Free Radio Weekly #1398

Free Radio Weekly #1398, Saturday, January 7, 2023
Covering free radio activity from December 31, 2022 - January 6, 2023

The Free Radio Weekly (FRW) is an internet newsletter devoted to the hobby of listening to free radio "pirate" broadcasters in the shortwave radio bands. The FRW is produced by the free radio community and distributed to those who contribute.

The weekly deadline is Saturdays at 0000 UTC (Friday night in North America). Please send your logs to all the editors, as our editing schedule is subject to last minute changes. Thank you for your inpoots!


== FRW editors ==

Harold Frodge (99crawdads@gmail.com)
Dave Turnick (caodwolf@gmail.com)
Larry Will (radio@zappahead.net)

FRW 1398 - January 7 - Larry
FRW 1399 - January 14 - Harold


== Contributors ==

William Hassig
williamhassig@yahoo.com

Glenn Hauser
P O Box 1684
Enid OK 73702
wghauser@yahoo.com
NRD-545 with ALA-330S, IC-R75, PL-880, random wires

Ron Hunsicker
1238 Cleveland Avenue
Wyomissing, PA 19610-2102
ronhunsi at ptd dot net

Mark Taylor
Madison, WI
markokpik@gmail.com


== North American shortwave ==

** Ballsmacker Radio

12/31, 0158-0211, 6960am. A carrier appeared at 0158 and music started with the Ball Smacker piano theme tune. Balls strike bowling pins and then an ID at 0200 by an YL. Too noisy tonight, I gave it up at 0211. (25241, Hunsicker, PA)

12/31, 0205, 6960am. Ball Smacker Radio, 6960 am, 12-31-22, 0205 utc on Barrington Hills IL sdr with poor-weak S5 to S9 signal, song: "it's the most wonderful time of the year". (Hassig-IL)

12/31, 0332, 4030am. Program of music with “love” theme until the end. "Also sprach Zarathustra" - Deodato, "Auld Lang Syne" - Mariah Carey, ID, SSTV (bowling ball heading for a strike with "Ballsmacker Radio"), ID and eQSL offer, "Wildfire" IS, off 0400. Immediately "F2020" - Avenue Beat - noisy signal which likely was not Ballsmacker. Ballsmacker’s signal started poor and ended fair. (Taylor – WI)

** B-Side Radio

1/5, 0100-0240*, 6935am. Carrier appeared at 0100 and disappeared at 0240. After 0123 it was mostly unusable due to a weak signal, some LSB chatter, and some repeating local QRN. The first part of the show was mainstream rock and pop. Later, there seemed to be Jazz. 4000 Hz covered the signal. IDs at 0109, (At its best, 35342, Hunsicker, PA)

** Classic Rock Radio

1/2, 2325, 6925am. S9+15/20 of rock music vs storm crashes. A few logs here as Classic Rock Radio: [www.hfunderground.com] There are heavy lightning lines N/S along the KS/MO, OK/AR and TX/LA borders as well as further east centred around Paducah. Fortunately most of this wx missed our part of OK and is hurrying away (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

** Cloudsplitter Radio

12/30, 222202340*, 6925usb. Signal appeared at 2222 at 45454. 2800 Hz sounded best. IDs @ 2245 and 2340. Need You Tonight, Notorious, Feel the Heat, Kids in America, No More Words, Sister Christian. (45454, Hunsicker, PA)

** Food Island Broadcasting System

12/31, 0022, 6925.1usb. Program of light rock. 0028 an ID at a peak. Fading in and out. (Taylor – WI)

** Karen Radio

1/3, 2344-0010, 6935usb. Program in progress. All music by YLs. Some chatter. ID by OM at 0000. Hard to understand and faded at 0009 or 0010. (35342, Hunsicker, PA)

** Outhouse Radio

12/31, 0031-0113, 6930usb. Program in progress at 0031 with a skit. A rock guitar show. SSTV in Scottie 2 at 0052, 0058, and 0108. 3200 Hz bandwidth. (25342, Hunsicker, PA)

12/31, 2326, 6955usb. Immediately at 2326.8 tune-in, ``This is Outhouse Radio, without a doubt``, song, S7/S9,
still at 2355. Many more logs here and some SSTV captures of skull & crossbones: [www.hfunderground.com] (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

