Tag Archives: shortwave

NordeMende Globetraveler 7/601 Rebuild

Posted on September 23, 2014 by jwk

This rare and valuable example of late 1960s German engineering came through my shop recently, the NordeMende Globetraveler 7/601. Marketed as the Globetrotter in Europe, RCA already marketed a radio called the Globetrotter in the United States and so the … Continue reading →

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1938 Zenith 5-S-220 eBay Tune-Up Special

Posted on March 26, 2014 by jwk

I’ve had the opportunity to work on several very nice Zenith radios lately and this one is especially interesting. It’s the Zenith 5-S-220 Cube. This is the first time I’ve seen one of these in person, they’re somewhat uncommon. Electrically, it’s a … Continue reading →

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For Sale: The KN0CK and KF7LZE RTLSDR for HF Rev. 5!

Posted on January 28, 2014 by jwk

I’m happy to announce that Rev 5 of the KN0CK and KF7LZE RTLSDR for HF is now available for sale in its 5th iteration – now featuring Direct Sampling, while still keeping the familiar wide-band pre-amplifier! On account of the … Continue reading →

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KN0CK HF Converter Rev. 4 is Released!

Posted on July 25, 2013 by jwk

The complete Rev 3 KN0CK HF Converter has sold out and been discontinued. That’s okay, though, because it’s been replaced with the KN0CK RTLSDR for HF Revision 4! This model incorporates a lot of the feedback from the community about the … Continue reading →

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Coming Soon: KN0CK Rev B Integrated HF RTLSDR

Posted on May 1, 2013 by jwk

Marty KN0CK developed a very interesting v1.0 HF converter based on surface mount technology that fits inside the casing of an RTLSDR tuner dongle. He’s recently sent me schematics for the revision, which should offer even better performance! This new iteration … Continue reading →

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Round-Up of RTLSDR Upconverter Choices

Posted on September 14, 2012 by jwk

1/31/2026: This was originally written in 2012 and hasn’t been updated since 2014, but it’s preserved here in case any of the information is useful and to show the state of the ecosystem when RTLSDR first came on the scene. … Continue reading →

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Shortwave Radio Reception with the RTL-SDR Dongle

Posted on August 6, 2012 by jwk

Need your own upconverter? Click here! I bought and did a quick setup on my RTLSDR dongle using SDR# a few weeks ago, where I used it to listen to FM radio stations around my area and a few public … Continue reading →

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1953 Hallicrafters 8R40 Repair

Posted on September 17, 2011 by jwk

This radio came from an electronics recycler, it’s the Hallicrafters 8R40. It looked like it had been stored very well, had all the tubes, the dial strings intact, no rust to speak of and not even very much dust. This … Continue reading →

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Stromberg-Carlson 520-PG: After Action Report

Posted on April 18, 2011 by jwk

My Stromberg-Carlson 520-PG (previous parts 1 2) is finally finished! The radio came out ahead of my expectations, even, and was delivered to its new home yesterday where I expect it will continue to serve for years to come. See … Continue reading →

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