Voice of Greece - Final Transmission: June 15, 2022

Live off-air recording of the final two hours of the shortwave transmissions of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation's (ERT's) Voice of Greece (I Foni tis Elladas) on 15 June 2022 on a frequency of 9420 kHz. Also known as ERA 5, the Voice of Greece broadcast its programs from Avlis about 50 km north-east of Athens using a transmitter with a registered power of 150 kW with an antenna beam of 323° towards western Europe. Avlis had a large transmitting complex with multiple transmitters and antennas but at the end of its service was reduced to just one operational transmitter.

The Voice of Greece continues to be available via Internet streaming and satellite.

The recording, all in Greek, starts with a time check, the beginning of the Voice of Greece interval (tuning) signal with station identification. Then follows two programs. The first program is Fones kai Mousikes tis Ellinikis Kardias (Voices and Sounds of the Greek Heart). It features an interview with singer Natalia Soledad Petsalis from Buenos Aires. At just after 16:00 UTC, there is news from ERA 1, the Proto Programma network, before returning to Voice of Greece programming. The second program is Kales Thallasses (Good Seas) and includes an interview with retired ship captain Georgios Mavrakis. Captain Mavrakis recounts how during his 30 years of service as a sailor, the broadcasts of the Voice of Greece kept him company at sea. At the end of the recording, there is the short interval signal and identification of the Voice of Greece just before the transmitter leaves the air.

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 good with some fading at times and with some slight co-channel interference from a Chinese transmitter especially after 16:00 UTC.

Radio Tamazuj: June 10, 2022

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the following recording and notes.

This recording of Radio Tamazuj was made on Friday, June 10, 2022, at 1546UTC on 15150kHz. The receiver used was an ATS-25 paired with two loop antennas and a preamp. The reception location was McGrath, Alaska.

Rádio Nacional da Amazônia: July 8, 2022

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the following recording of Rádio Nacional da Amazônia.

This recording was made on July 8, 2022 in McGrath, Alaska, on 11,780 kHz. Paul used an ATS25 receiver paired with a magnetic loop antenna (see photo above).

Radio Canada International: August 09 and August 16, 1982

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

Here are two more back to back episodes from my collection of recordings of Shortwave Listener's Digest from Radio Canada International, this time from August 09, 1982 and August 16, 1982. This program's highlights are: more talk about submarine cables, changeover from GMT to UTC, part one of harmonics DXing by Glenn Hauser. The second program highlights are: more talk about submarine cables and ANARC news from Jeff White reporting on the 1982 ANARC convention, part 2 of Glenn Hauser's harmonics report.

Broadcaster: Radio Canada International

Date of recording: 8/9/1982

Starting time: 2107 UTC

Frequency: 15.325 MHz

Reception location: South Bend, Indiana

Receiver and antenna: Sony ICF-2001 and longwire

Radio Kuwait (Interval Signal): circa 1970

Photo by Brett Jordan

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

Here is Radio Kuwait circa 1970, signing on in English with their interval signal, chimes, and giving their frequency information. They were transmitting on 15345 kHz to Europe at 1600 hours UTC. This recording was made in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada using a Hallicrafters S-52 receiver and a long wire antenna. Only used an open mike next to the speaker for this.

Broadcaster: Radio Kuwait

Starting time: 1600

Frequency: 15.345 MHz

Recption location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Shortwave Australia (Test Transmission): July 7, 2022

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Ian Pillar,

New low power station 5 KW out of central Victoria keeping everyone very excited in Australia on all the message boards . Run by David Stuart VK3ASE

Broadcaster: Shortwave Australia

Date of recording: 7/7/2022

Starting time: 0750 UTC

Frequency: 4835 kHz

Receiver location: NSW Australia

Receiver and antenna: KiwiSDR Loop Antenna

Qatar Broadcasting Service (Interval Signal): February 21, 1999

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

Recorded on February 21, 1999, this is the Qatar Broadcasting Service from Doha signing on with their interval signal and announcement in Arabic. They were using 7210 kHz and a little amateur radio interference can be heard as one might expect. Receiver location was Coe Hill, Ontario, Canada.

