Voice of Korea (North) in English: June 4, 2017

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Voice of Korea (North) broadcasting in English, June 4, 2017, at 1330 GMT on shortwave frequency of 13760 kHz (transmitter power of 200 kW, transmitter location: Kujang, North Korea). Recording made in Europe using SONY ICF SW 77 receiver and 33m lonwire antenna with baloon hung around 4-5 meters above the earth level.
As heared clearly in this recording, the transmitter runs initially with no audio, carrier only, but soon an audio feed is switched on and off, indicating that usually audible annoying hum is not due to a faulty transmitter, but rather because of some problem with audio feed.

Radio Australia: June 20, 1987

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Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Laskowski, for the following recording of Radio Australia. Tom notes:

A program from Radio Australia called Talkback recorded in June 1987. This episode looked at the story of the closing of the Lyndhurst transmitter site. The program was titled "The Lyndhurst Special". I probably recorded this around 0400 UTC or later back when the nighttime frequency of 17795 kHz put in a good signal during the summer months at night. Enjoy.

Location: South Bend, IN, USA

Receiver: Sony ICF-2001

Radio France Internationale - Results of First and Second Rounds of Presidential Election: April 24 & May 8, 2017

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Live, off-air recordings of the special Radio France Internationale (RFI) broadcasts in English of the two rounds of the 2017 French presidential election on 24 April and 8 May 2017, both from 06:00 to 06:58 UTC. The broadcasts were transmitted from the TDF (Télédiffusion de France) facility at Issoudun, France, on 11905 kHz with a transmitter power of 500 kW and an antenna beam direction of 170°, towards Africa.   

The programs, special editions of "Paris Live," were devoted to the results of the first and second (run-off) rounds of the presidential election. The daily broadcast of "Paris Live" is the only RFI broadcast in English still transmitted by RFI on shortwave.   

The broadcasts were received by the Web-interface wideband software-defined radio at the University of Twente in Enschede, The Netherlands, with a "Mini-Whip" antenna in AM mode with 5.09 kHz total bandwidth RF filtering. Reception for the two broadcasts varied from fair to good with some noise and fading.
 

"Bye Bye Sitkunai" in English: April 16, 2017 on 7465 kHz

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Here is a shortwave recording of "Bye, bye Sitkunai", programme commemorating Sitkunai, Lithuanian broadcasting center currently subjected to close-down procedures (also known due to its mediumwave transmissions of foreign stations, including Radio Liberty in Russian on 1386 kHz with a power of 75kW).
The transmission recorded is a broadcast beamed on April 16, 2017 at 1800-1900 GMT via ERV transmitter site on 7465 kHz with the power of 100 kW, 330 degr towards NoEurope.
Recording made using Twente web SDR receiver located in the Netherlands, Europe

Radio Nederland Wereldomroep 70th Anniversary Broadcast: April 15, 2017

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Off-air recording of the live broadcast "Radio Nederland Wereldomroep 70 jaar" by former staff members of Radio Nederland Wereldomroep from an original outside broadcast van at the Schagen Car Museum as transmitted by Shortwave Service (shortwaveservice.com) in Euskirchen, near Bonn, Germany, using several transmitters at Kall-Krekel, Germany, on 15 April 2017 from 09:00 to 16:00 UTC. The recording is in two parts: the first, from 09:00 to 13:00 UTC on 6005 kHz and the second from 13:13 to 16:00 UTC on 3985 kHz. Both transmitters have a power of 1 kW with essentially non-directional antennas.

The program, celebrating the 70th anniversary of Radio Nederland Wereldomroep (RNW), was produced and presented by former employees and is mostly in Dutch but with several English segments including archive material from Radio Nederland. After a couple of minutes of setting up, the RNW interval signal can be heard before the actual broadcast begins as was the case for all RNW broadcasts and it ends, also according to custom, with "Het Wilhelmus," the Dutch national anthem. There is a gap in the recording between 13:00 and 13:13 UTC after switching frequencies and there are some occasional audio dropouts during the broadcast. A report on the broadcast (in Dutch) can be found here:
http://www.mediapages.nl/nieuws-actueel/3180-foto-s-radio-nederland-70-jaar.  

