spot In this month’s software collection, QSP73 Services provide
QSP73 Services a brief overview of old and new amateur radio data modes
58 Kingfisher Drive
Whitby in use as well as offering a wide range of decoding software
YO22 4DY
E-mail: software@qsp73.co.uk relating to those modes and other areas.

Data Decoding
Special and Software
E
ach month, QSP73
Services offers a
compilation of software
exclusively for RadioUser
readers! Many readers
use a PC for their listening hobby.
Therefore, each month QSP73 Services
searches for new releases of the latest
public domain, freeware, donationware
and shareware hobby radio software to
include in this column.
This month the column also features
a brief ‘Data Decoding Special’.
In response to reader feedback
and suggestions by RadioUser editor
Georg Wiessala, QSP73 include a very
brief guide to some of the data modes
used by radio amateurs, primarily on
HF.
These can be monitored using a
receiver linked to the audio input of
your PC and with appropriate software.
Furthermore, this month’s offering AGWTracker
features the latest versions of a
multitude of off-air data decoding details on some of the current data Digital and HD SSTV
programs and many new additions to modes used in amateur radio: Digital SSTV produces excellent, noise/
them, all relating to HF, VHF and UHF distortion free pictures which can be
signals. OVERVIEW: in high definition. However, for this to
These are sure to keep you busy Amateur Radio Data Modes occur, the received signal needs to
over the winter months. be very strong and relatively free from
This month’s collection is supplied APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting noise.
on a 4.7GB data DVD for your PC’s System)
DVD/CD drive or on multiple 700MB If you tune in to 144.800MHz, you will Domino
data CDs, for readers who do not have hear APRS packet radio transmissions Another mode that uses MFSK (Multi-
a DVD data reader on their PC. containing status messages, locations Frequency Shift Keying). It sends data
The collection also includes the and weather information. using many different tones, sent one at
main headline software titles from the a time.
October, November and December CONTESTIA
2017 Software Spot compilations. A digital mode directly derived from FT-8
Also incorporated is software from Olivia that is not quite as robust, but FT8 offers sensitivity down to –20 dB
earlier collections, to give you more more of a compromise between speed on the AWGN channel. Contacts are
packages to evaluate, install and use. and performance. four times faster than with JT65 or
To begin with, here are some more JT9, and an entire FT8 contact can

RadioUser January 2018 65

QSP Disc January 2018
65 Software spot.indd 65 04/12/2017 11:12
 take place in about 1 minute. FT8 is
an excellent mode for HF DXing and
for situations like multi-hop Es on 6m,
where deep QSB may make fast and
reliable completion of QSOs desirable.
The numeral designates the mode’s
8-frequency shift keying format. Tones
are spaced at 6.25 Hz, and an FT8
signal occupies just 50 Hz.

HamDRM
WinDRM is an amateur radio derivation
of the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM)
digital voice and data transmission pro-
tocol. It is known as ‘HamDRM’, and
‘Digital SSTV’. Uses the same technol-
ogy from commercial DRM broadcasts,
with COFDM-QAM modulation and can
send text, voice and images. This for-
mat was first adopted for amateur use
by Francesco Lanza HB9TLK in his Digipan
own version of Dream, an open-source
DRM decoder. This is an experimental
mode for now. The main exponents can
be found on 80m around 3733kHz.

HELLSCHREIBER (HELL)
Somewhat different from other data
modes. When receiving a Hell signal,
the decoded text is displayed on a
‘ticker tape’ display

JT6M
A specialised mode found in the WSJT
software suite, designed for weak
signal working such as EME (moon
bounce) and meteor scatter.

JT8
This is part of the popular WSJT suite
of programs, and has recently been
proven popular on air. Exchanges are
limited however with no ‘chat’ mode’
available.
CMSK
JT9
If you’ve tried JT65, JT9 will be very
familiar. A typical QSO takes 7 minutes,
with each part of the QSO consist-
ing of two of three words sent over a
50 second period – as an example,
JT9 seems to be even better at cut-
ting through the noise to get a signal
through, and appears to be ideal for the
lower frequency range, typically 160m.

JT65
This was developed originally as part
of the Weak Signals Joe Taylor weak
signal modes software package, sig- Frequency Filer
nals that are virtually inaudible can yield
perfect copy and its performance is
excellent on the noisy HF bands. Digital Speech Decoder

