Author: The Operator
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We’ve Left Google – Here’s What You Need to Know
We’ve made a clean break from Google and moved all our email services to a self-hosted, independent platform. As part of this transition, all our contact addresses have changed. The new details are already live on the website, and we recommend updating your records accordingly. If you recently tried to reach us via our old…
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The Importance of AM Audio Preprocessing
TL;DR: What This Document Covers This deep-dive blog post explores practical audio processing techniques for AM radio transmission, focusing on achieving maximum clarity and loudness within strict bandwidth and modulation constraints. It covers AGC, multi-band compression, pre-emphasis, filtering, mono summing, clipping, and asymmetrical modulation — all tailored for low-power AM hobby stations using tools like…
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Vinyl to Digital: How RBSK Moves Analog Sound Through Light
At RBSK studio, we’ve recently adopted a new method for connecting analog audio sources—especially vinyl turntables—to our broadcast system. The core idea is simple: digitize the analog signal right after preamplification and transmit it optically to the mixer computer. The result? A completely galvanically isolated (electrically decoupled) signal path that’s immune to hum and interference—even…
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Time to Party – Scandinavian Weekend Radio – 25 Years on the Shortwaves!
Scandinavian Weekend Radio (SWR) is a Finnish hobby radio station that has been making noise on the airwaves for a remarkable 25 years. Broadcasting from the town of Virrat since the year 2000, the station is active on shortwave, medium wave, and FM. For many years, SWR stood alone as the only privately operated shortwave…
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A small step for the script, one giant leap for amplitude modulation.
It really takes time to recover from a full-blown crash of the previous program automation system — and I can tell you, the resurrection has been anything but easy. I made the decision to rebuild everything from scratch, tailoring the new system entirely to my own needs and wishes, putting all commercial software aside. I…
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The Pitfalls of Starting a Station – If Something Can Go Wrong, It Will Go Wrong!
Starting a radio station might sound simple at first: set up an antenna, hook up a transmitter, and hit the airwaves. Easy, right? Well, not quite – especially when the station is operated remotely, like in the case of Radio Blacksmith Knoll. Our programming is streamed to the station over the internet, which brings its…
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Hello DX’ers all around the World!
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by
It’s May Day, 2025, and this is the first public version of our little corner on the internet. Nothing fancy yet—just the essentials. We’re still wiring things up, banging on the pipes, and figuring out where everything goes. Same goes for the station itself. Shows are taking shape, the schedule’s in flux, and we’re testing…