Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:
Broadcaster: Radio Botswana 1983
Frequency: 4.845 MHz
RX location: Brantford, Ontario, Canada
Receiver and antenna: Panasonic RF-3100 and longwire antenna
Notes: Radio Botswana used to be famous for their "barnyard" interval signal. While my recording, from 1983, only captures a few seconds of the cowbells, it does include their full national anthem and sign on announcements in Setswana (presumed) and English.
Many thanks to SRAA contributor Tom Laskowski, for sharing the following recording and notes:
Broadcaster: Radio Australia
Date of recording: July 27, 1986
Starting time: 0300
Frequency: 17.795 MHz
RX location: South Bend, Indiana
Receiver and antenna: Sony ICF 2001
Notes: Here is a recording of Radio Australia's DX program called Talkback from July 27, 1986. I believe this was recorded around 0300 UT on 17795 kHz when Australia used to come in well in the evenings here.
Some of the program highlights are:
Review of the 1986 ANARC Convention, which was held in Montreal, Canada. Hosted by Radio Canada International, it attracted over 200 attendees. New Zealand's Arthur Cushen was the Guest of Honor for the event.
BBC World Service in English received in Europe on shortwave frequency of 9410 kHz at 0504 GMT May 9, 2025 using domestic 40-years old shortwave receiver "JS" (with double frequency conversion design) running on bateries. Antenna: 5 meter wire outdoor put on trees. Recorded using old SONY cassette recorder TCM 500V model.
The transmission recorded originated from the BBC Atlantic Relay Station in Ascension Island The station made its first shortwave radio transmission on July 3rd, 1966
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Ian Pillar, who shares the following recording of Radio Symban made on April 26, 2025 on 2368 kHz at 06:10 UTC via a Kiwi SDR and loop antenna in New South Whales, Australia. Ian notes:
Notes: Low Power Radio Symban Back On Shortwave From Sydney NSW Radio Symban Also Broadcast On FM With 24-hour Greek Programming. Some interesting photos found here.
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:
Broadcaster: Radio Tahiti 1971
Frequency: 15.170MHz
Reception location: Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
Receiver and antenna: Hallicrafters S-52 using a longwire antenna
Notes: Radio Tahiti was a very popular station with shortwave listeners back in the 1970's. Their island type music was very listenable and the station often put a decent signal into eastern North America with their 20 kw of power on 15170 kHz. The late Dr. Richard E. Wood reported in the Communications Handbook for 1972 that this frequency was activated on April 10, 1971. I made this recording of their sign off announcements in French, closing song and La Marseillaise sometime in 1971.
Many thanks to SRAA contributor Paul Walker, who shares the following recording of The Voice of America made on January 14, 2025 at 0355 UTC on 9775 kHz. The reception location was McGrath, Alaska:
Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:
Broadcaster: Maritime radio HLS Seoul Korea
Date of recording: October 31, 1998
Frequency: 8.725 MHz
Reception location: Coe Hill, Ontario, Canada
Receiver and antenna: Panasonic RF-3100 and longwire antenna
Mode: Single Side Band
Notes: Maritime radiotelephone station HLS in Seoul, Korea continued to operate in the late 1990's on shortwave. Instead of a repeating voice mirror, this station played Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" over and over so that the receiving station could tune them in. This recording is from October 31, 1998 at Coe Hill, Ontario, Canada, and the frequency they were using was 8725 kHz upper sideband. My receiver was a Panasonic RF-3100 hooked up to a long wire antenna.
The station was identified by Richard "RD" Baker, editor of Communications Confidential, in the January 1999 issue of Popular Communications magazine. In his Reader Mailbag section, he wrote:
"Dan Greenall in Ontario, Canada, has been hearing a new (at least to folks in North America) maritime marker on 8725.0 USB: Beethoven's 9th Symphony "Ode to Joy" is repeated. In trying to track this marker down, we sent the call out over the WUN Club's listserver. Costas Krallis in Greece, Fabrizio Magrone in Italy. Alex Wellner and Robin Harwood. both in Australia. all became involved. They soon began logging the marker on other maritime frequencies. Eventually, it was noted on 6513, 8725, 8797, 13161, and 17341. Only one station has those frequencies in common: HLS, Seoul Radio. South Korea. The marker was completely IDed within 32 hours!"