The broadcast was received by the Web-interface wideband software-defined radio at the University of Twente in Enschede, The Netherlands, with a "Mini-Whip" antenna in AM mode with 5.09 kHz total bandwidth RF filtering. Reception varied during the seven hours from very good to fair with some noise and fading.

Voice of Turkey: April 17, 2017 referendum results (English then German LS)

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The Voice of Turkey recorded shortly after the "official," though contested, April 16 2017 referendum. The following recording starts around 2315 UTC and begins with the end of the English language service (at marker 14:00). The German language service follows. This recording was made on 9830 kHz with a WinRadio Excalibur and sky loop antenna in North Carolina, USA.

Here is an additional recording of the referendum results broadcast by Richard Langley. This Voice of Turkey broadcast recording begins a minute or so before 22:00 UTC on a frequency of 9830 kHz. The signal originates from a 500 kW transmitter in Emirler, near Ankara, Turkey, and was beamed 310° to Europe and North America. By the way, the announced broadcast schedule at the beginning of the broadcast was incorrect while that at the end of the broadcast was correct.

The broadcast was received indoors on an Eton Grundig Field BT receiver with its built-in whip antenna in Hanwell (just outside Fredericton), New Brunswick, Canada, in AM mode with narrow-band RF filtering. Reception was generally good with some radio-teletype interference at the start of the broadcast.

ABC Alice Springs Outback Radio Service on 4.835 MHz on Last Day of Shortwave Broadcasting: January 30, 2017

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Live, off-air, two-hour recording of some of final day of shortwave transmissions by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC's) Northern Territory (NT) Outback Radio service on 30 January 2017 (UTC). This recording of station VL8A on 4835 kHz begins just before 18:30 UTC or 04:00 Australian Central Standard Time (ACST) on 31 January. VL8A relayed the ABC Local Radio AM station 8AL on 783 kHz in Alice Springs from a 50 kW transmitter at Alice Springs with a non-directional antenna beam.    

The recording includes part of ABC Local Radio's "ABC Radio Overnights" program with host Lisa Pellegrino and news bulletins.

Two other NT shortwave transmitters were located at Katherine (VL8K) and Tennant Creek (VL8T).

ABC ceased all NT shortwave transmissions shortly after 02:30 UTC on 31 January 2017 or noon, ACST. 
 
The broadcast was received by the Web-interface wideband software-defined radio at the University of Twente in Enschede, The Netherlands, with a "Mini-Whip" antenna in AM mode with 5.08 kHz total bandwidth RF filtering. Reception was generally poor with a lot of noise but with much of the audio understandable especially when using headphones. The poor quality is understandable given the non-directional transmission and the long propagation path.
 

First Nine Hours of Radio Australia on 12.065 MHz on Last Day of Shortwave Broadcasting: January 30, 2017

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The front of a Radio Australia QSL card received for a report on reception in Toronto of a transmission on 11840 kHz at 19:30 UTC on 23 December 1964.

The front of a Radio Australia QSL card received for a report on reception in Toronto of a transmission on 11840 kHz at 19:30 UTC on 23 December 1964.

Live, off-air, nine-hour recording of some of the final shortwave transmissions of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC's) external service, Radio Australia, on 30 January 2017. This recording of the signal on 12065 kHz begins at 08:59 UTC and has been split into one-hour segments. The signal originated from a 100 kW transmitter at Shepparton, in northern Victoria, with an antenna beam azimuth of 355°. 

Sign-on of the transmitter occurred at about 08:59 UTC. Following an announcement about ABC Radio National programs, the first half-hour of programming is in Tok Pisin or New Guinea Pidgin and this was the last Radio Australia program in this language to be transmitted on shortwave. Various other Radio Australia and Radio National programs follow. There is an item on the termination of Radio Australia shortwave broadcasts in the news bulletin at 16:00 UTC.

The 12065 kHz frequency was used until 20:58 UTC, when the transmitter was switched to another frequency. 

Radio Australia ceased all shortwave transmissions shortly after 01:00 UTC or noon, Australian Eastern Daylight Time, on 31 January 2017.
 
