Radio Borderhunter

I tuned in Europirate Radio Borderhunter on 15,500 kHz AM, starting around 21:50 UTC on September, 21 2013. For an AM signal out of Europe to make it to the east coast of the US, I was most impressed with Radio Borderhunter's strong signal.

I recorded about forty minutes of the pirate's broadcast before propagation shifted.  He then moved down to 6,210 kHz in the 48 meter band, a prime Europirate hangout, to continue his show.

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

IRRS English

Many thanks to SWAA contributor, Frank, for this recording of IRRS radio in English. Recorded in Europe on the 14th of September, 2013, on 9,510 kHz, starting at 08:00 UTC. This broadcast emanated from the IRRS transmitter in Bucharest, Romania, Europe, at a power of 150 kW. The recording includes, inter alia, UN Radio programme.

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

Voice of Russia

Syria is one of the biggest international news items at the moment. If you want to hear Russia’s side of the story, there’s no better place than via the Voice of Russia.

Many thanks to Frank for submitting this recording of the Voice of Russia English language service. Frank recorded this broadcast on September 14, 2013 starting at 22:00 on 9,465 kHz with his Kenwood R-5000 receiver.

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

BBC World Service

The BBC World Service English language service recorded on 9,735 kHz on September 14, 2013, starting at 15:00 UTC. This BBC WS broadcast originated from a 100 kW transmitter located at the Tashkent transmitter site, in Uzbekistan, Asia.

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

Many thanks to SWAA contributor, Frank, for this recording.

China Radio International English Service

Many thanks to SWAA contributor, Frank, for this recording of China Radio International's (CRI) English Service.

Recorded on 17,490 kHz on September 13, 2013, starting at 07:00 UTC. This CRI broadcast originated from a 500 kW transmitter located at the Kashi transmitter site in China.

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

Voice of Greece

Many thanks to SWAA contributor, Frank, for this three hour recording of the Voice of Greece. 

Recorded in Europe on September, 12 2013 starting at 05:00 UTC on 11,645 kHz.

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

Radio Thailand World Service

Ayutthaya, Thailand  (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Many thanks to SWAA contributor, Frank, for this recording of Radio Thailand World Service. 

Recorded in Europe on September, 13 2013 starting at 19:00 UTC on 9,390 kHz.

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

Pirate Radio Recordings: Radio Casablanca

Confession time: one of my favorite pirate radio stations is Radio Casablanca.

Why?   

For one thing the format is WWII-era music. When I hear Radio Casablanca, I close my eyes and imagine what it must have been like to hear the great bands of the era over the shortwaves...

Radio nostalgia at its best. 

The signal strength is always sufficient to be heard in relatively good fidelity here in my radio room, but not so strong as to detract from the perceived distance. I believe the recording you'll hear below could very well mimic broadcasts over shortwave, heard across borders during WWII as well as listened to on classic console radios in people's living rooms and front parlors.

When my buddy Mark Coady posted that he was listening to Radio Casablanca last night on 6940 kHz AM, I immediately rushed outside to hook up my antenna, and started rolling.  I didn't want to miss even one more minute (I came across Mark's post about twenty minutes into the broadcast). Though regional storms produced some static pops and crashes, overall fidelity is decent. You will hear the filter and side-band sync being adjusted at times as I attempted to eliminate adjacent noises--which, in the end, are all a part of the listening experience.

Click here to download an MP3 of the recording, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Either way, prepare to go (or at least, send your ears) back in time... 

Deutsche Welle: September 3, 2013

For your listening pleasure: a recording of the Deutsche Welle English service made this morning, September 3rd, starting at 04:00 UTC.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below (note about 40 seconds of carrier prior to the beginning of the broadcast):

Voice of Greece: September 1, 2013

Lately, the Voice of Greece has been playing very long sets of music; and not all of it Greek. I assume the break in format has to do with the reorganization of Greek national broadcasting.

I believe VoG could be cut on a moment's notice. With heavy cuts being dealt to national broadcasting, I doubt they'll keep investing in shortwave radio since they no longer even have an English language service. This is one of the reasons I've devoted a lot of recording time to VoG as of late.

I certainly hope I'm wrong about my prediction.

On September 1st, I recorded over five hours of VoG, starting around 22:00 UTC. After about an hour of Greek commentary, you'll hear music ranging from contemporary to classical.

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

BOCHF (Boards of Canada HF) Pirate Radio

Friday night (30 August 2013), I came across a new shortwave pirate radio station: BOCHF.

BOCHF started broadcasting around 23:10 UTC on 6,925 kHz USB, and after about a twenty-five minute set, took a five minute break, then returned with a  forty-two minute set, ending with an SSTV QSL. The signal, as you can hear below, is fairly strong, but interference was also strong at times; especially from SSB pescadores (fishermen) and the usual summer static crashes.

The entire mix consisted of Boards of Canada music from Tomorrow’s Harvest. There were no vocal ID’s, but there were messages in CW (Morse code) which clearly identifies this pirate as BOCHF.

The artists Boards of Canada have always had an affinity with shortwave radio, so I find a shortwave pirate station playing their music to be an appropriate tribute. Due to sound card problems, I was unable to decode the SSTV QSL, but thankfully a great copy was posted on HF Underground’s pirate radio forum (see above) by forum contributor, Chris Smolinski.

Click here to download MP3s of Part One and Part Two from the full broadcast last night or simply listen via the embedded audio players below:

Again this morning (1 September 2013) at 2:20 UTC–and last night, during a very active night of pirate radio activity–BOCHF crept onto the airwaves, this time on 6,920 kHz USB.

Yesterday, BOCHF played the Boards of Canada album Tomorrow’s Harvest; this morning, they played their album In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country.

And how did it sound?  Combining the music of the Boards of Canada with the sonic texture of the shortwave ether is a winning combination, in my opinion. But don’t take my word for it: take a listen yourself.

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

BOCHF also sent me this hi-resolution QSL card (below) after hearing the off-air recordings.

Many thanks, BOCHF!