Episode 35.5: Surfing A Different Kind of Wave
I know it seems like I've dropped off the face of the planet but, rest assured, I'm still here.
Recently, I just took time away from the computer. Something had been missing and I couldn't put my finger on what it was until recently.
When I lived in Louisiana, I remember sitting on a chair on my front porch and looking out at the town that hated my guts. I looked at them running back and forth thinking, So what are you assholes doing that's so goddamn great? Tell me that. What makes your life so complete that you just have to poke your nose in my own? I remember the days when I'd sit there on my porch laughing at them. I'd laugh at their scampering around like roaches when you turn the lights on. I'd sit there with Izzy and we'd both watch them together. That's not right, no, nevermind. He would sleep while I would watch them. I'd look down at him, curled up in my lap with his paws against my midsection while part of my shirt was still in his mouth.
I still remember one of the local village idiots had hurled an open beer can at me and I had to move suddenly. The half-full can missed me but dumped beer all over Izzy and my lap when it hit the wall behind us. Both of us were pissed.
I was pissed because some moron had wasted good beer...and given me the license plate number of a driver running around DUI. I called that one in. It's important not to piss off skeletons you invite into your closet.
Izzy was pissed because he had beer all over him and his Royal Highness's sleep had been interrupted.
At the time when I wasn't dodging beer-laden projectiles, I felt like I had tuned in to something. There was a flurry of activity going on and, somehow, I was right in the thick of it but outside of it.
Living here in Jersey, no porch. Not much I can do outside unless I want to hang out in a parking lot. Until one day...
I'd traded in my old PSP and Samsung Instinct at work. The money wasn't bad. I bought two radios with the money I'd raked in from the two traded devices. I've been listening to a lot of radio these days. Mostly AM radio but I had to admit that I'd always wanted to hear what was on Shortwave. My little red radio had a proud place at my desk and was used quite a bit because of it's energy independence. You could only crank it or stick it out in the sun. The bigger red radio was one I wanted because it also had Shortwave and channel storage. I was getting tired of having to tune every time I switched bands and then, there was the small, black Grundig G6 Aviator...my trusty companion. Not only did this one have shortwave, it also had aircraft band.
Shortwave is pretty easy to get into an it's an inexpensive hobby. Go back to the picture for a minute and take a look at each of the radio units. Nevermind the digital voice recorder, that's there as part of the hobby and I'll explain that later.
What you'll mostly hear on shortwave bands, depending on time of day, is static...lots of it. Where's the fun in that? Well, it's a lot like google searching something. You type something in and you get lots of results. You narrow your search down and, eventually, you strike paydirt. That's what this is like, a primitive means of google searching. You set out surfing signals and finally, you hear something. Is it a talk show? Are they talking about the Bible? Are they chatting with an author about his latest book? Is the station's host speaking in another language altogether? Do you hear morse code? What is that out there? What's out there? Who's broadcasting and tossing out a signal in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, someone will hear it in a world that's overrun with the internet and satellite radio.
The most interesting thing about Shortwave is the distance from the signal you can be and still be able to tune in. For instance there's The Atencion Signal that broadcasts out of Cuba that's largely a mystery. The morse code never translates into something intelligible for the rest of us but it is something that's a mystery and there will be people forever trying to decipher it. There are stations out of China, Russia, Germany, Mexico and some of them are English speaking stations. On these stations, you'll get another point of view about what's happening here in our own country. Why would that matter?
Imagine being somewhere in Central California and you have a classic rock station that you absolutely love. You can't go a day without listening to it and you've heard other stations but they're not the same as this one. That classic rock station broadcasts on the FM band which means that if you move out of the coverage area, you will have to find another station that will suffice. If the same station also broadcast in shortwave, you'd be able to tune in all over the world. You'll be able to tune in if the atmospheric conditions are right. That's the only downside, Shortwave is very fairweather...literally. Still, that's also one of the greatest things about it. You can really get your information when all else fails.
Even if you're not looking for information, there's always the other aspect...hidden treasure.
Yeah, that's right. Hidden treasures. Deep within all that static, what might have been an aircraft band might have been jacked by some Ham radio operator using their signal to broadcast their own pirate radio station.
Starting to interest you yet? Here's all you need to get started:
Pictured: Grundig G6 Aviator, Headphones, Olympus WS-500M and 1' Stereo Patch Cable
Once you have this set up, then you can pop in your headset and start scanning the airwaves while you record.
Without recording there are things you should know.
