The Golden Years of Shortwave Listening 

Forgot to tell this. Years later I have a chance to visit Havana, went to the SW radio station and actually meet the gentleman who every night said "Esta es Radio, Havana, Cuba".

I recently bought a Zenith H500 for my Dad, now 84. The radio was new when he was 14. It needed a lot of work, but I restored it to new, battery power even, which is essential for SWL. He loves it.

My uncle "loaned" a Realistic DX-200 to me in 1985, I still have it. I even put up a longwire antenna using the Radio Shack kit. Used to stay up until 2-3am listening to stations all over the world.

This was a golden age of shortwave radio. I grew up with this and was responsible for my going into broadcasting and ham radio. It was such fun being with all my running dogs. Lol Glad you recorded all this, thanks!

I'm 69 now, and up to 1996 I used to listen to Short Wave stations, since 1969, when I was 15. Many of them used to broadcast also in Portuguese-BR to Brazil. In July 1969, I even heard the report about the first time a human being's feet touched the Moon's ground; it was narrated by Hélio Costa, a Brazilian reporter who was, at that time, working in the Brazilian Service of the Voice Of America. I loved to listen to "BBC World Service" (broadcast from London), "The Voice Of America" (from Washington, DC), "Radio RSA" (broadcasting from Johannesbourg, South Africa), "Radio Canada International" (from Montreal), "Kol Israel" (from Jerusalem), and many others. After 1997, when Internet access began to be available to commom public in Brazil, I started to many of these services in true amazing pure digital sound. Now we still can listen to them on almost every kind of cellphones, tablets, or notebooks connected to the Web.

As a youngster In the late 1940's, I purchased a Hallicrafters S-38B. Shortwave was alive and well then, and I recall sitting at my kitchen table in Queens, NY and hearing Waltzing Matilda for the first time, coming in loud and clear. I was immediately fascinated by shortwave and have been listening ever since. I've collected lots of QSL cards from these stations. One fond moment was hearing my letter to Radio Ankara being read over the air...live! Sadly, almost all the great SWL stations are no longer on the air. Ditto for the great old time AM radio shows. I often search around the 31M band on my 7300. There are still a few gems broadcasting. Thanks for the great look back! I recognized several of the interval tones immediately. KE6BN

I didn't get into shortwave until the 1980s, but this still brought back good memories. Thank you.

I had an Allied Radio ‘Star Roamer’ radio, which was a kit. My antenna was a wire in the attic. The first station I tuned in was Switzerland. I was hooked. I have many of the same QSL cards and experiences. I even have a WPE number somewhere. I became a ham back in the 80’s and just revived the ham shack after years of neglect. I miss these interval signals and stations. If you look at Bonaire, on Google maps, you’ll see where the Nederland towers were. It’s all gone now. Sad. 73

Saved my lunch money for two months without letting my folks know. Used my stash to buy an Allied Star Roamer kit. Unwound a transformer to get enough wire for an antenna. Sold the radio to buy an ankle bracelet to ask a girl to "go steady". We were together for the next 35 years. I bought a Star Roamer on eBay a few years ago, and was lucky that whoever built it did a great job. I fire it up every now and then, but miss those glory days of SWLing. I'm restoring a 1936 Grunow console radio that tunes up to 18 mHz. Pulls in what's left pretty well.

What a great video! I was a radio fanatic since I was 10 years old. I started out with AM radio DXing and graduated to shortwave. I got a CB radio and made quite a lot of good friends. Then I got my ham ticket. I also loved FM DXing. In fact, I contacted KCCK in Iowa City. I was able to record the DX and send it to the station online. I still have the fridge magnet they sent me. I also love and miss TV DXing. Back in the analogue days, I was able to watch stations all over the western United States up here in Alberta. All that's gone now of course. Even so, I still listen to shortwave and the aeronautic weather stations in Gander and Trenton. I also hear the oceanographic weather transmissions. 73, Bruce VE6XTC.

