Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station in North Carolina
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dennis Dura who shares this post from Kim Andrew Elliott regarding the importance of continued congressional funding for the Voice of America (VOA). He argues that U.S. international broadcasting is still a vital form of soft power—delivering credible news where press freedom is limited—and warns that cutting funding would weaken a key source of trusted global journalism when it’s needed most.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Loyd Van Horn, who shares the following announcement:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MANDEVILLE, LA — DX Central is thrilled to announce the return of the hobby’s most exciting seasonal event: The 2026 Summer of DX Challenge! Running from May 2 through August 31, 2026 at summerofdx.com, this year’s challenge pushes the boundaries of radio monitoring with brand-new bands, entirely new challenges, and a revolutionary, custom-built data terminal that makes logging easier than ever before.
For the first time in the event’s history, NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) joins Medium Wave (AM) and FM Broadcast Band II (FM) as an official challenge category, opening up an entirely new layer of tropospheric and meteor scatter chasing for scanner enthusiasts.
To handle the massive influx of summer logging, DX Central has completely eliminated registration requirements and launched a brand-new, custom-coded interactive dashboard.
New Features for 2026 Include:
Frictionless Logging & Bulk Import: Say goodbye to typing out callsigns and cities! The new terminal features a click-to-log Database Search utilizing WTFDA and Mesa Mike databases. Prefer to upload your logs rather than enter manually? The new Bulk Import tool allows you to upload CSVs directly from FMList, MWList, and WLogger, automatically mapping your data and updating your score in real-time.
The Multiplier Scoring Engine: Borrowing from traditional Ham Radio contests, DXers now earn massive score multipliers for every unique US State, Canadian Province, and International Country they log per band.
The John Cereghin Century Club: The legendary Grid Square challenge expands! DXers who log 100 unique US Maidenhead Grids on MW, FM, (20 on NWR) will earn our prestigious Century Club certificate, with endorsements for every 50 additional grids (10 for NWR).
County Hunters & Rovers: Chase US Counties across all three bands, and take your gear on the road! The new “Rover” category allows mobile DXers to activate rare grids and counties for special recognition.
Bi-Weekly Bounty Hunts: Tune in to our DX-themed Internet radio station, DX Radio (thisisprobablydxradio.com), for encrypted ‘targeted intercepts’ hidden through secret broadcast codewords revealed at the top of each hour. Enter the codeword into the DX Central terminal to unlock clandestine, time-sensitive DXing missions!
The 2026 Summer of DX active logging window opens on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at 0100 UTC and closes on Monday, August 31, 2026 at 2359 UTC. All receptions must be solely from this time period to qualify. To ensure everyone has plenty of time to review their SDR recordings, the DX Central terminal will remain open to accept logs and bulk uploads until September 30, 2026.
Whether you are a seasoned FM Sporadic E chaser, a dedicated MW night-owl, or firing up a weather radio for the first time, the 2026 Summer of DX has a challenge for you.
Get your receivers ready, prepare your antennas, and prepare to log! For more information, to view the live leaderboards, and to access the logging terminal, visit summerofdx.com
Loyd Van Horn
W4LVH – Mandeville, LA
Member: IRCA/NRC Courtesy Program Committee (CPC)
Founder: DX Central – Because we’re all about radio
Web: dxcentralonline.com
Twitter: @DXCentral
YouTube: youtube.com/c/DXCentral
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report of a recent BBC broadcast.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report of a recent BBC broadcast.
Carlos notes:
BBC’S emergency radio service, 15280 kHz
Hi to all SWLing Post community. Here’s news of what Imaginary Stations will be bringing to the ionosphere this weekend and into next week.
Thanks to Shortwave Gold, the third instalment of “We Love Shortwave” (WWLS) is ready to be beamed into those airwaves! The show is on Saturday 2nd May at 1100 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and then again on Sunday 3rd May at 0900/1300 UTC on 6160 kHz and 2000 hrs on 3975 kHz/6160 kHz. Get your shortwave radio tuned in, some bell wire slung up on the roof or down the garden and get those headphones on.
If you missed it last week or just want to hear the show again join us on Monday, May 4th at 20:00 UTC when we’re airing a repeat of “Skybird Soul on Shortwave” on 3975 kHz and 6160 kHz. It’s the perfect line up of soul and related type tunes for a Monday evening.
Then on Wednesday, May 6th (0200 UTC on 9395 kHz), beyond the maple syrup and the scenery, lies a vibrant musical output that’s waiting to be sampled over those shortwaves. WRMI presents “Imaginary States: Vermont.” Don’t miss this trip into the sounds of the North!
Also on Wednesday, May 6th on 6195 kHz from 0900-1500 UTC is a 6 hour DRM special via Europasender Waldheim bringing you back-to-back shows of Skybird Radio International for most of the day. Tune in for true international style shortwave radio!
For more information on all our shows, please write to us at [email protected] and check out our old shows at our Mixcloud page here.
FastRadioBurst23
by Dan Greenall
Back in the early 1970’s, Radio Voice of the Gospel, station ETLF, in Addis Ababa was the best way to hear this country, though it was by no means an everyday occurrence here in southern Ontario, Canada. Their distinctive drum interval signal was the first 4 notes of “A Mighty Fortress.” Or perhaps you would be lucky to hear “Elizabethan Serenade” being played prior to the start of their broadcast. Two recordings I have managed to save can be found at the Internet Archive here: https://archive.org/details/etlf-ethiopia-1971
In 1977, the station was nationalized by the Provisional Military Governing Council of Ethiopia and renamed the Radio Voice of Revolutionary Ethiopia.
Later, in the late 1990’s, a couple of Ethiopian stations could readily be heard thanks to their out of band frequencies. The Voice of Tigray Revolution used 5500 kHz and I recorded their signal on February 21, 1999 while at a DX Camp in Coe Hill, Ontario.
Radio Fana used 6940 kHz and I made a recording of them signing on just prior to 0330 UTC also on February 21, 1999 while at the same DX Camp.
Today, a few stations are still listed as broadcasting on shortwave from Ethiopia, namely Radio Oromiya on 6030, Amhara State Radio on 6090, and Radio Fana on 6110 kHz.
When active, they all seem to suffer from low modulation levels and co-channel interference (primarily from Chinese stations). Recently, I was able to discover that Radio Fana is still using the same interval signal as they did in 1999, by listening on a Kiwi SDR in Mombasa, Kenya.
Here is a recording of their sign on at 0300 UTC on April 26, 2026 on 6110 kHz.
They now seem to ID as Fana Media Corporation, even though programming is not in English.
Listen at the 3:05 mark for this. Also, the modulation level jumps up significantly about the 3:28 mark.
Additionally, I have included a recording of their sign off on April 1, 2026 beginning at 2053 UTC and concluding with the Ethiopian national anthem.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Ralph Perry, who shares, in his latest Substack post, a look back at how shortwave radio helped shape his life—sparking a lifelong curiosity about the wider world, influencing his career path, and ultimately leading to experiences far beyond the radio dial. As he notes, it’s his “how I got here” story and, in many ways, an ode to the power of radio to connect us with places, people, and possibilities we might never have imagined.
You can read Ralph’s full post here:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-195360796