Messages

151

Shortwave Broadcast / Re: Voice of Korea 9435 kHz AM 1300 UTC 27 May 2018

« on: June 03, 2018, 2314 UTC »

Agree w/ everything you said MDK2, also have to add, these two announcers have AFAIK been the same for many years (decades?)... it's amazing they have anyone speaking English at all, so we have to give these two announcers credit for at least the "college try". Can't imagine there are a ton of anglos around to practice with. Also, you are correct the YL is far easier to copy than the OM.

As for style points mentioned by tRMZ, VOK has long been in a class of its own -- even since the 80's when stations like R. Albania gave them serious run for their money. For sure, anyone who listens to this station for a while will know the DPRK nat. anthem very well, which is what they play after the interval signal, and which gives the listener a relatively useless bit of knowledge that is interesting nonetheless.

Very interesting listening to this station in 2018 and reading between the lines (when you can make out what they say at all!)...

152

Spy Numbers / Re: V07 again, excellent reception

« on: June 03, 2018, 2255 UTC »

Interesting, a rare mistake by this "Operator". Looking at today's Priyom skeds, there were some other sked changes/searches today.

Your post and sked above really deserve to be in a wiki somewhere. What a wealth of information. I've seen your YT, do you have a proper webpage? If not, long overdue, kudos and thanks. You've got a book in there somewhere.

I'm curious Token if you've heard any of the western transmissions of this "operator" at your location. Also, if the far eastern tx have included any stations other than V07, historically. Sig is so strong, almost akin to China Radio, certainly beats out Radio New Zealand, in comparison. Obviously some thought has gone into which freq's to use, at what must be very high power. There are some conclusions one could speculate on as to what this means as to the importance of these transmissions, which would of course be mere smoke of opinion.

153

Spy Numbers / Re: HM01 log, June 2018

« on: June 03, 2018, 2242 UTC »

So that latest file (which I looked at) is encrypted, as opposed to the unencrypted Chinese? The latter is a brilliant if uber-low tech idea, btw!

154

Spy Numbers / Re: HM01 log, June 2018

« on: June 03, 2018, 0758 UTC »

I'm hearing a repeat of the 6/2 groups on 9065 kHz right now 0758z.

155

Spy Numbers / Re: V07 again, excellent reception

« on: June 03, 2018, 0751 UTC »

Just heard the new June frequencies here too in good quality. For some reason I copied the second one on 12162kHz. Maybe it was me and maybe it was an error? Anyway your instinct was right.

512 (x3) 1 9847 63  94375 40333... (long msg)

156

Spy Numbers / Re: V07 again, excellent reception

« on: May 24, 2018, 1410 UTC »

Thanks T for the superb charts and info. It'll be interesting to see what they do; I had no idea they'd changed skeds so recently.

I wonder if any of V07's sister stations ever make it out this way (SW desert... I will peruse your YT channel of course  )

157

Spy Numbers / V07 again, excellent reception

« on: May 20, 2018, 0610 UTC »

V07 strikes once again on 14482kHz/13382kHz/11582kHz at 0500/0520/0540 UTC on 20.5.2018. First bdcast was S6; second and third S8 and very, very loud. Local copy on Tecsun PL-880 was super-easy. Once again, I was outside and there was another gorgeous crescent moon in the sky:

435 435 435 1   331 57

04791 40861 02969 46278 05008 20223 68966 34906 41852 36916 20213 49363 05105 58602 03071 77241 72800 65202 99387 29503 19843 86967 27011 75427 81955 35489 58608 82157 35020 83071 84802 02118 94769 65426 23180 89660 58798 05886 59008 78627 29668 41272 44822 91809 65055 05033 37866 60392 31193 99224 76905 79995 58081 73927 84442 56948 29650 000 000   

Regardless of what the brilliant sleuths at Priyom say, "tres" and "seis" are quite easy to differentiate at this volume level, which is extremely loud. One cannot but be floored at the signal strength coming out of Kamchatka or wherever. Really, I haven't heard such a spectacular numbers station in the United States since the Cold War days, this is definitely worth a listen even though according to the Priyom skeds (thanks again! You guys are tops!) this station is about to take a break.

Token: I heard numerous beeps at least half an hour before first transmission, which let me know how loud these stations were gonna be. This station is a fun hunt for old-school numbers station listeners for sure.