Superb curating of a bygone radio broadcast era, Mitch! I started out with a Realistic DX-160 a few years after you collecting QSL cards, joining listener clubs and the like . A wonderful trip down memory lane; remembering the interval signals, many of which I was, amazingly, able guess correctly after all these years. 73

Interval for Radio Moscow brought memories. Thank you for all the work you put into this video. Those tapes you made all those years ago are a real treasure and mustn't be lost!

Wow, memories. Started listening to SW about 1956 with a Truetone D-727, followed by mil surplus RAS and ARB receivers. Stopped to become a Navy radioman. Started again in the '70's with a Heathkit SB-310. Went through a number of receivers over the years, now down to FRG-7, DSR-2 and R-1000. Only listening I now do is with online SDR sites. Really miss hearing "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" on the VOA. Ended up with about 100 countries confirmed. SWL clubs of the '70's, NASWA, ASWLC, SPEEDX.

I haven't turned on my radio in about 40 years . One day , and I hope it's soon I intend on getting a antenna and firing up the old radio . Thanks for bringing up some old memories and inspiring people like me to get back into the hoby

My dad had a multi band radio about the same time you were listening. One day out of boredom I found Radio Australia. I was blown away. Been listening ever since. I got a kick out of Radio Albania, they didn’t like anyone weather it was VOA, Radio Moscow, anyone.

Started out with two Realistic SW receivers when I started listening to shortwave in 1986 here in Albuquerque,NM.Later bought a Sony ICF-2010(fresh out of the box)and later a Kenwood R-1000 hooked up to a longwire.

I really enjoyed this video and it brought back loads of memoreis. I enjoyed Shart Wave listening and DX TV (Sun spots permitting) duting my mid teens; I am now 70. I was surprised that I instantly recognised the interval markers. Like you, I did the 'Dutch by Radio' Course and also the 'Swedish by Radio' course. I have this hobby to thanks for my interests in Technology. Geography/Travel, Lannguages, economics and Politics. Now I have an app on my phone/computer which allowes me to listen to the World in crystal clear digital stereo and a motorised satellite system (KU) which allowes me to watch European and relayed Asian Broadcast TV/Radio in HD (DW and others now have TV Channels). So I am now 70 and retired and decided to re-engage with my old hobbies and passed the Foundatioion exam of the Radio Society of Great Britain. Although I have bought a VHF/UHF tranceicer I have only had one contact and that was by prior arrangement. I also had a poor experience with CB radio when I found that I was alone on the band and sent the kit back. However, all is not lost. I have two SDR receivers (one stand-alone and one dongle plugged into a USB on my desktop) and am enjoying experimenting with a variety of antenna types. So what have I discovered sitting here in Southern England,UK? There's a load of chinese transmissions on the 31m band and other places, all bashing out the same or similar programming. I have also listened to Romania. Long and Medium Wave (AM) is progressively being deserted by commercial/national broadcaster, who have moved to FM (88-108Mhz) and/or Digital (DAB) radio. However AM is still interesting at night and stations are coming in from other European locations. AM is also being used in the UK for local and community stations, one such station is Radio Cariline which is broadcast from a ship anchored in a harbour in the east of Englane by enthusiasts of 1960s/70s Pirate Radio. So I think anouncing the death of AM might be a bit premature. Thanks again for this video and 73s from me, M7DUR.

Excellent video and well done! I am really glad you recorded those station IDs, clips. etc. The QSL cards are really nice. Your video brings back many memories for me. I got into SW radio in the mid 70s when I was about 11 or 12. I was living in Michigan at the time. At home we had a basic Lloyds 9N57B-37A multi-band potable (AM, FM, PB Hi, PB, Low and SW). SW covered 6 to 18 MHz. It was impressive what could be picked even with a portable. My older brother would listen to SW from time to time and that is what got me interested. I listened to the BBC, Radio Netherlands (Happy Station program, etc.), Sweden, Finland, DW, or what ever else I could pick up. Then I got a SW listener guide from Radio Shack. Then I learned to attach a long wire and hang it out the window. Then in the late 70s my father bought me a Realistic DX160 for Christmas. Then I started listening to hams and picking up aircraft coms over the Atlantic. I sent in a lot of QSL reports and I still have my collection of QSL cards, letters and envelopes. My mother was concerned when I was getting letters from Russia, Cuba, S. Africa and other questionable nations. She said that I would probably end up on an FBI list. I did not get too deep into SW equipment wise but I was an avid listener. Then later on I got a Panasonic RF-B65. A great little radio. I still have it. In the late 80s I found one of those Zenith Trans Oceanic radios at a flea market for 10 dollars. I had a local old school TV and radio shop (they still existed then) to go through it to get it working. I had that radio in my kitchen and it sounded great. I would listen to the BBC every morning during breakfast. Lastly, I remember picking up one of the last broadcasts of DDR SW radio from Berlin. Soon after that the wall fell. I am glad I got to experience the tail end of the "golden age" of SW listening. It was a fun way to travel around the World.