66  January 2018 RadioUser

65 Software spot.indd 66 04/12/2017 11:12

 Trunk Sniffer
This is also part of the popular WSJT
suite of programs and has recently been
proven extremely popular on air. How-
ever, exchanges are limited and there is
no ‘chat’ mode’ available.
MFSK
MFSK is like the (commercial) Piccolo
system. MFSK is very good under poor
propagation conditions. MFSK is side-
band-dependent, like RTTY. Therefore,
your receiver must be set to the correct
sideband to decode it properly. It is good
under poor propagation conditions.
MT63
This is a very robust mode indeed. It
offers 100% copy when other modes fail.
However, the required bandwidth and
speed are limiting factors.
OLIVIA
This is quite a new digital mode. It is
extremely resistant to fading and QRM
PACKET
HF mailboxes etc. use packet to forward
messages to users. The usual data rate
on HF is 300 baud, with 1200 and 9600
baud being commonplace on VHF and
UHF.
RadioUser January 2018  67
65 Software spot.indd 67
PACTOR
HF mailboxes etc. often use PACTOR
to forward messages to users. As it
uses error correction it can take time to
send a message particularly over a less
than perfect path, but the transmitting
station will keep trying until the mes-
sage is received perfectly.
PSK31
Phase Shift Keying with a bandwidth of
31.25Hz. This allows a two-way QSO,
and typically uses macros for common
phrases. It has a bandwidth of only
31Hz. Therefore, many signals can fit
into the same bandwidth that would be
occupied by an SSB signal.
PSK63
PSK63 is like PSK31 but data are sent
and received at twice the rate of normal
PSK31.This mode is great for chatting
and for contest exchanges, although
the bandwidth required is greater.
ROS
This mode uses multiple tones over a
2kHz or 500Hz bandwidth with three
main speeds. It offers the capability to
decode signals that have a signal-to-
noise ratio of -35dB.
RTTY
This is Radio Teletype and supports
two-way contacts. You type in real-
time and your message is displayed at
the other station almost instantly. An
‘original’ data mode using mechanical
teleprinters. RTTY has been around for
many years and uses LSB, by normal
convention, on the amateur bands.
SSTV (Slow Scan TV)
Slow-Scan-TV has been popular for
many years. Received pictures are built
up line-by-line. The quality can be very
good, even over long-distance paths.
THOR
An extremely robust mode, well-suited
to weak HF signal conditions.
THROB
One of the newer digital modes and al-
though a slow mode it is quite resilient
to the effects of fading and so on.
WSPR
Designed for probing potential radio
propagation paths using low-power
beacon-like transmissions.
04/12/2017 11:12
 Here are some of the new and updated TrueTTY rectangle at the bottom corner of the
programs and files in this month’s Trunk Tracking PCR first page of this feature) along with your
collection: Trunkito name and address and UK £5 note or a
TrunkManager cheque or Postal Order for £5.00 payable
Massive Data Decoding Collection TrunkSniffer Pro to QSP73 Services to: January 2018
The following collection includes TrunkSnort Software Offer, QSP73 Services, 58 King-
programs for off-air decoding of virtually UIView fisher Drive, Whitby YO22 4DY, England.
every single HF data mode (see the Unitrunker Overseas readers can send £5.00 or
previous mode guide). It encompasses Voice Descrambler US$10.00 (to allow for exchange costs) in
software relating to VHF and UHF Voice Inverter bank notes.
DMR data and speech transmissions, WACARS Online or via e-mail: Debit and credit card
MPT1327 trunking, ACARS signals, WeatherFax2000 payments via PayPal can be accepted by
station location tracking software and WEFAX99 paying £5.00 to software@qsp73.co.uk
plenty more modes and signals. WinFlex Either go to www.paypal.co.uk or send a
Winpack payment to software@qsp73.co.uk.
These are the programs in the collection WinPSK If you do not wish to register with PayPal,
AGW APRS Tracker WinPSKse send an e-mail to software@qsp73.
Airlink Express WinWarbler co.uk and request an e-mail invoice for
AirNav ACARS Decoder WISP you to ‘click on’ to reply.
APT Decoder WO_PSK Please add the phrase JAN18A to your
CTCSS and DTMF Decoder WSJT e-mail or PayPal order to show proof of
CW Decoder WSJT-X V1.7 including JT8 readership and remember to include your
DigiPan WSPR V2.12 postal address (because PayPal often
DigiPic WXsat does not forward your address).
Digital Speech Decoder for Windows WXtoIMG. By default, QSP Services will send you
Digital Speech Decoder Plus ZL2AFP CMSK this month’s collection on a 4.7GB data
DigTRX DVD, unless you request CDs. Therefore,
DMRDecode Moreover, the main features and please state if you do require CDs.
DSCdecoder programs from the last three months of Your DVD collection(s) will normally be
DTMF Decoder Software Spot are included. placed in the post within 24 hours of re-
EasyPAL ceipt of your order and sent by 1st Class
FDMDV - Digital HF Voice CB Radio Simulator mail to the UK or via airmail to overseas
FFTDSP Weak Signal Software Coax Cable Loss and SWR Calculator destinations.
FLDIGI DF9CY Project Auriga Occasionally, you might have to allow
FreeDV: Digital Voice for HF DXView for extra time for delivery, due to staff
Geosatsignal EZNEC V5.0 Freeware holidays, in the case of multiple CDs and
ID Tracker FLRIG V1.3.33 so on.
ID Tracker II Frequency Filer Please note: Due to the very large
IZ8BLY Hellschreiber GCVoiceKeyer amount of data involved, the collection
KG-ACARS Gpredict on multiple CDs will only be available
Listen-MDT Gpredict for 60 days following the current issue’s
MMTTY Grig publication and will not be available for
MPT Trunker future orders in CD format.
MRP40 BV Other collections: All past software
Mscan Meteo KG-ACARS collections are available in DVD format.
MScanMeteoFax Minos Contest Logging Software V1.7.0 If you would like any of them, please just
MScanMeteoPro MSHV V1.42 say so when ordering and add £5.00 for
MSSoft NDBfinder each month’s collection chosen. For ex-
MT63 PreMuLoc ample, if you missed the December 2016
MTrunk Qantenna collection (which includes all the software
MultiPSK QRadioPredict offered throughout 2016) or the massive
NavTex View QSL Maker Mods and Manuals collection on multiple
Open Digital Voice RadioWorks data DVDs offered in March 2017, please
PCSat Telemetry Decoder SARTrack let QSP73 Services know and add a fur-
POC32 Pager Decoder ScannerCast ther £5.00 – that is £10.00 altogether, for
PSK08 SimJT the December 2016 or March 2017 Mods
PSK31 Deluxe Simon’s Toolbox and Manuals collection, together with this
PSK63 Software Collection Simple Beacon Monitor month’s offering. Once again, one corner
QuikPSK StarrSoft Scanner Collection flash or e-mail code phrase will suffice
RadioCom6 Universal Converter for all.
RadioRaft Virtual Audio Pipeline QSP73 Services runs this service on
RCKRTTY Win500 behalf of RadioUser. Therefore, please
RDS Decoder Win92 do not contact magazine staff regarding
ROS Win93 this service because they will not be able
RX-PSK31 Win95 to help you. Queries should be made to
SARTrack - Search and Rescue Radio Win96 the QSP73 Services postal address, via
Tracking Win97 e-mail to software@qsp73.co.uk or by
SatBatch Wlog2000 phone to +44 (0)1772 978229 (evenings/
SatMon YagiMax Antenna Design weekends).
SatScape All the software is offered in good faith
SatSignal How to order your DVD or multi-CD as freeware, shareware, donationware or
SeaTTY collection by post or via e-mail public domain software. You are not ‘pay-
ShipPlotter By post: To order the January 2018 ing for’ or ‘buying’ the software. QSP73
SIM PSK Software Collection, which also includes Services provides distribution services
Spectrogram the main featured software from the past only and some software might have
Taxi MDT Decoder three months’ compilations, just send the limited functionality until it has been fully
TETRA Mobile Station Decoder original corner flash (the small coloured registered.

