What are you Listening to?

[Bazz4CQJ]

(it is nearly Christmas; mods please be kind).

I have quite a number of very different radios, but they all have one thing in common; few interesting stations to listen to. The internet radio which feeds my pantry Tx has about 20 stations stored, but sometimes, none of them are transmitting anything of interest, so the search goes on.

I recently found an online station called “The Ultimate Art Bell”. https://streema.com/radios/The_Ultimate_Art_Bell

Art Bell was the top-rated overnight presenter for some decades in the US. His show was syndicated by over 300 AM stations from coast to coast. Interestingly, Bell was a devoted radio ham who had got his licence at age 13 and this often came up in the shows. He called one of cats “Yaesu”.

Bell died in 2018, but this station is now retransmitting his shows 24/7. What does he talk about; I cannot hide the fact that a lot (not all) of the stuff is edging towards the para-normal, something I normally shun . But what he says repeatedly is that he makes no claim at all that anything discussed his show is being presented by him as proven; his only claim is that he only lets stuff on the show if it is interesting. Example; a listener sent him metal fragments saying they came form Roswell. Bell used his own money to have them analysed. The lab comes back saying the material x-rays as 99.99% aluminium, but the samples are twice as dense as aluminium. So, my intitial reaction is scorn, but then I think about what we have done with silicon wafers over the last 60 years. You tell me.

Listening to his shows is a lucky dip; sometimes very listenable, sometimes I move on very quickly. But I do check the station frequently, and quite often stay there quite a while.

In one programme, he reports the delivery of his new transceiver, which had cost $11,000 (20 years ago) – wonder what was that?

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Bell

B

[The Philpott]

During a moment's boredom i happened to tune into Jeremy Vine on R2. (Yes, i know..)
By a chance in a thousand i heard the most coherent vociferous and amusing argument i've heard in ages, put forward by an ex-exotic dancer, targeted against the comments of an ex-labour MP. The subject is barely relevant (Edinburgh refusing to renew licences of strip clubs, lap dancing clubs &c) But the thing that tickled me was Jeremy returned to the ex-MP and asked her what her comments were in retaliation..... She said: 'Er.....i'm thinking'. Pure refreshing honesty.

If you can find this radio interview, do listen to it.

Dave

[G6Tanuki]

Right now I'm streaming KPLX 99.5 "The Wolf" from Dallas, which will probably be replaced by Radio Caroline or GB News later in the evening.

[Bazz4CQJ]

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

Right now I'm streaming KPLX 99.5 "The Wolf" from Dallas, which will probably be replaced by Radio Caroline or GB News later in the evening.

Listening to that station at 1620, that is carrying Art Bell. He has a guy (Wayne Greene) on who was the owner of 73 Magazine, but was also heath food/nutrition guru. They are both grumbling about how ARRL run things and saying that the new licencing system is killing the hobby.

Oh... they are on to "Cold Fusion" .

B

[Superscope]

Thanks for the Link.

I'm listening to the exact same at the moment.
Programmed it into the Internet Radio. Sorry, not exactly vintage.
Not using the Pantry Tx at the moment.

Program is from 1996 apparently.

It all sounds very Quatermass like!
Probably sounds very spooky on an old Radio.

Good to Hear Wayne Green, he was an interesting character.
I enjoyed reading 73 Magazine back in the Day.

He got to 91 years of age, so his unusual Health ideas may have had some merit.

Ian

[Bazz4CQJ]

Yes, to compare and contrast PW with 73 was always amusing!!!

B

[Superscope]

All copies of 73 Magazine are available from the excellent
World Radio History Site:

https://worldradiohistory.com/73_Magazine.htm


The Editorials were usually entertaining.



Ian

[stevehertz]

A few years ago I would have agreed that there was not much to listen to on MW. Since then I have erected a long wire aerial and also acquired a Wellbrook Loop aerial. I've been amazed not only at the number of extra stations that I can now pick up, but the much better quality that actually makes them listenable. As regards "interesting", then I guess I'm fortunate at being able to listen to R4 one minute and Gold Radio (or another old style 'pop' station) the next. But each to there own and there's no doubt that AM stations are disappearing at an alarming rate.

[G6Tanuki]

I was a subscriber to 73 in times-past; I could count it as a 'business expense' along with subscriptions to the likes of "RF Design" and 'Byte'.

Always fun to compare US and UK radio/electronics outlooks. And listening these days to streams from the US I'm fascinated by the way they'll interleave ads for a Lexus dealership and a gun-shop.

The BBC/ITV can't compete. A while back a DFW station did some ads which included their location; I thought "I remember being there in the 70s" and Google Street View showed me how it is these days.

"Vintage Listening" however lacks the shortwave fun of Radio Nederland Wereldomroep's bell-carillion sigtune which we enjoyed before the 'Happy Station' came on air.

