Radio Websites - RadioUser November 2008

First published in Radio User, Practical Wireless Publications (PWP) November 2008: http://www.radiouser.co.uk/

We start with some of the best community radio down under, before travelling onto radio webcams, internet tv viewing, legal music downloads before finishing in the Alps.


Down under communities
We start off this month down-under, in Hobart, Tasmania. Hobart Radio International was previously a shortwave radio station but has now moved into podcasting. They state that they continue to provide educational and entertaining programmes for a global audience. “We are the voice for Tasmania, and will always be developing and different. Crossing the borders, telling the unknown and investigating on what's important.” http://www.hriradio.org/
Of particular interest are Hobart Radio International’s professional DX Extra shows, which come out on an irregular broadcast but are and packed with interesting facts and figures: http://dxextra.podomatic.com/

If you are new to the wonderful world of podcasting then the above page links to Juice (which is also my preferred podcast software), which can be downloaded free at: http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/

A full list of the regular more traditional style of radio stations broadcasting in Tasmania is at: http://www.ausradiostations.com/fmtas.html There are dozens, from the ABC to Sea FM. This is part of a very good site called Aus Radio.com, or: http://theradio.com.au/

Choose an Australian state from the drop down menu and navigate to your stations of choice. I enjoyed Heart 558 with programmes such as Charles Wooley’s Across Australia; the big issues facing a big country and Dr John D’Arcy’s health matters phone in show on Sunday mornings.

Community Radio in Australia is thriving and a good website hub is http://www.cbonline.org.au/ From here I have unsuccessfully been trying to hear Tasmanian station, Coast FM: http://www.coastfm.org/ “Coast FM is the Northwest Coast of Tasmania's only local radio. Covering local sport, news, politics, artists, events and a potential listening audience of 100 000.”

I had more luck with innovative youth station Edge Radio 99.3 at: http://www.edgeradio.org.au/ A real mix of new sounds and tasteful classics, such as one of the few Elvis songs I like, “In the ghetto.” Programmes such as Grass Roots airs environmental concerns, and The Brink is an attempt to get Hobart’s views heard across the world.

Over to an interesting New Zealand radio website now. Try Wellington Access Radio at: http://www.accessradio.org.nz/ This is Wellington’s medium wave station on 783 KHz with documentaries streamed from around the world. It includes Ireland Calling for the Irish community and 24 other languages each week. You can even make your own programmes for inclusion: “Anyone can apply to make a programme on Access Radio. We give priority to local people whose voices are not always heard, especially ethnic minorities, religious minorities, women, youth, children, people with disabilities, special interest groups, and people with different ethical points of view.”

Mixed goodie bag
The New Zealand tip came from Shaun Geraghty, who also recommends the studio webcam at Belgium’s Radio Donna: http://www.donna.be/ Click on webcam and a small window pops up with a choice of four cameras to choose from. It’s quite nice to have running in the background whilst you work. As for station content, you can listen live too, with a mixture of standard English and US rock plus some more exciting local sounds.

Shaun is himself an accomplished and award wining broadcaster and photographer, with an excellent website covering both of these passions at: http://www.shaungeraghty.co.uk/ Shaun’s voice is a familiar one to listeners of local radio in the Staffordshire area, as well as to listeners to international shortwave radio around Europe and beyond. His photography is as outstanding as his radio programmes are entertaining.

Do you know about the Freecycle networks? If not you should. Freecycle is set up through Yahoo groups and connects people regionally. “A movement of people interested in keeping stuff out of landfills while building a sense of community.”
Through this I have given radio books, video tapes and radios that I no longer require to a good home. (not to mention various household goods). From DVDs to televisions, kitchen cupboards to golf clubs, all kinds of goods come and go, and you get a nice feeling through giving too.

Jamendo is a website worth knowing about as it offers free and legal downloads of songs by many artists. In fact almost 12000 albums by nearly 7000 artists: http://www.jamendo.com/en/ New artists can upload their albums for exposure. Hundreds of formats of music are in there, the well known such as classical and jazz, and lesser known fusions, improvisations and all manner of world music too. In my experimenting with this site, I enjoyed some quality sounds you wouldn’t hear on mainstream radio, such as The Kazoo funk orchestra (a kind of blues meets indie sound), Ti Face (loud metal, punk and French) and the NTA Project’s A Decade of Sadness (electronic and mellow).