Really great stuff, Mitch. I thank you for this. I really respect your knowledge and also your passion for SWL. I got into it in 1970 and listened a great deal for many years. I have always missed it and, like you, I wrote to many stations. Radio Peking sent me an album, plus, believe it or not, a great assortment of firecrackers. Radio Tirana sent books, as did Radio Havana Cuba, along with a big supply of pocket calendars. I still listen on occasion, Radio Havana is still loud and clear. QSLs are now emailed and I recently got one from Radio New Zealand. I live in Honduras now, and Cuban radio dominates the AM bands here after the sun goes down. I hear more at night on AM than I hear on SW, ranging from Bogotá to Chicago to Nassau. Radio still fascinates me. I could go on, but I will leave it here. Thank you SO much for all the old interval signals. And, after all these years, thanks to you, I FINALLY know that it was Radio Peace and Progress whose interval signal and sign-on left me scratching my head for ages.

Great video, Mitch! I received my first short wave radio (an Unelco, 1914) for Christmas, 1969. It was a simple AM only short wave. To change bands, you had to plug in oscillator, and antenna coils. When in high school, I got a National Sixty special with a BFO and I was able to listen to SSB!! I'm 1973, after delivering tens of thousands of newspapers, I saved up for my first CB antenna and a quarter wave ground plane! It wasn't until 1989 that I got my novice and technicians license. Upgrading to General and Advanced later that year. In 1990, I finally got my Extra Class license. I owe my electrical engineering degree and my ham ticket to owning a shortwave radio as a kid. This was a great video, I hope you'll post a follow-up. 73, AA2HA

Started Dxing in my teens and I am still Dxing now! I definitely miss the eighties Radio Berlin International, RSA, Radio Nederlands, Radio Havana, Radio Tirana, and gongs and chimes from the DDR! It is still interesting to listen to the number stations. 73

Once, I ended up, quite by accident, being on the TRANSMITTING side of international broadcasting! In the 1980s, I was a Radio/TV Engineer for KUAT-AM/FM/TV, in Tucson. Our AM xmttr put out 50KW on 1550KHz. It was a daytime-only station. But one night, late, I was conducting "Proof of Performance" tests, as required by the FCC. And I received a phone call from a listener....in AUSTRALIA!

I started shortwave listening in 1968. While 31 meters was probably the most popular shortwave broadcast band, almost equally popular was the 49 meter band, which tended to stay open from late afternoon all night until after local dawn with very strong signals. The 25 meter band was nearly equally as popular as 49 meters, but weakened a bit late at night. However, the "daylight" bands were also nearly as active, as 19 meters would be open from just before local dawn to a few hours after sunset (and sometimes open all night near sunspot maximum). The other daylight band that was very active was 16 meters (17480-17900 Mhz) except perhaps near sunspot minimum. The 13 meter band also got occasional daylight activity, and there were a few times when the rare 11 meter broadcast band showed a little activity, although that was somewhat uncommon. 41 meters tended to have some broadcast activity from Europe and Africa, but with the ham band overlapping it, those in North America didn't like it quite as much, although for some reason, Radio Moscow put a bunch of similar signals on that band at the same time. I did, however, once hear a domestic South Africa broadcaster down there using only a 10 kW transmitter, so you could get interesting DX there. The tropical band (60 meters) had mostly South American domestic and regional broadcasts in Spanish, and was probably less popular other than those who were listening for some elusive local broadcast signals. It and 75 meters had problems with static in the summer months.

