Renegade Radio

Friday night (late) I caught Renegade Radio on 6.93 MHz in the upper side band. Renegade's signal was consistently clear for unusually noisy conditions, though the station was occasionally plagued with transmitter problems.  I did not edit these out in the recording because dead air never exceeded a few minutes. So, if you hear dead air, simply fast-foward a minute or two. Total broadcast exceeds one hour and, near the end, Renegade informs us that his transmitter was getting hot.  I'll bet: I don't know Renegade's set-up, but many pirates use modified ham radio transceivers that were never intended for those 100% duty cycles, often at full power. Keeps a pirate warm on a winter night, though!

Feel free to listen to the recording of Renegade Radio in the embedded player below, or right click and save this link to download the MP3 directly:

All India Radio (on the Bonito RadioJet)

After posting my latestAll India Radio recording, SWLing Post reader, Pete, suggested that I check out their broadcasts starting around 21:00 UTC on 11,670 and 9,445 kHz, as they are quite strong into North America. He was right.

On Thursday afternoon, I tuned the Bonito RadioJet to 9,445 kHz, where I was greeted with a strong signal from AIR's Bengaluru, India, transmitter site (over 8,500 miles from my home). I compared the signal on the RadioJet with that of my trusty WinRadio Excalibur to find that the RadioJet's audio was somewhat fuller and richer. In situations where AM sync detection is not needed, I may start using the RadioJet for recordings. I've been using it strategically over the past few months for DRM reception and digging weak stations out of the static--something I typically don't record, but probably should, as the RadioJet deserves even more air and recording time!

I recorded this AIR broadcast on Thursday January 10th–around 21:30 UTC–on 9.445 MHz. This particular broadcast features news, commentary and the wonderful music I've come to expect from All India Radio. You can download the MP3 by clicking here, or simply listen in the embedded player below. Enjoy!

NHK World Radio Japan

This past weekend, I recorded several stations on the 25 meter band, including (recently posted) All India Radio and Radio Nacional da Amazonia. Though I noted Radio Nacional's booming signal into North America, Radio Japan's audio fidelity was simply amazing; very clear, no sign of transmitter hum nor distortion, and only the slightest QSB. Their signal emanated from the Montsinery site in French Guiana--a mere stone's throw away in the shortwave world. I recorded a little over an hour of their broadcast on 11.935 MHz, January 6th, 2013 starting around 02:30 UTC. The recording features Japanese commentary and a variety of music--it starts with the show tune Memory from the 1981 Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats.

Click here to download the MP3 of the recording, or listen below:

All India Radio

On of my favorite shortwave stations for music, besides Voice of Greece, is All India Radio (AIR). Since their broadcasts originate on the other side of the planet (from my location), their signal bounces off the ionosphere many times before I ever hear it. I actually like the result of this; the static of space makes their already beautiful music sound even more textured, enhancing the distance of its source, and heightening the music's sense of mystery and nostalgia. I recorded this AIR broadcast on Sunday, January 6th–around 02:30 UTC–on 11.74 MHz. You can download the MP3 by clicking here, or simply listen in the embedded player below. Enjoy!

Rádio Nacional da Amazônia

This past weekend, Radio Nacional da Amazonia had a booming signal into North America on 11,780 kHz. I recorded their broadcast throughout the night, assuming it would eventually fade; however, it did not. So, if you're in the mood for some Brazilian music and commentary today, this eight-hour recording of Radio Nacional da Amazonia should satisfy.

This was recorded on Sunday, January 6th–starting around 02:30 UTC–on 11.78 MHz. Click here to download the full recording as an MP3 file (276 MB!), or listen in the embedded player below:

Note to those subscribed to our podcast: I was a bit reluctant to include a link to the podcast feed as this file is so large; I rarely make eight-hour recordings. I did offer it up, however, based on the fact that there are so many other podcasters who regularly serve up files in excess of 250 MB. If you believe this file is too large to be included as a podcast, please comment; I certainly don't want to choke up your bandwidth or overwhelm your iPod!  But it's wonderful listening.

