Category Archives: News

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Voice of Turkey

Gezi protest in Ankara (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

A few days ago, I posted a recording of the Voice of Turkey that noticeably lacked coverage of the Gezi Park protests.

Friday, I recorded VOT’s English language broadcast and was surprised to find that they actually mentioned the protests (admittedly, without it’s due weight) in several news items. I’m very curious how future VOT broadcasts will cover news of yesterday’s riots in Istanbul as police cleared crowds of protesters with water cannons and tear gas.

Click here to download the full recording, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

More ERT updates from Athens

AOR introduces the AR6000: the 40 kHz to 6 GHz receiver

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The AOR AR6000

AOR has announced their latest (very) wide band receiver, the AR6000 last month at the 2013 Dayton Hamvention.

As with most AOR equipment, the AR6000 comes at a premium price–$6,500 US–but this receiver is quite unique in that it covers most of the radio spectrum 40 kHz to 6 GHz. I imagine AOR sells most of these to commercial and government entities; indeed it’s only available for export or government purchase here within the US.

Details below:

(Source: AOR USA)

The AR6000 delivers continuous tuning from 40 kilohertz to 6 gigahertz in a wide variety of modes for professional monitoring performance that’s nothing short of amazing in terms of accuracy, sensitivity and speed. Standard modes include AM, FM, WFM, FM Stereo, USB, LSB and CW. An optional module can add the capability to receive APCO25 digital communications plus an optional I/Q output can be added to capture up to one megahertz of bandwidth onto a storage device for later listening or signal analysis.

Designed for the monitoring or technical service professional, there are no interruptions in the AR6000’s tuning range. With exceptional tuning accuracy and sensitivity throughout its tuning range, the AR6000 begins at the floor of the radio spectrum and continues up through microwave frequencies so it can be used for land-based or satellite communications. It works as a measuring receiver for those seeking a reliable frequency and signal strength standard. To support its broad spectrum, the AR6000 has two antenna ports, with the added capability of an optional remote antenna selector from the front panel of the receiver.

With its popular analog signal strength meter and large easy-to-read digital spectrum display, the AR6000 is destined to become the new choice of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, the military, emergency managers, diplomatic service, lab technicians, news-gathering operations and security professionals

Click here to view the spec sheet and brochure (PDF).

ERT now broadcasting on several medium wave frequencies

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(Photo source: AP / Petros Giannakouris)

It’s been several days now since the Greek government tried to shut down Greek National TV and Radio broadcaster, ERT. In fact, ERT was only off the air for a few hours; they immediately set up a live Internet stream and restored shortwave service to the Voice of Greece. They’re still going strong and, evidently, expanding.

SWLing Post reader, Christos, lives in Greece and has been keeping us up-to-date with field reports. He writes:

This day [Friday] the employees of ERT took over the frequencies of medium waves 666 KHz, 729 KHz, 981 KHz, 1008 KHz (Corfu) and 1404 KHz (Komotini), that the previous days remained silent.

Short waves (9429 KHZ) and 1260 kHz from Rodos Island continue active.

[There] are now two radio channels in operation.

Thanks again, Christos! Follow this story with the tag: ERT Cuts

Christos’ report on ERT shutdown & English statement from broadcaster

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People gather outside the Greece’s public TV ERT headquarters in Athens on June 12, 2013, in support of the broadcaster’s staff and unions. AFP Photo (Source: RT)

SWLing Post reader, Christos, visited the protests at the ERT Radio House yesterday. Here are his comments:

This evening, I visited the Radio House of ERT (Radiomegeron) in Aghia Paraskevi suburb of Athens. I estimate that about three thousand people had been gathered to protest against the government’s decision of shutting down the radio and television channels. I cannot predict the reaction of authorities but I think that the popular support is limited.

At this time I checked two transmissions. A television one, through EBU internet video stream:
http://www3.ebu.ch/cms/en/sites/ebu/contents/news/2013/06/monitor-ert-online.html

And a radio one, relayed by some local FM stations and two classic ERT frequencies: 9420 KHz on short waves from Avlis and 1260 KHz on medium waves from Rhodes island. I receive both with my eton E5 portable radio right now.

Thank you for the report, Christos!

Also, Mauno Ritola recorded this English statement from the Voice of Greece (9,420 kHz) around 19:45 UTC yesterday:

Mauno believes they’ve been repeating this same statement in English and French throughout the day. He mentioned that he can also hear their 1260 kHz station in Finland. He said, “in the early evening they had regional programming, but around midnight joined the SW feed, which apparently was TV audio [with this feed]”

For more updates on the ERT protests, please follow this tag.

Voice of Greece on shortwave throughout the night, despite ERT shut down

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Thousands of protesters gathered outside ERT’s headquarters in Athens (Source: BBC News)

If you listened to the Voice Of Greece in the wake of the Greek National TV & Radio (ERT) shut down last night, you were in for a bit of radio history.

I published several posts yesterday as the story developed; I knew if ERT was being silenced, the Voice of Greece would as well. But that’s not what happened.

The Voice of Greece went off the air, like its national radio and TV counterparts, well before the announced midnight deadline. But around 22:44 UTC, the VoG came back on the air–at first with a few audio/technical glitches–and broadcast ERT protest coverage throughout the night.

This morning, I searched for news sources and could only find one–BBC News–who noticed that the Greek broadcaster was live online and on shortwave radio.

In case you missed it hearing it live, you can listen to a short off-air recording of the moment the Voice of Greece was taken off the air, (on 15.65 MHz). I believe this happened around 18:56 UTC (11 June 2013):

Then later, on 9.42 MHz, around 22:44 UTC, the Voice of Greece began transmitting audio again. Here’s a recording beginning only a few seconds beforehand:

Follow the tag ERT Cuts for further updates.

The Voice of Greece on air: comments about live protest coverage

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vog Check out the comments in our previous post regarding the Voice of Greece–Ron and Kevin share informative links, including this live stream of the protests.

Marty Delfin, from Madrid, Spain, also shares this message with us:

We are hearing the ERT (Voice of Greece) right now at 2340 UTC June 11 in Spain packing in a powerful signal. There is a lot of commentary — the little Greek that I can understand — trashing the conservative government for the shutdown. Hopefully, they say, the shortwave service will continue until further notice. Lots of reaction from listeners being broadcast. You are right— went on the air at 2100 UTC with just a carrier— came on the air about 45 minutes later—

Here’s the latest from the English language version of the Kathimerini daily from Athens— PM gambles on ERT closure and EBU expresses dismay on closure —

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_11/06/2013_503960

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite1_1_12/06/2013_503982

Such a stark contrast: the Voice of Greece (who “should” be off the air) covering ERT protests live, while the Voice of Turkey has barely mentioned the wide-spread Gezi Park demonstrations taking place throughout Turkey.