If you fancy watching television from around the world but don’t have the set up for TVDX, this website might be a shortcut: http://wwitv.com/portal.htm
WWI TV allows you to tune into television channels from around the world from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, but with a lot more of interest than those two counties in between. You can also choose by the type of programme. Some links just go to websites rather than streaming, but there is plenty of fun to be had here. Teletop tv, one of 25 Swiss stations available, was what I watched last.

Also in Switzerland, a famous voice is that of that Bob Thomann, ex Swiss Radio International. The Switzerland in Sound website caught up with him and Bob Zanotti recently. I always enjoy the “Letter from Switzerland” programme available in text and audio at: http://www.switzerlandinsound.com/

The Shortwave Report is a Californian based 30 minute review of news stories recorded from a shortwave radio by Dan Roberts. It is available every Friday and is free to rebroadcast, as well as being an enjoyable free listen, at: http://www.outfarpress.com/outfarpress/shortwave.shtml

Craig Martin of The Indie Travel Podcast has asked me to point out that the travel blog and podcasts are not connected with the Independent newspaper. It is a sponsor-free weekly show run by Craig and wife Linda featuring travel ideas and advice for independent travellers, backpackers and anyone with itchy feet. It has been running for 18 months and the pair have been on the road from over 2 and a half years now. They are also open to people submitting ideas for podcasts, which is a chance for any would be broadcasters to become a podcaster and to share their travel stories. Join the one thousand regular loyal listeners at: http://www.indietravelpodcast.com/

No restrictions to Restricted Services

What a varied set of RSLs (Restricted Service Licences) we have had in the Manchester region this year. All parts of the community have been covered, and it’s heartening to see such diversity on the airwaves.

All of the RSL stations I have heard put the bigger and massively sponsored local FM stations to shame. Commercial local FM could do with ditching their repetitious, mediocre and banal attempts at broadcasting, and instead should listen and learn from the passion and innovation behind the RSLs.

We had Fresh FM at Easter, a Christian station with some nice Easter programming.

Tatton FM celebrated the glorious RHS Garden Show at Tatton Park Cheshire in August; it’s the 10th anniversary year of the garden show.

Gaydio continued its twice a year broadcast from Manchester’s city centre, the August broadcasts centred on the 15th Pride celebrations. Some good music too. Theyhave an application pending for a full time radio licence and expect to hear from Ofcom in the Autumn.

And of late we have had two Ramadan radio stations, in Manchester and Oldham, the latter hosting some intelligent debates which I was surprised to find most interesting.

With the massive 60,000 student population returning to the city this week, the student station Fuse FM must be due on air too, but appears to have missed the RSL boat this autumn. They are however holding planning meetings for their 18th broadcasts.

Sale High School are scheduled to run a Jazzzz station in October which should be interesting to hear, and hopefully there will be another Christmas RSL around the annual Lymm Dickensian festival in December.

R= Rational
S = Stimulating
L = Listening

Stockholm smorgasbord and midsummer Minsk

Part of this was first published in RadioUser: Broadcast Matters -July 2008

Last paragraph added online Sept 2008

Radio Sweden maintains its consistency of high quality programmes, these days in just four languages: Belarusian, English, Swedish and Russian. It is approaching its 70th anniversary this summer, as its first broadcast was in Swedish on the first day of July 1938, aimed at Swedish-Americans. Two shortwave transmitters in Motala in southern Sweden were used. English, French, German and Italian programmes began during World War II. In 1952 the well known transmitters at Hörby came into operation and broadcasts commenced in Spanish and Portuguese. Russian started in 1967, and after 1989 Estonian and Latvian languages were added to the mix.

Gaby Katz is the current head of English and she is also a regular presenter on the station, where she has been based for the past 13 years. I recently heard her discussing gender inequalities in Sweden, surprising from what we usually think of as one of the leading liberal nations. Listen out for her dulcet tones at the following times and frequencies to Europe: 1430 to 1530 UTC/GMT daily on 13820 and 15240 KHz; 1530 to1600 daily on 11590; 1630-1700 daily on 1179 KHz medium wave; 1730 to1800 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday on 1179 and 6065; 1900 to 1930 daily on 1179 KHZ medium wave; and 2130-2200 daily on 1179 and 6065 KHz.

