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Author Topic: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!  (Read 12119 times)

Offline Beerus Maximus

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Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« on: February 05, 2020, 0134 UTC »
I'm starting this thread to post pictures/scans of written reception reports to pirate radio stations. We've all seen QSL cards, but few have seen what the pirate radio operators saw before email: written reception reports from listeners in the age of "maildrops".

I grew up with a friend whose air name was "Doctor Lobotomy". He operated numerous shortwave pirate radio stations in the early 1990's. We lived across town from each other, attended high school together but didn't really know each other until we became acquainted by CB radio in our town. Over time, he revealed he was a shortwave enthusiast, a ham radio operator, and eventually, he revealed he operated pirate radio stations. He was instrumental in my introduction to the hobby that has followed me to this day.. HF pirate listening, utilities, oddities, etc.

I'm starting to scan his absolutely huge collection of reception reports. He's long out of the radio scene but I've been bugging him about putting these out there for a while, since I think they are so cool. Maybe you'll find them interesting? If so, please let me know. If you SEE one of your reception reports, feel free to comment! In the interest of privacy, I'll blur out last names and street addresses but keep town/city names. Unfortunately many of these DXers may have passed, some may have no interest in the hobby anymore, and some may still be here. If I happen to post something YOU wrote and you don't want here, feel free to let me know and I'll gladly remove it.

The reception reports are presented in no particular order. Stations I've identified so far operated by Dr. Lobotomy: Radio Free New England, WGNK, KMRZ, WARI, Alternative Radio International, Lobotomy Radio Network, East Coast Music Radio. Operations were primarily from mid-1991 until late 1993, and sporadically from there until about 1995. Almost all of the broadcasts originated from this bedroom studio in the Boston suburbs. I took this picture of Dr. Lobotomy sometime in probably 1992:



I'll continue to update this thread during 2020 as I have time to scan in a huge collection of reports. Keep checking back! Also, if anyone else has reception reports they'd like to add, feel free!
« Last Edit: February 06, 2020, 2046 UTC by Beerus Maximus »
# Genetically engineered sentient sausage & undisputed inventor of the end-fed dipole. I also invented the schlumpy dipole.
# KiwiSDR, NetSDR, Airspy HF+, Airspy HF+ Discovery, TS-590, IC-7610, FTDX10, ANAN 7000 DLE MKII
# beerusmaximus@gmail.com * North Shore, Massachusetts

Offline Beerus Maximus

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2020, 0138 UTC »
One of the stations he operated was "Radio Free New England". He used many different station names over time. Here's a reception report from 1991, which was one of the earlier operations he ran:

« Last Edit: February 05, 2020, 0155 UTC by Beerus Maximus »
# Genetically engineered sentient sausage & undisputed inventor of the end-fed dipole. I also invented the schlumpy dipole.
# KiwiSDR, NetSDR, Airspy HF+, Airspy HF+ Discovery, TS-590, IC-7610, FTDX10, ANAN 7000 DLE MKII
# beerusmaximus@gmail.com * North Shore, Massachusetts

Offline Beerus Maximus

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2020, 0150 UTC »
Another Radio Free New England report:

# Genetically engineered sentient sausage & undisputed inventor of the end-fed dipole. I also invented the schlumpy dipole.
# KiwiSDR, NetSDR, Airspy HF+, Airspy HF+ Discovery, TS-590, IC-7610, FTDX10, ANAN 7000 DLE MKII
# beerusmaximus@gmail.com * North Shore, Massachusetts

Offline Beerus Maximus

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2020, 0151 UTC »
# Genetically engineered sentient sausage & undisputed inventor of the end-fed dipole. I also invented the schlumpy dipole.
# KiwiSDR, NetSDR, Airspy HF+, Airspy HF+ Discovery, TS-590, IC-7610, FTDX10, ANAN 7000 DLE MKII
# beerusmaximus@gmail.com * North Shore, Massachusetts

Offline Beerus Maximus

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2020, 0154 UTC »
This DXer was well known (and derided) for his penmanship and very terse reports. His reports actually spawned at least one spoof pirate radio station (not operated by my friend). This is undated but likely from the fall of 1991 as it was bundled with other dated reports from that time.

# Genetically engineered sentient sausage & undisputed inventor of the end-fed dipole. I also invented the schlumpy dipole.
# KiwiSDR, NetSDR, Airspy HF+, Airspy HF+ Discovery, TS-590, IC-7610, FTDX10, ANAN 7000 DLE MKII
# beerusmaximus@gmail.com * North Shore, Massachusetts

Offline Beerus Maximus

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2020, 0200 UTC »
# Genetically engineered sentient sausage & undisputed inventor of the end-fed dipole. I also invented the schlumpy dipole.
# KiwiSDR, NetSDR, Airspy HF+, Airspy HF+ Discovery, TS-590, IC-7610, FTDX10, ANAN 7000 DLE MKII
# beerusmaximus@gmail.com * North Shore, Massachusetts

Offline Beerus Maximus

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2020, 0206 UTC »
At the same time the operator used "Radio Free New England" as a station name, he occasionally also used "WGNK".. often in the same broadcast.

