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-------- Original Message --------
From: DF5SX@darc.de
Sent: January 8, 2025 5:34:20 AM PST
To: "Prof. Dr. Hansjoerg Biener" <hansjoerg_biener@yahoo.de>, kai999 <kai.ludwig@addx.de>, Andreas Volk <andreas.volk@gmx.de>, Michael ADDX <kurier@addx.de>
Subject: fwd: Klingenfuss - English References / Radio User / The Spectrum Monitor Klingenfuss - English References: vy73 de wolfie fwd: Georg Wiessala. ex Editor of Radio User (formerly Shortwave Magazine), United Kingdom, in The Spectrum Monitor, United States of America - February 2025: a.. 2025 Shortwave Frequency Guide ... "It takes dedication to compile a hefty HF guide like this, and this is evident in its pages. In short, an impressive amount of reliable and tried-and-tested, evidence-based information has, once again, been condensed clearly and in a logical format by Jörg Klingenfuss and his team of dedicated global experts and radio monitors. Over the last few years, some overall tendencies have emerged in this dependable yearly manual. Among these are, for example, the length and dependability of the listings, the delivery of much-needed critical political and historical context to many of the entries, the value of the wealth of extra information provided - most of which is not to be found elsewhere - the emphasis on modern systems, such as receiving transmissions via the Kiwi SDR (web-based Software-Defined Receivers) Network, and, last but not least, the foregrounding of current and developing digital data transmissions, plus a look at the future of HF radio. There is a balance to be struck here: on the one hand, Jörg Klingenfuss does, of course, promote, for obvious reasons, the continued relevance of HF over-the-air radio transmissions, 'traditional DXing', as it were. On the other hand, there is also a strong current here, and on the website, promoting internet-based methods, like WebSDRs, KiwiSDR, and so on, all of which are not, of course, 'real' radio, in the eyes of many. In fact, on the covers of the books under review here, they are being advertised as conducive to 'SDR Fun', simply because Klingenfuss needs to go with the times, as it were. While, therefore, on the one hand, the books point to the many exposures and downsides of the internet and online-based radio, like susceptibility to censorship and switch-off, unequal global distribution or tracking, it also extols the very virtues of the medium it criticises. It's a balancing act that, perhaps, only Jörg Klingenfuss can pull off with credibility. As before, the 2025 SFG relies on a wealth of first-rate screenshots to make its point, and to whet the appetite of every self-respecting radio enthusiast. The screengrabs are not just here for decoration, they shed light on points of technology and show what is possible on HF. This is evident in the introductory chapters on utility and broadcast signals monitoring, which are 'must-read' sections with über-informative content, which is far in excess of what many may reasonably be expected from a frequency guide like this. At the end of each section, there is further information, bringing this book to the forefront of contemporary developments. The bit I enjoyed most here (page 195) was the short section on the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) models in radio traffic monitoring and frequency analysis, courtesy of Rolf Hänggi, one of the SFG's contributors. Together with other sections in this book, this seriously made me want to learn more about the functions of professional digital data decoders, such as go2MONITOR. I strongly recommend that you take a look at these pages before you check out the frequency lists. Section 4.4., in particular, on Internet, SATCOM and HF Radio in Dictatorships - Censorship of the Internet and Restricted Online Access vs. Free Worldwide Shortwave Reception for Everybody is a necessary overture to pursuing a hobby that lives inside, and through, politics and international relations. No other guide, as far as I know, contains such eye-opening details, and Jörg Klingenfuss deserves high praise for reminding us of this vital framework. Short Wave does not 'track' you, you do not have to open an 'account', 'log in' or submit to other such data-gangstery, or be 'cookiefied'. In conclusion, this remains the most comprehensive guide currently available, and it looks set to remain the go-to gold-standard reference for many years to come in our ever-changing world. Essential, accurate, reliable and highly recommended, indeed."
b..
c.. 2025/2026 Guide to Utility Radio Stations ... "Here, as throughout the other Klingenfuss publications, the point is driven home that Short Wave remains an irreplaceable wireless communications tool. And an inherently anonymous, terror-proof one, I might add. Statements like these are not just part of a Klingenfuss sales ploy; they merit repeating, especially in the world of data communications, which accounts for a whopping 77 per cent of the HF bands, compared to a mere 22 per cent for both amateur radio and broadcasting. The preparatory section here ... is almost identical to the one in the SFG except for some of the screenshots. If you only buy the GURS, then, once again, the preliminaries do merit close reading. Here you have almost a short textbook on data transmissions on HF in itself. Section 10 ... contains screen grabs of many of those digital data stations, such as HFDL. For me, this part simply constitutes a highly enjoyable visual reference and educational resource. -
d..
e.. 2025 Super Frequency List on CD ... "A wealth of international HF radio resources at a glance - including a full-text concurrent word search functionality via the F9 key. Try, for example, putting in 'Navy' or 'RAF' (in small letters) or searching elsewhere, by frequency, start time, station, country, modulation or language, using some of the other function keys. This CD is a joy to explore and use. You will also appreciate the other text files on this disk and the professional screenshots in the eponymous sub-directory ('Grafikdateien') made with top-of-the-range professional decoder programs, such as PROCITEC, WAVECOM, go2MONITOR, and a host of others."
f..
g.. Conclusion ... "What can I say: Jörg and his team have done it again! Buy these books and CDs and you will find that, not only do you now have the most up-to-date listings of global broadcast and utility radio stations in this Universe at your fingertips, but you will also learn about much more than simple frequency compilations: conspiracy theories about shortwave monitoring, the future of HF radio, the current solar cycle, the geopolitical quagmire that we are in at the moment - all these and much more gets a mention in these books, and deservedly so. Our hobby is not one you can undertake in isolation from others and world events."
(https://www.thespectrummonitor.com/index.aspx> Febr 2025
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