And [thankfully] we're spared the intrusive pseudotrumpet-fanfare of Radio Tirana which blotted-out my 40-Metre listenings in the 70s.

[Bazz4CQJ]

Originally Posted by Superscope

All copies of 73 Magazine are available from the excellent World Radio History Site:The Editorials were usually entertaining.

Ian

I seem to recall there one of two advertisements in there with bikini-clad young ladies, the likes of which will never be seen again. I had quite stash of 73, but I think they got thrown away by my sister when she cleared out my mother's house .

B

[dglcomp]

R4 in the kitchen mainly, as that's the only fixed radio in the place that's plugged in and due to poor signal R4 on DAB is about all it gets reliably. No scope to improve the built in wire antenna on the Lidl under counter radio so you get what you get. My little Sony, even with half it's antenna missing, picks up so much more reliably.
Do like to catch Popmaster, but will forget about my scores!

[joebog1]

I must admit, I dont even have a radio of any sort that works.
( I do have an emergency National 8 transistor AM/FM in case of cyclones with the batteries removed )

The TV tunes in to probably 20 "radio " stations on the net that I don't listen to.

I play records occasionally, or while I am cooking I sometimes play Youtube music videos.
There are no "stations ", as such, just what google remembers as my preferred music, which it does get horribly wrong sometimes.

Joe

[McMurdo]

Normally radio 4 but since they're in a rut at the moment with the same old current affairs topics I lean to Radio 2, (but avoiding the Jeremy Vine show). I have a small selection of VHF-capable vintage radios at work for the former, and sometimes put R4 quiz shows on in LW through valve sets (gardeners question time and any quiz) but in the car I can get Radio Stoke which helps with the travel news and isn't too political. In another week's time I will be retuning to Classic FM for the christmas carols, avoiding the ad nauseum Wham, Slade and Wizzard on repeat play.
No DAB reception at work and the machinery on the estate interferes with FM far more than LW, perversely.

[Bazz4CQJ]

R4 seems to work to a formula that says that in any one week there will be something for everyone. So I guess that is another "lucky dip" station as you'll find both stuff of great interest and stuff of no interest.

The terrible thing that has happened on R4 are the changes to "The News Quiz". Quite a few people from the great Alan Coren days are dead now, so I suppose some change was 'fairly inevitable' .

B

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by Bazz4CQJ

R4 seems to work to a formula that says that in any one week there will be something for everyone. So I guess that is another "lucky dip" station as you'll find both stuff of great interest and stuff of no interest.

The terrible thing that has happened on R4 are the changes to "The News Quiz". Quite a few people from the great Alan Coren days are dead now, so I suppose some change was 'fairly inevitable' .

B

I do find R4 to be biassed (strong word unfortunately) towards airing womens' problems and womens' topics. Please don't judge me on that wrt programme type/content (I am a great sympathiser with anyone's real world problems), there's just an unfair balance in my opinion.

[McMurdo]

R4's News Quiz has become a 3rd rate programme with 3rd rate guests determined only to promote their personal political agenda (at the expense of humour) since Sandy Toksvig left as presenter and I only catch it by accident. Maybe the budget was cut! At least Brain of Britain and Counterpoint are still entertaining and are perfectly enjoyable on the Long Wave. A bit like Brian Johnstone's voice - an 'easy fit' for a warm radio

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by stevehertz

I do find R4 to be biassed (strong word unfortunately) towards airing womens' problems and womens' topics.

Even the World Service seems awash of late with long stories of personal triumph over adversity, not always from women: I confess to having passed saturation point with the genre. So here it's R3/R4/the WS, sparingly: often a burst of Caroline when there's an AM radio I want to exercise, though now and again that results in my ordering a CD of something half remembered; and, in the kitchen where our sole internet radio lives, a spot of Phonotone Classic to speed the ironing, or GB News, or WFMU.

Paul

[Nickthedentist]

Used to be R4 99% of the time, but it's getting too "woke" for my tastes now.

Love "I'm sorry, I haven't a clue" though, and am finding Jack Dee every bit as funny as the late Humph. But it's not quite the same now Barry Cryer anr Tim Brooke-Taylor are no longer with us.

Like Radio 3 too, but have to pick and choose as there's a lot of drivel these days. The lunchtime concert is always a winner for me though.

Always listen to Iain Lee on Jack FM on the way to work, and (very quietly!) during my first hour of patients, then switch over to Ken Bruce on R2.

[Malcolm T]

Duke Ellington , Take the A Train !

[Superscope]

Originally Posted by stevehertz

I do find R4 to be biassed

Well, that's the BBC for you.

A rapidly fading shadow of a once great organization.
Trusted, but not necessarily trustworthy as said earlier.


Ian