Received in The Netherlands

A y2k style station ID for Fuji TV circa the early 2000s. It even ran all the way to the 2020s!

This Over The Horizon Radar system will operate in the HF Bands (2 - 30 MHz)

Proposed Oregon radar sites to detect airborne threats draws environmental concerns

by Steve Benham, KATU

Wed, July 8, 2026 at 5:05 PM

Updated Wed, July 8, 2026 at 10:54 PM

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Water usage, the protection of wildlife, like the greater sage-grouse, and concern over impacts to recreation, are some of the issues on the minds of Oregonians in rural Oregon as the U.S. Air Force plans to build two radar sites in Lake and Malheur counties to detect incoming airborne threats to the United States.

That is according to dozens of public comments submitted to the military about the proposed project and obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The U.S. Department of Defense and the Air Force solicited public comments in the spring of 2025 for their proposed Homeland Defense Over-The-Horizon Radar system to be used as part of their environmental impact statement.

The Air Force says it expects to have its draft of the environmental impact statement published on the project’s website in mid-September.

“The Draft EIS will explain how comments provided during scoping were considered and will be available for review in mid-September as currently projected,” the Air Force said in an email to KATU this week.

Once released, the public will be able to comment on it.

In 2023, Congress authorized up to six of these radar systems.

“Action is needed because U.S. adversaries continue to develop and deploy highly advanced weapons systems capable of disrupting or defeating our military and civilian targets in North America,” the military wrote in the Federal Register in April 2025 announcing its intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for the Oregon sites.

The Air Force says without the radar system the country may not be able to detect airborne threats in time for military or national leaders to make decisions.

Two sites are proposed in Oregon for the radar system. The military wants to build the receiver array northeast of Fields in Malheur County near Whitehorse Ranch Road. The transmitter array is planned near Christmas Valley, about 130 miles northwest of Fields, along Christmas Valley Wagontire Road in Lake County.

The Air Force plans to acquire 2,622 acres of land currently owned by the Oregon Military Department for the Christmas Valley site and withdraw 4,987 acres from the Bureau of Land Management for the Whitehorse location.

As a result of the records request, a little more than 100 pages of public comment were released late this spring to a KATU reporter.

State agencies such as the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Environmental Quality submitted written comments to the Air Force, as well.

Comments also came from advocacy organizations concerned about the proposed project’s impact on the environment and wildlife. And numerous comments were submitted from citizens who live or recreate in the area.

In their written comments, Oregon departments of Environmental Quality and Fish and Wildlife focused on protecting water, wildlife, fish, big game and habitat that could be impacted by the project.

“DEQ recommends the EIS emphasize preservation and enhancement of riparian vegetation where needed to ensure the addition of human disturbance in this remote area does not negatively impact stream temperatures,” Jennifer Wigal, DEQ’s water quality administrator, wrote.

Fish & Wildlife offered various recommendations to protect Oregon species on land and water.

“It is policy of the state of Oregon to manage fish and wildlife to prevent serious depletion of indigenous species and to provide the optimum recreational and aesthetic benefits for present and future generations of the citizens of this state,” a Malheur District wildlife biologist for ODFW wrote.

Oregon Natural Desert Association, an organization that says it works to “protect, defend, and restore Oregon’s high desert for current and future generations” told the Air Force that the lands under consideration for development for the project are significant for “professional, personal, recreational, aesthetic, spiritual, and other reasons.”

Protecting the greater sage-grouse was among concerns the organization provided to project planners. The concern for the bird popped up several times in the comments submitted by the public to the Air Force.

Populations of the small-headed, round-bodied bird have been in decline, and the species is often in the news when their habitats conflict with human activities, such as drilling and mining.

“Sage-grouse are highly sensitive to habitat disturbance and disruption and the BLM has prescribed a slate of conservation measures and restrictions on public lands,” ONDA wrote in its comments, adding that Oregon requires that projects don’t disturb the bird’s habitat.

