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For your listening pleasure: a short 20 minute broadcast from the pirate radio station, Chairman of the Board Radio–recorded Saturday, April 12, 2014 starting around 3:30 UTC.
Chairman of the Board Radio was broadcasting on 6,935 kHz in the upper side band. As you’ll hear, the signal was quite strong, with just a little compression noise.
I really enjoyed this short set of Frank Sinatra tunes. You’ll hear the station ID at the end with a shout out to listeners in Chicago.
Regional: 5:30, 6:32am on weekdays, and 5:30am and 7:05am on weekends
Main centre: 5:05, 5:35, 6:08, 7:08, 8:08am on weekdays and 5:05, 5:35, 6:05, 7:05 and 8:08am on weekends
Urban: 7:32, 8:32am
Long-range: 12:32pm on weekdays and 1:04pm on weekends
Coastal: 4:05am
Mountain: 4:05pm
Many thanks, Mike! I had no idea New Zealand had a coastal forecast similar to that of the UK. I shouldn’t be surprised, though, as New Zealand is very much a maritime country and indeed, Aukland, NZ has the highest boat ownership of any city in the world.
When I lived in the UK, I would often fall asleep and/or wake up to the Shipping Forecast: a BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the British Isles.
Though I had, of course, no real need of the Forecast, on many occasions it lured me like the voice of a hypnotic siren (especially, I must admit, when read by a woman). When I moved back to the US in 2003, I missed hearing the Forecast on the radio, but thankfully one can listen to it at Radio 4 online. Although the online stream lacks the delectable sonic texture of long wave radio, the Forecast still has the power can still reel in its listeners.
Last December, I followed a brilliant series on NPR which highlighted the BBC Shipping Forecast. I intended to publish it here on the SWLing Post at the time, but somehow lost it in the shuffle of a busy travel season. Fortunately, NPR has archived audio from the series online. I love their introduction:
“It is a bizarre nightly ritual that is deeply embedded in the British way of life.
You switch off the TV, lock up the house, slip into bed, turn on your radio, and begin to listen to a mantra, delivered by a soothing, soporific voice.
“Viking, North Utsire, South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne, Dogger ….” says the voice.
You are aware — vaguely — that these delicious words are names, and that those names refer to big blocks of sea around your island nation, stretching all the way up to Iceland and down to North Africa.
The BBC’s beloved Shipping Forecast bulletin covers 31 sea areas, the names of which have inspired poets, artists and singers and become embedded into the national psyche.
Your mind begins to swoop across the landscape, sleepily checking the shorelines, from the gray waters of the English Channel to the steely turbulence of the Atlantic.
Somewhere, deep in your memory, stir echoes of British history — of invasions from across the sea by Vikings, Romans and Normans; of battles with Napoleon’s galleons and Hitler’s U-boats.
Finally, as the BBC’s Shipping Forecast bulletin draws to a close, you nod off, complacent in the knowledge that whatever storms are blasting away on the oceans out there, you’re in your pajamas, sensibly tucked up at home”
You can listen to the series on NPR, or via the embedded player below:
A smartphone app that I find quite useful is Shortwave Broadcast Schedules by Chris Smolinski at Black Cat Systems.
Chris has just announced an update which adds features like the ability to enable schedule reminders as well as keep track of your favorite broadcasts.
I’ve been using this app for a year and have noticed frequent schedule updates–indeed, A14 schedules were ready at the beginning of the season.
It’s an ideal app to use for one bag travel–indeed, you don’t even need an Internet connection to browse the listings. Admittedly, the typical smartphone screen is fairly small to display such a large amount of broadcast data, but Back Cat’s interface is designed with this in mind. I find the app easy to use and very useful while I’m on the go.
I have only used the iOS version on my iPhone. Black Cat also offers an iPad version which, I believe, would be ideal. I have not tested the Android version of the app.
And did I mention that the funky retro logo design, above and right, is by the talented Jeff Murray, K1NSS? Gotta love it.
These shirts are 100% cotton and available in black (see right) or white.
I don’t want to over-promise here, but I understand that wearing the Shortwave Shindig shirt can increase your chances of hearing the elusive Bhutan Broadcasting Service and many other signals–perhaps even ones that have recently gone off the air. Moreover, this shirt is 100% QRM free.
And, dear readers, thanks for hanging on to my hard sell: this one’s for a good cause.
UPDATE:Many thanks to David Goren who is offering a 10% discount to SWLing Post readers! Simply enter the promotional coupon code “swling” at checkout. Total cost will then be $18 shipped! Click here to order your shirt. This promotion will only be available for two weeks, ending April 24, 2014.
Want to catch WWV–the Fort Collins-based time station–on a frequency they haven’t used since 1977?
The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) has sent out a press release stating that, as of April 4, 2014, WWV will resume broadcasting on 25 Mhz for a limited time.
Full details follow in their press release:
NOTICE: Experimental 25 MHz WWV Broadcast
As of Friday, April 4, 2014 WWV has resumed broadcasting on 25 MHz on a limited, experimental basis. The broadcast consists of the normal WWV signal heard on all other WWV frequencies, at the same level of accuracy.
Current 25 MHz Broadcast Specifications (subject to change):
Schedule: variable; as an experimental broadcast, the 25 MHz signal is not continuous. It will typically be on the air from approximately 1500 – 2100 UTC Mondays through Fridays, but may operate outside these hours as well. The broadcast may be interrupted or suspended without notice.
The shortwave radio community lost a friend last week: Bill Bergadano (KA2EMZ).
I never got to know Bill personally, but I knew of him and we had many mutual friends.
Fred Waterer, my friend and fellow writer at The Spectrum Monitor magazine, worked with Bill at his online radio station, Radio Scooter International.
Fred writes:
“Bill Bergadano was the nicest guy you would ever want to know.. He “freinded” me on Facebook sometime in 2010 or 2011. He had been one of my readers, at Monitoring Times and the Ontario DX Association for years. Bill ran internet radio station Radio Scooter International. He said, “Hey, c’mon over to the chatroom during my show” (Bill’s show The Friday Night Party, was the flagship show on the station). I did. I got to know Jeri and Mary Anthony and Carrie Walden Merritt and of course Bill and the rest of the chatroom gang.
After a spell, he said “Why don’t you do a show on RSI?” At first I dismissed the idea as ludicrous. Me? Host a radio show?? Why me? Then I got to thinking “Why NOT me?” I have been a fan of radio since 1969, written about it in various forums since 1986. Why not try it? If nothing else it would be an interesting experience for a few weeks to try things from the other side of the mic. So I did. In August 2012, The Radio Time Capsule debuted to no acclaim. I told no one. I figured if I fell flat on my face no one would know but me and Bill and a small circle of friends.
Well I did fall flat on my face. I was terrible. Nervous. But Bill encouraged me. After a few weeks I started to get comfortable, relax and enjoy the show. I love it now. I owe Bill a huge debt of gratitude just for giving me the opportunity to do something this fun and creative.
Bill shared a love of radio as a broadcaster and a listener. He was an avid Ham, in fact one of our last conversations was about a Ham he had worked. He also had a fabulous sense of humour. I will never forget his silly jokes. He would give you the shirt off his back. He also attended many of the Winter SWL Fests over the years. His was a life well lived. A remarkable fellow I was proud to call my friend.
I have no idea what the future will hold. But my pal Bill will always be part of it. I will carry his memory and friendship with me as long as I live.”
Many thanks, Fred for sharing your memories of Bill.
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For your listening pleasure: a short 20 minute broadcast from the pirate radio station, Chairman of the Board Radio–recorded Saturday, April 12, 2014 starting around 3:30 UTC.
