Category Archives: Shortwave Radio

A Mystery Signal and a Fast Answer from UDXF

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Dan Greenall, who write:

Hi Thomas

I still have a tendency to scan the utility frequencies from time to time, much as I did over 50 years ago. Now, though, I can listen in through the various Kiwi SDR receivers scattered around the globe. Having obtained my amateur ticket in 1974, I got a lot of practice copying the CW repeating “markers”, especially those in the maritime bands.

Recently, on March 20 at 1821 UTC, to be exact, I came across a CW signal repeating the same message over and over on 6839 kHz, while tuning my friend Ken’s Kiwi SDR in Northern Thailand. The text read: VVV Q2M Q2M Q2M de NYZ NYZ

At first, I thought NYZ might be some kind of U.S. military callsign, but I decided to confer with an expert, Ary Boender, at the UDXF in the Netherlands. My e-mail was sent out at 10:57 am local time, and by 11:02 I had my answer! And not at all what I expected.

Ary writes:

This is a Chinese military station, Enigma designator M89.
Here is some info about it https://www.numbersoddities.nl/Chinese-military-nets.pdf
Also related is: https://www.numbersoddities.nl/M89-profile.pdf

My thanks to Ary and the UDXF, the Utility DXer’s Forum. This is a very useful site and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Utility DXing. Check it out here:
https://www.udxf.nl/index.html

Dan Greenall, Ontario, Canada

April 2026 Schedule Updates: From the Isle of Music & Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bill Tilford, who shares the following update:

THE FOLLOWING TIMES ARE TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE – VISIT THE
FACEBOOK PAGES OF EACH PROGRAM PRIOR TO BROADCAST FOR CONFIRMATION

From the Isle of Music, Friday, April 10, 2026, 3955 kHz, 1600 UTC, repeats 2200 UTC
This month, we present a surprise package of selections from several decades.

Uncle Bill’s Melting Pot, Friday, April 17, 2016: 3955 kHz at 1600 UTC, repeats 2200 UTC
This month, we recognize the passage of Nuyorquino salsa artist Willie Colon with selections from some of his earliest recordings.

In addition to direct radio reception, we do honor reception reports using remote SDRs as long as the whole program is described and which SDR is specified. All QSLs are e-QSLs only.

Shortwave mysteries with Arizona in the spotlight

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Greetings all SWLing Post community. This weekend Imaginary Stations brings you another episode of WMMR (Mystery Mix Radio) – Guess the theme show. The first transmission is on Saturday 28th March at 1100 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and then again on Sunday 29th March at 0900/1300 UTC on 6160 kHz and 2000 hrs on 3975 kHz/6160 kHz (via the services of Shortwave Gold).

As usual, the show has a theme that you the short-wave listener, will have to guess what it is. There’ll be a special e-QSL for the lucky winner, and as ever, we will not give any clues away here, the clues are in the show. Tune in and have some (educated) guessing games via the shortwaves.

And if we mention Arizona, you may think of the Grand Canyon, or the largest continuous ponderosa pine forest on Earth or the 100 or more wineries there but there’s more! If you tune into WRMI on Wednesday 1st April 2026 at 0200 UTC on 9395 kHz it’ll be the debut of Imaginary States: Arizona. Tune in and find out more interesting facts and music about the Grand Canyon State!

For more information on all our shows, please write to us at [email protected] and check out our old shows at our Mixcloud page here.

FastRadioBurst23

Half a Century of Connection: RTI’s Spanish Service Turns 50

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor David Iurescia, who shares this article from Radio Taiwan International, marking a major milestone: 50 years of Spanish-language broadcasting.

Click here to read the full article at RTI.

Texas Radio Shortwave: Schedule for April 2026

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Terry (N5RTC), who shares the following schedule for Texas Radio Shortwave (click image to enlarge):

Dynamic Map of Broadcasters Currently on the Air

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Stefano, who writes:

Hi Thomas,

I just wanted to share a small project I created today that I thought might be interesting for your readers. I put together a webpage where you can see broadcast radio stations currently on air displayed on a world map.

It’s based on two frequency databases: the EiBi and Aoki lists. I also keep these databases updated, since they are the same ones used for the data updates of SWList.

https://www.sramp.com/worldradiomap

Here’s also a page from my blog where I describe the project:

https://sramp.com/world-radio-map/

Thanks, and keep up the great work!

Stefano

What a cool map, Stefano! Thank you for sharing this with the wider SWL community.

Carlos’ Illustrated Radio Listening Report and Recording of Radio France International (March 17, 2026)

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor and noted political cartoonist, Carlos Latuff, who shares the following illustrated radio listening report of a recent RFI broadcast.

Carlos notes: