WWV Ionospheric Scientific Modulation Test: March 10. 2022

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Matt Todd, who shares the following short clip of the Ham Sci Ionospheric Scientific Modulation Test:

Date of recording: 3/10/2022

Starting time: 1908

Frequency: 15

Your location: Hu

Your receiver and antenna: SDRplay RSPdx with wire loop around perimeter of attic

Mode: AM

Notes: Ionospheric Scientific Modulation Test on WWV recorded March 10, 2022 at 1908UTC on 15Mhz in Hugo, MN.

Information about the signal from the Hamsci website: HamSCI's WWV/H Scientific Modulation Working Group is exploring possibilities for additions to WWV and WWVH's modulation that can be used for science purposes.

https://hamsci.org/wwv

Radio Difusora do Maranhao: circa 1970s

Photo of Hallicrafters S-52 by Rich (KB8TAD)

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following short recording and notes:

Broadcaster: Radio Difusora do Maranhao, Sao Luiz, Brazil

Starting time: believe it was around 0000 UTC

Frequency: 4.755

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Hallicrafters S-52 using a longwire antenna

Notes: This recording was made sometime in 1970 using a Panasonic cassette recorder with an open mike next to the speaker of the Hallicrafters S-52. The familiar tune of Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head can be heard followed by the closing announcements in Portuguese. Lots of QRM and possible het due to station being not exactly on 4755, het disappears when station carrier goes off. Lots of fun on the 60 metre band in those days!

Radio Ukraine International: March 3, 2022

Image by Marjan Blan | @marjanblan

The following recording of Radio Ukraine International was broadcast via WRMI on 5010 kHz. This recording was made via a KiwiSDR in Bakersville, NC on March 3, 2022 starting at 12:02 UTC.

Note: The first two minutes of the broadcast are missing due to a glitch in recording.

Radio Ukraine International: February 24, 2022

Kiev, Ukraine (Photo by Volodymyr)

The following recording of Radio Ukraine International was made on February 24, 2022 at 12:00 UTC on 5010 kHz via WRMI. The recording was made with an Icom IC-705 connected to a large skyloop antenna.

This is the first broadcast of the English language after the following February 23, 2022 announcement by WRMI:

Due to the increased interest in the current situation in Ukraine, WRMI has resumed its relays of the daily English language broadcast of Radio Ukraine International, the official overseas service of Ukrainian Radio. RUI can be heard daily, except Friday, at 1200-1230 UTC on 5010 kHz.

Note that the first half of this broadcast (Part 1) was made in AM mode. The second part was recorded in lower sideband in order to mitigate fading as conditions changed.

Cities and Memory Shortwave Transmissions released to mark World Radio Day!

We at the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive are truly honored to have been a resource for this incredible and diverse sound project organized by Cities and Memory.

We encourage you to explore the creative work from over 120 artists and composers.

A great many of these remarkable dynamic works draw on a wide array of recordings from the SRAA; the resulting compositions and soundscapes are rich with sonic textures, evocative collages of sound and memory, which emerge into further sources of inspiration.

Our profound thanks to Cities and Memory––and all of the participating artists––for this truly brilliant collection:

13 February 2022

UNIQUE ARCHIVE OF SHORTWAVE RADIO COMPOSITIONS LAUNCHED TO MARK UNESCO WORLD RADIO DAY

To mark UNESCO World Radio Day on 13 February, a unique collection of compositions built from eight decades of shortwave radio recordings is being released.

Shortwave Transmissions, a project by one of the world’s biggest sound projects Cities and Memory in collaboration with the Shortwave Radio Archive (), sees more than 120 artists remix and recompose iconic shortwave recordings to create brand new compositions reflecting on and celebrating our relationship with radio.

The project can be explored in full at https://citiesandmemory.com/shortwave and features:

• Recordings from the mysterious spy radio and “numbers stations” around the world

• Coverage of world-changing events such as 9/11, the invasion of Kuwait, Kennedy’s assassination, Tiananmen Square protests, the death of Fidel Castro and many more

• Rare international recordings from North Korea, Saudi Arabia, St. Helena, the Falkland Islands and Antarctica

• Recordings covering a huge period of time from 1934 through to the present day

• Space travel documented including the Sputnik, Apollo and Challenger missions

• Recordings of famous voices such as Winston Churchill and King George V

• Station IDs, interval signals and final broadcasts from radio stations

• Stuart Fowkes, founder of Cities and Memory, said:

“Shortwave radio is one of the most fascinating sonic worlds - each recording is a unique time capsule capturing vital moments in world history as well as the thrill of pirate radio, clandestine radio stations, secretive number stations and military and spy radio.

These are sounds to be treasured: all of humanity is truly out there to be listened to at the turn of a dial - and is source material for some extraordinary compositions.”

Taking the world of shortwave radio to an entirely different place, each recording has been reshaped and reimagined as a creative recomposed sound by more than 120 musicians and sound artists, in turn reflecting on current concerns covering everything from climate change to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shortwave Transmissions is the latest project from Cities and Memory, a global, collaborative network of sound recordists and artists based in Oxford, UK. Previous global sound projects have included #StayHomeSounds (a global mapping of the sounds of the Covid-19 lockdown), Protest and Politics (the biggest ever collection of the sounds of protest) and Sacred Spaces, the first global survey of the sounds of churches, temples, prayer and worship.

It has more than 5,000 sounds on its global sound map covering more than 100 countries and territories, and more than 1,000 worldwide contributing artists since its launch in 2015.

https://youtu.be/v3oVWUUxOOg

Rhodesia Broadcasting Corporation

In 1974, I was an exchange student with AFS (then known as the American Field Service) in Swaziland, southern Africa. I had taken a Drake SPR-4 with me for the months I lived in Swaziland, and I used the receiver to hear a range of stations in Africa and Asia. Stations using shortwave that were a challenge for listeners in North America and other locations were heard at local levels and one of those was the RBC, in what was then called Rhodesia. These recordings on one of the RBC shortwave frequencies were made in Mbabane, Swaziland. Elsewhere on the SW Archive, there are other recordings including one of RBC heard in the United States on shortwave. The QSL card shown here was the older style with an image of an impala, a photo of Salisbury (later Harare). On the back, under a white sticker, an even older name of the radio station, The Broadcasting Corporation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, can still be seen.

Nelson Mandela Release - Radio RSA (February 11th, 1990

Nelson Mandela was released from prison in South Africa on February 11th, 1990. At the time, Radio RSA was still broadcasting to the world on shortwave radio, and provided live coverage of the event which was heard by many shortwave listeners. It will be recalled that Radio RSA had one of the most powerful shortwave transmission systems of any country for many years — with its familiar interval signal it was a regular for SWLs.

This recording of Radio RSA was made on a SONY ICF-2010 receiver in Silver Spring, Maryland. The first recording is of the full Radio RSA coverage, and the second is the Mandela speech itself, a portion that begins at about the 1 hour 10 mark. Mandela said: “A democratic and non-racial South Africa is the only way to peace and racial harmony.” Radio RSA was so strong, in fact, that it could be heard on my SONY AM-FM-SW Cassette Deck using only a short piece of wire as an antenna. At end end of the Mandela speech recording, can be heard a VOA newscast from the previous day covering the announcement by then President DeKlerk that Mandela would be released.

MARS Radio Phone Patch: January 24, 2022

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Matt Todd, who shares the following recording and notes:

Audio recording of a MARS (Military Auxiliary Radio Service) of the establishment of a phone patch between a service member and their family member. This was recorded January 24, 2022 at 2148UTC on 13.927 MHz. It was recorded with an SRDplay RSPdx using a wire loop antenna.

Broadcaster: MARS

Date of recording: 1/24/2022

Starting time: 2148

Frequency: 13927

RX location: Hugo, MN

Receiver and antenna: SDRplay RSPdx with wire loop around perimeter of attic

Mode: Single Side Band

Syrian Radio & Television (1970's Recording)

In the early 1970’s, Syria was among the major shortwave broadcasters from the Middle East. The Broadcasting Service of the Syrian Arab Republic, as it was called back then, put in fairly strong signals on 15,165 khz in the 19 meter band, though not as powerful as other stations such as Radio Kuwait and Radio Cairo. In this recording from 1971, we hear a political commentary on the Palestinians, followed by station identification: “You are tuned to Damascus, the broadcasting service of the Syrian Arab Republic. The time is exactly 23 hours and 10 minutes.” While Damascus was still using shortwave, including its old 12,085 khz frequency and 9,330 khz in the first decade of the 2000s, the civil war in Syria along with decisions made to end shortwave, removed this once familiar Middle East voice from the shortwave bands.

