Europe 1 Longwave End of Broadcasting: December 31, 2019

Live off-air recording of the last approximately one hour of programming from the Europe 1 longwave station on 31 December 2019 beginning at 21:30:42 UTC on the frequency of 183 kHz. The signal originated from a 750 kW transmitter (perhaps operating at 375 kW; one of two capable of a joint power of 1500 kW) located between the villages of Felsberg and Burus in the municipality of Überherrn in Saarlouis, Germany, about 1 km from the French border.

Europe 1 is a primarily news and talk station owned by Lagardère Group with programming originating in Paris. It has an extensive FM network covering France and will soon be on DAB+. The longwave station has operated for the past few years using one or two of a pair of 750 kW transmitters and a two-mast antenna originally designated as the reserve antenna (the original four-mast antenna and the old transmitter in the original transmitter hall were all decommissioned following an antenna mast accident). The new transmitting facility was operated remotely by BCE (Broadcasting Center Europe) from Luxembourg.

The final hour of programming was the phone-in help program "Antenne Libre" with Olivier Delacroix.

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 9.00 kHz RF filtering.

Europe 1 Longwave End of Broadcasting: December 31, 2019

Richard Langley

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NDR - Gruss an Bord: December 24, 2019

Two live, off-air, two-hour recordings of the special annual Gruss an Bord broadcast from German broadcaster NDR, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, on 24 December 2019 beginning at 19:00 UTC. The broadcast features Christmas music and greetings for mariners around the world and a church service. The Christmas greetings were recorded at two events on the second Advent Sunday (8 December) in Leer and on the third Advent Sunday (15 December) in Hamburg.

Relatives and friends had the opportunity to wish their loved ones at sea a happy holiday and a happy new year. The Leer event featured the Bingumer Shanty Choir and Anne-Fleur Schoch and her band while the Hamburg event also featured Anne-Fleur Schoch and her band. At about 21:00, there was a church service from St. Maria Magdelena Catholic Church in Bochum-Wattenscheid. The broadcast was primarily in German with some greetings in English, Filipino, and Indian languages as well as German. Several songs in English, too. A news bulletin (in progress when recording began) preceded the first program segment for a few minutes.

In addition to being carried on the NDR Info and NDR Info Spezial networks, the broadcast was transmitted around the world on shortwave using transmitters in Nauen (NAU), Germany; Moosbrunn (MOS), Austria; Issoudun (ISS), France; and Gavar (ERV), Armenia; and was organized by Media Broadcast.

The schedule for 1900-2100 UTC was:
6030 kHz ERV 100 kW / 305 deg to West/Central Europe
6080 kHz NAU 125 kW / 250 deg to Northern Atlantic
9570 kHz MOS 100 kW / 115 deg to Indian Ocean East
9740 kHz NAU 125 kW / 130 deg to Indian Ocean West
9800 kHz ISS 250 kW / 148 deg to Waters near South Africa
11650 kHz ISS 250 kW / 195 deg to Southern Atlantic
and for 2100-2300 UTC:
6145 kHz NAU 125 kW / 250 deg to Northern Atlantic
6155 kHz ERV 100 kW / 305 deg to West/Central Europe
9590 kHz ISS 250 kW / 148 deg to Waters near South Africa
9675 kHz MOS 100 kW / 115 deg to Indian Ocean Eastbound
9740 kHz NAU 125 kW / 130 deg to Indian Ocean West
9830 kHz ISS 250 kW / 195 deg to Southern Atlantic

The first recording is of the transmission on the frequency of 6080 kHz between about 19:00 and 21:00 UTC. The second recording is of the transmission between about 21:00 and 23:00 UTC on the frequency of 6145 kHz. Near the beginning of the second recording, some other frequencies were tried to confirm the best one.

The transmissions were 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 2.3 kHz RF filtering. Reception was quite good for both two-hour segments although the second one got slightly noisy as time progressed.