68  January 2018 RadioUser

65 Software spot.indd 68 04/12/2017 11:12

 Radio Book Store
Order form on page 71

Pages Price
SCANNING & FREQUENCY GUIDES
● SCANNERS 7 B Robertson & P Rouse ....................................245 £9.95
A TIT EW
D E
!
ED
D L
N

ANTENNAS/PROPAGATION
● AN INTRODUCTION TO ANTENNA MODELLING
Steve Nichols G0KYA (RSGB)..........................................................80 £9.99
● NOVEL ANTENNAS Steve Telenius-Lowe PJ4DX (RSGB)..............192 £14.99
● ANTENNAS MASTERED Peter Dodd G3LDO (RSGB)..............288 £14.99
World ● STEALTH ANTENNAS 2 (RSGB) ...............................................208 £14.99

Radio TV ● RSGB ANTENNA FILE (RSGB)..................................................288 £14.99

Handbook 2018 ● HF ANTENNAS FOR EVERYONE (RSGB) ................................336

● BUILDING SUCCESSFUL HF ANTENNAS (RSGB) ............................ 224
£14.99
£14.99
This is the 72nd edition of World Radio TV Handbook and this great directory continues ● HF ANTENNA COLLECTION Edited by Erwin David G4LQI
to offer the most comprehensive guide to broadcasting on the planet. With the help of an
(RSGB) ........................................................................................233 £19.95
international network of contributors they again provide the most up-to-date information on
mediumwave, shortwave and FM broadcasts and broadcasters available in any publication.
● Articles on topics of great interest to professionals, listeners and dxers alike including BEGINNERS/LICENCE/MANUALS
articles on Anipodean Journey, Receiving Noise, Radio Romania International, A New
Voice of Hope and Radio Voices from the South Seas. ● HF SSB DX BASICS Steve Telenius-Lowe, 9M6DXX (RSGB) ...........96 £8.99
● Reviews of the latest receivers and equipment ● RADIO PROPAGATION EXPLAINED Steve Nichols G0KYA ..........128 £12.99
● Maps fully updated showing global SW transmitter sites ● HAMSAT (RSGB) ........................................................................128 £9.99
● The Features section provides colour pages giving articles, radio reviews, propagation
● GETTING STARTED IN AMATEUR RADIO (RSGB)...........................96 £8.99
predictions, and colour maps
● National Radio – The world’s national radio services, and the broadcasters, listed by ● TECHNICAL FOR THE TERRIFIED BOOK 2 (PWP)........................128 £12.99
country ● TECHNICAL FOR THE TERRIFIED BOOK 1 (PWP)........................124 £12.99
● International Radio – Full broadcaster details and the winter SW frequencies as supplied
● ADVANCE! THE FULL LICENCE MANUAL
by the broadcasters together with an expanded Clandestine section
● Frequency Lists MW frequency lists by region; international and domestic SW broadcasts Alan Betts G0HIQ & Steve Hartley G0FUW (RSGB) ...................104 £11.99
by frequency; international broadcasts in English, French, German, Portuguese and ● AMATEUR RADIO EXAM SECRETS
Spanish by UTC; DRM broadcasts
Alan Betts G0HIQ (RSGB) ....................................................................... 104 £12.99
● Television – Details of the broadcasters arranged alphabetically by country
● Reference – International and Domestic SW Transmitter sites, Standard Time and ● FOUNDATION LICENCE NOW! 5th Edition
Frequency Transmissions, DX Club information, Internet resources and other essential Alan Betts G0HIQ (RSGB) ............................................................32 £4.99
information
● HF AMATEUR RADIO 2nd Ed. Ian Poole G3YWX (RSGB) .......144 £12.99
All of this for just £35.00 plus p&p
● INTERMEDIATE LICENCE – BUILDING ON THE FOUNDATION
4th Edition Steve Hartley G0FUW (RSGB) ..................................76 £6.99
● LOW STOCK MORSE CODE FOR RADIO AMATEURS (RSGB)32 inc. CD £8.99
AN INTRODUCTION TO ● LOW STOCK SECRET OF LEARNING MORSE CODE
ANTENNA MODELLING Mark Francis (Spa)........................................................................84 £6.95

For many years, the only way for most radio amateurs to work out DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
how well an antenna design would work was to build it and find
● HOMEBREW COOKBOOK (RSGB) ..........................................208 £12.99
out. The arrival of computer based antenna modelling programmes
has changed this. This book looks at the Free MMANA-GAL ● CIRCUIT OVERLOAD (RSGB) ...................................................504 £18.99
antenna modelling program that will let you design and optimise a ● THE ART OF SOLDERING R Brewster (Babani) .........................84 £3.99
whole host of antennas and all on your PC.
● BUILDING A TRANSCEIVER
PRICE: £9.99 PLUS P&P.
E Skelton EI9GQ & E Richards G4LFM (RSGB) .........................176 £12.99