** Pelee Island Broadcasting

12/31, 0017-0030, 6925.1am. 0017-0030 or 0036 20 dB over the noise in AM is less than marginal. Carrier appeared at 0017 and faint music at 0019. ID at 0028 with phonetic spelling of Pelee. Carrier persisted after 0028 when the ID was over. Another operator wanted the frequency and complained after 0030. Carrier gone at 0036. (mostly 25341, Hunsicker, PA)

** Radio Comedy Club International

1/3, 2223-2249*, 6925am. Program in progress. Heavy QRN from LSB. USB was better, but still very noisy. ID at 2229. 2800 Hz was okay. Short comedy sketches. The carrier disappeared at 2249. (25342, Hunsicker, PA)

** Rockin’ Chair Radio

1/3, 2223-2244*, 6931usb. Program in progress. Another Zeeky production. Hotel California and Be Your Head, but mostly Zeeky chattering. Not sure if Zeeky was happy or unhappy with Dick Weed. Definitely unhappy with the “creeps” on pirate radio. IDs at 2232 and 2234. Nice fidelity with a 3600 Hz bandwidth. (35454, Hunsicker, PA)

** Radio Free Whatever

1/1, 2228, 6950usb. On Barrington Hills IL sdr with fair S7 to S9 signal, RFW ID, song "cool cool cat", women centric songs like Muzak 2nd program which I used to be able to hear on an SCA subcarrier, at 2236 said "The flagship station of the free radio armada Radio Free Whatever", made reference to live relay on 6925usb, variety of pop and rock tunes, thanks for the tunes. (Hassig-IL)

1/1, 2228, 6950usb. End of song, ID, Indie rock, DJDW talking about his cat dying, wishing happy New Year, shout outs to HFU, into a program of well chosen Indie rock. Good. (Taylor – WI)

1/2, 2216-2318, 6955usb. Program in progress. 4000 Hz sounded best. Dick Weed ask for help in resurrecting old honey. Notes that RFW is not streaming on YouTube because he already used his 3-hour daily allotment. Signal strength dropped about 10 dB at 2236 and I had to work too hard to hear it and pulled the plug. (35343, Hunsicker, PA)

1/2, 2324, 6955usb. Rock music, S9 vs S9+10 storm crashes; 2326 I copy one word, ``Whatever`` -- many logs of R.
Free W.e.: [www.hfunderground.com] (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

1/2, 0103, 6925usb. ID and talk by DJ Dickweed into a program of Indie music, prepared IDs, and talk breaks including shout outs to folks on HF Underground who logged him. Mentioned drinking cheap gin at one point, and later having difficulty with transmitter problems and even more problems taking care of those problems while drunk. Good signal. (Taylor – WI)

1/2, 0213, 4185usb. Poor, fady signal. "Dominick the Donkey" - Lou Monte, DJ Dickweed with a few words into start of a song in a fade, just audible after that … 0223 gone. (Taylor – WI)

** Sycko Radio

12/31, 2355, 6925usb. Hard rock at S7/S8 past 0000 UT January 1, 2023. Many logs here as Sycko Radio: [www.hfunderground.com]

1/1, 0032, 6925usb. Program of contemporary rock music, 0039 ID into similar music. Announcement that he was going to 4185 since folks out East were loosing him on this frequency, however wasn't audible there. Fair. (Taylor – WI)

1/1, 0433, 4185usb. Finally audible after a frequency change about 0035. ID, section on Bali Frank from HF Underground, "Everyone wants a piece of the action" (punk), ID, "what to do next …" then played “Dream weaver", talk about 2023 and QSLs. Good. (Taylor – WI)

** Thunder Chicken Radio

12/30, 2223-2355, 6960usb. Frequency wandered a bit at the beginning of the BC and operator commented at 2301 that the transmitter had finally warmed-up. SSTV at 2311, 2333, and 2353. Several long Blues guitar solos which I liked. 2900 Hz fit best. (35342, Hunsicker, PA)

12/30, 2243, 6960v usb. On Brookfield WI sdr with fair S9 to S9+10 signal, blues-rock music, unsteady frequency which settled down, up to S9+20 at 2307, at 2311 DJ said songs of Robin Trower, at 2312 SSTV/FAX of baby chick with Santa hat as shown by another poster, at 2315 said Robin Trower from old King Biscuit Flour Hour, some amazing performances, at 2333 SSTV/FAX, more Robin Trower tunes, at 2353 SSTV/FAX, signal down to S7-S9, thanks for the tunes. (Hassig-IL)

