I often listen to the news bulletins on shortwave from Radio Romania International because it is good to hear alternative views or breaking
news from that region. Since the return from BST to GMT, I have had
great difficulty finding their English transmissions at the times and frequencies listed on their webpages.
At first I thought I must have made a mistake with the times or the
schedule but then I discovered that the transmissions were audible at
the correct time and frequency on some days but not others. Their transmission a few nights ago finished with an announcement that
listeners should search for their programmes on an alternative set of frequencies if there was nothing on the usual ones.
Now their webpage is carrying two sets of schedules, one with the
'official' frequencies and the other with alternative frequencies.
Their explanation is that the 'Radiocom' transmitters are frequently
breaking down and the emergency transmitters have to be used instead.
Breakdowns weren't exactly unknown in the past, but not as often as
this. Does anyone know what transmitters they are using (ex-Russian?)
or whether the breakdown is actually occurring in the aerials or the ancilliary equipment. I get the impression the whole thing is being run
an a shoestring and badly underfunded.
Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:
I often listen to the news bulletins on shortwave from Radio Romania International because it is good to hear alternative views or breaking
news from that region. Since the return from BST to GMT, I have had
great difficulty finding their English transmissions at the times and frequencies listed on their webpages.
At first I thought I must have made a mistake with the times or the schedule but then I discovered that the transmissions were audible at
the correct time and frequency on some days but not others. Their transmission a few nights ago finished with an announcement that
listeners should search for their programmes on an alternative set of frequencies if there was nothing on the usual ones.
Now their webpage is carrying two sets of schedules, one with the 'official' frequencies and the other with alternative frequencies.
Their explanation is that the 'Radiocom' transmitters are frequently breaking down and the emergency transmitters have to be used instead.
Breakdowns weren't exactly unknown in the past, but not as often as
this. Does anyone know what transmitters they are using (ex-Russian?)
or whether the breakdown is actually occurring in the aerials or the ancilliary equipment. I get the impression the whole thing is being run
an a shoestring and badly underfunded.
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
I often listen to the news bulletins on shortwave from Radio Romania International because it is good to hear alternative views or breaking
news from that region. Since the return from BST to GMT, I have had
great difficulty finding their English transmissions at the times and frequencies listed on their webpages.
At first I thought I must have made a mistake with the times or the
schedule but then I discovered that the transmissions were audible at
the correct time and frequency on some days but not others. Their transmission a few nights ago finished with an announcement that
listeners should search for their programmes on an alternative set of frequencies if there was nothing on the usual ones.
Now their webpage is carrying two sets of schedules, one with the
'official' frequencies and the other with alternative frequencies.
Their explanation is that the 'Radiocom' transmitters are frequently
breaking down and the emergency transmitters have to be used instead.
Breakdowns weren't exactly unknown in the past, but not as often as
this. Does anyone know what transmitters they are using (ex-Russian?)
or whether the breakdown is actually occurring in the aerials or the ancilliary equipment. I get the impression the whole thing is being run
an a shoestring and badly underfunded.
I often listen to the news bulletins on shortwave from Radio Romania International because it is good to hear alternative views or breaking
news from that region. Since the return from BST to GMT, I have had
great difficulty finding their English transmissions at the times and frequencies listed on their webpages.
At first I thought I must have made a mistake with the times or the
schedule but then I discovered that the transmissions were audible at
the correct time and frequency on some days but not others. Their transmission a few nights ago finished with an announcement that
listeners should search for their programmes on an alternative set of frequencies if there was nothing on the usual ones.
Now their webpage is carrying two sets of schedules, one with the
'official' frequencies and the other with alternative frequencies.
Their explanation is that the 'Radiocom' transmitters are frequently
breaking down and the emergency transmitters have to be used instead.
Breakdowns weren't exactly unknown in the past, but not as often as
this. Does anyone know what transmitters they are using (ex-Russian?)
or whether the breakdown is actually occurring in the aerials or the ancilliary equipment. I get the impression the whole thing is being run
an a shoestring and badly underfunded.
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
I like to listen on the bedside radio last thing at night.
On Thu, 27 Nov 2025 15:54:43 +0000, liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid
(Liz Tuddenham) wrote:
[Re Radio Romania]
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
I like to listen on the bedside radio last thing at night.
You can get bedside radios that can receive internet streams.
On 27/11/2025 14:53, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
I often listen to the news bulletins on shortwave from Radio Romania International because it is good to hear alternative views or breaking
news from that region. Since the return from BST to GMT, I have had
great difficulty finding their English transmissions at the times and frequencies listed on their webpages.
