Tag Archives: Shortwave Radio

Off-Air Recording: Can you help Pete ID this broadcast?

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Jernakoff, who writes:

Last Saturday evening, I was cruising through the SW bands and came across music and talk on 2640 kHz, a rather odd (I would think) frequency on which to find such a broadcast format.

The music was of the soft pop variety (for example “Vou de Taxi” by Angelica; “A Time For Us – Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet” by Jack Jones; “A Lua E Eu” by Cassiano), and it sounded to my ears that the on-air talent (male) was speaking (between songs) either in Portuguese or in a Brazilian dialect of said language.

I have attached an audio clip of this broadcast [see below] which begins at 0158 UTC (on 26-March-2023). The recording is a little over 13-minutes long and ends when the signal abruptly leaves the air.

Note that there is a seeming mention in the recording of the words ‘Brazil’ and ‘Brasilia’ at the 4:40 and 5:03 time points, respectively. I have no clue where this signal originated, and I’m hoping that you or one of your many readers might be able to help ID this one. As far as I’m aware, there is no station that broadcasts on this frequency at least with this kind of programming. The signal seemed too strong to be a harmonic of a station broadcasting on, say, 1320 kHz. Perhaps a pirate? A mystery to me…

Thanks for sharing this recording, Pete!

If you can help Pete ID this mystery recording, please comment!

Guest Post: Listening to LRA 36

6 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, TomL, who shares the following guest post:

Listening to LRA 36

by TomL

I finally had time to go outdoors to listen to LRA 36, Antarctica. People were gushing about how well it is being received. My location was a park across the street from the Forest Preserve I usually go to (the Forest Preserves are shutdown and gates locked after sundown). Even though it was after sunset, this Park has no gate or chain to prevent people from parking there. In the dark, I setup the trusty amplified Loop-on-Ground antenna, SDR, and laptop. Solar Flux Index about 179, K index 2.

Started recording and, NOTHING! ARRGH. But I had just heard it at home in the noise!?!? Waited about two minutes and all of a sudden music started playing in the middle of a song. S6 – S7 strength with lots of fading. Very cool. 20 minutes later, went off the air. Then 10 minutes later, came back on again in the middle of another song. They must be tweaking the transmitter. This feels like the 10 kW transmitter; no way could a 1.5 kW be this loud over 12000 kilometers! Also, an advantage with IQ recording of a spectrum is I could tune into it later. Good thing because between their tweaking the transmitter, my SDR, and the crazy propagation, I had to tune to 15475.983 kHz in order to get the USB signal perfectly in pitch.

For your listening enjoyment if you have not had a chance to hear it clearly, I have uploaded both recordings to archive.org where you can listen as long as you want. Worth listening to, playing music of Argentina music bands. Happy Listening! Here is the link to Archive.org and the audio files are also embedded below:

LRA 36 at 00:30 UTC on 05 March 2023:

LRA 36 at 01:00 UTC on 05 March 2023:

LRA 36 (Arcangel San Gabriel, Antarctica) Test Broadcasts on March 1st and 4th, 2023

5 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Adrian Korol, who shares the following details for the next two LRA 36 test broadcasts. Note that the first one is later today (Wed, Mar 1):

LRA 36 Radio Nacional Arcangel San Gabriel.
Next Test Broadcast from Antartica:

- - Wednesday March 1st, 21:00 to 23:00 UTC
  - Saturday March 4th 21:00 to Sunday, March 5th 03:00 UTC

Frequency/Mode: 15476 kHz USB

Correct Reports = eQSL
email : [email protected]

Please upload your LRA36 listening video to YouTube, IG, Twitter, FB, or Tik Tok.

Thank you for the tip and photos, Adrian!

Bob Zanotti’s presentation to the Fairlawn Amateur Radio Club (Part 2)

1 Reply

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bob Zanotti (HB9ASQ), who has, at my request, shared a video recording of a presentation he gave to the Fairlawn ARC last year.

This is part two. If you missed part one, you can view it by clicking here. Thank you, Bob! Enjoy:

LRA 36 (Arcangel San Gabriel, Antarctica) Test Broadcast Today at 20:00 UTC

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Adrian Korol, who shares the following tip and schedule for the LRA 36 broadcast today:

LRA36 Radio Nacional Arcangel San Gabriel from Base Antartica Esperanza:

Saturday, 25 February 2023
From 20:00 to 24:00 UTC
On 15476 kHz (USB)

Thanks for the tip, Adrian!

LRA 36 (Arcangel San Gabriel, Antarctica) Test Broadcast on February 18, 2023

14 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Adrian Korol, who shares the following announcement:

LRA 36 NEW TEST BROADCAST ON SATURDAY 18th

In full progress of the adjustment and improvement works in the audio chain of LRA36 Radio Nacional Arcangel San Gabriel, test broadcasts are being carried out (even on USB) with excellent signal reports which helps us to continue working together with the valuable testimony of DXers, SWLs and radio amateurs. Special recognition to the technical team : Alejandro Petrecca, Alejnandro Alvarez and Juan Benavente.

We want invite you to tune us on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2023 between 20:00 and 23:00 UTC on 15476 khZ (USB). Reception reports: [email protected] WhatsApp messages +549 297 624 0137.

In the next week we will receive a transmitter of 1 kW modulated amplitude that has been calibrated for our new frequency at 15.475 KHZ. We will be announcing the test broadcasts of the new equipment in due course.

Likewise, once the improvements and survey of the complete audio and transmission system have been completed, a technical report will be carried out that will be taken into account for the acquisition during this year of a 10 KW transmitter equipment that will be destined for LRA36 to be put into service.

Likewise, the CCA 10 kw transmitter that was out of service has been completely disassembled, which will be transferred to the Radio Nacional transmission site in General Pacheco so that, once repaired, it will remain at the service of RAE Argentina al Mundo , thus recovering RAE’s shortwave output from our own transmission site, a possibility that will be realized thanks to RAE’s technical and human team and especially Jeff White, who, by strongly supporting RAE’s continuity in SW all these years via WRMI relay, it was really great argument for the authorities to understand that despite all the technological advances, shortwave is still necessary, and that a true public meda today must be able to be heard both on a Zenith Transoceanic, on a Sony ICF5900W , in a TECSUN, as in Radiogarden or in the latest radio app for iOS.

We´ll wait for all of you on Saturday 18 test broadcast from Antarctica from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Argentine time (8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. UTC) frequency 15476 khz USB

We await your reception reports and if you get good listening, register and upload those videos on YOUTUBE, IG or FB.

We appreciate sharing this information among radio listeners, DXers and radio amateurs around the world.

73 & DX

Adrian Korol, RAE Director

2023 Orlando Hamcation Photos

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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mike (VE3MKX), for sharing over 100 photos from the 2023 Hamcation, the majority of which are from the flea market. If you would like to view this gallery of photos, click the link below: