Category Archives: What’s On Shortwave

Pirate Radio Recordings: Channel Z (chasing pirates in a pickup truck)

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QSL247On the afternoon of November 29th, while traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday,  I took my wife to an art supply store who was having a “Black Friday” sale. While she was inside shopping,  I sat in my truck and remembered that I had my Tecsun PL-660 in tow (after all, never leave home without a radio, right?). I slightly opened the driver’s side window, turned on the PL-660 and extended the telescopic antenna out the window. I instantly I heard a station playing music on 6,925 kHz. What? I couldn’t be hearing a pirate this time of the afternoon, with a portable radio in a crowded parking lot!?!

Then I heard the station ID of Channel Z.

I quickly used my iPhone to log into my home computer (in a different part of the state) and tune my WinRadio Excalibur to record the broadcast. I could clearly see Channel Z’s AM carrier on the spectrum display.

After hearing the station email address, I sent in my signal report using my iPhone. Later, I received an eQSL (see above) and the following about the broadcast and Channel Z:

“You heard the special program, “Before They Were Famous – Part 3” from guest DJ Andy Walker.  I was very lucky to have Andy do this show for Channel Z Radio, as he has been in semi-retirement the past three years, with only occasional guest appearances on Crazy Wave Radio in Germany, and now for the third time on Channel Z radio.  Since Andy’s shows have received such a huge response from the DX community, there is a good chance he will do another show on Channel Z sometime soon.

(Source: DXArchive.com)

(Source: DXArchive.com)

Andy has been involved in free radio for over 37 years, and got his start at the age of 15 as part of the site crew with Radio Kaleidoscope in London. He was instrumental in bringing long-time land based pirate Radio Free London (RFL) back to the air waves in the mid 1990’s, and was a regular DJ on WNKR (West and North Kent Radio) for over 20 years.  In addition, he was part of the crew on Britain’s first legally licensed offshore station, Offshore Radio 1584 in 1992.

Channel Z has been on the air since November 2004, and started because of my interest in building homemade shortwave transmitters.  To date, Channel Z has been heard in 30 states, Canada, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Newfoundland, Norway, Poland and Venezuela; all on homebrewed transmitters.  This time I was using my favorite transmitter, the Commando, designed by Dave Martin of WNKR.  The Commando does 25 watts carrier on 43 meters with a 14 VDC supply.  The antenna was a horizontal dipole, cut for 6925 kHz, and was approximately 15 meters above ground.

Many thanks to Channel Z for the feedback. I’m amazed that I was able to hear the 25 watt Commando with my PL-660 in the middle of a crowded parking lot. Of course, that’s part of the magic of the shortwaves (and pirate radio listening).

For your listening pleasure, here is 50 minutes of Channel Z, staring around 21:40 UTC on 29 November 2013. This broadcast was recorded via my home SDR. Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

WRMI seeks European listener reports

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Radio Miami International

Radio Miami International

Radio Miami International’s General Manager, Jeff White, writes:

Dear Friends:

As you may know, WRMI has just moved its transmitter site from Miami to Okeechobee, Florida, to the old WYFR transmitter site. We are currently transmitting two hours per day from 2000-2200 UTC on 15440 kHz at 44 degrees to Europe. We would be very interested to know if the signal is making it into Europe at that hour, or if we should perhaps try to move it back a few hours. The program is The Overcomer Ministry in English.

We would also be interested in reports from Europe regarding our transmissions to Africa, which are:

0400-0800 UTC on 9355 kHz
1400-2000 UTC on 17790 kHz
and 2000-2300 UTC on 15190 kHz

The programming from 0400-0800 is The Overcomer Ministry, and the programming from 1400-2300 is Pan American Broadcasting’s Radio Africa Network.

Any observations that DXers in Europe might have about these transmissions would be most welcome, even if just some brief comments about your reception (or lack thereof).

Many thanks for your help!