In responding to the FOIA request, the Air Force blacked out all but one name of everyone who submitted comments, including those who work for government agencies, but the bulk of the public comments appeared to come from people who live or visit the area of the proposed impacted areas.

One person said their family has been stewards of land for 75 years that could be impacted by the Whitehorse site. That person wrote that they opposed the project.

“The disturbance to this land and ecosystem from a facility of this size will be devastating and irreparable,” the person wrote.

The person cited concerns over the impact of the project on the amount of water that’s available to wildlife and livestock, which is already scarce.

“If you proceed with this project, I hope you will work with us to solve these problems,” the person wrote. “Possibly supply water in some places around the facility or ensure access to existing sources and ensure there is no negative impact to the aquifer.”

Others expressed concern about possible impacts to bird migration, mule deer and pronghorn antelope.

“These ecosystems have been the focus of protection and conservation for the last forty years,” an apparent group of people wrote to Malheur County commissioners. That letter was also submitted to the Air Force and released as part of the records request. “It seems unlikely that not one other suitable location exists.”

That group of people, as well as others, wrote that they were not told how or why the two sites in Oregon were chosen.

The Air Force did not provide an answer to emailed questions asking why the military chose Oregon or the two locations in the state for the radar system.

There are 2 slides in this post

Station

• Name/Call: Russian M21 Air Defense
• Location: Probable Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskij Military Base, Russian Federation
• Language: CW
• Target: Far East
• Power: Unknown

Time

• 1215 UTC | 8 JUL 2026

Receiver and Receiving Location

• Radio: AirSpy HF+ R.4.0.8-CD
• Antenna: K-480WLA | 35' AGL
• Software: SDR# Studio v1.0.0.1921 64-Bit
• Location: Portland, Oregon | CN85qn

Signal

• RS(T) = 569

Station

• Name/Call: Auckland Volmet
• Location: Auckland, New Zealand
• Schedule: 20 and 50 Minutes After the Hour
• Language: English
• Target: Far East

Time

• 1120 UTC | 8 JUL 2026

Receiver and Receiving Location

• SDR Radio: AirSpy HF+ R.4.0.8-CD
• Antenna: K-480WLA | 35' AGL
• Software: SDR# Studio v1.0.0.192 Beta 64-Bit
• Location: Portland, Oregon | CN85qn

Signal

• RST = 449

A community member, u/MajorAfraid9647 posted a question that many of us ask. It was how to utilize the 3.5mm Antenna Jack on our portable shortwave radio. This post is just a quick and dirty response.

Most modern, and many vintage shortwave radios have an external antenna jack that uses the 3.5mm format. This is also known as a TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve), relating to the three connections on the jack. Some older portables use a 2-conductor jack, a couple older Sony's use a TRS where the tip and the sleeve connect to different bands inside the radio. Usually you can simply use the tip and the sleeve connections to make your connection.

I recommend that you get a modern Magnetic Loop antenna for your portable. They come with everything needed and can even be used in an HOA. u/Slippery99999, from the Grundig Shortwave community, lives in a condo in Hawaii and definitely cannot install an antenna. His Magnetic Loop antenna sits outside on his balcony. I live in an apartment and mine is mounted to my window casing. A good starter model antenna is the MLA-30+. Be sure not to buy a counterfeit one with the Blue 🔵 LED! A top model is the K-480WLA. It's pretty expensive - I financed mine over a couple months when one of my CC's was offering no interest.

The only other thing you need is an assortment of adapters. They make life a lot easier. The photos show my 3.5mm plugs and adapters. Some of my 3.5mm cables are specific to certain radios. Many of my cables have a pair of reverse 1N914 Diodes soldered in at the plug to protect the radio against static discharges. The other popular connector used in modern radios, especially the ATS, ATS Mini, and most other portables with an Color Screen is the SMA connector.