Thank you very much. I really appreciate your interest program. I often listened to these stations you mentioned. I remember listening to the interval signals. Oh, good old days...

The Radio Netherlands station ident brought it all back - I started listening in the early eighties, my main staples were Radio Netherlands, Radio Sweden, Swiss Radio International and the Voice of America. I still have some of the old brochures and schedules.

"Radio Morania" had me rolling. Loved the fake radio static/ fadeout right after "contact us at PO Box... zzhhhhthhhzsshthshsshhhh". And such a dignified national anthem! The Moranian Free Empire had it all.

I've thoroughly enjoyed this channel. Sixty years ago I was an avid SWL and my listener sign was WPE6EPO. I wish I still had some of the receivers I owned over those early years - I'd be rich! Thank you for the nostalgic moments. I'm retired now and have the time and - thanks to your channel - motivation to pick the hobby up again.

That was interesting, reminded me of my early SW days and getting QSL’s in the early 90’s and beyond. Well done thx for doing this.

What a fantastic video Mitch !! - brought back many many happy memories for me. It was after accidentally coming across some ‘hams’ on a transistor radio that sparked my interest in Amateur Radio and never looked back. Sadly though, the number of Broadcast stations has reduced greatly over the years…

Thanks for saving these important pieces of history. Im about 40% in. Hope i get to see/hear "voice of america".

Just “tuning” around RU-vid and found your program. I too started my radio hobby as an SWL, loved nighttime AM DX and just the entire HF spectrum. I tune about now and I find little to nothing and AM is mostly 1kw down to 50 watts like our local station here. Thanks for the RU-vid, Best ‘73, DE KA1TIU from Beautiful Downtown Luverne Minnesota

Brings back a lot of memories, I had a StarRoamer and a small reel to reel

Nice memories. Had three bottom end radios with the howling on louder volume. Figured out could minimize the issue by using headphones or an external speaker.

Thank you for this walk down memory lane! Made an old ( 75 year old) very happy! Peace and Love

Many thanks for this...brought back many happy memories from the sixties... got some of those QSLs...

I had sw radios from age 12 on. Started with a 3 transistor RadioShack p-box And ended with a Sharp double superhet digital display portable. I listened to the Watergate crisis unfold on my 3 transistor build it yourself kit. Fun times. I also had a Fleetwood console shortwave tube radio, and a Sanyo portable. It was all fascinating and deeply engaging. I hesitate to get another sw receiver as what is being broadcast had changed.

I loved this video Thanks! 😄 I'm a 77 year old happily retired Electronic Engineering Lecturer and part time music teacher here in Australia. Back in the early 60s, my older brother had a ham station and he let me use his old Marconi B-28 (CR-100) professional full coverage tube receiver with a very long wire. I had the world at my feet! So much interesting stuff. So at sweet 16 years of age I sat for my Ham Radio exams and amazingly passed. I was 'on air for many years thru the 60s and 70s. I came back on for a while in the 80s. I have only recently rejoined the world of SWL. Boy has it changed. Radio Australia foolishly went off air in 2017. NZ is still on. Down here we mostly get hammered with extremely powerful Radio Beijing signals. At least there are still plenty of hams as well as utilities using different modes. Thankyou again for all the memories and sounds from SW. Glad you recorded them. Loved the propaganda 'hit parade' 😁 73s

Built a few Allied Star Roamers for friends in 67-68 time frame to earn money for my novice station. All the SW stations drifting through the QSB was magic to my 12 year old ears

A most interesting video! I started listening to shortwave in 1967 at age 17 using a Knight Kit Star Roamer. I enlisted in the Navy in 1969 and made a 22 year career of it. Over the last few years, I have been restoring old vacuum tube radios. As you stated shortwave and AM isn't what it once was.