« Last Edit: February 05, 2020, 0210 UTC by Beerus Maximus »
# Genetically engineered sentient sausage & undisputed inventor of the end-fed dipole. I also invented the schlumpy dipole.
# KiwiSDR, NetSDR, Airspy HF+, Airspy HF+ Discovery, TS-590, IC-7610, FTDX10, ANAN 7000 DLE MKII
# beerusmaximus@gmail.com * North Shore, Massachusetts

JoeFLIPS

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2020, 1614 UTC »
I see my report to Radio Free New England dated 9/23/91. Very cool!! Thanks for sharing Beerus, I'm looking forward to seeing more of these old reception reports. I was a madman with a pen back in those days lol!!

 I recognized the penmanship of Alan P. Masyga.  ;D
« Last Edit: February 05, 2020, 1619 UTC by JoeFLIPS »

Offline Pigmeat

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #8 on: February 05, 2020, 1652 UTC »
That darned Bram Stoker never sent me an anti-QSL card. Only real hf men... and guys in rubber rooms hallucinating the shows got those.

Speaking of QSL's and rubber rooms, did anyone ever get one from Jimmy The Weasel? Jimmy was one of a kind. Thank God he didn't hit on LAD's Mom and produce a houseful of howler apes of the same type.

Offline Beerus Maximus

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2020, 2101 UTC »
I see my report to Radio Free New England dated 9/23/91. Very cool!! Thanks for sharing Beerus, I'm looking forward to seeing more of these old reception reports. I was a madman with a pen back in those days lol!!

 I recognized the penmanship of Alan P. Masyga.  ;D

Joe, there was also this card you sent, approximately 3x5":


# Genetically engineered sentient sausage & undisputed inventor of the end-fed dipole. I also invented the schlumpy dipole.
# KiwiSDR, NetSDR, Airspy HF+, Airspy HF+ Discovery, TS-590, IC-7610, FTDX10, ANAN 7000 DLE MKII
# beerusmaximus@gmail.com * North Shore, Massachusetts

Offline Beerus Maximus

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2020, 2107 UTC »
This reporter got the station name a little mixed up.

# Genetically engineered sentient sausage & undisputed inventor of the end-fed dipole. I also invented the schlumpy dipole.
# KiwiSDR, NetSDR, Airspy HF+, Airspy HF+ Discovery, TS-590, IC-7610, FTDX10, ANAN 7000 DLE MKII
# beerusmaximus@gmail.com * North Shore, Massachusetts

Offline Sealord

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2020, 2114 UTC »
These are very cool Beerus - thank you for sharing!

I wish I had a copy of my report to RBCN.  I included a small bit about myself (age, location, interest, etc.) along with the reception details and the first thing he mentioned in his letter back to me was what was a guy in his 20's doing listening to pirate radio instead watching babes on the beach!
Indoors: WR-G33DDC & TT RX-340_DX Eng. 4-Square Array / Outdoors: Belka-DX_Whip / Poolside: SMC HF-150_MMD-40 (D.O.G.) / Off Air/Studio Recordings

Offline Beerus Maximus

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2020, 2117 UTC »
Thanks Sealord! Here's one from a very well known Canadian DXer.



# Genetically engineered sentient sausage & undisputed inventor of the end-fed dipole. I also invented the schlumpy dipole.
# KiwiSDR, NetSDR, Airspy HF+, Airspy HF+ Discovery, TS-590, IC-7610, FTDX10, ANAN 7000 DLE MKII
# beerusmaximus@gmail.com * North Shore, Massachusetts

Offline Beerus Maximus

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #13 on: February 05, 2020, 2123 UTC »
KMRZ is yet another incarnation of a Doctor Lobotomy station.

# Genetically engineered sentient sausage & undisputed inventor of the end-fed dipole. I also invented the schlumpy dipole.
# KiwiSDR, NetSDR, Airspy HF+, Airspy HF+ Discovery, TS-590, IC-7610, FTDX10, ANAN 7000 DLE MKII
# beerusmaximus@gmail.com * North Shore, Massachusetts

Offline Beerus Maximus

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Re: Vintage reception report MEGA THREAD!
« Reply #14 on: February 05, 2020, 2129 UTC »
This reporter got the station name slightly wrong.

# Genetically engineered sentient sausage & undisputed inventor of the end-fed dipole. I also invented the schlumpy dipole.
# KiwiSDR, NetSDR, Airspy HF+, Airspy HF+ Discovery, TS-590, IC-7610, FTDX10, ANAN 7000 DLE MKII
# beerusmaximus@gmail.com * North Shore, Massachusetts