The station dramatically but accurately describes itself as “a window on the diverse perspectives and issues in Sweden today. Our daily editions offer a smorgasbord of news and current affairs, science and technology, lifestyle, and culture. We explore, debate, analyse and give insight into the way Swedish society and its people are changing to meet today's challenges and opportunities. On Saturdays we review the week gone by and on Sundays we present Network Europe.”

Meanwhile, 525 miles to the south-east in the city of Minsk, there is in fact a restaurant serving Scandinavian cuisine which is called ‘Stockholm’. More to the point, Minsk is also home to Radio Belarus (Belarus translates as ‘White Russia’). The station puts out a powerful signal in English and it is unusual in that it broadcasts for several hours at a time. It makes for a very entertaining listen in the evenings. 7105, 7390 and 7390 KHz from 17.05 to 23.00 UTC/GMT.

Musical programmes offer some haunting and beautiful Belarusian sounds, ‘Land under white stork wings’ covers cultural heritage on Tuesdays. ‘Card from Belarus’ is a travel programme aired each Thursday. The station’s bright young hopes include presenters Catherine Art, Victoria Bondarenko and Kate Cross.

Radio Belarus is one of the lesser known shortwave stations. It started in 1962 but has only broadcast in English for the past ten years. They are keen for feedback, and their address is 4 Krasnaya St., Minsk, Belarus. I love the station slogan of “Broadcasting 19 hours a day with programmes for intellectuals and serious people.” I guess they must mean us, folks! Tune in again next month

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From the "State and Society" programme listeners can learn about how ordinary Belarusian people live. The author of the programme is Anna Mokhovikova, the presenter of the programme is Tanya Crimsson.

"Our Compatriots" This programme is about Belarusians who live far away from their motherland. The guests of the proramme are the heads of the Belarusian NGO’s abroad and those who remember their motherland and promote its culture in other countries of the world. The author of the programme is Anna Mokhovikova, the presenter of the programme is Kate Cross.

"Letters to Editor" This is a weekly programme which reviews the letters from our listeners in different countries of the world. The author and the presenter of the programme is Larisa Suares (below) who also presents "Science and Technology"

"Cultural Front" A weekly programme dedicated to the main events, phenomena and figures of the Belarusian culture. The author and the presenter of the programme is Olga Blazhevich (below). Victoria Bondarenko is below that.

Broadcast Matters: Long, Medium and Short. Published in RadioUser September 2008, PWP

Readers’ reports

In the August RadioUser Howard Barnett of Northampton asked about a Russian sounding station on 9800 KHz from 1915 to 2045 UTC. I have consulted the current season’s HFCC operational schedules and 9800 KHz is licensed to Radio Bulgaria from 1800 to 2000 UTC. The station is scheduled to air broadcasts in its mother tongue of Bulgarian then, from their 250KW transmitter at Plovdiv.

We welcome back Geraint Gill in north Wales who has been listening to a wide selection of stations on shortwave recently including the Voice of Vietnam from the Moosbrunn (German for ‘mossy well’) transmitter. This site has been located on the outskirts of the Vienna Woods since 1959, and comprises six shortwave transmitters, owned by state broadcaster ORF (Österreichischer Rundfunk). As well as Vietnam’s external services and ORF, Moosbrunn is currently used to relay programmes of Adventist World Radio, Trans World Radio, BBC, Radio Canada International and FEBA. The latter is the Far Eastern Broadcasting Association, which is a US backed Christian station that uses Moosbrun to broadcast in Arabic.

Geraint’s logs were made on his trusty Grundig Yacht Boy 400. The Yacht Boy first rolled off the production line in 1994 and has proven to be a popular model. It is a great portable model with the a warmer sound than some portables of similar size. It has digital read out and coverage of longwave, mediumwave, FM and shortwave from 1711-30000 kHz. You can still pick one up second hand, but prices vary on eBay. I have seen them fetch between £40 and £80 in recent months.

Grundig has a pedigree history, having been founded in Nuremburg, Germany in 1945 by Max Grundig, although prior to that there was a family radio shop in the 1930s called Fuerth, Grundig and Wurzer, which sold radios. Televisions were also produced and in 1960 Grundig’s first factory outside Germany was set up, in Belfast, manufacturing tape recorders. The ever popular Yacht Boy and Satellit range of radios commenced in the mid 1960s, with the Satellit 205 and the Stereo Concert Boy.