I used to listen to shortwave radio through the years,

WoW. What memories. I started listening to SW in 1962 when I was 10. The interval signals, I had forgotten about. Such wonderful information, memories and old questions answered brought back to me. I lived in Arlington Virginia in 1962, on top of a hill with a 60 foot wire antenna from the house to a tree in the back yard. Great location and excellent SW reception. Thank You so much for sharing all the wonderful recordings and your memories. It's sad, today, that there isn't very much SW material any more. WRMI, Radio Miami International, transmitters located in Okeechobee, Florida is a big one these days and Radio Havana is still broadcasting in 2023. Lots of religion now... Best Regards to You

They were golden years indeed. Thank you for sharing your memories with us.

I really enjoyed that. Great memories. It’s fantastic that you recorded it all.

Great video Mitch ! Thanks for your time and will be watching for more.

great collection, they are priceless...thanks doctor

Oh my how i miss interval signals.

Good stuff Mitch. You're an endless fountain of knowledge and excellent presenter.

I still have a linear dial Zenith Trans-Oceanic with a linear dial in absolutely pristine condition. I had it rebuilt with some new tubes a few years ago and I still love it. Not as much stuff on there as there used to be, but i will never part with it! I guess I am weird, but I liked the static and interference. It just made it seem more magical, somehow!

I grew up with cycles per second, and still I slip and say KCs or MCs and I get the side eye and chuckles, same with GMT, but most everyone understands ZULU time!

Good old memories of BC dxing. Radio Nederlands was my favorite station.🎉

Wow, a warm thank you!!! What fun! This took me back to my childhood, my dad got me my first Realistic SW radio for my 12th Bday in ‘76. I’ve just got in the hobby again and never thought I’d ever hear that swinging, jazzesque tune from radio Moscow again! Thanks again

Thank you for saving all these recordings. I was a shortwave enthusiast in the 60s and 70s and that's exactly how it sounded. Brings back great memories. I also did DXing on AM. From New York I got WFAA and KMOX.

I miss those cold nights listening to all that stuff...

Just watched your video and man did it bring back a LOT of memories. I started SWLing as a snot nosed 7 y/o because my dad brought out an old Delco AM/SW receiver and started tuning around the bands. When he landed on WWV and he told me where it was at, I was hooked. I'm 60 now and I'm surprised I still remember a lot of those interval/sign on signals but I was surprised you didn't include RFI, BBC, VOA and a few of the other "blow torch" stations. Thanks and 73 de N9VMO

Hello Mitch…Thanks so much for this video as it truly struck a chord with me!...I built a Heathkit GR-64 receiver during the summer of 1969…still have it on display in my “museum closet”!!...I really enjoyed shortwave listening back then, but didn’t have the time to do it justice…this video brought back some very fond memories…unfortunately it’s impossible to relive that experience today...fortunately you had the foresight to save the QSL cards and actual audio adding a very entertaining commentary!!!

I started listening to shortwave at age 14 or 15 in the late 60's. At first on a late 30's AM/SW/Phono chassis without a cabinet connected to a speaker box. Surprisingly hot reception. My antenna was a cold water pipe in the basement. I found a lot of my radios and tv's in the alleys on trash days. Then, my brother traded a car for some stuff from a neighbor on the next street, including a Hammarlund HQ140-X, with an external crystal calibrator and Heathkit Q-Multiplier. I then traded some stuff to my brother for it. That really opened up my shortwave listening. I taped a big World map on the wall, and kept track of stations I identified by marking the cities on the map. I never did send for any QSL cards though. It's too bad those glorious days are gone.

Great recording. A a kid I used to listen SW radio and remember many of the stations you named there. Thanks.

Thanks for the SWL nostalgia. I was in Bangkok in the early 60's with an HQ100A. It was a good outlet before Internet. 73

Many thanks. Wonderful! You made my day. Afrikaans is Dutch with an African accent. 😊

Great video Mitch, make me remember from the ending 70s to beggining 90s I was listening to SW radio stations from all over the world in Mexico city, such a nice experience, greetings from Cancún México

Great video Mitch! Very informative. Enjoy it very much. I am from Malaysia, was listening lots of transmissions from this region in 1970s & 1980s with cheap radio (can't recall the brand, most probably phillips.

