The AM Forum

After hooking the SDR up this weekend and perusing the broadcast bands one thing has become clear.

It seems most authoritarian regimes, etc. have picked up the slack where a LOT of the smaller or cold war countries have just given up.

Looking around, I found a quote by a BBC engineer to the effect of, "Everytime we shut a site or frequency down, the Chinese seem to pop up.  Especially with developing country beams".

Are we, as the "voice of the western world" giving up on this?  I mean, IBC says they are dedicating the funds more to internet, etc.

But, how many people living in a cave or on the plains of Africa have internet access?  A serious question.

Would be interesting to hear what others think.  As the US drops farther and farther off the world stage, is this something we, as radio amateurs, feel should be picked back up?



On an aside, logged Pyonyang today.  Madagascar, New Zealand and a few other around the world countries yesterday afternoon and evening.  The stations are still there, just not as many as we used to have.

--Shane
KD6VXI

If you're worried about China, their shortwave broadcasts should be the least of you worries. But I won't go into that here.

I basically agree with you.  Don't know how many people, except the rich maybe, have internet access.  I grew up listening to VOA and Radio Moscow; using the theory of "add the data from both up and divide by 2 and you may get 'true' information".  If my memory is correct, 'pravda' means 'truth' in Russian, which is a story all its own. And don't forget that reading is still not an absolute requirement in some countries.  Guess I'm just an OT that is used to old things.

I watched a video of the ABC shortwave shutdown.

The announcer had it spot on when he said.... Now people in the bush and desert will just have to stop what they are doing, set up the satellite link, boot up the laptop and start paying by the byte when they want information.

Yeah, that.

It's all propaganda, but do we really just want one side being told?

Guess I'm another old fart.

--Shane
KD6VXI

The US Agency for Global Media  (USAGM), formerly the Broadcasting Board of Governors, better known to real radio guys as the VOA has recently put out tenders for inspection for the purpose of defining maintenance and upgrades for all of its worldwide short wave transmitter sites.  Short wave is not completely moribund, and governments are realizing that the internet can be censored or shut down, especially in places where it is needed the most.  All is not yet lost.
73 de Norm W1ITT

Good news, Norm.  Yes, you can try to jam RF if you have enough power, but it is hard to shut it down or censor it [to the way you want it] when the xmtr is in another country not really friendly to you.  Well, it is said by some that the Cold War is starting up again; maybe so.

If only RCI would stop broadcasting on 7285!  ;D

I wuz listening to Tim HLR a couple days ago and he said the RCI is no longer on 7285?

I listen on the SDR's around here and I don't hear them. Tim said something about some small island country was relaying that signal on 7285 and that the government of the island shut the thing down.  What Island you ask? Beats me, just passing it on for what it's worth....  I do however hear some slopbuckets on 7299 LSB quacking away from time to time.

Wow! That is good news!

Called it.

Now in these times may be some especially 'good listenin' on SWL since all regimes will be promugating their horchardenments.

There'll be more spin on the air than in all the particles in Schrodinger's cat's litter box.  :)

The running dogs of our own legacy "news" media are already at full gallop. One need look no further than broadcast television to find a healthy plateful of crap. Just sit on the couch with your mind agape and let them spoon it all in.

Please tell me what "horchardenments" means. TIA.

73,

Bill, W4EWH

It's nonsense.

Similar to Horsesh#t is what I make of it  :D :D :D

  I prefer the term Poopagnda