Kim’s Column, January 2006
[Editor’s note: We were unable to run this column in the January NASWA Journal due to space limitations. We present it here on the NASWA web site to prevent it from going unread.]
Best quote of the month
“Is it arrogance or honesty that drives Mr. Chirac to indicate that his ‘news’ channel (CFII) will be the de facto voice of the French republic? Or is it simply blindness to the idea that world over, what most people want from their news is simply the facts and to be left free to make up their own minds?”
And that really is the essence of successful international broadcasting. Report simply the facts and let the audience make up its own mind. If the broadcasting country’s policies are wise and virtuous, the audience will tend to make up its mind in a manner satisfactory to the broadcasting country. The alternative is propaganda, a naïve form of international broadcasting. The audience immediately recognizes it for what it is.
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Equipment Reviews, January 2006
The Eton E1XM Portable Receiver
This is probably the longest anticipated product release in the history of the radio industry. The Grundig Satellit 900 was announced in the 1996 edition of Passport To World Band Radio, with an anticipated release date of “early 1996”. It was to be the replacement for the Satellit 700. Here we are almost ten years later with (finally!) the introduction of the Eton E1, which has a physical appearance almost identical to the early prototypes of the Satellit 900. Interestingly, this renamed radio will receive satellite radio, a form of broadcasting that didn’t exist when the original Satellits were produced. It is produced by Eton, which took over Grundig’s radio line and the new receiver is manufactured in India. Allegedly, the R. L. Drake Co. was involved with the engineering of the radio, which I think is entirely likely as it shares several features with the Satellit 800 and Drake appears to be providing service support. The street price is $500. Was it worth the wait? Is it worth the price?—let’s see.
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Shortwave Center, January 2006
As we enter another new year, please accept my very best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous one for you and yours. Let me also put in a word to the radio gods for improving propagation conditions. We’ve languished at the bottom of the solar cycle long enough, I say!
What a difference a month makes! Your SWC editor was a little under the weather and a little too snowed under at work last month resulting in no December column. Sincerest apologies. However, as you will see as you peruse the next few pages, we’ve come roaring back with two exciting club announcements from Ralph Brandi and Mike Wolfson, along with an excellent preliminary review of the groundbreaking and long-awaited Eton E1-XM by George Zeller. Ralph, Mike and George are all NASWA members and their contributions to this month’s column are greatly appreciated! How about you lending us a hand—your writing hand! Send your much anticipated submission for this column to your editor via e-mail or postal mail using the addresses on the masthead.
All that’s left for you to do is sit back, relax, read and enjoy!
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