NDR - Gruss an Bord (first two hours): December 24, 2019

Richard Langley

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NDR - Gruss an Bord (last two hours): December 24, 2019

Richard Langley

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Radio Moscow - Warmongers' Monthly: September 8, 1987

STATE EMBLEM OF THE SOVIET UNION

Live, off-air, approximately 20-minute recording of the program "Warmongers' Monthly" transmitted as part of the daily evening show "Tonight" in the North American Service of Radio Moscow on 8 September 1987 around 01:20 UTC on 7400 kHz. The broadcast originated from one of the many Radio Moscow transmission sites in the Soviet Union or was relayed by a site in eastern Europe or Cuba. Radio Moscow never released detailed information on its frequencies and transmitter sites.

"Warmongers' Monthly" was a satirical program targeting (mostly) U.S. policies during the final years of the Cold War. It was hosted by Vasily Strelnikov. He was sometimes accompanied, as in this recording, by Dmitri Linnik. This particular episode on nuclear proliferation was called "A Study in Red" -- a parody of Arthur Conan Doyles' "A Study in Scarlet." Amongst others, famous Radio Moscow personality Joe Adamov also took part in the episode. A brief station identification follows the program and then the transmitter abruptly switches off.

Note that Radio Moscow became the Voice of Russia in 1993, subsequent to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in late 1991.

The time given for the recording might be the midpoint of the program rather than the start of it as the transmitter left the air shortly after the end of the program, which typically happened on the hour or half hour.

Reception of the broadcast was very good.

The broadcast was received in Hanwell, New Brunswick, Canada, using a Sony ICF-7600D receiver and supplied wire antenna draped around the listening room.

Radio Moscow - Warmongers' Monthly: September 8, 1987

Richard Langley

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Radio Jordan: February 13, 1991

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.

Radio Jordan: February 13, 1991

Richard Langley

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Radio Jordan: February 13, 1991 (skips removed)

Richard Langley

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BBC World Service Annual Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast: June 21, 2019

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.

BBC World Service Annual Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast: June 21, 2019

Richard Langley

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Mother of Battles Radio: January 27, 1991

Live, off-air, approximately one-hour recording of Iraq's Mother of Battles Radio in Arabic on 27 January 1991 beginning at about 13:30 UTC on a shortwave frequency of 17940 kHz. As Iraq's main shortwave broadcasting facility was put out of action early during Operation Desert Storm but while Iraq still occupied Kuwait, the broadcast likely originated from one of the 500 kW transmitters of Radio Kuwait.

Mother of Battles Radio, named after the phrase "Mother of all Battles" used by Saddam Hussein to describe the upcoming war with the United States, replaced the regular domestic shortwave service of the Broadcasting Service of the Republic of Iraq.

The recording consists of music, talk including exhortations against America and Bush, and frequent station identifications, e.g., "Huna idha'atu Umm al-Ma'arik" ("This is Mother of Battles Radio").

Reception of the broadcast was excellent with no interference until about the midpoint of the recording (around 13:59 UTC) when a faint jamming signal can be heard in the background. The recording is briefly interrupted when checking the signal on parallel frequencies (15600 kHz -- weaker; 9570 kHz -- not heard). There is also a brief interruption at about the 29m:25s mark in the recording due to a tape change.

The broadcast was received in Hanwell, New Brunswick, Canada, using a Sony ICF-7600D receiver and supplied wire antenna draped around the listening room.

Mother of Battles Radio: January 27, 1991

Richard Langley

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Radio Baghdad: January 16, 1991

Live, off-air, approximately twenty-seven-minute recording of Radio Baghdad, the Broadcasting Service of the Iraqi Republic, in English on 16 January 1991 beginning at about 21:35 UTC on a shortwave frequency of 13660 kHz. The recording is a segment of the 21:00 to 23:00 UTC broadcast to Europe. It likely originated from a 500 kW transmitter at Salah el Deen, Iraq.

