And cut off most of the world. I don't think so.
"David" wrote in message
...
The international powerhouses have (or soon will) migrate totally to
internet and satellite.

I just started listening to shortwave again and if anything the bands
seem more and more crowded. I have a feeling shortwave will be around
a long time yet.

Lloyd


Jason wrote in message ...
Hello all

For a long time I have been interested in Shortwave listening, and I
have noticed on the internet that Digital radio is becoming more
prevalent. Before I go out and invest some money on a quality reciever,
is it safe to assume it is a hobby I can enjoy for years to come, or
will Shortwave be replaced in 5 years by more modern technology?

Thanks for any input,

JM Doiron

Jack wrote:
When was the last time you heard the bagpiper? As I said earlier, I
last heard it in the late 1970's.

That sounds about right to me, middle to late '70s.

Assuming it was a marker for
utility, I'm sure they either discontinued or upgraded it to a more
modern system by then.

I don't remember anyone even having a good guess about its purpose. :)

--
"Here, Outlook Express, run this program." "Okay, stranger."

I was talking about where I live.

I really don't see any sophisticated world power advancing their
culture via an 80 year old low-fi platform listened to almost
exclusively by expatriates and gruff hobbyists, in a country with
100,000,000 internet users and 400 channel cable and satellite
systems, not to mention XM and Sirius.

On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 20:59:36 GMT, "CW"
wrote:

And cut off most of the world. I don't think so.
"David" wrote in message
.. .
The international powerhouses have (or soon will) migrate totally to
internet and satellite.

"David" wrote in message
...
I was talking about where I live.

I really don't see any sophisticated world power advancing their
culture via an 80 year old low-fi platform listened to almost
exclusively by expatriates and gruff hobbyists, in a country with
100,000,000 internet users and 400 channel cable and satellite
systems, not to mention XM and Sirius.


I heard a guest on a radio program advocating a greater role for US public
diplomacy. As an example, he praised a program which set up public
libraries in various countries. That's pretty old technology!

I don't know if there's any value in for another first world broadcaster to
broadcast to the US. Consider Radio Exterior Espana. The Spanish
government made the effort to become a first line broadcaster for a few
years. Then, it really diminished a couple of years ago. I guess REE is
still around, but it's not nearly the same. Did it make any difference?
Did anyone think more or less of Spain when their SW service was high or low
profile? Did it have the slightest effect on tourism? Exports? I suppose
somebody could ask the people in the Spanish government who make these
decisions. Or we could see that the decision speaks for itself.

However, thousands of FM transmitters have been installed in third world
countries over the last 20 years. Buying time on these stations is an
attractive alternative to SW, for the countries which still are interested
in radio broadcasting.

Frank Dresser

In rec.radio.shortwave on Sun, 14 Sep 2003 20:45:28 GMT,
Jack wrote:

When first I heard the sucker, I thought it was an interval signal for
a SW broadcaster, but when it kept going 10, 15, 20 minutes nonstop, I
became mystified and awed by it. When I caught it, I'd stay tuned to
it for hours. Why? Not so much patience, but a maniacal,
pathological interest in it!!! That's how I first heard the voice
bursts a couple years after I first discovered the signal.

I first heard it in the early 60s and, like you, listened for long periods. I
still remember the "melody" the thing emitted. Over time it seemed to gain and
lose "notes" from the beginning and the end. It was several years before I
heard the voice bursts, which I assumed were SSB, but was never listening with
an SSB-capable receiver at the proper moment.

mdr

Yes, but libraries today lend videos and provides internet access.

On Mon, 15 Sep 2003 18:08:06 GMT, "Frank Dresser"
wrote:


"David" wrote in message
.. .
I was talking about where I live.

I really don't see any sophisticated world power advancing their
culture via an 80 year old low-fi platform listened to almost
exclusively by expatriates and gruff hobbyists, in a country with
100,000,000 internet users and 400 channel cable and satellite
systems, not to mention XM and Sirius.


