2007 SWL Winterfest Activity Schedule (updated 2/28/07 and stll subject to change—but not much)
(All times EST. All forum sessions run 60 min. unless otherwise indicated.)
Thursday, March 8
0900 - Registration Table Opens/Exhibit Room Opens
1030 – Session 1. Satellite Broadcast DXing - Have you ever wondered what happened to your favorite shortwave broadcaster? Many have moved to the Clarke Belt and now broadcast digitally over satellites to both small- and big-dish alike. Learn how to receive domestic/international broadcasters. Dramatically falling hardware prices, small footprint Ku-band dishes, and plentiful “Free-to-Air” offerings let you enter this DXing realm for less money than many shortwave radios. (Tracy Wood)
1130 - Lunch on your own. Hospitality Room open.
1330 – Session 2. GPS—A New Radio Hobby? – Also incorporating satellite communication, here’s a look at various GPS receivers and a demonstration of geocaching as well as APRS beaconing. Playing with GPS is becoming a popular thing to do. Does that make it a hobby? (Skip Arey)
1500 – Session 3. Zenith’s Mexican Connection--Cespedes Marin - Marin is considered the father of Costa Rican radio. His pioneer station TINRH first operated in May 1928 and was the fifth regular shortwave broadcast station in the world, the first in Latin America. Marin first "met" Eugene McDonald, President and Founder of Zenith Radio Corporation, via radio while McDonald was on a treasure hunting expedition nearby. He met McDonald in person in 1938 and the two became lifelong friends, although they never saw each other again. McDonald saved little TINRH in 1939 and continued to financially support the station until his death in 1958. Marin's devotion to McDonald bordered on the fanatical. Drawing on hundreds of letters from 1937-1958 between the two, found in the McDonald files, the author tells the story of this unique friendship. (Harold Cones)
1630 – Session 4. Cool Software for the SWL – Covering current software programs that easily predict HF propagation from your home, detect actual propagation with your radio, make current HF broadcasting schedules easy to figure out, decode digital short wave broadcasts, record hours of audio in CD quality from your radio to your computer, decode TV signals on HF. Also, talk about a few excellent web sites for the SWL and about a few radio control programs that are currently available. (Tim Lemmon)
1730 - Dinner on your own. (Hospitality Room open.)
1930 - Thursday Swap Meet Opens [in the Exhibit Hall]
2000 – Special Event - CIDX, Canada's national, general coverage, radio club, is 45 years old in 2007. To mark the anniversary we welcome everyone to this session, hosted by CIDX's President and VP. Learn about the club and its history, where we've been and where we are heading. (Sheldon Harvey & Mickey Delmage) (Held in the Exhibit Hall, near the Radio HF booth]
Friday, March 9
0800 - Registration Table Opens/Exhibit Room Opens
0900 – Session 5. Radio on the Road - CIDX members and CKUT's Inernational Radio Report hosts Janice Laws and Steve Karlock talk about radio listening and dxing while travelling. Many tips from trips for beginners to experts. Enjoying our hobby while traveling around the world .Come see and listen to Janice and Steve's radio adventures and share some of your own at this forum. (Janice Laws & Steve Karlock)
1030 – Session 6. Digital Radio - Various forms of digital radio are here today. Internet radio, HD, satellite and DRM have gained momentum to one extent or another. Which of these have the potential to change the face of radio?
Internet connectivity (No, not propagation!) permitting, a live demonstration of the Acoustic Energy AE-1 radio will be presented. (Rob de Santos & Daniel Srebnick)
1130 - Lunch on your own. Hospitality Room open.
1300 - RCI and NHK’s Ian McFarland with a special announcement
1330 – Session 7. DXing Worldwide - A briefing on one longtime DXer’s experiences and targets heard during 35 years of DXpeditions in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia, with "do's and don'ts" for dxers DXpeditioning overseas. (Dan Henderson)
1500 - Session 8. The Year in Pirate Radio - Hundreds of unlicensed broadcasters pepper the shortwave bands (and other frequencies) every year. Some have even been known to pepper the airwaves of this very hotel. We hold our traditional discussion of what happened among the pirates this year. Unlike some other shortwave broadcasters, pirates are just as active as they ever were. Why? We will ponder this issue. Trench coats and pulled down hats optional. Reports go to PO Box 1, Belfast, NY 14895. (George Zeller and friends.)