SHACK ESSENTIALS

RESTORING OLD ● RTTY/PSK31 for Radio Amateurs Roger Cooke G3LDI (RSGB) .............48 £7.99
● LOW STOCK RSGB AMATEUR RADIO OPERATING MANUAL
RADIO SETS   8th edition (RSGB) ................................................................................ 240 £16.99
For many, there is nothing more charming than an old broadcast ● NEW DELUXE LOGBOOK & DIARY 2017 (RSGB) .....................80 £4.99
receiver glowing away in a substantial wooden or Bakelite case.
However, these are now a rarity and it is much more likely that old ● NEW HART REVIEWS (RSGB)............................................................ 192 £12.99
radio sets will be non-working curios found at car boot sales in a ● RSGB PREFIX GUIDE 12th edition (RSGB) ................................80 £9.99
dusty, unloved condition. Restoring Old Radio Sets is a book that
● SIX & FOUR Don Field G3XTT (RSGB) ............................................. 288 £13.99
sets out to provide a step-by-step guide to bringing an old set back
to life, getting it working properly and restoring its looks. ● AMATEUR RADIO ASTRONOMY 2nd Edition
PRICE: £8.99 PLUS P&P. J Fielding (RSGB) .......................................................................384 £16.99
● AMATEUR RADIO ESSENTIALS G Brown (RSGB) ..................288 £25.99

RadioUser January 2018 69

69-Book Store form 3 pages.indd 69 01/12/2017 11:02


Pages
QRP
● QRP BASICS George Dobbs G3RJV (RSGB) ............................204
VHF & HIGHER
● MICROWAVE KNOW HOW Andy Barter G8ATD (RSGB) .........192
HISTORICAL
● THE VINTAGE RIG GUIDE Steve White G3ZVW............................80
CRYSTAL SETS
● THE VOICE OF THE CRYSTAL H Peter Friedrichs ......................185
ELECTRONICS
● LOW STOCK COMPUTERS IN AMATEUR RADIO
with CD (RSGB) ..........................................................................256
● TEST EQUIPMENT FOR THE RADIO AMATEUR (RSGB) .......250
BINDERS
● PRACTICAL WIRELESS OR RADIOUSER. .........................................£10.00
ACRCHIVE CDS NOW AVAILABLE
The archive sets are each on a single optical disc and provided in a searchable portable document
format (PDF). It’s ideal for any computer running a PDF reader program – there should be no problems!
LOW STOCK RADIOUSER 2016 ARCHIVE ........................................... £14.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1965-1969 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1970-1974 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2010-2014 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99
RADIOUSER 2011-2015 ARCHIVE ....................................................... £24.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2015 ARCHIVE .............................................. £14.99
RADIOUSER 2015 ARCHIVE .................................................................. £14.99
IN THE SHOP ............................................................................................. £14.99
DATA MODES ............................................................................................ £14.99
LOW STOCK CARRYING ON THE PRACTICAL WAY ........................... £14.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1975-1979 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1980-1984 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2014 ARCHIVE .............................................. £14.99
RADIOUSER 2014 ARCHIVE .................................................................. £14.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1985-1989 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99
ANTENNA COLLECTION ARCHIVE ....................................................... £14.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1990-1994 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2013 ARCHIVE .............................................. £14.99
RADIOUSER 2013 ARCHIVE .................................................................. £14.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 1995-1999 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2012 ARCHIVE .............................................. £14.99
RADIOUSER 2012 ARCHIVE .................................................................. £14.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2000-2004 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2011 ARCHIVE .............................................. £14.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2010 ARCHIVE .............................................. £14.99
PRACTICAL WIRELESS 2005-2009 ARCHIVE ................................... £24.99
RADIOUSER 2011 ARCHIVE .................................................................. £14.99
RADIOUSER 2006-2010 ARCHIVE ....................................................... £24.99
70
69-Book Store form 3 pages.indd 70
THE VINTAGE RIG GUIDE  
Amateur radio equipment saw great changes from the 1960s
onwards with the arrival of solid-state designs and there is
much superb equipment from the latter decades of the 20th
century available in the second-hand market. This brand new
publication focuses on the amateur radio equipment from
theses decades in the same format as the The Rig Guide,
describing the basic information about the equipment, along
with when it was first made and what it may be worth.
Price: £5.99 plus p&p.
Price RADIO PROPAGATION EXPLAINED  
Understanding radio propagation is essential for anyone with
an interest in radio communications who wants to know how
signals travel from A to B. Written by acknowledged expert
£14.99
Steve Nichols G0KYA, Radio Propagation Explained provides
everything you need to know about this fascinating topic.
Price: £12.99 plus p&p.
£12.99 HF SSB DX BASICS  
Contacting far flung parts of the world (DX) on the High
Frequencies (HF) on single side-band (SSB) is one of the
enduring fascinations of amateur radio. HF SSB DX Basics
provides a practical guide to making the most of this endlessly
£5.99
fascinating area of operation.
Price: £8.99 plus p&p.
RTTY/PSK31 FOR RADIO AMATEURS
£11.95 Data modes appear to be a daunting prospect to newly
licensed radio amateurs but they do not have to be. This book
is a practical guide to the two most popular data modes, RTTY
and PSK31. However, RTTY /PSK31 for Radio Amateurs does
carry a warning: Buying this book may lead to an enjoyment
of RTTY, PSK31 (and Data modes in general) which is highly
£14.99 addictive!
Price: £7.99 plus p&p.
£14.99
GETTING STARTED IN AMATEUR RADIO
If you want to know something about the hobby or are newly
licensed or are even just looking for something different,
Getting Started in Amateur Radio provides the answers. What
about receiving digital images from the International Space
Station? Or talking to friends around the world via satellite?
Or perhaps being able to help out during natural disasters? All
of these things are possible with amateur radio and Getting
Started in Amateur Radio details these and many other
possibilities. £8.99
THE VOICE OF THE CRYSTAL
185 pages of practical information on the fabrication of
electronic components suitable for use in building crystal
radio sets. Basic theory and simple analysis are combined
with dozens of examples of historical practice, work by
contemporary experimenters and construction details for many
instruments fabricated by the author himself. £11.95
CARRYING ON THE PRACTICAL WAY
20 years of projects in practical wireless
Since 1996, there has been an ongoing series of small practical
projects in Practical Wireless magazine. The Rev. George
Dobbs G3RJV has been the mainstay of this series by far,
having written around 95% of the articles that appeared up to
date. Therefore, as a tribute to George’s love of the hobby and
to the other authors who take over the task of demonstrating
that building your own projects is easier than you might think,
we’ve collated them into one electronic archive.
Because of the wide-ranging subjects it’s not easy to catalogue
them because there are around 230 articles to browse through.
Of necessity, some are similar in nature but all are unique in
showing how easy it can be to create small circuits that can
be coupled together to produce receivers, transmitters, test
equipment or just plain novelties to amuse. Nevertheless, all
are part of the self-training aspect of the hobby. £14.99
HARRY LEEMING’S IN THE SHOP
A collection of Harry’s long running In The Shop series in PW.
Find hints, tips and anecdotes about customers that Harry met
while running Holdings HiFi Audio, an amateur radio shop. If
you’ve got an older Yaesu transceiver, this is the CD-ROM for
you with some 300 searchable pages. £14.99
MIKE RICHARDS’ DATA MODES
Since he started his regular column some years ago, Mike
Richards G4WNC has explained the many data modes using
a computer with your radio. They’re all here, but these are not
the only computer related topics Mike has covered. Find out
how to use the Raspberry Pi, a £25 Linux computer or create
projects using the Arduino system. All this in 178 searchable
pages. £14.99
January 2018 RadioUser
01/12/2017 11:02
 Book Store

