Voice of America: July 20, 1979

/

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Laskowski, who shares this recording of the Voice of America from July 20, 1979 at 0500 UTC on the 31 meter band. Tom notes:

The first 4:30 is from a VOA newscast that aired before the main part of the program. The main recording was presented on the 10th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. I enjoy listening to this every year on the landing anniversary.

Radio Progreso: August 31, 2015

/
(Image Source: konstriktio)

(Image Source: konstriktio)

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Richard Langley, who notes:

Live recording of Radio Progreso, Havana, Cuba, on 31 August 2015 beginning at about 01:10 UTC on a frequency of 4765 kHz. The signal originates from a 50 kW transmitter at Bauta, near Havana, with a non-directional antenna. 

The recording, in Spanish, begins with the program "Nocturno / Domingo de Selecciones de la Actualidad," a program of current music. At 13m:05s in the recording, there is a brief station identification ("RP") followed by a short news report and announcements of current cultural events in Havana. There is a full musical station identification at 18m:55s ("Radio Progreso, cadena nacional, la onda de la alegría, transmitiendo desde La Habana, Cuba, primera territorio libre en America"). At 19m:45s, the program "Ritmos Dominical" begins, an eclectic music program featuring selections by, among others, Nirvana and Ace of Base as well as traditional Cuban rhythms. The recording ends with the program still in progress.

The broadcast was received on a Tecsun PL-880 receiver with its built-in telescopic whip antenna in Key West, Florida, using an RF bandwidth of 5 kHz. Signal quality is generally good. Occasionally, there is slight interference from what is believed to be a radar signal.

Voice of Greece: November 15, 2013

/

I never know what to expect when I tune around on one of my shortwave radios.  Perhaps that's one of the things I find captivating about the medium; there's no playlist, no app, no content controls, other than the tuning knob.

Sometimes, I tune to a station, and it's as though I've just opened a door and walked in on a party--one in full swing, with dancing and incredible live music.

That's exactly what I felt when I tuned to the Voice of Greece on the night of November 15, 2013. I walked in on a party.  And I needed no invitation; I was welcomed there.

Hear it, just as I did, starting right in the middle of this party:

HCJB (Quito, Ecuador): July 19, 1979

/

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Laskowski, who sends us his first shortwave recording: HCJB Ecuador.

Tom recorded this broadcast, on 9 MHz starting around 0600 UTC on July 19, 1979 using a GE portable radio. Tom has informed us that he has a number of shortwave recordings on cassette that he will be sharing in the near future. Many thanks, Tom!

1991 cassette of shortwave IDs, interval signals and numbers stations

/

SWLing Post reader and SRAA contributor, Frank, writes from Germany:

First let me say that I enjoy your blog a lot.

After a 2005-13 hiatus, I have rediscovered a childhood hobby and your reviews have helped me find my way to the post-Sony portable shortwave radio markets.

First, I obtained my “childhood dream” radio (Sony ICF 2001D), because at the time I made these recordings I was still in school and 1300 DM would have equaled over 1 year of pocket money, so a Supertech SR16HN had to do. I thought I got some fine results with this Sangean-Siemens re-branded receiver then, using a CB half-length antenna, a random wire, and much endurance.

I kept regular logs throughout the years, wrote to 50 international and pirate stations for QSL and compiled this cassette.

A few years before I got that trusty SR16HN, however, I recorded a few number stations (such as G3, Four Note Rising Scale etc) with an ordinary radio cassette recorder, and in 1991 I put them onto this tape as well. The other recordings are done with the same radio placed right in front of the SR 16HN.

Feel free to make use of these recordings. Most of it are the well-known international state-owned shortwave stations of the past; plus European pirates; plus number stations; and at the end, a few (off-topic) local Am and FM stations interval signals.

As I said, this collection I made shortly after the Wende/reunification period, when all former-GDR state broadcasters changed their names, sometimes more than once.

Please continue your good work on the blogs! Weather permitting I am often outside cycling and always have the tiny Sony ICF 100 with me (which I call my then-student’s dream radio of the later 90ies).

Cassette Side 1

Cassette Side 2