Borderhunter Radio: December 27, 2013

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Andy Robins, who shares the following recording and notes:

A recording of European pirate station Borderhunter Radio as heard in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on 21.455 MHz from 1617 UTC on 27 December 2013. The station is located on the border of the Netherlands and Belgium. This was a special "Global Pirate Weekend" test transmission for the benefit of shortwave radio listeners in North America. The station's operator varied the transmitter power from a high of 300 watts to a low of one-half watt (500 milliwatts). Audio was detectable even at that extremely low power.

Receiver and antenna: Icom R-75 with a PA0RDT active "miniwhip" antenna

Radio Clandestine: November 23, 1980

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Andy Robins, who share the following recording and notes:

U.S. pirate station Radio Clandestine broadcast recorded on 11.835 MHz (25-meter band) from 1720 to 1742 hours UTC on 23 November 1980 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Radio Clandestine, hosted by DJ "R.F. Burns," was a legendary parody pirate station of the late 1970's into the 1980's and beyond. Its programs are still occasionally rebroadcast by other pirate stations decades later. Radio Clandestine was known for using frequencies inside the regular shortwave broadcasting bands, unlike other pirates that tended to use frequencies just above or below the 40-meter amateur radio band. In this case, 11.835 MHz was a main frequency for legal station 4VEH in Haiti during this time.

Receiver and antenna: Panasonic RF-2900 portable with built-in whip

KVHF: November 9, 1980

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Andy Robins, who shares the following recording and notes:

U.S. pirate radio station KVHF recorded on 6.420 MHz (42-meter band) beginning at 0615 UTC on 9 November 1980 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Only a few minutes of the recording could be recovered because of the poor physical condition of the original cassette tape. This station was later "busted" by the Federal Communication Commission, at which time its location was revealed to have been in California. This made KVHF one of only a relative handful of "free radio" stations that have operated on shortwave from the U.S. West Coast.

Receiver and antenna: Collins R390A and random end-fed wire antenna

Radio Confusion: October 20, 1980

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Andy Robins, who shares the following recording and notes:

North American pirate Radio Confusion recorded on 13.992 MHz (20-meter band) beginning at 0100 GMT on 20 October 1980 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Unfortunately, the complete recording could not be recovered because of the poor physical condition of the original cassette tape. Radio Confusion was among the first North American pirates to routinely use frequencies above 7.5 MHz, as I recall.

Receiver: Collins R390A

La Voz de Alpha 66: January 20, 1988

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Andy Robins, who shares the following recording and comments:

La Voz de Alpha 66 recorded in Kalamazoo, Michigan, from 0206 hours to 0237 hours UTC on 20 January 1988 on 6,668 MHz. The clandestine station opposed the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The transmitter was reportedly located in the Miami, Florida, area.

Receiver: Sony ICF-2020

Radio Liberacion SRRN: January 20, 1988

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Andy Robins, for the following recording and notes:

Radio Liberación-Sistema Radial de la Resistencia Nicaragüense recorded in Kalamazoo, Michigan, from 0240 hours to 0330 hours UTC on 20 January 1988 on frequency 5,929.3 kHz. The clandestine station opposed the Sandinista regime in Managua. The transmitter may have been in Honduras.

Receiver: Sony ICF-2010

Jolly Roger Radio: November 9, 1980

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Andy Robins, who shares the following recording and notes:

This is a recording of U.S. pirate radio station "Jolly Roger Radio" from my location in Kalamazoo, Michigan, beginning at 2300 UTC on 9 November 1980. At that time I was using a Collins R390A receiver and a random-length, end-fed wire antenna. The station was about the only U.S. pirate at that time that specialized in Bluegrass, folk, and Americana music. This was part of a marathon, multi-hour broadcast that led directly to the FCC "busting" the station and putting it off the air. It was revealed that Jolly Roger Radio operated from Bloomington, Indiana, with a transmitter power of around 50 watts.