Jeff White
WRMI Radio Miami International
175 Fontainebleau Blvd., Suite 1N4
Miami, Florida 33172 USA
E-mail: [email protected]
www.wrmi.net

Atlantic 2000 on air Sunday, December 8

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1-RadioListening(Source: Atlantic 2000 via Alokesh Gupta)

Atlantic 2000 will be on the air this Sunday 8th of December :

– 09:00 to 10:00 UTC on 7310 kHz – part 1 (music and radio news)
– 10:00 to 11:00 UTC on 9480 kHz – part 2 (music and dedications)

Both programs will be stream simultaneously on the Atlantic 2000 website.

Voice of Greece has become a relay of Radio Station of Macedonia, ERT 3

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ERT3In response to my post and recording yesterday, TheGreekRadio.com commented on the current state of the Voice of Greece:

“After the forceful eviction of the redundant ERT employees from the Radio House in Athens, the shortwave frequencies no longer transmit the normal program of Voice of Greece as there is no such service produced in Athens.  This happened on the 7th of November, when you probably noticed the station ID change.

Mediumwave and shortwave frequencies have been now set to relay the radio program of “Radio Station of Macedonia” by the redundant employees of ERT3, from Thessaloniki. (This used to be the independent program relayed for a few hours before midnight on 7,450 until June’s ERT switch-off, when phone lines were cut and the “guerilla” program started). They keep doing a full program during the day, but being unemployed, it seems that they cannot carry on overnight.

The official interim public radio (one single service for entire Greece) so far does not care for [the take] over [of] the shortwave and mediumwave resources in Athens. Probably they do not have the staff to operate them, as only the necessary personnel was hired to keep the single radio service running on FM.”

Many thanks to TheGreekRadio.com for this informative explanation.

Thus it looks like VOG’s shortwave service might be easily cut–and without warning. We already know that the Greek government is considering dismantling the Avlis transmitting site.

Shortwave Radio Recordings: Voice of Greece

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Crete, Greece (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Crete, Greece (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

I’m not sure what the future holds for the Voice of Greece. In many ways, I feel that the national shortwave broadcaster is already operating on borrowed time–but perhaps I’m wrong. I’ve been recording VOG a lot lately on 9,420 kHz and 7,475 kHz; most broadcasts these days contain very little commentary, only hours of a wide variety of international music with the occasional station ID (which, by the way, has recently changed). I feel like they’re just working to keep their seats warm.

On a personal note, it’s Thanksgiving here in the States–my favorite national holiday–and I’m certainly thankful for all of the kind SWLing Post readers out there. You are the reason I have so much enthusiasm for maintaining this site. There’s community here, and I, for one, like it. Thank you all…

If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving–and/or, are just relaxing over the weekend–I hope you’ll enjoy a bit of this Voice of Greece recording.  I say “a bit,” as it is nearly five hours long. I started this recording around 20:30 UTC on November 26th, 2013 (9,420 kHz).

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

No matter where you live, here’s wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Shortwave Radio Recordings: beHAVior Night

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Sir Scratchy (Source: Facebook)

Sir Scratchy (Source: Facebook)

For your listening pleasure: beHAVior Night, a shortwave radio show, relayed by WBCQ, dedicated to showcasing music from the first four decades of the 20th Century.

If you’re as nostalgic as I am, you’ll love the sonic combination of early records with the shortwave ether hosted by the inimitable “Sir Scratchy.” Relax, close your eyes, and indulge in a little radio time travel…

You can tune in beHAVior Night on Fridays at 17:00 EST or 22:00 UTC on 7,490 kHZ.

Though I could not find an official website for beHAVior Night, I would encourage you to “like” both Sir Scratchy and the beHAVior Night Facebook pages where show updates are often posted.

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

If you like listening to early 20th century music via shortwave, you should also check out Marion’s Attic and the occasional pirate radio station, Radio Casablanca.