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Years ago I loved tuning in Radio Bulgaria and listening to their orchestra play. The ether would deliver the beautiful music to my ears with some fading at times but I loved listening to it. That is, of course, until they stopped broadcasting. I’ve tried to find an alternative without success.
I wonder if you know of any shortwave station that still broadcast orchestras?
Thanks,
Eric W4OTN/3
Any suggestions for Eric? Please comment with details!
[The following is a] recording of the penultimate English broadcast from Radio Berlin International (RBI) and the last broadcast in the particular time slot. It was also the last broadcast of the popular DX program DX-tra.
RBI ceased broadcasting at the end of the day on 2 October 1990, the day before German reunification took place.
In addition to the final episode of DX-tra, the recording features the news (in progress as the recording starts a minute or two after 00:45), Commentary, RBI Press Review, and Spotlight on Sport. There are several “goodbye” songs including “The Final Countdown” by the Swedish hard rock band Europe, and “Goodbye Blue Sky” by Pink Floyd and some announcer goodbye comments like “the voice of the disappearing German Democratic Republic,” “that was it,” and “the last day of the good old GDR.”
The 45-minute recording ends with the familiar RBI interval signal and, at 01:30 UTC, the first part of the German-language transmission, also the last in its time slot.
This recording was made in Hanwell, NB, Canada, with a Sony ICF-7600D receiver and supplied wire antenna draped around Richard’s home office. This recording begins around 0045 UTC, October 2, 1990 on a frequency of 9,730 kHz.
A series of special Radio Netherlands broadcasts will begin on January 17th and 18th, 2015. Presenters will be John van den Steen, Jerry Cowan and Tim Thomasson. See frequencies and times below:
0100 to 0200 UTC on 7,570 kHz
0100 to 0200 UTC on 11,790 and perhaps 13700
Peter sent no more information than this, so I’m not sure where the transmissions will originate. Since RNW is no longer on the air, I’m certain these broadcasts aren’t coming from Hilversum.
Hopefully, someone will attempt to record these broadcasts in case I’m not in the broadcast footprint. Would like to add this to the SW Radio Audio Archive.
“I bought a C. Crane Witness AC Adapter to try it out on the PL-880. It is rated at 900 mA, more than enough to handle the PL-880. I think it is more than reasonable at $14.95.
I am happy to say that it works very well on the PL-880 and does not introduce any noise in any mode , even when the PL-880 is recharging the internal Battery. I also ran the PL-880 in Shortwave without the battery with no problems off of this AC Adapter. All in all, it is very well filtered, and thus quiet. I can highly recommend it for use with the PL-880.”
Update–John adds:
“I should add that the idea to use the C. Crane Witness AC Adapter for the Tecsun PL-880 came from Dave Zantow, of “Dave’s radio Receiver Page”. He had looked at the Skywave adapter, but it is rated at a maximum of 300 mA, while the PL-880 is rated at > 300 mA. Dave originally tested the Witness Adapter on the Degen DE 1128H, and was pleased with the results. Unfortunately he no longer had his PL-880 test sample, so he could not test the adapter with that radio.
He did add one cautionary note that it may be necessary to add bypass caps to the power regulators to avoid picking up low level switching hum on a whip or other indoor antenna. I did not experience any of this, but it sound like a good idea easily implemented. Dave’s review is at the bottom of this page: http://webpages.charter.net/n9ewo2/ats909x.html“
Many thanks, John! I may pick up one of these myself–would be nice to have a regulated supply for many of my radios and digital devices. (Would come in handy if I ever decide to pull the trigger on the CC Witness, too!)
Many thanks to Swedish DXer and SWLing Post reader, Lennart Weirell, who writes:
“Late last year I compiled a list of private shortwave stations in USA from 1962 and a graph over the stations from 1982, when the increase of stations started after the FCC had lifted the ban to issue licenses for private radio stations in 1973. I also consulted Glenn Hauser during the process. I myself have 35 out of the 42 different calls verified.
This list was first presented in the Swedish bulletin, Shortwave Bulletin (SWB), in November last year and I thought that maybe it could be of interest for the readers of SWLing Post.”
Lennart has kindly shared a printable PDF of the private broadcaster list (click here to download). I have also pasted an image of the list below, for quick reference.
It’s been a while now since 9,420 kHz–a former Voice of Greece frequency–should have gone off the air. Fortunately, it has not.
The station is no longer referred to as the Voice of Greece; it’s now a relay of ERT Open, otherwise known as the Helliniki Radiophonia (you’ll hear this name in the station ID).
Friday evening, I recorded nearly four hours of Helliniki Radiophonia because I love the music programming they air during weekends, yet I rarely stay up late enough to listen live. With this recording, I’ll enjoy Greek music most of my working day today–and you can, too!
