Free Radio Weekly #1428

FREE RADIO WEEKLY #1428

Covering free radio activity from 29 July through 5 August 2023

Editor this week: Ron Hunsicker

Date emailed: 5 August 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 is distributed to those who contribute.

WEEKLY DEADLINE: Saturday at 0000 UTC (Friday night in North America) Please send your logs to all the editors as the editing schedule is subject to last minute changes.

To subscribe to the FRW, please send an email to all the editors with a request to be added to the mailing list. Also, when changing your email address, notify all the editors.

Editors

Harold Frodge (99crawdads@gmail.com)

Ron Hunsicker (frwrjh@ptd.net)

Dave Turnick (caodwolf@gmail.com)

Larry Will (radio@zappahead.net)


Contributors to #1428

Rick Barton, Sun City AZ
William Hassig, Mt. Prospect IL, williamhassig@yahoo.com
Ron Hunsicker, Wyomissing PA, ronhunsi(at)ptd(dot)net
Glenn Hauser, Enid OK,

Mark Taylor, Madison WI
Ken Zichi, Williamston MI


OUR EDITORIAL POLICY: All times and dates are assumed to be UTC.


North American shortwave stations

All Azteca Relay Service

All Azteca Relay Service. 29 July 2023. 0237-0418. 6935AM. The carrier appeared at 0237 and then the RA theme music at 0242. Programs 32 and 33. Tough night with a weak signal and noise. Muddled audio is gone, however, and listening is possible. (25342, Hunsicker, PA)

Ballsmacker Radio

Ballsmacker Radio. 29 July 2023. 0108-0342. 6960AM. In progress. Pop music. Regular IDs. SSTV in Scottie 2 at 0248 and then gone. 8000 Hz sounded best here. (35343, Hunsicker, PA)

A person holding a bowling ball

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DJ Big Willie

DJ Big Willie. 29 July 2023. 0219-0405*. 6950.USB. First a carrier that was there and not. Changed to USB at 0220. Rock music, including “I Like it Better When We Are Wasted.” ID at 0230. An eclectic choice of music, including Taylor Swift. 3000 Hz. (45454, Hunsicker, PA)

Krap

KRAP. 2 August 2023. 0020-0103*. 6955AM. Carrier appeared, on and off, then C&W music at 0028 Freddy Flintstone with an ID at 0033, followed by Little Deuce Coup. Only about 30 dB above the noise, tough for AM here. Ad for Bear Whiz Beer and then a bit of Chicken Man. (25242, Hunsicker, PA)

Late Night Lunatix

Late Night Lunatix. 29 July 2023. 0639. 6869.912AM. Much better signal than before from pirate presumed Late Night Lunatix, S9+10/20 direct in a song. (Glenn Hauser, OK, WOR)

Radio Nelson

Radio Nelson (a relay). 30 July 2023. 1101-1132*. 6930AM. Carrier appeared at 1101 and music started at 1102, followed by an ID by an OM with a UK accent. Pop music with chatter from a DJ and regular jingles and IDs. Address on Coldershaw Road in London. Final eight minutes were unusable. 5000 Hz sounded much better than 6000 because of less noise. (45442, Hunsicker, PA)

R Vostochnaya Zvezda

R Vostochnaya Zvezda. 4 August 2023. 0639. 6200AM. JBA carrier into DX-398, presumably pirate in SW USA, R. Vostochnaya Zvezda. So far, I have had nothing better from it here ex-7400. (Hauser, OK, WOR)

Sycko Radio

Sycko Radio. 30 July 2023. 0317. 6950AM. After listening since about 0300, program faded up at 0317 with contemporary dance music, 0318 Sycko talking … “propagation is getting really tough” and mentioned running 5 watts then into more dance music before fading down to barely audible again. Mostly very poor. (Taylor – Wi)

Thunder Chicken Radio

Thunder Chicken Radio. 29 July 2023. 2330. 6950USB. On Barrington Hills IL sdr with good S9 signal, at 2333 ZZ top "La Grange", more ZZ top, at 2344 faded down to fair S5-S7, tried tuning in locally but barely heard it under S9+10 local noise caused by Uverse cable which squeezes 100 mb/sec through ordinary pairs of wires, neighbors have Uverse but I don't. (Hassig-IL)

Thunder Chicken Radio. 29 & 30 July 2023. 2333-0002*. 6950USB. Program in progress. ZZ Top and more Blues/Rock. SSTV in Martin 1 at 0000, a golden chick and an ID at 0002. Then, gone. 3000 Hz. fit the conditions. (35343, Hunsicker, PA)

A colorful image of a planet

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Thunder Chicken Radio. 29 & 30 July 2023. 2348-0003*. 6949.987USB. ID at end after SSTV: (not sure what this is -- art from a ZZ Top Album maybe?) Music including lots of ZZ Top -- “Mexican Blackbird,” “Tush,” “Thunderbird” and “Blue Jean Blues.” (RSPdx +SDRuno +random-wire -- recorded so I could catch the others on the pirate band--Zichi MI2)

Two Dog Radio

Two Dog Radio. 30 July 2023. 0228-0400*. 6925USB. Program in progress (saw it on the waterfall). Because of a weak signal—five to ten dB over the noise—the BC was unusable until 0331. Then the music came through. The ID by an OM at 0400 was about the only word that were understandable. At close, about 12 dB over the noise. (Hunsicker, PA)

Two Dog Radio. 30 July 2023. 0322. 6925USB. 'Trip like I do" -The Crystal Method, 'The other Side of Doom' - Faderhead, 'Keep Hope Alive" - The Crystal Method, 'Smack my Bitch Up' - The Prodgy, 'Worlock' (Eye of the Beholder Mix) [Rhys Fulbur remix]' - Skinny Puppy. ID from HF Underground. Fair. (Taylor – Wi)

Unidentified

Unidentified. 29 July 2023. 0446-0711*. 6870AM. A carrier, but, mostly, the signal was so weak that no audio was heard. Bits of audio a few times. Maybe a Johnny Cash tune at 0620. (unusable, Hunsicker, PA)

Unidentified. 30 July 2023. 0001—128*. 6940AM. BC began on 6935 and switched to 6940 at 0004. Never heard and ID except at 0119 when an OM said, “Outrageous, man, WTF.” Since the style of the BC is so unlike the following IDed WTF Worldwide, I didn’t think that this BC was WTF Radio Worldwide. Did close with a vibraphone, though. Regular comments by Star Trek’s Worf, including, “I am Worf.” Rock/Pop music. Early on, 7000 Hz fit well, but later, 10,000 Hz was best. (35343, Hunsicker, PA)

Unidentified. 30 July 2023. 0136-0243. 6950AM(?). Carrier seemed to appear at 0136 and was never strong enough to hear, other than an occasional bit of music. (unusable, Hunsicker, PA)

Wild Mountain Radio

Wild Mountain Radio. 29 July 2023. 2337-2358*. 6935USB. Program a music started together, then an ID at 2341. 2700 Hz, maybe a little narrower. Closed with thanks to Cloudsplitter Radio for relaying the BC. (35343, Hunsicker, PA)

Wild Mountain Radio. 29 July 2023. 2347-2359*. 6935USB. 2x ID w/gmail.com address at :55, and music but it was too down in the noise to really get much --although the ID was clear enough! 2+52+42 right at the noise floor (RSPdx +SDRuno +randomwire --recorded so I could catch the others on the pirate band--Zichi MI2)

Wolverine Radio

Wolverine Radio. 29 & 30 July 2023. 2357-0109*. 6960USB. Started with the “Testing, one, two, three, can anybody hear me?” sequence, repeated many times. Then some 1920’s music and Big Band music, followed by an ID at 0009. Swing, C&W, Blues, Rock. A fun evening. 4000 Hz was best. Closed with an SSTV ID in Scottie 1. (55555, Hunsicker, PA)

Wolverine Radio. 29 & 30 July 2023. 2358-0109*. 6960USB. s/on w/’testing 1-2-3’ IS and ID with today’s show having a ‘look’ theme. Songs included “You Should Have Seen The Way He Looked at Me” (The Dixie Cups) as well as (The Beatles) “I’m Looking Through You,” “Look Through Any Window” (The Hollies), (The Band) “Look Out Cleveland,” and “Look Sharp!” (Joe Jackson) among many others that fit the theme. The usual SSTV image related to the show at the end. 4+54+4+4+ w/NICE wide band and unusually good sound! (RSPdx +SDRuno +randomwire -- recorded so I could catch the others on the pirate band. (Zichi MI2)

A child looking through a microscope

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Wolverine Radio. 30 July 2023. 0021. 6960USB. On Brookfield WI sdr with fair S9-S9+10 signal, song: "I'm looking through you" then Wolverine ID then Hollies "look through any window", various songs with the word "look" in them, many fine old tunes from late 1960's into 1970's by Jethro Tull and others, at 0107 echo ID then SSTV/FAX then off, thanks for the good program, also tuned in locally with fair/poor signal over S9+10 neighborhood noise. (Hassig-IL)

