Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul Walker, who shares this brief note:
Russian state-owned Vesti FM is on 13730 kHz as of May 19th, 2025 at 1910 UTC.
While I try to stay current on news and schedules, especially regarding new stations and shows, I don’t recall seeing any news about this transmission anywhere.
On 5/21 I listened to the 15:00 and 19:00 UTC broadcasts on 17505 khz. Listening just outside of Washington DC in overcast and rainy conditions.NOT the best weather!
I have to say that the 15:00 UTC broadcast was the better of the 2 times. 19:00 UTC was very faded, signal strength did slowly improve.
I am listening on a TECSUN PL 680 using a random long wire.
Thanks again for the information
These are just one-off tests, Paul, and yes, from Grigoriopol, Moldova. Next tests are on the 20th as follows:
11-12, 15-16 and 20-21 on 15175 then, on the 21st:
10-11, 15-16, and 19-20 on 17505.
They should blast into your QTH, as they are into Masset
Here’s the Vesti FM relay schedule for the next two days, via the World of Radio message board:
May 20 at 15175 kHz: 1100-1200 UTC, 1600-1700 UTC, and 2000-2100 UTC
May 21 at 17505 kHz: 1000-1100 UTC, 1500-1600 UTC, and 1900-2000 UTC
This is a round of tests to see how Moldova does in relaying Vesti FM to the far east of Russia. They also did this last month. While today’s reception on 13730 was pretty poor at my location near Seattle, I got a pretty good recording of one of last month’s broadcasts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbHRzDPMWKM
This is a correct observation – these transmissions are only for test purposes. In the recent years, Russia was also observed doing this kind of tests on various MW frequencies from sites like Kaliningrad and Krasnodar (which are not actively used today), but these were going on for like a day or two, not resulting in resumption of full-scale broadcasting.
Use of the phrase “relaying to the Far East” may actually indicate another government white elephant – around 2020-2021 they were operating a DRM transmitter there, purporting to be relaying local station “Radio Purga” to the Chukotka region on various frequencies, but in fact it was just an endless audio loop. They didn’t even care to put a proper label – transmissions were identified either as “Test” or “——–“.
Earlier on, in 2020, there was a statement from one of the ministers of Sakha, stating that they want to reintroduce HF broadcasting (google: ? ?????? ??????????? ???????? ????????????? ????????????), which, again, did not materialize.
With this kind of “reputation” I wouldn’t expect anything besides this kind of one-off tests to materialize.
Looks like the cyryllic name of the article got mixed up, anyways, it can be found by googling:” v-yakutii-vosstanovyat-moshhnosti-regionalnogo-radioveshhaniya”
On the Twente websdr from the Netherlands, someone suggested a 300 KW transmitter in Pridnestrowje PMR
Checking HF Underground someone heard it with Radio Rossi in the 1500UTC hour Monday. Someone on the NASWA list said this is possibly coming form Transnistria and was surprised it took them this long to get something on air.
Paul, it wasn’t Radio Rossii, but Vesti FM, just as every test up to now has been. I listened to the 15 UT broadcast (and it was very strong into Masset) on 13730.
I made two ‘quick’ recordings with my smartphone next to the receiver … I’m in town on my balcony with no aerial other than the receiver’s telescopic aerial!
1 – TECSUN PL-300 that almost everyone knows well
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81GIYRD0+PL._AC_SX679_.jpg
… SINPO = 55555
2 – Retekess TR103 ; tiny receiver weighing 65 grams ! 25 cm telescopic antenna
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61RfoZKlugL._AC_SX425_.jpg
… SINPO = 55545
Transmission stopped at 20:00 UTC. Who knows which transmitter is being used.
I have sent my two recordings to Thomas.
Have a nice day. 73