This broadcast took place just a few hours before the start of the bombing campaign of Operation Desert Storm. The broadcast was not heard the following day. Programming consists of news, commentary including discussion of the "American Monster," the program "Iraq Today," and Iraqi music.

Reception of the broadcast was fairly good although the audio is somewhat "muddy."

The broadcast was received in Hanwell, New Brunswick, Canada, using a Sony ICF-7600D receiver and supplied wire antenna draped around the listening room.

Radio Baghdad: January 16, 1991

Richard Langley

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Voice of Free Iraq: January 6, 8 and February 3, 1991

HEADLINE FROM NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE DATED 16 APRIL 1991

Three live, off-air, recordings of the clandestine Voice of Free Iraq on 6 January 1991 beginning at 14:27 UTC on a shortwave frequency of 17960 kHz (about 28 minutes in length), on 18 January 1991 beginning at 03:28 UTC on 9565 kHz (about 4 minutes in length), and on 3 February 1991 beginning at 18:55 UTC (about 30 minutes in length). The Voice of Free Iraq began broadcasting programs on 1 January 1991 using one medium wave (1053 kHz) and three shortwave frequencies (approximately 9565 kHz, and 15600 and 17940 kHz initially, shifting later to 17960 kHz) contributed by the radio services of Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf Co-operation Council states. A fourth frequency was subsequently added: 9995 kHz. The station likely broadcast from one or more of those countries. According to the New York Times, a studio was located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The station identified as "Idha'atu-l-gumburiya al-'iraqiyya min Baghdad - Saut al-Iraq Al-Hurr." According to newspaper accounts, the station may have been financed by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

Reception of the three broadcasts varied.

For the broadcast on 6 January 1991, reception, including the initial transmitter tune-up tone, was fairly good. However, at about 14:51 UTC, about 23 minutes into the recording, an Iraqi wideband "bubble" jammer starts up on the frequency. A few minutes later, an oscillating tone is added to the jammer. In the recording, an attempt to monitor the other frequencies of 15600 and 9570 kHz can be heard. 15600 kHz is subsequently jammed.

For the broadcast of 18 January 1991, there is no apparent jamming. Quite possibly, by this time, either Iraq's jamming facilities had been put out of action either directly by coalition bombing of transmitter sites or by attacks on the electrical grid. There is some slight interference and a heterodyne tone.

Similarly, for the broadcast of 3 February, no jamming can be heard. However, there is some fading of the signal and there are periods of local interference towards the end of the recording. It was noticed that the signal on 17960 kHz was in parallel to 9570 kHz. A couple of hours later, the broadcast was also noted on 9995 kHz.

The broadcasts were received in Hanwell, New Brunswick, Canada, using a Sony ICF-7600D receiver and supplied wire antenna draped around the listening room.

Voice of Free Iraq: January 6, 1991

Richard Langley

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Voice of Free Iraq: January 8, 1991

Richard Langley

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Voice of Free Iraq: February 3, 1991

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Voice of Peace from Baghdad: December 29, 1990

Live, off-air, approximately twenty-minute recording of the Voice of Peace from Baghdad on 29 December 1990 beginning at 21:40 UTC on a shortwave frequency of 11860 kHz. This broadcast originated from a transmitter either in Iraq or Kuwait.

Iraq's Voice of Peace was established in August 1990 to beam programs to American servicemen stationed in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait at the beginning of the month. Programming consisted of music, initially easy-listening music but subsequently changing to a "Top 40" mix, news and commentary in a failed effort to try to demoralize the American troops. Beginning in September 1990, the broadcasts used a female announcer dubbed "Baghdad Betty" by the Americans. Reportedly, Baghdad Betty was replaced by a team of announcers sometime in December 1990. The recording is an example of the news and music programming. It is not known if the female announcer is the famous Baghdad Betty or someone else.