WTF Radio Worldwide

WTF Radio Worldwide. 30 July 2023. 0135-0251*. 6955USB. Interval music by vibraphone, then an ID at 0139 by an OM. Rock/Pop music. OM announced the groups and titles for almost all the music. 2800 Hz fit best. (45454, Hunsicker, PA)

WTF Radio Worldwide. 30 July 2023. 0004-0128*. 6940AM. ID per the HF Underground, if there was one at 0120 as they said, it was barely audible here, despite good reception by that point. I can ‘imagine’ I heard WTF Radio, but only imagination level! That said, I did hear some understandable ‘talk’ but not anything I’d call an ID. For example, there was a bit of Star Trek audio: “I am Whorf, Son of Moag. I have much to teach you about women” before (Carbon Leaf) “Lonesome Pine” at :29. This was apparently an ‘all Carbon Leaf’ show--they also played “Desperation Song”, “Traffic”, “Wanderin’ Around” and other “Carbon Leaf” (can’t say I’ve ever heard the group before, but they weren’t horrible) songs with other non-ID Star Trek bits between some songs too. 353+3+2+ a little on the weak side and that allowed the band noise to mar things at first, but up to 3+5443+ by the s/off. (RSPdx +SDRuno +random-wire -- recorded so I could catch the others on the pirate band. (Zichi MI2)

WTF Radio Worldwide. 30 July 2023. 0112. 6940AM. On Brookfield WI sdr with fair but noisy S9-S9+10 signal, rock music I can't ID, per other posters songs by Carbon Leaf, off air at 0129 utc, tried tuning in locally but lost cause under S9+10 neighborhood noise. (Hassig-IL)

Yeah Man Radio

Yeah Man Radio. 2 August 2023. 0109-0201*. 6925USB. Program and music started with “War.” Then an ID and note that this was a ‘70’s Tuesday Night on 6925. “Indian Reservation” and other 1970’s hits. Yeah Man acknowledged reports to the HFU. Noted that the music was from his late father’s six CD set. Had a CD player failure. Closed with Rainy Night in Georgia. 2900 Hz to cut out a bit of QRM. (45444, Hunsicker, PA)

YHWH

YHWH. 28 July 2023. 0315. 7475AM. In progress at tune-in, some familiar material, and with anemic audio. Usual op. (Due to weather, we monitored with an indoor random wire and Radio Shack DX-402 battery portable which, fortunately, was all we needed this session). 1st. set closing ancmts, Days of Hard Life/Lace at 0351. "Familiar lecture on "all religions have failed us", a cut-in with full modulation with op and contact info "Elliott POB 1722 Inyokern, CA 93527". "This is station YHWH folks, good night" and of at 0403 (Barton-AZ)

YHWH. 30 July 2023. 0310. 7475AM. In progress at tune-in, Josiah Elias and lecture of familiar themes (trashing the Catholic church, "war mongering USA" etc). Contact info & off at 0433. Logged S-9 on Drake SW8, long wire (Barton-AZ)

YHWH. 31 July 2023. 0300. 7475AM. In progress at tune-in, Josiah lecture, and, as usual, anemic modulation to go with otherwise strong S9 signal. Well over a lot of t-storm static crashes. Yahweh Top Ten list at 0330, Days of Hard Life at 0345. Still S9 carrier, but modulation dropped off after that. At 0357, a live cut-in with VG modulation, CD offer and contact 411. Off at just past 0400 Logged S-9 on Drake SW8, long wire (Barton-AZ)

YHWH. 2 August 2023. 0345. 7475AM. In progress at tune-in, usual Josiah lectures. During closing Ann, asked for like-minded to submit CDs to be guest speakers on the station, and asked for anyone wanting to contribute Yahweh related music to the program to also send CD. Went off at 0407. Logged S-9 on Drake SW8, long wire (Barton-AZ)

YHWH. 3 August 2023. 0300. 7475AM. Suddenly cut-in on the channel at 0301 with the usual op, "Josiah". At 0350 was the Yahweh Top Ten and the "burn your flags" speech. During closing anncmts at 0420, announced that he is looking for a wife, repeated his maildrop info, then a good night & off. Logged on Drake SW1, long wire (Barton-AZ)


Otherness

Googling “Radio Nelson on Coldershaw Road” will provide a bit of background about Radio Nelson, and also give access to recordings of other pirate broadcasters in the UK.



Best regards,

Ron