Another of our regulars has also recently bought a shortwave portable. Scott Caldwell has been using an Eton E1, as recommended by many listeners. He is investigating a suitable antenna to use with it (along with its telescopic). So far in order to maximise its potential he has “decided a back to basics approach, consisting of a random wire with a close coupling connection. The best results obtained so far were provided by the DX 10 Active Professional Antenna.” Another of Scott’s antenna dilemmas concerns a tuned medium wave loop antenna. At present his Wellbrook loop is static and attached to a garden fence, unable to null out stations. “To counteract this problem I would like to build or purchase a small tuned medium wave loop antenna. However I cannot find suitable instructions or component lists on the Internet. This may keep the cost down. An alternative option is the AOR LA380 loop at £190, better not tell the girlfriend!” If you have any solutions do let me know, and I will print them next month, along with results of my own research into this one.

Catches from Scott this month include the American religious University Network on 6090 KHz. He downloaded the World Radio and TV Handbook summer updates from: http://www.wrth.com/ but found hat extreme interference limited a lot of his time online. Hopefully this is not interference from the plug-in device which is being sent by British Telecom to some of its Home Hub customers. This is proving to be the source of very severe interference across the shortwave bands. The BT Vision Power Line Adaptor is usually labelled Comtrend DH-10PF.

Thjere are campaigns by DXers to counteract this, and I suggest you join forces. Mike Todd Mike has set up an internet group under the banner of UKQRM to offer support and organise some sort of fight back: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/UKQRM

The web link for filing an interference complaint with Ofcom is at: http://tinyurl.com/5wsf9h If you don't have internet access you can write to Ofcom, Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA or ring them on 020 7981 3040 or 0300 123 3333 and say that you wish them to investigate a radio interference problem.

Geraint Gill logged Radio Exterior de Espana’s evening English programme, at 2130 UTC on 9690 KHz. This was interference-free but with some noise, resulting in a 35333 SINPO. The station gives interesting news from an Iberian perspective, as well as music, art and travel features that are amongst the best on the bands. Their current English schedule to Europe is from 2000 to 2100 UTC on weekdays on 9665 and 11625 KHz and on Sundays an hour later on 9840 KHz.

Medium wave, QSL cards
You can also hear Radio Exterior de Espana from further afield transmitters. The Costa Rica relay was recently logged on 2250 KHz at 0315 UTC, in Spanish. 9535 KHz at midnight UTC will get you an English to the Americas broadcast. If you get withdrawal symptoms due to a lack of Saturday programmes, it is easy enough to pick up Spanish national services on medium wave instead, any night of the week. RNE, SER and COPE channels include 1026, 1044, 1080, 1179, 1269 and 1287 KHz.

Commemorative QSL cards are often for specific station anniversaries, exceptions being when global events such as the Olympics occur. China Radio International (CRI) started issuing a range of QSL cards a year ago, and will doubtless have enough to stock to carry them to the London 2012 games. There may well be other international stations acknowledging the 2008 Games with a special QSL card, so it will be interesting to find out. I am unaware of ERT the Voice of Greece issuing any for the Athens 2004 Games, although there were certainly a good range of Olympic postcards on sales in Greece that year. Radio Prague’s Czech athletes QSL series for this year ties in nicely, especially with Emil Zatopek, a hero of the London 1948 and Helsinki 1952 Games.

Ever since it was awarded the Beijing Olympics, state broadcaster China Radio International has been using the Olympics as another tool in it propaganda arsenal. I have little doubt that this will continue well beyond the games as well. At the time of writing the world’s athletes, and the world’s media, are descending upon China. You can send brickbats, plaudits or requests fro QSL cards by email to CRI at: crieng@cri.com.cn

Tuning into their evening medium wave broadcast via the Lithuania transmitter at Sitkunai, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was cited as praising the 2008 Games for having the “most marvellous Olympic stadia” and he went to talk of “the great courage of the Chinese people in light of the earthquake”, earlier in the year. I quickly tuned away from the 1386 KHz frequency, booming in at 2000 UTC with 44444 SINPO. Instead I moved to a fascinating feature from a much loved station, Radio Stockholm in Sweden. The 1179 KHz is an easy catch on medium wave from the Sölvesborg site at 2030 UTC.

