Tag Archives: The Shortwave Radio Audio Archive

Shortwave Archive featured in The Wire Magazine

TheWire

We’re absolutely chuffed to learn that the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive (SRAA) has made the pages of the October 2015 issue of the British alt music magazine, The Wire Following are two excerpts from the brief but powerful column by Richard Thomas:

The Wire
October 2015 (Issue 380)
Page 17

Thomas continues in this vein, his descriptions of the varied content inviting readers to immerse themselves in the SRAA’s static-infused depths.

Finally, Thomas concludes by describing in terms no less than lyrical exactly why he responds–as so many do, myself included–to the recordings found in the archive:

The Wire
October 2015 (Issue 380)
Page 17

Wow…what a testament to the power of sound.  Thanks, Richard and The Wire–we’re humbly grateful that someone shares our passion for this growing project.

And if you haven’t checked out the SRAA yet, take some time to do so; you won’t regret it.  Contributions are welcome.

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Nothing on the bands? Check out the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive!

SWRAA-Shortwave-Archive-iTunes-LogoAlas! Lately, the sun has been playing tricks on those of us who enjoy the magic of radio wave propagation. Due to solar disruptions in the ionosphere, propagation has been fickle, albeit with a few good openings. And it’s not likely to get any better or more predictable over the next couple of days.

If you’re not hearing a lot on the bands, fear not: as history demonstrates, this solar interference will soon end, and conditions will again improve. But in the meantime, this is the perfect opportunity to listen to some of the hundreds of recordings in the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.

Listening to the recordings and subscribing to the podcast is 100% free, and entirely void of any advertising. The fact is, I pay for this site out of my own pocket.  Not only does it serve as a historical record of radio, but it’s for listeners like us to enjoy.  We already have over 600 podcast subscribers, and invite you to subscribe–as well as to contribute content in the form of your own radio recordings.

Great content, great contributors

Speaking of contributors, check out some of Dan Robinson‘s recent offerings to the archive; many of these are very rare recordings, and all date back to the 1970s:

Brilliant stuff! I hope you will spend some time listening to these great recordings on the archive, and perhaps even join the many contributors by submitting your own recordings, too. Enjoy!

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1976 recording of RNW added to the Shotwave Radio Audio Archive

IMG_0135Greg Shoom, a new contributor to the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive, has just submitted a 1976-1977 off air recording which includes:

  • The Happy Station Show hosted by Tom Meijer (Christmas 1976 edition),
  • an unidentified program called “Why Join a DX Club
  • and several longwave radio beacons.

Click here to listen to this recording on the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.

Remember, you can subscribe and download the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive collection (free!) as a podcast via iTunes or the SWAA RSS feed.

Many thanks to Greg Shoom for sharing this excellent recording!

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More 1968 recordings on the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive

IMG_0135I’ve now added a total of five recordings by David Firth, circa 1968, to the SW Radio Audio Archive. Click below for direct links:

Note that you can subscribe to the SW Radio Audio Archive as a podcast via iTunes or by using the following RSS feed: http://shortwavearchive.com/archive?format=rss

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Shortwave Radio Recordings: Voice of Korea

SWRAA-Shortwave-Archive-iTunes-LogoLast week, we posted the following recording on the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive; our website and podcast of current and historic shortwave radio recordings.

Indeed, our podcast is absolutely free and by subscribing (via iTunes or RSS feed), you can also help preserve these recordings. Read about the archive by clicking here.

Though I post recordings on the SWLing Post, we post many more on the shortwave archive as many of our recordings are sent in by contributors (like you!).

Pyongyang Metro Station (Original: Wikimedia Commons)

Pyongyang Metro Station (Original: Wikimedia Commons)

Indeed, I owe thanks to SWRAA contributor, Frank, for this recording of the Voice of Korea‘s English language service.

Frank recorded this broadcast from his home in Europe on November 13, 2013, on 11,645 kHz, starting at 16:00 UTC. Frank used a Kenwood R-5000 receiver and a Wellbrook ALA 1530+ antenna.

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

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Seeking 1970s era recordings of Radio Australia

The Shortwave Radio Audio Archive

The Shortwave Radio Audio Archive

Yesterday, I received a message from Sam, via the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.  He writes:

Nice website! I’ve been looking (and listening) through it for the last hour or so. Nice!

I see you have some Radio Australia recordings and was wondering if you have any older ones? I’ve been trying for a couple of years now to find a recording of the top of the hour from Radio Australia in the mid 1970s. I was a youngster then and used to rush home from school to hear the station – I grew up in Northern Ireland and used to be able to get Radio Australia from around 1530 local time until maybe 1800 local, depending on the conditions. One thing I remember about it was the time “pips”, which included a pip at 10 seconds to the hour, which I had never heard before (or anywhere else since). I’d love to hear this again along with the theme to the news which came on the hour – I’ve found out that it was called Majestic Fanfare, but the version played on 70s Radio Australia is different to that played now and in every recording I’ve heard. Seems they changed the recording they used during the 80s. Even the ABC and Radio Australia can’t help as I’ve contacted them, so I’m trying every avenue which comes along.

I know it’s probably way before your oldest recording but heck, I had to ask! 😉

Many thanks.

If you happen to have 1970s era recordings of Radio Australia that you would like to share with Sam (and the world), please contact me and I would be happy to upload them to the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.

Thanks for your inquiry, Sam!

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Introducing The Shortwave Radio Audio Archive

I used a photo I took of the large slewable curtain antenna at the Edward R. Murrow Transmitter Site for the iTunes cover art of the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.

I transformed this photo I took of the large slewable curtain antenna at the Edward R. Murrow Transmitter Site into the iTunes cover art for the new Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.

SWLing Post Readers,

I am very happy to announce a project to share and archive our shortwave radio recordings: The Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.

Many of you probably already know that I believe archiving our shortwave radio broadcasts is vital now.  Many broadcasters are leaving the air, and many target areas are being removed altogether. Meanwhile, over the past two years there have been new broadcasters coming on the air, often doing test transmissions before beginning broadcasting in earnest. These, too, are significant in radio history.

I have already populated the site with more than eighty recordings, most of which I’ve posted here over the past two years. I still have thirty or more to add. Already in the archive: Radio Bulgaria (now silent), Radio Netherlands Worldwide, The BBC WS special broadcast of the Diamond Jubilee, and a very interesting Vatican Radio broadcast announcing the selection of the new pope.

If you subscribe to the SW Radio Audio Archive’s podcast, you’ll be able to see and download the entire existing collection and new recordings as they are added.

To make this project work, we need your participation!   You can help in two ways:

  1. Share your shortwave radio recordings! Simply create an Archive.org account, upload your recording, and share the link with us (we have a nifty web form for submissions). Full details are available on this page.
  2. Simply subscribe to the podcast, download the recordings…and save them.  By doing this, you’ll be making an archived copy of all of the recordings. Here are two ways to subscribe to the podcast:

Donations and radio-related, commercial sponsorships are also welcome.

On the site, we state that “Multiple archives in multiple storage locations ensure the integrity of this collection over time.”  This is very true of all archives: the more forms of back up, the better. Especially since archive-quality digital storage does not yet exist. Safety and integrity come with redundancy.

Remember, this project is a collective, community effort, so I hope you will consider sharing your recordings with the rest of the world!

Feel free to share this post and the site http://shortwavearchive.com via social media, your radio groups and message boards. Thank you!

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