Category Archives: Shortwave

WRMI Joins The Big Boys Club

wrmiThis article from Radio World takes a look at WRMI’s transition from a bit-player to a substantial broadcaster. Just hope we don’t end up with another defacto “radio station” that is really just a carrier for anyone who cares to pay to have their opinion aired.

“Cherry Ripe” – The Numbers Station

randomnumbers

From the Wireless Institute of Australia News bulletin 27/12/13: In our world of Radio Communications over the years maybe the Weirdest you may have come across are what are known as “The Numbers Stations.”

Many have heard of the Cuban numbers being read by a female, but here in VK Cherry Ripe was the nickname of a mysterious, powerful shortwave numbers station that used several bars from the English folk song “Cherry Ripe” as an interval signal. The station was believed to be operated by the British Secret Intelligence Service and to have emanated from Australia.

Voice of Russia Continues On SW

vor_qsl

Reminiscent of a Mark Twain’s quote “rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated”, the Voice of Russia is not closing down!

They have been merged with another media agnecy and they have had their transmission hours curtailed.

Here is their 2014 schedule from Wolfgang Bueschel:

RUSSIA   Full schedule of broadcasting WGD “Voice of Russia” in the winter
season B-13, since January 1, 2014.
automatic translation by Google translator

language       UTC       transmitter   kHz   kW direction notes

Changes Ahead For The VOA

voa_qsl

David Ensor may be at once on the side of the angels and the wrong side of history. A former CNN and ABC correspondent, he heads the Voice of America, a proud, underfinanced and embattled government media agency that’s part of a little-known amalgam of Cold War relics that mix virtue, ideological necessity and a whiff of anachronism. Read more at the New York Daily News website.

 

Admiral Byrd’s Ancient Tweets From Antarctica

Admiral Richard E. Byrd

Admiral Richard E. Byrd (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here’s an interesting notion; that shortwave was the first medium for “tweeting”.

This article from the Daily Caller throws a modern spin on shortwave, or is that a historic spin on tweeting?? Using the “ancient” reference is maybe a sad indication of how far removed Shortwave is from modern technology!

 

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Trucker’s Radio On Shortwave

mgihtykbc

Those familiar with the US AM rafio dial, will now that stations like KRVN and WWL have long catered for truckies hauling their loads across the USA. There is a more international trucker’s radio, the Mighty KBC. This article from the Radio Survivor website explains.

Solomon Islands New Frequency

From Martin Hadlow:

My Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation contacts advise me that the SIBC has been testing a new (Japanese supplied) transmitter on 6080 kHz. This is part of a plan to provide better national radio coverage in the event of a natural disaster, such as a tsunami. The SIBC has been testing in October and more recently in November. There have already been YouTube stories about the new frequency: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZEKEYzNANY
The SIBC is keen to hear from listeners as to whether the signal is getting out widely so please e-mail them if you hear the new frequency. No doubt there will be problems given that Radio Australia is also on 6080 kHz…not to mention several other stations.
Regards,
Martin
Feedback fron Bryan Clark, Mangawhai: Yes Martin, have been monitoring over recent weeks to establish the sign-on time, given that 9545 usually closes abruptly at 0501 UTC.
One night they appeared on 6080 about 0607 UTC, another night they were there at 0525 check.
Understand they should change to 6080 immediately after 9545 closure but yet to confirm that’s definite.
They usually override the co-channel Brazilian.
Very good signal by 0800 and then at 0900 they are clobbered by RA’s Papua New Guinea Service – though still audible underneath, parallel to 5019.88kHz.
Bryan

BBC Seychelles to close…

Location of the Seychelles

Thanks to Georgi Brancov for this info via the Bulgarian DX Blog.