The feature I heard was a delightful wander amongst a suburban wooded cemetery. This cemetery on the outskirts of Stockholm was opened amongst the forests in the 1920s, and is now a resting place for people of all denominations and religions. Greta Garbo is the most famous resident, and the cemetery is now UNESCO protected.

Finally I am very sorry to have to report the passing of Stephen Larsson, aged 47. Stephen, of Bovey Tracey in Devon, was a regular contributor to these pages. In April he logged NHK Radio Japan and Radio DMR in the Dniester Moldavian Republic (7370 KHz at 1700 UTC), catches which were mentioned in the eulogy given by his cousin Tim Franke. When a radio ham passes on the terminology used is that they become a “silent key”. Our condolences to Stephen’s family and friends and may he rest in peace in the great radio shack in the sky.

Radio Websites August 2008, Radio User PWP

Radio Websites - RadioUser August 2008 PWP

For August we see what’s cooking in the audio kitchen, check some handy reference lists, feast on some internet radio and finish by loading some travel podcasts onto the mp3 player.

From the latest Sheldon Harvey High Frequency Internet newsletter, which you can sign up for via: www.radiohf.ca/ , comes information on the Radio Kitchen blog website. This gives North American perspectives on all matters radio, with a wonderful masthead to boot. It also links to a sister site called the Audio Kitchen, with equally good graphics. This one covers “Found sound, amateur recordings and home-style noise”: http://theaudiokitchen.net/

“Long Live Shortwave” was an LP released in the UK in 1979 by British pop music producer and shortwave fan Mitch Murray. First side is information on the hobby by Mitch and Henry Hatch, well known from the BBC's World Radio Club. The second side has 30 interval signals with Mitch talking about the stations. The entire LP is now online for download, together with scans of the booklet and cover. This is at another site with a flavour of the kitchen in its title: http://theradiokitchen.net/live-shortwave/

The Shortwave Central blog (from Teak Publishing) is always packed with useful information. It covers “broadcast, pirate, and clandestine information including loggings, QSL cards, tips, and last-minute news.” A recent post included last lists of Brazilian stations. From 2380 KHz Radio Educadora, Limeira SP to 15325 KHz and Radio Gazeta, São Paulo: http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/2008/06/brazilian-shortwave-station-list.html

Several of the reference lists compiled by Tony Rogers of the British DX Club have been updated at the BDXC website: Africa on Shortwave; Indian Sub-Continent on the Tropical Bands; Middle East & Near East on Shortwave; UK on Shortwave. The DX & Media Programme Guide has also been revised. All of these can be found via the Articles Index page at: http://www.bdxc.org.uk/

It’s not too late to tell you that Sean Gilbert of WRTH Publications released the summer (A08) schedules for International and Clandestine Broadcasters at the World Radio and TV Handbook website: http://www.wrth.com/ Included are broadcast schedules for 236 stations and frequency listings and broadcasts in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. In similar vein, the A08 HFCC public data file is available at: http://www.hfcc.org/data/index.html

Radio Row is a very good website radio station portal, and that’s a row as in a column rather than as in an argument provoked by a shock-jock! Whether or not you want to argue with some of the featured radio stations is another matter. There is also a quick three question survey that you are asked to complete, which evidently will help internet radio. I’m not sure how and imagine it will help in the sense that advertisers get a profile of who visit the website. But that’s fine with me; the internet is all but free and it’s good to help out.

Based at the melancholy sounding Chagrin Falls in Indiana, it states that there are “Thousands of radio stations on the Internet....but the best Internet radio stations are here.” It’s all arranged by format covering stations that offers 25 categories including blues, classic rock, Latino, Oldies, talk and the interestingly named “specialties”: http://www.radiorow.com/

The specialities category covers a wide range of radio encompassing much of what we on this side of the pond perceive as typically USA lifestyles. There are selections from around the world too. I dipped into the station called A Healthy Life, which gives you positive talk and music from Manhattan Beach in California. “Where Positive People and Radio Unite 24/7.” : www.healthylife.net/

Tune into Salisbury in South Carolina for Harley Radio and the sounds of biker oriented content at: http://www.harleyradio.com/ and a MySpace page too: www.myspace.com/harleyradio and affiliated to http://www.loudcity.net/

Luxuria Radio in San Francisco defines itself as playing “Outré lounge and Latin jazz, breezy swinging instrumentals and vocals, groovy 60's go-go and 70’s Bollywood soundtracks, quirky oddities, retro pop, surf music and novelties of yesteryear.” Hear for yourself at: www.luxuriamusic.com/

Travelling light

Whether you are debating where to go on your travels this summer, or if you are already in a holiday mood, read on. I have been investigating the wonderful world of travel podcasts. Click on some of the following websites and download tall tales and idyllic adventures onto your mp3 player. It will beat the usual flight entertainment that is served up, and will also serve you well as you languish on a sun lounger. Nice to dip a toe into travel talk along with whatever the summer hits are on the local radio at your holiday destination.