Radio Nacional Argentina

Last night, the 25 and 19 meter bands were alive with signals from across the globe into the early morning hours. I recorded several broadcasters, including Radio Nacional da Amazonia, Radio Japan, All India Radio and Radio Nacional Agentina who had a strong signals into North America. In this recording of Radio Nacional Argentina you'll hear Spanish commentary and a variety of music (including The Beatles). Recorded on Sunday, January 6th–around 02:30 UTC–on 15.345 MHz.

Click here to download the MP3 of the recording, or listen below:

Voice of Greece music

For your listening pleasure: ninety minutes of music, and a little Greek commentary, from the Voice of Greece. Recorded on Friday, January 4th--around 22:00 UTC--on 9.42 MHz. Click here to download the MP3 of the recording, or listen below:

Radio Exterior de Espana rings in 2013 with a dance music marathon

For a broadcaster that was rumored to be extinguished last year, REE sure knows how to ring in the new year. I managed to record hours of their live broadcast over the 31 and 49 meter bands. The first recording starts at 00:00 UTC (Jan, 1st 2013) on 9.535 MHz following a few seconds of the REE interval signal.  I then moved my spectrum recording lower in the band and was able to hear them on 6.125 MHz despite very strong adjacent signals. I recorded over three hours on 6.123 MHz before starting a new recording for the remaining 2 hours of their broadcast.

You can also listen to the recordings in the embedded player below (though they are listen in reverse order, chronologically):

Dit Dah Radio

Being a fan of Morse code (or CW), I have a special affinity for pirates that use "the sacred language" in their broadcasts.

Last night, around 00:30 UTC (only a few minutes after WKND began broadcasting) I heard Morse Code on 6.935 MHz USB.

If you, too, love Morse code, you'll love "Dit Dah Radio;" after their preamble in Morse code, they follow with The Capris' 1960's hit, Morse Code of Love.

You can download the full recording as an MP3 file by clicking here, or listen via the embedded player below:

WKND

The holidays are a great time to listen for pirates on the shortwave spectrum. Since many pirates are on holiday leave from their day jobs, they have a little more time to broadcast.

Last night, the first pirate I heard was WKND on 9,625 kHz AM.

His station was quite clear, but modulation, perhaps, a tad low. Other noises, including Spanish SSB, can be heard in the background.

Click here to download the full MP3 recording of WKND, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Saturday Night Country takes you 'down under' for the holidays

If you've been reading the SWLing Post for long, you'll know how much I love ABC's Saturday Night Country, which I tune to every Saturday morning starting on 9,580 kHz.

Yesterday, host Felicity Urquhart produced another great mix of interviews and music, including some uniquely Australian Country Christmas songs.

You can download the recordings of the show as MP3s by clicking here for the first hour of Saturday Night Country on 9,580 kHz and here for the rest of the show on 11,945 kHz, or by simply listening via the embedded player below:

Liquid Radio

Last weekend, I also managed to record the shortwave radio pirate known as Liquid Radio--perhaps best known for their activity on the FM spectrum and on the web. Liquid Radio's format couldn't be more different than our last pirate recording from Radio Casablanca; Liquid Radio plays a trance/techno/dance mix. Their last broadcast was nearly three hours long, and you'll hear how fickle the propagation was as the signal waxes and wanes. I started recording their AM signal on 6.94 MHz around 4:00 UTC on Dec 16th.

You can click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen in the embedded player below:

Radio Casablanca

On Sunday, December 17th, around 22:00 UTC, I happened to pick up the last thirty minutes of Radio Casablanca; a pirate that plays a nostalgic mix of music from the 1930's and 1940's. They were broadcasting on 6939 kHz in AM. Close your eyes, and you can imagine what it must have sounded like back in the day Phyllis Jeanne Creore Westerman graced the shortwaves.

You'll hear me tweaking the receiver in the first three minutes while, in the background, I was entertaining my children. I though about cutting it out but, on second thought, simply uploaded it as-is. I switched from a very wide AM bandwidth to AM sync and then AM sync with only the lower sideband (to kill some noise in the upper side band) after adjusting the center slightly below 6940 kHz.

I love how the recording starts on a tone and then morphs into Close as Pages in a Book by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra.

