Radio Gambia: June 26, 1972

10th anniversary of Radio Gambia postage stamp (Source: Radio Filatelia)

Many thanks to Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contributor, Dan Robinson, who submits this short recording of Radio Gambia from June 26, 1972. 

Dan comments:

"This classic recording of Radio Gambia was made as the station signed on just before 0600 UTC on 4.820 khz. That frequency was plagued by utility station interference at the time, making reception of Gambia one of the most challenging tasks for SWLs. This recording was made from a Hammarlund HQ-180C receiver."

As Dan states, this is not armchair listening... it's much, much better.  It's what real DX is all about: back in time forty-two years, through the static, one uncovers the faint voice of Radio Gambia.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Please subscribe to our podcast to receive future recordings automatically.

BBC midwinter broadcast to the British Antarctic Survey Team: June 21, 2014

Every year, the BBC broadcasts a special program to the 41 scientists and support staff in the British Antarctic Survey Team. 

As promised on the SWLing Post, here are the recordings of the BBC World Service’s thirty minute broadcast to the British Antarctic Survey. The broadcast started at 21:30 UTC on June 21, 2014 and was broadcast on 5,875, 5,985, 7,350 and 9,890 kHz.

As in previous years, this broadcast was lighthearted, filled with humorous shout-outs from the team’s family and friends. Even a couple of special guests were included. Listen for yourself:

This excellent recording was made by SWLing Post reader, Dominik, in Europe:

Click here to download Dominik's recording as an MP3.

Post reader Rob Wagner (VK3BVW), in Australia, could receive the broadcast on three frequencies (5,875, 5,985, and 7,350). He's included clips of each broadcast on his excellent blog, The Mount Evelyn DX Report.

As for me, I was traveling to visit family yesterday afternoon when the broadcast started.  I knew from listening endeavors on previous visits that receiving a broadcast indoors at their home is not feasible; there is some sort of power line noise in that area that overwhelms anything on the short or medium wave bands, unless the station is very strong.

To cope with this noise, I knew I would need to move my operation outdoors, away from the house, and employ an outdoor antenna. So I packed the following, all into my small flight case: the CommRadio CR-1, a NASA PA-30 15 foot passive wide-band wire antenna, and the Zoom H2n Handy Recorder.

I hung the PA-30 antenna in a nearby tree, spread a wool army blanket on the ground for lounging, and put the mini flight case to use as a stand to hold the radio and recorder. The CR-1 required no external power supply, as its internal battery had been charged in advance (one of the reasons I love this little receiver for travel).

To try out the set-up, I tuned around the bands. Conditions were rough, thunderstorms were in the region, but I was most impressed that I could hear several broadcasters on 31 meters. I knew that the BBC broadcast would be a tough catch; after all, none of their transmissions were targeting my part of the globe–rather, the opposite!

When I tuned to the BBC broadcast on 7,350 kHz, here's what I heard:

This is (very) rough copy; for five or so minutes, you'll hear me switching between AM/USB and LSB to find the best mode for the signal. I also check the other BBC frequencies to see if any were more audible.

In the end, using ECSS (zero-beating the signal in USB) seemed to work best.

For fun, I had also brought along the Tecsun PL-660--a choice portable radio for weak signal DX. I tuned to 7,350 and could just hear the BBC signal in the noise, but voice and music were unintelligible.

Middle Eastern And Ecuadorian Music (Circa 1976-1978)

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Greg Shoom, for this recording of Middle Eastern and Ecuadorian Music from the late 1970's

Greg comments:

"Recorded from shortwave radio stations around 1976-1978 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The Ecuadorian music is from radio station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador. I am not sure of the origin of the middle eastern music, but I think it might be from the Voice of Iran."

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Please subscribe to our podcast to receive future recordings automatically.

Ecuadorian Music circa 1976-1978

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Greg Shoom, for this recording of music from the late 1970s. Greg describes the recording:

"This is a compilation of Ecuadorian and perhaps other South American music recorded on shortwave in the late 1970s (1976-1978 time-frame I think). Mostly from HCJB in Quito, Ecuador. I listened regularly to their DX Partyline program back then, and they usually included one piece of Ecuadorian music on each episode. I think most of these songs come from there. Sorry that I don't have any record of station IDs, song titles, dates, times, or frequencies for this recording."

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below.  Please subscribe to our podcast to receive future recordings automatically.

HCJB 45th Anniversary Program: December 25, 1976

HCJB radio station staff in 1946, including engineer Clayton Howard (front row left), co-founder Clarence Jones (front row right) and future HCJB president Abe Van Der Puy (front row, fourth from left) -- Source: Wikipedia

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Greg Shoom, for this 1976 recording of HCJB's 45th Anniversary. This is a special program was broadcast on Christmas Day of 1976 to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the founding of HCJB.