At first I thought I must have made a mistake with the times or the schedule but then I discovered that the transmissions were audible at
the correct time and frequency on some days but not others. Their transmission a few nights ago finished with an announcement that
listeners should search for their programmes on an alternative set of frequencies if there was nothing on the usual ones.
Now their webpage is carrying two sets of schedules, one with the 'official' frequencies and the other with alternative frequencies.
Their explanation is that the 'Radiocom' transmitters are frequently breaking down and the emergency transmitters have to be used instead.
Breakdowns weren't exactly unknown in the past, but not as often as
this. Does anyone know what transmitters they are using (ex-Russian?)
or whether the breakdown is actually occurring in the aerials or the ancilliary equipment. I get the impression the whole thing is being run
an a shoestring and badly underfunded.
They are almost unique now in continuing with such a large range of shortwave services. I think it's probably only China that has more
shortwave broadcasts.
Perhaps they are beginning to feel, like almost everywhere else is, that spending money on shortwave broadcasting isn't worth it.
Plus shortwave propagation has been up and down like crazy recently.
I've noted times when almost nothing audible above about 5MHz, other
times there's loads of signals all the way up the bands and the 10m
amateur band is nice and full of strong signals from the USA.
So maybe you missed some broadcasts because of that?
On Thu, 27 Nov 2025 15:54:43 +0000, liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid
(Liz Tuddenham) wrote:
[Re Radio Romania]
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
I like to listen on the bedside radio last thing at night.
You can get bedside radios that can receive internet streams.
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
Roderick Stewart <rjfs@escapetime.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
On Thu, 27 Nov 2025 15:54:43 +0000, liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid
(Liz Tuddenham) wrote:
[Re Radio Romania]
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
I like to listen on the bedside radio last thing at night.
You can get bedside radios that can receive internet streams.
I have a perfectly good Eddystone 830 and it's fun to tune around and
see what else is going on.
I often listen to the news bulletins on shortwave from Radio Romania International because it is good to hear alternative views or breaking
news from that region. Since the return from BST to GMT, I have had
great difficulty finding their English transmissions at the times and frequencies listed on their webpages.
I assume they are also checking the complaints from listeners to check
wether they can switch off those services at all.
On 27.11.2025 15:14 Uhr Tweed wrote:
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
Listening on the analog bands with a tube-based receiver give a certain> kind of experience an internet connected machine cannot give.
On 2025/11/29 10:39:54, Marco Moock wrote:
On 27.11.2025 15:14 Uhr Tweed wrote:
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
Listening on the analog bands with a tube-based receiver give a
certain kind of experience an internet connected machine cannot
give.
Though as it's UK-made, they're valves rather than "toobs".
On 29.11.2025 14:03 Uhr J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/11/29 10:39:54, Marco Moock wrote:
On 27.11.2025 15:14 Uhr Tweed wrote:
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
Listening on the analog bands with a tube-based receiver give a
certain kind of experience an internet connected machine cannot
give.
Though as it's UK-made, they're valves rather than "toobs".
Is that word used as a synonym of the American English word tube in the context of electronics?
PS: I learned English in school, not as first language
Marco Moock <mm@dorfdsl.de> wrote:
Is that word used as a synonym of the American English word tube in the
context of electronics?
PS: I learned English in school, not as first language
The English term "valves" means thermionic emission valves,
called "vacuum tubes" by speakers of American.
On 29.11.2025 14:03 Uhr J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/11/29 10:39:54, Marco Moock wrote:
On 27.11.2025 15:14 Uhr Tweed wrote:
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
Listening on the analog bands with a tube-based receiver give a
certain kind of experience an internet connected machine cannot
give.
Though as it's UK-made, they're valves rather than "toobs".
Is that word used as a synonym of the American English word tube in the context of electronics?
On 27.11.2025 14:53 Uhr Liz Tuddenham wrote:
I often listen to the news bulletins on shortwave from Radio Romania International because it is good to hear alternative views or breaking
news from that region. Since the return from BST to GMT, I have had
great difficulty finding their English transmissions at the times and frequencies listed on their webpages.
Money was cut for those broadcasters, they reduced airtime of MW/LW too.
I assume they are doing that on SW too and do not want to invest in new transmitters or pay the operator for repairing it properly.
I assume they are also checking the complaints from listeners to check
wether they can switch off those services at all.
On 27.11.2025 15:14 Uhr Tweed wrote:
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
Listening on the analog bands with a tube-based receiver give a certain
kind of experience an internet connected machine cannot give.