Reception of the broadcast was poor to fair with slight interference and fading. At 21:58 UTC, there is interference splash from WYFR starting up on 11855 kHz. The initial frequency recorded may have been 21675 kHz before switching after a minute or so to 11860 kHz as the radio teletype interference abruptly stops at this point. The recording includes frequent station identifications such as "You are tuned to the Voice of Peace from Baghdad."

The broadcast was received in Hanwell, New Brunswick, Canada, using a Sony ICF-7600D receiver and supplied wire antenna draped around the listening room.

Voice of Peace from Baghdad: December 29, 1990

Richard Langley

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Kol Yisrael - Missile Attack on Israel on Second Night of Operation Desert Storm: 18 January 1991

Two live, off-air, approximately half-hour recordings of the North American Service of Kol Yisrael, the Voice of Israel, on the second night of the combat phase (Operation Desert Storm) of the First Gulf War, 17/18 January 1991.

The first recording is of the 01:00 UTC broadcast on 18 January on 11605 kHz. The second recording is of the 02:00 UTC broadcast on the same day, initially using the frequency of 11605 kHz but changing to the other two frequencies used, 9435 and 7465 kHz at different times during the recording. The signals originated from 300 or 500 kW transmitters at Yavne, Israel.

At the beginning of the 01:00 UTC broadcast, an announcement is made of a missile attack (from Iraq) and Israeli residents are instructed to move to their prepared closed rooms and to don their gas masks. An extended news bulletin follows. The civil defence instruction is repeated several times during the broadcast. The broadcast, from Jerusalem, included live reports from Tel Aviv. Subsequently, residents are told they can remove their gas masks but should stay in their sealed rooms. The 02:00 UTC broadcast continues the special report including live commentary from both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, including the civil defence information telephone numbers around the country. There is a brief gap in the recording at about the 19m:40s mark due to a tape change. The broadcast concludes with a brief piece of music and the concluding announcement and interval signal.

Reception of the broadcasts was quite good. The 11605 kHz signal was strong with slight radio teletype interference. The 9435 and 7465 kHz frequencies also provided good signals although there was slight hum on one of the frequencies.

These broadcasts were received in Hanwell, New Brunswick, Canada, using a Sony ICF-7600D receiver and supplied wire antenna draped around the listening room.

Kol Yisrael - Missile Attack on Israel During Operation Desert Storm (01:00 UTC): 18 January 1991

Richared Langley

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Kol Yisrael - Missile Attack on Israel During Operation Desert Storm (02:00 UTC): 18 January 1991

Richard Langley

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RTBF International 621 kHz Final Sign-off: December 31, 2018

Live off-air recording of the final hour or so of programming from the RTBF transmitter on 621 kHz at Wavre, Belgium, on 31 December 2018 beginning just before 18:00 UTC. Although rated at 300 kW, it has been reported that recently the transmitter was operated at a lower power.

The programming on 621 kHz was a combination of selected programs from RTBF's La Première and VivaCité stations and was referred to as RTBF International ("La radio des belges dans le monde") since the signal could be received outside Belgium via the 621 kHz transmitter, and also via C-band satellite, FM in Kinshasa, and via the Internet. These latter distribution modes continue in operation.

After an announcement about the closing of the mediumwave service on 31 December, there is a news bulletin, which is followed by a program in a series about Charles Aznavour. Following that program and the mediumwave closure announcement, there is a news bulletin, the normal evening close-down announcement, and the Belgian national anthem. The transmitter was switched off at about 19:38 UTC.

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 AMSync mode with 5.08 kHz RF filtering. There is some interference from other stations operating on 621 kHz.

RTBF International 621 kHz Final Sign-off: December 31, 2018

Richard Langley

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Radio Vaticana - Pope's Christmas Message and Urbi et Orbi Blessing: December 25, 2018

Live, off-air, approximately forty-minute recording of the 2018 Christmas Message and "Urbi et Orbi" Blessing of Pope Francis as broadcast by Radio Vaticana (Vatican Radio), a division of Vatican Media, on 25 December 2018 beginning at 10:50 UTC on a shortwave frequency of 15695 kHz. This broadcast originated from a 250 kW transmitter at Santa Maria di Galevia, north of Rome, and was beamed to central Africa with an antenna beam azimuth of 145°.

