Radio Thailand's English service recorded in London, UK on August 2, 2019 at 1900 UTC on the frequency of 9920 kHz using SDR#, AirSpy Mini, SpyVerter and DX Engineering NCC-1 phaser connected to two Wellbrook ALA1530S+ antennas (positioned indoors) to mitigate severe local man-made interference. The transmitter has a power rating of 250 kW and is located in Udon Thani, Thailand.
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Emilio Ruiz, who shares the following recording and notes:
With great emotion I participated in the reception (SWL) of the historic KPH station in the Night of Nights XX event (July 12th 2019)
I hope the recording will be useful for all the enthusiastic friends of the telegraphy and the radio.
Broadcaster: KPH
Date of recording: 7/12/2019
Starting time: 00:01:00
Frequency: 12.695,5 MHz
Location: Chiapas, Mexico (GRID: EK36kp)
Receiver and antenna: Kenwood R-600, antena longwire (10 meters aprox.) earth conection.
Mode: Morse Code
Live, off-air, approximately half-hour recording of the shortwave relay of Radio Jordan's domestic English service on 13 February 1991 starting around 21:35 UTC on 9560 kHz. The broadcast originated from a 500 kW transmitter at Al Karanah, about 50 km southeast of Amman, with an antenna beam direction nominally towards Europe and beyond.
The recording begins with a program of light music in progress. At about the 21-minute mark in the recoding, there is a time signal for 12:00 a.m. Jordan local time (22:00 UTC), which is followed by the final news summary of the day. The news summary includes Gulf War news including the lead item on the infamous American bombing of the Amiriyah air raid shelter earlier in the day. After the news summary, there is a sign-off announcement followed by the Jordanian national anthem.
The reception of this broadcast is unusual. Typically, the 9560 kHz frequency carried the Arabic international service in this time slot. In fact, that was what was monitored on the following day (14 February).
Reception of the broadcast was very good. During the national anthem, there were a number of skips in the audio with durations of around 0.1 seconds or less. Their origin is undetermined and may have been in the actual broadcast or a defect in the recording. Two files are supplied: the original recording and one with the gaps removed by processing software.
The broadcast was received in Hanwell, New Brunswick, Canada, using a Sony ICF-7600D receiver and supplied wire antenna draped around the listening room.
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Joshua Chambers, who shares the following recording and notes:
Broadcaster: Voice Of Turkey
Date of recording: 7/5/2019
Starting time: 22:00 UTC
Frequency: 9.860MHz
Location: DERBY, UNITED KINGDOM
Receiver and antenna: Airspy HF+ & SV2CZF TLA500C.2 Loop Antenna
Notes: Signal Varies Throughout the Broadcast, quality is hearable though for the most.
Apollo 11 Eagle (Image Source: NASA)
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Laskoski, who shares the following recording and notes:
I thought this might be an appropriate file to upload considering we are about to mark the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11. I recorded this program thirty years ago on July 20, 1989, the 20th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Omnibus takes a look back at the historic Apollo mission and how and why it happened. Another SWRAA program on Apollo 11 from VOA can be found at https://shortwavearchive.com/archive/voice-of-america-july-20-1979?rq=apollo
Starting time: about 0400 UTC
Frequency: 5.975 MHz
Location: South Bend, IN
Receiver: Sony ICF-2001
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Timothy Land, who shares the following recording of the final broadcast of PJB/Trans World Radio in Bonaire. Timothy included the following notes:
Date of recording: 6/30/1993
Starting time: Approximately 00:00 UTC
Frequency: 9.535 MHz
Reception location: Kingsport, Tennessee, USA
Receiver and antenna: Magnavox AE3805 with telescoping antenna
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Laskowski, who shares the following recording and notes:
Here are two more back to back episodes from my collection of recordings of Shortwave Listener's Digest from Radio Canada International, this time from May 15 and July 17, 1982.
This program's highlights are: A note on the upcoming ANARC convention in Montreal (which I attended), Adrian Peterson's report on mediumwave stations heard from Southern Asia, a follow-up question regarding Larry Magne's report on antennae for apartment dwellers, Glenn Hauser's DX news. The second program's highlights are: Harold Sellers with a report on clocks used for DXing, a final note on the ANARC convention with a rundown of the planned convention schedule, part one of discussion of undersea cables and Glenn Huaser's DX news.
Starting time: 2100
Frequency: 15.325 MHz
Location: South Bend, IN
Receiver used: Sony ICF-2001
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Bronwyn Cragg, who shares the following recording of the Voice of Korea from June 7, 2019 starting at 16:00 UTC on 11.645 MHz. Bronwyn made this recording using the WebSDR at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Bronwyn Cragg, who shares the following recording of the Voice of Korea from June 6, 2019 starting at 16:00 UTC on 11.645 MHz. Bronwyn made this recording using the WebSDR at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.
ANTARCTIC SEA ICE (BAS PHOTO)
A live, off-air, half-hour recording of the BBC World Service special Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast on 21 June 2019 beginning at 21:30 UTC. The broadcast, hosted by Cerys Matthews, featured special messages and music for the staff of the British Antarctic Survey overwintering in Antarctica. In addition to personal messages, there were messages from Princess Anne and Sir David Attenborough.
The recording is of the transmission on a frequency of 9455 kHz from the BBC's Woofferton, England, transmitting station (300 kW transmitter power, antenna beam 182 degrees). The transmission was received 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 2.3 kHz RF filtering. Reception was good with little noise and fading. Due to a slightly late sign-on, the first word of the program was clipped.
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Bronwyn Cragg, who shares the following recording of the Voice of Korea from June 11, 2019 starting at 16:00 UTC on 11.645 MHz. Bronwyn made this recording using the WebSDR at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Bronwyn Cragg, who shares the following recording of the Voice of Korea from June 13, 2019 starting at 16:00 UTC on 11.645 MHz. Bronwyn made this recording using the WebSDR at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Laskowski, who shares the following off-air recording and notes:
Here are two back to back episodes from my collection of recordings of Shortwave Listener's Digest from Radio Canada International, this time from March 13 and April 5, 1982. This program's highlights are: A promo for the upcoming 1982 European DX Council meeting, part one of Larry Magne's discussion of shortwave receiving antennas, Glenn Hauser's DX news, part two of Larry Magne's antenna discussion focusing on antennae for apartment dwellers, Who's on the Air featuring TIFC Cost Rica and finally Glenn Hauser's DX news.
Tom notes that this recording was made in South Bend, IN, using a Sony ICF-2001. This recording starts around 2100 UTC on March 13, 1982 on 15,325 kHz.
The following recording comes from the aircheck archives of The Professor—the late Michael Pool.
According to Michael’s notes, the following recording of the Voice of Korea was made on March 25, 2005 at 0300 UTC on 9345 kHz. The reception location was likely New York City. No other notes were included with this recording.
The following recording comes from the aircheck archives of The Professor—the late Michael Pool.
According to Michael’s notes, the following recording of RNW was made on September 4, 2007 at 0100 UTC on 9845 kHz. The reception location was likely New York City. No other notes were included with this recording.
After Amsterdam Forum, Michael does do some band-scanning on the shortwave bands, so there are a number of other broadcasters represented here.
Please note as well that the date was marked “04-09-07”. I believe this to be September 4 instead of April 9. If you can confirm otherwise, please comment!
The following recording comes from the aircheck archives of The Professor—the late Michael Pool.
According to Michael’s notes, the following recording of the Voice of Korea was made on March 24, 2005 at 0300 UTC on 9345 kHz. The reception location was likely New York City. No other notes were included with this recording.
The following recording was made by the late Michael Pool (The Professor) on July 7, 2007 with a Degen DE1103 in NYC. This recording (Part 1) was included in a post he had written on his blog, The Radio Kitchen. Click here to read this post in the SWLing Post Radio Kitchen Archive.
Here’s a description of this recording, written by The Professor. Note that the first recording was posted separately on the SRAA:
“[P]art two of this recording begins with the flip of the the tape. At the onset of this archive the interview is aborted in mid-sentence and a female announcer formally announces that Radio New Zealand International is closing on this frequency. After twice insisting that I “re-tune to six-zero-nine-five kilohertz in the forty-nine meter band” (followed by a clipped “This is New Zealand”), it all sounds so damn official that I felt compelled to follow the instructions. Although I knew that just because RNZI was booming in on 31 meters didn’t necessarily mean it would come in so strong (or might even be heard) on the 49 meter band.
You hear RNZI’s interval signal (the call of the New Zealand Bellbird) after the station ID, and then the signal at 9165kHz goes dead. I then put the tape deck on pause and punch up 6095 kHz on the Degen and release the pause button. And there it was! The call of the Bellbird is quite clear there as well, although a nearby signal is chewing on the edges of the reception a bit.
Whoever is running the board down there in the South Pacific was a little sloppy that night. After the interval signal the board-op starts to pot up the interview again (which is still running on one of the channels). But the mistake is corrected in a fraction of second, and it’s the news with Phil O’Brien. The lead story, a nationwide “Drunk Drive Blitz” the night before had netted over two-hundred inebriated kiwis on the highways down there. And an update on the aftermath of an unprecedented swarm of tornados that ravaged the North Island a couple of nights earlier.
After the news, it’s the beginning of a program I can barely believe I’m hearing in 2007. A faux flapper-era theme song launches a “nostalgia packed selection of favorites” that will saturate the skies of Oceania for the next four hours. While I love a lotta old music, the whole idea of “nostalgia” can get a little silly. Although I must say that old Joe Franklin used to pull it off with some charm on WOR here in New York City before he gave up the show a few years back. It’s really an approach to radio that’s all but dead here in the states. But apparently not in New Zealand.”
