Category Archives: Music

AM sync lessens noise in this The Voice of Greece broadcast

Sometimes, the Voice of Greece plays very little Greek music; October 10th was one of those occasions. Nonetheless, I recorded that evening’s broadcast.

Using AM sync for sideband noise

In the first hour of the 10/10 VOG broadcast, you’ll hear a pulsating noise from an unknown origin (possibly a jammer?). The noise was centered about 20 kHz above VOG.

Fortunately, most of the noise was in the upper side band of the VOG signal, so I was able to mitigate it by using an AM sync lock on the lower side band. Without AM sync, this VOG broadcast––and its music mix––was almost inaudible.

If you have a synchronous detector on your receiver and tune in a station with interference, always try turning on sync lock and locking it on either the upper or lower sideband. If most of the noise resides in one of the sidebands, the lock can help tremendously. I often use this method while listening to AM pirate radio stations in noisy conditions.

A confession…

I have no idea what she’s talking about–it could be something absolutely mundane–but I love this radio host’s voice as she speaks and Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb begins. (Start listening around 26:00)

Click here to download more than two hours of the Voice of Greece, recorded on October 10, 2013, starting around 03:15 UTC on 9,420 kHz, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Most of the noise disappears around 00:21:

Pirate Radio Recordings: Radio Gallifrey Intergalactic

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While recording Radio Casablanca Thursday night, I was also fortunate to capture Radio Gallifrey Intergalactic.

Gallifrey started the broadcast with their customary audio sweeps and Dr. Who theme, then straight into the Beatles, “Strawberry Fields Forever.” Brilliant!
[I know my buddy, BJ, will enjoy this combo.]

Radio Gallifrey Intergalactic was on the air for almost 27 minutes with a mix including the Beatles, Bowie, Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane and more.

Click here to download an MP3 recording of the full show, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Enjoy:

Shortwave Radio Recordings: The Mighty KBC

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“Dad, that’s The Mighty KBC! Turn it up!”

Sunday at 00:00-02:00 UTC, I tuned to 7,375 kHz to listen to The Mighty KBC. This was the first time I tuned to their winter frequency this season and wasn’t sure how strong their signal would be on a relatively noisy night on the bands.

KBC’s signal was blowtorch strength into North America. It could have been easily received on even the most simple of portable radios.

As we’ve come to expect, the Mighty KBC’s Giant Jukebox of music has a lot of rock-n-roll and Euro-pop variety, spanning the decades; DJ, “Uncle Eric” knows how to entertain and spin the tunes! Uncle Eric includes Kim Elliott’s digital text modes in this broadcast–if you missed the live broadcast, you can even decode the messages from the recording below.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Enjoy:

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Radio Progreso

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Earlier this week, I noted that Cuban medium wave station, Radio Progreso, was to begin broadcasting on 4,765 kHz shortwave, beginning October 1st at 00:30 UTC.

I listened between 00:30 and 2:30 UTC on Oct 1st, but heard nothing other than the weak carrier from (possibly) Radio Emissora De Educao Rural. However, the following evening at 01:00 UTC (October 2nd) I did hear a strong signal from Radio Progreso.

For your listening pleasure: the recording I made of Radio Progreso on October 2, 2013, starting around 01:00 UTC. Click here to download the recording as an MP3 or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Radio Exterior de España

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Plaza de Cibeles–MAdrid, Spain (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

For your listening pleasure: one hour, fifty minutes of Radio Exterior de España.

Recorded on September 16, 2013, starting at 00:00 UTC on 9,535 kHz.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Pirate Radio Recordings: Radio Gallifrey Intergalactic

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The Citadel of the Time Lords on Gallifrey (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Last night, I recorded pirate station, Radio Gallifrey Intergalactic.

RGI appeared on 6,935 kHz USB and started their broadcast with a set of audio sweeps (which looked rather distinctive on my SDR’s waterfall), followed by tones and then straight into the Dr. Who theme.

What followed was a free-form set of spacy electronic music; from ambient to trance. You’ll hear their station ID in Morse code.

Click here to download an MP3 of the full broadcast, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Pirate Radio Recordings: Radio Casablanca

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Confession time: one of my favorite pirate radio stations is Radio Casablanca.

Why?

For one thing the format is WWII-era music. When I hear Radio Casablanca, I close my eyes and imagine what it must have been like to hear the great bands of the era over the shortwaves…

Radio nostalgia at its best.

The signal strength is always sufficient to be heard in relatively good fidelity here in my radio room, but not so strong as to detract from the perceived distance. I believe the recording you’ll hear below could very well mimic broadcasts over shortwave, heard across borders during WWII as well as listened to on classic console radios in people’s living rooms and front parlors.

When my buddy Mark Coady posted that he was listening to Radio Casablanca Tuesday night on 6940 kHz AM, I immediately rushed outside to hook up my antenna, and started rolling. I didn’t want to miss even one more minute (I came across Mark’s post about twenty minutes into the broadcast). Though regional storms produced some static pops and crashes, overall fidelity is decent. You will hear the filter and side-band sync being adjusted at times as I attempted to eliminate adjacent noises–which, in the end, are all a part of the listening experience.

Click here to download an MP3 of the recording, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Either way, prepare to go (or at least, send your ears) back in time…