This broadcast was the English-commentary version of the Radio Vaticana special Christmas Day broadcasts. After the Radio Vaticana interval signal, five or siz minutes of classical music can be heard before the commentator introduces the broadcast. At about 11:00 UTC, commands of the Pontifical Swiss Guard can be heard. This is followed by abbreviated versions of The Pontifical Hymn ("Motetum Vaticanum") and the Italian national anthem ("Il Canto degli Italiani") as played by the Band of the Pontifical Swiss Guard and the Carabinieri Band of the Italian Armed Forces. The appearance of Pope Francis on the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica is greeted with cheers. He delivered, in Italian, his annual Christmas message ahead of the traditional blessing "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city [Rome] and to the world). This was translated simultaneously by the commentator. Pope Francis also recited the Angelus prayer and the plenary indulgence (in Latin). Following his speech, there was a military salute to Pope Francis with abridged versions again of the anthems. The Bells of St. Peter's peal as the Swiss Guard and the Carabinieri exchange salutes. After the interval signal, two popular Christmas music tunes featuring pan pipes end the broadcast.

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 AMSync mode with 5.08 kHz total bandwidth RF filtering. Reception was very good with a reasonably strong interference-free signal with only slight fading at times.

Radio Vaticana - Pope's Christmas Message and Urbi et Orbi Blessing: December 25, 2018

Richard Langley

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NDR - Gruss an Bord: December 24, 2018

Two live, off-air, two-hour recordings of the special annual Gruss an Bord broadcast from German broadcaster NDR, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, on 24 December 2018 beginning at 19:00 UTC. The broadcast features Christmas music and greetings for mariners around the world and a church service. The Christmas greetings were recorded at two events on the second Advent Sunday (9 December) in Leer and on the third Advent Sunday (16 December) in Hamburg. Relatives and friends had the opportunity to wish their loved ones at sea a happy holiday and a happy new year. The Leer event featured the Bingumer Shanty Choir and the trio Anne-Fleur Schoch trio while the Hamburg event featured Isabella Rapp and the Lars-Luis Linek band. At about 21:00, there was a protestant Christmas Mass from the Neustädter Hof and Stadtkirche St. Johannis in Hanover. The broadcast was primarily in German with some greetings and songs in English. A news bulletin preceded the program segments at 19:00 and 22:00 UTC.

In addition to being carried on the NDR Info and NDR Info Spezial networks, the broadcast was transmitted around the world on shortwave using transmitters in Nauen (NAU), Germany; Moosbrunn (MOS), Austria; Issoudun (ISS), France; and Gavar (ERV), Armenia; and was organized by Media Broadcast.

The schedule for 1900-2100 UTC was:
6030 kHz ERV 100 kW / 305 deg to West/Central Europe
6080 kHz NAU 125 kW / 250 deg to Northern Atlantic
9570 kHz MOS 100 kW / 115 deg to Indian Ocean East
9740 kHz NAU 125 kW / 130 deg to Indian Ocean West
9800 kHz ISS 250 kW / 148 deg to Indian Ocean/South Africa
11650 ISS 250 kW / 195 deg to Southern Atlantic
and for 2100-2300 UTC:
6145 kHz NAU 125 kW / 250 deg to Northern Atlantic
6155 kHz ERV 100 kW / 305 deg to West/Central Europe
9590 kHz ISS 250 kW / 148 deg to Indian Ocean/South Africa
9650 kHz MOS 100 kW / 115 deg to Indian Ocean East
9720 kHz NAU 125 kW / 130 deg to Indian Ocean West
9830 kHz ISS 250 kW / 195 deg to Southern Atlantic

The first recording is primarily of the transmission on the frequency of 11650 kHz between 19:00 and about 20:00 UTC, then switching to the frequency of 6080 kHz. During the news bulletin, the various frequencies were tried. The second recording is of the transmission between about 21:00 and 23:00 UTC on the frequency of 6145 kHz. Again, the various frequencies were tried to find the best one.