Amazing to hear all this 🙏.. thank you for recording and saving it for us 👍😀

Thanks Mitch! Boy, did this bring back memories. I got hooked on SWL in the early 70’s when I accidentally found Radio Prague on 7345 KHZ in English. I was a member of Speedx until they folded in the 80’s. Greatest memory is having my letter read on Radio Netherlands “His and Hers” program.

Wow, an hour and 20 minutes and I watched the whole thing - hi hi. A nice look back Mitch, I thank you for having the fortitude to do the recordings back then as you did. Who knew that shortwave broadcasting as we knew it would fade into the sunset as it has? You and I are probably the same age. The shortwave "bug" hit me too in the mid 1960s. As a teen, I worked on area farms and saved the hard earned money to buy a Knight Kit Star Roamer receiver, it adorns my shack to this day! I too obtained a WPE2Q...(forgot the rest of the call) SWL listeners certificate. Funny thing, the "Q" stuck with me. When I became a ham I was assigned the call KA2HIQ, when I upgraded I received KQ2N which I am to this day. The interval signals and associated QSLs bring back memories. Some of the cards I distinctly recall as you show them on the video. Being of Polish heritage, the broadcasters from beyond the Iron Curtain were of most interest to me. Being those countries were basically closed societies to the west, I recall how difficult it was to maintain contact with family members there at that time. Actually, my favorite station back then was Radio Prague, I liked it more than Radio Polonia (Poland). I preferred their format and their audio quality I felt was superior. A big thrill for me was to hear my letter. which was sent in to their letterbag program, read on the air! Both Poland and Czechoslovakia (at that time, now Czech Republic and Slovakia) although reigned unwillingly under the Soviet influence did not tout the hardline Soviet propaganda in their broadcasts but instead focused on more cultural aspects of their respective societies. The school library back then had a subscription to Popular Electronics, I'd steadfastly wait for each new issue to come out where I'd take it to a closed cubical and rip out the English Broadcasts to North America schedule that was in each issue. My Star Roamer will never come back to life with the myriad selection of interval signals and programming all competing for the North American audience, but just looking at it in my shack puts a smile on my face to think of the world that shortwave listening opened for me. Thanks for a pleasant excursion back in time..... 73 de KQ2N - Gary

I had a Zenith just like in the photo. It didn't work when I got it and my dad helped me get it running. He used to be a TV and radio repairman in the days of tube equipment. He's gone now, and I wish I still had that radio.

What a trip down memory lane- I still have my H100 that I listened to in the late 60's like you- my uncle gave it to me....I remember the tunes on the 31M band- also remember "the beeps" then the time from Canada....Thanks for sharing!

Wow what memories of my SWL of the late 60s and 70s into to 80s. I used to hear SWL and then Ham License. I remember some other like Radio Lorenzo Marques Mozambique . The last major listening was ABC Australian Broadcast Corp on 41meter band but went away a few years. I also had received Radio NHK on BC band in the morning in Oregon. Very sad most SWL is gone. Still try to find SWL hoped it would return some has. The BBC was the best for news. I also listen to a station on BC band that plays the old radio shows. 73s Mike PS this was the best presentation of the past SWL and so many memories gone by. WB7QXU

Shortwave communication is the only technology which would enable long distance communication within the globe, without relying on relay stations, such as satelites and underground cables