158

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Seven Trees Radio 6905 AM 0010 UTC 24 Apr 2018

« on: April 24, 2018, 0214 UTC »

Caught last few minutes and Rocky Mountain Way + signoff, s3 at best but what I could hear sure sounded good!

159

Spy Numbers / Re: V07 13382kHz/11582kHz 0520/0540 UTC

« on: April 23, 2018, 0347 UTC »

p/s looking at the comments, maybe I heard something diffferent, almost like a single high beep tone a minute or two before transmission. I heard this twice, I'm pretty sure...? I forgot about it and didn't make good enough notes, could have been less time or more.

160

Spy Numbers / Re: V07 13382kHz/11582kHz 0520/0540 UTC

« on: April 23, 2018, 0339 UTC »

"Yup, that's her!"

Thanks Token for excellent recording, and your vid also discusses the 3kHz tone a few seconds before which I forgot to mention. Is that a recent feature of this station? I've read priyom's pages but until recently knew nothing about this station.

161

General Radio Discussion / Re: Sad news; ART BELL has passed away...

« on: April 22, 2018, 0655 UTC »

Boombox, I agree with everything you wrote except: Art Bell did not invent late-night spooky radio. Long John Nebel (east coast, shows available on Ytube) did, or probably there was someone else before him, maybe. What Bell did invent was "coast to coast" late-night spooky radio. Indeed! And truly a pioneer.

There were times, on the crazier shows, where I thought I could hear Bell laughing. Maybe I was wrong. But I remember this guy who said, "and Art... they have even got recordings of the sounds of Pleadian [space-] ships!", where there was at least a chuckle, or a guffaw, or something.

He also promoted totally bogus stuff, a lot of the time (i.e. guests that he damn well knew were bogus) but that was in the Long John Nebel traditional late night entertainment modus operandi anyway.... i.e., the broadcasters viewed these kinds of shows as what they were: "Entertainment".

Godspeed to Mr. Bell.

162

Spy Numbers / V07 13382kHz/11582kHz 0520/0540 UTC

« on: April 22, 2018, 0604 UTC »

First catch of V07 for me. First transmission at 0500z on 14482kHz was not heard at all, but second at 0520z on 13382kHz  was quite strong and totally copyable. Third, on 11582kHz at 0540z, was totally blasting through my headphones.

"435 1  179 65  12622 76679 70980......000 000"

Long message, received in way better quality than I've heard from the Cubans lately (no offense but 'tis true).  While standing in my backyard with Tecsun pl880 in hand with crescent moon in sky, I felt the awe and wonder of the miracle that is shortwave radio, and was suddenly a teenager again, making me realize why I got into this hobby in the first place. Sheer magic. Seriously, I love the online SDR's to death, they are unbelievable tech achievements, a pleasure to use,   and hugely fun, but this catch was, as we say in this country, "the tits."

Thanks always to priyom.org for the killer skeds, and to HFU for directing me to priyom.

Definitely worth a listen for those of you in the right place at the right time with nothing better to do on a Saturday night.

163

General Radio Discussion / Re: Sony to Exit Shortwave Receiver Market

« on: March 05, 2018, 0440 UTC »

Boombox, once upon a time I had a Walkman you could record on, with a pretty decent mic! Built like a tank. After many years of use I discreetly recorded Neil Young at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark in 1996 with it, nothing until the Zoom-style digi recorders of today came close back then.

In the 90's -- most consumer CD players and even worse DVD and worst of all DAT players were really poorly made. It didn't seem like there was much difference in them when you opened them up, 90's cassette decks too. I never did have a CD or DVD player that lasted more than a few years. My cassettes get a lot more attention these days because you have to go all stereophile (sadly) to get a robust CD player, CD collection is collecting dust!

Those recording Walkmans were great, I could use one now!

164

General Radio Discussion / Re: IHeartMedia is said to plan bankruptcy as soon as this weekend

« on: March 04, 2018, 0551 UTC »

I wonder if nothing will change. There's endless debt and a money-go-round here that might witness supply problems, one of these days.

165

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Voice of Pancho Villa 4035 USB 0500 UTC 04 MAR 2018

« on: March 04, 2018, 0532 UTC »

Almost legible S3 w QRN here @0508