Greg made this recording from Kingston, Ontario, Canada, on December 25, 1976 at 02:30 UTC on 6095 kHz. 

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Please subscribe to our podcast to receive future recordings automatically.

MAC Shortwave: April 27, 2014

For your listening pleasure: over one hour of the pirate radio station, MAC Shortwave. 

I recorded this broadcast on April 27, 2014 starting around 00:05 UTC, on 6,950 kHz AM. This broadcast features host "Jimmy Stewart" who plays a set of big band music. 

Simply click here to download an MP3 of the recording, or listen via the embedded player below:

Shortwave Radio Interval Signals 1976-77

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Greg Shoom, who shares this recording of interval signals from 1976-1977. He has kindly logged the interval signals as:

• Deutsche Welle

• R. Nederland

• Voice Mirror of the PTT Habana, Cuba

• Voice of Spain

• History of R. Nederland's interval signal

• R. Nederland Arabic service

• Unidentified interval signal 2

• R. Canada International

• R. Nacional de Brasilia

• Interval signal history from R. Nederland

• R. RSA

• Voice of Iran

• R. Habana Cuba

• BBC Spanish Service

• Voice of Turkey

Recorded 1976 and 1977 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3 or simply listen via the embedded player below. Please subscribe to our podcast to receive future recordings automatically.

Kol Israel, intro to Spanish language program: circa 1990

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Luis Valderas, who shares this short recording: an introduction to Kol Israel's Spanish language service.

This recording was made on a portable Philips radio with telescopic antenna. Though the exact date is unknown, Luis has noted the frequency as 17,630 kHz and time of day as 23:30 UTC:

HCJB DX Partyline: Dec. 7, 1976

The grounds of radio station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador (Source: Mschaa)

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Greg Shoom, who has shared this recording of the program DX Partyline on HCJB, Quito, Ecuador.

This recording was made in Kingston, Ontario, Canada on Dec. 7, 1976 between 0230-0300 UTC, on 6095 kHz.

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

Voice of Iran: December 5, 1976

Golestan Palace, the seat of Qajar kings, a Unesco World Heritage Site (Image: Public Domain)

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Greg Shoom for this 1976 recording of the Voice of Iran.

Greg notes:

"This recording might be of historical interest. It is the Voice of Iran from December 1976, three years before the revolution in Iran that overthrew the Shah and established the current Islamic Republic. The recording is of the full half-hour broadcast and includes the news, some Iranian music, and a segment on falconry as a sport. There is some occasional interference from single-sideband station."

This VOI recording was made on December 5, 1976 at 20:00 UTC on 9,022 kHz.

You can download the recording as an MP3 by clicking here, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Please subscribe to our podcast to receive future recordings automatically.

Radio Berlin International final broadcast: October 2, 1990

Many thanks to Keith Perron who has shared this recording of Radio Berlin International's final English language broadcast. 

This recording was made on October 2, 1990:

Radio Moscow, Soviet Viewpoint: circa 1980s

Many thanks to Keith Perron, for this short studio recording of Soviet Viewpoint from the Radio Moscow English language service. 

This episode focuses on the reduction of nuclear weapons and a Soviet/US summit. We do not have an exact date of this studio recording--please comment if you believe you know which summit they mention in the broadcast.

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

Shortwave Compilation, circa 1977

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Greg Shoom, who submits this recording: a compilation of clips from various shortwave stations, circa 1977. Greg didn't note specific dates, times, nor frequencies when he originally made the recording, but he has notes some details of the clips included:

Shortwave Compilation, Early 1977

• Transworld Radio - Interval signal and ID.
• Radio Veritas ID, as heard on Radio Nederland.
• Radio Nederland - The story of Radio Nederland's French language service interval signal (in English).
• Radio Nederland - Clip about interference in Scandinavia from Soviet over-the-horizon radar on shortwave.
• Radio Santa Fe ID. Probably from Radio Santa Fe, HJAF, Bogota, Colombia, which used to operate on 4965 kHz. I don't know if this was my recording of this ID, or one I heard on a DX program.
• Radio Nederland - French language service interval signal and ID.
• Unidentified utility interval signal.
• Radio Alvorada da Londrina, Brazil ID - heard on Radio Nederland.
• BBC World Service - Interval signal and ID in Portuguese.
• Radio Nederland - Story of Radio Nederland's official tune.
• Disturbing trends in DXing - From HCJB's DX Partyline show.