1630 – Session 9. The Listening Lounge Daytime Edition – A celebration of the shortwave radio listening experience, with aural gems unearthed from an extensive archive of airchecks. Also, evidence of shortwave's impact on popular culture from the realm of rock, jazz, and classical music as well as excerpts of shortwave references in literature, as read by some very special guests. (David Goren & friends)
1730 - Dinner on your own. Hospitality Room opens.
1800 - Vintage Radio Collection Tour (location/details to be announced)
1930 - Friday Swap Meet Opens [in the Exhibit Hall]
2100 - Session 10. The Listening Lounge After Dark - pulls out all the stops! Some of the featured sound will include a behind the scenes look at the taping of the Unshackled radio drama, a complete Voice of Revolutionary Vinco program, and the best of the Sublime Frequencies ethnic radio recording project. But wait! There's more!! Stop by around 2130 for our amazing, first ever Interval Signal and Foreign Languages Quiz with the legendary Ian McFarland as M.C! Prizes (not Pussy!) Galore! And don't forget to bring a portable receiver with you, because as the hour gets late, the Listening Lounge goes experimental with a radio jam session. Roll over John Cage, and tell Karlheinz Stockhausen the news! (David Goren & friends) [This one goes as late as it goes!]
Saturday, March 10
0800 - Registration Table Opens/Exhibit Room Opens
0845 - RFA’s AJ Janitschek with a special announcement
0915 – Session 11. Faith and Shortwave - Religious broadcasting plays (and has played) a central role in the development and sustaining of international broadcasting. The history of HCJB alone demonstrates this; but there are many others who were either pioneers or innovators over the years. Be part of a discussion on religious broadcasting—including a look at what some like and what others may find unacceptable. (Allen Graham)
1015 - Silent Auction Opens
1030 – Session 12. Scanning with The Scum - The Scum will be covering some of the new software developments in scanning, a bit of UHF/VHF history, some equipment mods and a demo of non-voice sounds on the higher bands and probably a surprise or two. (Tom Swisher & Skip Arey)
1200 - Salad & Pizza Lunch
1240 - Remarks by Allan Loudell, Anchor/Reporter, WDEL
1315 - Session 13. 1988-2007 Receiver Market Review - A look back at the receivers that have defined the hobby over the past 20 years, along with a review of emerging technologies in communications receivers. (Alan Johnson & George Zeller)
1430 – Session 14. Broadcasters’ Forum - An opportunity for the broadcasters to pass on news about their stations and have a dialogue with the listeners. (Ian McFarland) [90 min.]
1600 - Exhibit Room Closes
1615 - Silent Auction Closes
1630 - Time Reserved for Club Meetings, etc.
1700 - Hospitality Room open.
1800 - Cash Bar
1900 - Banquet (After Dinner Remarks by Jacques Bouliane of CBC/DRM)
2130 - The Grande Raffle
2230 - Hospitality Room reopens.
2400 - The Voice of Pancho Villa (if one were to know such things…)
HOSPITALITY ROOM HOURS
Wed. 1930 – 0200
Thu. & Fri. 1130 – 1330
1730 – 0200
Sat. 1700 – 1800
2230 - 0200
EXHIBIT ROOM HOURS
Thu. 0900 - 1745 & 1930 - 2200
Fri. 0800 - 1745 & 1930 - 2200
Sat. 0800 – 1600
REGISTRATION TABLE OPEN
Wed. 2100 – 2300 (in the Hospiitality Room)
Thu. 0900 – 1130
1330 – 1500
Fri. 0800 – 1000
1330 – 1500
Sat. 0800 – 1000
RAFFLE TICKET SALES
Thu. 0900 - 1130
1330 – 1500
Fri. 0800 – 1130
1330 – 1500
Sat. 0900 – 1100
1800 – 1900 (at the Banquet)
2100 – 2130 (at the Banquet)
IN THE EXHIBIT ROOM
Radio HF - radio/radio accessories sales and CIDX
NASWA
Digital Radio Demonstration--DRM, HD, WiFi (Kim Elliott)
Satellite TV DXing Demonstration (Tracy Wood)
ODXA / Ian McFarland
NASB / WMLK
Chris Lobdell/Pirate Radio
A David Goren Project
Radio Taiwan International
CRI
SBS-1 demo (M. Phillips)
CIDX