First, you can start off with any shortwave portable handheld radio you want but, remember, if you pay $30, that's what you're going to get and not much more. Look into getting a Grundig G8 Traveller II or some comparable model. Even though what's pictured is the G6 Aviator, the only two differences between the Aviator and Traveller II are the aircraft band and the single side band (SSB) mode. The Traveller II does not have these features. If you're not as serious about your Short Wave Listening, the Traveller II is a wonderful way to start. If you're serious, settle for no less than the Aviator. The Airband feature is really fun if you're near an airport. Even if you're not, you might find a pirate radio station going.
Second, visit the following Websites to get you started:
www.swling.com
www.dxing.com
SWLing.com is a great way to start. This site gives you detailed explanations in the most basic terms possible to have you blasting off in ways you never thought you would be able to. DXing.com is another extremely valuable resource because they go one step further, giving you news in relation to what you're doing. As of the time of this writing, Grundig is sending FR200 radios to Haiti. If you want an idea of what those look like, go back to the first pic and look at the small red radio. Those small radios operate by crank or solar power only. The FR160 (pictured) does not possess shortwave capabilities but does have AM/FM/WX (Weather Band). It also has a built in flashlight and can charge your cellphone via USB. It's a handy device to have in the event of an emergency. In the event of Emergencies/Natural Disasters, radios will be your primary source of information. Newspaper delivery, power, television and internet/cellphone service may be interrupted but a good radio with a decent supply of batteries is indispensable in the face of disaster. Those that have built in LED lights are also invaluable as sources of light as well as bringers of news.
More News On The Ears To Our World Blog by Eton
With your training coming from these two websites and other "DXers" you may find yourself completely prepared for any emergency situation. You'll be more well-informed and up-to-date on the matters at hand. Some may even turn to YOU for their news while you turn to your radio. In some cases, simply sharing your radio may even keep you fed if your supplies are running low. It's also handy to offer the services of your radio in exchange for batteries should you be running low on those.
This is what I've been doing lately. This is my new porch. Instead of looking at a little part of a microcosm, I now listen to the world.
Recently, I just took time away from the computer. Something had been missing and I couldn't put my finger on what it was until recently.
When I lived in Louisiana, I remember sitting on a chair on my front porch and looking out at the town that hated my guts. I looked at them running back and forth thinking, So what are you assholes doing that's so goddamn great? Tell me that. What makes your life so complete that you just have to poke your nose in my own? I remember the days when I'd sit there on my porch laughing at them. I'd laugh at their scampering around like roaches when you turn the lights on. I'd sit there with Izzy and we'd both watch them together. That's not right, no, nevermind. He would sleep while I would watch them. I'd look down at him, curled up in my lap with his paws against my midsection while part of my shirt was still in his mouth.
I still remember one of the local village idiots had hurled an open beer can at me and I had to move suddenly. The half-full can missed me but dumped beer all over Izzy and my lap when it hit the wall behind us. Both of us were pissed.
I was pissed because some moron had wasted good beer...and given me the license plate number of a driver running around DUI. I called that one in. It's important not to piss off skeletons you invite into your closet.
Izzy was pissed because he had beer all over him and his Royal Highness's sleep had been interrupted.
At the time when I wasn't dodging beer-laden projectiles, I felt like I had tuned in to something. There was a flurry of activity going on and, somehow, I was right in the thick of it but outside of it.
Living here in Jersey, no porch. Not much I can do outside unless I want to hang out in a parking lot. Until one day...
I'd traded in my old PSP and Samsung Instinct at work. The money wasn't bad. I bought two radios with the money I'd raked in from the two traded devices. I've been listening to a lot of radio these days. Mostly AM radio but I had to admit that I'd always wanted to hear what was on Shortwave. My little red radio had a proud place at my desk and was used quite a bit because of it's energy independence. You could only crank it or stick it out in the sun. The bigger red radio was one I wanted because it also had Shortwave and channel storage. I was getting tired of having to tune every time I switched bands and then, there was the small, black Grundig G6 Aviator...my trusty companion. Not only did this one have shortwave, it also had aircraft band.
From Left To Right: Grundig G6 Aviator, Eton Solarlink FR-600, Eton MicroLink FR-160
Foreground: Olympus WS-500M Digital Voice Recorder
Foreground: Olympus WS-500M Digital Voice Recorder
Shortwave is pretty easy to get into an it's an inexpensive hobby. Go back to the picture for a minute and take a look at each of the radio units. Nevermind the digital voice recorder, that's there as part of the hobby and I'll explain that later.
