Radio Australia: Circa Spring of 1968

The Shepparton transmitter site of ABC/Radio Australia

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Bob Purse, curator of the excellent Inches Per Second audio archive and blog. Bob kindly shares the following recording originally made on reel to reel tape. All of Bob’s recordings are lost and found sound, so the only information he has for each recording are the notes included on tape labels and boxes. If you can identify the date or any other information about this recording, please comment.

Bob notes the following about this found piece:

[…]I found yet another Shortwave broadcast in my collection to pass along. In this case, it is again Australian Shortwave, from Spring of 1968. An I will acknowledge right off the bat that the recording quality is abysmal. It starts poorly and gets worse and worse as it goes along. This is actually why I hadn't shared it before. But I thought the time was right to offer it up, terrible quality and all.

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

Swiss Radio International: Circa April 26, 1968

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Bob Purse, curator of the excellent Inches Per Second audio archive and blog. Bob kindly shares the following recording originally made on reel to reel tape. All of Bob’s recordings are lost and found sound, so the only information he has for each recording are the notes included on tape labels and boxes. If you can identify the date or any other information about this recording, please comment.

Bob notes the following about this found piece:

This [recording is] from the spring of 1968. [It] is a recording of broadcasts from Switzerland. The sound quality goes in and out here - it's never great, which is often the case with these shortwave recordings, but it's almost all listenable.

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

BBC World Service (Coverage of Russian Invasion of Ukraine): February 22-27, 2022

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Matt Tod, who shares the following recording and notes:

Notes: BBC World Service broadcast with the first news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Broadcaster: BBC

Date of recording: 2/22/2022 - 02/27/2022

Starting time: various: see recording titel

Frequency: 6.195 & 7.285 MHz

Reception location: Hugo, MN

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

Voice of America Hausa (with English Sign-Off): February 26, 2022

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the following short recording of VOA’s Hausa language service recorded on February 26, 2022 in McGrath, Alaska on 11,900 kHz at 20:58 UTC. This recording was made with a Tecsun PL-880, DXE preamp and two tunable HF loop antennas.

Paul notes: “Hausa language gets lopped off for an English sign-off message and Yankee Doodle Dandy followed by a carrier cut 1 minute 20 seconds later.”

VOA Communications World (Internet Stream): June 30, 2001

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Gavaras, who shares the following recording and notes:

Notes: VOA Communications World hosted by Kim Andrew Elliott. Topics covered included:
- BBC to end shortwave World Service broadcasts to US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Radio Netherlands to broadcast on BBC vacated frequencies for two weeks
- Interview with Ralph Brandi who headed up a "Save BBC" campaign
- Radio Canada website hacked
- VOA new Spanish language program for the Andean region of South America
- 75th Anniversary of RTE in Ireland

Broadcaster: Voice of America

Date of recording: 6/30/2001

Starting time: Unknown

Frequency: Internet Stream

Your receiver and antenna: Internet Stream

VOA Communications World: June 24, 1995

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Gavaras, who shares the following recording and notes:

VOA's Communications World with Kim Andrew Elliott from 6-24-1995, Topics discussed included:

- International radio news
- Discussion about VOA budget and possible consolidation of VOA into the State Department
- Underwriting messages on VOA
- Weather reports on VOA broadcasts to Africa
- Interview with Radio Prague about their innovative use of the internet

Broadcaster: Voice of America

Date of recording: 6/24/1995

Starting time: Unknown

Frequency: Unknown

Receiver location: Orono, MN

Receiver and antenna: ICOM R71A, Longwire

Twin Cities Radio Compilation Capitol Insurrection: January 6, 2021

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

This is a compilation of radio broadcast from Twin Cities, Minnesota radio stations when the news of the January 6 US Capitol storming was first mentioned.

Time stamps for the following stations and their time of broadcast:

00:00 WCCO 1:07 CST

01:24 KTLK 1:08 CST

02:08 KYCR 1:20 CST

03:31 WLOL 2:04 CST

06:43 WWTC 2:08 CST

09:39 KDIZ 3:06 CST

First 10 Minutes Of Amateur Radio Field Day 2021 (20M Band Scan): June 26, 2021

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

Notes: A scan of the phone portion of the 20 Meter Amateur Radio band during the first ten minutes of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Field day June 26, 2021. Field day is the biggest Amateur Radio operating event of the year.

Broadcaster: Amateur Radio

Date of recording: 6/26/2021

Starting time: 1800

Frequency: 20 Meters

Reception location: Hugo, MN

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

Mode: Single Side Band

VOA Communications World: July 1, 1995

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Tom Gavaras, who shares the following recording and notes:

VOA Communications World 7/1/1995

VOA's Communications World presented by Kim Andrew Elliott. Topics discussed included:

- Report on WCCO-TV (Minneapolis, MN) running a modified newscast on another local TV station (KLGT-TV) at the same time and interviews Brian Lambert of the St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper. Plus, discussion on radio competition in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN area.
- Plans of America's public radio broadcasters to distribute programming in Europe
- Radio of-demand and its potential for domestic and international broadcasting
- Interview with VOA's Southeast Asia correspondent, Dan Robinson, about broadcasting in Thailand

Broadcaster: Voice of America

Date of recording: 7/1/1995

Starting time: Unknown

Frequency: Unknown

Receiver location: Orono, MN

Receiver and antenna: ICOM R71A, Longwire

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.