The broadcast was received by the Web-interface wideband software-defined radio at the University of Twente in Enschede, The Netherlands, with a "Mini-Whip" antenna in AM mode with 5.08 kHz total bandwidth RF filtering. Reception varied from poor to fair during the nine hours recorded.
 

Shortwave Shindig and Short Waves / Long Distance via WRMI: March 11, 2017

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Live recording of the repeat broadcast of the North American Shortwave Association's Winter SWL Fest "Shortwave Shindig" and Wave Farm's "Short Waves / Long Distance" programs by WRMI, Radio Miami International, using a transmitter at Okeechobee, Florida, on 11 March 2017 from 03:00 to 06:00 UTC on a shortwave frequency of 9395 kHz. The listed transmitter power is 100 kW with an antenna beam azimuth of 355°. The recording begins and ends with the WRMI station identification.

The first hour of the broadcast is of the live program "Shortwave Shindig" as recorded at the 30th Annual Winter SWL Fest held in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, 2–4 March 2017. The following two hours are of the program "Short Waves / Long Distance," a montage of shortwave-based audio works compiled by Wave Farm in celebration of its 20th anniversary. The Wave Farm program ends with the digital transmission of an image in MFSK32-mode centred on 1500 kHz.     

The programs were first broadcast live on 4 March 2017 but due to poor propagation conditions, reception throughout North America was poor or nonexistent and so the programs were rebroadcast.

The broadcast was received outdoors on a Tecsun PL-880 receiver with a Tecsun AN-03L 7-metre wire antenna in Hanwell (just outside Fredericton), New Brunswick, Canada, in AM mode with 5 kHz RF filtering. Reception varied from fair to good during the three-hour broadcast with no interference. Some passages during the "Short Waves / Long Distance" program have low audio levels.
 

Listeners record final moments of the Radio Australia shortwave service: January 31, 2017

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Many thanks to all of the SRAA contributors who have shared their recordings of the final moments of Radio Australia. Below, you'll find a number of recordings from around the world.

If you have a recording you would like to share, please submit it to us and we'll add your recording.

The first SRAA contributor, Mark Fahey, lives near Sydney, Australia. Mark recorded the shortwave service and RA satellite feed simultaneously. Mark shares the following recordings and notes:

Recording 1
This is RA’s final few minutes on shortwave – it was recorded on 17840kHz.
The file picks up the regular program ending, then into a Promo for RA “Pacific Beat” (a Pacific current affairs program), then the classic RA Interval Signal then the transmitter clicks off and the void is heard.
Recording 2
The file starts at exactly the same time as the first file, but in this example we are monitoring the Network Feed from Intelsat 18 at 180.0 degrees east (above the equator right on the international date line). This satellite feed is the way Radio Australia gets to the network of FM Transmitters they have scatted around the Pacific Region (which is why they feel they don’t need shortwave anymore for – most populated areas of Radio Australia’s target area now is covered by a network of Radio Australia FM transmitters).

Ian P notes:

Recorded from A Global Tuner in Broome, WA, Australia
Receiver: Icom PCR-1000 Antenna: Discone
Last 30 Minutes Of Radio Australia On Short Wave

Phil Brennan writes:

I managed to catch the last 45 seconds of the NT ABC broadcast on 5025 kHz. Unfortunately it's from my phone and not of great quality, but it may be the only recording of it given the time of day and propagation conditions.
Click here to view on YouTube.

Dan Hawkins writes:

I set up the 909X (also my favorite travel radio) on a chair in a backyard and ran the little ANT-60 reel-up antenna up to a pear tree. This is a recording of Radio Australia Pacific Service on 17840 kHz that includes the last top of the hour newscast at midnight, 1-31-2017 UTC. It includes promos, an ID and a news story on the shortwave closure. Less than a hour later there was no more RA on shortwave. RA came in very well for northern California on several frequencies. Conditions were fantastic for this one considering the 7,800 mile transmission distance. Birds and traffic are also heard in this hand-held field recording. I didn’t bring the tripod. I’ll miss Radio Australia, but I still have excellent reception of RNZI.