What you'll mostly hear on shortwave bands, depending on time of day, is static...lots of it. Where's the fun in that? Well, it's a lot like google searching something. You type something in and you get lots of results. You narrow your search down and, eventually, you strike paydirt. That's what this is like, a primitive means of google searching. You set out surfing signals and finally, you hear something. Is it a talk show? Are they talking about the Bible? Are they chatting with an author about his latest book? Is the station's host speaking in another language altogether? Do you hear morse code? What is that out there? What's out there? Who's broadcasting and tossing out a signal in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, someone will hear it in a world that's overrun with the internet and satellite radio.
The most interesting thing about Shortwave is the distance from the signal you can be and still be able to tune in. For instance there's The Atencion Signal that broadcasts out of Cuba that's largely a mystery. The morse code never translates into something intelligible for the rest of us but it is something that's a mystery and there will be people forever trying to decipher it. There are stations out of China, Russia, Germany, Mexico and some of them are English speaking stations. On these stations, you'll get another point of view about what's happening here in our own country. Why would that matter?
Imagine being somewhere in Central California and you have a classic rock station that you absolutely love. You can't go a day without listening to it and you've heard other stations but they're not the same as this one. That classic rock station broadcasts on the FM band which means that if you move out of the coverage area, you will have to find another station that will suffice. If the same station also broadcast in shortwave, you'd be able to tune in all over the world. You'll be able to tune in if the atmospheric conditions are right. That's the only downside, Shortwave is very fairweather...literally. Still, that's also one of the greatest things about it. You can really get your information when all else fails.
Even if you're not looking for information, there's always the other aspect...hidden treasure.
Yeah, that's right. Hidden treasures. Deep within all that static, what might have been an aircraft band might have been jacked by some Ham radio operator using their signal to broadcast their own pirate radio station.
Starting to interest you yet? Here's all you need to get started:
Pictured: Grundig G6 Aviator, Headphones, Olympus WS-500M and 1' Stereo Patch Cable
For what it's worth, you don't actually NEED anything more than the radio and headphones but, if you want to catch some audio or run the morse code transmissions through computer programs to break the codes, you'll need some means of recording and Digital Voice Recorders are the absolute best way to do it. Unless you just want to go Old School and use a tape recorder.
Next, setting up:
Next, setting up:
Once you have this set up, then you can pop in your headset and start scanning the airwaves while you record.
Without recording there are things you should know.
First, you can start off with any shortwave portable handheld radio you want but, remember, if you pay $30, that's what you're going to get and not much more. Look into getting a Grundig G8 Traveller II or some comparable model. Even though what's pictured is the G6 Aviator, the only two differences between the Aviator and Traveller II are the aircraft band and the single side band (SSB) mode. The Traveller II does not have these features. If you're not as serious about your Short Wave Listening, the Traveller II is a wonderful way to start. If you're serious, settle for no less than the Aviator. The Airband feature is really fun if you're near an airport. Even if you're not, you might find a pirate radio station going.
Second, visit the following Websites to get you started:
www.swling.com
www.dxing.com
SWLing.com is a great way to start. This site gives you detailed explanations in the most basic terms possible to have you blasting off in ways you never thought you would be able to. DXing.com is another extremely valuable resource because they go one step further, giving you news in relation to what you're doing. As of the time of this writing, Grundig is sending FR200 radios to Haiti. If you want an idea of what those look like, go back to the first pic and look at the small red radio. Those small radios operate by crank or solar power only. The FR160 (pictured) does not possess shortwave capabilities but does have AM/FM/WX (Weather Band). It also has a built in flashlight and can charge your cellphone via USB. It's a handy device to have in the event of an emergency. In the event of Emergencies/Natural Disasters, radios will be your primary source of information. Newspaper delivery, power, television and internet/cellphone service may be interrupted but a good radio with a decent supply of batteries is indispensable in the face of disaster. Those that have built in LED lights are also invaluable as sources of light as well as bringers of news.
More News On The Ears To Our World Blog by Eton
With your training coming from these two websites and other "DXers" you may find yourself completely prepared for any emergency situation. You'll be more well-informed and up-to-date on the matters at hand. Some may even turn to YOU for their news while you turn to your radio. In some cases, simply sharing your radio may even keep you fed if your supplies are running low. It's also handy to offer the services of your radio in exchange for batteries should you be running low on those.
This is what I've been doing lately. This is my new porch. Instead of looking at a little part of a microcosm, I now listen to the world.
posted by Lord Genocyde at 9:46 AM
0 comments
