Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Chuck Rippel (K8HU), who writes:
With so many SWBC outlets choosing to go off air, I find that I really miss Indian music. This time of year was ripe for a number of regional Indian outlets on 60M to be audible on ECNA during local evening, peaking around 0100Z. A fairly skillful DX catch was AIR Port Blair transmitting on 4760.0.
Port Blair is the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and is located on South Andaman Island with the Bay of Bengal on the west coast and the Andaman Sea off the east, they are actually located a bit closer to Burma than India. Don’t put a visit to Andaman Is on your bucket list though, The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Act of 1956 prohibits travel to the island, and any approach closer than 5 nautical miles (9.3 km), in order to protect the remaining tribal community from “mainland” infectious diseases against which they (likely) have no acquired immunity.
No more shortwave but wait, the programming is still available VIA webcast, URL below. The programming heard here so far has been in Bengali and Hindi but surprise, at 2230Z and 1737Z, I was surprised to hear the news read in English. The Andaman Islands observe Indian Standard time or UTC +5:30 which put their TOH at the EST: 30 or, our BOH.
So, treat yourself to some Naan Bread, spool up your web browser and click on:
https://onlineradiofm.in/stations/air-port-blair-pc
Thank you, Chuck!
Listening now, amazing. Stations we used to strain to pick out of the static and now streaming in stereo, like locals. Thanks for the link!
Thanks for the excellent tip, Chuck! Like you and other DXers I greatly miss AIR Pt. Blair’s SW outlet on 4760. I have fond memories of listening to it midwinters at home and on DXpeditions to Washington’s Pacific coast.
I’m enjoying their English newscast at 2230 UTC now… however, it’s a bit too clear. Where’s that sprinkle of static for nostalgia’s sake? :^)