61
Shortwave Broadcast / The Mighty KBC? 9450kHz December 9
« on: December 09, 2012, 0153 UTC »
All I'm getting is a carrier audible on USB. Is anyone else having any better luck? Darn! it!
Shortwave Pirate Radio In North America And Around The World, And Other Signals That Go Bump In The Night
We seek to understand and document all radio transmissions, legal and otherwise, as part of the radio listening hobby. We do not encourage any radio operations contrary to regulations.
Always consult with the appropriate authorities if you have questions concerning what is permissible in your locale.
Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
62
General Radio Discussion / when mellowing out...
« on: November 28, 2012, 0308 UTC »
This's just a curiosity question, as I'm in serious need of chilling out at the moment, and I know I have a go-to radio station for when the world needs to look a little warmer and fuzzier. ... I'm the only one? Oh crud. 
In all seriousness, I thought I'd throw this out there and see what kind of answers it generated.
Which, if any, radio station do you switch to when you're looking for the warm fuzzies? That is to say, which station do you listen to when you want the world to look just a tiny bit brighter/less awful than it did before you tuned in? All bands included.
For me, it tends to be Radio Nacional da Amazonia, and you can blame that on both Brazilian Portuguese and the music they play; they're enchanting, if in somewhat different ways. I'd have said RNW before June of this year (sob), and now KBC fills some of that void. That lovely Dutch accent and the occasional multilingual snippets are really great to hear. They remind me of Hilversum, a bit. *should not be this attached, should I?*
Your turn. Feel free and call a weirdo a weirdo too, if I'm way off in left field someplace and don't know it.
In all seriousness, I thought I'd throw this out there and see what kind of answers it generated. Which, if any, radio station do you switch to when you're looking for the warm fuzzies? That is to say, which station do you listen to when you want the world to look just a tiny bit brighter/less awful than it did before you tuned in? All bands included.
For me, it tends to be Radio Nacional da Amazonia, and you can blame that on both Brazilian Portuguese and the music they play; they're enchanting, if in somewhat different ways. I'd have said RNW before June of this year (sob), and now KBC fills some of that void. That lovely Dutch accent and the occasional multilingual snippets are really great to hear. They remind me of Hilversum, a bit. *should not be this attached, should I?*
Your turn. Feel free and call a weirdo a weirdo too, if I'm way off in left field someplace and don't know it.
63
MW Loggings / MW opening to Mexico/Cuba, 10/25
« on: November 25, 2012, 2339 UTC »
Did anybody else catch the absolutely ridiculous opening to Mexico, Cuba and the extreme southern States last night? There was a ton of flutter and rapid fading, but at times, Canada and the northeast U.S. were all but shot. XEX on 730, XEW on 900, XEG on 1050, XERF on 1570 and XEROK on 800 were all blasting in. I literally had a Mexico City station *above* WJR, drowning the latter out almost completely! How the heck? Somebody I couldn't ID definitively, but who I suspect was Texas Spanish-language oldies station KAMA, was above WSB in much the same way.
Unfortunately, due to fading (argh!) I had a zillion unids, but I did manage two new catches for me, including the third todapoderoso from Cuba; Radio Reloj, I finally snagged you! Here are the two I definitely caught.
760, XEABC - ABC Radio, Mexico City, Mexico DF, 0647-0700. Mainly American popular music with program ID's between songs. I'm sure I heard 'El Partido' said at least once. Clear ABC Radio ID and time check at 0650 - time given was 12:50. Into Toto's 'Africa' after this. Signal variable, booming in atop WJR in Detroit at first, then weakening to equal levels with that station. Lots of flutter. SIO 444 at best, 322 at worst.
1020, Radio Reloj, Santa Clara, Cuba, 0703-0704. Spanish-language talk, presumably news, by a male presenter. Clock ticks clearly audible in the background, as well as an RR Morse ID. Signal only audible for a short time, then lost amid other unidentified English and Spanish 1020's. SIO 333 while audible.