You can download the MP3 by clicking here, or simply listen in the embedded player below:

Wolverine Radio

Wolverine Radio's upper side band signal came in loud and clear last Sunday (December 9, 2012) sometime around 2:25 UTC on 6940 kHz. Another great mix of music, complete with their interval signal. It seems that their broadcast ended abruptly--no eQSL to decode at the end. Still, signal strength was quite good, as I've come to expect from this HF pirate.

Click here to download an MP3 of the entire show, or simply listen in the embedded Archive.org player below:

True Classic Rock Radio

Last weekend, I caught a shortwave pirate I'd never heard before: True Classic Rock Radio. Well, at least I'm pretty confident that's their name. When I first heard their ID I couldn't confirm it, but when I passed the clip to my buddy Andrew, he nailed it.

Funny thing is, when I go back and listen to the station ID now (check it out around 17:30, and then again at the end of transmission) it sounds so obvious.

This short broadcast includes some great classic rock and ends with Hendrix. I didn't note the exact time they began to broadcast, but I heard them on between 3:00-4:00 UTC, on 6,925 kHz AM, December 8, 2012. Click here to download the mp3 directly, or listen through our Archive.org player:

Radio Australia: Saturday Night Country

Yesterday, like most Saturday mornings, I sipped my coffee while listening to ABC's Saturday Night Country from Radio Australia's Shepparton shortwave transmission site on 9.58 MHz. In this program, SNC's host, Felicity Urquhart, shuffled in some holiday tunes with her normal mix of country music, news and interviews. Fortunately, I captured the whole show in two recordings (starting on 9.58 MHz for the first hour, then moving to 11.945 MHz for the rest of the show).

Enjoy:

Voice of Greece music

For your listening pleasure: over three hours of music, and a little Greek commentary, from the Voice of Greece. Recorded on  November 26th, on 9.42 MHz. In the last half of the recording, after an adjacent station went off the air, the audio fidelity is simply amazing--especially for a station over 5000 miles from my receiver.

Click here to download the MP3 of the recording, or listen below:

Need more Voice of Greece music in your day? Click here for more.

Voice of Greece and hours of music

This past Friday and Saturday evenings I had an opportunity to record several hours of music from the Voice of Greece. I am continually amazed with the audio fidelity from a station that is well over 5,000 miles away. You can listen to the recordings below or download the mp3 files on Archive.org (who graciously hosts and archives all of our radio recordings).

The Mighty KBC

Once again, The Mighty KBC broadcast a two hour mix of music to the world on 9,500 kHz. Fortunately, I was able to record the entire broadcast--you can listen below. The KBC signal and audio out of their transmitter in Bulgaria were both excellent. There was very noticeable interference from the clandestine station, Radio Republica, who broadcasts at the same time (00:00-01:57 UTC) on 9,490 kHz.  According to my spectrum display, Republica's signal had a bandwidth of 20 kHz!  At times, I had to narrow my receiver filter to about 6.6 kHz and use a USB sync mode  to keep KBC's broadcast clear.  Still, you can certainly hear some of the noise from Radio Republica in the recording.

Since Radio Republica is broadcast from the US, I'm curious if listeners in other parts of the world (or other parts of North America) had the same problem. If so, please comment!  I'll pass this along to KBC.

You can download the entire broadcast as an mp3 by clicking here, or simply listen in the embedded player below:

Grizzly Bear Radio

A few weeks ago, I found a pirate I had never heard before: Grizzly Bear Radio. They quickly nullified my claim that Radio Appalachia was the only pirate I knew of that broadcasts bluegrass music. According to Grizzly Bear, they transmit from the northwest US, so the fact that I hear them at all speaks of good propagation and Grizzly Bear's antennas. At any rate, I did manage to capture almost their entire broadcast--nearly 5 hours!--on October 6th. Unlike many of my recordings, this one is faint at times and you'll have to listen through the static.  Still, this is what I enjoy about pirate radio, hearing some unique audio through the static. As grandpa used to say, this "builds listening skills."

You can download an mp3 of the full recording, or simply listen in the player embedded below.  Enjoy: