Free Radio Weekly #1417

Free Radio Weekly #1417, Saturday, May 20, 2023
Covering free radio activity from May 13-19, 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 1417 - May 20 - Larry
FRW 1418 - May 27 - Dave
FRW 1419 - June 3 - Dave
FRW 1420 - June 10 - Larry
FRW 1421 - June 17 - Dave
FRW 1422 - June 24 - Harold


== Contributors ==

Jack Amelar NY8D
Kenwood TS-480, long wire antenna

Harold Frodge
5525 Whitehall St., Midland MI 48642-3156
Drake R8B + 185' RW

William Hassig
williamhassig@yahoo.com

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

Ron Hunsicker
1238 Cleveland Avenue
Wyomissing, PA 19610-2102
rjhpe@ptd.net

Mark Taylor
Madison, WI
markokpik@gmail.com

Larry Will
Mount Airy, MD
Tecsun PL-990X and random wires


== North American shortwave ==

** Artist Spotlight Radio

5/11, 2323, 6925usb. Series of songs by the group Sparks including “I can’t believe that you would fall for all the crap in this song”, “Existential threat”, “All you think about is sex”, and “iPhone”. IDs between songs. Initially these were unintelligible with very slow talking synth male voice however eventually moved faster to a comprehensible speed. 0006 ID, off. Poor – fair in noisy conditions (another solar storm.) (Taylor – WI)

5/12, 2313-0007*, 6925usb. Ugly data stream centered about 4750 at minus 100 dB. IDs at 2319, 2330, 2356, and 0006. Mostly unusable due to a weak signal and the data stream. Music. (mostly 23441, Hunsicker, PA)

** Ballsmacker Radio

5/6, 0100, 6960am. On Brookfield WI sdr with noisy S9+10 signal, song "25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago, still noisy S9 to S9+10 at 0132 utc, song "feeling glad all over" from 1960's, bowling ball ID. (Hassig-IL)

5/13, 0057-0100, 6960am. IS signal started and then an ID at 0100. USB was best to avoid Ion Radio on 6955. (Hunsicker, PA)

** Ion Radio

5/12, 2215-2249*, 6955am. BC in progress. Pop tunes with regular ID’s. Ah, 10,000 Hz bandwidth! (45444, Hunsicker, PA)

5/13, 0007-0127*, 6955am. Carrier appeared then music and an ID by a YL. Music and ODs. Just usable due to weak signal and noise. Closed with a Bob Dylan tune. 10,000 Hz. bandwidth. (25342, Hunsicker, PA)

** KING K-Radio

5/15, 0031, 6960am. Rock music, excited OM announcer, playing Clearance Clearwater Revival tunes commenting how he loves CCR. Says going out with Wolfs of London, then asks for requests starts yelling YEAH YEAH YEAH... Ticket To Ride - Beatles. 444 (Amelar)

** Lime in the Coconut Radio

5/10, 2352, 6965usb. "Every Breath you take" - The Police, ID, start of another song. Had to leave the radio room about 2355 and Lime in the Coconut was gone when I returned at 0001. (Taylor – WI)

** Pigs Knuckles Radio

5/9, 0117, 6925usb. Pigs Knuckes laughing and chatting, "Seminole Wind" - John Anderson, Pigs Knuckles talking w/ someone else – in a fade so couldn’t make out what they were talking about, "In the jailhouse now" - The Soggy Bottom Boys", some talk, "Take the Skinheads Bowling" - Camper Van Beethoven, shout out to someone on HFU, "Rumble" - Link Wray, commented on prior song, "Mississippi Queen" - Mountain, shout outs to HFU posters (including me), Goodnight, 73." Off 0041. Poor with fading to barely audible in solar storm. (Taylor – WI)

** Radio Azteca via the All Azteca Relay Service

5/15, 0057-0249*, 6872.6am. A carrier appeared followed, four minutes later, by the Radio Azteca IS. Two programs, #4 and #6. Generally, “Poor” or “Unusable” until 0225 when a switch of antennas (DXEngineering amplified vertical to Wellbrook) took the signal strength to “Fair.” Closes with an ID and email address for the AARS. 7000 Hz sounded best. It sounded better with 20% Noise Reduction. (35443, Hunsicker, PA)

** Radio Free Whatever

5/6, 2337, 6950usb. On Traverse City MI sdr with fair S9 to S9+20 signal, heavy metal rock, RFW ID, soft pop tune, at 2348 utc DJ = Dick Weed mentioned my name when he read HFU posts, pop tune. Still on at 0123 when I tuned it in on Barrington Hills IL sdr with fair S7 to S9 signal. (Hassig-IL)

5/9, 2256, 6950usb. "Dancing, Alone" - Ten Tonnes, DJ Dickweed announcing song and quick ID, into fade. Poor conditions, so I went to cook dinner. (Taylor – WI)

** Radio Vixen International

5/6, 0107, 6935usb. On Brookfield WI sdr with fair wideband S9 to S9+10 signal, rock music, at 0135 song "send lawyers guns and money" by Warren Zevon, off suddenly at 0150 utc in mid tune, nice selection of tunes, thanks. (Hassig-IL)

** Radio Vostochnaya Zvezda

5/19, 0508, 7400. At 0508, no signal from R. Vostochnaya Zvezda, pirate. Had been just about every night, until this from Lucas Bandura on the WOR iog May 15: ``Operator just posted this message in the HF Underground discord chat: “no radio pushka {previous name for same op, meaning rifle} for a while now. chinese radio/exciter failed. its garbage anyways, lousy amplifier circuit and very poor audio quality if using the built in modulator”`` and Arthur Pozner replied: ``It was obvious he was not using anything reliable from the very beginning. First started broadcasting in USB mode and later switched to very poor AM and invariably the result was always very atrocious audio; maybe he will find something that is made in the US or Japan!`` The other 40m pirate, Station YHWH, not on 7475 this late but was reported earlier, usually off by 0430v (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