Radio Kuwait (1970's recording)

In 2022, it is quite astounding that we still have, at least as of now, two Middle East broadcasters still on the air on shortwave: Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Radio Cairo was making attempts to return as of early 2022 but having great difficulties resolving its longstanding modulation and distortion problems. Jordan is now gone, as is Bahrain it seems. Oman which was still on shortwave as of 2019 is now either gone or intermittent. Radio Kuwait, which returned to shortwave some years ago, began shifting to DRM transmissions though is still being heard on regular AM shortwave, though with some highly variable shifts of frequency.

Which brings us back to the good old days when Radio Kuwait was the new powerhouse in shortwave broadcasting from the Middle East, having taken delivery of 250 kilowatt transmitters. Radio Kuwait was a daily presence on shortwave for decades, with its familiar musical interval before English newscasts, and music programs. As a young SWL, I used to listen to Radio Kuwait almost on a daily basis, usually in the 19 meter band. The signal was so strong and clear that it was easy to tune in on the 1940’s T-133 receiver I used at the time. Here is a recording of Radio Kuwait from 1970. The station was also a superb reliable verifier of reception reports and sent out beautiful folder QSLs.

Radio New Zealand (Early 1970's)

In 2022, one station in the South Pacific remains on shortwave, to the great delight of shortwave listeners. That station is Radio New Zealand, which as of early 2022 could still be heard with good signals. Back in the 1970’s Radio New Zealand was a prime DX target. Its sign on at 0600 UTC required staying up until 2:00 AM in summer months. For signs of good Pacific propagation, DX’ers often used VNG, the former time signal station in Australia, as a marker. If VNG was coming in well, then New Zealand and Tahiti were likely to be coming in well. It’s hard to explain the feeling a new SWL got hearing Radio New Zealand in those days. At a power of 7.5 kilowatts, the station listed on its QSL card (shown here) 9 frequencies, including 9.54 mHz and 11.780 mHz where I used to hear them. Other frequencies in 1971 were 15.280, 17.770, 6.080, 9.620, 15.220, 6.020, and 15.110 mHz for ZL2/3/4/5/7/8/10/20 and 21 call letters. The verification signer was H. Taylor-Smith at NZBC Broadcasting House in Wellington. Hearing this 7.5 kilowatt signal, with its characteristic fading as the signal made its way the many thousands of miles to Pennsylvania, was a real thrill. Here is the 1971 recording of Radio New Zealand, from sign on with its “Bellbird” interval signal and BBC news relay.

LV de Mosquitia (Honduras) 1981

In 1981, a small U.S.- supported station called La Voz de Mosquitia (HRXK) went on air from Puerto Lempira, Honduras. The frequency was 4,910 khz — and it was plagued by interference from other Latin American stations in the 60 meter band. A good write up about the station can be found here. This recording was made in Washington, DC using a Hammarlund HQ-180A receiver. The plain QSL card shown here was signed by Reverend Landon Wilkerson, an independent Baptist Missionary, who spent seventeen years in Honduras with his wife and family helping the Miskito Indians.

HCVG-8 La Voz de Galapagos

The shortwave listening community was stunned some 40 years ago by the sudden appearance of a new station in the Galapagos Islands. It was Radiodifusora La Voz de Galapagos HCVG-8 and broadcast on 4,810 khz in the 60 meter band. Not only did LV de Galapagos put in an excellent signal in the evening in eastern North America, but it was an excellent QSLer, sending out beautiful photo cards showing wildlife in the islands. On the back were wonderful colorful stamps. This recording was made in Washington, DC in 1980.

Bermuda PTT (Cable & Wireless)

The Cable & Wireless Ltd point to point station at St. George’s, Bermuda was a regular signal on the shortwave frequencies in the 1960s and 1970s. This recording was made in Levittown, Pennsylvania using a Hammarlund HQ-180A receiver: “This is a test transmission for station adjustment purposes of a radio telephone terminal owned and operated by Cable & Wireless, Ltd. This transmitter is located at St. George’s Bermuda.”

