Category Archives: Broadcasters

Address for WSY70 New York VOLMET?

VOLMET

Perhaps you can help SWLing Post reader, John Cooper:

I have a mystery I am trying to solve.  Apparently there are 2 VOLMET stations with the same call sign of “New York Radio.” The address I am looking for is from WSY70- New York Radio. The address I was given is a different station that uses New York Radio as a station identifier,  and is located in Bohemia, NY.  It is a AIRINC Com Center station with the call sign KEA5.

WSY 70 is a New York FAA Flight Service Station.  I have searched all over to no avail for an address. The frequency is 6,604 kHz USB.

The station manager from the other NY radio KEA5 said the transmitter site was located in Barnaget, NJ; remember that the Bohemia, NY address is a different station, not WSY70.

Hopefully someone out there can be of assistance. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Please comment if you know an address for WSY70.

Coldwar Radio: When the VOA was an offshore broadcaster

Photo courtesy of former Courier crewman David M. Newell. Source: US Coast Guard

Photo courtesy of former Courier crewman David M. Newell. Source: US Coast Guard

(Source: VOA News)

In 1952, amidst the Cold War, a 338-foot Coast Guard Cutter was transformed into the mobile broadcasting base of the Voice of America. Its mission for more than a decade: send information beyond the Iron Curtain to counter Soviet propaganda in more than a dozen native languages. Daniela Schrier reports from an exhibit honoring the veterans and broadcasters who served aboard the ship in the waters off of Rhodes, Greece.


Click here to watch the video if the embedded player above is not visible.

SWLing in New Mexico: Radio Australia

Sony-ICF-SW7600GR

This morning, I was very happy to tune to Saturday Night Country on Radio Australia (9,580 kHz). RA’s signal was booming into Taos, New Mexico, where my travels have taken me this Saturday morning.

It was a welcome relief to hear RA; the shortwave bands have been in terrible shape the past three days or so. The ionosphere has been so disturbed that the only broadcasters I’ve been able to hear have been Radio Havana Cuba and a few domestic religious broadcasters.

I hope to take the CommRadio CR-1 out later today and perhaps test a couple of outdoor antennas…Stay tuned!

Shortwave Shindig QSL

Shortwave-Shindig-QSL-Card

Happiness is receiving your Shortwave Shindig QSL card which sports the superb Shindig logo by Jeff (K1NSS).

Did you miss the Shindig broadcast?  Click here to listen to off-air recordings.

Also, click here to check out all of David Goren’s work at Shortwaveology.net.

I hope the Shindig will do another live broadcast in 2015. Stay tuned!

Will Voice of Russia return to shortwave October 2014?

HFCC-VOR-A14Sched-001

SWLing Post reader, Stephen Cooper, writes:

Voice of Russia to return to shortwave October 1, 2014. A new schedule has been uploaded to HFCC from GFC for The Voice of Russia from 1st October including English to North America and Europe: http://hfcc.org/data/schedbyfmo.php?seas=A14&fmor=GFC

I thought, perhaps, these were schedules posted prior to VOR leaving the air, but Stephen notes that VOR has posted and made constant changes to their B14 schedules as well. Stephen follows schedules closely as he has a website and app devoted to shortwave radio schedules.

This does seem like a lot of effort if VOR has no intention of returning to the shortwaves.

Stephen also points to this article which mentions that Russia may be bringing back shortwave and a new body might be in charge of operations.

I suspect if VOR is returning to shortwave, it is in reaction to the recent changes at the Voice of America/Radio Liberty and the promise that HR4490 might increase a pro-US presence on the air.

In the end, we might not know until VOR actually resumes shortwave broadcasts.

We will keep you posted! Follow the tag: VOR

John follows Radio Australia schedule changes

SX-99-Dial

Yesterday, John Figliozzi (editor of The Worldwide Listening Guide) followed Radio Australia schedule changes as he heard them online and over the air:

“Listening in now (1415 GMT/UTC) on 12065 kHz. and via the internet, the scheduled program (up to now) “Late Night Live” is missing with alternative rock music from Triple J taking its place at this time. On the RA web page, there is a notice stating:

“Schedule update
We are in the process of updating our radio schedule. We’re introducing some new shows and some existing ones have moved to new time slots. Please stay tuned, we’ll be publishing the full new schedule soon.”

LNL is a Radio National-sourced program, so I gather this means it’s either being moved to a new time slot or (hopefully not) dropped altogether. No doubt a bit of confusion wrought by the thoroughly precipitous manner in which the ABC has had to adjust to the government budget cut that prompted that all this, a budget cut the Coalition had claimed prior to its election that it was in no way contemplating.”

Three hours later:

“At this point, it appears that Radio Australia shortwave frequencies and online is just relaying Triple J Unearthed, one of the ABC’s all digital networks, that plays new Australian music 24/7 with occasional IDs but no DJ commentary.

Then four hours later:

“A more normalized schedule appears back in place as “Pacific Beat” was heard via the RA internet stream from just past 1900 until 2100 GMT.  This is the two hour morning edition of the program which carried a very nice tribute to the “retiring” Sean Dorney, the ABC’s and RA’s Pacific correspondent, after 40 years with the organization.  There was a reminder at the end of the program for listeners to tune into the afternoon edition of the program later in the day, which if memory serves is a shortened compilation of some of the morning content.  Perhaps the earlier relay of Triple J Unearthed is just a temporary placeholder or is intended as overnight programming (Australian time)?

Listening now (2100) via shortwave.  17860 putting in a steady listenable signal peaking at S8 albeit with the usual local late afternoon QRN.  “ABC News for Radio Australia” followed by “AM”, morning news program at 2110.”

Be sure to check out John Figliozzi’s book, The Worldwide Listening Guide online–click here for my most recent review.

Thanks for sharing this, John!