Radio Tahiti: Circa 1971

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

Broadcaster: Radio Tahiti 1971

Frequency: 15.170MHz

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Notes: Radio Tahiti was a very popular station with shortwave listeners back in the 1970's. Their island type music was very listenable and the station often put a decent signal into eastern North America with their 20 kw of power on 15170 kHz. The late Dr. Richard E. Wood reported in the Communications Handbook for 1972 that this frequency was activated on April 10, 1971. I made this recording of their sign off announcements in French, closing song and La Marseillaise sometime in 1971.

Deutsche Welle (Kigali, Rwanda Relay): Circa 1971

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

Broadcaster: Deutsche Welle, Kigali, Rwanda relay 1971

Frequency: 11.965 MHz

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Notes: When this recording was made in 1971, the easiest way to add Rwanda to your "countries heard" totals was to log the Deutsche Welle (Voice of Germany) relay in Kigali. The station could be heard quite well here in southern Ontario, Canada even though broadcasts were not directed to eastern North America. My QSL card has them using 11965 kHz, however I am not fluent in German and this recording could possibly have been made on a different frequency. This relay station was closed down in 2015 after 50 years of operation.

Radio Alma Ata (Kazakh S.S.R.): Circa 1971

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

Broadcaster: Radio Alma Ata, Kazakh S.S.R. 1971

Frequency: 9,380 kHz

Recption location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Notes: Here is the interval signal and sign on announcement from Radio Alma Ata in Kazakhstan as heard in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada in 1971. They were on 9380 kHz and I was listening on a Hallicrafters S-52 receiver hooked up to an outdoor long wire antenna. Just using an open mike placed in front of the speaker and appears the mike was shut off briefly between the interval signal and the voice announcement.

Radio Cairo: Circa 1971

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

Broadcaster: Radio Cairo circa 1971

Frequency: 9.475 MHz

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Notes: I don't recall Radio Cairo having an interval signal but this music was heard at the beginning of every broadcast. They used this frequency for as long as I can remember, and I was quite excited to receive their exotic looking QSL. My receiving equipment consisted of a Hallicrafters S-52 hooked up to an outdoor longwire antenna.

Radiodiffusion Nationale Centrafricaine: Circa 1971

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

Here is a brief recording of Radiodiffusion Nationale Centrafricaine from Bangui on 5038 kHz shortwave circa 1971. Reception was made in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada, where the best reception from African stations was usually late afternoon or early evening local time, just about the time many of these stations were signing off for their broadcast day. Programming was in the French language.

Broadcaster: Radiodiffusion Nationale Centrafricaine

Frequency: 5.038 MHz

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Radio Afghanistan: Circa 1971

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

Shortwave transmissions from Radio Afghanistan from Kabul in English were difficult to hear at my location in eastern North America. Here is a brief recording, made sometime in 1971, of the station as they concluded their half hourly English broadcast at 1830 hours UTC on 15.265 MHz in the 19 metre band. The other frequency they used for this transmission is given as 17.775 MHz.

Broadcaster: Radio Afghanistan

Date of recording: 1971

Frequency: 15.265 MHz

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Radio Malaysia (Interval Signal): Circa 1971

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

Broadcaster: Radio Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 1971 (interval signal)

Date of recording: 1971

Frequency: 6.175

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Notes: Southeast Asia was one of the toughest areas to DX in my early years of SWLing from my receiving post in southern Ontario, Canada. Radio Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur on 6175 kHz made it through one morning in 1971 with their interval signal, then a very lengthy pause (about 35 seconds) before announcement in an Asian dialect. The lack of QRM and QRN helped to make this reception possible. For this, I was rewarded with their very attractive QSL card.

Radio Rabaul: October 21, 1971

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

Notes: Radio Rabaul on the island of New Britain, PNG, was a rare visitor to my radio shack in 1971. I was able to make this brief recording (along with one of Radio Bougainville submitted separately) using an open mike in front of the speaker on the Hallicrafters S-52.

I posted my first recording of Radio Rabaul in April 2022. Recently, I discovered this second short recording I likely made on that same day, possibly a little later as the signal was beginning to fade. The language was likely Pidgin however you can clearly hear them give out their frequency of "3 point 3 8 5" around the 24 second mark. A 3-tone chime on the hour and station ID are given at the end of the recording.

Broadcaster: Radio Rabaul

Date of recording: 10/21/1971

Frequency: 3.385 MHz

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Time signal station VNG Lyndhurst (Victoria, Australia): December 13, 1971

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

Broadcaster: Time signal station VNG Lyndhurst Victoria Australia

Date of recording: December 13, 1971

Frequency: 4.500 MHz

Recption location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Mode: AM

Notes: Recorded on December 13, 1971, here is the announcement given by station VNG in Lyndhurst, Victoria, Australia transmitting with 10 kw on 4.5 MHz shortwave. This station was active from 1964 to 1987. Receiving location was Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. Amazingly, the recording was made on a cheap Demonstration Musicassette that had tape placed over the ends so it could be reused. It still plays today and was used to produce this digital version. The announcement is given twice and goes: "This is an Australian Post Office standard frequency and time signal transmission from VNG, Lyndhurst, Victoria on 4.5, 7.5, or 12 Megahertz." This was given during the 15th, 30th, 45th and 60th minute of each hour according to their QSL card.

WWVH: Circa 1971

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

Time signal station WWVH in Kekaha, Kauai, Hawaii was occasionally heard over WWV in Fort Collins, Colorado from my receiving post in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada in the 1970's, particularly on 10 MHz or 15 MHz. Here is a recording of their voice announcement from 1971, when they were still using the term Greenwich Mean Time as opposed to Coordinated Universal Time. The familiar "Aloha" is heard at the conclusion of the announcement.