First up is the American based Amateur Traveller website: http://amateurtraveler.com/ (that’s spelt with one ‘l’ in traveller as it’s American!). “Travel for the love of it.” There’s plenty here to keep you going, with new podcasts added every few days. A recent favourite of mine featured sailing around the Greek Islands. Private beaches and picturesque fishing villages abounded. Other places covered have included Como in Italy, Valencia in Spain and Western Australia.

photo copyright cb

If you are pushed for time try the “Travel in 10 minutes” podcast at: http://travelin10.libsyn.com/ A blog accompanies the travel podcast and Maui in Hawaii was featured when I last downloaded. African safaris and Portugal, Japan and Laos have also been covered. “ Soundspaces and audiotours of hip hotels, cool restaurants, concerts, festivals and events from around the globe.”

The more established authorities on travel have not been slow to miss out on the podcast boom. Amongst many offerings, Lonely Planet publications have a four part podcast on the ancient Mayan culture plus “Stay another day in Cambodia.” www.lonelyplanet.com/podcasts

The Indie Travel Podcast is not an offshoot of the Independent newspaper, but a weekly show with travel ideas and advice for independent travellers, backpackers and anyone with itchy feet: http://www.indietravelpodcast.com/

Completing our circular journey, The Independent’s esteemed travel editor is Simon Calder. He hosts a weekly radio show called “Travel Clinic” on LBC 97.3 FM, DAB and at: http://www.lbc.co.uk/ Sundays at 1400 BST and repeated Saturdays at 0600 BST. It’s two hours of luxury listening in my book, with a phone-in too, and is available as a podcast at: http://lbc.audioagain.com/

Join me again next month.

Wet summer interlude: ORF Osterreich QSL Cards 1978

An interlude on a wet summer's day: QSL cards from a 1978 series entitled Contemporary Austrian Art, issued by ORF Osterreich. ‘Austria Calling on Shortwave’.

Still amongst my favourites even three decades on.

Above: Adam

Above: Phantasmagorical landscape

Above: The lovers

Above: Glass Towers

Above: Austrian Challenge

Radio Websites July 2008, first published in Radio User, PW Publishing

Educational and Quirky Websites

For July we relax with some summer sounds, dip into the mysteries of spy stations, and track down that missing receiver manual for you.

Summer sounds online

Jango and Ivory Towerz have been accompanying summer evenings on my city centre balcony. No, not a little known jazz duo but some more online radio I have been enjoying.

Missing the intuitive online radio service that Pandora no longer provides due to copyright reasons, I have found a similar service that goes by the name of Jango: http://www.jango.com/ Just type in a name of a band or musician you like and you will be given options of other bands of that genre that you can add to your playlist. These are often bands you’ll not have heard of (along with more familiar names), so it broadens your musical education as well as being entertainment on-tap, or rather on-line. You can do much more at Jango such as tuning into other members’ stations. A whole social network awaits you.

The Ivory Towerz blog (“Shining a light on the cultural crossroads”) has plenty to say and also hosts an interesting podcast made last summer, at: http://ivorytowerz.blogspot.com/2007/05/ivorytowerz-radio-summer-sounds.html

Easier still, go to: http://ivorytowerz.blogspot.com/ and scroll down for the 30 May 2007 broadcast.: “pull up a chair on the porch, light the grill, and let the podcast play the sounds of summer for 2007. There's an extra dollop of new music in the playlist this week, as we search for an underground summer hit. But you can count on the usual: a trip through more than 65 years of modern music, centering on rock but including dashes of country, folk, and funk along the way.”