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 DEALERS GUIDE
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72 January 2018 RadioUser

Dealer Panel Jan 2018.indd 72 01/12/2017 11:09

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10W amplified DSP noise cancelling DSPKR
speaker - Easy control of DSP filter -
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- Volume control - Input overload LED
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manual and fused DC power lead
10W Amplified DSP Compact In-Line
noise cancelling base - Use in-line with your
station speaker radio and headphones
- New improved DSP
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level controls - 8 DSP filter - Easy to use with
levels 9 to 35dB - Speaker mono or stereo inputs
level and line level audio - 8 filter levels 9 to 35dB
inputs - Sleep mode - Separate volume control & input overload
- Size 200x150x160mm - Use mobile or in the shack - Over 40
- Supplied with manual, audio hours battery life from 2 x AA cells or
lead and fused DC power lead use 12V DC input - Size: 121x70x33mm E & O.E.
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RadioUser January 2018 73

P073 BHI.indd 73 04/12/2017 14:15

 trading post subscribers free
non- subscribers £5.00
Trading Post adverts cost £5.00 per advert (subscribers still free) and will also be
published in Practical Wireless, our sister magazine, unless requested otherwise.

Send your advert to charge as long as they provide their subs number
Bargain Basement, Practical Wireless or mailing label). Cheques should be made
payable to Warners Group Publications, credit
Warners Group Publications, West Street card payments also accepted.
Bourne Lincs PE10 9PH. Please help us to help you by preparing your
advert carefully. Any advert which contains ??
Please write your advert clearly in BLOCK marks indicates that the advertising dept. could
CAPITALS up to a maximum of 30 words, plus not read/interpret the wording.
12 words for your contact details on the form Advertisements from traders or for equipment
provided and send it together with your payment that it is illegal to possess, use or which cannot
of £5 (subscribers can place their advert free of be licensed in the UK, will not be accepted.
No responsibility will be taken for errors and
no correspondence will be entered into on any
decision taken by the Editor on any of these
conditions.
You should state clearly in your
advert whether equipment is professionally built,
home-brewed or modified.
The Publishers of Practical Wireless also wish to
point out that it is the responsibility of the buyer
to ascertain the suitability of goods offered for
purchase.

This is a free service for subscribers and very cheap otherwise so please USE IT OR LOSE IT.

WANTED FRG100 POWER LAB 707 VOLTS. ALINCO 70/2m DR-635 Transceiver £80
MORSE CODE STUDENTS FOR FREE. Must be working. Alinco 2m/70cm DJ580 £60
GB2CW Verulam ARC lessons. St Albans, Tel: 01237 474102 Alinco HFDX R8E RRCPIU £300
Sundays, 8pm. 145.250 MHz FM. Winter: Yaesu Z/70 FT728 £60 ono
December to February except Festive CIRCUIT DIAGRAM for 1947 Hambander, C7000 UHF Receiver £250
season. built by Radiovision in Leicester. I want to AOL 3000A Receiver £300
Follow G4PVB.EU5.NET rebuild this old valve receiver in memory of Alinco DJ-XII £250 ono
73 Bob Houlston G4PVB an old friend. Tel: Gerry M6JVX 07889 142203
Tel: Peter 2EOCYS 01793 642775 (Swindon)
Email: geraldcope643@gmail.com
PYE SSB 130M, AT04433, power supply Email: pmartin862@btinternet.com
module wanted, ideally the AT04431/01 with YAESU FR101 RX GWO but selling as
the 12 volt input FOR SALE spares due modified front panel 18 XTALS
Tel: Brook 01626 773525 (Teignmouth)
ICOM IC-R2 COMMUNICATIONS fitted manual £60 inc p&P
SCREEN FOR P5R295 SCANNER RECEIVER £50 ono Tel: Rob 01273 834355 (Sussex)
Email: girrg@talktalk.net Yupiteru MVT 7100 Receiver am/fm,
usb, L/S/B £80 YAESU FRDX 400 RX, good condition,
400 HZ SYNCHROS. Yupiteru MVT 7000 £70 ono working manual £120 inc p&p
Godfrey G4GLM Yaesu 9600 Receiver £120 ono Uniden scanner UBC 355CLT, VGC, GWO,
Tel: 0208 958 5113 Tel: Gerry M6JVX 07889 142203 as new with all fittings. Manual. £60 inc p&p
Email: cgmm2@btinternet.com Email: geraldcope643@gmail.com Tel: Rob 01273 834355 (Sussex)

To advertise here, please complete the form below. Please make sure that you write neatly to avoid any confusion.