On 27.11.2025 14:53 Uhr Liz Tuddenham wrote:
I often listen to the news bulletins on shortwave from Radio Romania
International because it is good to hear alternative views or breaking
news from that region. Since the return from BST to GMT, I have had
great difficulty finding their English transmissions at the times and
frequencies listed on their webpages.
Money was cut for those broadcasters, they reduced airtime of MW/LW too.
I assume they are doing that on SW too and do not want to invest in new >transmitters or pay the operator for repairing it properly.
I assume they are also checking the complaints from listeners to check
wether they can switch off those services at all.
In article <20251129113954.54f9edab@ryz.dorfdsl.de>, Marco Moock <mm@dorfdsl.de> scribeth thusYes, and there's a sort of distortion - I used to think it was only the
On 27.11.2025 15:14 Uhr Tweed wrote:
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
Listening on the analog bands with a tube-based receiver give a certain
kind of experience an internet connected machine cannot give.
Like taking a record from it's sleeve cleaning it and the gramophone
stylus and awaiting that first few seconds of groove noise before the
music starts ..
Ahh!....
(and, as another has said, the physical warmth of a valve set!)
On 02.12.2025 19:40 Uhr J. P. Gilliver wrote:
(and, as another has said, the physical warmth of a valve set!)
Those devices also create a certain kind of smell, like light bulbs.
On 29.11.2025 14:03 Uhr J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/11/29 10:39:54, Marco Moock wrote:
On 27.11.2025 15:14 Uhr Tweed wrote:
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
Listening on the analog bands with a tube-based receiver give a
certain kind of experience an internet connected machine cannot
give.
Though as it's UK-made, they're valves rather than "toobs".
Is that word used as a synonym of the American English word tube in the context of electronics?
PS: I learned English in school, not as first language
Marco Moock <mm@dorfdsl.de> wrote:
On 29.11.2025 14:03 Uhr J. P. Gilliver wrote:
On 2025/11/29 10:39:54, Marco Moock wrote:
On 27.11.2025 15:14 Uhr Tweed wrote:
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
Listening on the analog bands with a tube-based receiver give a
certain kind of experience an internet connected machine cannot
give.
Though as it's UK-made, they're valves rather than "toobs".
Is that word used as a synonym of the American English word tube in the
context of electronics?
PS: I learned English in school, not as first language
I've just come across another use of the word "tube" in English. The
first pair of long distance co-axial television cables linking London
and Birmingham were referred to as "tubes".
I've just come across another use of the word "tube" in English. The
first pair of long distance co-axial television cables linking London
and Birmingham were referred to as "tubes".
On 03/12/2025 18:09, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
I've just come across another use of the word "tube" in English. The
first pair of long distance co-axial television cables linking London
and Birmingham were referred to as "tubes".
I think they are mentioned in 'Beam Benders" as being used in Meaconing.
Meaconing was used during WWII but these weren't installed until the
early 1950s.
On 04/12/2025 09:48, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
Meaconing was used during WWII but these weren't installed until the
early 1950s.
I am sure Beam Benders says that the London to Birmingham coax was used
for Meaconing.
Not sure of all the details (long time since I read the book!) but I
think they had to relay the enemy signal from another site without any
delay, distortion etc.
On 04/12/2025 09:48, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
Meaconing was used during WWII but these weren't installed until the
early 1950s.
I am sure Beam Benders says that the London to Birmingham coax was used
for Meaconing.
Not sure of all the details (long time since I read the book!) but I
think they had to relay the enemy signal from another site without any delay, distortion etc.
Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:
I often listen to the news bulletins on shortwave from Radio Romania
International because it is good to hear alternative views or breaking
news from that region. Since the return from BST to GMT, I have had
great difficulty finding their English transmissions at the times and
frequencies listed on their webpages.
At first I thought I must have made a mistake with the times or the
schedule but then I discovered that the transmissions were audible at
the correct time and frequency on some days but not others. Their
transmission a few nights ago finished with an announcement that
listeners should search for their programmes on an alternative set of
frequencies if there was nothing on the usual ones.
Now their webpage is carrying two sets of schedules, one with the
'official' frequencies and the other with alternative frequencies.
Their explanation is that the 'Radiocom' transmitters are frequently
breaking down and the emergency transmitters have to be used instead.
Breakdowns weren't exactly unknown in the past, but not as often as
this. Does anyone know what transmitters they are using (ex-Russian?)
or whether the breakdown is actually occurring in the aerials or the
ancilliary equipment. I get the impression the whole thing is being run >>> an a shoestring and badly underfunded.
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
I like to listen on the bedside radio last thing at night.
Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:
Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:
I often listen to the news bulletins on shortwave from Radio Romania
International because it is good to hear alternative views or breaking >>>> news from that region. Since the return from BST to GMT, I have had
great difficulty finding their English transmissions at the times and
frequencies listed on their webpages.
At first I thought I must have made a mistake with the times or the
schedule but then I discovered that the transmissions were audible at
the correct time and frequency on some days but not others. Their
transmission a few nights ago finished with an announcement that
listeners should search for their programmes on an alternative set of
frequencies if there was nothing on the usual ones.
Now their webpage is carrying two sets of schedules, one with the
'official' frequencies and the other with alternative frequencies.
Their explanation is that the 'Radiocom' transmitters are frequently
breaking down and the emergency transmitters have to be used instead.
Breakdowns weren't exactly unknown in the past, but not as often as
this. Does anyone know what transmitters they are using (ex-Russian?) >>>> or whether the breakdown is actually occurring in the aerials or the
ancilliary equipment. I get the impression the whole thing is being run >>>> an a shoestring and badly underfunded.
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
I like to listen on the bedside radio last thing at night.
Bit late to this thread, I really miss those days when SW and sometimes at >night MW would let you listen to the world and hear the voices of the >rCLother siderCY identified by their signature music or tones.
Made me dig out my copy of rCLAtmospherics rCy Listen to RadiorCY by Tom >Robinson, one of the best summaries of what we could once experience in my >opinion .
Tom Robinson himself has put it on you tube. Worth a listen
<https://youtu.be/r9qz_bnJVlw?si=OmQcRGlAsEDF9GX4>
GH
Roderick Stewart <rjfs@escapetime.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
On Thu, 27 Nov 2025 15:54:43 +0000, liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid
(Liz Tuddenham) wrote:
[Re Radio Romania]
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
I like to listen on the bedside radio last thing at night.
You can get bedside radios that can receive internet streams.
I have a perfectly good Eddystone 830 and it's fun to tune around and
see what else is going on.
Yes. But the limited amount of HF broadcasting is so very disappointing compared with what it was like over 30 years ago. And don't get me
started on the appalling amounts of interference modern electronics splatters across much of the HF band.
On 14/12/2025 01:25, Brian Gregory wrote:
Yes. But the limited amount of HF broadcasting is so very disappointing
compared with what it was like over 30 years ago. And don't get me
started on the appalling amounts of interference modern electronics
splatters across much of the HF band.
Hardly surprising considering the high costs and low number of HF receivers.
Most people have never heard a Short Wave broadcast as well as having no equipment to receive it.
I doubt many even in The Third World have a Short Wave receiver.
Watch the hordes of Third World illegal immigrants being brought here by
the RNLI and BF, they all seem to have the latest model of mobile phone.
On 28/11/2025 11:24, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
Roderick Stewart <rjfs@escapetime.myzen.co.uk> wrote:
On Thu, 27 Nov 2025 15:54:43 +0000,
liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Liz Tuddenham) wrote:
[Re Radio Romania]
Why not listen via their Internet stream?
I like to listen on the bedside radio last thing at night.
You can get bedside radios that can receive internet streams.
I have a perfectly good Eddystone 830 and it's fun to tune around
and see what else is going on.
Yes. But the limited amount of HF broadcasting is so very
disappointing compared with what it was like over 30 years ago.
And don't get me started on the appalling amounts of interference
modern electronics splatters across much of the HF band.
On 14/12/2025 01:25, Brian Gregory wrote:
Yes. But the limited amount of HF broadcasting is so very
disappointing compared with what it was like over 30 years ago. And
don't get me started on the appalling amounts of interference
modern electronics splatters across much of the HF band.
Hardly surprising considering the high costs and low number of HF
receivers.
Most people have never heard a Short Wave broadcast as well as having
no equipment to receive it.
I doubt many even in The Third World have a Short Wave receiver.
Watch the hordes of Third World illegal immigrants being brought here
by the RNLI and BF, they all seem to have the latest model of mobile
phone.
On 2025/12/14 10:15:30, JMB99 wrote:
On 14/12/2025 01:25, Brian Gregory wrote:
Yes. But the limited amount of HF broadcasting is so very disappointing >>> compared with what it was like over 30 years ago. And don't get me
started on the appalling amounts of interference modern electronics
splatters across much of the HF band.
Hardly surprising considering the high costs and low number of HF receivers. >>
Most people have never heard a Short Wave broadcast as well as having no
equipment to receive it.
I'm not sure about the above two statements. Certainly, the sort of HF receiver most of us remember is big and expensive (with BFO etc.), but
there are some amazing cheap ones. And you're probably correct about
most people _in the developed world_ never having heard SW - if only _because_ of the hash Brian mentions making it impractical.