I heard a guest on a radio program advocating a greater role for US public
diplomacy. As an example, he praised a program which set up public
libraries in various countries. That's pretty old technology!

I don't know if there's any value in for another first world broadcaster to
broadcast to the US. Consider Radio Exterior Espana. The Spanish
government made the effort to become a first line broadcaster for a few
years. Then, it really diminished a couple of years ago. I guess REE is
still around, but it's not nearly the same. Did it make any difference?
Did anyone think more or less of Spain when their SW service was high or low
profile? Did it have the slightest effect on tourism? Exports? I suppose
somebody could ask the people in the Spanish government who make these
decisions. Or we could see that the decision speaks for itself.

However, thousands of FM transmitters have been installed in third world
countries over the last 20 years. Buying time on these stations is an
attractive alternative to SW, for the countries which still are interested
in radio broadcasting.

Frank Dresser

"David" wrote in message
...
Yes, but libraries today lend videos and provides internet access.

Not these libraires. The guy who was interviewed said he was setting them
up in a single room with some bookshelves, etc. I don't remember if he got
specific about what he put on the shelves, but I can't imagine there was
much more than an encyclopedia, some donated books and State Department
handouts. He said such libraries could be kept going for the cost of one
big diplomatic party.

His point wasn't about the libraries, but public diplomacy. He believed
there should be more diplomatic outreach to everyday people in foriegn
countres. He also mentioned such approaches as buying radio time on local
stations. And I'll agree with that. There's alot of FM in around the world
now, and if that's what the people are listening to, that's where we should
put the programming. Interesting programming would be nice, too. SW is
most useful as for getting into closed societies and as a backup to our
other broadcast operations.

Frank Dresser

Jack wrote:
(Michael Rathbun) wrote:
I first heard it in the early 60s and, like you, listened for long periods.
I still remember the "melody" the thing emitted.

It was sort of hypnotic to me, though it annoyed the hell out of
everbody around me. g The basic rythym went something like:

da-di-dah, di-da-da-da-dah. da-da-di-dah, da-di-di-dah--di-di-dah-dah.

Hm. That doesn't sound at all like the tune that's been going through my
head ever since this thread started.

Mine was more like


da-da-da-da-da-daaaa-da-da-da-da-daaaa-da-da-da-da-daaaa-daaaa-da-da-
| | | | | | | | |


daaaa-da-da-daaaa-da
| | | |


where each "|" beneath symbolizes a sharp, short click in the sound.
There was a pause about the length of three of the long "daaaa" notes,
and it repeated.

--
"Here, Outlook Express, run this program." "Okay, stranger."

"Clifton T. Sharp Jr." wrote:

Jack wrote:
(Michael Rathbun) wrote:
I first heard it in the early 60s and, like you, listened for long periods.
I still remember the "melody" the thing emitted.

It was sort of hypnotic to me, though it annoyed the hell out of
everbody around me. g The basic rythym went something like:

da-di-dah, di-da-da-da-dah. da-da-di-dah, da-di-di-dah--di-di-dah-dah.

Hm. That doesn't sound at all like the tune that's been going through my
head ever since this thread started.

Mine was more like

da-da-da-da-da-daaaa-da-da-da-da-daaaa-da-da-da-da-daaaa-daaaa-da-da-
| | | | | | | | |

daaaa-da-da-daaaa-da
| | | |

where each "|" beneath symbolizes a sharp, short click in the sound.
There was a pause about the length of three of the long "daaaa" notes,
and it repeated.



Ah, the memories. Back in the sixties, there was one pro-Western
station (and it was not VOA - which always used "Columbia, the Gem of
the Ocean",)
who's musical signature was the first four notes of Beethoven's Fifth,
followed by a voice saying: "The West will win!" followed by the next
four notes of the Beethoven.

One of the European stations, and it's either DW or SRI still uses
the same musical tune it used back in the sixties, I know (I am a
musician, and tunes get lodged in my memory forever).

Tony


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