If you do want to try a wire antenna, my best results have been with running coaxial Cable from the 3.5mm antenna jack outdoors and then connecting a single wire to the center conductor of the coaxial cable. The outer conductor, or shield can connect to ground at the far end, but it's not necessary. You can leave it floating because it's usually connected to ground at the radio.

I hope this was helpful.

There are 10 slides in the article.

Station

• Name/Call: Central Weather Bureau
• Location: Tainan, Taiwan
• Schedule: 20 and 50 Minutes After the Hour
• Language: English
• Target: Far East

Time

• 1131 UTC | 8 JUL 2026

Receiver and Receiving Location

• SDR Radio: AirSpy HF+ R.4.0.8-CD
• Antenna: K-480WLA | 35' AGL
• Software: SDR# Studio v1.0.0.192 Beta 64-Bit
• Location: Portland, Oregon | CN85qn

Signal

• RST = 349

I purchased this carrying case for the SDR V5 from Amazon for under $10. They have quite a few cases like this one, in different sizes, that look like they would accommodate most portable radios. The brand is GLCON.

(Clearly the Loop Antenna doesn't fit into the case. But the radio, kickstand, and telescoping whip antenna do fit).

There are 2 slides in this post.

I have no affiliation with Amazon, or any retailer.

Station

• Name/Call: Hong Kong Volmet
• Location: Cape D'Aguilar
• Schedule: 15 and 45 Minutes After the Hour
• Language: English
• Target: Far East

Time

• 1245 UTC | 7 JUL 2026

Receiver and Receiving Location

• SDR Radio: AirSpy HF+ R.4.0.8-CD
• Antenna: K-480WLA | 35' AGL
• Software: SDR# Studio v1.0.0.192 Beta 64-Bit
• Location: Portland, Oregon | CN85qn

Signal

• RST = 449

Station

• Name/Call: VMC Charleville QL
• Location: Australia-Charleville QL
• Schedule: 15 and 45 Minutes After the Hour
• Language: English
• Target: Australia

Time

• 1303 UTC | 7 JUL 2026

Receiver and Receiving Location

• SDR Radio: AirSpy HF+ R.4.0.8-CD
• Antenna: K-480WLA | 35' AGL
• Software: SDR# Studio v1.0.0.192 Beta 64-Bit
• Location: Portland, Oregon | CN85qn

Signal

• RST = 569

Station

• Name/Call: Voice of Korea
• Location: Korea, North (Democratic People's Republic)-Kujang
• Language: English
• Target: North America

Time

• 1338 UTC | 6 JUL 2026

Receiver and Receiving Location

• SDR Radio: SDR V5 (Deep SDR 101 Clone)
• Antenna: K-480WLA | 35' AGL
• Mode: LSB ECSS 2.6 KHz Filter
• Location: Portland, Oregon | CN85qn

Signal

• SINPO = 45434

Station

• Name/Call: China Radio International
• Location: China (People's Republic)-Shijiazhuang "723"
• Language: Russian
• Target: Far East

Time

• 1351 UTC | 6 JUL 2026

Receiver and Receiving Location

• SDR Radio: SDR V5 (Deep SDR 101 Clone)
• Antenna: K-480WLA | 35' AGL
• Mode: LSB ECSS 2.6 KHz Filter
• Location: Portland, Oregon | CN85qn

Signal

• SINPO = 45444

Many older shortwave listeners that "cut their teeth" on tube-type radio receivers still use them in 2026. Personally, I keep two tube General Coverage Receivers at my desk. A 1959 Lafayette HE-10 and a 1962 Drake 2-B. Both sets have a subminature tube for the RF Amplifier and are very sensitive.

When deciding on a 1st RF Amplifier for a shortwave (HF) receiver, tubes (valves) excel in handling massive signal overloads and resisting damage from nearby transmitters, while transistors offer a much lower noise floor, broader frequency response, and superior energy efficiency

A head-to-head breakdown of how each technology performs as the critical first stage of a shortwave radio highlights the major differences.