Surely they're a self-selecting group though: is cellular/mobile
I doubt many even in The Third World have a Short Wave receiver.
Watch the hordes of Third World illegal immigrants being brought here by
the RNLI and BF, they all seem to have the latest model of mobile phone.
coverage that comprehensive in much of the third world?
On 14/12/2025 01:25, Brian Gregory wrote:
Yes. But the limited amount of HF broadcasting is so very
disappointing compared with what it was like over 30 years ago. And
don't get me started on the appalling amounts of interference modern
electronics splatters across much of the HF band.
Hardly surprising considering the high costs and low number of HF
receivers.
Most people have never heard a Short Wave broadcast as well as having no equipment to receive it.
I doubt many even in The Third World have a Short Wave receiver.
Watch the hordes of Third World illegal immigrants being brought here by
the RNLI and BF, they all seem to have the latest model of mobile phone.
I'm not sure about the above two statements. Certainly, the sort of HF receiver most of us remember is big and expensive (with BFO etc.), but
there are some amazing cheap ones. And you're probably correct about
most people_in the developed world_ never having heard SW - if only
_because_ of the hash Brian mentions making it impractical.
In the very poor unserved areas I doubt that purchasing, powering and
having an interest in HF broadcasts is a priority.
I asked Gemini about shortwave radio usage in Africa, ignore the bit
about digital short wave right at the end, I can't see it ever
working reliably enough for home use with simple antennas:
While the use of shortwave radio has declined globally in favor of
the internet and FM,
it remains a vital and widely used medium across
Africa, especially in rural areas and countries with limited digital infrastructure.
In 2025, Africa continues to be one of the few regions where
international broadcasters like the BBC and Voice of America (VOA)
maintain significant shortwave operations because it is the only way
to reach millions of listeners simultaneously across a vast continent.
Digital Shortwave (DRM): There is an ongoing transition to "Digital
Radio Mondiale" (DRM), which provides FM-like sound quality over
shortwave frequencies, though the cost of new digital receivers
remains a barrier for many.
On 20.12.2025 23:00 Uhr Brian Gregory wrote:
I asked Gemini about shortwave radio usage in Africa, ignore the bit
about digital short wave right at the end, I can't see it ever
working reliably enough for home use with simple antennas:
This is just wrong. As the government-operated services have (or had) efficient sending antennas and high power, they are audible very well
with some meters of wire.
This is just wrong. As the government-operated services have (or had) efficient sending antennas and high power, they are audible very well
with some meters of wire.
But when I come across some DRM on shortwave it's pretty rare I can
decode it reliably. Quite often I can decode most of a bizarre French
DRM broadcast with a ludicrously low data rate, also Romania I can
sometimes decode. But I guess I'm not really in the target area for any
DRM broadcast.
On 22/12/2025 02:33, Marco Moock wrote:
On 20.12.2025 23:00 Uhr Brian Gregory wrote:
I asked Gemini about shortwave radio usage in Africa, ignore the
bit about digital short wave right at the end, I can't see it ever
working reliably enough for home use with simple antennas:
This is just wrong. As the government-operated services have (or
had) efficient sending antennas and high power, they are audible
very well with some meters of wire.
Maybe so. Which services in which countries are you talking about?
But when I come across some DRM on shortwave it's pretty rare I can
decode it reliably. Quite often I can decode most of a bizarre French
DRM broadcast with a ludicrously low data rate, also Romania I can
sometimes decode. But I guess I'm not really in the target area for
any DRM broadcast. Oh I think there's an hour of BBC world service
DRM sometime in the early morning I have been able to decode well.
I often listen to the news bulletins on shortwave from Radio Romania International because it is good to hear alternative views or breaking
news from that region. Since the return from BST to GMT, I have had
great difficulty finding their English transmissions at the times and frequencies listed on their webpages.
At first I thought I must have made a mistake with the times or the
schedule but then I discovered that the transmissions were audible at
the correct time and frequency on some days but not others. Their transmission a few nights ago finished with an announcement that
listeners should search for their programmes on an alternative set of frequencies if there was nothing on the usual ones.
Now their webpage is carrying two sets of schedules, one with the
'official' frequencies and the other with alternative frequencies.
Their explanation is that the 'Radiocom' transmitters are frequently
breaking down and the emergency transmitters have to be used instead.
Breakdowns weren't exactly unknown in the past, but not as often as
this. Does anyone know what transmitters they are using (ex-Russian?)
or whether the breakdown is actually occurring in the aerials or the ancilliary equipment. I get the impression the whole thing is being run
an a shoestring and badly underfunded.
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