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Showing posts from April, 2026

OPENING THE LOGBOOK - APRIL 1972

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The Angostura Bridge featured in the Radio Bolívar station logo OPENING THE LOGBOOK - APRIL 1972 Each month, I open the old records to see what I (and others) heard decades ago.  It has been fun looking back at old issues of the Australian DX News (ADXN - the newsletter of the Australian Radio DX Club), bringing back lots of memories. Here are some memories from  April 1972—54 years ago!  All frequencies in kHz; all times are UTC (or GMT, as we used to say in those days!). Shortwave News There were some fine catches noted by ARDXC members during April 1972, including the following: 6160   CKZN - St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. David Foster captured this extremely rare low-powered (300 watts) signal at 2205 UTC with news and a station ID as "CBC Radio Network", eventually fading out around 2230. What's remarkable about this reception, aside from its low power, is that the signal would have travelled via the long path, an almost all-darkness path (see the red do...

BUYING USED SHORTWAVE RECEIVERS: Practical advice for DXers.

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Realistic DX-160   BUYING USED SHORTWAVE RECEIVERS: Practical Advice for DXers A Mount Evelyn DX Report Retro Receiver Reviews Companion Guide Over the past decade, the Mount Evelyn DX Report has published numerous Retro Receiver Reviews, examining classic shortwave and communications receivers from earlier decades. Most of these have been written by long-time friend Craig Seager VK2HBT, with a few extra from myself (Rob VK3BVW).  Radios such as the Sony ICF-2010, Yaesu FRG-7, Drake R8 series, and other well-known designs still appear regularly on the second-hand market and continue to attract interest from DXers and radio enthusiasts.  These receivers are no longer manufactured, yet they remain capable performers. Buying one second-hand can be an excellent way to experience classic radio engineering while expanding a listening station at relatively modest cost. However, vintage electronics require careful evaluation. Age, wear, storage conditions, and previous modificati...