ONLY
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74 January 2017 RadioUser

Trading post Jan 2018.indd 74 01/12/2017 11:09

 radio events
NEW CONTACT DETAILS
Send all your rally info to:
Georg Wiessala
E-mail: wiessala@hotmail.com
December 29th (Friday)
Yeovil ARC Table Top Rally
Yeovil Amateur Radio Club will
be holding a Table Top Rally at
Sparkford Village Hall, Church
Road, Sparkford, Somerset BA22
7JN. The doors will be open
between 10.00am and 3.00pm
and admission will cost £3.00.
There will be free parking and light
refreshments will be available.
Bob
Tel: 01963 440167
E-mail: wjh069@gmail.com
www.yeovil-arc.com
January 14th (Sunday)
The Red Rose Winter Rally
The West Manchester Radio
Club will be holding its Red Rose
Winter Rally at the George H
Carnall Leisure Centre, Kingsway
Park, Urmston, Manchester
M41 7FJ, just off Junction 9 of
the M60, opposite the Trafford
Centre. The venue is all on one
level, with a huge car park, café
area and facilities for the disabled.
The doors will open at 11.00am
and there will be the usual trade
stands, components, a Bring
& Buy, an RSGB bookstall and
special interest groups. For
further information, please see the
information on the Club’s website
or contact the Rally Manager.
John
Tel: 07870 161953
www.wmrc.co.uk
January 27th (Saturday)
The Horncastle Radio Rally
The Horncastle Radio Rally will
be held at Banovallum School,
Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6DA,
with access via the Mareham
Road entrance. There will be free
on-site parking and admission
will cost £2.00. In addition to
trade stands, there will be all the
usual attractions, including bacon
butties. This is an indoor event
and will be all on one level.
Tony G3ZPU
Tel: 01507 527835
E-mail: tony.nightingale@yahoo.
co.uk
February 3rd (Saturday)
The Reading DX Meeting
The Reading International Radio
Group will be meeting in the Large
Hall at Reading International
Solidarity Centre (RISC), 35-39
London Street, Reading RG1
4PS. The Meeting will take place
between 2.30pm and 5.00pm
and offer an opportunity for
those interested in listening to
broadcasters from around the
world on the short wave, medium
RadioUser January 2018
75 Events.indd 75
We want to hear about all events for hobby radio enthusiasts including airshows,
conferences, exhibitions and rallies. Any radio related event where you can find
something interesting to buy, hear or see!
Plan your rally visits with our comprehensive list of forthcoming events. RadioUser will be at events marked with
an asterisk – come along to our stand for great deals on subscriptions to Practical Wireless and RadioUser. Club
Secretaries and Event Organisers – please send us details of your events if you would like them to be mentioned here.
wave and FM bands to get
together.
Mike Barraclough
Tel: 01462 643899
E-mail: barraclough.mike@
gmail.com
February 4th (Sunday)
The Canvey Radio & Electronics
Rally
The South Essex Amateur Radio
Society will be hosting the 33rd
Canvey Radio & Electronics Rally
at The Paddocks Community
Centre, Long Road, Canvey
Island, Essex SS8 0JA (the
southern end of A130).
The doors will open at 10.30am.
There will be free parking,
trade stands, freshly made
refreshments (including the
famous Canvey Radio Rally
bacon rolls) and facilities for the
disabled.
Vic Rogers G6BHE
Tel: 07957 461694
E-mail: nvr1945@btinternet.com
www.southessex-ars.co.uk
February 9th, 10th and 11th
(Friday/Sunday)
The Orlando HamCation
The 72nd Orlando HamCation
will be held at the Central Florida
Fairgrounds and Expo Park, 4603
West Colonial Drive, Orlando,
Florida 32808.
The doors will be open from
9.00am to 5.00pm on the Friday
and Saturday and 9.00am to
2.00pm on Sunday. Admission
for all three days is US$17.00 (for
tickets purchased at the gate) or
US$15.00 (if purchased online or
via mail order by December 31st,
2017).
There will be talk-in, free car
parking, trade stands, a swap
meet, tailgate sale, forums,
special interest groups, family
attractions and a prize draw.
www.hamcation.com
February 11th (Sunday)
The Harwell Radio & Electronics
Rally
The Harwell Amateur Radio
Society will be holding a Radio &
Electronics Rally at Didcot Leisure
Centre, Mereland Road, Didcot,
Oxfordshire OX11 8AY. The doors
will be open between 10.00am
and 3.00pm and admission will