1/1, 2141, 6950usb. “Cluck, cluck, cluck” into a country song and program of hard driving rock eventually an SSTV of Thunder Chicken. Fair. (Taylor – WI)

1/1, 2230, 6960usb. On Barrington Hills IL sdr with fair-good S9 to S9+10 signal, a bit off freq, hear country rock tune. (Hassig-IL)

** Unid

12/31, 0108-0205, 6925usb. Techno music that started at 25342 but faded into the noise so that, while music could be heard, it was unusable. Maybe an ID at 0121. (25342, Hunsicker, PA)

12/31, 2355, 6965a. JBA carrier, nothing listed or reported currently in HFU. (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

1/1, 0225-0229*, 6935usb. Program in progress. “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for” ended at 0229, as did the program. (35343, Hunsicker, PA)

1/2, 0225, 6925usb. "Spitfire" - Infected Mushrooms, 0229 into fade, 0232 came up with music then off mid song. Fady – just audible in troughs, fair at peaks. (Taylor – WI)

** Windy Radio WIND

1/4, 2243-2357*, 6938usb. Program in progress. Mostly soft rock that became more driving as the show neared its end. Sounded good at 4000 Hz. ID sequences at 2253, 2300, others, and at sign-off at 2357. DJ might have been “Clef.” (35433, Hunsicker, PA)

** WDOG

1/3, 2207, 6925usb. On Barrington Hills IL sdr with fair S7 to S9 signal, heard WDOG ID then slow pop tune sung by woman, dog/wolf howling. (Hassig-IL)

** WCDW

1/1, 0008, 6930usb. On Barrington Hills IL sdr with fair S7 to S9 signal and some fading, techno pop music. (Hassig-IL)

12/30, 0153, 6925usb. On Barrington Hills IL sdr with fair-poor S5 to S9 signal, electronic techno pop dance music. (Hassig-IL)

** Wolverine Radio/WDDR

1/1, 0058, 6950/4030usb. On Barrington Hills IL sdr with fair S9 signal, s-on with "testing 1 2 3 can anybody hear me" numerous times, said "hello, Wolverine Radio, moving to 4030 usb, at 0105 came on with "testing 123 etc" but with poor-weak S5 signal, at 0112 utc switched to Brookfield WI sdr with fair S9+10 signal, space themed program, signal weakened to S5 to S7 at 0132, at 0222 echo ID then SSTV/FAX, thanks for the tunes. After bcst WDDR came on freq with Monty Python's space song. (Hassig-IL)

1/1, 0106, 6950/4030usb. Started on 6950U. That frequency was good here, but inaudible out East, so Wolverine stopped and moved to 4030U. 4030: IS, 0106 ID, "Turn back the universe and give me yesterday? " - Harry Macdonough & Orpheus Quartet, "Here comes the sun" - Bert Lown & His Biltmore Hotel Orchestra, "How high the moon" - Helen Forrest, ID, "(What a) Wonderful World" - Sam Cooke, into a program of planet / world / universe songs, 0158 some CW, bit of SSTV (didn't start RXSSTV), back to music, "Echo" ID, SSTV (picture of universe with "Wolverine Radio"), Drunken DJ with an encore "Galaxy Song" - Monty Python. DDJ started WDDR for New Year’s eve. WDDR – Drunken DJ Radio: Drunken DJ playing music, taking requests, shouting out to folks who logged him HF Underground, playing SSTV for folks on HF Underground with an image related to their avatar and “… Radio”. Planning on staying on the air until he was too drunk to go on. Was still on at 0445 when I quit for the night. Very good. (Taylor – WI)

** WENO

1/2, 0146, 4190usb. Slowly came up from a very poor signal with “Ocean” by Velvet Underground, ID sequence which went on for about a minute, into songs by David Bowe, Carbon Based Lifeforms, Brian Eno, Devo and many others with periodic IDs and other quick things (one mentioned the first anniversary of the folk musician, Stan Rogers death in 1984). Fair signal. (Taylor – WI)

** Zeeky

1/1, 0132, 6935usb. Now the only pirate on band (OPOB) is here with music, S9. Still at 0211; DJ yelling at 0217; off at next check 0247. Many reports here of Zeke, or Zekey: [www.hfunderground.com] (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

1/1, 0236, 6935usb. On Barrington Hills IL sdr with S7 to S9+10 signal, somebody yelling and screaming including the F word, other crowd noises, woman saying "happy new year". (Hassig-IL)


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Regards, Lw