Recording 1 -The 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt (BBC/Radio Moscow): August 19, 1991

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Poster of the putsch of August 1991. The confrontation between the Republican Russian Government and the Union State Government the USSR (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Poster of the putsch of August 1991. The confrontation between the Republican Russian Government and the Union State Government the USSR (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Jack Widner, who shares this recording that includes coverage of the August 19, 1991 Soviet Coup Attempt. Jack shares the following recording notes:

  • Reports from BBC, radio Moscow, and a snip at the end of Czech Radio announcing the end of the state of emergency
  • Radio Moscow--Slight interruption at 5:15-30
  • BBC 05:30 - 12:46
  • Radio Moscow 12:47 -- note the news item on Yugoslavia of Slovenia's independence moves 18:25.  This was the beginning of the dissolution of Yugoslavia
  • BBC 20:08
  • Radio Moscow 26:16 "News & Views"
  • BBC 27:10
  • Radio Moscow World service 28:11
  • Their interval signal at 38:03 the news that Gorbachev is back in control
  • BBC 40:24
  • Moscow 46:33
  • Radio Prague (?) 46:56 announces end of state of emergency

Shortwave Radio 1974: Canada, Argentina, Spain, West Germany, Albania, utility stations

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Many thanks to SRAA Contributor, Brian D. Smith (W9IND), who notes:

Want to know what shortwave radio sounded like in 1974? This 55-minute recording, recovered from a cassette, was never intended to be anything but "audio notes": I was an 18-year-old shortwave listener who collected QSL cards from international stations, and I was tired of using a pen and a notepad to copy down details of the broadcasts. I wanted an easier way to record what I heard, and my cassette tape recorder seemed like the perfect means to accomplish that goal. 
But it wasn't. I soon discovered that it was simpler to just edit my notes as I was jotting them down — not spend time on endless searches for specific information located all over the tape. To make a long story shorter, I abandoned my "audio notes" plan after a single shortwave recording: This one.  
Still, for those who want to experience the feel of sitting at a shortwave radio in the mid-1970s and slowly spinning the dial, this tape delivers. Nothing great in terms of sound quality; I was using a Hallicrafters S-108 that was outdated even at the time. And my recording "technique" involved placing the cassette microphone next to the radio speaker.
Thus, what you'll hear is a grab bag of randomness: Major shortwave broadcasting stations from Canada, Argentina, Spain, Germany and Albania; maritime CW and other utility stations; and even a one-sided conversation involving a mobile phone, apparently located at sea. There are lengthy (even boring) programs, theme songs and interval signals, and brief IDs, one in Morse code from an Italian Navy station and another from a Department of Energy station used to track shipments of nuclear materials. And I can't even identify the station behind every recording, including several Spanish broadcasts (I don't speak the language) and an interview in English with a UFO book author. 
The following is a guide, with approximate Windows Media Player starting times, of the signals on this recording. (Incidentally, the CBC recording was from July 11, 1974 — a date I deduced by researching the Major League Baseball scores of the previous day.)
GUIDE TO THE RECORDING
0:00 — CBC (Radio Canada) Northern and Armed Forces Service: News and sports. 
7:51 — RAE (Radio Argentina): Sign-off with closing theme
9:14 — Department of Energy station in Belton, Missouri: "This is KRF-265 clear."
9:17  — Interval signal: Radio Spain.
9:40 —  New York Radio, WSY-70 (aviation weather broadcast)
10:22 — Unidentified station (Spanish?): Music.
10:51— Unidentified station (English): Historic drama with mention of Vice President John Adams, plus bell-heavy closing theme.
14:12 — RAI (Italy), male announcer, poor signal strength.
14:20 — Unidentified station (Spanish): Theme music and apparent ID, good signal strength.
15:16 — Unidentified station (foreign-speaking, possibly Spanish): Song, "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep."  
17:00 — Deutsche Welle (The Voice of West Germany): Announcement of frequencies, theme song. 
17:39 — Unidentified station (English): Interview with the Rev. Barry Downing, author of “The Bible and Flying Saucers.” 
24:36 — One side of mobile telephone conversation in SSB, possibly from maritime location.
30:37 — Radio Tirana (Albania): Lengthy economic and geopolitical talk (female announcer); bad audio. Theme and ID at 36:23, sign-off at 55:03.
55:11 — Italian Navy, Rome: “VVV IDR3 (and long tone)” in Morse code.