As I said, I suspect I got KAMA out of Texas on 750, and there's still an annoying as heck unid on 1440 that's driving me mad. It's definitely Mexican; I heard the DJ ask if the audience was liking the corridos he was playing at one point. I've clearly heard catorce cuarenta AM as well, but the problem is, there are at least two Mexican stations on that frequency! Given conditions favored Mexico City last night, I'm inclined to suspect somebody nearer there, but who?
I also had someone fainter on 1620, playing mainly romantic ballads from the sound of things. Never could get an ID. Could this have been a Cuban local outside their usual three, or did I get someone in another part of Latin America? Hmm.
Somebody I couldn't ID definitively, but who I suspect was Texas Spanish-language oldies station KAMA, was above WSB in much the same way. Unfortunately, due to fading (argh!) I had a zillion unids, but I did manage two new catches for me, including the third todapoderoso from Cuba; Radio Reloj, I finally snagged you! Here are the two I definitely caught.
760, XEABC - ABC Radio, Mexico City, Mexico DF, 0647-0700. Mainly American popular music with program ID's between songs. I'm sure I heard 'El Partido' said at least once. Clear ABC Radio ID and time check at 0650 - time given was 12:50. Into Toto's 'Africa' after this. Signal variable, booming in atop WJR in Detroit at first, then weakening to equal levels with that station. Lots of flutter. SIO 444 at best, 322 at worst.
1020, Radio Reloj, Santa Clara, Cuba, 0703-0704. Spanish-language talk, presumably news, by a male presenter. Clock ticks clearly audible in the background, as well as an RR Morse ID. Signal only audible for a short time, then lost amid other unidentified English and Spanish 1020's. SIO 333 while audible.
As I said, I suspect I got KAMA out of Texas on 750, and there's still an annoying as heck unid on 1440 that's driving me mad. It's definitely Mexican; I heard the DJ ask if the audience was liking the corridos he was playing at one point. I've clearly heard catorce cuarenta AM as well, but the problem is, there are at least two Mexican stations on that frequency! Given conditions favored Mexico City last night, I'm inclined to suspect somebody nearer there, but who?
I also had someone fainter on 1620, playing mainly romantic ballads from the sound of things. Never could get an ID. Could this have been a Cuban local outside their usual three, or did I get someone in another part of Latin America? Hmm.
64
Shortwave Broadcast / The Mighty KBC, 9450 0000 11/25
« on: November 24, 2012, 2359 UTC »
I know this's technically dated ahead a few minutes, but 2353 already had KBC tuning up their transmitter. Booming carrier on 9450. *anxiously awaits sign-on!*
Edited to add: Boom! On promptly at 0000 with a lovely 'rocking over the ocean' Mighty KBC ID, then into "The Twist"! SIO 544 here, only some minor fading and static.
Oh man, Venga Boys! That song reminds me happily of the spring of '99. I was fourteen.
Multilingual English, Dutch, French and possibly German ID at 0042.
*parks radio dial in one position for a bit*
Data transmission at 0130, and is that Kim Andrew Elliot? Huh, I always thought that was a lady. I figured Andrew-Elliot was a dual last name... shows what I know, and Kim can be a male name. Ooooopsie.
Edited to add: Boom! On promptly at 0000 with a lovely 'rocking over the ocean' Mighty KBC ID, then into "The Twist"! SIO 544 here, only some minor fading and static.
Oh man, Venga Boys! That song reminds me happily of the spring of '99. I was fourteen.
Multilingual English, Dutch, French and possibly German ID at 0042.
*parks radio dial in one position for a bit*
Data transmission at 0130, and is that Kim Andrew Elliot? Huh, I always thought that was a lady. I figured Andrew-Elliot was a dual last name... shows what I know, and Kim can be a male name. Ooooopsie.
65
MW Loggings / persistent unid identified! + an NDB on MW
« on: November 17, 2012, 2004 UTC »
I finally succeeded in pinning down my pesky 1060kHz classical-ish music/Spanish language unid. Credit goes to forumites for tipping me to the fact that it might be XEEP - Radio Educacion out of Mexico City. Last night/this morning, conditions from the south were nutty! and I caught the best signal I've ever managed from that station, despite horrible splatter from WTSO on 1070. I tried matching what I heard to XEEP's webstream, and tah-dah! Unid ID'd!