Greg made these recordings with either a Sony CRF-5090 or Realistic DX-160. All recordings were made in early 1977 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

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

Radio Nederland ("Happy Station Show"), "Why Join a DX Club?", LW Beacons: December 27, 1976

Greg Shoom used a Sony CRF-5090. (Photo courtesy of Universal Radio)

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Greg Shoom, who submits this recording which includes Radio Nederland's Happy Station Show from December 27, 1976.  Greg writes:

"This is the first of a set of DX cassette tapes I made back in the late 1970s. Most of it is a recording of the broadcast of the Christmas 1976 edition of the Happy Station program on Radio Nederland.

Following that is a short segment "Why join a DX club?" (broadcaster, date, and frequency of recording unknown), and a few minutes of longwave beacons."

He also includes the playlist/log with notes:

DX Tape 01

1. "Happy Station" - R. Nederland English language show, Host: Tom Meyer, Dec. 27, 1976, 6165 kHz, 0200-0320 UTC,  SINPO 44444 
2. "Why Join a DX Club?" 
3. IDs: Q, Y, P, W, M, YGK (Longwave beacons) 

Greg made these recordings from 1976-1977 with his Sony CRF-5090 portable radio in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Remember, you can download all of the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive as a podcast by subscribing to our iTunes or RSS feed. 

If you can help ID the broadcast, "Why Join a DX Club?" please comment!

The Shortwave Shindig: March 15, 2014

Every year at the Winter SWL Fest in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, radio producer David Goren hostsThe Shortwave Shindig, a live event that celebrates the art and culture of long distance listening. This year, for the first time, the Shortwave Shindig was broadcast live on shortwave. The Shindig signed on for one hour at 10:00 ET (02:00 UTC) on 7,570 kHz via WRMI's new Okeechobee facility. 

Last week, I asked readers on my blog, The SWLing Post, if they could record the Shortwave Shindig.  I received two shortwave recordings and one FM recording--I will add others to this post as they arrive.

Matthew Williams took this photo of his TS-590S and Grundig G3 while recording the Shortwave Shindig.

Our first recording comes from Matthew Williams who recorded the show on his Kenwood TS-590 with an 80 meter doublet antenna in New Paltz, NY:

Ed McCorry made the following recording at his home in Willow Spring, NC. He used an ICOM R-75 with a 120 ft. longwire antenna:

"The Professor" recorded this FM broadcast from inside the hotel where the Winter SWL Fest was held. Evidently, an in-house pirate radio FM station was relaying the broadcast:

KOL Israel: February 26, 1969

Kol Israel QSL card (Source: http://shortwavedxer.blogspot.com/2011/09/kol-israel.html)

This 1969 recording of Kol Israel comes from contributor, Greg Barman, who writes:

Prime Minister, Levi Eshkol (Source: Wikipedia)

"Shortwave listening was an active hobby in my youth and I have a few recording from that time. This was part of a series of experimental shortwave broadcasts from Kol Israel directed to the US and Canada. Reception quality at my location in the Chicago suburbs was generally good. This broadcast includes news about the death of Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol."

Greg used his Knight-Kit Star Roamer receiver with an outdoor long wire antenna.

This recording was made on February 26, 1969 at 04:00 GMT on 9,009 kHz, received and
recorded in Evanston, IL. 

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

beHAVior Night: February 28, 2014

For your listening pleasure: beHAVior Night, a shortwave radio show, relayed by WBCQ, dedicated to showcasing music from the first four decades of the 20th Century.

This show was recorded on 7,490 kHz, starting at 22:00 UTC on February 28, 2014:

Radio Australia: circa 1969

Radio Australia's Shepparton transmission site (Photo: ABC)

Many thanks to David Firth, who is kindly sharing shortwave radio recordings he made on reel-to-reel recording equipment in the late 1960s. Firth is uncovering and digitizing these off air recordings as time allows and, thanks to his generosity, we will be posting these recordings on the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.

The following is a recording of Radio Australia, which Firth recorded in 1969.

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

beHAVior Night: February 7, 2014

Image Source

For your listening pleasure: beHAVior Night, a shortwave radio show, relayed by WBCQ, dedicated to showcasing music from the first four decades of the 20th Century.

This show was recorded on 7,490 kHz, starting at 22:00 UTC on February 7, 2014.

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

Radio Peking: circa 1968

Many thanks to David Firth, who is kindly sharing shortwave radio recordings he made on reel-to-reel recording equipment in the late 1960s. Firth is uncovering and digitizing these off air recordings as time allows and, thanks to his generosity, we will be posting these recordings on the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.

The following is a recording of Radio Peking, which Firth recorded in 1968.

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