** 77 Lima Juliet Sierra

5/12, 2238-2300*, 6925usb. BC starts with a “Good Evening” from an OM, then the correct date—12 May—and the observation that it was quite late—2238—which it was if one was listening from the UK, otherwise, not so much! The broadcast was said to be a special message for a special friend (name missed) and involved a very oddly presented story. It involved an adventure of Mr. Yowda. There was a really nifty data stream centered about 6928 that was about 4 KHz wide. (33443, Hunsicker, PA)

5/16, 2134-2147:06*, 6925usb. M talking!!! re military, weapons of Mass destruction, combat readiness, Soviets, intelligence collection, etc. “77 Lima Juliet Sierra” ID @2146:50 & off. SIO=2+52+ peaking over QRN. “Different” pirate #1001 heard, not counting Zeeky mutations. (Frodge-MI)

** Sycko Radio

5/11, 0100, 6936usb. "Nanook Rubs it" - Frank Zappa, Pause, mashup of “Goat Man Radio” parody. "Long Cool Woman" - The Hollies, 'Oh yeah, Sycko Radio', "Green River" - CCR, ID and frequency, said he is running 20 watts tonight, and into a program of music including other CCR, John Fogerty, Greg Kihn Band and talk breaks. Fair signal (good considering he was only running 20 watts) in a solar storm. (Taylor – WI)

** Truth Radio International

5/17, 2257-2308+, 6925am. Mission Impossible TV theme over & over; Female, lady woman ID @2303:56 into EZL ditty; male man ID @2308:16 SIO=353- peaks into the QRN; much better in USB. (Frodge-MI)

** Unid

5/13, 0052-0135, 6966usb. (Hell Raiser) Opened with a guitar playing Rock. Technical glitches here and there, particularly with Sweet River. Many waterfall images. 3400 Hz was best. (Hunsicker, PA)

5/13, 0104, 6966usb. Some kind of psycho weird tune more appropriate for Holloween, Light My Fire -Doors, In a Gadda Da Vida - Iron Butterfly (long version). Checking back at 0150 deteriorated signal, OM talking. Lots of BLAAAT during the broadcast. 333 (Amelar)

5/15, 0021-0105*, 6955usb. BC started with Rock music. Weak signal and noise often made for “unusable.” 20% Noise Reduction helped. Most of the show was a parody of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Two images in Scottie 2. 2800 Hz was best. (mostly 25341, Hunsicker, PA)

** Voice of the Voyager

5/16, 2321, 6925am. Music, Surrender by Cheap Trick. Host on a hummy voice patch, ID at 2322 giving Houston QSL address, says this is the "final broadcast." Still going at 2334 check with Stevie Wonder, Living In the City. Very good signal, occasional noisy QRM. (Will-MD)

** WAVE

5/14, 0137, 6950usb. Music by Wilco including “Heavy Metal Drummer, “ and “I am trying to break your heart”. Several IDs by synth woman’s voice both verbal and phonetic ("Whiskey Alpha Victor Echo Radio") an Easypal send (missed – software not on), another digital send, spy radio call up (woman with same 3 letter English phonetic letters), etc.. Fair in noisy conditions. (Taylor – WI)

** WDOG

5/8, 0150, 6900am. Vague music (couldn't identify any), 0156 "Freak like me" - Sugababes, howling dogs over music which faded down and off 0157. Howling dogs is signature of WDOG and firm ID from HF Underground. Just audible to poor. (Taylor – WI)

5/16, 2317-0215, 6935usb. Opens with music and then whistling and yelping dogs. Plays “Freak Like Me.” A Paul McCartney night—All McCartney, All Night. 4500 Hz fit best. (45454, Hunsicker, PA)

5/17, 0016-0026+, 6935usb. Novelty tunes, op talk & dog= barks. SIO=454 (Frodge-MI)

** Wolverine Radio

5/14, 0002, 6950usb. On Barrington Hills IL sdr with fair/good S9 to S9+10 signal, old acoustically recorded 78 rpm record then 30's or 40's swing tune "tomorrow", old ballad "100 years from today", Wolverine ID, Hank Williams "I don't care if tomorrow never comes", theme of songs with yesterday, today or tomorror, at 0019 switched to Brookfield WI sdr with slightly better signal, at 0027 switched back to Barrington Hills IL sdr, at 0028 "time has come today" by Chambers Brothers, thanks for the excellent tunes that I haven't heard in 50 years, at 0057 echo ID then SSTV/FAX, off at 0059. (Hassig-IL)

5/14, 0020-0028+, 6950usb. Apparently “love” theme ditties; voice ID @0024+. SIO=354 (Frodge-MI)

** WTF Radio Worldwide

5/7, 0238, 6950am. On Traverse City MI sdr with noisy S9+10 signal, hear woman talking with music, both Barrington Hills IL and Brookfield WI sdr's had lower signal levels with more noise due to approaching storms from west. (Hassig-IL)

** Zeeky (as King Radio)

5/14, 2355-0134*, 6960usb. BC opens with the Blues, then an ID at 0003 from an OM who sounded like Zeeky. Then, music and banter, and near the end of the program invective aimed at the kibitzer on the frequency. Zeeky is looking for a pressure cooker to grow mushrooms. 4000 Hz sounded good. (45555, Hunsicker, PA)

5/14, 0223-0247+, 6966usb. Zeeky ranting about Radio Ukraine, listeners comments, conditions, jammer & not making it to Hawaii; Techno rock & German ditties. ID as KING @0243+ into more rock. My 22nd different Zeeky mutation. SIO=354 (Frodge-MI)


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Regards, Lw