Broadcaster: Qatar Broadcasting Service

Date of recording: 2/21/1999

Starting time: 0245 UTC

Frequency: 7.210 MHz

Reception location: Coe Hill, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Drake SW-8 and a long wire antenna

Voz Cristiana (Santiago, Chile): April 28, 1998

Photo by Kevin Fuentealba Mol

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

Radio station Voz Cristiana from Santiago, Chile is heard here with a test transmission and announcement in English on April 28, 1998. My logbook says they were operating on 21550 kHz. Receiving post was in Thamesford, Ontario, Canada and I was using a Panasonic RF-3100 portable receiver hooked up to a longwire antenna.

Broadcaster: Voz Cristiana, Santiago, Chile

Date of recording: 4/28/1998

Frequency: 21.550 MHz

RX location: Thamesford, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Panasonic RF-3100 and longwire antenna

Radio Kudirat Nigeria (Clandestine): March 22, 1998

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

Some blended audio clips from pro democracy clandestine station Radio Kudirat Nigeria (The Voice of Democracy) operating on 11540 kHz. This recording was made on March 22, 1998 in Thamesford, Ontario, Canada. The station says they are getting reports of poor reception on their other frequency of 6205 kHz, and recommends tuning to 11540 kHz.

Date of recording: 3/22/1998

Frequency: 11.540

Reception location: Thamesford, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Panasonic RF-3100 and longwire antenna

BBC World Service Annual Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast: June 21, 2022

A live, off-air, half-hour recording of the BBC World Service special Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast on 21 June 2022 beginning at 21:30 UTC. The broadcast, hosted by Cerys Matthews, featured messages and music for the 32 members of the staff of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) overwintering in Antarctica at the Rothera (Antarctic Peninsula) and King Edward Point and Bird Island (South Georgia) research stations. In addition to personal messages from family and friends, there were special messages from BAS personnel and others including ones from Sir David Attenborough and Maj. Tim Peake. The transmitter came on the air with a test tone (1108 Hz plus harmonics) about a minute before the program started.

The recording is of the transmission on a frequency of 12065 kHz from the BBC's Woofferton, England, transmitting station (300 kW rated 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 outdoors in Hanwell (just outside Fredericton), New Brunswick, Canada, in AM mode with 2.3 kHz RF filtering. Reception was quite good with little noise and fading and good signal strength, which was better than that on the parallel frequencies of 9505 kHz from Woofferton and 7305 kHz from Ascension Island.

Radio Republik Indonesia Jakarta (Interval Signal): April 11, 1998

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

Probably my favourite interval signal of all time, the Song of the Coconut Islands, used by Radio Republik Indonesia stations. Here we have Jakarta on 15150 kHz signing on April 11, 1998. Their signal had to travel over 15800 km to get to my receiver in southern Ontario, Canada, so there is a little flutter which is expected. Receiving equipment consisted of a Panasonic RF-3100 portable hooked up to a long wire antenna.

Broadcaster: Radio Republik Indonesia Jakarta

Date of recording: 4/11/1998

Frequency: 15.150

Reception location: Thamesford, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Panasonic RF-3100 and longwire antenna

Radio Madagasikara (Interval Signal): February 18, 1997

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

Rarely logged here, the interval signal from Radio Madagasikara broadcasting from the island of Madagascar, as heard in Thamesford, Ontario, Canada on February 18, 1997 at sign on around 0258 hours UTC on 5010 kHz shortwave. Their national anthem is played followed by announcements which are of unfortunately low modulation. The receiver used was a Panasonic RF-3100 portable and a longwire antenna.

