Voice of America: May 5, 2014

For your listening pleasure: thirty minutes of the Voice of America's English Language service to Africa.

This broadcast was recorded on May 5, 2014 in eastern North America around 20:59 UTC on 15,580 kHz.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below.  Please subscribe to our podcast to receive future recordings automatically.

Voice of America: May 5, 2014
Thomas

Wolverine Radio: April 27, 2014

For your listening pleasure: 1 hour and 7 minutes of pirate radio station, Wolverine Radio–recorded April 27, 2014 starting around 1:10 UTC.

Wolverine was broadcasting on 6,945 kHz in the upper side band. Typical of Wolverine, lots of music variety which spans the decades and no commentary other than station ID throughout.

I decoded Wolverine’s SSTV QSL (see right) with Chris Smolinski's SSTV app for iPhone.  As you'll hear, overall signal strength and audio fidelity were excellent.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3 or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Wolverine Radio: April 27, 2014
Thomas

All India Radio: April 12, 2014

Kedarnath range behind the Kedarnath temple early morning. (Photo source: Kaustabh)

Kedarnath range behind the Kedarnath temple early morning. (Photo source: Kaustabh)

For your listening pleasure: fifty two minutes of All India Radio's English language service

This broadcast was recorded in North America on Saturday, April 12, 2014 starting around 9:40 UTC on 9,445 kHz.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3 or simply listen via the embedded player below:

All India Radio: April 12, 2014
Thomas

Chairman of the Board Radio: April 12, 2014

For your listening pleasure: a short 20 minute broadcast from the pirate radio station, Chairman of the Board Radio–recorded Saturday, April 12, 2014 starting around 3:30 UTC.

Chairman of the Board Radio was broadcasting on 6,935 kHz in the upper side band. As you’ll hear, the signal was quite strong, with just a little compression noise.

I really enjoyed this short set of Frank Sinatra tunes. You’ll hear the station ID at the end with a shout out to listeners in Chicago.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3 or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Chairman of the Board Radio: April 12, 2014
Thomas

Radio New Zealand International: April 5, 2014

For your listening pleasure: three hours of Radio New Zealand International.

This broadcast was recorded on 9,700 kHz, starting at 07:59 UTC on April 5, 2014. This weekend RNZI broadcast includes Peter Fry's Saturday Night music request show--always a treat to hear.

Click here to download this recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below. 

RNZI: April 5, 2014
Thomas

The Mighty KBC: March 9, 2014

DJ Eric van Willegen, "Uncle Eric"

DJ Eric van Willegen, "Uncle Eric"

For your listening pleasure: two hours of The Mighty KBC, recorded on March 9, 2014 starting at 00:00 UTC on their winter frequency of 7,375 kHz.

As we’ve come to expect, the Mighty KBC’s Giant Jukebox of music has a lot of rock-n-roll and Euro-pop variety, spanning the decades; DJ, “Uncle Eric” knows how to entertain and spin the tunes! Uncle Eric includes Kim Elliott’s digital text modes in this broadcast–if you missed the live broadcast, you can even decode the messages from the recording below.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

The Might KBC: March 9, 2014
Thomas

Radio New Zealand International: February 22, 2014

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For your listening pleasure: three full hours of Radio New Zealand International, recorded on February 22, 2014 starting around 7:59 UTC on 9,765 kHz.

This recording begins with the The RNZI interval signal: the charming and unmistakable call of the New Zealand Bellbird. The first two hours of the recording feature the music request show, Saturday Night, followed by one hour of Wayne's Music.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Radio New Zealand International: February 22, 2014
Thomas

Radio City via IRRS: February 15, 2014

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Many thanks to SWAA contributor, Frank, for this recording of Radio City via IRRS, Milano, Italy on 9,510 kHz shortwave. This broadcast was recorded on February 15, 2014 at 9:00 UTC and originates from a 150 kW transmitter in Saftica, Romania.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Radio City via IRRS: February 15, 2014
Frank

Radio Amica: March 13, 2010

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Many thanks to SWAA contributor, Frank, for this recording of Radio Amica: a free radio (pirate) broadcaster broadcaster. This broadcast was recorded on 7,610 kHz at 19:55 UTC on March 13, 2010. It's believed that Radio Amica used/uses a 1kW transmitter located in Italy.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Radio Amica: March 13, 2010
Frank

beHAVior Night: January 31, 2014

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Last year, I reviewed the Elecraft KX3 transceiver on the SWLing Post as a fantastic radio to consider if you’re an amateur radio operator who also happens to love SWLing.