I found my dad’s old zenith transoceanic in a closet behind some shoes in 1974 and started my experience as a 12 year old in a similar way. The tubes started to burn out and were almost impossible to replace by the mid 70’s. The zenith had a couple of bolts on the retractable portion of the chassis that could be used for hook up to some huge 1950’s vintage battery. By 1970’s that feature was useless. A few years later after painting houses all summer long - I saved enough to for the realistic DX-160. Dr. DX I’m impressed that you received all of those signals on your HealthKit from Brooklyn. With all of the electrical,inference from a metro area of 15 million surrounding you - you did quite well. I was DXing from Ottawa CAnada - about 10% as populous as NYC…a lot less going on, so the transmission quality was somewhat clearer, catching RSA late on warm summer nights was a thrill. Like you, I was generally unaware of the sinister regime behind the broadcasts. There was a station that broadcast at night around 6 MHZ from Holland or Belgium that used to blast out the current top 40 hits from Europe. I stretched a long piece of copper wire from our chimney to a large maple,tree at the end of the property and ran it into my room. I tried to figure out antennae trim formulae to optimize reception in various bands.It was grounded - but that didn’t stop my mother from worrying every time we had a lightning storm. Thank goodness we had WWV - you could always calibrate your fine tuning knowing exactly where 5, 10, 15 MHz would be. In summer during hurricane season, WWV would broadcast hourly the coordinates of the eye position, speed and direction of active Atlantic hurricanes. I used to plot these out on my atlas to guess where the storms would make landfall. What a wonderful, simpler time. Your imagination could run wild. You had to make some effort to discover these broadcasts - but the excitement of receiving them after hunting over the various bands was worth all of the trouble. None of the immediate gratification, info at your fingertips available on the web - but the romance and adventure and imagination factor was 100 X better back then! Thanks for this great blast from our past.

i really enjoyed your recordings thank god these interval signals have been archived.These interval signal scared me at night in bed on my crystal set but i was so interested in them i was in love with shortwave for ever after that thanks for sharing your recordings

I had the GR-64 and later a GR-78, listening from 1970 through 1975. I was WDX9KFW with Popular Electronics back in the early 1970s. Great overview of this era, thanks for the memories! I have to get my own recordings of stations I heard on DXing uploaded to RU-vid.

Nice video. remember my good old days of SHORTWAVE RADIO.

Thanks for this. Great memories. As a kid, I listened every morning to Radio Australia when getting ready for school. I loved the tropical bands, hearing all the domestic stations. Finding shortwave when I was a kid, expanded my knowledge of geography, politics and history. I would grab the encyclopedia, and read up on the different countries, etc. Good times. 73 VE3IIM/VE6PG

Thanks for leaving your records for posterity, that's what the Intarwebs is for.

Ah, Radio Switzerland's famous interval signal. Listened to it for many years including on a Zenith Transoceanic receiver. Now, alas, it is no more! Been an SWL type since 1952 and a ham since 1956. Lots of fond memories with interval signals. Still an avid SWL soul, but with some great receivers. Managed to pick up Solomon Islands with my vertical antenna in an HOA community, but they allow it. Not bad for living in New Jersey. W2FKN

Great video

I don't remember why I bought it, nor where I bought it from. But, 50 years ago I owned a Hammarlund HQ160 communications receiver. No ability to transmit, but I spent untold hours listening. I later learned my trailer park neighbor was a ham operator. With no knowledge of proper antennas, I built a spider web amoung the trees above my house. Such simpler times.

Excellent show. Brought back a lot of memories when I was a 12 -13 year old in the early 1960's . My first radio was a 1939 Detrola ,which I still have. SWL'ing led me into my ham licence @15. I'm 74 now and still active on HF. Still enjoy tuning the SW bands, though it isn't what it was like back then. Thanks, Mitch. de WA8SDF... Jim

WOAI is my FAVORITE AM station! Here in New Mexico, they put in a strong signal, at night. I'm 80 mi south of Albuquerque, and they're stronger, then, than the ABQ stations are, during the day.

WOW....Great ! Congrats... Thank you .

Excellent feature

Great video Mitch. I started listening in a way very similar to yourself in 1972. My Great Uncle Harry gave me an old valve radio which had SW and when "fiddling" with the dial I kept hearing strange repetitive songs which of course were station call signs. All those call signs take me straight back to the 1970s - I was obsessed with shortwave for a few years in the 1970s and still have all my SQL cards to this day. My reel to reel tape does not work unlike yours.