Broadcaster: Radio Madagasikara

Date of recording: 2/18/1997

Starting time: 0258

Frequency: 5.010 MHz

Reception location: Thamesford, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Panasonic RF-3100 and 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

Madagascar World Voice, Radio Feda: May 15, 2022

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the following recording and notes:

KNLS sister station Madagascar World Voice broadcasts Radio Feda, an Arabic language Christian program from Madagascar to the Middle East on 13670 kHz at 1900-2000UTC and 13710 kHz from 2000-2100UTC.

This is the 13710 kHz broadcast as received in McGrath Alaska on 15 May 2022.

FEBA Seychelles (Interval Signal): February 22, 1973

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

Some of my old audio cassette tapes from the 1970's contain unedited material from my shortwave listening activities that has never been labelled or properly organized. Upon playing one such cassette, I found this recording of radio station FEBA Seychelles. After cross checking this with some entries in my old log book, I discovered it was made on February 22, 1973 around 1800 hours UTC on a frequency of 11955 kHz. My receiver was a Realistic DX150A and a longwire antenna. Receiver location was Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. A part of their interval signal "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" is played in this recording.

Action Radio (Guyana Broadcasting Service): March 12, 1972

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

Broadcaster: Action Radio (Guyana Broadcasting Service)

Date of recording: 3/12/1972

Starting time: believe it was around 0900 UTC

Frequency: 3.290 MHz

Recption location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Notes: "Action Radio" (the Guyana Broadcasting Service) from Georgetown recorded signing on for the day in March 1972 on 3290 kHz shortwave. Their guitar interval signal is heard at first, a short musical interlude, then announcements in English giving frequencies used and local time as 5 o'clock in the morning. Initially taped on a reel-to-reel recorder, a copy was made shortly thereafter on a cassette (now 50 years old) from which this digital version was made.

BPM (Time Signal Service of the People's Republic of China): April 28, 2022

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the following recording of BOM and notes:

BPM on 10 MHz surpassing WWVH’s signal, which does not happen often at all—if ever that I can remember—in McGrath, Alaska.

The dits form BPM are obvious, but the morse code beginning at 39 seconds and the voice at 1 min 21 secs just wipe away WWVH.

Trans World Radio (Interval Signal): November 2, 1996

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

Broadcaster: Trans World Radio, Swaziland

Date of recording: 11/2/1996

Starting time: 0358

Frequency: 4.750 MHz

Reception location: Thamesford, Ontario, Canada

Receiver and antenna: Panasonic RF-3100 and longwire antenna

Notes: Here is the interval signal of Trans World Radio in Swaziland as received here in Ontario, Canada on November 2, 1996. If you could hear this station well, it was likely a good time to try for other more difficult catches.

Voice of Korea: May 12, 2022. North Korea officially announces its first COVID-19 outbreak

Quoting The Diplomat:

For the first time, North Korea has confirmed a positive COVID-19 case within the country. The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on May 12 that a “specimen from persons with fever” in Pyongyang had come back positive for the Omicron BA.2 variant, a particularly contagious strain of the virus. The phrasing of the announcement makes it unclear how many people are infected. KCNA called the development a “most serious emergency case of the state.”

Below is the recording of this announcement being made on the Voice of Korea's English language service. The recording was made on May 12, 2022 at 1908 UTC on 11635 kHz using GPD MicroPC, AirSpy Mini, SpyVerter 2, Wellbrook UMB130 balun and a 2x6m dipole. Demodulation and additional signal audio enhancement was performed in SDR#.

Radio Juventud: Circa 1970

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

Broadcaster: Radio Juventud, Barquisimeto, Venezuela 1970

Frequency: 4.900 MHz

Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada

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

Notes: Back in the 1970's, many Venezuelan radio stations could be heard throughout the 60 metre band. 5 of these regularly logged here in southern Ontario belonged to La Cadena Venezolana de Radiodifusion. They were Radio Yaracuy, Radio Lara, Radio Universo, Radio Barquisimeto and Radio Juventud, the latter of these recorded in late 1970 on 4900 kHz identifying their AM, SW and FM stations by call letter and frequency in Spanish. Lead in music is the tune "The Age of Aquarius." They were all good verifiers and the cards were quite similar in design.