Now to figure out what my other pesky unid is. 1440kHz would be a lot clearer if another local, on 14*80*kHz no less, wasn't so overmodulated that it splattered for 40kHz in both directions. Good lord. Might that be a call to the station in question? Hmm.
As to the NDB heard on MW: I was messing about, trying to figure out what might've been causing a slight heterodyne on 540 - probably the country station out of Iowa or CBC Watrous up against CIAO in Ontario - and I said hey, why not tune down the band a little on sideband. Maybe you'll get lucky and find something between 10kHz steps. Well, find I did! It took me a second to realize that what I was hearing was actually CW, and then I went... the heck? Hang on... .-.. -.-- --.- L Y Q? An NDB on the MW band? I entertained the thought of hearing a harmonic of an NDB (I assume that's possible, considering a signal is a signal wherever you go) but then I checked it against an NDB database.
Turns out what I heard was LYQ on 529kHz, out of Morrison, Tennessee! Holy cow! That's the furthest U.S. NDB catch I've made. It still gets me that it's on the MW band, too. *shrugs* I'm far from complaining!
Now to figure out what my other pesky unid is. 1440kHz would be a lot clearer if another local, on 14*80*kHz no less, wasn't so overmodulated that it splattered for 40kHz in both directions. Good lord. Might that be a call to the station in question? Hmm.
As to the NDB heard on MW: I was messing about, trying to figure out what might've been causing a slight heterodyne on 540 - probably the country station out of Iowa or CBC Watrous up against CIAO in Ontario - and I said hey, why not tune down the band a little on sideband. Maybe you'll get lucky and find something between 10kHz steps. Well, find I did! It took me a second to realize that what I was hearing was actually CW, and then I went... the heck? Hang on... .-.. -.-- --.- L Y Q? An NDB on the MW band? I entertained the thought of hearing a harmonic of an NDB (I assume that's possible, considering a signal is a signal wherever you go) but then I checked it against an NDB database.
Turns out what I heard was LYQ on 529kHz, out of Morrison, Tennessee! Holy cow! That's the furthest U.S. NDB catch I've made. It still gets me that it's on the MW band, too. *shrugs* I'm far from complaining!
66
Shortwave Broadcast / opening to SE Africa, E.Canada and ME, 11/9
« on: November 10, 2012, 1348 UTC »
Did anybody else notice the ridiculously great conditions early on the 9th by UTC? Southern and eastern Africa, eastern Canada, and to a lesser extent the Middle East were booming. It was brilliant! I nearly fell over when I made a couple of these catches, and then again when I ID'd a couple more per EiBi. Here, have a log. All these were snagged using a DX398 and external whip antenna, taken out of the apartment to ditch the RFI. All new catches for me, except Radio Tamazuj.
1550, CBSI-8, La Romaine, Quebec, 0203-0209. French talk from first a female, then a male presenter. Heard two possible mentions of Lavalle, and two possible mentions of Radio Canada. Into music at around 0207. Signal fair, subject to fading, mixing with multiple unknown 1550's. What I was hearing matched to the signal from CJBC in Toronto, confirming it as a Premiere Chaine affiliate. SIO 333.
4876, Voice of Iranian Kurdistan, 0335-0337. Faint Kurdish talk in what sounded like a male voice was audible, as well as a clear carrier on sidebands, especially USB. Signal weak but present, a loud noise floor and some local RFI interfering. SIO 222.
7120, Radio Hargaysa, 0340-0344. Somali talk in a male voice was clearly audible at peaks, but difficult to discern in static otherwise. Signal weak but present, contending with some loud RFI and the noise floor. SIO 222.
750, CKJH, Melfort, Saskatchewan, 0345-0356. Tuned in to a Niel Diamond song, followed by 'Walk On By'. After this song concluded, a promo for the station's morning show played, including multiple clips of listeners and at least one song snippet, as well as two or three definite CK 750 ID's and the music from the '60's and '70's slogan. Signal good, WSB in Atlanta audible underneath. SIO 444.