Great memories Thank you

I was an SWL here in the UK at the same time listening to the same SW stations! I copied all those point-point tests, I particularly remember the one on 11.120 M/cs I thought it said "just-a-boy" or "yut-a-boy" Radio. Probably neither. Anyway I never once heard it carry any actual traffic. The one station I expected, but was missing, given the timeframe that encompassed "The Prague Spring", was "Radio Free Prague". I was listening to it on a one valve "HAC" receiver on a family holiday in a cabin cruiser on a canal system in Norfolk England. Incidentally, BBC World Service have resumed SW broadcasts to Ukraine and Russia. 73s & שָׁלוֹם de G3ZVT

Terrific! Lots of Nostalgia and yes , some laughs .( No doubt I was on a list due to all my QSL s from Soviet Bloc Countries ) . Growing up in Ithaca NY , not a big deal 😉 Started circa 1966 and had a wonderful 60 foot antenna out my window a year or so later . In THOSE days I woke up in the middle of the night to catch elusive countries ‘ broadcasts . Nowadays , not so much 😂😂. Thanks again !

I loved my shortwave radio when I was a kid. Listening to far away places with exotic music or trying to hear the Russian woodpecker or the spy numbers being called out was exciting.

DR Dx your old two shortwave receivers are cool

Excellent presentation on International shortwave, too bad that most of these stations are gone, and there's almost nothing left on the shortwave band. BTW excellent copy on Gary Puckett in the Union Gap young girl. Blends in beautifully with the qrm

good evening your recordings are very high quality did you use a reel to reel tape recorder

'SWL Miami Bob' here. My parents, both ardent Communists from NYC. Just guess my fav station. RM never responded to any of my critical letters, only the technical. My main complaint? Never any humor. It was years before I understood why. By 1950 I switched to BBC. (still listen, to the B, all night, on FM, wife #4, in her own bedroom is not disturbed. (Carried on as a S W L till wife #1 smashed every tube in MY Hallicrafters SW50....( 73 )

Started out as WPE9IQX in 1966 and got my ham license in 1968 as WA9ZYG. After that, I was KF9SQ and now KQ4Y. The sunspots were good then, and there was no Internet which made being an SWL a great and even mysterious thing. Today, the sunspots are back, and HF is getting good again but more for the ham bands than the old SW bands. Many of the same QSL's seen in the video are in my collection.

Hi! I too listened to shortwave late nights (early mornings) in the late 60s/early 70s. I had a Radio Shack multi band tuner. Never picked up Moscow or Peking. But heard some regularly not here like Vietnam and Bulgaria etc. Also heard lots of (spy?) and numbers stations. And lots of strange noises I couldn't figure out what they were. In the late 70s I dabbled in the CB craze and one early evening in my stationary mobile started talking to a guy. We didn't recognize each others description of our locations and figured we had some skip conditions. Turned out he was in Bonaire (which I knew from Radio Nederland) and I was in central Michigan. He was using a stock 5 watt base and I was using a stock 5 watt mobile. We talked almost 15 mins like it was next door before signal faded out. I had other DX experiences but none like that one.

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing. Just of interest, my dad had a large Oceanic valve radio, which also included a turntable on top. It was originally bought in 1935 and was my first introduction to radio DX back in the 1960's. It also had a circular dial and frequencies went right to left, which is reverse to later radios made. I was more interested in AM DX, though did try a bit of SW DX as well. My dad liked SW and we would often listen to HCJB Ecuador, which came through quite well at our then location in Sydney Australia. In later years during the 1980's and 1990's, here in Melbourne Australia on 1540 kHz, I heard KXEL Watrerloo IA USA and KMFO Capitola CA USA.

Dr dx when my mom and dad wore alive me and my dad build a shortwave receiver from radio shack

I miss Alistair Cooke's "Letter from America" on BBC! And it was always fun to listen to Radio Peking calling the U.S. an imperialist paper tiger! --N2GX

I started as a SWL in 1968 and I remember most of these stations. You missed a few like R. Kiev and R. Kuwait. KD9JPW

36:35 I had that QSL card! The key to getting one was that you had to send your report to "UAR" or "United Arab Republic," not "Egypt." Also, if you wanted a QSL from Radio Peking, your report had to go to the "People's Republic of China," not "China."

My main interest is long recordings from radio Moscow world service from the 1960s

Watching the film fire down below here in the uk and they had the same radio on the boat

That was great Mitch, best 73 de G7TXU