Messages

151

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Free user-friendly MP3 audio recorder

« on: July 20, 2019, 0308 UTC »

The first time I used a computer was way back in 2005. It was a desktop computer and the operating system was a Chinese version of Windows 98.

My first attempts at keying in were made using only the forefinger of my right hand  - I still key in in this fashion. I used to key in without inserting a space after a comma or a full stop.

Subsequently I had learned how to use Microsoft Word, but that was the limit of my computer skills. (That app turned out to be very useful as a teaching aid during my spoken English classes.)

The free MP3 audio recorder is the first stage of Skype’s video recorder app designed for Skype calls. I had no idea the audio recorder would function without Skype when I installed this Skype app.

I am glad to have been able to contribute something practical to this forum that some readers have also found to be well worth employing.

152

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Free user-friendly MP3 audio recorder

« on: July 18, 2019, 1929 UTC »

Looks like a good app, but since KIWI sites have recording capability, why would we need to use it?
Just record and download...

The app allows you to send a longer sample of a station's audio attached to a single e-mail than would be possible if you sent a sample using the recording capabilities of a KIWI site. The longest sample I have sent to date attached to a single e-mail using the app was just over 24 minutes. That particular free radio station was readable, but only just. So the kilobytes/second were low enough to accommodate such a long sample being able to be attached to a single e-mail.

Another use of the app is to send a kind of voicemail to a station. This saves you having to key in at length.

Yet another use of the app is to send a high quality piece of music (such as an album track) to a station to ask it to be dedicated to someone in a future broadcast.

I have an excellent free music player app on my computer. I can copy individual songs from it using the settings below -   

                  MP3 Quality

                       1 - Mono or Stereo or Joint Stereo. Recordings in mono have the highest sound level (volume).
                       2 - Recording BitRate 256
                       3 - Recording SampleRate 48,000

FAO fox558 -

As I'm in China, I would have great difficulty listening to free radio stations direct by means of a short wave receiver. I think most ops welcome listeners, be they listening on SDRs or on short wave radios.

153

European Pirates and Private Stations / Free user-friendly MP3 audio recorder

« on: July 16, 2019, 0730 UTC »

This app will save you a lot of keying-in.

I am using Windows 7.

iFreeSkypeRecorder(Version8.0.15)

No need to download Skype. This MP3 audio recorder will record your microphone input as well as audio from your computer sound card.
The settings immediately below will allow you to record both sides.

                        Call Recording

                            1 -  Manually record calls
                            2 – Record both sides
                            3 – Audio devices

The settings immediately below will allow you at least 18 minutes of recording from any SDR, your single audio file comprising just 12 megabytes, which is light enough to be e-mailed successfully to a free radio station whenever attached to a single e-mail.
 
                   MP3 Quality

                       1 - Mono
                       2 - Recording BitRate 32
                       3 - Recording SampleRate 16,000

154

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Radio Pandora UK 6322.5 AM 1727 utc 13 Jul 2019

« on: July 13, 2019, 1904 UTC »

I think the presenter was Steve Samson during the time you were listening.

He was clearly in high spirits.

One of the tracks he played was China Grove by The Doobie Brothers. 

Great modulation and good band conditions, but the signal faded out after about 30 minutes of listening via a UK SDR. SIO 454 at best.

I guess the skip was lengthening.

   

155

European Pirates and Private Stations / FRS-Holland plans to be on air on July 28th and on September 1st

« on: July 12, 2019, 2329 UTC »

Dear FRS Friends,

We have some good news...FRS-Holland  will be on air with two Summer evening broadcasts.
In the past 5 years, these typical evening broadcasts proved to be very successful. Not only because of good reception
but also because of the thematic programmes which were certainly to the taste of many SW/ Free Radio enthusiasts.

The first Summer evening broadcast will take place on Sunday July 28th.
Details: go to  http://www.frsholland.nl/20-latest-news/132-frs-on-air-sunday-evening-july-28th.html

The 2nd one will be our 39th Anniversary  being planned for Sunday September 1st. Details will follow in the 2nd half of August.
Have a good weekend...'see' you soon on the SW free radio bands!