7315, Radio Tamazuj, 0400-0416. On at the hour with a Radio Tamazuj ID, followed by welcome messages and other information. Into news stories with musical stingers in between, read by a female presenter. Multiple interview clips throughout, some recorded, some down phone lines. Conversation between male presenter and telephone guest near 0415. At least one Radio Tamazuj ID in addition to the one heard at sign-on. Many mentions of Sudan, Juba and Khartoum, and at least one reference to Kordofan. Signal very strong, subject to some mild fading. SIO 545.
5915, NBC Zambia, 0425-0430. Bemba talk in both male and female voices was audible at peaks, though muffled by static otherwise. Signal fair at best, weaker at worst, contending with a loud noise floor. SIO 323.
I actually managed a weak Zambia catch while I was still out with the radio, then tried again when I came home and got an even clearer signal! *boggles*
1550, CBSI-8, La Romaine, Quebec, 0203-0209. French talk from first a female, then a male presenter. Heard two possible mentions of Lavalle, and two possible mentions of Radio Canada. Into music at around 0207. Signal fair, subject to fading, mixing with multiple unknown 1550's. What I was hearing matched to the signal from CJBC in Toronto, confirming it as a Premiere Chaine affiliate. SIO 333.
4876, Voice of Iranian Kurdistan, 0335-0337. Faint Kurdish talk in what sounded like a male voice was audible, as well as a clear carrier on sidebands, especially USB. Signal weak but present, a loud noise floor and some local RFI interfering. SIO 222.
7120, Radio Hargaysa, 0340-0344. Somali talk in a male voice was clearly audible at peaks, but difficult to discern in static otherwise. Signal weak but present, contending with some loud RFI and the noise floor. SIO 222.
750, CKJH, Melfort, Saskatchewan, 0345-0356. Tuned in to a Niel Diamond song, followed by 'Walk On By'. After this song concluded, a promo for the station's morning show played, including multiple clips of listeners and at least one song snippet, as well as two or three definite CK 750 ID's and the music from the '60's and '70's slogan. Signal good, WSB in Atlanta audible underneath. SIO 444.
7315, Radio Tamazuj, 0400-0416. On at the hour with a Radio Tamazuj ID, followed by welcome messages and other information. Into news stories with musical stingers in between, read by a female presenter. Multiple interview clips throughout, some recorded, some down phone lines. Conversation between male presenter and telephone guest near 0415. At least one Radio Tamazuj ID in addition to the one heard at sign-on. Many mentions of Sudan, Juba and Khartoum, and at least one reference to Kordofan. Signal very strong, subject to some mild fading. SIO 545.
5915, NBC Zambia, 0425-0430. Bemba talk in both male and female voices was audible at peaks, though muffled by static otherwise. Signal fair at best, weaker at worst, contending with a loud noise floor. SIO 323.
I actually managed a weak Zambia catch while I was still out with the radio, then tried again when I came home and got an even clearer signal! *boggles*
67
MW Loggings / 1060kHz Spanish language sort of unid, 10/29 0400
« on: October 29, 2012, 0450 UTC »
I've got an unid, or a sort of unid anyway, that I could use a hand figuring out. I've just caught a station on 1060kHz, trading places with KYW in Philadelphia but generally in the ascendant. It was playing jazzy instrumental music from about 0345 when I tuned in and heard it, but it shifted to a Spanish-language ID in a female voice at about the hour. It sounded like she gave composer details as well, though I couldn't catch them. I definitely heard references to Radio Nacional, and I know there was a web address in with the ID that had radionacional.something.something involved in it. If there hadn't been so much dang splatter from WTSO on 1070, I'd have caught this and wouldn't have a problem! That local is ridiculous. Argh!
I can't find a corresponding station with a Radio Nacional slogan. Could this have been a Mexican public broadcaster? Or have I potentially snagged a Latin American station of the same sort? Anybody have a clue?
I can't find a corresponding station with a Radio Nacional slogan. Could this have been a Mexican public broadcaster? Or have I potentially snagged a Latin American station of the same sort? Anybody have a clue?