cost £3.00 (children under 12
free). There will be talk-in on
145.550MHz, free parking, trade
stands, special interest groups, an
RSGB bookstall with refreshments
available all day.
www.g3pia.net/radio-
electronics-rally
February 18th (Sunday)
Audiojumble
Audiojumble – “The UK’s largest
second-hand and vintage hi-fi
event” – will be held at The Angel
Leisure Centre, Angel Lane,
Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1SF. Please
see the event website for details
of the cost of admission for
standard and early entry. Items
on sale will include vintage and
modern hi-fi, valve amplifiers,
transistor amplifiers, speakers,
turntables, tuners, tape recorders,
CD players, records, components,
books and vintage radios.
www.audiojumble.co.uk
February 18th (Sunday)
The RadioActive Fair
The RadioActive Fair, promoted
by the Mid Cheshire Amateur
Radio Society, will be held at
Nantwich Civic Hall, 4 Market
Street, Nantwich, Cheshire
CW5 5DG. The doors will open
at 10.30am. There will be free
parking, trade stands, a Bring &
Buy, an RSGB bookstall, catering
and facilities for the disabled.
Stuart Jackson (Fair Manager)
Tel: 07880 732534
www.radioactivefair.co.uk
February 25th (Sunday)
The BRATS Medway Radio Rally
The Bredhurst Receiving and
Transmitting Society will be
hosting the BRATS Medway
Radio Rally at The Victory
Academy, Magpie Hall Road,
Chatham, Kent ME4 5JB, just off
the M2 at Junction 3.
The doors will be open between
10.00am (9.30am for disabled
visitors) and 2.00pm and
admission will cost £2.50. There
will be talk-in on 145.550MHz
using callsign GB4RRR, free
parking, trade stands and on-site
catering will be available. Traders
will have access to the venue
from 6.00am.
E-mail: secretary@brats-qth.org
www.brats-qth.org
February 25th (Sunday)
Pencoed ARC Table Top Sale
The Pencoed ARC Table Top
Sale takes place at the Pencoed
Rugby Football Club, The
Verlands, Felindre Road, Pencoed
CF35 5PB.
Doors open at 8am for sellers
and 10am for buyers, entry is
£2. Tables are £10 each on a
first come first served basis.
Refreshments available on site.
Madeline Roberts
Tel: 01639 76756 or 0773 837
5775.
March 4th (Sunday)
The Grantham ARC Radio and
Electronic Rally
The Grantham ARC Radio and
Electronics Rally will be held
at Grantham West Community
Centre, Trent Road, Grantham,
Lincolnshire NG317XQ and
admission will cost £3,00. There
will be talk-in, on-site parking,
traded stands, special interest
groups an RSGB bookstall and
facilities for the disabled.
Kevin G6SSN
Tel: 07793 142483
E-mail: g6ssn@btinternet.com
www.garc.org.uk
March 5th (Monday)
The Exeter Radio & Electronics Rally
The Exeter Radio & Electronics
Rally will be held at America Hall,
De La Rue Way, Pinhoe, Exeter
EX4 8PW. The doors open at
10.30am (10.15am for disabled
visitors) with £2 admission. There
will be trade stands, Bring & Buy
(items booked in from 10.15am)
and catering will be available.
Pete G3ZVI
Tel: 07714 198374
E-mail: g3zvi@yahoo.co.uk
March 11th (Sunday)
Dover Radio Rally
The Dover Radio Rally will take
place at Whitfield Village Hall,
Sandwich Road, Whitfield,
Dover CT16 3LY. Doors open at
10.00am. The auction starts at
12.30pm. The rally ends at 1pm.
Entrance price for visitors is
£2.00. Talk in on GB3KS. There
will be a Bring & Buy table, if
you have any items you wish to
sell please do bring them along,
10% of the sale price will go
to the Dover Radio club funds.
A Selection of Hot and cold
refreshments will be available, as
well as good parking facilities.
John G7SXJ
Email: jfazz2@live.co.uk
March 25th (Sunday)
Callington Radio Rally
The Callington Radio Rally,
organised jointly by the Devon
and Cornwall Repeater Group
and the Callington Amateur Radio
Society, will be held at Callington
Town Hall, Callington, Cornwall
PL17 7BD. The doors open at
10am and admission is £2.00.
There will be ample free car
parking adjacent to the venue,
trade stands, a Bring and Buy
(10% commission) and catering.
Roger 2E0YPH
Tel: 07854 088882
E-mail: 2e0rph@gmail.com
75
01/12/2017 11:03
 0345 2300 599
that
Please note SAFE ONLINE SHOPPING
we are closed Shopping online with ML&S is safe
r and secure. E&OE
on Decembe
and
25th & 26th
January 1st.
Web: www.HamRadio.co.uk FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND
FACEBOOK HamRadioUK