The transmissions were 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 started out just fair and somewhat noisy, not surprising given that the receiver was not in a target zone. Improves slightly with change of frequency at 20:00 UTC. Reception during the second recording was fairly good but, again, with some noise.

NDR - Gruss an Bord (first two hours): December 24, 2018

Richard Langley

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NDR - Gruss an Bord (last two hours): December 24, 2018

Richard Langley

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Radio Veritas Asia Final Transmission: June 30, 2018

Live, off-air recording of the final transmission of Radio Veritas Asia, broadcasting from Quezon City, Republic of the Philippines. The broadcast, in Filipino (a standardized form of Tagalog), was transmitted on 30 June 2018, beginning just before 15:00 UTC, on the frequency of 11675 kHz using a 250-kW transmitter at Palauig in the Province of Zambales, north-east of Quezon City. The transmission had an antenna beam direction of 300° and was directed to Filipinos living in the Middle East.   

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 synchronous AM mode with 5.08 kHz total bandwidth RF filtering. Reception of the broadcast was fair with some noise.

Radio Veritas Asia Final Transmission: June 30, 2018

Richard Langley

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Radio Guinée: May 30, 2018

Live, off-air, approximately one-and-a-half-hour recording of Radio Guinée, an outlet of the government broadcaster Radio Télévision Guinéenne, broadcasting from Conakry, Guinea, on 30 May 2018 beginning at about 17:34 UTC. The broadcast was on a shortwave frequency of 9650 kHz using a transmitter at Sonfonia, a suburb of Conakry, with a reported power of 50 kW and with an omnidirectional antenna.

The transmission was received on a Tecsun PL-880 receiver with a Tecsun AN-03L 7-metre wire antenna in Meloneras, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, in AM mode with 5 kHz RF filtering. Reception was quite good initially although interference from what is believed to be Saudi Arabian jamming (siren style) directed against an Iranian broadcast in Arabic earlier on the same frequency can be faintly heard. The jamming signal ends at about 18:26 UTC but adjacent channel interference begins a couple of minutes later and continues at varying levels through to the end of the recording.

The recording starts with a program of indigenous Guinean music in progress. Station identification at 17:58 UTC is followed by a news bulletin and then a sports program discussing mostly football. This was followed by a talk program. The spoken-word programs are primarily in French with some indigenous language segments.

The Radio Guinée shortwave transmission is a relay of the Radio Guinée Conakry FM station on 88.5 MHz.
 

Radio Guinée: May 30, 2018

Richard Langley

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BBC World Service Annual Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast: June 21, 2018

New Bransfield House, Rothera Research Station, British Antarctic Territory (BAS Photo)

Two live, off-air, half-hour recordings of the BBC World Service special Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast on 21 June 2018 beginning at 21:30 UTC. The broadcast features special messages and music for the staff of the British Antarctic Survey overwintering in Antarctica.

The first recording is of the transmission on a frequency of 7360 kHz from the BBC's Ascension Island relay station (250 kW transmitter power, antenna beam 207 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 5 kHz RF filtering. Reception was fairly good, albeit a bit noisy and with noticeable transmitter hum.

The second recording is of the transmission on a frequency of 5985 kHz from the BBC's Woofferton, England, transmitting station (250 kW transmitter power, antenna beam 184 degrees). 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 synchronous AM mode with 5.08 kHz RF filtering. Reception of the broadcast was very good.

The program started slightly late for both transmissions with parts of the first one or two sentences missing. The program actually starts with "This is the BBC World Service in London calling Antarctica. Welcome to the Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast, a special ..."