68
Shortwave Broadcast / The Mighty KBC test, 9500kHz, from 0000 10/21
« on: October 21, 2012, 0027 UTC »
Anybody else hearing this? It's loud and clear into Madison, playing rock and rock/pop from all over the last four decades or so - Offspring, the Rolling Stones, a handful of others I don't recognize. Multiple KBC ID's and slogans throughout, one commercial for KBC Imports so far, and some chat from the DJ but not much. Only a little of the talk's been in Dutch so far - darn! I wish they'd play some music in Dutch or Flemish. I'm odd, I know.
Call it SINPO 44334, and better with headphones in. No sign of CNR1 beneath it, either.
Time check, e-mail address and test transmission information at 0036 (and 20 seconds, says the DJ!) I know they're transmitting from Bulgaria, but that's not a Bulgarian accent, and I'm sure I heard Dutch before.
Whoops, I was right. That's an English, Dutch, and French multilingual ID at 0052.
Call it SINPO 44334, and better with headphones in. No sign of CNR1 beneath it, either.
Time check, e-mail address and test transmission information at 0036 (and 20 seconds, says the DJ!)
I know they're transmitting from Bulgaria, but that's not a Bulgarian accent, and I'm sure I heard Dutch before. Whoops, I was right. That's an English, Dutch, and French multilingual ID at 0052.
69
FM DX Loggings / 106.7 WPPN drowning out a local!
« on: September 11, 2012, 0954 UTC »
I never thought I'd see the day that somebody drowned out WTDY in Madison. Scanning the dial this evening made me rethink that notion! WPPN, "Pasion" out of Des Plaines, IL has WTDY buried, and has since 0045 or so when I first tuned in. Further checks early this morning has it even clearer than it was before I went to bed. Wow!
I've also had 96.9 WWDV out of Zion, IL, a couple of other unidentified weaker signals and religious broadcasters, and two northern Wisconsin stations that I normally can't hear unless I'm significantly further north of my current QTH - one of them is WIFC out of Wausau, which is a longtime favorite of mine! Talk about good DX!
I wonder how long this'll last... hopefully a while!
I've also had 96.9 WWDV out of Zion, IL, a couple of other unidentified weaker signals and religious broadcasters, and two northern Wisconsin stations that I normally can't hear unless I'm significantly further north of my current QTH - one of them is WIFC out of Wausau, which is a longtime favorite of mine! Talk about good DX!
I wonder how long this'll last... hopefully a while!
70
MW Loggings / AM 540 unid driving me crazy!
« on: September 08, 2012, 1911 UTC »
I've got an unid as of a couple nights ago, and as the subject says, it's driving me bats! I snagged it at 4-something in the morning local time, and trying to match it to any webstream out there got me a whole lot of nowhere. Granted I was trying to do so by programming after the fact, as I'd taken the radio away from the local RFI for purposes of DXing and then come home, but nothing I found even came close to sounding right. I know this wasn't a harmonic, as I distinctly heard 'cuarenta' as part of the station's ID; I couldn't get the rest of it, grrrrr! Here's my log. Anybody have a clue?
540, UNID, 0906-0923. Tuned in to Britney Spears's Womanizer. More music followed, including Rihana's Where Have You Been, a Spanish-language rock song I didn't know, and the song about 'some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck, some nights I call it a draw.' Who sings that? Owl City? Multiple difficult to copy ID's, at least one spoken and two musical, including frequency information which was audible. Into Spanish-language talk near tune-out, including definite references to people on facebook and text messages. Signal fair, mixing with other unknown 540's. SIO 333.
Yes, I know my knowledge of current pop songs is a bit lacking. I initially thought this might have been La Nortenita out of Mexico, but the webstream sounded all wrong. Anyone know who the heck this could've been?
540, UNID, 0906-0923. Tuned in to Britney Spears's Womanizer. More music followed, including Rihana's Where Have You Been, a Spanish-language rock song I didn't know, and the song about 'some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck, some nights I call it a draw.' Who sings that? Owl City? Multiple difficult to copy ID's, at least one spoken and two musical, including frequency information which was audible. Into Spanish-language talk near tune-out, including definite references to people on facebook and text messages. Signal fair, mixing with other unknown 540's. SIO 333.
