About the NRC

In the early days of radio broadcasting, when the listening audience was comprised of amateur operators, experimenters, engineers and the like, a new hobby had its beginning. DX, in the parlance of telegraphers, meant long distance, and gradually came to mean distant reception as well. The early listener had usually constructed his own receiver, and his big thrill was not just from the news of the music he heard, but the realization that his assortment of glass and wires with a bedspring antenna was really bringing in voices and music all the way from Pittsburgh, Chicago or Los Angeles!

It was a natural development for the hobbyist to tune up and down the dial, logging the numerous stations that could be heard. These stations were eager to hear from their listeners. This was the only way, at the time, that they could learn how well their signal was getting out. Listeners were asked to write letting the station know from where, how well, and under what conditions the station's signal had been heard. In return, stations began sending cards or letters thanking the listener and confirming his or her reception. With the collecting of these verifications (QSL's), the DX hobby was born.

Numerous clubs were formed in those early years for the sole purpose of exchanging information about equipment, antennas, tuning tips and general information about the hobby and the stations. The National Radio Club was one to these early pioneer clubs, getting its start in York, Pennsylvania in 1933, when a small group of DX'ers organized and began to mimeograph a bulletin, "DX NEWS". Now after 60 plus years of continuous operation, "DX News" is still the premier publication for the medium wave (AM) DX'er. The National Radio Club is made up of hundreds of members, worldwide, that enjoy listening to broadcast band radio. After all, the National Radio Club is the worlds oldest and largest medium wave DX club.

The National Radio Club's publication center has a vast library of technical information, as well as back issues of publications which are full of valuable information. Our goal is not to be a profit making business, but a reliable source of information on broadcast radio. There is no better organization for news and information about broadcast radio than the National Radio Club.

Over the years the National Radio Club has gained recognition as a leader among DX clubs. The NRC has pioneered many areas, the offset printing of bulletins, the NRC Domestic Log (now the AM Radio Log), numerous books on antennas and receivers, and information books on the hobby. The NRC is still growing and improving, with new books and the DX Audio Service one-of-a-kind Audio Magazine. The demographics of the National Radio Club range from students, to retirees, and persons who work in broadcasting, to those who are just interested in listening to the radio. The knowledge-base of the National Radio Club includes engineers, technicians, and people from all walks of life.

Our magazine, DX News, is a must for the serious or casual DX'er and is only available through the National Radio Club. Subscribing to either DX News magazine or to DX Audio Service entitles you to membership privileges, including discount prices on many NRC products. DX News offers 30 bulletins per year, weekly in winter, monthly in summer, over 750 pages a year of DX and radio information. The DX Audio Service, established in April 1985, is designed to serve the sight restricted, or traveling DX'er, and is popular with commuters, who listen as they drive to work. DXAS consists of a 90 minute cassette and is issued once a month. Features are similar to "DX News" but extends its coverage to FM, a Travellog and Marketscope features. If you would like to hear an audio description, you can listen to it in Real Audio as read by Fred Vobbe in "Getting Started in Medium Wave DX", a publication from the National Radio Club's publication center

In the DX AUDIO SERVICE you find news on what is happening in the radio business, airchecks of radio stations, special features, interviews, listener comments, product reviews, news about laws that affect broadcasting, and much more. At the cost of $28.00 per year in the United States, it's worth subscribing for the cassettes alone! Think about it. One ninety minutes each month of news you can use, and features on your interests. What is on the DX Audio Service? Here is just a sample.

• "The AM Switch" by Bill Hale
• "The TravelLog" by John Bowker
• "BandScan" by Mark Durenberger
• "Sports Networks" by Ken Onyschuk
• "The Front Page" by Fred Vobbe
• "MarketScope" by Phil Wayne
• "Musings to the Members" Telephone reports by members.
• "The DXChange" Buy/Sell/Trade items (Classified)
• "News and Information" from the media and government

PLUS... from time to time we feature All Radio Magazine, (formerly After Dark Magazine), a special edition of multiple cassettes with extensive news and information, and stories which are too long to feature on the main magazine, but we feel should be made available to the membership. Reports cover all aspects of the radio listening hobby. By joining the DX Audio Service, you also become a member of the National Radio Club, and may order from the world famous National Radio Club Catalog, and participate in National Radio Club functions, like the convention held every Labor Day Weekend in the United States.

If you have any questions, please contact us at P.O. Box 473251, Aurora, CO 80047-3251. Or fill out this form with your name, address, city, state, zip, and E-mail address. (Forms not completely filled out are discarded).