{"id":42146,"date":"2020-02-23T09:26:47","date_gmt":"2020-02-23T13:26:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=42146"},"modified":"2020-03-23T06:33:58","modified_gmt":"2020-03-23T10:33:58","slug":"help-brian-identify-this-1970s-era-interval-signal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/02\/help-brian-identify-this-1970s-era-interval-signal\/","title":{"rendered":"Help Brian identify this 1970s era interval signal"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

[Mystery solved! Click here to read the update.<\/a><\/strong>]<\/em><\/p>\n

Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor, Brian (W9IND), who writes:<\/p>\n

I want to thank you for stirring a memory that I never thought I\u2019d relive \u2013 even though it still doesn\u2019t solve the mystery of what the heck I was listening to in the first place!<\/p>\n

Back in the early 1970s, I was a teenage SWLer with a curiosity for the worldwide signals that emanated from the speaker of my shortwave radio. Bitten by the SWLing bug after stumbling across Radio Nederland\u2019s Bonaire relay station, I spent many a happy hour twirling the dial in search of fresh game to hear and QSL.<\/p>\n

But on one such occasion (I\u2019m going to guess it was in 1971), I was surprised and fascinated by what sounded like a snake-charming horn playing notes at random. Stranger still, the transmission would seemingly go off the air for a couple of seconds and then return to play the strange melody again. I chalked it up to one of the countless beeps, hums and other electronic noises that often appeared on utility frequencies in those days.<\/p>\n

I never recorded it, I never had a clue what it was, and I never heard it again.<\/p>\n

Until recently. On the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A couple of weeks ago, while looking for old shortwave interval signals from the 1970s, I saw a recording marked \u201cUnidentified interval signal 1\u201d listed right after the interval signals of Deutsche Welle and Radio Nederland.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK,\u201d I thought. \u201cSounds like a challenge. Maybe I can even help figure out what it was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then it played … and I almost fell off my chair! I literally sat with my mouth open as the long-lost sounds of the \u201csnake-charming horn\u201d played again. Could it indeed have been an interval signal \u2013 and if so, for what station?<\/p>\n

I wanted to contact the person who recorded it, but then I learned the sad news that Mr. Greg Shoom is no longer with us<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So I remain mystified, probably forever. But it sure was fun hearing that weird recording again! Thanks for the memories.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Let’s see if an SWLing Post<\/em> reader can help, Brian!<\/p>\n

I know of at least a dozen readers who are experts on all that is interval signals, so hopefully someone can listen and ID this one.<\/p>\n

I’ve embedded audio from this SRAA recording below. Note that the unidentified interval signal can be heard between time marks 1:27 – 2:07 in the following recording:<\/p>\nhttps:\/\/archive.org\/download\/IntervalSignals197677\/IntervalSignals-1976-77.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Can you positively ID this interval signal?\u00a0 If so, please comment<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Do you enjoy the SWLing Post?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Please consider supporting us via\u00a0Patreon<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or our\u00a0Coffee<\/span>\u00a0Fund<\/span><\/a>! <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Your support makes articles like this one possible. Thank you!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Mystery solved! Click here to read the update.] Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Brian (W9IND), who writes: I want to thank you for stirring a memory that I never thought I\u2019d relive \u2013 even though it still doesn\u2019t solve the mystery of what the heck I was listening to in the first place! Back […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,288,7566,43],"tags":[3963,94,5448,4082,2479,1958],"class_list":["post-42146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-radio-history","category-radio-memories","category-shortwave-radio","tag-brian-smith","tag-interval-signals","tag-mystery-signals","tag-shortwave-radio","tag-shortwave-radio-audio-archive","tag-sraa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-aXM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":42243,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/dean-solves-second-interval-signal-mystery\/","url_meta":{"origin":42146,"position":0},"title":"Dean solves second interval signal mystery","author":"Thomas","date":"March 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In response to our second mystery interval signal challenge, SWLing Post contributor, Dean Bianco replies: Mystery solved! This is the \u201cinterval signal\u201d (more accurately, a placeholder with a musical station identifier) for the Compa\u00f1\u00eda Telef\u00f3nica Nacional de Espa\u00f1a (CTNW) from Madrid, Spain. They were a point-to-point HF radiotelephone terminal that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Compania-Telefonica-Nacional-de-Espana-642x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Compania-Telefonica-Nacional-de-Espana-642x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Compania-Telefonica-Nacional-de-Espana-642x1024.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42227,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/lets-solve-another-interval-signal-mystery\/","url_meta":{"origin":42146,"position":1},"title":"Let’s solve another interval signal mystery!","author":"Thomas","date":"March 8, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Last month, we published\u00a0a post\u00a0asking\u00a0SWLing Readers to help Brian (W9IND) identify an elusive interval signal. Turns out, the interval signal belonged to the Voice Mirror of the PTT Habana, Cuba station. This month, SWLing Post contributor, David Crawford is asking for help to ID another interval signal which likely belongs\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Push-button-phone-cropped-e1583684071445.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Push-button-phone-cropped-e1583684071445.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Push-button-phone-cropped-e1583684071445.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Push-button-phone-cropped-e1583684071445.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42154,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/02\/mystery-solved-readers-identify-curious-interval-signal\/","url_meta":{"origin":42146,"position":2},"title":"Mystery Solved: Readers identify curious interval signal","author":"Thomas","date":"February 24, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, we published a post asking SWLing Readers to help Brian (W9IND) identify an elusive interval signal (click here to read that post). We received dozens of replies--thank you so much! Many readers immediately identified the tune as some sort of utility station placeholder for Point To Point communications. Turns\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/PTT-Habana-Cuba-VErification.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/PTT-Habana-Cuba-VErification.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/PTT-Habana-Cuba-VErification.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/PTT-Habana-Cuba-VErification.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":42461,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/03\/yet-another-mystery-utility-signal-to-solve\/","url_meta":{"origin":42146,"position":3},"title":"Yet another mystery utility signal to solve–!","author":"Thomas","date":"March 23, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Back by popular demand! On our quest to solve UNID utility signals, SWLing Post contributor David Crawford, is asking for help again to ID yet another interval signal. David writes: Here's yet another memorable utili-tune from the deep archives here, again not my recording, origin uncertain. This one has a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Pink-Vintage-Dial.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Pink-Vintage-Dial.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Pink-Vintage-Dial.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Pink-Vintage-Dial.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":60019,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/06\/can-you-help-dan-identify-this-mystery-interval-signal\/","url_meta":{"origin":42146,"position":4},"title":"Can you help Dan identify this mystery interval signal?","author":"Thomas","date":"June 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to Dan Greenall, one of our dedicated Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contributors, who writes: Hi Thomas I was going over a few of my old cassettes today and discovered what seems to be an interval signal, but I cannot seem to place it. Recording: Unfortunately, all I can\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo by Sai Harish on Unsplash","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Casette-Tape-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Casette-Tape-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Casette-Tape-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Casette-Tape-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Casette-Tape-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57327,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2023\/07\/radio-botswana-barnyard-sounds-mystery\/","url_meta":{"origin":42146,"position":5},"title":"Radio Botswana barnyard sounds mystery","author":"Thomas","date":"July 23, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post and SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following off-air shortwave radio recording and writes: In all of the recordings of Radio Botswana\u2019s famous barnyard interval signal I can find, the barnyard sounds are accompanied by the sound of cowbells. There is usually a rooster\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/HalliDial.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/HalliDial.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/HalliDial.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/HalliDial.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42146\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}