Beach House Radio is another online station that may suffice until you can make it to an actual beach. Lots of acoustic and laid back sounds at: http://www.northgateos.com/musicshop/ or even easier via: http://www.beachhouseradio.com/

When you do reach the beach how will you cope without a beach FM radio head rest combo? Available at the Geek Alerts website for $40 US dollars: http://www.geekalerts.com/beach-radio-headrest/

Spies and spooks
The infamous numbers stations are still operating out on the shortwave bands. Here is a round up of some of the best websites covering the strange sounds of espionage and agents.

A good starting point is http://www.spynumbers.com/ for an overview of Spy Numbers Stations.

Simon Mason in the UK has maintained a well crafted and hugely enjoyable website for over a decade. He has written a book on the subject too and nicely summarises the phenomena as: “Perhaps the strangest of all transmissions are the Spy Number Stations. These do not officially exist and no one has ever explained what the purpose of these stations is. They consist of the most boring content imaginable. A strange non-human voice reading out series of numbers, sometimes accompanied by weird tones or odd melodies”. www.simonmason.karoo.net/ I

f you stumble across a numbers station then you can log your catch onto a shared database at: www.spynumbers.com/numbersDB This also has audio samples. Listen out for the Lincolnshire Poacher, Cherry Ripe, Arabic Man, Five Dashes and the Tyrolean Music Station, amongst other insanities. It also has a list of loggings which probably is the nearest you are going to get to a schedule.

To subscribe to an e-mail group which gives you all the latest numbers stations logs and news visit: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/spooks or the Enigma 2000 long-standing UK group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/enigma2000/

There are many other introductory texts on the subject. One good example is at the Southgate Amateur radio site, written by Paul Beaumont: http://www.southgatearc.org/enigma2000/introduction.htm

In the Netherlands one of the experts is Ary Boender. He runs the Numbers and Oddities bulletin and an updated logs database: http://www.ary.luna.nl/

Finally on this subject, a light hearted game of numbers station bingo is yours for the taking at: http://kevan.org/bingo.php This was invented in April 2008 and uses real number station codes read out from the Conet Project set of CDs, with a random bingo card. Almost as bizarre as the numbers stations themselves, but perhaps more fun and easier to understand!

Manual labour
Have you lost the manual to a piece of radio kit that you are trying to restore or repair? Did you buy a receiver off of eBay or at a radio sale but need a manual and service guide to give you all the details? You are not alone in this dilemma and there are many good websites which can soon find your missing manual. Here are a few of them:

The Instruction Manuals website is very useful and does what it says on the label. A reassuring union flag flutters in the cyber breeze at the top of a simple and effective website at: http://www.instruction-manuals.co.uk/

User guides for everything they say and there is a link to some witty guides too (click on the laughing face marked ‘funny manuals’. Check out the 1970s Elizabethan 12 inch portable black and white television. This was advertised as being ideal for use at a family picnic or on your speedboat!

More useful information includes a wide range of Sony manuals at http://www.instruction-manuals.co.uk/category/radicass/SONY.htm which also covers radio cassette players and the Sony walkman. The latter are probably now quite a collectors’ item. Who would have foreseen mp3 players when the Sony Walkman was all the rage in the early 1980s?

There is a very readable article on the origins of the Sony Walkman at: http://lowendmac.com/orchard/06/sony-walkman-origin.html

Mauritron Technical state that they provide service and instruction manuals for any radio related equipment: http://www.mauritron.com/ “The world’s largest library of Technical Information available for supply as collections on CD or via Download. From the earliest Vintage Valve Wireless to the latest Video, CD, PC or Test Equipment Over 450,000 manuals listed online with full search facilities”. They are also involved with engraved badges and model railways, Details at the above site.

Radio Manuals Info are a group of vintage radio enthusiasts with “thousands of service sheets, diagrams and manuals. including the full set of traders, ERT, Broadcasters and R&TVS Plus manufacturers manuals.” A bonus is that you can download these for free, unlike some of the manual archive websites: http://www.radiomanuals.info/ Items are listed in alphabetical order of manufacturer, from an 1950s Ace Mayfair radio to a 1934 Zetavox radio. Comments are welcomed so send an e-mail to the quaint address of boffins@radiomanuals.info

Finally, Geoff Brown G4ICD/GJ4ICD puts his 40 years of experience as an engineer and a radio ham into a website on Yaesu equipment: http://www.amateurmanuals.co.uk/ Amateur and commercial operating manuals are available on CDs at £10 each.