Radio Canada International, Shortwave Listener's Digest: November 9, 1981

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Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Laskowski, who shares this 1981 recording of Radio Canada International's Shortwave Listeners Digest from November 9, 1981. Tom notes:

This is another from my archive of old recordings of Radio Canada International's Shortwave Listener's Digest. This episode contains Ian McFarland's editorial comment on the ANARC Convention of 1981; Steve Webster's Who's On The Air - Radio Kuwait; Larry Magne's final part of his interview with Perry Ferrell of Gilfer Shortwave; Glenn Hauser's DX news.

This recording starts at 2100 UTC on 15,325 kHz on November 9, 1981. The receiver was a Sony ICF-2001 and the location was South Bend, Indiana:

The rare 5 day existence of DXCR on 2654 Khz: September 11th, 1975

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Hello! I am Colin Newell, the new editorial assistant to Thomas Witherspoon of SWLing.com.

I have been DXing and SWLing since 1971 and have amassed something of an unusual audio archive going back to around 1975. In the upcoming months I will be sharing many of these snippets with our readers. Enjoy!

On September 11th, 1975 while tuning around for Papua New Guinea stations on my DX150B, I discovered a loud signal on 2654 Khz - playing bouncy big band and instrumental music. Much to my amazement, many station ID's would soon pop out of the noise. This would turn out to be one of the shortest lived shortwave broadcasters ever!

I believe I phoned a few DXer's out west to report this station but this is one of the only known recordings of this 2 X harmonic of a Philippines religious station (that had only been on the air 2 or 3 years. The 2nd harmonic on the "120 meter band" would live for another couple of days and be gone forever. One of the joys of Short-wave listening that has captivated me all these years is the pure randomness and unpredictability of the experience.

Like a box of chocolates... you never know what you are going to get!

BBC World Service report of Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster: January 28, 1986

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Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Laskowski, who submits these notes with his timely off-air recording of the BBC World Service from January 28, 1986:

Thirty years ago today the US Space program came crashing down with the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
I was a student at Purdue University at the time, living in a dormitory.
I decided to make some recordings knowing this would be a historic event.
This is a recording I made of the BBC on the evening of Jan 28 (0200 UTC on January 29). The frequency was most likely 5975 kHz or 9590 kHz.  The dorm environment didn't make a great place for SWL reception and the recording is noisy but still of decent quality.
Recorded using a Sony ICF-2001 with a wire attached to a window screen for an antenna.

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

Radio Canada International: November 2, 1981

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Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Laskowski, who notes:

Radio Canada International recorded on November 2, 1981. This is another from my archive of old recordings of Radio Canada International's Shortwave Listeners Digest. This contains part three of Larry Magne's interview with Perry Ferrel from Gilfer Shortwave, Glenn Hauser's DX tips and an item from Jonathan Marks about HAP. Recorded using my Sony ICF-2001 likely on 15.325 MHz around 2100 UTC. Again, the audio quality isn't the greatest. Enjoy!

Media Zoo tribute to Howard Rose: July 26, 2002

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Many thanks to SRAA contributor, David Malins, who notes:

This is a scheduled repeat of "The Media Zoo" tribute to Howard Rose (founder and editor of "The Radio Magazine"), re-airing archive footage of mainly radio discussion that Howard Rose was involved with. Received in South West Herefordshire, United Kingdom, using a Sharp Shortwave Radio Cassette Corder on 5935kHz Shortwave at 2200UTC approx. Presented by Eric Wiltshire in Riga transmitting the program at 100kW power.
Audio is semi-incomplete due to breakages in the tape, but is for the most part complete, with the intro added at the beginning of the recording that was repeated at least twice during the recording.
The recording in the main is full of banter from various broadcasters, discussing radio broadcasting as part of their tribute to the late Howard Rose, who was the founder and editor of the radio magazine - and being a custodian for promoting deregulation of the UK radio industry.

Voice of Mongolia in English: December 24, 2015

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Voice of Mongolia broadcasting in English to Southeast Asia.  Transmitted from Ulaanbaatar-Khonkhor at 250 kw.  Interval signal, sign on, news, music, a commentary on climate change in Mongolia, more music and sign off with schedule and addresses.  Received in Sydney, Australia, using a Degen DE1103 (the old, good one) and a 40 meter longwire.

Radio Canada International, Shortwave Listener's Digest: October 26, 1981

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Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Laskowski, who notes:

Radio Canada International recorded on October 26, 1981. This is another from my archive of old recordings of Radio Canada International's Shortwave Listeners Digest. This contains part two of Larry Magne's interview with Perry Ferrel from Gilfer Shortwave (part one aired on October 19, 1981, see previous program) and Glenn Hauser's DX tips. Recorded using my Sony ICF-2001 likely on 15.325 MHz around 2100 UTC. The audio quality isn't the greatest. Enjoy!