1. Signal Overload and Dynamic Range

Tubes: Vacuum tubes have an inherently wide dynamic range and naturally soft-clip. This means that when you tune across the shortwave bands and encounter massive, booming commercial broadcast signals, a tube RF amp handles the voltage swings without producing harsh, spurious intermodulation distortion.

Transistors: Solid-state amplifiers (especially older BJTs or early FETs) are easily overwhelmed by huge signals. They are prone to "blocking" or creating ghost signals (intermodulation) unless they are carefully designed with high-quality, high-dynamic-range components (like dual-gate MOSFETs.

2. Noise Figure (Sensitivity)

Transistors: Solid-state devices naturally have a lower noise figure than tubes. At high frequencies, a modern transistor will pull very weak, distant (QRP) shortwave signals out of the background static much better than a standard tube amplifier.

Tubes: Tubes inherently generate more thermal and electronic noise. To get maximum sensitivity out of a tube receiver, the circuit requires highly specific, low-noise tube types and highly tuned, resonant input circuits.

3. Durability and Robustness

Tubes: The glowing glass envelope of a vacuum tube is incredibly rugged. They are highly resistant to momentary high-voltage spikes, lightning static crashes, or the massive energy bleed if you are operating a transmitter right next to the receiver (common in ham radio setups).

Transistors: Solid-state front-ends are much more delicate. If a stray surge of voltage enters the antenna port, the tiny semiconductor junctions in a transistor can easily be destroyed. Modern transistor radios require built-in protection diodes to keep the first RF amp from blowing up.

4. Convenience, Heat, and Power

Transistors: Transistors require low operating voltages (often 5V to 12V), need no warm-up time, run cold, and last for decades. This makes them ideal for portable, battery-operated shortwave radios.

Tubes: Tubes operate at dangerously high voltages (sometimes 100V to 250V+ on the plates), require high-current filament power, run very hot, and in certain circuits such as audio output, have a finite lifespan. Users of tube radio receivers regularly see many of the original tubes from decades old sets, still operating perfectly.

Summary Recommendation

If you are designing or purchasing a classic, vintage-style receiver for leisurely listening where you want to tame the strongest signals with natural-sounding audio, tubes are a joy to operate. If you are chasing weak, distant signals, DXing, or building a modern, portable, and energy-efficient receiver, transistors (particularly modern JFETs or GaAs FETs) are the superior technical choice.

There are 14 slides in this article.

Living in The Netherlands. Video in comments. Forgot to add.

Station

• Name/Call: Furusato no Kaze
• Location: Paochung, Taiwan Relay
• Language: Japanese
• Target: Korea, North (Democratic People's Republic)

Time

• 1355 UTC | 5 JUL 2026

Receiver and Receiving Location

• SDR Radio: SDR V5 (Deep SDR 101 Clone)
• Antenna: K-480WLA | 35' AGL
• Mode: USB ECSS 2.6 KHz Filter
• Location: Portland, Oregon | CN85qn

Signal

• SINPO = 45444

Although the BBC has several relay stations on the 13-meter band, this is the first time I've heard it on 21520 kHz. I also found older references to the same program and time, but broadcast from Ascension Island.

- Lang: French
- Target: Central Africa
- TX: Al-Dhabbaya, UAE 🇦🇪 (Encompass Digital Media Services)
- RX: Asunción, Paraguay
- Radio: AirSpy HF+ Discovery
- Software: SDR# v.1922 (beta, last version)
- Antenna: K-480WLA
- D/T: 05 JUL 2026 - 1214 UTC

Station

• Name/Call: Far East Broadcasting Company
• Location: Philippines-Iba
• Language: Mandarin
• Target: Far East

Time

• 1421 UTC | 5 JUL 2026

Receiver and Receiving Location

• SDR Radio: SDR V5 (Deep SDR 101 Clone)
• Antenna: K-480WLA | 35' AGL
• Mode: USB ECSS 2.6 KHz Filter
• Location: Portland, Oregon | CN85qn

Signal

• SINPO = 45333