73s, Peter V. on behalf of the FRS crew

156

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Ofcom way of thinking about the law

« on: July 12, 2019, 1925 UTC »

Let all those who would transmit licence-free decide how to proceed coz they are contravening the law of the land and could end up in criminal court.

In the PRC I was advised back in the day by several persons who purported to be in the know that X,Y and Z were illegal, but were doable coz there was no rule of law.

However, said advice turned out to be erroneous coz some of those who acted on it were found out and deported after serving time in 'administrative detention'.   

As every country will say, ignorance of the law is no excuse, whenever those who have broken it are prosecuted.

Over and out.

157

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Ofcom way of thinking about the law

« on: July 12, 2019, 0130 UTC »

MP uses Morse code to wish happy birthday to GCHQ

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/mp-uses-morse-code-wish-180916470.html 

As GCHQ probably monitors both licensed and unlicensed HF broadcasts 24/7, it would be sensible for unlicensed free radio stations transmitting on short wave from UK soil to refrain from announcing this and also to avoid announcing that their radio programmes have content  that is free of government control.

I suggest that it is wise to make only brief announcements and station IDs on air to say no more than that they are FREE radio stations broadcasting to a European audience, or that their broadcasts can be received worldwide. There is no need to risk winding up those who have the law on their side.

We should also wish GCHQ a HAPPY BIRTHDAY , and hope that said FREE radio programmes are both entertaining and inoffensive to listeners of all ages in order to be attractive alternatives to GCHQ monitors on duty who might otherwise have to listen to a greater volume of boring propaganda in English from licensed broadcasters in distrusted countries like North Korea and Putin's Russia.

If Ofcom is not contacted by GCHQ, busts of HF PIRATES on UK soil will only occur if there are complaints instigated about interference or programme content. The risk of local interference can be minimized by using low power into efficient aerials as well as running properly tuned stable transmitters. The risk of interference to licensed stations on HF can be reduced dramatically by avoiding particular distress frequencies.

158

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Scrambled and/or useless signals on 48m

« on: June 28, 2019, 1823 UTC »

Quote from: ulx2 Talking of out of band, what is this 'noise' around 6220 currently?.
                             You can hear it on the Twente SDR. Its like SSB and could be speech but is garbled.
                             I can't make it out at all on USB/LSB?

Quote from: fox558 This is spurious product from Iranian transmitter in Zahedan on 6155 kHz broadcasting VOIRI Arabic service.
                              Now it is audible every evening here too.

Quote from: The Ether Hacker Ah so legal stations cause more interference than pirates do and run dirty rigs.
                                             Does Iran have their equivalent of the FCC or ofcom?
                                             Those who rule over us are generally ABOVE the laws THEY make ... don't you know....

Like YOU, I KNOW.

Re LHHI, the programs on the two 48K AAC Shoutcast Internet streams do not match what is transmitted on 6210 at this time.

I'm glad I can access the station's Internet streams above most of the time without buffering problems.

The audio of the station via an SDR is up to a minute ahead of the station's audio via the 48K Internet stream.
 

159

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Laser Hot Hits 6205 AM 1650 utc 27 Jun 2019

« on: June 28, 2019, 0132 UTC »

Laser Hot Hits heard faintly here in Alabama, but I can hear it as the sun goes down. Some music heard and voice announcements are a bit better. The station suddenly fades in at times.


Good catch.

LHH has recently been switching channels between 6205 and 6210. It seems more than likely the station has been doing so to try to avoid QRM, mainly from a spitting UTE. 

If I were the owner of LHH, I'd do a couple of things.

1st  -   transmit in // on a second 6 Mhz frequency not close to 6205/6210, announcing both frequencies.

2nd -   use high power on the new frequency, and moderate power on 6205/6210.