Monday, November 25, 2013

 

WRMI Purchases WYFR’s Okeechobee Facilities

wyfr

Thanks to Paul Rawdon for posting this news to the DX Dialog reflector:

http://swling.com/blog/2013/11/wrmi-purchases-wyfr-transmission-site-and-plans-move-to-okeechobee/

AOKI B13 Schedules Now Out

binewsletter

http://www.geocities.jp/binewsjp/ia/userlist1.txt

Solomon Islands Reactivates 31mb

SIBC logo

SIBC logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This from Martin Hadlow:

Dear friends,
I am advised that the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) has re-activated its daytime transmitter operating on 9545 kHz. The transmitter has been off-air for sometime, due to technical and other problems. It now operates 0900-1600 (Solomon Islands time). I’m sure they would welcome e-mails letting them know if the signal is getting out widely.
73.
Martin
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Analogue Radio Days Numbered

redradio

Thanks to Andy Gardner for posting the following link on the DX Dialog reflector:

Commercial stations and the BBC expected to confirm the switchover to digital services, 40 years after Britain’s first independent station opened.

Here’s the story from the Independent’s website.

New Cuban Shortwave Station

progresso

Thanks to Bryan Clark for posting the following to the DX Dialog reflector:

While listening to Arnie Coro on “DXers Unlimited” via Radio Havana Cuba
on 5040kHz at 0520 UTC, he gave details of a new Cuban experimental
shortwave operation starting Tuesday 1 October.
Radio Progreso, Programa Nacional will operate with 50kw on 4765kHz from
0030 till 0400 UTC.
This means 3 shortwave operations from Cuba on 60 metres – the 100kw
sender on 5040 that RHC uses for English to 0600 UTC, the 50kw Radio
Rebelde on 5025 which I think is 24 hours, and the new Radio Progreso on
4765, also with 50kw.
If we’re lucky 4765 might squeak into NZ just before signoff at 0400 but
it may be a bit early I fear – will let you know tomorrow (or maybe
Wednesday if they’re talking local dates).
Arnie mentioned the website www.radioprogreso.cu and there’s an audio
stream there if you click on the headphones in the header.

History of VOA Delano

kgei_9530_frontsm

Thanks to Mark Nicholls for posting this link to Radioworld’s 2008 article on the demise of the last of VOA’s wartime transmitting stations.

VOA Delano, California on the West Coast of the USA provided a formidable signal into the Pacific.

 

 

“Yia Sou” Voice of Greece

v_o_greece_qsl

Yet another international broadcaster joins the pantheon of former shortwave broadcasters.

Thanks to Zaharias Liangas for reporting on the Hard-Core-DX reflector:

Greek shortwave to be dismantled after order by Ministry of Finance. Submitted by radiofono.gr on Tue, 17/09/2013 – 16:09

The degradation of Greek Radio is going on, having shortwave radio “Voice of Greece” as a victim. This includes 39 shortwave antenna masts hosted in Avlis, which the government plans to sell as scrap metal. The shortwave service started 75 years ago and it is still transmitting in 5 frequencies that cover the globe with shows in Greek for expatriates and foreign language news. The facilities are currently controlled by redundant ERT employes and broadcast the guerilla service of the Greek National Radio ERA. Eighteen months ago, shortwave facilities in Thessaloniki were dismantled.

AWR Guam to get Upgrade

AWR’s Agat, Guam is getting an upgrade. Right now, construction of a 229-foot, 5th antenna tower is underway with work scheduled for completion in June 2014.

More on this story at AWR’s website.

Dasvidaniya Voice of Russia…

moscow_50th_front

Russia’s international radio service, the Voice of Russia (Golos Rossii) will stop its shortwave broadcasts on January 1, 2014. According to digit.ru website, the decision to leave shortwave has been taken because of decreased funding. Digit.ru says that ending shortwave transmissions was revealed in a letter from Natalia Zhmay, Deputy Chairman of the Voice of Russia, to Andrew Romanchenko, head of the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network (RTRN), dated August 15. Neither Voice of Russia nor RTRN have officially commented on the matter.