Last Friday night, at 22:00UTC on 7,490 kHz, I used my KX3 to tune in one of my favorite weekly programs: beHAVior Night, a shortwave radio show, relayed by WBCQ, which showcases music from the first four decades of the 20th Century. We've featured several recordings of beHAVior night here on the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive.

What’s so pleasant about the KX3 is the robust AM audio it delivers, even though its AM filtering is limited to a maximum of 4.2 kHz in width. That’s a very narrow width, by SWLing standards, but the audio sounds wider.

Listen for yourself: click here to download a recording of beHAVior Night made with the Elecraft KX3 (via my Zoom H2N digital recorder) or simply listen via the embedded player below:

beHAVior Night: January 31, 2014
Thomas

Wolverine Radio: January 19, 2014

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For your listening pleasure: 1 hour and 17 minutes of pirate radio station, Wolverine Radio–recorded Sunday, January 19, 2014 starting around 1:40 UTC.

Wolverine was broadcasting on 6,94o kHz in the upper side band. Typical of Wolverine, lots of music variety which spans the decades and no commentary other than station ID throughout.

While reception was waning when I decoded Wolverine’s SSTV QSL (see right), signal strength and audio fidelity were excellent as always.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3 or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Wolverine Radio: January 19, 2014
Thomas

Voice of Greece/Radio Station of Macedonia: November 26, 2013

Crete, Greece (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Crete, Greece (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

I’m not sure what the future holds for the Voice of Greece. In many ways, I feel that the Greek national shortwave broadcaster is already operating on borrowed time–but perhaps I’m wrong. I’ve been recording VOG a lot lately on 9,420 kHz and 7,475 kHz; most broadcasts these days contain very little commentary, only hours of a wide variety of international music with the occasional station ID (which, by the way, has recently changed). I feel like they’re just working to keep their seats warm.

TheGreekRadio.com recently commented on the SWLing Post about the current state of the Voice of Greece:

“After the forceful eviction of the redundant ERT employees from the Radio House in Athens, the shortwave frequencies no longer transmit the normal program of Voice of Greece as there is no such service produced in Athens.  This happened on the 7th of November, when you probably noticed the station ID change.

Mediumwave and shortwave frequencies have been now set to relay the radio program of “Radio Station of Macedonia” by the redundant employees of ERT3, from Thessaloniki. (This used to be the independent program relayed for a few hours before midnight on 7,450 until June’s ERT switch-off, when phone lines were cut and the “guerilla” program started). They keep doing a full program during the day, but being unemployed, it seems that they cannot carry on overnight.

The official interim public radio (one single service for entire Greece) so far does not care for [the take] over [of] the shortwave and mediumwave resources in Athens. Probably they do not have the staff to operate them, as only the necessary personnel was hired to keep the single radio service running on FM.”

Thus it looks like VOG’s shortwave service might be easily cut–and without warning. We already know that the Greek government is considering dismantling the Alvis transmitting site.

 With that said, I hope you’ll enjoy a bit of this Voice of Greece (or Radio Station of Macedonia) recording this weekend.  I say “a bit,” as it is nearly five hours long. I started this recording around 20:30 UTC on November 26th, 2013 (9,420 kHz).

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Voice of Greece: November 26, 2013
Thomas

Voice of Greece: November 15, 2013, "Walking in on a party"

This Voice of Greece broadcast begins with a piece by Burhan Öcal, with the Istanbul Oriental Ensemble (Photo: National Geographic)

This Voice of Greece broadcast begins with a piece by Burhan Öcal, with the Istanbul Oriental Ensemble (Photo: National Geographic)

I never know what to expect when I tune around on one of my shortwave radios.  Perhaps that’s one of the things I find captivating about the medium; there’s no playlist, no app, no content controls, other than the tuning knob.

Sometimes, I tune to a station, and it’s as though I’ve just opened a door and walked in on a party–one in full swing, with dancing and incredible live music.

That’s exactly what I felt when I tuned to the Voice of Greece last night. I walked in on a party.  And I needed no invitation; I was welcomed there.

Hear it, just as I did, starting right in the middle of this party:

Voice of Greece: walking in on a party, Nov 15, 2013
Thomas

Listen above, or click here to download three hours and 31 minutes of musical bliss (until they turned the transmitter off).