Category Archives: What’s On Shortwave

Correction: Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast transmission tests take place on Friday

In the title of my last post, I noticed that I’ve incorrectly stated that the Friday, June 19 BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast tests were to take place “today.” While the post content was correct, the date in this title was not. My apologies for the mix-up–I’ve since corrected and noted this in the original post.

To be clear, the transmission tests for Sunday’s Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast will take place on Friday, June 19 2015 from 21:30-21:45 UTC on the following frequencies:

7,425 kHz, Ascension, 207 degrees
5,985 kHz, Woofferton, 184 degrees
9,590 kHz, Woofferton, 182 degrees
5,905 kHz, Dhabayya, 203 degrees

Apologies for any confusion.

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2015 BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast frequencies confirmed

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Stephen Cooper, who has confirmed the frequencies that will be used for the 2015 BBC Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast on June 21 at 21:30 UTC.

Again, this year, I’m calling on all SWLing Post readers and shortwave radio listeners to make a short recording (say, 30-60 seconds) of the show and share it here at the Post. Click here for details.

Stephen received confirmation of the following frequencies directly from the BBC World Service:

5,985 kHz,
9,590 kHz,
and 5,905 kHz

Evidently, these were the frequencies chosen from the following that were tested:

7,425 kHz, Ascension, 207 degrees
5,985 kHz, Woofferton, 184 degrees
9,590 kHz, Woofferton, 182 degrees
5,905 kHz, Dhabayya, 203 degrees

I think it’s safe to assume that the same antenna paths will be used from the tests. I had hoped an Ascension Island frequency would have made the cut as it’s typically the frequency I hear best here in eastern North America. Of course, the selections were made based on actual test reception in the various parts of Antarctica where the team is located.

Please note these frequencies and take a little time to submit your recording! We look forward to sharing and mapping them across the globe.

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Shortwave Radio Recordings: UNID 12,365 kHz USB

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Yesterday, I posted a note about an unidentified station who was broadcasting the Chile v Mexico football game on 12,365 kHz USB. Several readers sent messages with reception reports, most of which indicated a signal strength of less than S5.

Several of us speculate that this could be a relay from a South American (perhaps Chilean?) shipping service for their fleet in the Pacific; hence the weak signal reports in North America. SWLing Post reader, @K7al_L3afta, suspects that it could even be an audio feed for a radio station.

We may never know, but it’ll be fun to listen for future broadcasts.

I recorded almost four hours of the station last night, starting around 22:00 UTC –during the Ecuador v Bolivia game–on my Elad FDM-S2 software defined receiver (see screen grab above). Below, I’ve embedded a 30 minute clip from the Chile v Mexico game, starting at approximately 23:45 UTC.

The FDM-S2 was hooked up to my large horizontal delta loop wire antenna. The signal was certainly very much buried in the static at time. I could have improved the clarity of the signal by using the FDM-S2’s built in DSP noise reduction, but opted to keep the USB audio unaltered to better represent reception.

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

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Football games relayed on 12,356 kHz

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Many thanks to David Goren, who has apprised me of a (utility?) broadcaster who relaying Spanish language football matches on 12,365 kHz in the upper sideband. According to a message on the DXLD Yahoo group, someone has been relaying games on this frequency with some consistency.

As I type this, I’m listening to Chile v Mexico, though it’s a very faint signal here in eastern North America. The Elad FDM-S2 is doing a good job of pulling the signal out of the static, though. I have no clue where this broadcast originates.

Please comment if you’re able to log this station where you live, or you have further details about the relay.

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Shortwave Radio Recordings: Voice of Korea

Richard’s search to find the best SWLing spot on campus

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SWLing Post contributor, Richard Langley, has been seeking the perfect spot on the campus of the University of New Brunswick (UNB) to listen to shortwave. He recently shared the following:

Here’s a link to a brief video of my recording of last weekend’s VOA Radiogram “in the field” (a UNB parking lot):

Richard goes on to say that he’s found an even better location:

“That location on campus (green pin on attached image) turned out to not be noise-free on all bands. Found an even better location (red pin). Negligible power-line interference although still within Wi-Fi range of UNB’s system but no significant effects from that discovered yet. Got excellent reception of VOA’s Radiogram this past Saturday afternoon. Extremely clean waterfall in Fldigi. And virtually noise-free images [below]”

Richard’s decoded message. (Click to enlarge)

VOA Radiogram decoded image

Many thanks for sharing this with us, Richard!

Those of you who live or work in areas with significant radio noise should consider scouting out a listening spot like Richard has. Also, you might be inspired by LondonShortwave who takes his radios to public parks. Regardless, moving your receiver as far away from sources of radio interference as possible will always yield better listening results.

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Shortwave listeners hear the Voice of Greece once again

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SWLing Post contributor, Moshe, writes with some good news from the Voice of Greece:

I’m listening to VOG at 9420kHz, At 11:27 local time 08:27UTC, 11/06/2015 the station identified itself as “Ezo Athina, I Foni Dis Elladas”: “This Is Athens, The Voice Of Greece”.

Immediately after receiving Moshe’s message, another Post contributor, Merkouris, provided the following details:

It would be of interest to the SWLing Post readers that, as of today June 11, the Greek public broadcaster ERT is back on the air with three TV channels and eight Radio programmes, including the “Voice of Greece”.

TV channels:
ERT1,
ERT2,
ERT3 (Thessaloniki)

Radio programmes:
Proto Programma (1st Programme),
Deftero Programma (2nd Programme),
Trito Programma (3rd Programme),
Kosmos (Musics of the world),
ERA Spor (Sports programme),
RS Makedonia (Thessaloniki),
Foni Tis Elladas (Voice of Greece)

The web site http://www.ert.gr/ is also up with news and streams of all tv and radio channels.

Right now at 10:45 UTC the Voice of Greece is on the air on 9420 kHz.

Many thanks to both Moshe and Merkouris for this information!

A little background…

If you haven’t been following the story, in June 2013, Greek National TV & Radio (ERT) was shut down and so was the Voice of Greece (well…officially, at least). Only a few hours after VOG went off the air that night, they came back on the air with live protest coverage.

In fact, since that night–exactly two years ago today–Greece has been broadcasting on shortwave intermittently as a relay of ERT Open and/or Elliniki Radiofonia.

I hope that now VOG is officially back on the air, their shortwave broadcasts will be daily once again. Tonight, I will certainly be tuned to 9,420 kHz!

Update: the BBC News has recently posted this excellent article with photos and videos on their website.

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