3rd  -   reduce the Shoutcast LHH Internet Stream that carries the shortwave service from 192K to 32K
            to enable net users residing in countries with Internet restrictions to listen online. That would
            definitely benefit me.

Here in China, Weebly, Tune-In and Soundcloud are BLOCKED.

In contrast, Mixcloud can be accessed, but there are buffering problems due to slow Internet for long periods. The best time period for me is from about 1700 UTC  to 0300 UTC.

DXing is a great hobby, but listening to a station's programmes on an Internet stream is a good alternative when said station cannot be received well via its transmitter or transmitters.

160

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Scrambled and/or useless signals on 48m

« on: June 28, 2019, 0055 UTC »

If I were the owner of LHH, I'd do a couple of things.

1st  -   transmit in // on a second 6 Mhz frequency not close to 6205/6210, announcing both frequencies.

2nd -   use high power on the new frequency, and moderate power on 6205/6210.

3rd  -   reduce the Shoutcast LHH Internet Stream that carries the shortwave service from 192K to 32K
            to enable net users residing in countries with Internet restrictions to listen online. That would
            definitely benefit me.

DXing is a great hobby, but listening to a station's programmes on an Internet stream is a good alternative when said station cannot be received well via its transmitter or transmitters.

(Here in China, Weebly, Tune-In and Soundcloud are BLOCKED. In contrast, Mixcloud can be accessed, but there are buffering problems due to slow Internet for long periods. The best time period for me is from about 1700 UTC  to 0300 UTC.)

161

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Radio Merlin Int. 6305 AM 1609 utc 27 Jun 2019

« on: June 27, 2019, 2006 UTC »

Swiss SDR is providing better reception right now.

SIO 333 at times.

Atmospheric noise not too bad.

Paul Watt is on air. ID and The Model by Kraftwerk. Now Red Red Wine by UB40. Next Holiday by Madonna. Broadcasting from Europe to Europe, announced. Female singing Days, cover of Kinks track. Beach Boys trax Surfin USA, etc.

162

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Radio Merlin Int. 6305 AM 1609 utc 27 Jun 2019

« on: June 27, 2019, 1939 UTC »

Merlin is weak and barely readable on a Swiss SDR.

Reception is not much better than SIO 222.

Noisy atmospheric conditions and deep fades right now are problematic.

163

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Scrambled and/or useless signals on 48m

« on: June 27, 2019, 1906 UTC »

The spitting UTE could return to hamper LHH's broadcasts anytime soon.

Unfortunately, it was an extremely effective jammer that had no right to have been there in the first place.

My take,

Over and out.

Twente SDR, as I type, 6205 is LHH, reception is ruined by the spitting utility.

164

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Scrambled and/or useless signals on 48m

« on: June 27, 2019, 1043 UTC »

The spitting UTE could return to hamper LHH's broadcasts anytime soon.

Unfortunately, it was an extremely effective jammer that had no right to have been there in the first place.

My take,

Over and out.

 

165

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: Re: Energy FM 6230 AM 20:54 UTC

« on: June 27, 2019, 0253 UTC »

Having been a fisherman myself, I can recall several occasions when I swore out loud when a big fish managed to exasperate me by either getting away or rejecting one of my flies at the last minute.

For example, I was a member of the Scottish international fly fishing team which took part in a competition in the spring of 1984 on Lough Conn against teams from Ireland (included some anglers from NI), Wales and England.

The match began at 10 in the morning and concluded at 6 in the evening. At around 4 in the afternoon a very large fish was attracted to and followed my orange tail fly for about 3 feet in choppy water off a skerry - causing a bow wave directly behind my artificial offering.  Alas, the fish eventually lost interest and turned away, so I cursed it to the heavens in front of my boat partner, an Irishman, and our appointed boatman.

Therefore, I can empathise with swearing fishermen afloat, be they in trawlers/drifters at sea, or in rowing boats fitted with/without outboard/inboard motors on freshwater lochs.

Just for the record, the Irish team members each received gold medals as match winners, whereas my team was awarded the wooden spoon for finishing in last place.