U.S. Army Radio Utility / Panama

Among the many point to point / utility stations on the shortwave bands was this one, ACA (Alpha Charlie Alpha) located in the Panama Canal Zone. This recording was made in the early 1970s in Levittown, PA: “This is United States Army radio station, Alpha Charlie Alpha, located in the Panama Canal Zone. We are testing for receive alignment and station identification”

French Guiana (Utility)

In the 1960’s and 1970s, and likely earlier in the 1950s, point to point utility stations were an enjoyable part of the shortwave listening hobby. These stations, run by Cable & Wireless, Ltd, Republique Francois Post et Telecommunications, and companies, and broadcast by transmitters in many of the former colonial territories, were heard on frequencies outside of the main shortwave broadcast bands. Because they were not meant for general consumption, verifications from these stations, usually from the PTT office in the countries concerned, usually were not verifications as such but recognition of reception. Nevertheless, they offered an interesting way for hobbyists to hear countries, including some locations that had no shortwave broadcast stations. The QSL shown here was for my reception in the 1970’s of the PTT station at Cayenne, French Guiana.

Radio Apintie / Surinam

Surinam, another of the three non-Spanish countries in South America, has an interesting history when it comes to shortwave broadcasting. The country was represented on shortwave by the old Radio SRS (Surinam Broadcasting Foundation) which sent out beautiful folder QSL cards and which listed frequencies as 4,780 khz, 4,850 khz and 15,450 khz and later by Radio Apintie. The QSL letter shown here was for a reception on 4,990 khz though the station was also on 5,005 khz at one point — the director at the time notes that Apintie started broadcasting on shorrtwave in 1979. The recording here is of Radio Apintie signing on in early morning. At various times the power varied, with the director saying that a 50 watt Philips transmitter had been supplemented by a 350 watt linar amplifier. But later, power on shortwave was given as 1 kilowatt with a new Omnitronics 1000 watt transmitter and six element log periodic antenna beamed to the south. Radio Apintie continued to be reported into the early 2000s.

Guyana Broadcasting Service (GBS)

In South America, three non-Spanish speaking countries — Guyana, French Guiana, and Surinam — were key DX targets for listeners around the world. A history of broadcasting in Guyana can be found here. DX’ers who are still surviving and whose listening stretched back into the 1950’s and 1960s are lucky to have received the classic older ZFY / Radio Demerara QSL cards, whereas later the main station GBS sent out only letter verifications. Guyana was still on shortwave as of 2015 as reported here.

In 1971, Christmas Eve, at the very beginning of my listening career, I used a 1940’s era T-133 Pilot Radio to hear Guyana on 3,290 khz. The station listed a power of 10 kilowatts. One of these two recordings has the transition to Christmas day as an announcer said: “On Action Radio, the proclamation of Guyana, the time is midnight. It is not Christmas morning 1971. On behalf of the management and staff of GBS, this is Ron Standish wishing you all a very Merry Christmas. . .” The broadcast then switched to midnight mass in the cathedral in Georgetown, the capital. A longer recording is also included here. Note the heavy interference on 3,290 khz from a utility station that made hearing Guyana so difficult for years.

Radio Andorra International (1970's)

Without doubt, Radio Andorra was one of the most sought after stations in the 1970s and with a bonus — it sent out one of the most beautiful QSL cards ever produced by any station. The QSL here was for a reception on 6,230 khz though the station ID, as it went into programming by Adventist World Radio said 6,220 khz. This was very early in the morning eastern U.S. time. This recording was made on a Drake SPR-4 reciver in Washington, DC

Radio Condor International (1970s Europirate)

In 1978, Radio Condor International was among a number of pirate stations operating from Ireland. I heard the station twice, on 6,243 khz and on 11,463 khz. Claimed power was 100 watts. As can be seen the station verified with a letter QSL that listed another shortwave frequency of 6,200 khz and a mediumwave frequency of 1000 khz and had a return address in Dublin, Ireland. This recording was made in Washington, DC using a Hammarlund HQ-180A receiver.