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

WWV: Circa early 1971

Photo by Agê Barros

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

Prior to July 1, 1971, time and standard frequency station WWV in Fort Collins, Colorado was giving ID's in Morse code as well as voice every five minutes. They were best heard here in southern Ontario, Canada on 10 and 15 MHz.

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Experimental Station KC2XIO: Circa 1971

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

KC2XIO was an experimental radio station operated by the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder, Colorado between July 1970 and May 1971. This was to gather information in preparation of the format change for WWV and WWVH which happened in July 1971. Here are two recordings of their voice announcement (one male and one female) as heard in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada on a Hallicrafters S-52 receiver that was hooked up to an outdoor longwire antenna. The frequency used for these test transmissions was 13560 kHz shortwave.

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Voice of America (via Okinawa, Rhodes, Philippines, Greenville, & Woofferton): Circa 1970's

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

Broadcaster: Voice of America Okinawa Rhodes Philippines Greenville Woofferton 1970's

Date of recordings: various

Frequency: various

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Notes: In the 1970's, Voice of America relay transmitter sites often gave their location between programs. Some VOA programs were relayed via the BBC site at Woofferton, England (audio from 1971).

Reception of Rhodes in the 41 metre band was not easy here in Ontario, Canada as evidenced by that recording.

The transmitter at Greenville, North Carolina was their largest operation. That recording is circa 1973.

The Okinawa relay was heard on 7165 kHz, and Philippines relay 15185 kHz, both recorded in 1971.

The Yankee Doodle tune was played during most of these interludes.

ETLF, Radio Voice of the Gospel (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia): March 23, 1971

Photo by Rich Post

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

Broadcaster: ETLF, Radio Voice of the Gospel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Date of recording: 3/23/1971

Frequency: 11.890 MHz

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Notes: Here are two brief recordings from Radio Voice of the Gospel, station ETLF, from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In the first one, from 1971, there is significant QSB (fading) but they are in the clear. Listen for their four note drum interval signal, ID in English, and mention of the date Tuesday 23rd of March.

The second recording, also in English, is from the early 1970's during a transmission to West Africa in the 25 metre band where they are heard signing off.

VLT4 ABC Radio (Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea): May 3, 1971

QSL courtesY of The Radio Heritage Foundation

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

"You are tuned to ABC Radio in Papua New Guinea; 9PA, VLT, and VLK..." This is the announcement from VLT4, the Australian Broadcasting Commission station in Port Moresby on 4890 kHz shortwave, on May 3, 1971 at 1100 hours UTC. A musical request program is ending, then station ID as above and into ABC national news. This was before independence in PNG. The station used a 10 kw transmitter on this frequency and could sometimes be heard in eastern North America with a readable signal.

Broadcaster: VLT4 ABC Radio Port Moresby Papua New Guinea

Date of recording: 5/3/1971

Starting time: 1100

Frequency: 4.890

Recption location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

The Voice Of Free China: Circa 1971

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

During my early years of SWLing, The Voice of Free China from Taipei, Taiwan was an exciting catch for me. The signal came direct from Taiwan (no relay) and was often subject to "polar flutter" as it found it's path to Southern Ontario, Canada. My receiver was a Hallicrafters S-52 hooked up to a long wire antenna. This recording is from early 1971 and the frequency used was 15125 kHz. Their interval signal is heard followed by presumed ID in local Chinese dialect and ID in English

Broadcaster: The Voice of Free China, Taipei, Taiwan

Starting time: 0200

Frequency: 15.125 MHz

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Radio Rabaul: October 21, 1971

(Image by Rich Post, K8TAD)

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

Notes: Radio Rabaul on the island of New Britain, PNG, was a rare visitor to my radio shack in 1971. I was able to make this brief recording (along with one of Radio Bougainville submitted separately) using an open mike in front of the speaker on the Hallicrafters S-52.

Broadcaster: Radio Rabaul

Date of recording: 10/21/1971

Frequency: 3.385 MHz

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Radio Bougainville: October 21, 1971

Hallicrafters SX-99 Dial

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

Notes: The morning of October 21, 1971, provided some of the best reception of Papua New Guinea stations in the 90 metre band that I ever experienced. These stations were rare visitors to my headphones but I was able to make a couple of short recordings of two PNG stations that morning, and they have survived to this day on that same audio cassette (now 51 years old). This one of Radio Bougainville begins with a local chant followed by announcement on the hour. The station ran 2.5 kw and their signal made it over 13,300 km to my receiver that day. The recording of Radio Rabaul on 3385 kHz will be submitted separately. Audio quality is passable considering the recording was made using an open mic to the speaker of the Hallicrafters S-52.

Broadcaster: Radio Bougainville

Date of recording: 10/21/1971

Starting time: 1100

Frequency: 3.322.5 MHz

Receiver location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

La Voix Du Zaire (Interval Signal): November 20, 1971

Hallicrafters S-52 (Image Source: Rich Post, K8TAD)

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, for the following recording and notes:

Notes: Another short clip from an old 1971 cassette tape, La Voix du Zaire in French with multiple station ID's. In the 1970's, I typically recorded stations in the hope of catching a station identification and a few details for a reception report. This one did help me get a nice QSL letter from the station.

Date of recording: 11/20/1971

Frequency: 15.245 MHz

RX location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Windward Islands Broadcasting Service: November 1971

Hallicrafters S-52 (Image Source: Rich Post, K8TAD)

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

Notes: The Windward Islands Broadcasting Service heard with banana cutting notices for growers in St. Vincent and Granada prior to closing announcements giving frequencies and target areas. Due to "primitive equipment" and low budget during my high school years, the recording was made using just an open mike placed in front of the speaker of the Hallicrafters. The original cassette tape, which is now 51 years old, was used to produce this digital version.

Frequency: 11.975

RX location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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