BBC WS BAS Annual Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast (7360 kHz): June 21, 2018

Richard Langley

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BBC WS BAS Annual Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast (5985 kHz): June 21, 2018

Richard Langley

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Voice of Korea: June 13, 2018

Live, off-air recording of the Voice of Korea broadcast in English on 13 June 2018, beginning at 18:00 UTC on 15245 kHz. The broadcast was transmitted from Kujang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), with a transmitter power of 200 kW. The broadcast had an antenna beam direction of 325° and was directed to western Europe.   

The news program in the first part of the broadcast has an extensive report on the historic summit meeting in Singapore between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump on 12 June 2018.

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 synchronous AM mode with 5.08 kHz total bandwidth RF filtering. Reception of the broadcast was fairly good with some fading and was accompanied by the faint sound of jamming, likely originating from the same transmitter plant that is used to jam broadcasts from the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and other countries, and is likely due to a technical fault.

Voice of Korea: June 13, 2018

Richard Langley

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Channel Africa: June 1, 2018

Live, off-air, one-hour recording of Channel Africa, an international radio service of the South African Broadcasting Corporation, broadcasting from Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa, on 1 June 2018 beginning at about 17:00 UTC. The broadcast was on a frequency of 11885 kHz using a transmitter at Meyerton, South Africa, with a power of 250 kW and with an antenna bearing of 328° towards west Africa.

The transmission was received on a Tecsun PL-880 receiver with its built-in whip antenna in Meloneras, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, in AM mode with 3.5 kHz RF filtering. Reception was fairly good although there was some adjacent-channel interference, most noticeable during the first few minutes of the broadcast.

The program, "Africa Digest" in English, included the latest news; feature items on Kenyan independence celebrations, some problems with the justice system in South Africa, and the dangers of skin lightening; "African Arty Bits"; "Africa News Roundup"; and sports news. Several music pieces are featured including songs by Judith Sephuma and A Peace of Ebony, which conclude the broadcast. The opening announcement gives the formerly used frequency of 15235 kHz in error.

Channel Africa: June 1, 2018

Richard Langley

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Voice of Korea – Panmunjom Summit: April 28, 2018

Live, off-air recording of the Voice of Korea broadcast in English on 28 April 2018, beginning at 13:30 UTC on 13760 kHz. The broadcast was transmitted from Kujang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), with a transmitter power of 200 kW. The broadcast had an antenna beam direction of 325°.   

The news program in the first part of the program has an extensive report on the historic summit meeting in Panmunjom between Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in on 27 April 2018.

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 synchronous AM mode with 5.08 kHz total bandwidth RF filtering. Reception of the broadcast was quite good with some fading and was accompanied by the sound of jamming, likely originating from the same transmitter plant that is used to jam broadcasts from the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and other countries, and is likely due to a technical fault. There was also some minor interference from a China Radio International transmission on 13755 kHz up until about 14:00 UTC.
 

Voice of Korea - Panmunjom Summit: April 28, 2018

Richard Langley

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Radio Enciclopedia: August 8, 2017

Live, off-air, one-and-a-half-hour excerpt of an almost four-hour recording of Radio Cubana's AM radio station CMBQ, Radio Enciclopedia, Havana, Cuba, on 8 August 2017 beginning at about 18:30 UTC. The station operates on an frequency of 530 kHz from a transmitter in the Villa María area of Havana with a power of 10 kW and an omnidirectional antenna.

The transmission was received on a Tecsun PL-880 receiver with its built-in ferrite-bar-loop antenna in Naples, Florida, in AM mode with 5 kHz RF filtering. Reception was fairly good although there was co-channel interference from a Radio Rebelde transmitter in Caribe on Isla de la Juventud, which is in the same direction as Havana as seen from Naples.

Radio Enciclopedia is an easy-listening music station with pieces interspersed with music descriptions and brief encyclopedic tidbits read by female announcers.

The recorded program is "La Tarde Contigo."

Radio Enciclopedia: August 8, 2017

Richard Langley

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