This recording was made on July 7, 2007 on 9615 kHz, then 6095 kHz, starting around 0658 UTC:
The following recording was made by the late Michael Pool (The Professor) on July 7, 2007 with a Degen DE1103 in NYC. This recording (Part 1) was included in a post he had written on his blog, The Radio Kitchen. Click here to read this post in the SWLing Post Radio Kitchen Archive.
Here’s a description of this recording, written by The Professor. Note that we will post the second recording in a separate post on the SRAA:
“This first bit is an interview with Canadian chemist and author Penny LeCouteur discussing her book about molecules that have changed the world. Of note here– the legacy of how James Cook and ascorbic acid made the south seas safe for European explorers and colonists.
Then the cassette came to an abrupt stop, and the part two of this recording begins with the flip of the the tape.”
This recording was made on July 7, 2007 on 9615 kHz starting around 0644 UTC:
Mexico City, Mexico (Photo by Jezael Melgoza @jezael)
For your listening pleasure: Radio Educación (XEPPM) from Mexico City. This recording was made on April 6, 2019 starting around 0058 UTC on 6,185 kHz. The receiver used was a WinRadio Excalibur hooked to a large horizontal delta loop antenna—the recording was made in North Carolina, USA.
This recording includes music and news—all in Spanish. Enjoy:
Many thanks to the Numbers Station Research and Information Center who have kindly allowed us to share their published article about a 1966 Spanish numbers station recording made by Don Hibschweiller. Many thanks to Mr. Hibschweiller for kindly allowing us to share his home recording here with the SRAA community.
(Source: Numbers Station Research and Information Center)
The most active period of numbers stations monitoring began in 1980s as in efforts by “Havana Moon” or William (Bill) Thomas Godbey, Simon Mason and writers and editors of the “Monitoring Times” journal. Our site has studied numbers stations monitoring in 1980s. The great activity of numbers stations DX and monitoring lead to creation of online based groups like Enigma and Numbers and Oddities in early 1990s. However, number stations did not appear in 1980s, they been around since at least 1914. In their oldest simple form they started as Morse code transmissions, then live voice readings and finally automated voice transmissions, not stopping there yet as digital mode transmissions also hides numbers groups within.
The period before 1980s,1950s and 1960s were very active in terms of espionage. Many declassified documents tell us about CIA and SIS operations in Baltic States, Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and elsewhere using Morse code messages. Then there is a case of Operation SOLO of FBI infiltration in the American Communist Party and Soviet secret service, where numbers transmissions from the Soviet Union were involved.
Numbers stations were in the air and there were people listening to them. So this brings to the subject of this article: a authentic tape recording of several transmissions of Spanish language Five Digit numbers station recorded in 1966.
The recording was made by Don Hibschweiler, who is currently a morning radio host on 90.1 WFYI Public Radio.
As Don describes “the broadcasts were daily at 1700 EST on 6.805 Mhz. The recording was made on July 20, 1966 at my listening post in West Central Indiana. There are Spanish numbers in groups of five. He always slowed down during the last set of numbers and then says something like, “Toonigh, toonigh”. I also heard one broadcast where the announcer made a mistake. The broadcast was repeated later with the same mistake and a weaker signal. I thought this meant the second broadcast was a recording of the first or both were recorded ahead of time. Also, the difference in signal strength may indicate the use of a directional antenna and/or a different transmitter power.”.
What we have here is a recording of supposedly male voice Spanish language numbers station. The technical issues and specifics of the broadcasts may point to Cuba. Cubans in 1980s to early 2010s used voiced five figure stations with characteristic“Atencion” at the start of the broadcast. This is was known as V02 and V02a before moving on to hybrid digital and voice station HM01 This station however has no such prefixes. It could be old predecessor to Antencion station. CIA was caught using four figure numbers station in Spanish language, so CIA involvement also cannot be ruled out.
Mr Don Hibschweiler came across this station after reading an article on “Electronics Illustrated” 1966 May issue.
The article is called “How to eavesdrop on real spies” featured real use of numbers stations and radio signal announcements as of case of Bay of Pigs invasion and the Rudolf Abel the Russian spy. It also featured some of the frequencies used by the numbers stations back then and the time of broadcast. Thanks to this journal Don was able to tune into this Spanish language number station.
The article points to various other numbers stations used in 1966. The German language station peculiarly plays “The March of the River Kwai” and classical music piece by Strauss as its interval signal. Such station has not been heard and any recording of such would be welcomed.
In the 1960s the first automatic voice machines were developed. In the decade they spread also to Eastern Block. Automated voice creation improved numbers stations as the errors made during live reading were common. Cuba also eventually started using automatic voice transmissions, but this 1966 recording still indicates live or pre-recorded broadcast.
This recorded Spanish language numbers station as for now stands unidentified until new documents pointing to it are found. This is one of the oldest recording of a number station publicly available and stands as important radio history source.
Many thanks to Numbers Station Research and Information Center and Don Hibschweiller for allowing us to republish this article and share this excellent recording.
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