Martin Lynch & Sons Ltd. Wessex House, Drake Avenue, Staines, Middlesex TW18 2AP. E-mail: sales@hamradio.co.uk
Opening Hours: Mon - Fri: 8.30am to 5pm. Sat: 9am to 4.30pm. International Tel: +44 1932 567 333

Whistler TRX-2 Whistler WS1088EZ

NEW ICOM IC-R8600 www.HamRadio.co.uk/ Desktop/Mobile Handie Scanner
version of the with Adaptive Digital
icr8600 TRX-1 Tracking
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100kHz-3GHz Receiver Whistler
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IC-7300. Technology of the WS1088 Handie
£2499.95 Scanner Only £389.95 Scanner
Only £419.95 CLICK www.HamRadio.co.uk/whistler Only £93.95
bhi ParaPro EQ20 These hand-crafted high performance
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UBCD3600XLT
ML&S: £425.99
The bhi ParaPro EQ20 product range available exclusively from ML&S. You might
features a 20W modular audio power change your radio but you will keep your New digital TruckTracker V
amplifier with a parametric equaliser plus the Phonema speaker for ever. Professional Scanner Receiver, covers
option of having bhi’s latest dual Channel Initially stocking three models, the Phonema 25-1300MHz wideband frequencies.
Miranda handles 10W with a frequency response of
DSP Noise Cancelling technology and 120Hz-18kHz. It’s housed in a compact enclosure The TruckTracker V operation allows this
Bluetooth technology. featuring Rubber HM6, Acoustic Foam AG150 & scanner to scan APCO 25 Phase 1 and Phase
See web for prices. www.HamRadio.co.uk/parapro
Basotect. Minimalist design utilising a high-performance
2, DMR, Motorola, EDACS, LTR Trucked
driver & best acoustic internals.Only £149.95
Systems as well as conventional analog and
RF Space CloudIQ The Phonema Rhea Speaker uses beautiful Sucupira P25 digital channels.
wood and employs the same internal construction
The Cloud-IQ is the latest high as the Miranda. Has a two input switch for two rigs, ELAD FDM-DUOr A Receive-only
selectable via the front panel. Frequency range is a very
performance software defined low 75Hz through to 18kHz. Weighing in at a very solid Version of the famous FDM-DUO!
receiver from RFSPACE. The Cloud-IQ 2.25kg. Only £219.95
offers two modes of operation. WAS £799 NOW £649 The Phonema KSP3 Speaker has been designed to ML&S: £729.95
match the Elecraft K3 series. Handling 30W of audio 10kHz-54MHz
Great Scott Gadgets HackRF One with a frequency range of 100Hz-20kHz. Only £145.99
Direct Conversion
HackRF One from Great Scott Gadgets is a Software Defined Radio SDR Receiver.
peripheral capable of transmission or reception of radio signals from
1MHz to 6GHz. Designed to enable test and development of modern SDRplay RSP1a
and next generation radio technologies, HackRF One is an open
The powerful SDRplay
AVAILABLE FROM STOCK
source hardware platform that can be used as a USB peripheral or RSP1a is a fully-featured
programmed for stand-alone operation. SDRplay range RSP1a, RSP2
See web for specification. ONLY £234.95 wideband SDR receiver
that covers all frequencies
and RSP2pro
from 10kHz to 2GHz. Just
add a PC via a USB A-B cable and an antenna via the SMA socket and the www.HamRadio.co.uk/
BONITO RANGE AT ML&S device becomes an excellent communications receiver. sdrplay
www.HamRadio.co.uk/
The Antenna Jet AAS300 bonito LATEST MODEL - ELAD FDM-S2
A USB powered antenna splitter designed to work between 9kHz
ML&S: £449.95
The FDM-S2 is the second device created from the
and 300MHz. Now you can use your one antenna with up to 3 ELAD SDR sampler technology line up.
receivers simultaneously. Finally, you can listen to marine band
Direct sampling receiver based on 122.88MHz. 16-bit single channel ADC
traffic, The Archers on Radio 4 and the air band at the same time converter covering HF/6m. Offering the possibility to exploit undersampling.
Only £234.95 (provided your antenna will cover it all!)
Icom IC-R30 Scanner
Antenna Jet ASM-300
A USB controlled antenna switch and mixer. It can be used PRE ORDER NOW
as a simple switch, or can be used to switch in more than www.HamRadio.co.uk/fdms2
one antenna, to aid receiving to an optimum performance.
Only £224.95
ONLY £25 DEPOSIT!
FUNcube Dongle Pro+
Megaloop ML200 The perfect antenna for small scale listening. The Tune in the world where ever you
ML200 is an active loop antenna that packs a serious punch. Covering 9kHz to go. The Icom IC-R30 has extremely
200MHz without the need for any tuning! Included in the box is the antenna wire, wide coverage (exact coverage
the amplifier and the coax power inserter. It’s a simple case of just add coax! range unknown). Modes of reception
Only £284.95 include: FM, WFM, AM, (SSB) USB,
LSB, CW and digital modes to be
GigActiv GA3005 announced. It is expected to include
A portable active antenna capable of covering 9kHz to an effective sprectrum display and Wideband SDR www.HamRadio.co.uk/
3GHz. Perfect if you are say on holiday and want to have also support dual receive including Receiver. funcube
a listen to the bands. You’ll need to provide it with 5V
via a USB cable (included) and some coax but it is just
analog/analog and analog/digital. 150kHz-1.9GHz
incl SAW Filters. ML&S: £149.95
ready to go. Only £319.95 Icom IC-R6E Expert Electronics
ML&S: £199.95 Colibri DDC
Boni-Whip The active antenna that is raved about. Covering 20kHz to The 100 Ch/Sec Wideband Shortwave Receiver
300MHz and ideal for times when you can’t erect a wire antenna. For home, for Signal “Search Machine” This small-size receiver is
travelling and for DX camps. And despite the whip being only 4 inches long, it Communications handheld receiver. intended to receive signals
actually works! Only £99.95 While retaining basic features of its covering the HF frequency band
popular predecessor the IC-R5, the 0.09MHz to 55MHz, and also
IC-R6 contains many improvements
including 100 channel per second
(with the help of external filters)
AOR AR-DV1 Communications Receiver to receive frequencies up to
www.HamRadio.co.uk/ardv1 scanning speed, 1,300 memory
channels, 15 hours of continuous 800MHz whilst working together
Covers 100kHz to 1300MHz in traditional analogue receive capability, optional drop-in with a PC.
modes (SSB, CW, AM, FM, S-FM, W-FM) as well charger stand and voice control ML&S: £439.95
as various digital modes. In fact, we know of no squelch.
other radio in this category that can decode Icom's Expert Electronics
D-STAR mode, Yaesu's new C4FM mode, Alinco's Colibri Nano SDR
digital mode, NXDN (note: 6.25kHz only), P25 www.HamRadio.co.uk/ Receiver
ML&S: £1289.95 Phase 1, etc. Plus lots of interesting features! icr6e
You can order from ML&S for delivery Web purchases: Just select Saturday or
on a Saturday or Sunday! Sunday at the check-out or call to place www.HamRadio.co.uk/
your order for Saturday or Sunday delivery sunsdrnano
Order before 3.00pm as late as Friday. on 0345 2300 599 Small dongle sized
ML&S can deliver your new purchase to your local “Access Point” whether it is a small corner store, petrol station or other location suitable for you? SDR receiver covering
DC-500MHz with
If you are at work all day and want to collect at a time suitable for you, just check “UPS Access Point” on check-out on our website.
oversampling! ML&S: £239.95

01 JanMartin
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01/12/2017 11:43