The Halcyon Days of Offshore Pirate Radio

In response to an e-mail from Paul Rawdon on the DX League reflector, Martin Hadlow recalls the days when he worked for Radio England…
england
Is it really 47 years from the ‘summer of 66’ when I worked for off-shore stations Radio England/Britain Radio? It was my first job in radio and my shortest! The job didn’t last long because the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act was introduced to the UK Parliament that year and took effect a year later. Radio England/Britain radio went to air in June, 1966 (after testing from around May), so was a late starter in the whole pirate radio scene. I had a job in the station’s London office (in Curzon Street) and often visited the ship (which was anchored in the English Channel) carrying a suitcase full of the latest top 40 records and taped commercials.  To get to the ship entailed a train ride from London to Harwich, thence to the small port of Felixstowe, where one boarded a Dutch registered fishing boat for the voyage to the ship.
ressex
What an era! Crazy days. Imagine being an 18 year old in London in the swinging 60’s working for a pirate station? It is still hard for me to believe I was part of the excitement of the time, albeit for only months, not years. By the way, one of my jobs was issuing some of the QSLs…so if you have a QSL card (which featured a photo of our ship, the MV Olga Patricia) have a look to see if it has my signature.
radio_270
                                                                     Radio 270
The Government legislation of August 1967 effectively brought the whole off-shore radio scene to a close, although several stations battled on. Thanks for the memory…
nordsee
Here is the article from Alan Jarvie via Facebook, on celebratiosn by Scotland 69am to commemorate the introduction of the Marine Offences Act in 1967 and the implications for the offshore pirate radio stations….
london2j
August 13, 2013Alan Jarvie writes on Facebook:Today and tomorrow, Scotland 69am (http://www.scotland69am.com/) will be
commemorating the introduction of the Marine Offences Act on August 15th 1967.
eve
There will be a two part AJ Pirate Radio Special, Part 1 tonight followed by Part 2 tomorrow night. Part 1 will feature recordings of the early days of the offshore stations whilst Part 2 will feature recordings nearer the end of the stations. Both progs will include interviews with former offshore presenters, including Dave Gillbee (ex-City and Britain Radio) and Tony Prince (ex-Caroline North). The programmes should start at 8pm UK (19:00 UTC) but this is to be confirmed… (internet only, more stations expected with special programmes tomorrow)
rveronica1
                                                                    Radio Veronica
Per Wiki:The Marine, &c., Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967 c.41, shortened to Marine Broadcasting Offences Act, became law in the United Kingdom at midnight on Monday 14 July 1967 and was repealed by the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006.  Its purpose was to extend the powers of the British Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1949 (which it incorporated by reference), beyond the territorial land mass and territorial waters of the UK to cover airspace and bodies of water.
caroline
At the time that the Bill was introduced in Parliament in 1966, there were radio stations and proposals for television stations outside British licensing jurisdiction with signals aimed at Britain. These stations were at sea but there were press reports of stations planned from aircraft.caroline3                                                       Radio Caroline South
The Act included the Channel Islands and extended to the Isle of Man. As a result, offshore stations called pirate radio became criminal if operated or assisted by persons subject to UK law. Station operators thought they could continue if they were staffed, supplied and funded by non-British citizens, but this proved impractical(More details here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine,_%26c.,_Broadcasting_(Offences)_Act_1967)
And here is a Youtube compilation of English off-shore pirate radio stations
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts5EfWPy-ew]

Vatican Radio Celebrates 75th Anniversary

vatican_11735_front

Thanks to Paul Rawdon for posting the following on the DX League reflector:

Video produced by Vatican TV to commemorate Vatican Radio’s 75th Anniversary. Complete programme has been split into five parts. Would have been made in 2006 as they celebrated their 80th anniversary in 2011.
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Radio Free Sarawak Back On Shortwave

free_sarawak

 

Ivo Ivanov reports via the SW DX Bulgaria website that Radio Free Sarawak has reactivated on SW. Ivo notes “Radio Free Sarawak continues to broadcast on 15420 after 1230, probably until 1300”.

Their mandate seems to be to support land-owners disenfranchised by large companies and government misinformation: “If you have a problem in your village or if someone is taking your land, logging, planting or polluting your area let your voice be heard and tell the world about it through Radio Free Sarawak!”. For more info visit their website.

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