Yes, I know my knowledge of current pop songs is a bit lacking.
I initially thought this might have been La Nortenita out of Mexico, but the webstream sounded all wrong. Anyone know who the heck this could've been? 71
Other / weird music? on 7078kHz
« on: August 24, 2012, 0433 UTC »
Anybody have an idea as to just what the heck this is? Every evening around 0100Z, no matter where I cart the radio, I hear what I'd swear is supposed to be music of some sort centered on 7078 or 7079kHz, clearest in USB, but audible in LSB as well, and probably AM too. There are at least two lines involved, one lower than the other, and whatever this is, it plays for a minute or so, pauses for a few seconds, then resumes. The thing is, no matter what I try, I can't get it tuned in properly; it always sounds as though it's off-key, with weird eerie half-steps and odd pitches.
Anybody have a clue what I'm getting here? At first I thought it might've been a harmonic of Bangkok Meteo, but no joy. Is this some weird digital mode?
Anybody have a clue what I'm getting here? At first I thought it might've been a harmonic of Bangkok Meteo, but no joy. Is this some weird digital mode?
72
QSLs Received / WPON The Weapon QSL, 07/26
« on: August 17, 2012, 1339 UTC »
I can't upload an image, sorry folks, but a WPON QSL for a July 26 show landed in my mailbox yesterday. I admit I had a moment of yikes! surprise when I realized that there were two guns in the card design! I did sort of expect it, but it took me a second. 
Thanks WPON!
Thanks WPON!
73
North American Shortwave Pirate / Red Mercury Labs 6925USB, 0405-0417 UTC
« on: August 17, 2012, 1334 UTC »
Caught RML last night for the first time! SIO initially 444 into southern Wisconsin, degrading to 333 with time - darn that loud static. Rock music I didn't know, followed by an SSTV transmission, then the OP talking with ID's included. 'You're aboard the Red Mercury.' There was a QSO with somebody called Captain Ron in there, no idea who that is, then several minutes of silence before another SSTV image. I couldn't catch either of those, sorry folks. Back into the OP talking before sign-off, including another ID and 'smoke 'em if you got 'em.' I haven't got 'em, sorry RML. Thanks for the show!
Thanks for the show! 74
MW Loggings / 730 UNID
« on: August 13, 2012, 0939 UTC »
I really wish I could figure out what this was! I tried to match it to multiple Internet streams, no luck. They were either incorrect, unreliable, or not extant at all. Darn it! Anybody have a clue? Here's my log.
730, UNID, 0838-0901. English to Spanish translations of the closing ceremony of the Olympics in London. Into Spanish talk in a female voice just at the hour, then definitely heard Big Ben's chimes. SIO originally 333, fair in some static and subject to interference from both sides, but signal degraded to 322 with time.
730, UNID, 0838-0901. English to Spanish translations of the closing ceremony of the Olympics in London. Into Spanish talk in a female voice just at the hour, then definitely heard Big Ben's chimes. SIO originally 333, fair in some static and subject to interference from both sides, but signal degraded to 322 with time.
75
Equipment / DX-398 difficulties
« on: July 14, 2012, 1855 UTC »
I figure someone over here will know how I can fix my silly mistake. Boy do I feel like a lid...
Somehow, while futzing with the settings on my DX-398, I accidentally set the third timer. I have no flipping idea how I managed it, but now every day at quarter to twelve (1645 or so Z), the darn thing kicks in and starts playing 100.1-ish FM!
Anybody know how the heck I cancel it without losing all my other settings? I've tried a few things, no joy. *facepalms*
Somehow, while futzing with the settings on my DX-398, I accidentally set the third timer. I have no flipping idea how I managed it, but now every day at quarter to twelve (1645 or so Z), the darn thing kicks in and starts playing 100.1-ish FM!
Anybody know how the heck I cancel it without losing all my other settings? I've tried a few things, no joy. *facepalms*
